do shounen anime have to have action in it

While it can't be argued that shonen has a focus on action, not every shonen is some action-packed battle series with high-tier gods fighting one another. Many sports anime like Haikyuu and Kuroko's Basket do have action, but the main focus isn't on combat.

Full Answer

Why are shonen anime series so popular?

Each anime genre has its respective crowd and every year brings forward dozens of new hits, but it’s routinely shonen anime series that make the biggest splash and run for years and years.

What are the qualities of a shounen anime?

I would say that building, developing, and protecting the bonds of friendship are one of the essential qualities of a shounen anime. Think of shows like Dragon Ball Z, My Hero Academia, and Naruto for good examples of this.

What is the difference between seinen and Shonen?

The shonen genre is usually defined as aimed at a younger male demographic and strives to appeal to teenage boys. Shonen's no less popular counterpart, seinen, has more mature themes and targets an older audience.

What defines the shonen genre?

For many viewers, the shonen genre is defined by its incredible fight scenes. But not all shonen series focus on fighting. There are so many different genres and styles of anime that create incredible material that’s able to connect with a wide variety of audiences.

What makes an anime a shounen?

Shōnen manga is typically characterized by high action and often humorous plots featuring male protagonists. Commonly-found themes in Shōnen manga include martial arts, mecha, science fiction, sports, horror or mythological creatures.

Is shonen an action?

These shonen anime have enough heart-racing action to please any fans of the genre. Well-made shonen anime tend to be massive hits — just look at Attack on Titan or Dragon Ball. It is by far one of the most popular "genres" of anime with countless numbers of manga adaptations and original series being created for fans.

How do you know if an anime is shounen?

Shonen anime usually look to meet all the interests of younger males. Most of the series feature a young male protagonist. Shonen anime have some of the most popular and well known franchise as they contain a little bit of everything. There's elements of action, adventure, fighting, drama, comedy, and coming of age.

Is there an anime without fighting?

6 Detective Conan Solves The Case Without Needing to Resort To Violence. The Detective Conan series, sometimes also known as Case Closed, has become an anime institution and has over 1000 episodes under its belt. There's such a defined structure to mysteries, which makes it such a natural fit for the shonen genre.

Is AOT a shonen?

However, the official classification is determined by the magazine which serializes the series which means Attack on Titan is officially a shounen. The Attack on Titan anime series is available on Funimation, Crunchyroll, and Hulu.

Is Haikyuu a shounen?

So, here's why I was disappointed to learn that Haikyuu was a shounen series... shounen series are almost always about action. And the focus of the series almost always tends to not be so much about character, but rather making the entire focus of the show on this action and competition.

Is HxH a shonen or seinen?

shonenHxH is still clearly a shonen and doesn't try to be anything more than that.

Is Naruto a shonen or seinen?

While shonen anime is targeted toward adolescent boys, seinen anime is aimed at young men, ages 18 and up. Shonen anime includes notable shows such as Attack on Titan, Naruto, and Demon Slayer. Of course, whether a show is a shonen or seinen, fans of all ages, genders, and preferences can enjoy them.

What age is shounen for?

Advertisement: Shōnen is a demographic term for manga and anime aimed mainly at early to late teen boys. Basically, between ages 12 and 18. They tend to be Fighting Series focused more on action than relationships, with romance generally either perfunctory or Played for Laughs.

What anime has no blood?

10 Shonen Anime Without Any Violence7 Your Lie In April – The Power Of Friendship And Music.8 Azumanga Daioh - Teen Girls And Their High School Journey. ... 9 Tsurezure Children - Multiple Perspectives On Young Love. ... 10 Detective Conan – A High School Student In A Child's Body Solving Criminal Cases. ... More items...•

What anime has no filler?

10 Best Battle Shonen Anime With No Filler Episodes10 My Hero Academia. ... 9 JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. ... 8 Attack On Titan. ... 7 Yu Yu Hakusho. ... 6 Hunter X Hunter. ... 5 Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. ... 4 Parasyte: The Maxim. ... 3 Jujutsu Kaisen.More items...•

What anime has no violence?

K-ON! K-ON! is an example of the slice-of-life genre, and there's nothing violent about it.

What does "shounen" mean in Japanese?

The Japanese Word Shounen. The Japanese word “shounen” is spelled as 少年 which means “boy” or “juvenile” when translated into English. If we were to put an age range on it, I would say that it applies to middle school to high school age. In other words, it’s used to describe a minor (the legal adult age in Japan is 20) from the age of 12 to about 18.

Is "shounen" a Japanese word?

Well, the word shounen can be used in a similar situation in Japanese. Although I don’t hear it used by people in the real world all that often, I do hear it used in anime a fair amount. Even when a person does know the name of a boy, he or she might still decide to refer to them as shounen in place of their name.

Is Shounen the same as anime?

Shounen In Manga . For the most part, the shounen that you see in manga is going to be the same that you see in anime. There will be some differences of course, as the two mediums are different from one another and each one has their specific strengths. Something that is interesting is how elements will change from one to the other.

