WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Season 1 of Shaman King (2021), now streaming on Netflix.
Shaman King is finally back, returning the spotlight to a shonen anime/manga franchise that once felt as if it had been passed over in favor of others from its era. By revisiting this world, the new Shaman King anime only further highlights just how different its philosophy is from the average shonen battle series.
Part of how and why Shaman King is so different stems from its protagonist, Yoh. While other shonen leads and anime heroes, in general, are known for being hyperactive, Yoh's laid-back laziness makes for a much more zen main character. Here's how Yoh's chill way of living characterizes Shaman King itself.
Yoh's Lackadaisical Life Is the Opposite of Other Shonen Leads
For as much as his actions trigger the first several episodes of the series, Yoh is surprisingly inactive and almost lazy in how much of a truly shamanistic hippy he is. Long before he becomes the Shaman King, he embodies the idea of just going with the flow and taking life in, no matter how lazy or carefree it makes him appear.
Yoh is prone to laying around, listening to music and gazing at the stars, seemingly without a goal or care in the world. Sometimes he's so spaced out that he just gazes at people, such as his new friend Manta. This would seem to be the opposite of what a protagonist -- especially a shonen hero -- should be, as their proactivity is meant to propel the story. Surprisingly, however, this free-flowing progression works for both Yoh as an individual and Shaman King as a whole.
Why Yoh's Unique Philosophy Is Important
As its name might suggest, Shaman King is all about mystical shamans whose powers and mentalities hearken to a bygone era of simplicity. Yoh takes these lessons to heart, not getting caught up in the rat races of school or modern society. This shocks Manta, who wonders how someone can be so nonchalant, but it does make sense for the protagonist to be the manifestation of what the series stands for.
After all, the Shaman King manga went against the grain with its message that fighting may not necessarily be required, or even fruitful in the long run. Because of this premise, Yoh himself doesn't have a burning desire to do much of anything besides luck out and become the Shaman King. He's not trying to become the next Hokage, find the One Piece or even search for the Dragon Balls, giving him a lot less drive than many other shonen protagonists.
Shaman King directly addresses this, with Manta being shocked at Yoh's behavior and his girlfriend Anna calling out his laziness. Yoh initially wants to become Shaman King so he can thereafter live an even easier and more idle life, only truly being inspired to win the role in the face of Hao's abject evil. Setting him apart from the pack, this mentality on how to live life is a huge selling point for the young man.
In a world where it seems each new shonen hero is trying to be even more over-the-top than the last, having one who'd rather do very little of anything is a refreshing change of pace. It initially keeps the stakes low, but this also works in its favor to set the tone and establish that in Shaman King, rushing to fight the next bad guy might not be the best course of action. Thus, it isn't laziness so much as mindfulness and thinking about one's next actions while taking in all of the current moment's events. Sure, Yoh could pep up a little bit, but his tendency to take things slow is part of why Shaman King has remained a growing franchise in manga over the last several years.