Each year is an opportunity to experience new anime. There are always shows that generates a lot of attention. There is a wide range of unique genres that anime series turn to for inspiration, with shonen stories being particularly popular.
Shonen series can run for multiple decades and create lifelong fans out of its audience. Shonen anime have some of the most passionate and devoted fans out of any anime genre, but they can also be divisive and not for everyone. A fine line exists between love and hate when it comes to the shonen genre.
10 Dragon Ball GT Mixes Up Its Formula And Faces Criticism
Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball is one of the most prolific anime franchises of all time and it’s remained as popular today as it did when it made its debut. The love for Dragon Ball continues to be strong, but Dragon Ball GT remains one of the more contentious installments in the series. An anime original sequel series that didn’t have Toriyama’s involvement with the story, many begrudge Dragon Ball GT for the ambitious risks it takes. Dragon Ball GT has become increasingly irrelevant after Dragon Ball Super’s release, but it still has its share of devout fans.
9 Ranma ½ Gets Lost Between Its Action And Comedy
Many shonen series struggle with tonal balances when it comes to how much comedy there should be and if it’s at the expense of action. Ranma ½ is very divided on this front and while its priority is action, there’s an inherent level of comedy that’s baked into the transformative properties of its premise. There are some that view Ranma ½ as a great equalizer, but there are lots of people who adore its comedic sensibilities only to consider the action sequences lacking. The layered nature of Ranma ½ is part of what gives the series its appeal, but it’s not for everyone.
8 Not Everyone Has Time For Black Clover To Find Its Footing
Black Clover is a recent shonen anime, even finding popularity on Adult Swim's Toonami programming block. Black Clover breaks down very familiar shonen tropes as Asta, an individual without magic powers, pines to become the next Wizard King.
Black Clover has 170 episodes and it ends in a very satisfying place, but the show's biggest hurdle is how long it takes to get there. The first quarter of the series is Black Clover at its weakest and least original. Many viewers abandon ship before Asta improves as a lead and the story deepens.
7 Yu Yu Hakusho’s Retro Charm Doesn’t Work For Everybody
Yu Yu Hakusho is one of the best shonen series to come out of the 1990s. Yu Yu Hakusho has a compelling cast of characters and it thrives once it finds its sweet spot within the Dark Tournament. Many view Yu Yu Hakusho as the ideal ‘90s anime, but it takes some time to find its footing and it has its share of detractors. Yu Yu Hakusho is a series that’s full of highs, but some can’t get past its occasional lows.
6 Bleach Loses Its Way And Isn’t Worth The Journey For Everyone
Bleach is one of the most celebrated series to come out of Shonen Jump. Ichigo Kurosaki remains a shining example of what's possible with a shonen protagonist. Despite Bleach's pedigree, the shonen series' anime becomes a messy endeavor that gets endlessly lost in filler, only to lose its way and get cancelled after more than 350 episodes. It's the sheer excess and sloppy plotting within Bleach's anime that divides its audience. Many aren't interested in the commitment that it involves when its story doesn’t receive proper closure.
5 Fairy Tail Will Connect With Audiences Or Leave Them Empty
Fairy Tail begins with infinite promise only to progressively squander its potential. Some shonen series take time to find their voice, but the reverse is true with Fairy Tail. Its characters hit diminishing returns and experience cyclical conflicts.
Fairy Tail has an excellent cast of characters, but Natsu Dragneel is another hurdle for audiences. His development as a hero is a work in progress, which is believable and part of the point of his journey, but it leaves some viewers exhausted.
4 Gintama Masters Its Dramedy, But It’s An Acquired Taste
Gintama recently wrapped up its staggering run of more than 350 episodes and three feature films. It’s not easy to maintain quality across such an expansive amount of content, but Gintama is the rare series that actively grows stronger and never falters. Gintama also manages to deliver hilarious comedy and contemplative action sequences, which highlight the shonen series’ contrasting sensibilities. Those that love Gintama love it dearly, but there’s an odd hurdle around the series’ entry point that doesn’t click for everyone. Audiences either binge through it or shut it off, confused.
3 The Seven Deadly Sins Doesn’t Do Enough To Shake Up The System
The Seven Deadly Sins is set in a magical fantasy world focusing on a group of rejected underdogs who are desperate to rehabilitate their reputations and prove their worth as heroes. This mission for redemption is a compelling place for the shonen series to start, but Meliodas and the rest of his team begin to feel like generic shonen fodder. The Seven Deadly Sins has found a dedicated audience, but audiences have acknowledged its shortcomings.
2 One Piece’s Cavalcade Of Content Is Its Own Deterrent
It's hard to talk about the shonen genre and not touch on Eiichiro Oda's prolific One Piece. The anime recently celebrated its 1,000th episode and is still going strong as it heads into its narrative endgame. Many consider One Piece to be the prototypical modern shonen series.
The anime has its share of weaker stretches of filler, but it's largely consistent considering how many episodes there are. Audiences have fallen in love with Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hat Pirates, but it's also a blind spot for many due to the daunting nature of getting through 1,000 episodes.
1 Attack On Titan Concentrated Narrative Is Impenetrable For Some
Attack on Titan premiered to massive acclaim, but it’s only grown more popular as the twisted story barrels ahead to its suspenseful conclusion. Attack on Titan is a masterpiece in serialization and foreshadowing. The anime gains greater depth with each rewatch and there’s always something new to discover in this bleak war between man and monster.
Attack on Titan’s story doesn’t take shortcuts, which has pushed its characters to unbelievable breaking points. The payoffs in Attack on Titan are exceptional, but some don’t have the patience to wade through early material consumed with character introductions and dense exposition.