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- Karakuri Circus
- Studio VOLN
18 Underrated Shonen Anime You Should Check Out
Vote for the underrated shonen anime that need more recognition.
There's a whole lot more to the world of shonen anime than heavy hitters like Naruto, One Piece, and My Hero Academia. While there's nothing wrong with popular shows, sometimes you want something a little different. For that, there's underrated shonen anime.
First, let's have a quick definition. Shonen means any series aimed at boys, typically those under the age of 15. While anyone of any age or gender can enjoy them, that's the target demographic. So while you'll see a ton of action and supernatural battles, you're not likely to see a lot of romance. Some great series like this include Shaman King, Ushio & Tora and Katekayo Hitman Reborn! But there's more to shonen than just action. Some shows, like Beck and Silver Spoon, focus on characters trying to achieve meaningful goals outside the realm of fighting - in these cases, creating a band or getting through agricultural school.
Check out these lesser-known shonen anime and vote up the ones you like to let your fellow fans know which ones are worth their time.
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- Katekayo Hitman Reborn
- Artland
Middle school student Tsunayoshi Sawada is weak, clumsy, and possesses no notable talents at all. Everybody sees him as a loser, including himself. He isn't exactly what most people would call mob boss material, but nevertheless, it's his job to become the next boss of the Vongola family.
To get him ready to take on the task, a "hitman" from the family is sent to help - and that hitman is actually a baby named Reborn. The training is brutal, but with help from Reborn, he might be able to surpass his limits.
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- Shaman King
- Xebec
In a world where whoever is named the Shaman King gets the power to reshape the universe to their liking, Yoh Asakura is one of the strongest contenders. Shamans can control spirits, but only the Shaman King is able to control the Great Spirit. Yoh hopes to be able to make life easier for himself and his fiance Anna - between Anna's difficult powers and Yoh's villainous twin brother Hao, they have a lot to contend with.
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- D.Gray-man
- TMS Entertainment
The Millenium Earl uses the souls of those who have passed away to power artificial beings called Akuma. To exorcise these souls and allow them to rest in peace, an organization called the Black Order uses anti-Akuma weapons called Innocence. Allen Walker, who has a cursed eye that allows him to see the souls inside the Akuma, works alongside his fellow exorcists to take down the Millenium Earl.
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Ushio & Tora
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- Ushio & Tora
- MAPPA, Studio VOLN
Even though he's the son of a temple priest, middle school student Ushio Aotsuki doesn't have much interest in spiritual matters. But when he finds a youkai sealed in his basement demanding to be released, he suddenly has to care. At first, he refuses to remove the spear keeping Tora in place, but after yokai attack his town, he finds that he needs Tora's help. Thus begins the unusual and uneasy partnership between a powerful yokai and a reluctant human.
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- The Law of Ueki
- Studio Deen
The Law of Ueki follows a group of contestants seeking to earn the title of Celestial King. While plenty of anime echo this premise, this series is unique because of how bizarre everybody's powers are. There's a character who can turn garbage into trees. There's a character who can make another person become infatuated with glasses - but only if they perform a bizarre pose first.
These inventive powers are what makes this show stand out, but it's also just a solid action series that's worth your time even if you don't go for the weird stuff.
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- Hikaru no Go
- Studio Pierrot
When Hikaru Shindou finds an old Go board in his grandfather's attic, he's suddenly possessed by a ghost named Sai. Sai was once a professional Go player, and now he wants to use Hikaru to continue on his quest for the perfect game. Not only is this a charming series in its own right, the manga is actually one of the earlier works of Takeshi Obata, the artist behind the far more popular shonen series, Death Note.
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- Silver Spoon
- A-1 Pictures
Not every shonen anime is about supernatural battles - shonen can also be about more niche topics, like farming. Silver Spoon, which is based on a manga by the Hiromu Arakawa of Fullmetal Alchemist fame, is about exactly that. Yuugo Hachiken's parents have impossibly high standards for him, so he enrolls in an agricultural school in order to escape the pressure. What he doesn't realize is how incredibly difficult - and rewarding - life on the farm can be. He'll learn about everything from cleaning up after farm animals and making his own bacon to the stark financial realities faced by families running unsuccessful farms.
If you love realism in your shonen, this is the anime for you.
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- Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad
- Madhouse
Yukio "Koyuki" Tanaka's life is dull and aimless, until a chance encounter with a boy named Ryuusuke "Ray" Minami. Ray is a guitarist with band experience, and he introduces Koyuki to the world of Western Rock. Enamored by the genre, Koyuki takes up guitar himself. Along with Ray's little sister Maho and some other talented members, they aim to create the greatest rock band the world has ever seen.
