Strong male cast

[Darklord_bg]

This may seem like a strange request, but if you hear me out, you'll find out it's actually pretty valid. I’ve noticed an annoying trend in recent anime (post-2000) that most of the male characters are either weak or incompetent or bumbling idiots and generally inferior to their female counterparts. Even in male-dominated shows, where men are much stronger, they are usually victims of constant slapstick violence, which totally kills their “cooless” factor to me. Hey, I'm all for gender equality, but it seems like in order to make women in anime stronger, the creators achieve it my making the men weaker. I don't think those two trends should necessarily go together. It seems anime has a pretty low view of the male gender lately.

So, as the title suggests, I'm looking for shows with a strong male cast. I'm saying cast, not character, because there are some shows (not that many actually) with a strong male protagonist, and yet the rest of the male characters are either pathetically weak or non-existent. In order to make it easier, I can give some guidelines.

- The number of male characters in the show must be roughly equal or larger than the female ones (this eliminates almost all harems, which only have one protagonist and one idiot sidekick)
- Almost all male characters must be strong and competent and not overshadowed by their female counterparts.
- The male characters must not act as punching bags for the female ones, even for comedy (this pretty much eliminates almost all shounen). I can tolerate a little slapstick humor (like Winry hitting Ed a couple of times in FMA:Brotherhood) but that's pretty much the threshold of my tolerance level.
- The genre does not matter that much. I would prefer an action show, since it is easier to measure strength in them, but feel free to offer romance/comedy shows with a competent male cast(if you can find any).
- A relatively recent show (made after 2000, preferably after 2005, the more recent, the better)

Some examples of recent shows that fit those requirements are Gurren Lagann, Sengoku Basara, Giant Killing, Death Note, Gundam 00, Durarara, FMA: Brotherhood.

I hope you do not misunderstand my request and go too far in the other direction - I'm not looking for shows disrespectful to women either (harems are actually disrespectful for both genders).

I have not updated my MyAnimeList lately, but just to give you an idea, here it is:

http://myanimelist.net/animelist/Darklord_bg

Thank you all!

[TheForsaken]

99% shoujo anime meet your requirement

[Darklord_bg]

Originally Posted by TheForsaken

99% shoujo anime meet your requirement

Umm...yeah...I probably should have mentioned that I have not watched much shoujo and I am not into bishounen. I prefer more traditional "manly" characters , like the ones in the shows I mentioned.

Anyway, thanks for pointing that out...

[Haak]

I recommend Baccano! put on the top of your list (there's one character that's looks kinda wussy but he actually turns out to be pretty damn awesome). It's written by the same guy who wrote Durarara!!

[Guardian Enzo]

For God's sake, Cross Game.

Trust the avatar!

[Coruja]

Originally Posted by TheForsaken

99% shoujo anime meet your requirement

Shoujo, and reverse harems, and especially shounen-ai/yaoi. I could definitely recommend a few shows but I'm sure that you're looking for something completely different.

Anyway, maybe you'd like Rainbow: Nisha Rokubou no Shichinin, Monster, (two animes that I find very good/realistic and full of testosterone) and some shounens like Prince of Tennis.

[totoum]

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

For God's sake, Cross Game.

Trust the avatar!

Seconded

Both main male prototagonist and main female protagonists are equaly awsome.

A bit of Slapstick humor here and there but I'd say it goes both ways.

If you liked Akagi and Kaili check out One outs done by the same people.


Bakuman airing right now , adapted from a manga written by the same people that did death note,though the story is quite different.

[SeijiSensei]

Strong male leads, though not in traditional shounen roles:

Chiaki Shinichi in Nodame Cantabile
Tamaya Seikichi in Oh! Edo Rocket
The Apothecary in Bakeneko/Mononoke
Hoshino "Hachimaki" Hachirota in Planetes
Sasakura Ryuu in Bartender
Yaichi in House of Five Leaves
Masanosuke in House of Five Leaves (He actually has a lot of strength behind his diffident exterior.)
Chagum in Seirei no Moribito (He may be young, but he's strong and grows stronger.)
Guin in Guin Saga (Well, he may not be a man, but he's certainly strong.)

Just for starters....

Most of the men in Saiunkoku Monogatari are pretty strong, though they don't always show it.

[Guardian Enzo]

Totoum and Seiji:

Bakuman struck me as a good option as well, though it's as far from an action show as you can get and the OP's "I prefer an action show" worried me a little.

