After 15 years and a humongous impact in the industry, “Naruto” (and Shippuuden) finished in 2017 and with it an era that defined and still continues to define the shonen action genre in anime, a style that begun with “Dragonball” and “One Piece” and was cemented with the adventures of the young ninja and “Bleach”. Many similar, to the point of identical titles were released during and after “Naruto” ended, in essence giving a narrative identity to the category that looked annoyingly like this
Furthermore, after a point, and during a period that the whole anime industry declined, intense elements of fanservice were added to the regular themes of the-underdog-becoming-all-powerful-through-consecutive-level-ups, the training, the tournaments, the rivalry of two very similar characters, slapstick comedy etc to the aforementioned, while all the faults of the category (fillers, repetition, unnecessary flashbacks, prolonged dialogues to lengthen episodes etc) remained. Since 2013 and “Attack on Titan” however, the industry started to become reinvigorated, through a number of titles that entailed new elements, from parody of the cliches of the genre, to sociopolitical comments and many more, that actually allowed the titles of the category to be enjoyable by more mature audience. Here are 10 titles that achieve just that.
*some other titles were also considered but were left out for various reasons: “Fire Force“, “Demon Slayer” and “Black Clover” for not straying particularly away from the norms, “Tokyo Ghoul” for the sequel seasons being truly lousy etc. Titles like “Code Geass” and “Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood” I do not feel that fall exactly under the same, shonen action category, so I decided to leave them out. By cliking on the title you can read the full review.
1. Attack on Titan
How is it different? The great combination of thriller, mystery, fantasy, drama and impressive action are presented is presented excellently, with every question answered posing two more, as we also watch the fights, and particularly the deaths of protagonists, shaping the characters of the ones left behind. Both these elements retain the agony for the whole duration of the season, which moves in rapid fashion through the impressive, filled with blood and violence action scenes, a number of which are of epic proportions. At the same time, the social comments regarding religion, authority, friendship, and love provide an additional level for the title, that stresses the dramatic element, as the focus is placed on additional characters, apart from the original trio of Eren, Mikasa and Armin.
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2. Dr Stone
How is it different? The narrative initially focuses on what is civilization and how humanity achieved it (or has to re-achieve it in this case). This aspect, apart from philosophical, also becomes sociopolitical, as the two main rivals represent power, and in essence fascism and fundamentalism (Tsukasa) and intelligence, science, democracy and in essence capitalism (Senku). The fact that the first attracts fighters and the second workers also moves in that direction, with the clash becoming more complicated as time passes. At the same time, the series functions much like an educational program, since Senku uses chemistry, physics and geology in order to achieve the “miracles” humanity spent millenniums conquering in just a few years. This “bringing modern civilization to the Stone Age” concept is where the title truly thrives, with the educational aspect also extending to actual “lessons” about the concept of trial and error, dealing with mistakes, and avoiding easy solutions. The actual images of Senku's achievements that are presented in the episodes' mid-break also work quite well in the narrative.
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3. Goblin Slayer
How is it different? The first episode of the series remains true to the hype, as the slaying of the goblins (including babies, in a series of actions that is justified though) and the actions of the creatures, which include killing teenagers in essence and raping and torturing girls definitely points towards exploitation. The occasionally self-imposed limitations force the protagonist to use a number of intelligent tactics to win against his opponents, taking advantage of all the abilities his comrades have, which actually makes the fights much more interesting, particularly when combined with the permeating gore, which mostly derives and is received by Goblin Slayer. The story also includes sex (a threesome even) but the deed is actually implied than depicted and the sensualism part just appears through some minor fan service moments.
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4. Inuyashiki
How is it different? Evidently, the original aspect is that the protagonist of the anime (at least one of two) is an elderly man and in general, a rather unlikely hero, who, even in his omnipotence, looks clumsy and overall ridiculous, particularly when he decides to use his newly found physical power. Through him, Keiichi Sato presents a comment about the way Japanese society has marginalized the elderly and through this rather extreme approach, how these people can still be of use. Hiro, on the other hand, presents the exact opposite comment, of how the young can be useless and even harmful, particularly due to the lack of guidance, but also the lack of respect from them towards their elders.Apart from the aforementioned, bullying, the effects of social media (4chan in particular) and smart phones on the new generation, family, and friendship are also examined, although all of them through a rather pessimistic prism. This approach also includes the concept of love, which in this case, is presented as another “excuse” for Hiro's actions, in essence one of the elements of the “how to create a criminal” idea.
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5. Mob Psycho 100%
How is it different? I find this new path shonen anime are taking, which combines the concept of the “underdog” with elements of parody, even regarding the genre, quite reinvigorating, and one of the best things that has happened in the category during the latest years. Furthermore, the fact that “Mob Psycho” manages to present a number of social comments through the aforementioned approach, is one of its biggest traits. In that fashion, the story deals with bullying, the “segregation” occurring in schools among the various castes (athletes, good students, popular kids, delinquents, and the ones no one notices), con men who use the ignorance of their “preys” about the supernatural, family, and a number of other topics. All of the above, however, are presented through a rather comedic approach, that benefits the entertaining aspect the title quite significantly. These elements derive from the very interesting characters, starting with Mob himself, and continuing with Arataka and Ritsu, with the relationship of the two brothers forming one of the most interesting aspects of the title.
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