Shonen series are undoubtedly the most popular demographic of anime and manga out there. These stories are primarily aimed at young boys and feature lots of exciting battles and intense stories. That said, Shonen series come in different flavors today, and it's gotten to a point where a lot of major Shonen are actually mistaken for Seinen by many. For some reason, some fans are under the impression that every “serious” anime series is actually a seinen, but that is actually not the case at all. Classification for manga is based on the magazine in which it is serialized. In a plethora of shonen, quite a lot have been confused for seinen more than once.
8 Best Gravity Users in Anime, Ranked
Gravity can be a versatile and creative ability. These anime gravity users are the best and most memorable.
Attack on Titan
- Creator: Hajime Isayama
- Magazine Serialized In: Bessatsu Shonen Magazine
If there is a major recent series that many fans confuse for being seinen, it's definitely Attack on Titan. Numerous fans are under the impression that Attack on Titan is seinen, and for the most part, this is due to its more mature nature. Attack on Titan is quite a gruesome series and it features human-eating Titans. The creator, Hajime Isayama, does not shy away from showing humans being devoured by these creatures.
Isayama is not scared of killing important characters in brutal ways either. Attack on Titan also explores more political elements than the average shonen. The Marley arc and everything that follows definitely made many feel like this series is more targeted to older audiences. However, what happened in the story is secondary to what magazine it is published in, and when it comes to classification, Attack on Titan was published in Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine, making it a shonen.
The Promised Neverland
- Creator: Kaiu Shirai and Posuka Demizu
- Magazine Serialized In: Weekly Shonen Jump
The Promised Neverland is a legendary shonen series that many believe is actually a seinen. Just like other series, it mostly comes down to how brutal the story is. The Promised Neverland started on an intense note as it was quickly revealed that the children raised at the orphanage were actually grown to be livestock to feed the demon-like creatures.
The story starts as almost a horror thriller, with the children trying to create an escape route for themselves to survive their gruesome fate of being turned into butcher meat. While the story is brutal, it is still a shonen. The Promised Neverland was published in Weekly Shonen Jump and remains one of the most iconic series of the magazine.
The 10 Best Shonen Jump Anime of All Time, Ranked
With such a strong library of titles under their belt, it's no surprise that Shonen Jump manga end up being adapted into amazing anime.
Claymore
- Creator: Norihiro Yagi
- Magazine Serialized In: Monthly Shōnen Jump, Jump Square
Claymore is a beloved series from the 2000s. With that being said, many compare Claymore to the likes of Berserk, a seinen series. That is because these two manga are similar, but each belongs to a different demographic. In fact, this is one of the reasons why some fans have even started to call Claymore “the Shonen Berserk.”
The vast majority of fans are still unaware of its shonen classification. As many other Shonen series conflated with Seinen, it's because of the themes and gruesomeness of its source material. Claymore follows the story of Clare, a half-yoma, half-human female warrior who has to fight and kill human-eating and shape-shifting creatures. The battles in Claymore can be quite intense, and the violence is definitely there to see. It definitely feels like a more mature series, but at the end of the day, it was published in two shonen magazines, Monthly Shōnen Jump and Jump Square.
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Death Note
- Creator: Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata
- Magazine Serialized In: Weekly Shonen Jump
In the 2000s, there were not many anime series as iconic and beloved as Death Note. Death Note took the world by storm, and the dynamics between L and Light are undoubtedly legendary. That said, fans might be surprised to know that Death Note is not a Seinen manga or anime series. Instead, it's a shonen manga by creators Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata.
It is the dark themes of Death Note that make many believe that it is a seinen manga. The Death Note series features a lot of tragic and gruesome deaths, and the series is extremely serious, with no time for jokes or lighthearted moments. With the Death Note, Light has killed many in brutal ways. It’s unsurprising to see many believe the series is targeted at older audiences, especially when taking a look at the fans. With that being said, Death Note was serialized in the most iconic Shonen magazine there is, that is, Weekly Shonen Jump, alongside the likes of One Piece.
Chainsaw Man
- Creator: Tatsuki Fujimoto
- Magazine Serialized In: Weekly Shonen Jump, Shonen Jump +
Chainsaw Man has confused quite a few fans when it comes to its classification, but undoubtedly, it is a shonen series, even though some of its elements seem to lean more towards seinen. Chainsaw Man follows the story of Denji, and the story features devils and some psychological horrors, especially with the main antagonist, Makima in Part 1. Chainsaw Man is definitely more serious than its other shonen counterparts. It's violent and even features some extreme sexual content, which is not entirely the norm in shonen. Once again, all that doesn't matter as Chainsaw Man was serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump. Later down the line, it was transferred to Shonen Jump +.
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure
- Creator: Hirohiko Araki
- Magazine Serialized In: Weekly Shonen Jump (Parts 1 to 6), Ulta Jump (Parts 7 to 9)
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure is a bit unique when it comes to its manga classification. While many believe all of Jojo falls in a more Seinen category, that is not exactly true. To be clear, some Jojo's Bizarre Adventure parts fall in the Shonen category, while the rest fall in Seinen.
At the moment, Jojo only has three Seinen Parts, which only include Parts 7 onwards, after the story reset. Meanwhile, Parts 1 to 6 are all Shonen. This discrepancy is due to Jojo's Bizarre Adventure switching magazines. For Parts 1 to 6, Jojo was serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump. Meanwhile, since the debut with Part 7, Jojo has been serialized in Ultra Jump, a Seinen magazine. Jojo has always tackled some mature themes, and the story hasn't changed that much after switching to a Seinen magazine. Even the humorous moments are still there. After all, Jojo has always had its fun moments, followed by brutal and serious events. The backstory of Weather Report is one of many examples showing Jojo has always had dark storylines, even before switching to a Seinen magazine.
D Gray Man
- Creator: Katsura Hoshino
- Magazine Serialized In: Weekly Shounen Jump, Jump Square, Jump SQ.Crown, Jump SQ. Rise
D. Gray Man is an iconic manga by creator Katsura Hoshino. The story started in 2004, and even now, it is technically still ongoing, though releases are slow. Many believe it is a seinen,m series, and the confusion as to why is clear. This story has always had a darker vibe to it. It is set in the 19th century, so in big part, the anime has taken a darker route with the series. The plot is also more serious than the average shonen, with a confrontation between exorcists and Black Order.
With that all in mind, D. Gray Man is still a shonen series, and was serialized in the Weekly Shonen Jump magazine for the most part. The series has switched magazines a few times after, but they all remain Shonen Magazines for young boys to read.