I obviously don't need to reiterate my support for Moribito. If the OP can accept a show with a female lead, I think it's a terrific option. Chagum and Tanda are both very strong and capable, and not in the stereotypical shounen way.

[meko]

The only thing that comes to mind is Hokuto no Ken and Guren Lagann, but I'm sure someone has already mentioned the latter.

[Darklord_bg]

Originally Posted by Haak

I recommend Baccano! put on the top of your list (there's one character that's looks kinda wussy but he actually turns out to be pretty damn awesome). It's written by the same guy who wrote Durarara!!

I've seen it already. It's a terrific show. I've actually updated my MAL a little to reflect that.

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

For God's sake, Cross Game.

Trust the avatar!

You wrote a nice review, and I've actually heard good things about that show. Not sure if it's my thing, but I can give it a try.

Originally Posted by SaraFilipa

Shoujo, and reverse harems, and especially shounen-ai/yaoi. I could definitely recommend a few shows but I'm sure that you're looking for something completely different.

Anyway, maybe you'd like Rainbow: Nisha Rokubou no Shichinin, Monster, (two animes that I find very good/realistic and full of testosterone) and some shounens like Prince of Tennis.

Haha...at first I was a little worried, since I was not sure if you were kidding or not, but it seems like you understand what I want. I've been meaning to watch Rainbow for a while actually.

Originally Posted by totoum

Seconded

Both main male prototagonist and main female protagonists are equaly awsome.

A bit of Slapstick humor here and there but I'd say it goes both ways.

If you liked Akagi and Kaili check out One outs done by the same people.


Bakuman airing right now , adapted from a manga written by the same people that did death note,though the story is quite different.

I really liked both Kaigi and Akagi, especially Akagi, and I've heard about One Outs. It's funny how two of those shows you recommend are both baseball shows.

I've been following the Bakuman manga ever since it came out. I was bound to check it out since it was from the creators of Death Note, which I loved. Bakuman is really good in its own right.

Originally Posted by SeijiSensei

Strong male leads, though not in traditional shounen roles:

Chiaki Shinichi in Nodame Cantabile
Tamaya Seikichi in Oh! Edo Rocket
The Apothecary in Bakeneko/Mononoke
Hoshino "Hachimaki" Hachirota in Planetes
Sasakura Ryuu in Bartender
Yaichi in House of Five Leaves
Masanosuke in House of Five Leaves (He actually has a lot of strength behind his diffident exterior.)
Chagum in Seirei no Moribito (He may be young, but he's strong and grows stronger.)
Guin in Guin Saga (Well, he may not be a man, but he's certainly strong.)

Just for starters....

Most of the men in Saiunkoku Monogatari are pretty strong, though they don't always show it.

As I mentioned it's not just about the main character but the whole male cast, so I'm not sure if all of those will fit my description. I've seen Nodame Cantabile and I thought it was pretty good

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

Totoum and Seiji:

Bakuman struck me as a good option as well, though it's as far from an action show as you can get and the OP's "I prefer an action show" worried me a little.

I obviously don't need to reiterate my support for Moribito. If the OP can accept a show with a female lead, I think it's a terrific option. Chagum and Tanda are both very strong and capable, and not in the stereotypical shounen way.

Bakuman IS really good and I'm following it.

I've heard only good things for Moriboto, though most of them are related to the main female lead, which is OK, just not what I'm looking for.

Otherwise, yeah, I'm looking more for action shows, or to be more precise - fast-paced shows. I prefer something to keep me on the edge of my seat, rather than a story that develops slowly.

Unfortunately it seems that from most of the suggestions so far most shows with a competent male cast are non-action ones. I hope I get some other good suggestions.

Originally Posted by meko

The only thing that comes to mind is Hokuto no Ken and Guren Lagann, but I'm sure someone has already mentioned the latter.

Yeah, I've seen them both.

[SeijiSensei]

As I mentioned it's not just about the main character but the whole male cast, so I'm not sure if all of those will fit my description. I've seen Nodame Cantabile and I thought it was pretty good

Tamaya Seikichi in Oh! Edo Rocket
There are a lot of men in the supporting cast for this show, and most of them are strong, if sometimes silly, characters. Ginjiro has an intriguing back-story, and the artisans are actually quite competent despite being drawn in their chibi forms. The nefarious agents of the Shogunate are pretty canny and effective as well.

