I’ve done a couple recommendations posts now, but I’ve never tackled the shounen genre yet, so here it is! You can check out my Shoujo recommendations here, and my Seinen recommendations here.
Unfortunately this list is restricted to anime/manga I have enjoyed, so
if you don’t see a title on here that you would have expected please
leave a comment so that I can check it out, and so other josei fans can
check it out as well! I don’t have time to watch it all, but I’m doing
these lists because the josei demographic is rarely addressed for
recommendations so those comments help the community out! Anyway, onto
the list!
By the creator of Death Note this anime/manga goes for a light theme this time, focusing on the story of Moritaka Mashiro and Akito Takagi who dream of becoming the best mangakas the world has ever seen. There’s some deeper content that josei fans will enjoy because of their lofty dreams, plus some high school drama that adds to the plot as well. Of course there’s a bit of love intermixed as well with Azuki Miho, Mashiro’s dream girl, which is fun to watch on screen as well. It has run for up to 3 seasons, so there’s plenty to watch if you get addicted. But of course there’s the manga too which is appropriate for the whole mangaka aspect too. Mostly a drama, josei fans can appreciate the serious tone about following your dreams as it stretches beyond just the typical high school format.
This is a story about awkward teen Tanaka Yukio, who does his best to perform among his teenage friends in an alternative rock band. It’s kind of like the boy version of K-ON! except on a larger scale than just high scool. The band BECK attempts fortune and fame, the typical dream of any high school band. There’s some growing pains and love mixed in that makes it an enjoyable watch. It’s nostalgic to any josei who’s dated a musician or has ever enjoyed that naivety of high school and big dreams. I originally saw this when it played back on MuchMusic years ago, and the dub was really well done, so I recommend both the sub and dub. If you’re going to check it out I’d suggest the anime over the manga, if you read it you’ll miss out on those original songs! It tackles more serious issues that are high school related, but also ones that bridge outside the typical high school drama. A more serious shounen, it’s something josei fans can definitely appreciate.
This is a pretty well known title, but for those who haven’t heard of it you should definitely check it out. It’s a supernatural thriller involving a gifted high school student named Yamagami Light who finds this book titled “Death Note”. Any name he writes in it will cause the person who he’s named to die. This is a lot of responsibility for a teenage boy, but his character twists and breaks down over the course of the story as he gets involved in the police department which is trying to track this serial killer (Light) down. The story’s highlight focuses on the mind games between Light and a detective boy genius simply named L who try to one up each other. If you’ve ever seen the movie The Prestige, the two have sort of a similar idea. I’d recommend it to josei fans because the content is more mature, and seeing the de-evolution of a character (rather than positive development) is pretty fascinating and interesting to dissect.
I’m surprised this is considered a shounen title, because I’d really label it as a shoujo/fantasy title, but I guess I’ll go with what MyAnimeList says on the matter. This story follows Shirakiin Ririchiyo who has trouble voicing her inner thoughts, so she ends up blurting out awkward statements that come out as overly egotistical. She has her own bodyguard, Miketsukami Soushi who is utterly in love with her and 100% devoted to protecting her. She has a special supernatural ability to transform into an ancient Japanese deity along with the other characters who share the same residence as her. Although the story mostly focuses on the antics and banter among the characters, there is also a heavy romantic element that makes it an enjoyable watch for any josei fan.
Although this anime is considered a harem (one boy surrounded by a slew bachelorette women) it still is enjoyable to watch as it doesn’t take itself too seriously. Mostly a comedy, and less so a romance, the story follows Keitaro Urashima who is on a quest to find his pre-school sweetheart. They both promised to meet reunite once they got to Tokyo U but Keitaro fails to be accepted and tries desperately to find her regardless because of his failings. In the midst of this he falls upon the job of becoming a manager for his grandmother’s all girls dorm, and hilarity ensues. It’s mostly funny scenarios between the girls and Keitaro, but there’s a bit of love mixed in there too. It also features an older cast (so it should really be seinen) so it deals with more mature topics as well like university and becoming an adult, something any josei fan can appreciate.
