The anime culture is growing strong in the Western World and every day new releases are coming out. Although there are many kinds of anime, the shonen are the most famous among children and young people.
In the Japanese language, the word ‘shonen’ means ‘boy.’ The reason is that this genre is exclusively made for catching the attention of the masculine public and their stories usually involve a young male character and his adventures. However, this kind of anime will entertain all kinds of audiences (regardless of the age or gender), who like high doses of action, violence, and even romance.
We will explore the Top 5 shonen shows and their principal features that make them what they are.
'Dragon ball'
Without a doubt, "Dragon Ball Super" is the greatest and most successful shonen that has ever been transmitted on TV. This anime could be considered responsible for the introduction of the Japanese culture to the western civilization and currently, it has a lot of fans of all ages who find in the story of Dragon Ball all the elements of a good tv show. Released in 1986, the anime adaptation of "Dragon Ball" shows the adventures of Goku, an alien coming from the Vegeta planet, who likes the martial arts and whose purpose is to protect the Earth from the threat of powerful villains.
'One piece'
Written by Eiichiro Oda, this show is considered a masterpiece for many anime lovers. It tells us the story and adventures of Monkey D. Luffy, a young boy whose dream is to be a pirate and find the hidden treasure of Golden D. Roger, the last king of pirates. The originality of the story and the characters, plus the excellent graphics, make of "One Piece" a remarkable anime that everyone should watch.
'Fullmetal Alchemist'
The touching story of the Elric brothers could be described with one word: "Marvelous." It is not just an action anime like others. The secret of the "fullmetal alchemist," is that it combines philosophic issues with a good story, perfectly. With the goal of recovering their original bodies, after practicing a forbidden alchemy procedure to revive her mother, Alphonse and Edward Elric start searching for the philosopher stone.
During their searching, they find themselves involved with the beginning of a civil war that just they are able to stop.
'Bleach'
Tite Kubo surprised the anime world in 2001 with the story of Kurosaki Ichigo, a high school boy with spiritual powers who eventually, with the help of Kuchiki Rukia, will become in a ‘Shinigami’ or god of death. Sword fights and amazing transformations are the catching elements of "Bleach" and the reason for the success of this anime in the western audience.
'Naruto'
Anime fans around the world kneel to the amazing adventures of Naruto Uzumaki and his desire to get the title of Hokage of the hidden leaf village. He wants to prove his value to all the inhabitants that despise him for the nine tails beast that resides inside him.
Ninja elements, powerful beasts, bloody combats, and romance, make "Naruto" an anime to the taste of everyone. Without a doubt, Masashi Kishimoto did some incredible work and the rating of the audience speaks for itself.
