[0:00] [Music]
[0:05] i've been looking at my views and it's
[0:06] no doubt that action anime is a favorite
[0:09] for you guys it's all cool i'm one of
[0:10] you too so instead of counting down the
[0:12] top 10 this time i'm going to go for 20
[0:14] titles 20 of my favorite action shonen
[0:17] yep you heard that right it's the
[0:19] biggest vinnie tube video yet and we're
[0:21] gonna have double the fun today after
[0:23] all we're fast approaching a million
[0:25] subs so here's something for a
[0:26] pre-emptive celebration perhaps what i
[0:28] define as action showdown it's a title
[0:30] that has battles and a bit of adventure
[0:32] as its primary hook which is why some
[0:34] titles that i feel could belong in this
[0:35] list don't exactly make it due to
[0:37] technicality
[0:41] [Music]
[0:50] [Music]
[0:54] we start off with something modern
[0:56] noragami is what i'd call short and
[0:58] sweet and it's one of my favorite anime
[0:59] in early 2014. it has a lovable cast of
[1:02] characters set in an urban setting that
[1:04] heavily intersects with the spiritual it
[1:05] was quite the hit back in the day not
[1:07] mainstream popular but yato hiyori and
[1:10] yugine's antics endeared them enough to
[1:12] get the show a sequel no nagami aragoto
[1:14] and how could it not it's an urban
[1:16] fantasy action show that places
[1:18] surprisingly heavy emphasis on character
[1:20] development we really get to feel for
[1:22] the characters and grow attached to them
[1:23] as they go through their interpersonal
[1:25] drama that heavily characterizes most of
[1:27] the series from yato to hiyori to side
[1:30] characters like bishomon the characters
[1:32] are very fleshed out this thing sorely
[1:34] needed another sequel and it's mainly
[1:35] the reason why it's rated at only number
[1:37] 20. especially after the way aragoto
[1:39] ended it's one of the curious cases
[1:41] wherein the season one ending had more
[1:43] closure so it makes me think that if it
[1:44] just ended up being a one-and-done anime
[1:46] i would have been perfectly fine with it
[1:48] but the stopping point for season two
[1:49] changed my mind
[1:56] number 19 we go to a classic favorite
[1:59] dragon ball z
[2:00] [Applause]
[2:02] [Music]
[2:03] [Applause]
[2:06] dragon ball as a franchise needs little
[2:08] explanation even if you're someone new
[2:10] to the whole anime thing there would
[2:11] surely be an anime boomer out there
[2:13] telling you about how great the exploits
[2:14] of goku and his pals were back in the
[2:16] day it's just a testament as to how big
[2:18] of an influence the series had in
[2:20] shaping the childhoods of 90s kids if
[2:22] you're gonna let me have a biased
[2:23] opinion i really love it it's got a lot
[2:25] of cool moments and fights and i feature
[2:26] it in so many of my videos but i have it
[2:29] just at number 19 because taking those
[2:31] fights away and you have a shonen that's
[2:33] somewhat barebones especially compared
[2:35] to a lot of the more modern shows it's
[2:37] not aged very well in my opinion even
[2:38] compared to the 2000s shonen but that's
[2:40] what super's for right to keep the show
[2:42] up to speed with the modern era
[2:47] [Music]
[2:55] here's a niche title for the number 18th
[2:57] rank claymore
[3:01] i legitimately wonder how many people
[3:03] have watched claymore in 2022 not a lot
[3:05] i assume even back in its day it was
[3:07] quite the niche title even as it's a
[3:09] product of shonen jump it takes place in
[3:11] a medieval land that's plagued by
[3:13] shape-shifting demons called yoma and
[3:15] the ones standing in their way are
[3:16] female warriors who are also part yoma
[3:18] called claymores by the public it's a
[3:20] show that i enjoyed and i think a lot of
[3:22] people would like it it has an
[3:23] interesting premise strong characters
[3:25] like the claymores who have their share
[3:26] of action scenes to shine in and a lot
[3:28] of great fighting too however i take
[3:30] points away from the anime because of
[3:31] how it seems so unfinished as an
[3:33] adaptation the production values haven't
[3:35] aged too well either
[3:37] black clover bursts its way into rank
[3:39] 17.