If you’ve ever been a fan of zombie movies then maybe this anime will hit a nerve with you (as it did for me!). The story follows Furuya Chihiro, a teenage boy who has no interest in the living and is obsessed with zombies, to the extreme that he wants a zombie bride. And who would guess that his dream is about to come true when his high school classmate Sanka Rea dies and is resurrected by Furuya as a zombie. Luckily for him she’s satisfied with eating hydrangeas, but how will her parents take the news? It’s a strange love story that’s worth a watch if you have a curiosity for the macabre. There’s a bit of ecchi (sexual innuendos), but it never gets overbearing, and the focus is on the romance as well as the drama of Rea’s overbearing father. It deals with pretty mature themes that bridge outside of the typical shounen genre which make it something a josei fan can enjoy.
Another harem romance that has merit to it is this title, which is mostly comedy with slice of life and romantic elements sprinkled in. Hasegawa Kodaka has naturally blonde hair and a rough face which has given him the impression to all those around him that he is a high school delinquent. This has caused him a lot of grief as he has had trouble making friends ever since he was a pre-schooler. Him and a few other girls start a club called Rinjinbu (the Neighbour’s Club) to help those who have the same troubles, to feel welcome. Unfortunately for him, he has to deal with Yozora and Sena who frequently banter back and forth, with Kodaka stuck in the middle. For a harem it never gets over does the ecchi and there’s a big focus on these characters learning to work together to become true friends. So for a comedy it has some really nice character driven plots that make it a rewarding watch or read.
Taking a vein from Sherlocke Holmes is Oreki Houtarou who is a clever teenage boy, who tries to do the least amount of work and brain power required in his daily life. But wouldn’t you know, Chitanda Eru is a bit too cute for him to just ignore her requests that break him out of his previous motto. They continue the Classics Club at school by request from Oreki’s older sister, and go around solving mysteries with their friends. It’s mostly mystery oriented, but there’s some romance and character development happening while the story evolves over time. It also has some heavy metaphors and imagery that make it stand out as a title that attempts to get at deeper concepts in an artistic form. For something a little less serious it definitely tries to be more than what it is, which is refreshing from the typical slice of life stories you typically run into. So it makes for a nice relaxing watch/read, so if you’re looking for some after school entertainment I highly recommend it.
So that’s my list, I had to stretch a bit beyond what was considered shounen to make the list more substantial. Because most shounen is action oriented, I found titles that weren’t too mature, and featured some typical shounen aspects (male lead, romance, slice of life). I hope this list gave you some ideas, these titles are some of my favourite animes in general, so whether or not you’re into josei per say, you might still enjoy these titles as much as I did!
Christina
Bakuman
By the creator of Death Note this anime/manga goes for a light theme this time, focusing on the story of Moritaka Mashiro and Akito Takagi who dream of becoming the best mangakas the world has ever seen. There’s some deeper content that josei fans will enjoy because of their lofty dreams, plus some high school drama that adds to the plot as well. Of course there’s a bit of love intermixed as well with Azuki Miho, Mashiro’s dream girl, which is fun to watch on screen as well. It has run for up to 3 seasons, so there’s plenty to watch if you get addicted. But of course there’s the manga too which is appropriate for the whole mangaka aspect too. Mostly a drama, josei fans can appreciate the serious tone about following your dreams as it stretches beyond just the typical high school format.
BECK Mongolian Chop Squad
This is a story about awkward teen Tanaka Yukio, who does his best to perform among his teenage friends in an alternative rock band. It’s kind of like the boy version of K-ON! except on a larger scale than just high scool. The band BECK attempts fortune and fame, the typical dream of any high school band. There’s some growing pains and love mixed in that makes it an enjoyable watch. It’s nostalgic to any josei who’s dated a musician or has ever enjoyed that naivety of high school and big dreams. I originally saw this when it played back on MuchMusic years ago, and the dub was really well done, so I recommend both the sub and dub. If you’re going to check it out I’d suggest the anime over the manga, if you read it you’ll miss out on those original songs! It tackles more serious issues that are high school related, but also ones that bridge outside the typical high school drama. A more serious shounen, it’s something josei fans can definitely appreciate.
Death Note
This is a pretty well known title, but for those who haven’t heard of it you should definitely check it out. It’s a supernatural thriller involving a gifted high school student named Yamagami Light who finds this book titled “Death Note”. Any name he writes in it will cause the person who he’s named to die. This is a lot of responsibility for a teenage boy, but his character twists and breaks down over the course of the story as he gets involved in the police department which is trying to track this serial killer (Light) down. The story’s highlight focuses on the mind games between Light and a detective boy genius simply named L who try to one up each other. If you’ve ever seen the movie The Prestige, the two have sort of a similar idea. I’d recommend it to josei fans because the content is more mature, and seeing the de-evolution of a character (rather than positive development) is pretty fascinating and interesting to dissect.
