Seinen anime is targeted at an older male audience, often being anime's version of a PG-13 or R-rated action movie or thriller flick. Many anime fans associate seinen with brutal action, gore, and drug/alcohol use, such as in series like Black Lagoon and Berserk. Seinen can have those things, but it's not a hard and fast rule.
New anime fans may be pleasantly surprised to see how often seinen anime rejects or at least avoids violence. For every Guts, Revy, or Askeladd, there is a pacifistic seinen character who rejects violence entirely. Some of them have seen violence and distanced themselves from it, while other pacifistic seinen characters have a lifestyle and personality strongly suggesting an aversion to conflict and violence.
10 Princess Charlotte Doesn't Want Anyone To Get Hurt
Berserk
The famed antihero Guts will gladly fight any soldier or Apostle who threatens him, and Griffith, Serpico, Isidro, and other characters are prone to violence as well. A rare exception is Princess Charlotte of the Midland kingdom, who greatly favors peace and love over war.
Charlotte didn't show any interest in war during the Golden Age and Conviction story arcs in the Berserk anime. She would much rather spend happy days in peace with her lover Griffith, and she will use words, not weapons, to defend him from his envious rivals.
9 Fuyumi Yanagi Just Wants To Return Home In Peace
Blood Lad
Blood Lad is a shonen-style seinen anime that has some distinct isekai elements to it. The high school student Fuyumi Yamagi found herself in the demonic underworld and died there, so no her ghost must somehow return to life and get back home.
Fuyumi has allies like the vampire Staz Blood and the dog-like fighter Wolf to protect and guide her during this Halloween-style isekai adventure. Fuyumi is grateful for the help, but she refuses to actually help anyone fight, even for her own sake. An exception was when Staz possessed her body to fight the villainous Akim.
8 King Is A Nonviolent Phony Hero
One-Punch Man
The caped superheroes in One-Punch Man belong to the Hero Association and are expected to fight monsters and villains to defend society. Saitama the caped baldy won't hesitate to blast his foes away with one overpowered punch, but the opposite is true of his famed colleague, King.
King is believed to be the lord of war, an unstoppable melee hero who can butcher any monster with ease. In reality, King is always terrified of battle and can't even fight nor does he try to. When other heroes show up to actually battle the villains, King will retreat home to play video games.
7 Hinami Fueguchi Won't Tolerate Any Bloodshed
Tokyo Ghoul
Most humans and ghouls in Tokyo Ghoul are ready to fight the other side to protect their friends and family. Examples include Kureo Mado killing all ghouls on principle or ghouls killing CCG investigators in self-defense. Other ghouls, like Ken Kaneki and the dandere Hinami Fueguchi, feel differently.
Ken will reluctantly fight to protect the peace, while Hinami would much rather not fight anyone at all. She has a fully functional kagune, but she's a naturally gentle person who knows that violence only brings more pain and misery. She learned that firsthand when Kureo killed her mother before her eyes.
6 Thor Snorresson Grew Disgusted With War
Vinland Saga
In many ways, the medieval seinen anime Vinland Saga is an anti-war anime. The antihero Thorfinn Karlsefni thought he would find a purpose on the battlefield, only for his father Thors to teach the boy that he has no real enemies.
Thors had been the best warrior in Europe, only to grow disillusioned and realize how pointless war is. Before his death, Thors was a pacifist who discouraged violence. He even used non-lethal barehanded attacks to fend off Askeladd's men before he finally drew his sword to face Askeladd personally.
5 Nanaka Kotegawa Is A Lover, Not A Fighter
Grand Blue
The wacky protagonists of Grand Blue often hit or kick each other for comic effect, including the tsundere Chisa Kotegawa. The exception is the deredere Nanaka Kotegawa, Chisa's older sister who would never harm anyone or even slap them out of frustration.
Nanaka is implicitly a pacifist who vastly prefers making fond memories with friends and family than attacking anyone. Chisa might slug Iori and Kohei in anger sometimes, but at most, Nanaka will drag them back to the clubroom and sternly scold them. Iori soon learned that Nakaka's pacifistic anger is actually scarier than Chisa's punches.
4 Masami Kondo Is A Gentle, Caring Restaurant Manager
After The Rain
After the Rain is a vaguely shojo-style seinen anime that's all about personal healing, not action or adventure. The kuudere heroine Akira Tachibana might slap someone who provokes her with highly inappropriate behavior, but otherwise, she doesn't like violence.
That goes double for Akira's dandere boss, Mr. Kondo, a naturally gentle and altruistic person who loves to help others however he can, either at home or in his restaurant. Mr. Kondo also can't stand confrontations, and would much rather apologize and run away than fight with either his fists or his words.
3 Nadeshiko Kagamihara Is A Moe Character, Not A Fighter
Laid-Back Camp
Laid-Back Camp is a charming edutainment seinen anime that fits the "cute girls doing cute things" trend. It's a completely non-violent anime that may appeal to shonen and shojo fans with its lovable, innocent main characters and its uplifting themes.
Protagonist Nadeshiki Kagamihara is heavily implied to be a pacifistic, non-confrontational person who would rather trade snacks than blows with someone. She is all about adventure, fun, and learning, and no violence is needed. If a wild animal appeared in her camp, she'd rather run than stand and fight it with a weapon.
2 Rokuro Okajima Isn't Too Keen On Violence
Black Lagoon
Black Lagoon features some truly violent seinen characters such as the pistol-slinging Revy, her nun friend Eda, and the tough-talking Dutch, among others. In contrast, the Japanese salaryman turned outlaw Rokuro Okajima, also known as Rock, is squeamish about violence.
To complete a mission or protect himself, Rock might reluctantly fire a missile or use a firearm, but he would much rather not. Rock favors accounting, diplomacy, and strategizing over violence, which brings some balance to the Black Lagoon outlaw squad during their misadventures. Revy might scorn him for that, but Rock isn't about to change who he is to survive.
1 Wakana Gojo Is A Quiet, Hard-Working Doll Maker
My Dress-Up Darling
My Dress-Up Darling is a popular shojo-style seinen anime that is all about the magic of cosplay and friendship, not action or violence. Fortunately for the dandere Wakana Gojo, the world of cosplay and tailoring never calls for violence.
Wakana is a pacifistic, non-confrontational boy who could never bring himself to hurt someone. Instead, he will indirectly compete with other cosplay makers with the exquisite cosplays he makes for his genki girlfriend, Marin Kitagawa. Wakana greatly prefers a peaceful, stable life where he can pursue his hobbies in peace and where no one can make fun of him.