[3:47] here's something most of you are
[3:49] familiar with i feel that the mystique
[3:50] in black clover has a lot to do with its
[3:52] world and magic system it's always
[3:54] interesting to watch a battle shonen
[3:55] with such a particular edge with its
[3:57] characters its spells and the overall
[3:59] way it handles its fights it's very
[4:01] immersive when the ball got rolling and
[4:02] while the production quality has been
[4:04] inconsistent due to its long run of
[4:06] nature it hits the mark when it comes to
[4:07] moments that matter sorry dean seven
[4:10] deadly sins i personally admire black
[4:11] clover and his fans the anime is the
[4:13] subject of much criticism early on in
[4:15] its run but the fans have stuck with it
[4:17] and got rewarded with one of the better
[4:18] new gen and immersive shown in long
[4:20] runners it's the true embodiment of a
[4:22] journey that pays off a meta parallel to
[4:24] arsenal's underdog story from
[4:26] laughingstock to hero ironically
[4:28] [Music]
[4:30] in 16th place we go back to the sengoku
[4:32] period with doraro
[4:36] doraro isn't a new series in fact if we
[4:39] take everything i've talked about so far
[4:41] doraro is the oldest series its first
[4:43] anime dating back to the end of the
[4:45] 1960s it's also one of osamu tezuka's
[4:48] popular works which is why it got a
[4:49] modernized version among the modern
[4:51] remakes of old titles such as bim it's
[4:53] the one that ended up being the best for
[4:55] me the story of yakimaru fighting demons
[4:57] and fighting his humanity through the
[4:58] journey has been beautifully captured in
[5:00] the modern version crisp fighting scenes
[5:02] pretty visuals that capture the essence
[5:04] of the rural sengoku era a lot of
[5:06] emotional moments and a story that keeps
[5:08] you wanting more i didn't hear much
[5:10] noise on doraro when it was first airing
[5:11] and i think that a lot of people missed
[5:13] out on a great 2019 show then again it's
[5:15] a show that had the first garguya quince
[5:17] and shield hero in it not to mention the
[5:19] only promised neverland anime yeah the
[5:22] only one
[5:29] rank 15 is world trigger
[5:38] world trigger is in a weird spot it
[5:40] started out with its first season right
[5:42] at the first half of the 2010s and it
[5:44] was barely talked about some blame the
[5:46] approach in the adaptation while others
[5:47] blame the art me i think the show is
[5:50] underrated and it does take a while to
[5:51] rev up thankfully we did get our sequel
[5:53] last year and it's where the series
[5:55] starts to show its metal with a lot of
[5:56] high octane fights that are just filled
[5:58] with exciting moments and epic animation
[6:00] a contrast from the middling first
[6:02] season a true example of a show getting
[6:04] better as it goes on both in terms of
[6:05] presentation and plot oh and let's not
[6:07] forget the world building and the
[6:08] ability to make us feel attached to the
[6:10] characters and development world trigger
[6:12] needed over 70 episodes to get to this
[6:15] point which is why i'd usually recommend
[6:16] someone to read the manga when it comes
[6:18] to this series well at least for the
[6:19] first few arcs
[6:22] in 14th place is my hero academia
[6:31] my hero academia is probably the closest
[6:33] we can get to a modern equivalent to the
[6:35] classic 2000 shonen archetype underdog
[6:38] hero in a bright idealistic world with a
[6:40] setting that appeals mostly to the
[6:41] younger demographic it feels like the
[6:43] stock's shown in but given the plot
[6:45] developments we've had so far i'd say
[6:46] that it also has a lot to offer to older
[6:48] fans i like the creativity on display
[6:50] with the powers and i like how it also
[6:52] goes out of the way to give the villains
[6:53] some shine the show also has several
[6:55] compelling characters that get developed
[6:57] as the story progresses from a critical
[6:59] standpoint it may not be the best shonen
[7:01] out there but there's no denying its
[7:02] influence and that's why it's right here
[7:04] at number 14.