10 Main Characters Are Only Male

Most people tend to assume that a shonen series is just for boys and that there's hardly any female representation. While it can be true that males are the most prominent figures, there's a good deal of female representation.

9 It's All Action & Fighting

While it can't be argued that shonen has a focus on action, not every shonen is some action-packed battle series with high-tier gods fighting one another. Many sports anime like Haikyuu and Kuroko's Basket do have action, but the main focus isn't on combat.

8 Shonen Can't Be Dark

Shonen series can be dark. Due to the bright, whimsical, lighthearted nature of shonen anime, the assumption is that these sorts of series can't be dark. This has been said about most shonen, but that's mostly because they don't seem to include explicit gore.

7 Seinen Is Better Than Shonen Because It's "More Mature"

Seinen series are more targeted for an adult demographic, from 18+. Seinen tends to be more explicit than shonen. Unlike a shonen that can't typically go too far with its content, a seinen doesn't have too many limitations, but this doesn't inherently make a seinen more mature than a shonen or determines if a seinen is better than a shonen.

6 All Of The Characters Are The Same

While series like Dragon Ball and Yu Yu Hakusho have set a standard for modern shonen character archetypes, it's dishonest to say that every shonen cast is a copy-and-paste of the other.

5 There's No Good Romance

While most shonen series are not known for their strong romances, there are romance-based shonen fans can watch/read. Not every shonen is just about action. For a lot of people, this stigma stems from battle-shonen not having a strong grasp of romance and sort of just teasing at relationships.

4 Every Shonen Follows The Same Formula

While there certainly is a formula for certain shonen (typically battle-shonen), not every shonen is the same. If one series has a tournament arc, then another series can also have a tournament arc and it'd be entirely different.

What do you expect from Shinen anime?

There are some things that fans expect from genre of storytelling. With shonen anime, people expect tournaments and training arcs. But of course, there are exceptions to every rule. Especially since not every shonen anime is about fighting to begin with, with many of them being romantic-comedies or gag stories that were marketed to young men.

What is the storyline of Onizuka?

Onizuka was published in Weekly Shonen Magazine. The storyline is about a former biker member who decides to become a teacher. He just narrowly manages to graduate from a teaching college, and immediately gets sent to one of the most troublesome private schools in the area.

Does Tenchi Muyo have a training arc?

When it comes to the Tenchi Muyo OVA series, Tenchi is so powerful he doesn’t need a training arc, and the women around him are experts—from Washu ...

Do fighting anime have the same formula?

Having said that, even the most fighting-focused anime don't all have the same formula. Sometimes the main character is already so powerful there's no need for them to ever train to improve. Other times, the main characters are constantly challenged in fights and improve entirely through combat.

Is Dr Stone a shonen?

Though Dr. Stone was able to sneak in a tournament storyline, the series itself isn’t a traditional shonen . They have characters who are capable of fighting, but the advancement is less about them developing new techniques and becoming stronger, and much more about gaining new weapons that bring them closer to the old world of science.

10 Attack On Titan Combines Fatalistic Themes And Unrestricted Violence

With its incredible rise in popularity over the past decade, Attack on Titan became a quintessential exemplar of dark shonen. The show was never hesitant about gruesome action and explicit violence, with the first episode starting with the protagonist's mother getting devoured by an appalling titan on screen.

9 Happy Sugar Life Has A Deceiving Title

Despite the uplifting title, Happy Sugar Life is far from being wholesome and innocent. Originally published in a shonen manga magazine, the story depicts one of the most twisted and disturbing love stories in anime history. Happy Sugar Life follows a high school girl Sato, whose good-natured facade hides a psychotic, manipulative nature.

8 Violence Jack Is A Classic Dystopia That Doesn't Hold Back

Anime and manga from the '70s were infamously unafraid of exploring dark, violent themes, even in the context of kids' entertainment. Created by the legendary mangaka Go Nagai, Violence Jack established the post-apocalyptic genre in anime and manga.

7 Death Note Makes The Viewers Question Their Morality

Light Yagami might be the most controversial protagonist in anime. While starting his quest for absolute justice out of vigilant motives, Light's decision to play god turned him into a ruthless and unsympathetic mass murderer.

6 Gintama's Humor Can Only Be Appreciated By An Older Audience

While comedies are usually more prominent in the shonen genre, Gintama definitely doesn't strive to appeal to all ages with its humor. The iconic gag anime is packed with complex puns, obscene banter, and witty wordplay that can be hard to comprehend even for a fluent Japanese speaker.

5 Devilman Evolved From Shonen To Mature Dark Fantasy

Go Nagai's most well-known masterpiece, Devilman, is often considered the most influential anime of all time. The masterful "evil vs. evil" premise depicts the violent rampage of the demon possessing Akira Fudo.

4 Evangelion's Second Half Confused And Terrified Even Seasoned Fans

Even decades after its initial release, Neon Genesis Evangelion remains a central topic of discussion in the anime community. The influence of Hideaki Anno's magnum opus reached many creators to come after him and continues to inspire the medium to this day.