The Next Big 3 Shounen
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Image via Crunchyroll
Back in the day, there were three anime everybody saw as the peak, the absolute pinnacle of the medium: Naruto, Bleach and One Piece. Ask anyone who watched anime if they liked these shows: it’s either yes, I love them, or no, they’re just popular garbage; you’ll never hear “Never heard of ‘em”. That’s changed nowadays — with the rise of streaming giants and anime’s ever-growing popularity, it’s harder and harder to point to any three shows which stand at the top. However, fantastic shounen anime continue to be released, and many have managed to climb the hiking trails forged by the greats that came before. Let’s take a look at the contenders for the next big three.
My Hero Academia
This is the obvious one. MHA has a lot of the hallmarks of the greats, such as a plucky protagonist with hidden talent and heart, a rival character with a mean streak, a tournament arc and a multitude of weird abilities to bounce off each other. This show’s greatest sin is how closely it follows the formula, but boy does it use it well. This is an absolute shoe-in for the new big three.
The only big three that matter (via Crunchyroll)
Demon Slayer
(Kimetsu no Yaiba, hereby shortened as KnY for reasons that’ll become clear later)
KnY has many of the same common tropes found in MHA, but with a very unique tone and style to the whole thing. And boy, do I mean STYLE. While MHA has its pretty moments, KnY is a constant treat for the eyes — no surprise coming from the powerhouse studio UFOTable. KnY also has some darned quirkiness, putting it more in line with One Piece than the others, but with an edge not found in a lot of its contemporaries. Definitely a bit niche, but well deserving of a spot in the big three.
The big FOUR (via Crunchyroll)
Dr. Stone
This is definitely one of the more unique Shounen series out there by virtue of not being an action series. Instead, DS focuses on the progress of science in a (kinda) post-apocalyptic world. This makes DS extremely fresh, unique and well worth checking out, big three or not. However, that unique charm and progressive, ‘science rules’ attitude also means I can’t bring myself not to include this one in the big three.
Sword Art Online
I have a feeling this will be contentious. SAO certainly has a love-hate reaction from fans, and understandably so, but the effect it has had on the anime medium is undeniable. This show is almost solely responsible for the current isekai boom, and that influence gives it an undeniable cultural impact. This show’s biggest setback is its arc-based structure, with every two(ish) seasons taking place in a new setting with (mostly) new characters — a far cry from the ongoing narratives of the previous big three. Nonetheless, that cultural impact alone (and the fact it’s still going strong) earn this divisive series a place on the big three.
One Piece
Speaking of shows that never ended, unlike Bleach and (maybe) Naruto, One Piece is still going on and it’s honestly every bit as adventurous, fun and creative as it ever was. Shocker: One Piece is in the big three.
I seem to have lost count… no harm in a big five, I guess. Then again, I haven’t mentioned Fire Force yet, that’s pretty good.
Ooh, and Attack on Titan. That started kind of slow but, boy, has it been nailing it since season two. It definitely deserves to be in the big six. Eight?
And then there’s The Promised Neverland. Not sure if that’s getting a second season, but the first was really good and every bit as unique as DS. Oh and if you’re hungry there’s Food Wars, which is a bit sexy for my taste but… you do you. That goes in. Then there’s Beastars, which is pretty hardcore It only just started, but I do absolutely love it. Seven Deadly Sins is up there, too… and I hate Black Clover, but it’s definitely popular…
BORUTO. I forgot Boruto. Ugh. No big three, I guess.
Morgan Montgomery
With a burning passion for all things Anime and an equally fiery need to tell people about it, Morgan might be insufferable in person but you should be able to handle his posts.
