Well-made shounen anime tend to be massive hits — just look at Attack on Titan or Dragon Ball. It is by far one of the most popular genres of anime with countless numbers of manga adaptations and original series being created for fans.
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In a genre with countless anime to watch, it can be difficult to choose which series to get into. Still, there are some shounen anime so excellent they stand above the rest and should be on every fan's must-watch list until they've seen them all.
10 Great Teacher Onizuka
Who wouldn't want someone who previously ran a biker gang as their teacher in school? Especially after they suplex the Vice-Principal!
Great Teach Onizuka features plenty of comedic moments as Eikichi works magic in the way only he can with the worst students around at Holy Forest Academy. It has a bit of a retro anime style as it's hitting over 20 years old at this point, but it's still highly regarded by critics and fans.
9 Bakuman
Bakuman gets a bit meta at times, with the main story following Moritaka's journey to becoming a mangaka with his friends. It's an amazing and realistic look into what life would be like for a full-time manga artist and it's incredibly rewarding to see them work hard and find ways to succeed each step of the way.
It's not as heavy on action scenes as most shonen anime which makes it unique compared to most fan favorites.
8 Tomorrow's Joe
Tomorrow's Joe, more commonly known as Ashita no Joe, is by far one of the greatest boxing stories that has ever been animated. Despite coming out all the way back in the 70s, new fans are still checking it out to this day showing that it has incredible staying power.
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This anime was so influential that it received a spiritual successor known as Fighting Spirit which is also highly regarded. This in turn inspired the creation of Megalobox who's main character is named Joe as an homage to the anime that defined boxing in anime.
7 Sorcery Fight
Sorcery Fight has a solid mix of comedy, action, and excellent storytelling that has driven many fans of anime to watch it over the years. Not to mention the animation is a feast for the eyes that will leave many with their jaws on the floor.
In contrast to most anime, the main protagonist Yuuji isn't simply choosing to become stronger like someone like Goku might, but is forced to when he encounters a cursed item. This new angle keeps things incredibly fresh for those that have seen many mainstream shonen titles in the past.
6 Samurai Champloo
This wild combination of hip-hop culture with Edo-period Japanese history makes it stands out among the crowd as something truly special. Of course, this comes as no surprise with Shinichirō Watanabe, the mind behind brilliant anime like Cowboy Bebop and Carole and Tuesday.
Following the eccentric adventures of Fuu, Mugen, and Jin would be fun enough but add in the incredibly animated sword battles and fight scenes and Samurai Champloo is on a whole different level.
5 One Piece
It's easy to say something like Dragon Ball should be listed here, but One Piece has literally over 960 episodes to watch which puts it on a pedestal no other anime can reach. The adventures of Luffy and his crew are epic to the point of legendary at this point and trying to watch the entirety of the show has become an ultimate challenge for anime fans.
Even with this length, there are still countless people starting the series fresh and following it through until the end. it just goes to show just how incredible this long-running tale is.
4 To Your Eternity
To Your Eternity is incredibly new, only being released in the Spring 2021 season. Despite this, it is already ranked higher than many other long-time shonen staples by users on MyAnimeList. The story follows It, a mysterious being that has the ability to take the shape of anything around it with a strong energy of some kind.
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Considering the story was written by Yoshitoki Ooima, the mind behind A Silent Voice, viewers had better brace themselves for some heartwrenching emotions.
3 Haikyu!!
Widely regarded as the most successful sports anime of all time, Haikyu!! has left fans on the edge of their seats since it was released. Shouyou trying to succeed in volleyball despite being short sets up for what looks like a basic story on the surface. It's the amazing teammates surrounding him and the comradery they build that turns it into the remarkable anime it is.
2 Gintama (Series)
This Edo-period anime with sci-fi aesthetics will leave fans wanting more — luckily it spans over 350 episodes. Add the various video games it has inspired over the years and Gintama offers a lot for fans to sink their teeth into. The anime is so incredibly weird it can be difficult to describe, but its parody of anime tropes connected by an overarching serious story is utterly fantastic.
1 Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood
Brotherhood more accurately follows the story of the original manga crafted by the incredible Hiromu Arakawa. "The law of equivalent exchange" is a phrase all anime fans know as the series is just that iconic.
The Elric Brother's search for the Philosopher's Stone is a fantastic journey filled with political intrigue to rival its impressive fight scenes. The show also has many moments that will make even the most hardened anime fans cry so be sure to come prepared with tissues.