Anime is just as diverse as other art forms. Shonen anime is probably the first genre that everyone is introduced to. The word 'Shonen' literally means "few years". This genre deals with pre-teens and young male leads. Therefore it isn't easy to guess that Shonen anime is specifically targetted towards boys under the age of fifteen. But as history tells us, no anime genre remains constricted to a demographic anymore. The element of thrill in Shonen cuts across age and gender.
Over the years, Shonen anime has become the most popular amongst standard anime genres. There are countless anime with young male leads, who come of age while achieving their goals. Shonen anime can either be action, adventure, fantasy, or romance. Here are our 10 Shonen anime favorites from the 90s that everyone loves.
10 TRIGUN (1998)
A group of bounty hunters is looking for Vash's head to be put on a chopping block. Intrigue and gore dominate Trigun. Vash, the protagonist of Trigun, hides a dark past behind his slapstick humor. His donut fetish and his goofball attitude appear on the outer surface. But behind that exterior is a man with a $60,000,000 bounty on his head.
He's murdered and lain to waste thousands of cities and people. They call Vash "The Humanoid Typhoon". Two of his insurance agents, Meryl and Milly try to minimize his casualties, along the way.
9 RUROUNI KENSHIN: MEIJI KENKAKU ROMANTAN (1996-1998)
Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan talks about Himura Kenshin, a young swordmaster. During the Meiji Era in Japan, Kenshin played a pivotal role in the revolution. He disappeared soon after things settled down. Years later, Kenshin appears on the surface again as a meek-looking peacekeeper.
His reverse blade is his weapon of choice in hand. Kenshin is committed to fighting for the underdogs, and his enemies from the past keep popping up. Rurouni Kenshin has a typical larger-than-life storyline and overall it makes for an interesting watch.
8 MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM WING (1995-1996)
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, comes from the Gundam Franchise. Although not an instant hit, Mobile Suit Gundam, garnered a fan following slowly. Gundam Wing arc kicks off the plot with the assassination of 'The United Earth Sphere Alliance' leader. The United Earth is a military rule that has colonized Earth and space for decades.
With simmering discontent and rebellion, the colonies decide to fight back against the military alliance of Earth. The young rebel leader, Heero Yuy, plans on taking back freedom by sending five mobile suits to Earth.
7 GREAT TEACHER ONIZUKA (1999-2000)
Abbreviated as GTO, the anime tells the tale of Eikichi Onizuka, a gangster turned lurker for sexy high school girls. Onizuka's reformed mission in life is to prey on high school girls. He takes a bizarre path to his mission and he decides to become the world's greatest teacher.
Onizuka is sort of a corrupted version of John Keating from Dead Poets Society. With rebellious students in the way, Onizuka's out of the box, illegal methods seem to be failing. However, he must keep at it.
6 MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM: THE 08th MS TEAM (1996-1999)
A guerilla battle takes place in One Year War kicks in the jungles of Southeast Asia. Also known as the Zeonic War For Independence, it marks a fight between Earth Federation and Principality of Zeon. Representing the Earth Federation is Ensign Shiro. As he takes charges of the 08th MS TEAM of Gundam pilots, he launches a guerilla operation to take down Zeon forces.
The Earth Federation seems to be having an upper hand, that is until Shiro meets Aina from Zeon forces. Will love be the death of duty for Shiro, after all? Mobile Suit Gundam is a 12-episodic Shonen that will skyrocket your love for the Gundam Franchise.
5 DRAGON BALL GT (1996-1997)
Dragon Ball GT comes from the mega-popular franchise of Dragon Ball. Though it comes from the same DB franchise, it is not based on a manga. This one too is about Goku's adventures.
Emperor Pilaf accidentally wishes Goku were a child by calling upon the dragon using the Black Star Dragon Balls. Thus, Goku has to travel galaxies to find the Dragon Balls to rewind Pilaf's wish and turn into an adult.
4 DRAGON BALL Z (1989-1996)
291 episodes of pure Shonen magic, Dragon Ball Z, needs no introduction. It begins five years after the conclusion of the Martial Arts Tournament. Goku lives a peaceful life with his family. Until one day, a humanoid Raditz arrives on to tell Goku he is a member of the extra-terrestrial Saiyans.
Claiming to be his brother, Raditz tries to talk Goku into destroying the Earth. Unable to get what he wants, Raditz warns Goku's friends about an intergalactic threat fast approaching the Earth. A war for seven Dragon Balls, based on survival of the fittest trope, Dragon Ball Z is as good as it gets.
3 HUNTER X HUNTER (1999-2001)
Hunter x Hunter began towards the end of the 90s, and it is classic Shonen. The anime has also been rebooted once, and the ongoing manga is currently on a hiatus.
A 12-year-old boy, Gon Freeces leads four aspiring Hunters to take the Hunter exam. To become a Hunter is to become a specialized person in aspects of hunting, to cooking. With twin elements of fantasy and action, Hunter x Hunter pulls audiences closer with its captivating story arc.
2 YuYu HAKUSHO (1992- 1995)
An epic in every sense of the word, YuYu Hakusho mostly takes the top spot on Shounen anime. The anime talks about Yusuke Uraneshi, a 14-year-old delinquent who throws himself under a car just to save a young boy.
Yusuke is brought back to life as a Spirit Detective by authorities of the spirit realm. 112 episodes of pure Shonen magic, YuYu Hakusho and allies battle it against enemies who pose a threat to the human world.
1 ONE PIECE (1999-)
One Piece is the greatest piece of fiction to have ever existed. Spanning across decades, it began towards the end of the 90s in Eiichiro Oda's Wan Pisu. One Piece details the adventures of a pirate crew in search of ultimate treasure left behind by Gol D. Roger. Also known as the "Pirate King", moments before his execution revealed about One Piece, the world's greatest treasure.
Enter a 17-year old wonderous boy, Monkey D. Luffy. Out of love for wonder, his pirate career ultimately takes him in search of this treasure. With elements of action, adventure, comedy, and fantasy, One Piece is your best bet on the list.