Shonen and individualism

[Fireminer]

Why do shonen series emphasize so much on individuals, from personality growth to combat to impact on the larger setting. Is this just the way it is since before the time of Hokuto no Ken, or was there some other explanation for it? Like the target demographic of shonen were boys and teenagers who struggle to find their identities, and therefore resonance with individualism?

Also, anyone here thinks that too much individualism in combat makes characters look OP? It is like the "feels" between Super Sentai and GARO: Garo Knights would almost always look more OP than Super Sentai, even when the later possessing powers greater than the former, because GARO emphasizes one-person battles while Super Sentai emphasizes team battles.

[SeijiSensei]

"Shounen" covers a pretty broad spectrum of shows.

Sports stories often emphasize teamwork over individual accomplishments except in individualized games like Shougi or Go. Kou, the protagonist of Cross Game, is an immensely talented pitcher, but it's made clear throughout the story that baseball is a team sport and that winning depends as much on the efforts of his teammates as his own abilities.

Ballroom ni Youkoso puts a lot of emphasis on the relationship between the partners in dancing. While the male is (too often) portrayed as dominant, there's a greater focus on balance as the show goes on.

Only rarely does Kitarou in GeGeGe no Kitarou (2018) fight evil yokai on his own. He has a band of yokai friends that he often calls upon to help him in dangerous situations

And, of course, Space Brothers makes it clear that being an astronaut requires the help of a vast array of people.

[Fireminer]

Originally Posted by SeijiSensei

"Shounen" covers a pretty broad spectrum of shows.

Sports stories often emphasize teamwork over individual accomplishments except in individualized games like Shougi or Go. Kou, the protagonist of Cross Game, is an immensely talented pitcher, but it's made clear throughout the story that baseball is a team sport and that winning depends as much on the efforts of his teammates as his own abilities.

Ballroom ni Youkoso puts a lot of emphasis on the relationship between the partners in dancing. While the male is (too often) portrayed as dominant, there's a greater focus on balance as the show goes on.

Only rarely does Kitarou in GeGeGe no Kitarou (2018) fight evil yokai on his own. He has a band of yokai friends that he often calls upon to help him in dangerous situations

And, of course, Space Brothers makes it clear that being an astronaut requires the help of a vast array of people.

Yeah, you are right, there are shows like that, and they are great in this regard. Maybe I should have had made clear in the first post that I am talking about battle shonens.

[0cean]

It's a formula. First time it was used, it got a great reception. And then each time it was reused the reception was great again. It's known to work, so it gets used frequently, even to the point of turning manga that weren't intended to be like this into battle shounen, as soon as their sales plummet.

[Lex79]

Originally Posted by Fireminer

Yeah, you are right, there are shows like that, and they are great in this regard. Maybe I should have had made clear in the first post that I am talking about battle shonens.

Even in battle shounen, one of the central theme is usually the fact that the hero's strength doesn't come only from his own powers but also from the support of his friends. It could be something as simple as them cheering for the protagonist and fueling his determination or more literal like Goku using the Genkidama after humans give him their energy. There are also lots of series like Saint Seiya, One Piece or super robots shows when the main characters form a team and everyone 's effort is needed for the victory. So, even if in shounen series most battles end up being one on one, the message that one cannot win by himself is still strong.
Now, for the reason why there are so many individual battles, my hypotheses are that they are easier to draw and narrate and they might appear more honorable to Japanese readers.

[bakato]

Why does no one mention Naruto?

[judasmartel]

Originally Posted by bakato

Why does no one mention Naruto?

No idea. With battle shonen tropes like relying on friends (like this one and Fairy Tail's Nakama Power, cuz apparently, friendship is only for the weak and only the truly strong fight 1v1 even against gods) falling out of favor with many, it's no wonder battle shonens are being replaced by isekai with rather individualistic MCs who can 1v1 pretty much everyone with nobody's help.

[Lex79]

Well isekais are usually more focused on love instead of friendship so there are different dynamics in play. There are still harem series like Rokujouma or Yokai Shoujou where the protagonist fights and wins with the power of everyone.

[0cean]

Originally Posted by Lex79

Well isekais are usually more focused on love instead of friendship

..huh? Isekais aren't meant for ten year olds, so I guess you could say having a little bit of romance instead of not having any kind of romance means they are more focused on love instead of friendship, but phrasing it like that does raise eyebrows. Because usually they are not focused around love or friendship, but adventure. That's kind of the whole point.

With Battle Shounen the point is to have fights between somewhat equally strong opponents, which is cool if you're ten. It's the equivalent of holding an action figure in each hand and ramming them together.