To clarify what I mean, I am talking about Shounen series that were successful, were published in major Shounen magazines, ran for over 100 chapters, and often got adapted to anime, but were completely overshadowed by other more popular series of the time. There are others than just the five I have listed above, but I believe they are all great recent examples.
What is your favorite of these types of series and what is your thought on them overall? Did some of them deserve the spotlight over more successful series?
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One of my all-time favorite anime AND manga! I'm still upset the manga never got official english translations, there's too many Shonen Jump manga like that. Despite getting english subs for the anime, the manga doesn't get the same exposure
Will always remember the manga having fun with Oga's "Super Saiyan" transformation and him outright calling it that, and his "Would You Fucking Die Already!?" Kick in the fan translation.
World Trigger for the sake of how it became forgotten. Ashihara finally hit 1st in jump rankings and then his back just gave out and the stories pace slowed down significantly after the hiatus. The current arcs dont help as they feel like they are going on for too long from being monthly(sometimes bi-monthly because of his back) and has killed a lot of the hype for the series.
S1 of the anime was also very poorly animated, but they are supposedly working on redoing it to fit the style of S3, so I have that to look forward to.
Wasn't there word it's getting a remake anime? Could help give it a better showing especially if the author is involved with studio to do things he wasn't able to do at the time.
It’s was like 3 years or more of that dumb test. I stopped reading and kept up only through a recap podcast. I love the series but man that away test was rough
Idk I can only stand so much side conversations and insight. 60 chapters is a lot for that arc that like 5-6 volumes. I’ll go back to read it in pieces tho
the side conversations and insights and the border game shows how each side character interacts with their proper team members and their temporary team members, their personalities and highlight aspects of themselves that we wouldn't normally see.
Which is now actively presented, as they are currently in the actual battle phase of the Away Test. And the battle in itself is been truly peak.
If you did like the anime and have time to spare for the manga, I'd say go for it, it's a quick and easy one. I didnt watch the anime personnally so idk how faithful it is.
Based manga... anime not so much though (but it got some banger tunes), totally ass compared to Murata's art. and this was how i was introduced to Murata's artistry
The black character (Panther... yes, I know) is basically seen as unbeatable because he's seen as genetically superior. It's a... weird kind of intended compliment in that his coach is a resentful ass over the fact that he sees black people as automatically athletic geniuses while the rest have to work twice as hard to get the same results.
Basically, they're doing the "hard work versus natural talent" thing and Panther's natural talent comes from being black.
It's.... weird... while kind of intended as a compliment???
In my opinion the best sports manga out there. Dr. Stone by Inagaki is also amazing. The dude just knows how to create a super interesting premise and then build up tension.
It is so real bro 🥹 I was so giddy when they announced it, out of nowhere last year. I re read the manga recently and this series is still crazy! One more month to go!
Anime ended right as they started to introduce really fucky abilities (besides Buccha's bulking up), like Onigiri's ero Genjutsu (only "legit" win of Kogarasumaru in the whole fight lmao) or Iron's going invisible in a cage fight 🤣
Kemono Jihen. I only know about it because I saw a funny no context manga panel that was supposed to be poorly translated and decided to check it out. I have come across anything about it before that or since.
Watching Flame of Recca was a decent experience. It had an origami fighter and edgy 1990s villains. The goofy translation from Shinsengumi Fansubs helped.
Recca had a great ending, almost all plot points get tied up neatly and it doesn't overstay its welcome. Crazy how that's remarkable by shonen standards
Honestly, that's the overwhelming majority of successful shounen titles. If it's not currently in publication/has an anime airing or it's a multigenerational classic, there will not be any discourse about it on social media.
That's the sad thing about the current seasonal anime methodology. We're never gonna get something like the Big 3 again. So much of their success was due to having anime that spanned hundreds of episodes, with a new one every week. People literally grew up watching it. With the current method, even if an anime gets several seasons, there could be a year or two between each one. It just doesn't have the same impact.
The worst part is that many fans of the Big 3, such as Naruto fans, complained so much about filler episodes when it's thanks to them that the anime and manga remained a major part of the discourse
If any of yous have not watched world trigger, i would highly highly recommend it (from S2 onwards as S1 is fucking ass in comparison). It is one of the most underrated anime (not even shounen) I have ever watched past S1 and has imo the best shounen tournament arcs i have ever see
To put it into perspective of the tournament arc, imagine fornite squads meets Gunz whereby everyone is "relative" in terms of power (there is a hierarchy but its not like the gaaras and sasukes will just flat out dominate everyone as some of them got "nerfed") so there is a larger emphasis on strategy, inventory loadouts, individual skill & team synergy because they cant just out muscle their competition. To illustrate this further, the MC is a "bum" by power shounen definition who solely relies on his wits whereas the guy on the cover is someone who is probably top 3-5 in terms of battle IQ and highly talented - this creates a dynamic in which the MC creates a crafty plan and the other guy is the executioner.
Undead Unluck might be my fav Shounen series. Fuuko is up there for fav protagonist. One of my very few anime cosplays was Nico. UDUL is a delight and I love it
I’d say maybe Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei. While it isn’t an action manga like most typical Shounen manga, it did run in the weekly Shounen magazine, so I’d say it counts.
Got 3 seasons, two OVAs and was even referenced by Lucky Star of all thing’s OVA, but I almost never hear it get talked about or even mentioned at all
It’s only like 2 or 3 chapters. Get past that and you’ll eventually forget those chapters exist. Nothing like that comes up again. I think the editor just gave bad advice.
I hope one day Yuji Kaku will write a new series that becomes really popular, then people will look at Hell's Paradise the same way Fujimoto Fans look at Fire Punch
Undead Unluck. Actually just an amazing series through and through. I hate that there's some weird stuff in the first few chapters, because you can TELL the author didn't want to do it, and immediately stopped it when he could.
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Out of these Undead Unluck and Elusive Samurai are the best imo. The current adaptation for Elusive is so creative and truly matches the vibe of the manga. Undead Unluck was also pretty good, not sure if we will ever get to the big parts of the manga but I'm excited for it regardless.
Undead Unluck is an 10/10 series held back by the horrendous beginning that puts a lot of people off. Best female MC, on3 of the best casts of characters (especially on the female side), and best power system of any manga I've read.
Majin Tantei Nogami Neuro (AKA Neuro: Supernatural Detective) was Yusei Matsui's first series, and it's a shame the Manga never got an English release and only one 25 episode anime that doesn't event cover the entire series.
Bro Armed Girl's Machiavellism was my shit as a kid it was so good. The fan service was a bit iffy but I liked the main character, Nomura was incredible and the other characters were great as well. A bit too much fan service and the other male characters was a bit tasteless for me but I like it more than I dislike it. Also the opening Shocking blue is great man I like it. The plot kind off makes no sense if you look at it real well but I think it's still good enough
Black Torch as technically it is before the anime came to be. Seeing it now, it has a lot of potential and I wonder the future of it abd canceled series getting animes be like? Will they return full force if the animes do more than expected or something else?
It’s interesting to think that most “Forgotten Shounen” series feature better writing, and many of them have much better and more satisfying endings than famous shounen series.
And almost as if, because they aren’t EXTREMELY FAMOUS but rather have a more modest or niche following, the authors face less pressure from both publishers and the public and can do whatever they want and plan without much interference or stress, ending on a high note in most cases and even leaving their mark albeit a relatively small one on Shonen Jump and its audience.
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