With some of the heaviest hitters in anime its no wonder Shonen has garnered the attention it has over the years. Shonen has captured the boyish charm perfectly in how their shows and movies portray themselves. Firstly, as I have come to be corrected recently, Shonen’s primary target audience is boys. It’s not specifically limited to action and violence even though that’s what most boys do enjoy in film and TV. That’s why some shows you wouldn’t expect to be Shonen are some of the biggest hitters. But we’re going to focus on some of the heaviest hitters.

Bleach. You’ve most likely heard of it. In the same category as Naruto and One Piece, Bleach is filled with intense action, amazing spectacle and intricately designed power systems that get the heart pumping and the brain running at a million miles an hour! With Bleach’s design and dedication to strong lovable characters its no wonder this show easily ranked among the Big Three. Bleach created an entire intricate system that many still reference today. And while the list is ever changing of top anime with heavy hitters like My Hero Academia and Jujutsu Kaisen, Bleach remains timeless with episodes in the hundreds and movies to boot.

When it comes to Shonen one must realize that anything that makes a little boy look at their screen in wonder and think “hell yeah” is what makes this genre so powerful. I have spoken to many people who have given me their top Shonen picks and while their opinions are wrong there is no wrong answer to what is the best Shonen of all time. Anime is highly personal and when you realize that and celebrate the differences between some of the best anime you find yourself appreciating not only the classics but the newer entries trying to make a name for themselves.

And if this interests you head to our Articles pages where we go in depth on exactly what makes Shonen so special!