Seinen is the older form of Shonen anime that usually has more mature themes aimed. Unsurprisingly, seinen stories are usually aimed at an older audience. While these kinds of series doesn't always hit the story notes of Shonen Jump's many famous series do, seinen fans are treated to some true gems in the form of anime adaptations that strike a different cord.
These adaptations often get second seasons and tackle multi-part arcs that touch on a wide range of literary types and topics. In seinen, you can find everything from high school students struggling with relatable growing pains instead of embarking on cute shenanigans or grizzled Vikings in the middle of a historically accurate war. Below are ten of the most beloved current seinen series, ranked according to fans' involvement and by just how good they are.
10 Pet (2020)
Pet has an interesting subject matter that revolves around the human conscious. The anime follows three main characters -- Hiroki, Tsukasa, and Satoru -- who possess the ability to manipulate the minds and memories of others to their liking. Using this ability, the three work several crimes for their boss while struggling to stay sane when they enter someone else's mind.
This surreal anime presents its story in a strange way and creates plot lines that viewers will have to do work to connect back to each other. Pet is perfect for fans of suspense and mystery shows where the good guys don't always succeed.
9 Gleipnir (2020)
Gleipner revolves around Shuichi Kagaya, an otherwise normal highschooler who can transform into a monstrous dog mascot. Shortly after Gleipner starts, his secret is discovered after saving his classmate Claire from a fire she deliberately started. After being blackmailed, Shuuichi agrees to help Claire find her missing sister and uncover the mystery surrounding his strange power.
This is a supernatural mystery with bleak tones and themes that help drive the story along.
8 No Guns Life (2019- )
No Guns Life caught viewers off guard when the first season premiered, especially since the main character literally had a revolver for a head. Minus the interesting art direction, the gritty Noir-styled No Guns Life drew many viewers in almost instantly.
The story revolves around enhanced human Juzo (the guy whose head is a gun), who sets out to help a young child who escaped unethical and brutal experimentation. Juuzo dives into the dark secrets that his city holds and the corrupted organization that's pulling the strings, learning more about the boy he saved while coming to terms with his personal demons and the fact that he's a living weapon.
7 Non Non Biyori (2013- )
Non Non Biyori is set in rural Asahigaoka where there is only one class in school, and it's comprised of five girls of mixed ages. All five of the children range between being in grade school all the way up to high-school, but all work to bounce off of each other's personalities creating an interesting cast.
Despite a deceptively childlike appearance, Non Non Biyori is a surprisingly mature slice-of-life comedy that takes a look at small-town living in the Japanese countryside. There are no over the top drama, complicated romances, or action to be found in this very wholesome yet distinctly grown-up series about growing up. A new anime adaptation is set for a 2021 release, and the manga continues to pump out new chapters.
6 Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! (2020)
Like most viewers can probably gather from the title, Keep Your Hands Off, Eizouken! is a comedy series. The plot revolves around three girls -- Asakusa, the artist filled with imagination, her more grounded friend Sayaka, and Misuzaki, the artistic model -- who work together to start an animation club in their school in order to try and make money off of their passion.
Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! heavily focuses on the craft of animation itself and the three's journey in bringing their dreams and creative vision into animated life. A live-action adaptation is set to be released in the near future.
5 Bungou Stray Dogs (2016-2019)
Bungou Stray Dogs is an action series revolving around an orphan named Atsushi Nakajima, who can turn into a white tiger. He soon finds himself joining up with a detective firm that is full of incredibly eccentric characters, all with their own unique quirks and obsessions, like the suicide-obsessed detective Osamu Dazai. It just so happens that the case they're looking into involves a strange white tiger.
The series is heavy on action and has earned itself three seasons that tackle the different supernatural forces and organizations that work in the world. Bungou Stray Dogs is a mix of mystery, comedy, and action that's perfect for viewers who love Shonen Jump stories, but want a slightly darker edge to them. A new anime based on the spin-off Bungou Stray Dogs Wan! is currently in the works.
4 Cells at Work! (2018- )
Cells at Work! is a strange anime concept that works extremely well. The anime throws viewers inside the human body and introduces them to the hard-working cells inside that work to keep their host body healthy and moving during the day.
The show partly teaches actual biology while also entertaining audiences with brilliant action scenes and introducing some lovable characters, all of whom have their own motivations and arcs independent of keeping their host's bodily functions up and running. If an anime fan has ever wondered just how exactly blood cells can fend off the common cold or even cancer but couldn't be bothered to watch a biology lesson on Youtube, then Cells at Work! is worth a watch.
3 Dorohedoro (2020- )
Dorohedoro popped up out of almost nowhere and took viewers by storm when it premiered on Netflix. The series takes place in a dystopian world where magic users use the mostly human city known as Hole to perform cruel magical experiments that leave many of Hole's residents either dead or mutilated.
The series follows Kaiman, who was cursed and now has amnesia, a lizard head, and a guy living inside said lizard head. Together with his friend and expert gyoza chef Nikaido, Kaiman sets out to find out who he really was and kill any magic users who get in his way. However, the magic users aren't all as evil and callous as one would think. Dorohedoro is best known for its black comedy despite its dark setting, and it balances the tragedy, horrors and laughs of its unique world perfectly.
2 Kaguya-sama: Love is War (2019- )
Kaguya-Sama: Love Is War takes two student council members who are in love with each other and throws them into a mental battle for the ages. Unlike a regular romantic anime where one character is outwardly smitten while the other plays coy about it, Kaguya and Miyuki both have feelings for each other but refuse to admit it.
To get into a relationship, they both play complicated mind games to try to force the other to ask them out. Imagine if Death Note's intense mental duels were applied to an innocent case of high school love. Kaguya-sama: Love Is War is over the top with its concept and full of comedy, as the two characters work to outsmart one another with exceedingly hilarious plans.
1 Vinland Saga (2019- )
Unique among the entries in this list, Vinland Saga was adapted from an older manga series that focuses on historical Vikings and their culture rather than a fantastical world. The series quickly climbed it's way up the anime ranking charts due to its graceful battle scenes and its focus on the war surrounding the main characters.
The series throws viewers into the shoes of three Vikings as the war between England and Danes starts to heat up. Each character is driven by their own beliefs, and passions, such as Thorfinn, who seeks revenge against Askeladd for his father's murder. Meanwhile, Askeladd adopts and raises Thorfinn (despite assassinating his father) for his own reasons. It's complex characterizations and writing like this that make Vinland Saga not just a good watch, but possibly one of the best seinen stories of its generation.