[7:09] speaking of cultural influence demon
[7:11] slayer is 13th on my list
[7:15] by far the show that gave the most
[7:16] impact in the past couple of years in
[7:18] the world of anime is demon slayer it
[7:20] just blew up in a way that's
[7:22] unprecedented since the days of uh
[7:23] attack on titan season one that's just
[7:25] how big it got and it mostly did it on
[7:27] the heels of eye-opening animation and
[7:29] art there's just a signature flair to
[7:31] how the art was done for the series and
[7:32] i'm not just talking about the rui fight
[7:34] the attacks the character presentation
[7:36] and even the backgrounds and so all
[7:38] contribute to the appeal of the story so
[7:40] much the plot's simple and i stand by
[7:41] what i said that it's no 10 out of 10
[7:43] masterpiece however it's still a damn
[7:45] good shonen to watch and introduced to
[7:47] your pals it's also quite dark and
[7:48] violent for a shonen title and i bet
[7:50] that helps improve its popularity
[7:52] [Music]
[7:54] almost entering the halfway point we
[7:56] look at rurouni kenshin in 12th place
[8:00] another timeless classic ruroni kenshin
[8:02] feels different for its time instead of
[8:04] having a spitfire of energy we have an
[8:06] introverted pacifist for a protagonist
[8:08] seeking redemption kenshin embodies a
[8:10] kind of inner strength that we rarely
[8:12] saw emphasizing the protagonists of the
[8:14] 90s that alone makes the title notable
[8:16] in its heyday and there's also the lack
[8:18] of focus on superpowers and such that
[8:20] have become synonymous with the popular
[8:21] shonen titles instead delving more on
[8:23] character drama and buildup but that's
[8:25] not to say that the fights aren't good
[8:26] as it also has some of the best sword
[8:28] fights that the 90s could give us those
[8:30] things really gave roroni kenshin a
[8:32] unique edge over its peers it was one of
[8:34] my favorites amongst the classics with
[8:36] the shishio arc being the peak of its
[8:37] popularity it's got a unique approach
[8:39] that helped it reach heights but anime
[8:41] filler hell unfortunately cut its
[8:42] momentum short this is a show that could
[8:44] have benefited from the throttled
[8:46] releases that my hero academia does from
[8:49] ancient japan we take to the arabian
[8:51] desert for maggie
[8:53] [Applause]
[8:55] the interesting thing is that statement
[8:56] only really holds true for select parts
[8:58] of this fantastic adventure margie
[9:00] starts off giving us a new take on the
[9:01] whole arabian nights theme but with
[9:03] anime powers akin to something like
[9:04] bleach we then go on a trip that takes
[9:06] us through the various corners of the
[9:07] world a world that happens to mirror
[9:09] parts of the real world actually like
[9:11] ancient rome china or the indian islands
[9:13] magi for all the fantastical elements
[9:15] does feel like a shonen that hits closer
[9:17] to home the main appeal is the powers
[9:19] and the adventure for me but it's also
[9:21] got its chance to show off its metal in
[9:22] other aspects that we rarely see get
[9:24] this much focus in shonen such as
[9:26] politics and philosophy not to say that
[9:28] the anime is some too deep for you show
[9:30] because it talks about politics at the
[9:31] end of it all it's mainly just a bright
[9:33] idealistic shonen that's mainly about
[9:35] the trip the riders alibaba and aladdin
[9:37] learn more about the worlds and grow
[9:39] through their interactions with people
[9:40] from all backgrounds it's a definite
[9:42] recommendation for me
[9:44] we're at the halfway point now and this
[9:45] is usually where i tell you to subscribe
[9:47] subscribing helps the channel reach its
[9:49] goal so if you like what you've been
[9:50] seeing and what more then please make
[9:52] sure you go ahead and hit that subscribe
[9:53] button however i'd actually also like to
[9:55] take this moment to name a lot of
[9:56] honorable mentions that didn't quite
[9:58] make it to this list we only have slots
[10:00] for 20 titles after all so here they are
[10:02] and they're in no specific order shaman
[10:04] king nura rise of the yokai clan fairy
[10:07] tale rave d grey man soul eater hitman
[10:11] reborn seraph of the end blood blockade
[10:14] battlefront now do you have any other
[10:16] honorable mentions that you've got in
[10:18] mind so far stay tuned for the next half
[10:20] of this exciting list
[10:21] [Music]
[10:25] coming off the break we've got a
[10:26] personal favorite of mine bleach
