Shonen anime has pushed the envelope numerous times, for better or worse. Pushing boundaries by challenging and reinventing tried-and-true tropes is a great way to defy the genre's norms. Some shonen series, however, pushed all the wrong buttons and sent viewers ablaze as they voiced their opinions on social media.
Some shonen titles generate controversy for going way too far with edginess, controversial protagonists, and questionable subject matter. Others infuriate the masses for being contrived, overly formulaic, and lacking meaningful character development. Whatever the case is, these shonen anime series are always front and center in any fandom debate.
10 Rent-A-Girlfriend's Protagonist Is Unlikable At Best & Insufferable At Worst
Harem anime series aren't known for being of great quality, but fans were especially disappointed by Rent-A-Girlfriend. Harem leads are generally pathetic and indecisive, but Kazuya amps those qualities up to eleven. The story goes absolutely nowhere since he's moping around in self-pity most of the time instead of trying to improve his relationships with any of the titular girlfriends.
Chizuru, Mami, Sumi, and Ruka aren't the most interesting or well-written female characters in anime history, but they still have more substance than Kazuya. Many shonen fans agree that Kazuya is the worst protagonist in recent history.
9 Demon Slayer Is Always Up For Debate
Whether or not Demon Slayer deserves the hate it receives is debatable. It seems like most of it is the result of bandwagoning and hating the series for its popularity. However, hating the series has become a meme in online anime spaces.
In addition to the bandwagoning, there are plenty of valid criticisms about Demon Slayer, primarily regarding its sexualized depiction of Nezuko and its knack for killing off the most interesting characters. Still, fans can't help but wonder if Demon Slayer is really as bad as Twitter makes it seem.
8 My Hero Academia's Treatment Of Female Characters Is A Recurring Issue
My Hero Academia is one of the most popular modern shonen series. However, even the series' most dedicated fans can't ignore its biggest flaws. Critics argue that My Hero Academia's cast is too bloated and that the fandom ruined the show.
However, My Hero Academia's biggest issue is its treatment of female characters. Characters like Yaoyorozu, Froppy, and the invisible Hagakure are often oversexualized, despite being teenagers. Recently, Horikoshi garnered widespread criticism for chapter 368's cover, in which Hagakure was drawn naked in her first non-invisible appearance. Plus, fans don't appreciate that more female pro-heroes have been killed or taken out of commission than their male counterparts.
7 Jojo's Bizarre Adventure's Introduction Of Nazis In Part Two Didn't Sit Right With Viewers
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure challenged shonen norms in more ways than one, revolutionizing the genre with its unique art style and innovative power system. However, Jojo's isn't immune to controversy.
Many of the series' most avid fans try to forget about Battle Tendency's inclusion of Nazi allies. Stroheim was depicted as a hero since he helped Joseph defeat Kars while singing praises of German technology. However, since Battle Tendency is a timepiece set Europe during the late 1930s, some argue that the inclusion of Nazis was historically accurate.
6 Bleach's Excessive Filler Episodes Infuriated Manga Readers
Bleach's manga is a battle shonen masterpiece that puts Tite Kubo's genius character and world-building on full display. However, the anime adaptation didn't do the manga justice. The biggest issue with the Bleach anime is that it was chock full of filler episodes that took up nearly half of the series.
Other shonen anime titles have a few filler episodes here and there, but certainly not enough that they become entire arcs that derail the main plot. Veteran fans of the series recommend fans skip the anime and just pick up the manga.
5 Fairy Tail's Excessive Fanservice & Predictable Character Arcs Failed To Impress Viewers
When people think of critically-acclaimed shonen, Fairy Tail definitely isn't the first title that comes to mind. Many fans criticize the show for being too contrived and formulaic. The power of friendship comes in handy in many shonen anime, but Fairy Tail turns it into plot armor. Whenever the heroes are in a pinch, fans roll their eyes because they know the power of friendship is about to save the day for the millionth time in the series.
Fairy Tail is also criticized for its excessive fanservice and over-predictability. Like most shonen romances, Fairy Tail makes it pretty obvious who will be a couple at the end of the series. This results in contrived romantic plotlines and awkward flirting with no real relationship buildup.
4 Sword Art Online Has A Polarizing Protagonist, Pacing Issues, & Lackluster World-Building
Sword Art Online's most common criticisms trace back to three main issues. First, Kirito is an underwhelming protagonist whose role could have gone to a more exciting character. Some even argue that Kirito is Sword Art Online's greatest weakness. Secondly, Sword Art Online's pacing issues make the anime hard to follow.
Sword Art Online's Third problem is the game's rules are explained so poorly that many viewers felt the world-building was barely thought-out and overall lackluster. The series had the potential to become an excellent shonen staple, but it fell flat, ultimately becoming the anime community's laughingstock.
3 Some Viewers Felt That Attack On Titan's Historical References Were Too On-The-Nose
Attack On Titan has generated plenty of controversy since its 2013 premiere. Despite IMDb ranking it as one of the all-time greatest anime series, the community either adores or truly despises Attack On Titan. Many criticize Mikasa's lackluster role in the story and Eren's bizarre evolution from hero to villain. In addition, Attack On Titan's historical references are questionable.
Real-world callbacks are common in fiction, but some viewers felt Attack On Titan's were problematic. Forcing Eldians to wear armbands to mark their heritage rang eerily true of what the Germans did to Jewish people during the Holocaust. Fans also didn't appreciate that Pixis seems inspired by a military general during World War II who committed atrocities against Koreans.
2 Future Diary Is Too Edgy For Its Own Good
Just because an anime series is edgy doesn't necessarily mean it's terrible. Tokyo Ghoul, for example, is often recommended as a must-watch series for beginners, and its protagonist is the edgelord king. However, Future Diary's edginess is campy in the worst way possible.
Future Diary's plot is disconnected and ridiculously hard to follow. Yukiteru continually disappointed fans by moping around for most of the series instead of growing a backbone. Though the concept of death games almost always includes horror and controversy, Future Diary seemed to be going for the gold in the edgelord Olympics by including every offensive thing possible. Unfortunately, it didn't translate well.
1 Boruto Failed To Recreate What Made Naruto So Great
As Naruto's legacy series, fans had high expectations for Boruto. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to the original's hype. Boruto Uzumaki is an unlikable protagonist who spent most of his youth with a misplaced grudge against his father, Naruto. Yet, he still tried sponging off his dad's Hokage status to assert dominance over the other young ninjas.
Though Boruto matured as a character, the series has yet to catch up. Fans hate that Boruto is oversaturated with filler episodes and that meaningful plot development is scarce. The series is so disappointing that it became a widespread meme on social media.