Which rank systems caused the most concern?

Which rank system discussed was best or worst?

There is no universal best, but Japan's 1942 NCO reform and parts of the modern Russian system cause the greatest concern.

Every hierarchy serves the culture and organization that created it, so a simple best-to-worst ranking would conceal important context. The Imperial Japanese Navy's 1942 NCO reform raises the strongest practical doubts because it changed expectations during war. Some modern Russian titles likewise create serious ambiguity when translated across naval cultures. The comparison is therefore about operational coherence and clarity rather than declaring one national tradition inherently superior.