Shonen gets somewhat of a mixed reaction in the otaku community, but every once in a while, it’s nice to enjoy them for what they are. What are your Top Five story arcs in shonen anime or manga? Mine are:
1.
Genei Ryoudan Arc (Hunter x Hunter): Interesting story combined with a focus on one of my favorite characters in the show. Fights are only used when they can contribute to the actual plot, which is a breath of fresh air to someone tired of the random brawling in most shonen anime. I was just as interested in the unraveling of the various plot threads, Kurapica's development, and the anime's world building as I was in the action scenes peppered throughout, and the mangaka did a great job at avoiding the pitfall of turning the antagonists into one-dimensional Dastardly Whiplashes. There was definitely the sense that the Genei Ryodan cared about the members of their own party, roughly as much as the protagonists did about theirs, which is a rare bit of moral complexity, not only in shonen anime, but in the wider medium of animation, in general.
2.
World Government Saga (One Piece): This is where One Piece hit its prime. Everything became far more interesting as soon as the Straw Hats arrived at Water 7, and by the reveal at the end, it had already shown the potential to surpass Alabasta. Whether it was indeed the unexpected twists throughout the plot or the presence of character drama within the main cast, something about this saga just did something for me that superficially similar Soul Society Arc didn’t. Ichigo’s development from random teenager to someone capable of taking down warriors with centuries of experience, within the span of a few weeks, suspended my disbelief, even as far as shonen action anime goes, and the fact the Straw Hat’s really did appear to come together as a
team in order to save their comrade, sealed the deal.
3.
Saiyan Saga (Dragon Ball): It was between this and the Frieza Saga, but I ultimately felt that the Frieza Saga was a bit too heavy on fights to the point where it just seemed to go from random conflict to conflict. That and the fact that the landscape designs from the Saiyan Saga were far more interesting to look at then the continuous strand of blue grass and green lakes on Namek. The Saiyan Saga is also notable for being the last Dragon Ball arc to properly utilize the human characters, which by itself makes it among the best in Z.
4.
Chunin Exam (Naruto): I can’t for the life of me figure out why Kishimoto seemingly back-pedaled with this one. The Chunin Exam received its spot on my list, if only due to the fact that it actually utilized a larger array characters than those named Naruto, Sasuke, or Sakura. Ironically, these characters, that have become omnipresent in later arcs, are also the ones that I find the least interesting. In that regard, the Chunin Exam excels in the fact that it presents something different for everyone, whether you prefer the strategic, down to earth mindset of Shikamaru, or the incarnate determination of Rock Lee. This, more than anything else, is something that I find missing from Shippuden, and indeed, from many other shonen anime.
5.
Kyoto Arc (Rurouni Kenshin): I think that it’s largely agreed upon that this is where Rurouni Kenshin Grew the Beard. It’s ranked lower than the others, however, due to the fact that Kenshin doesn’t allow for the same degree of world building and because, other than Sanosuke, Shishio, and Saito, there weren’t too many supporting characters that I really found endearing.