The Apothecary in Bakeneko/Mononoke
Really this is a one-man show. There's one essentially all-male arc, but most of the stories have a mixed cast.

Sasakura Ryuu in Bartender
While the occasional unescorted woman like Miwa drops by Eden Hall, most of the patrons are men. There's also a set of male "guardian angels," older bartenders who've known Ryuu and look over him from afar. While Ryuu stands at the center of Eden Hall, the show focuses on the patrons' stories.

Yaichi and Masanosuke in House of Five Leaves
Of all the shows I've mentioned, this is the one you should watch first. All the main characters are male. (The two womens' stories are sadly never really developed.) If you're looking for "action," very little of that happens in this show. If you're looking for subtle portrayals of male relationships, you'll find a lot of that in House of Five Leaves.

[Shiroth]

Legend of the Galactic Heroes fits what you're looking for nicely.

[SuzushinaYuriko]

Definitely Code Geass and Higashi no Eden. Maybe Kuroshitsuji and Pandora Hearts count, although the manga for both are better. Also, Wolf's Rain's main cast of characters is male and it's a really powerful and emotionally strong series. Zombie Loan would also apply although I'm not sure whether you'd like it or not.

[totoum]

Cross game definatly takes its time in telling the story (but then again the story follows the characters for 8 years,that's a long time),there are moments that had me on the edge of my seat that's for sure


Since we're talking zombie I'll bring a show up you probably think doesn't qualify but i'll throw it out there anyway:

highschool of the dead

I know,guys are out numbered 2 to 4 but they're quite competent at what they do,one might be "weak" in the first couple episodes but during the rest of the show that goes away,and males in general are shown to be "manly", you can't get much more manlier than this supporting character that appears at the end of the show

The only reason there's more females is for fanservice reasons,of course if fanservice isn't your thing,thats another story


It's not out yet but be on the lookout for the movie redline

[Darklord_bg]

Originally Posted by yukirosuzuka

Maybe Kuroshitsuji and Pandora Hearts count, although the manga for both are better.

I'm reviving this thread, since I am currently watching Pandora Hearts and I have two things to say about it.

First, I wanted to express what a great show this is. The setting is really imaginative, the atmosphere is great and enticing, the dialogue is pretty smart, the mysteries keep coming up one after another, the plot just sucks you in. Too bad, the story is incomplete in the anime.

On the other hand, though, this anime, like many other great shows, is plagued again by female-to-male slapstick violence. At first, I was merely getting annoyed at Alice's abusing Oz for no reason at all besides saying that he is her servant, but thankfully this does not happen too often. However, in the latest episode I watched, even the coolest, mysterious badass character (yes, I'm talking about Break) becomes a victim of this annoying trend. Seriously, what is the point of creating cool strong male characters if they are just going to rob them of their dignity like that, just to show that no matter how strong or wise they are, it is still the women who are in charge. This episode killed my enjoyment factor of this show by 50% - still going to finish it though, since as I mentioned, it is a great show.

So, even though I mostly revived this thread to advertize Pandora Hearts and vent my anger a little bit, I am still looking for new more recent suggestions

[kitten320]

Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom - at the begining of the series, Reiji is just a pushover because of his new life style and because he is a bigenner. However, he still shines despite all that and eventually becomes the strongest.

Hakuouki - the biggest part of characters are males who kick seriouse butts.

Rainbow: Nisha Rokubou no Shichinin, not so many females here but all guys are cool in one or another way. You can see one of the characters in my sig.

[Niji]

Innocent Venus might fit. two strong male leads. mecha.
Shigurui I dont see in your lists either. violent samurai action.
Bakumatus Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto again Samurai action with strong male cast. the female lead is mostly pretty, iirc.

Thinking about it, there are several samurai action shows. If interested I list them.

[NervZero]

I did not see Berserk or Basilisk or Speed Grapher on your anime list. All of those have strong male Char...

If you are looking for something more T rated and not so much M.. You might want to try
Chrome Shelled Regios i saw this on your plan to watch i would move it up to currently watching... It has a strong male lead.. make sure you look up all these shows at an anime site....

[ReAcrylicMetal]

*Defiantly apply and based on your taste, you'd love.

Casshern Sins*
Getbackers
Samurai Champloo*
Trigun
Black Cat
Legend of Legendary Heroes* (don't judge it on the name)

Also seconding Wolf's Rain