Surprise! I still haven't forgotten about the Anime Challenge by @kuronokenshi so here I am resuming with the challenge. I am now on the fifth challenge (congrats to me getting halfway of the challenge) which asks for the Best Shounen Anime I Have Seen.
Asking which is the best shounen anime is probably one of the most difficult questions to ask and could spark debate among anime fans. Of course, we would want our favorite shows to be hailed as the best of the best while some go deep and technical when choosing which fits the crown. Well, I am a simple anime fan. The best shounen for me is something that can affect me emotionally, have great characters, great story, cool animation and plus points if it has awesome soundtracks and opening/ending songs. Music makes every action scene feel more badass afterall.
I am not sure if this challenge only require one anime as your best shounen anime, however, my heart can't take it if I would only to declare one because I have a couple of favorites which I think are the best. Please take note that I have not watched a lot of shounen anime and so my choices are only limited.
Here are my current best shounen anime:
♥ NARUTO
I'm not gonna run away, I never go back on my word! That's my nindō: my ninja way!
Naruto is among the early shows I have seen and it was the show that encouraged me to watch more anime. Naruto is a great show children and adults can enjoy because aside from it's nice story, some characters are also inspirational. One example is Naruto, the main character, who was ostracized by the villagers for having the nine-tailed fox inside him yet that didn't stop him from dreaming to become the hokage of his village. He also often mention that he never goes back on his word, something we shouls all emulate. Growing up without parents, it was also shown on some episodes that he was sad whenever he was alone but he didn't let sadness take over him.
Naruto isn't just about fighting the enemies but also tackles the importance of team work, preparing and planning before striking an attack, friendship, and family. Oh, I would also like to mention that some characters have made me laugh a couple of times. The series have also made me believed that women can be strong too. (Sakura vs Sasori)
♥ ONE PIECE
I know a lot of people would choose One Piece as their best shounen anime. Honestly, I didn't start watching this show immediately because of the art style and animation. On my first attempt, I watched around 23 episodes and gave it up because it didn't entertain me but I gave it another try and continued watching the rest of the episodes. The Alabasta Arc was the point which the story began to become interesting for me and since then, I've enjoyed watching One Piece.
One Piece is among my best shounen shows because it is overall entertaining with some hilarious scenes once in a while. Luffy taking on the journey on becoming the pirate king shows that reaching your goal is never easy and you have to face strong people but there will be also people out there along your way which you can truly trust, who will believe in you, and have the same goals and best intentions for you. I can also see One Piece as a show which encourages people to take on adventures and discover the world.
My favorite One Piece characters are Bon Clay, Boa, Zoro, Caesar Clown, Bartolomeo Cavendish and of course, Usopp! All hail God Usopp!!!
♥ BLEACH
Bleach deserves to be among the best for me because the story and its setting is quite different from the rest and Ichigo being a half human half shinigami caught my interest. The shinigamis entering and leaving human bodies was creative for me and it can be hilarious sometimes. Of course, there's the Gotei 13 which is comprised by a lot of awesome characters. And it is always a pleasure to the eyes every time they begin to mention "Bankai".
Bleach is a super cool show, I heard it will resume this year but I still haven't come across any update about it. I believe the rest of its story deserves to get animated because the last part of the story is mindblowing. From who the final enemy is, what happens to Aizen, who the first Kenpachi is, and a lot more! Bleach had also introduced me to anime stage plays and musicals. They have this musical called Rock Musical Bleach which ran late 2000s to early 2010. If you're a fan of Bleach, you should definitely check this out.
♥ ATTACK ON TITAN
I would be betraying myself if I didn't include Attack on Titan on my list! Attack on Titan for me is a refreshing and breathtaking show. It's has a unique concept, awesome story, animation, and music. Most characters doesn't have superpower and how they would fight titans with only sword, horses, and swinging in their 3D maneuver gears is what makes the show so fun and exciting to watch. Each episode is a thrill and suspense.
Attack on Titan also tackles about the broken justice system and the crooks in politics abusing their power which we can relate in the real world. It lowkey discusses about racism as well. This show isn't just about slicing titan's necks, there's a couple of scenarios here which we can reflect in our real world.
I don't mind what others say, for me, it is a very excellent show that makes me want to kill titans too whenever I watch it.
♥ HAIKYUU!!
Haikyuu!! is probably the only sports anime I would be including on my list. As someone who have played volleyball on her years as a student, Haikyuu is definitely a show I enjoyed watching. It feels like I am also playing the game every time they are in the court. Watching Haikyuu also gives people an idea on how volleyball is played. Actually, this show have also taught me things about volleyball and it's where I've learned about the term "Ace". I remember our coach shouting that word at me when it was my turn to do a serve. Lol.
My favorite character on this show is Yamaguchi for the reason that I can relate to his early Karasuno performance. However, if there's one great lesson I could take from this show, it is that height is never a hindrance to be great at this sport!
I also have to mention that the characters are very entertaining and the quality of animation during volleyball matches is what makes the anime more pleasurable and exciting to watch. It's difficult to blink while watching them in the court because you might miss where the ball goes!
♥ DEATH NOTE
Death Note may not be a show I would mention often but I have to include this masterpiece on my best shounen because I have always admired Kira and his big brain moves to outwit the genius Lawliet. You know it's going to be one hell of a ride whenever he opens the death note and begins scribbling names. We all know that famous scene where he was writing with super cool arm moves. It made it seem like writing is very awesome. Wish we can have those camera angles and feeling too while we make our posts here on Hive!
It only has few episodes compared to the others above but I can still remember the excitement and suspense I felt while watching this show. Death Note is a show that left a mark in my mind and will always be one of a kind for me.
♥ JUJUTSU KAISEN
I could've ended my list with Death Note but I would also like to add Jujutsu Kaisen among the best anime for me, not because of the handsome characters (but plus points lol) but because how good the story, characters, and animation is. I have only seen the anime and yet to read the manga someday but I can feel this show is going to be really awesome when the next story or arc gets animated because the first part was already great.
The vibe of Jujutsu Kaisen feels like a modern day Bleach. I really really really like how the action scenes were animated, it leaves me in awe. Great job to MAPPA!
Jujutsu Kaisen is currently the only new anime I am following and I am not regretting watching it. I plan to rewatch it before winter anime comes out.
Whew! This post was quite long. How about you? Which shounen anime is/are the best?
