At least it does with me… Do you know Shonen in Manga and Anime? I do, and I love watching it and reading, and I’m not male.
Welcome, dearies! I might defy the norm at times, but this is one time that I love admitting it the most, because yes, I do love, colourful, dovey-lovey, doki-doki, kawaii stuff, I do. 🙂
That’s Shojo.
But what about its counterpart: Shonen? Well, I enjoy that very much, too.
What about Shōnen?
There is a running assumption that Shonen, manga and anime marketed at young boys, is not really for everyone else. And yet, here I am. And apparently, so are a lot of us. Because I like facts, so I dig around and…
A Japanese survey on anime fan demographics found that Demon Slayer and My Hero Academia both have a 60% female audience. Jujutsu Kaisen sits at 50/50. Even Naruto has close to 40% female viewers. So if you have ever felt like you should not start watching something that was not “meant for you,” the numbers quietly disagree.
Shonen as a genre is technically defined by its target demographic, young boys, but what it actually delivers is something much broader: big emotions, intense friendships, characters fighting to become better versions of themselves, and stories that you simply cannot stop watching, and are entertaining. That, let me tell you, has no gender or genre.
Now, what else to do? Start reading and watching whatever you want because the description or story drew you in, that’s what I do, and I have lists for everyone, I have my 5 Manga Genres to Choose From and also 5 Manga to Start the Journey both here on the blog. And this new list picks up from there. 🥰But, if you are new to Shonen and want to know where to start then this one is for you, too.
Demon Slayer
Tanjiro Kamado is a kind and hardworking boy who returns home one day to find his family slaughtered by a demon. The only survivor is his younger sister Nezuko, but she has been turned into a demon herself. Rather than give up on her, Tanjiro sets out to become a Demon Slayer, determined to find a way to turn her human again while protecting others from the same fate.
For Demon Slayer, I don’t much about it, but the manga is finished, the anime is still ongoing, and it’s always in my radar for my next watch but I haven’t started it yet.
Naruto
Naruto Uzumaki is a loud, stubborn kid from the Hidden Leaf Village who has spent his whole life being ignored and underestimated. The reason, which he does not fully understand yet, is that a powerful nine-tailed fox demon was sealed inside him as a baby. His dream is to become Hokage the strongest ninja and leader of his village, not because it is easy, but because it is the one way he knows to make people finally see him.
You may be surprised but I didn’t finished watching this at the time it was trending years ago, now, it has been difficult to pick back up. Also, the manga, I don’t believe I would go into it, that would be a whole new commitment but it is available, and I do like it, despite my lack of hype, lol.
Jujutsu Kaisen
Yuji Itadori is an ordinary high school student with extraordinary physical abilities and a very strong sense of what is right. When a cursed object gets opened at his school and releases a dangerous spirit, Yuji makes a decision that changes everything. He swallows the object, becoming the host of the most powerful and feared curse in existence: Ryomen Sukuna. From that moment, he is pulled into a hidden world of jujutsu sorcerers, cursed spirits, and battles that do not always end well.
This one is a huge personal favourite, and I say that without any reservations. JJK is visually stunning, emotionally unpredictable, and has characters that will take over your brain for weeks. Gojo alone is a reason to watch it. The manga concluded in 2024 and the anime adaptation is still ongoing, so there is plenty to get into. The most recent season 3, it’s sitting on my watch-list while I decided whether to finish the manga or watch season 1 – 3 in one go.
It is surprising that I don’t have a lot of JJK on the blog, when my TikTok and YouTube are filled with it, but that’s just how it happened, I love Jujusu Kaisen, I think is awesome.
Dragon Ball
Goku is a young boy with a monkey tail and extraordinary strength who lives alone in the wilderness. His peaceful life changes when a girl named Bulma shows up searching for the legendary Dragon Balls, seven magical orbs that, when gathered together, can grant any wish. What starts as an adventure quickly becomes something much bigger, as Goku discovers who he really is, faces enemies stronger than anything he imagined, and learns that pushing past your limits is not a ceiling but a starting point.
Dragon Ball is one of the grandfathers of modern Shonen, simple as that. Almost everything that came after it, the power-ups, the rivalries, the found family, the endless drive to get stronger, owes something to this story. Major fan over here. If you are curious about what is happening in the Dragon Ball universe right now, there is more going on than you might think, and here is a recent update on Dragon Ball Super if you want to catch up.
My Hero Academia (Boku no Hero Academia)
In a world where most people are born with superpowers called Quirks, Izuku Midoriya has none. That does not stop him from dreaming of becoming the greatest hero of all time. When a chance encounter with the number one hero changes everything, Izuku gets the opportunity he never thought possible. Inheriting power and learning to use it, however, are two very different things.
I haven’t watched My Hero Academia but I did find out that it has one of the most enthusiastic and diverse fan bases in modern anime, and I see it every time it pops up in my social media feed or in my watch-this next Crunchyroll. So, yeah, it’s on my list. Oh, the manga concluded in 2024 and the anime is in its final arc.
Kuroko’s Basketball (Kuroko no Basuke)
Seirin High’s basketball team gets two new first-year players: Taiga Kagami, who is loud, competitive, and determined to be the best, and Tetsuya Kuroko, who is so quiet and unassuming that most people barely notice he is there. What nobody knows is that Kuroko was once part of the legendary Generation of Miracles, the undefeated middle school team that dominated Japanese basketball. He may not be able to shoot or dribble, but he has a skill that changes everything, and together with Kagami, he intends to take on every member of his old team.
I binge-watched this one and was ready to recommend it after season one. I wrote more about it in the Friday Flashback post here if you want the full thoughts, and recently talked about it some more on the podcast, you can listen to it on EachPage Flow ep 31.
Wow, that took a long a longer than I was expecting! I’ll leave the list to here for now, dearies! Hope you found something new to watch. If you are already a fan, which of these are your favourites?
And if you are just starting, I hope one of these is your entry point.
Happy watching! ✨
