#i'm also really hoping to add mashle to the list but i haven't started that yet KSDBVJKDBFVJK so we'll see how that goes

[philosophiums]

hi, I recently came across your post about the failures of most popular shonen animanga (it was so great to finally see it articulated like that, wholeheartedly agree with it).

do you have any recommendations for shonen animanga that does it right? that maintains a story, keeps to the themes, doesn't fizzle out and turn into a mindless training->war->training format? nothing new comes to my mind but I also haven't been keeping up with post-2000s anime. please let me know which shonen titles impressed you the most!

oh boy.... i have a few suggestions. they're not all shonen though SKJBVDJKFVB

i'm not sure if Terror in Resonance can be considered a shonen, and it's only 11 episodes, but it's absolutely incredible. i showed it to a friend who doesn't watch/enjoy anime much and he insisted on watching the whole thing in one go because he was hooked

Mob Psycho 100 is beautiful and heartfelt and breathtakingly animated. it's full of story and meaning and i'm pretty sure it's like Done now, so you'll get the full story instead of waiting for the next season. highly recommend

Eighty-Six is gorgeous and has excellent sound design. there's a plot, there's well-animated battles, there's good character moments. it's mech without being like Big Robot mech. i have to warn you, though, that it's devastatingly sad. still really highly recommended from me though (i've watched it twice already)

No. 6 is also sad, but it's worth it. another 1-seasoner, this is a quick watch and has really great storytelling. it's been several years since i've watched it, but if i'm remembering correctly, it relies on a lot of "showing" instead of "telling" for the world building, which really set it apart for me since a lot of anime uses dialogue for exposition

Chainsaw Man is not shonen, but it's still very very good. the animation is top tier, the story is great, the characters are amazing, and it has really great pacing. as long as you're good with excess blood/gore and adult themes, you should enjoy it

Trigun Stampede has the vibe of shonen, imo, but it's certainly not shonen. it's also, quite simply, stunning. i really don't have a lot to say about it that i haven't said for the others, but you should definitely give it a shot. i personally really like the animation choices, and the music..... chefs kiss

i personally love Bungo Stray Dogs, but i also understand that it's an anime that you either click with right away or don't. the characters are unique and interesting, and there is actually a (tenuous) plot throughout all of the seasons, but it does have weakly explained power scaling (no training arcs, though, which is nice). i love the animation and really suggest watching at least the first two episodes of season 1 to see if you vibe with it

i also wouldn't be me if i didn't have Haikyuu in the list. it's a sports anime, sure, but it's shonen so it counts. is the plot super simple? yes. does it stay on-plot the whole time, though? yes. and the characters are wonderful, and it's funny and doesn't take itself too seriously. don't watch it for an engaging story, but do watch it for free serotonin (i rewatch it yearly, usually in the winter, for some happiness JSBDVKJDBF)

ALSO, Frieren: Beyond Journey's End is a new anime (season 1 is almost finished releasing), and i think it's absolutely lovely. it's such an interesting take on longevity/immortality and, honestly, on how to tell a story. the pacing is unique, the characters are so lovable, and the animation is stunning (the way the animators have brought fabric to life in the anime is just incredible)

#this is from now only like 10 years of watching anime #and please understand that i haven't seen a lot of anime and tend to just watch whatever i've seen other people talking about #but these are (most) of my 10/10s #i'm also really hoping to add mashle to the list but i haven't started that yet KSDBVJKDBFVJK so we'll see how that goes #also i didn't include hunter x hunter or fullmetal alchemist brotherhood on the list because to me they're just... staples of shonen KDSVBJ #but if you haven't watched hxh or fmab please do yourself a favor and get on that. they're incredible #if you get through these and want more lmk bc i have a few others on my list with a 10/10 score #most of them are either Gay or sports anime though SJHVBKDJVBJKDV

[crehador]

somehow we are already only three weeks away from the end of some fall 2023 shows, so here's me more or less finalizing my list for winter 2024!

(undead unluck, sousou no frieren, dog signal, ragna crimson, and shangri-la frontier will be rolling over from this season for a total of 19 shows)

most excited for warumono-san for obvious reasons (asnm) but also of course really looking forward to dunmesh and cherry magic

high card, mashle, and synnoir are the sequels/continuation this season... they're all just fine enough for me to keep following, nothing outstanding. i'm surprised i don't like high card more, just didn't vibe super hard with the first season i guess

sengoku youko is an interesting-looking one to me, haven't read the source material but the manga scores look really good! what's especially interesting is the episode count is currently listed at 37, and i haven't seen a series that runs for three straight cours in ages

i'm just... worried...... because biscuit hammer (same mangaka) also had very high manga scores and got really just the most godawful anime adaptation you could imagine. it was BONKERS bad. i'm talking the manga has an 81% average score and the anime has 49% i do not know how you fuck up that badly

anyway... godspeed and good luck sengoku youko

we've had some fantastic shoujo lately (watakon) and i'm hoping next season's yubisaki to renren will keep that going

most everything else is either a cast add or a "this looks potentially funny" add, except bucchigiri?! which is a staff add for me (same creator as sk8 apparently)

i just wish bucchigiri were coming out like at least a season or two later, or had a different studio. mappa let your fucking staff go home jesus christ

AHEM anyway looks like a promising start to next year!

#crab watches #various things #winter 2024 #tl;dr dunmesh obvious early aoty contender #most excited for warumono-san #also hype for cherry magic ani FINALLY #want to be excited for bucchigiri?! by same creator as sk8 #but it's a bit hard to get all pumped up for it when all i actually want is for mappa to shut the fuck down #and give their entire staff paid leave for a year