The shonen genre of anime is one of the most popular genres, if not the most. Fans from around the world recognize most of the shonen anime and are familiar with this genre. Every year, more and more anime of this genre are released and each anime gives something unique to its viewers.
However, the fans who have been watching anime for a long time, or the fans who have watched the old shonen anime have a rising concern. They are quite concerned that the shonen genre of anime is getting more violent by the day. They wish to know if it is true.
What Is The Shonen Genre?
Shonen in Japanese means young boy. The shonen genre of anime is quite popular in the world. People of all age groups recognize at least one shonen anime and are familiar with the genre. As the name of the genre suggests, these kinds of anime target a young audience, specifically from the age of twelve to eighteen.
The first manga to be released under this genre was released in 1895. After the world war, the entire world changed to some extent and manga was not exempt from this change. The format of manga changed noticeably after the wars. Osamu Tezuka is considered to be the father of manga and for good reason. His ‘Astro Boy’ is said to be the manga that paved the way for the shonen genre in the anime world.
This genre has given the anime world some of the most popular and spectacular anime of all time. One of the most popular shonen anime of all time would have to be ‘Dragon Ball’. This particular anime has an audience and viewership not only from the young generation but also from adults who have grown up watching the anime.
Are Shonen Anime Getting More Violent?
This is a very interesting yet concerning question. The reason why fans are concerned about this is because shonen anime target a younger audience. If the anime is too violent, fans worry that it may not only scare but also shape the thinking of their viewers. Animes that are too violent should not be categorized under the shonen genre. They should be seinen, which targets adult viewers.
It is indeed true that shonen anime is getting more violent by the day. The shonen anime released in the 2000s such as ‘Naruto’ have very less graphic content but the anime released in the last few years such as ‘Chainsaw Man’ have great graphic content. It is of course also dependent on the mangaka and the animation studio, but it seems that shonen anime is getting more violent.
According to many anime fans, there was a rise in violence in anime from the 1970s to the 1980s. The 1980s were the pinnacle of violence in anime but after that, the violence gradually dropped. They believe that currently, the shonen genre may be going through the same curve. Therefore it is safe to say that shonen anime is getting more and more violent.
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