[10:30] i know it's not impossible to talk about
[10:32] bleach without mentioning the 2000s and
[10:34] the big three so i'll talk about what
[10:36] sets it apart from the other two if
[10:37] you're asking me why i love bleach so
[10:39] much and why some people like it the
[10:40] best amongst the hits shonen of the
[10:42] 2000s i'd say that it's the one that
[10:44] seems the most mature in its
[10:46] presentation the characters feel like
[10:48] they're part of our world more and as
[10:49] teens looking to break into adulthood
[10:51] then people especially connected with
[10:53] the struggles of the characters whereas
[10:54] the worlds of something like naruto just
[10:56] felt a little bit distant bleach is a
[10:58] very influential title that it helps
[11:00] spurn in a new generation of anime fans
[11:02] in the day it's also got some of the
[11:03] best aesthetics from the shinigami to
[11:06] the hollows quincy's and aaron carr the
[11:08] designs are top-notch all coming with a
[11:09] flavor that's uniquely theirs that's not
[11:11] to mention the powers and how full of
[11:13] stakes the early fights seem sure the
[11:15] series has its flaws and it's almost
[11:16] worn out it's welcome by the time the
[11:18] full bringer arc came around but there's
[11:19] a reason that there's clamor for more
[11:21] bleach and quite some buzz for the
[11:22] upcoming sequel one that's been a decade
[11:25] in the making we can't talk about bleach
[11:27] without the show that it feels like a
[11:28] spiritual successor to you you huckle
[11:30] show
[11:32] [Music]
[11:37] urban fantasy setting ragtag group of
[11:40] comrades that fight and have adventures
[11:41] in the spiritual realm and a protagonist
[11:43] who gets involved in the spirit realm
[11:45] thanks to contact with the supernatural
[11:47] yeah it's easy to see why people call
[11:48] bleach a spiritual successor to yu yu
[11:50] hakusho in a lot of ways the two are the
[11:52] same yet they are quite different yuyu
[11:54] hakusho does have a lot of merits the
[11:56] fighting feels well constructed and it's
[11:58] got outstanding humor and depth for what
[12:00] people could easily pass off as your
[12:02] everyday supernatural battle shonen it
[12:04] may not have the same level bleach has
[12:05] in terms of flashiness the stylishness
[12:08] and complicatedness of the fights and
[12:09] powers later in the story but yuyu
[12:11] haku's show feels just as rounded as a
[12:13] series it has arcs that feel simpler but
[12:15] philosophical and just as engaging and
[12:17] enjoyable if you like one of the two
[12:19] chances are you like the other as well
[12:22] we then moved to eighth place where the
[12:24] second member of the jump big three is
[12:26] [Music]
[12:32] it seems to me that among the anime fans
[12:33] of the 2000s there's no title as
[12:35] influential to them becoming aware of
[12:37] the medium than naruto it was big back
[12:39] in the day back when there wasn't much
[12:41] internet access and online communities
[12:42] to grow it felt like the flagship title
[12:45] of that era and for good reason too
[12:47] what's not to like about naruto assuming
[12:49] you're someone who's clueless about the
[12:50] medium it's got plucky underdog story a
[12:52] unique take on the concept of ninjas for
[12:54] its time some very nice life lessons to
[12:56] be learned even though broader more
[12:58] idealistic than realistic it's no
[13:00] surprise that the show has influenced a
[13:01] whole generation of fans as for me i
[13:03] found myself captivated by the
[13:05] interesting world and the growth of our
[13:06] protagonist following orange jumpsuit
[13:08] era naruto through his journey into the
[13:10] world's greatest hero by the time the
[13:12] story ends is an ode to the journey that
[13:14] we all take growing up and the way
[13:15] naruto the series presented it is very
[13:18] satisfying
[13:21] right after that we have the hottest
[13:23] member of the new generation in town
[13:25] jiu-jitsu kaizen
[13:29] if there's an embodiment of style in the
[13:31] world of battle shonen the same way
[13:32] bleach was in its day it's got to be
[13:34] jiu-jitsu kaizen the series just screams
[13:36] edgy and cool and there's no better way
[13:38] than to show that than to have some of
[13:39] the best fight sequences in modern
[13:41] shonen it's got a lot of moments to
[13:42] remember thanks to the superb production
[13:44] quality and we can tell that mappa gave
[13:46] their all with this it's a very fun
