In general, the world of anime can be split into four main demographics – shonen, shojo, seinen, and josei. Each of them has its own unique attributes and popular titles, but arguably, shonen is the biggest and most popular of them all, having broad appeal among a huge variety of viewers.
Anyone who is looking to get into shonen or simply expand their knowledge of shonen anime is encouraged to seek out the must-watch titles and give them all a try. Perhaps those titles are simply high-quality entertainment that shouldn’t be missed, or they are quintessential series that show exactly how shonen works. They could also be forgotten mega-popular hits, and watching them will allow a new shonen fan to connect with many other fans.
10 Naruto Is A Shonen Staple
Nearly every fan has heard of the series Naruto, with it being a member of shonen’s classic “big three” of the 2000s. In fact, many other anime series or Western TV shows paid homage to Naruto one way or another, and curious fans are in for a treat if they begin watching it for real.
Shonen fans ought to watch shorter series to get started with shonen, but they can make an exception for Naruto, especially if they cut all the filler to halve the runtime. New fans will soon see why the rest of the anime fandom loves the action-packed story of Naruto Uzumaki and his quest to become Hokage.
9 Bleach Is Like Naruto’s Shonen Cousin
Tite Kubo’s hit manga series Bleach is another of the original big three, alongside its peers Naruto and One Piece. While One Piece is simply too hefty to serve as an introductory shonen anime for new fans, fans can try Bleach if they cut the filler out. They’ll be left with a more manageable and streamlined story to enjoy.
Bleach is an action-packed fantasy story starring the sword-slinging hero Ichigo Kurosaki, whose duty is to slay monstrous spirits called Hollows and visit faraway spiritual realms to save the day. This story also features an impressive cast of lovable characters and some light isekai and even reverse-isekai elements as well.
8 Dr. Stone Is Both Popular & Educational
Every shonen fan or casual anime fan ought to watch Dr. Stone at least once, and if they like what they see, they can continue the tale in the ongoing manga series. This fascinating shonen tale embodies classic values such as the power of friendship and the virtues of courage and hope, but that’s not all it offers.
Dr. Stone is also an edutainment series that teaches all kinds of cool science in one slick package, and it also has a fairly unique setting and premise. The hero, the young scientist Senku Ishigami, must use his brilliant mind and reinvent humanity after a mysterious energy wave turned all of humanity to stone in a new stone age.
7 My Hero Academia Is Big Right Now
The hit anime series My Hero Academia is bigger and better than ever, and any superhero or action fan owes it to themselves to watch it if they haven’t already. Some anime fans might consider My Hero Academia part of an unofficial new big three, and it’s easy to see why.
This is the tale of protagonist Izuku Midoriya and his quest to become the new #1 pro hero against a rising tide of crime and villainy, and the story has it all – high school shenanigans, Marvel/DC tributes, excellent action sequences, and even some solid drama and humor.
6 No One Should Miss Demon Slayer
Everyone in the anime fandom is talking about Demon Slayer for good reason. Just like My Hero Academia, this series is “big three” material and has remarkably broad appeal among countless anime fans. The original manga is a best-seller, and even non-anime fans have heard about it.
Demon Slayer boasts astonishing animation from Studio UFOtable, a gorgeous color palette, exciting and charming characters, solid humor, and most of all, outstanding action sequences pitting demon slayers against flesh-eating monsters. The Mugen Train movie sold incredibly well in Japanese and Western theaters alike, too.
5 Jujutsu Kaisen Is Demon Slayer’s Brother
Jujutsu Kaisen rounds out the unofficial big three of modern shonen, and fans are in for a treat. Just like Demon Slayer, this anime features some seriously cool animation, compelling characters, a slick combat system, and some unexpected but welcome dramatic weight.
Anyone who wants to be part of the mainstream shonen conversation ought to watch Jujutsu Kaisen and similar titles, and they will soon see what all the fuss is about. It also helps that, just like Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen also has an excellent movie to its name that sold many tickets.
4 JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Has To Be Seen To Be Believed
The famed shonen anime JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is all over the place. Plenty of shonen fans have watched this wonderful series and want to talk about it, and JoJo’s has inspired countless Internet memes and pop culture references ranging from “It was me, Dio!” to “Eight seconds have passed!”
This anime is a unique experience that must be seen to be believed. It has all the basic ingredients of shonen action anime but spices them up with truly creative Stand-based combat scenes, wacky humor, and some legendary moments that will always be remembered by the anime fandom.
3 Hunter X Hunter Is Way Cool
The famed series Hunter x Hunter is a bit long, but on the plus side, it has relatively little filler content, and it’s not even as long as filler-free Naruto or Bleach, either. The downside is that’s because of the series’ infamous hiatuses, but that doesn’t diminish the content that’s already been released.
Hunter x Hunter is from the same creator of Yu Yu Hakusho, which is a fine pedigree. Hunter x Hunter is a colorful and exciting story with an ever-evolving combat system based on Nen, and it features the famed assassin boy Killua Zoldyck, the famed villain Meruem, the insidious jester rogue Hisoka Morrow, and more.
2 Death Note Is Dark But Intriguing
Just like JoJo’s, Death Note is a shonen anime series that absolutely everyone has heard of. Even after all this time, Death Note has a serious reputation as an exciting, mind-bending crime thriller with anime’s greatest battle of wits of all time. Death Note also challenges its viewers on topics such as justice, crime, and general ethics and morality as well.
Death Note tells the tale of the brilliant high schooler Light Yagami, who yearns to create his own kingdom of peace and justice with the murderous power of the Death Note. This will attract the attention of the world’s greatest detective, L, who is determined to stop him. And each believes that they are the sole embodiment of justice.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is the ideal shonen anime experience in many ways. To begin with, this anime is the ideal length, with 64 episodes being just enough time to tell a great story without any filler or exhaustively long story arcs. It also has a solid, satisfying conclusion, a claim that many other series cannot make.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood offers much more, from its stellar soundtrack to its sharp animation, fascinating real-world philosophical themes, creative action scenes, memorable characters, and solid humor and drama. If a new anime fan watches just one shonen anime, it should be this one.
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