Inu x Boku SS
I’m surprised this is considered a shounen title, because I’d really label it as a shoujo/fantasy title, but I guess I’ll go with what MyAnimeList says on the matter. This story follows Shirakiin Ririchiyo who has trouble voicing her inner thoughts, so she ends up blurting out awkward statements that come out as overly egotistical. She has her own bodyguard, Miketsukami Soushi who is utterly in love with her and 100% devoted to protecting her. She has a special supernatural ability to transform into an ancient Japanese deity along with the other characters who share the same residence as her. Although the story mostly focuses on the antics and banter among the characters, there is also a heavy romantic element that makes it an enjoyable watch for any josei fan.
Love Hina
Although this anime is considered a harem (one boy surrounded by a slew bachelorette women) it still is enjoyable to watch as it doesn’t take itself too seriously. Mostly a comedy, and less so a romance, the story follows Keitaro Urashima who is on a quest to find his pre-school sweetheart. They both promised to meet reunite once they got to Tokyo U but Keitaro fails to be accepted and tries desperately to find her regardless because of his failings. In the midst of this he falls upon the job of becoming a manager for his grandmother’s all girls dorm, and hilarity ensues. It’s mostly funny scenarios between the girls and Keitaro, but there’s a bit of love mixed in there too. It also features an older cast (so it should really be seinen) so it deals with more mature topics as well like university and becoming an adult, something any josei fan can appreciate.
Sankarea
If you’ve ever been a fan of zombie movies then maybe this anime will hit a nerve with you (as it did for me!). The story follows Furuya Chihiro, a teenage boy who has no interest in the living and is obsessed with zombies, to the extreme that he wants a zombie bride. And who would guess that his dream is about to come true when his high school classmate Sanka Rea dies and is resurrected by Furuya as a zombie. Luckily for him she’s satisfied with eating hydrangeas, but how will her parents take the news? It’s a strange love story that’s worth a watch if you have a curiosity for the macabre. There’s a bit of ecchi (sexual innuendos), but it never gets overbearing, and the focus is on the romance as well as the drama of Rea’s overbearing father. It deals with pretty mature themes that bridge outside of the typical shounen genre which make it something a josei fan can enjoy.
Boku Wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai
Another harem romance that has merit to it is this title, which is mostly comedy with slice of life and romantic elements sprinkled in. Hasegawa Kodaka has naturally blonde hair and a rough face which has given him the impression to all those around him that he is a high school delinquent. This has caused him a lot of grief as he has had trouble making friends ever since he was a pre-schooler. Him and a few other girls start a club called Rinjinbu (the Neighbour’s Club) to help those who have the same troubles, to feel welcome. Unfortunately for him, he has to deal with Yozora and Sena who frequently banter back and forth, with Kodaka stuck in the middle. For a harem it never gets over does the ecchi and there’s a big focus on these characters learning to work together to become true friends. So for a comedy it has some really nice character driven plots that make it a rewarding watch or read.
Hyouka
Taking a vein from Sherlocke Holmes is Oreki Houtarou who is a clever teenage boy, who tries to do the least amount of work and brain power required in his daily life. But wouldn’t you know, Chitanda Eru is a bit too cute for him to just ignore her requests that break him out of his previous motto. They continue the Classics Club at school by request from Oreki’s older sister, and go around solving mysteries with their friends. It’s mostly mystery oriented, but there’s some romance and character development happening while the story evolves over time. It also has some heavy metaphors and imagery that make it stand out as a title that attempts to get at deeper concepts in an artistic form. For something a little less serious it definitely tries to be more than what it is, which is refreshing from the typical slice of life stories you typically run into. So it makes for a nice relaxing watch/read, so if you’re looking for some after school entertainment I highly recommend it.
So that’s my list, I had to stretch a bit beyond what was considered shounen to make the list more substantial. Because most shounen is action oriented, I found titles that weren’t too mature, and featured some typical shounen aspects (male lead, romance, slice of life). I hope this list gave you some ideas, these titles are some of my favourite animes in general, so whether or not you’re into josei per say, you might still enjoy these titles as much as I did!
Christina
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