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Karakuri Circus
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- Karakuri Circus
- Studio VOLN
Narumi Katou is a middle-aged man who is leading a fairly ordinary life, except for managing a seizure disorder that can only be treated by watching someone else laugh. One day while at work, he sees a child being pursued by what appear to be adult humans, but which turn out to be humanoid puppets with super strength. The boy, named Masaru Saiga, is being targeted for assassination after taking over Saiga Enterprises from his father. His guardian, a white-haired woman named Shirogane, summons another puppet to help fend off the attackers.
Suddenly connected by this strange event, Narumi, Shirogane, and Masaru work together to deal with the problem, as well as uncover a mystery from the past.
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- Nabari no Ou
- J.C. Staff
Nabari no Ou is a ninja story with an unusual twist - ninja don't just exist in the past or in an alternate universe, they exist in the real world. Miharu Rokujou is a fourteen-year-old boy who can use a forbidden technique called Shinrabanshou. This technique is highly sought after, as its bearer can become the King of Nabari. His classmate Kouichi and his teacher Kumohira are both members of a clan called Banten, and they pledge to protect him from attackers, but it takes a while for him to let them in. Meanwhile, Miharu is becoming increasingly enthralled with a mysterious man naimed Yoite.
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Muhyo & Roji's Bureau of Supernatural Investigation
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- Muhyo & Roji's Bureau of Supernatural Investigation
- Studio Deen
Muhyo is an expert in spiritual law who helps bring justice to ghosts, spirits, and other supernatural creatures. Roji is his not-always-useful assistant. Together, the two of them solve cases. The series starts out episodic and light-hearted, but hints at something darker and more complex later on.
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- Shangri-La Frontier
- C2C
Don't be thrown off by the bird mask - this shonen is an exceptional 2024 series that you shouldn't miss. Sunraku is a gamer who usually sticks to extremely low-rated games, but when he's recommended the virtual reality game Shangri-La Frontier, he decides to give it a shot. Despite it being the exact opposite of what he's used to, Sunraku quickly finds himself hooked.
The game proves to be more than he expected, though, and Sunraku must use all the gaming skills he's acquired to progress in Shangri-La Frontier and come out on top.
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- Yakitate!! Japan
- Sunrise
If you love the more popular Food Wars but are looking for something a little more wholesome, you might like Yakitate!! Japan. Despite hailing from a family that favors more tradional Japanese foods like rice and miso, Kazuma Azuma has been obsessed with bread ever since he was a little boy. As a teenager, he moves to Tokyo to compete for a spot at Pantasia, the most prestigious bakery in the country. There, he hopes to use his creativity and his special "solar hands" ability to create a bread that defines Japan.
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- Undead Unluck
- David Production
Fuko and Andy are two individuals with extremely peculiar abilities that somehow make them the perfect pair. Fuko is cursed with the ability to bring extremely bad luck to everyone around her, which has caused the deaths of many of her loved ones. On the other hand, Andy is immortal and is seeking any means to end his own life.
Together, they team up in the hopes of finding a solution to their problems. However, an organization lies in wait, hoping to exploit the two for their own nefarious plans.
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- Yozakura Quartet: Hana no Uta
- Tatsunoko Production
Yozakura Quartet: Hana no Uta has a similar premise to the more popular Blood Blockade Battlefront - but it has its own unique traits to bring to the table. When the worlds of humans and yokai overlap, residents from both worlds end up living together in the city of Sakurashin. The Hiizumi Life Counseling Office helps deal with any problems that result from interaction between humans and yokai. It's not an easy job - not only do they have to do with basic civil issues, there are also Strikes - instances where humans suddenly develop yokai powers and wreak havoc on the city. Can the Life Counseling Office handle the pressure?
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Beet the Vandel Buster
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- Beet the Vandel Buster
- Toei Animation
Humankind is suffering under the rule of a devil named Vandel, who can manipulate monsters into obedience. The Vandel Busters are groups that try to take Vandel down and restore peace and justice. Among the most powerful of these groups is the Zenon Squad, and a young boy named Beet desperately wants to join them.
Beet gets his wish, but in the most macabre way possible. When he accidentally causes the Zenon Sqaud to lose against Vandel, they suffuse their energy into their weapons, leaving Beet to carry on their will.
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GeGeGe no Kitaro
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- GeGeGe no Kitaro
- Toei Animation
The 2018 version of GeGeGe no Kitaro is actually a remake of a 1968 anime with the same name. It follows a yokai boy named Kitarou who seeks peace between humans and yokai, with the help of his father, who is a talking eyeball. Not only does it introduce villains to the mythology surrounding yokai, the series also offers some pretty deep commentary on Japanese society. But because it's a shonen, there's plenty of action and comedy to go along with it.
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- Ragna Crimson
- SILVER LINK.
In a world where dangerous dragons are nearly impossible to defeat, friends Leonica and Ragna test their luck to oppose them. Leonica is a strong hunter prodigy who teams up with Ragna, despite those around him always falling victim to the very dragons they try to hunt.
However, when Ragna has a dream prophesying Leonica's death, he develops immense powers and joins forces with a mysterious figure named Crimson in order to rid the world of dragons for good
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