[13:48] experience watching jiu jitsu kaizen
[13:50] overall like demon slayer i call this a
[13:52] middle-of-the-road show that's
[13:53] infinitely elevated my production
[13:54] quality but it's got a lot of great
[13:56] moments to remember it for almost
[13:58] everything gojo does a lot of the fights
[14:00] in the kyoto goodwill arc the main
[14:01] character's personal highlights like
[14:03] megumi's moment in the last few episodes
[14:05] it's a show that's very accessible for
[14:07] everyone and there's a lot to like and
[14:08] at the end of the day if you're gonna
[14:10] ask a casual watcher or someone looking
[14:11] to get into the medium that's what
[14:13] matters the most for showed an anime
[14:14] right
[14:16] sixth place is one piece the biggest
[14:18] action shonen in japan
[14:21] [Music]
[14:33] one piece to me is the show that
[14:35] represents endless possibilities just as
[14:37] it has a setting tailor made for the
[14:39] series to go on indefinitely one piece
[14:41] is the action shonen that is made to be
[14:43] full of surprises there's just so much
[14:44] that can be done in the world of one
[14:46] piece and through several arcs and
[14:47] adventures that luffy and the group have
[14:49] gone through i found myself cherishing a
[14:51] lot of them those excited cheers of
[14:52] triumph in the heat of epic battles
[14:54] those dramatic moments that pull both
[14:56] mind and the characters hearts and the
[14:58] sheer anticipation of what comes next
[15:00] i'll never forget them watching it all
[15:02] can be a daunting task but i promise
[15:03] that the journey is worth it when you
[15:05] get to the key moments make sure to let
[15:07] it all sink in and be amazed at how
[15:09] powerful a title that looks so cartoony
[15:11] can be in touching the hearts of
[15:13] millions of people in the world oh and
[15:15] trust me if this was a manga list it
[15:17] would have been a lot higher
[15:18] unfortunately like some other
[15:20] long-running anime on this list it
[15:21] suffers from inconsistent animation and
[15:23] pacing issues due to the addition of in
[15:25] canon fillers that's why i recommend you
[15:27] watch the one pace version which will
[15:29] save up a lot of your time
[15:31] my fifth best action shonen is none
[15:33] other than jojo
[15:38] jojo is an anime that's been helped by
[15:40] the internet i mean the series has
[15:42] become quite ubiquitous with meme
[15:44] culture and the internet side of the
[15:45] anime fandom without the help of those i
[15:47] doubt the franchise would have exploded
[15:48] the way it did but i am very thankful
[15:50] for that because for all the craziness
[15:52] and the over-the-top elements that's in
[15:53] it jojo is a well thought out battle
[15:55] shonen the way the seasons connect with
[15:57] each other and take us through
[15:58] generations of characters is something
[16:00] that amazed me when i first stumbled
[16:01] upon it it's also the poster child for
[16:04] wild dumb fun in the world of anime
[16:06] almost nothing indicates that the series
[16:08] takes itself seriously but it's what
[16:10] makes it special and allows it to
[16:11] deliver some of the most memorable
[16:12] moments in anime such as the seven page
[16:14] mudder amongst others
[16:24] rank number four is gintama
[16:29] gintama i can say is the master of
[16:31] multiple genres fans love it for its
[16:33] very intense and dramatic moments but
[16:35] they also love how it can go all in on
[16:37] the comedic and parody aspects i say
[16:39] that's the big appeal of gintama it's
[16:40] propensity in switching gears and giving
[16:42] you the best of the two ends of the
[16:44] spectrum all without inducing mood
[16:46] whiplash one moment you'll be laughing
[16:48] along within toki and the gang and the
[16:49] next moment you'll be at the edge of
[16:51] your seat while watching an extremely
[16:52] gripping segment helped by great sound
[16:54] and art direction one that's evolved
[16:56] alongside the years it also helps the
[16:58] gintama has some of my favorite villains
[16:59] and side characters and actions shown in
[17:01] bonus points for finishing the story in
[17:03] one of the best possible ways a banger
[17:05] of a movie featuring some of the most
[17:07] epic fights the series has to offer on
[17:09] another note it's not an anime i'd
[17:10] recommend to someone who's new to the
[17:12] world of anime as it's got a lot of
[17:13] references and parodies of other anime
[17:15] which a newcomer might not be familiar
