Shonen, which is also spelled as shounen is a type of manga and also an anime. It is based mostly on high action content. When you translate it from Japanese in Kanji characters, the word shonen directly translates to “boy comic” or “youth cartoon”. This genre is mainly targeted towards the boys of age 10-18. However, as a high action category, it may also attract males and females from other age groups. This genre is noted to be the most popular out of all the other manga genres. Why Are Shonen Anime So Popular? Let’s take a look:
Some famous shonen anime:
The most famous of the mangas and animes in Japan and the U.S. are of the shonen genre. Anime and manga of Bleach, Naruto, One Piece, Attack On Titan are full of violence and highly intense action that categorize them as shonen. But, these manga and anime are not limited to action only. A lot of them depict some form of romance along with drama to make it favorable to the wide audience. As an example, let’s take a look at the recently concluded Naruto Shippuden. While it is categorized as a shonen anime, it still had romance and humor packed in properly.
So, why is it so popular?
There can be so many answers to this question. One answer is, like many American films, the high action involved in the anime and manga and the overall reckless attitude of the main characters to stand for what’s right really inspires the viewers who are bored of their daily lives. However, the main difference that makes these shonen animes unique to films is that it shows exciting and novel fantasies that may not be expressed through action movies. Even with the improvement in photoshopping there are still some things that the action movies cannot quite capture.
Audiences now get to experience their fantasies and imagination beyond control without feeling the helplessness of reality beaming in on them. The miraculous ten-meter jump from Naruto and the shadow clone jutsus can only be done in the anime. Further proof comes in the form of the live adaption of Attack On Titan. It solidifies this fact even more.
People even today leading a somewhat monotonous life love to imagine. And the power of imagination is what helps them relate to the shonen genre the most. The factor that makes shonen special and popular is the ability to represent thrilling and action-packed fantasy without any doubt for credibility.
Why Are Shonen Anime So Popular? You may have your answer now.
