Top 5 Shonen Anime to Jump Start Your Week

Known to be one of the greatest anime genres of all time, shonen is what you can find almost any action packed anime or manga under. Shonen Jump sound familiar to anyone? Some of the longest airing anime (that are extremely popular) have been known to be classified under the shonen genre.

I've been on a bit of a shonen binge lately so here are my top picks!

1. 'Fairy Tail'

I recently just finished both reading the manga and watching the anime and I've got to say, this has now pushed its way to the top of my list. I could go on and on about how amazingly well the world, story, and characters were crafted. I'm a sucker for having multiple characters to root for and strong female characters. (Team Erza for LIFE!)

We come across a magical world where some people have been blessed with the use of magic. Magic guilds have been established where those who wish to use their magic to take on jobs and bond with other magical users. Lucy Heartfilia, a young celestial mage, has taken upon herself to leave home in order to join the acclaimed magic guild, Fairy Tail. She happens to run into Natsu Dragneel and Happy, both members of the infamous Fairy Tail, who invite her to join them in their guild. Thus starts her many adventures alongside Natsu and friends as they train, take on jobs, and most importantly, build their friendships.

Where to Watch:Crunchyroll

Where to Read: MangaNelo

Status: Completed (Manga Only)

2. 'One Piece'

As one of the most popular, longest running anime to date, One Piece doesn't fall behind with its big cast of characters, incredible story arcs and impressive fights. I found myself staying up late most nights to watch as many episodes as possible as I just needed to know what was coming next. I'd hardly say that you could call yourself an anime fan if you couldn't recognize Luffy right away.

Known as the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger was known to be the strongest of all pirates who had sailed the Grand Line. At his death, Roger mentioned of finding the greatest treasure he had discovered, the One Piece. This message sparked the great age of pirates where each pirate had the goal of one day finding this acclaimed treasure and becoming the new Pirate King.

At the ripe age of 17, Monkey D. Luffy is not your ordinary pirate. He seems to be just a young man, filled with wonder and also sets his eye on finding the One Piece to become the new Pirate King. Along the way, Luffy finds himself growing his pirate crew and becoming one of the most wanted pirates of all time.

Where to Watch:Crunchyroll

Where to Read: MangaNelo

Status: Ongoing

3. 'Rurouni Kenshin'

This was one of the few I was a bit hesitant on starting as I knew it was older and I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy it. Man, was I waiting too long.

Set in the end of the Edo period, one samurai known as Kenshin Himura works to keep the values of those he fought for in order to bring in the new, peaceful era. In the war, he was known as Hitokiri Battousai, the most feared killer compared to all others who were fighting. With overwhelming guilt for those he had killed, Kenshin vows never to take another life. Kenshin then spends his time wandering, hoping to leave his past behind him, until he stumbles upon a dojo owned by Kaoru Kamiya who seems to be under stress as her dojo is under the threat of closing. This is all due to someone claiming to be Kenshin's past self as well as claiming to be a part of Kaoru's dojo. The two of them end up joining forces but in doing some, Kenshin's past starts to creep up on him in some of the worst ways possible.

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

Where to Read: MangaNelo

Status: Completed

4. 'Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba'

After just recently airing this last Spring, this anime has already jumped to the top of my list as one of the coolest anime I have seen in awhile. It's still airing so you can still catch up very quickly!

Rumors have it that there are demons who eat people lurking in the woods where Tanjirou lives. The townsfolk tend to not venture out at all, especially at night due to these rumors. Providing for his family after his father's death, Tanjirou's somewhat pleasant life is put to a halt when his family gets slaughtered by these rumored demons and his sister turned into one of these demons herself. The only strange thing is, is that his sister does not seem as crazed as the other demons and seems to still show signs of being human. Tanjirou takes it upon himself to find a way to change her back into a human as well as slaying those demons that slaughtered his family.

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

Where to Read: MangaNelo

Status: Ongoing

5. 'My Hero Academia'

Finally, the one we have all been waiting for (or at least I have), BOKU NO HERO ACADEMIA!!! This anime has skyrocketed in viewership both in Japan and here in the U.S. If you could make a checklist of what every great anime needs to make it, this one would have all of them marked and more. There's a character for everyone to fall in love with and the story just keeps getting better and better!

As a young boy, Izuku Midoriya dreamed of one day becoming a hero. The only problem is, he was one of the few born without a superpower, also known as a 'quirk'. Being bullied throughout school for being 'quirkless' Midoriya doesn't lose hope and sets his sights on attending UA High, the elite hero training academy. A chance meeting with one of his idols, All Might lets his dream become a reality where he inherits the One for All quirk from All Might. This gets him into the academy but it's there where Midoriya must truly prove that he is the best hero.

Where to Watch:Cruncyroll

Where to Read: MangaNelo

Status: Ongoing