[17:17] with the honor of being the third best
[17:20] action shonen goes to full metal
[17:22] alchemist
[17:25] here's another classic for you fma has
[17:27] been recommended to death by people it's
[17:29] just that good it's a series rife with
[17:32] action but also filled with a lot of
[17:33] story lines that make you ponder it's
[17:35] quite the profound shown and that deals
[17:36] a lot with morality and the like all
[17:38] while packaging the whole thing
[17:39] excellently in an exciting series full
[17:41] of epic fights and adventures it didn't
[17:43] quite penetrate the normie consciousness
[17:45] the same level as the bigger battle
[17:47] shown and animated that's more to do
[17:48] with the fact that this is a show that's
[17:50] not as easy to consume things move a
[17:52] slow burn at times much to the benefit
[17:54] of its themes and messages that's
[17:56] certainly a reason this show is still
[17:58] getting recommended by people this 2022
[18:00] compared to a lot of the more popcorn
[18:02] entertainment peers in terms of writing
[18:04] and thematic meaning and shown in anime
[18:06] it's hard to trump fma in second place
[18:09] is the 2013 sensation attack on titan
[18:16] yeah i know what you're thinking attack
[18:18] on titan at first glance looks nothing
[18:20] like a showdown manga turned anime heck
[18:22] even after watching it and seeing the
[18:23] violence the convoluted plot lines the
[18:25] depth of characterization of
[18:27] relationships as well as the social
[18:28] commentaries you wouldn't think that
[18:30] it's something that belongs with the
[18:31] likes of fairy tale but it is indeed
[18:33] published in a shonen magazine and
[18:35] that's beautiful it's something like
[18:36] death note in that the heaviness of the
[18:38] subject matter creates a fake out
[18:40] overall attack on titan is worth the
[18:42] hype it starts off catching everyone's
[18:44] attention by giving us a thrilling setup
[18:46] of humans fighting for survival one
[18:48] that's devoid of the usual shonen plot
[18:50] armor or other usual tropes giving us
[18:52] something that looks so unique in the
[18:53] world of anime for its time back in 2013
[18:56] then once it's gone our attention it
[18:58] starts talking to us showing us the
[19:00] depth of humanity's derangement and a
[19:01] lot of other social problems we face all
[19:04] while not letting go of the action as
[19:05] some of the epic moments in the latter
[19:07] seasons like levi fights or the
[19:08] cinematic clash at the end of season
[19:10] three prove finally i have hunter hunter
[19:13] as my best action shown in anime
[19:18] ah hunter hunter there's just a lot of
[19:21] ways to express why this is my favorite
[19:23] shown in anime and why i think it
[19:24] deserves recognition for being one of
[19:26] the best ones out there a lot of people
[19:28] lord hunter hunter for his generalist
[19:29] appeal and lack of reliance on shonen
[19:31] tropes it's not as in your face
[19:33] subversive as attack on titan tribes can
[19:35] be but it doesn't need to be it shreds
[19:37] the standard shown in fear while
[19:38] integrating some dark and mature moments
[19:40] that truly showcases the power of the
[19:42] medium despite having the appearance of
[19:44] a simplistic shonen for young people it
[19:46] gets rather unorthodox in its approach
[19:48] to battle powerups character arcs and
[19:50] such and people eventually realize that
[19:52] there's much to this show than
[19:53] appearances first suggest truly a
[19:55] masterpiece in the realm of shonen
[19:57] storytelling hunter hunter deserves all
[19:59] the acclaim it's been getting the memes
[20:00] about the mangas hiatus have
[20:02] overshadowed the actual content at times
[20:04] but the fact that people still eagerly
[20:05] await the series even after two decades
[20:08] is proof of how much it touched the
[20:10] hearts of millions worldwide
[20:13] and that wraps it up this has been one
[20:16] of my longest videos so far and i hope
[20:18] that you enjoyed this new format i'd
[20:20] love to know your top 20 or top 10
[20:22] favorite shonen so please feel free to
[20:24] comment down below if you're up for some
[20:25] more interaction with the community you
[20:27] can catch the vini tube team on our
[20:28] discord instagram or patreon links will
[20:30] be provided in the description box like
[20:32] subscribe and hit the share button if
[20:34] you enjoyed the video and i'm looking
[20:35] forward to seeing you next time see ya