Any Good Shonen Series?

Recently, I've begun to notice that I'm not as big a fan of Shonen anime as I thought I was. The Training from Hell, the Shonen Upgrades, the obnoxious, fighting obsessed protagonists, it all just bores me.

Now, I do like some Shonen stuff; like Negima, Death Note, Fullmetal Alchemist, and D Gray Man. I was wondering if anyone could reccommend any really good Shonen series? Ones that do a lot of things differently, or have some really awesome villains.

Ones that aren't Long Runners would be preferable, since it's only after I read/watch a show for an extended period of time do I start to get annoyed by the elements I listed above.

I recommend Soul Eater and Medaka Box

Also Magico is pretty good too.

edited 13th Aug '11 3:26:15 PM by dmysta3000

Gonna have to pass on Medaka. Invincible Heroes are a... pet peeve of mine

Blue Exorcist has some shounen cliches, but overall I think it's surprisingly good.

The only things I hate about it are: the typical "boo-hoo, I never had any friends" backstory for the protagonist; the way certain messages come off as a bit hamfisted rather than a more subtle approach; the cliche big-titted bitch with a sword.

edited 13th Aug '11 3:40:30 PM by AXavierB

You might try Tiger And Bunny.

S Cry Ed was fun, but the protagonists are very much not likable. TTGL is also pretty good.

Seconding the Magico suggestion.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is also technically shounen even though it doesn't follow many stereotypical shounen cliches. It's also excellent if it hasn't been ruined for you by hype backlash.

I reccommend:

• Flame of Recca
• Jo Jo's Bizarre Adevneture - very long, but constantly creative
• Kekkaishi
• Manjin Tantei Nougami Neuro
• Muhyo & Roji’s Bureau of Supernatural Investigation
• Project Arms - it's more like a good sci-fi than your standard fighting shonen
• Rave Master

I'd recommend Jojos Bizarre Adventure (of course) if it didn't take ages to get through. For the most part, there's no power-level business, and characters do not have powers beyond what is explicitly defined. Nor are they obsessed with fighting, it's mostly that fate seems to be conspiring against them while they're trying to survive. Again, shame there's over a hundred volumes.

Accel World, because this manga seriously needs more love.

I'm also a Jojo fan, and I consider the length a plus rather than a minus, but be warned that the art style in Part 1 (out of 8) is not to everyone's taste; it bears some resemblance to the style of Rob Liefeld.

I recommend Trigun and Rurouni Kenshin. Both Vash and Kenshin are older heroes (as opposed to the teenage Idiot Heros who so often populate the genre) who already have awesome skills and need no Training from Hell or Shonen Upgrades and are Technical Pacifists.

edited 13th Aug '11 7:03:17 PM by shiro_okami

To Aru Majutsu No Index?

I suggest Gun X Sword.

What about shows with awesome villains? I am after all a firm beiever in the concept: "A show is only as good as its villain"

Come to think of it, nobody's said Code Geass yet. That one has a hero who acts like a villain.

If you're willing to try Western-animation-that-is-like-anime, Avatar The Last Airbender is very much like a shonen, with good fights and villains.

I've already seen code geass. I have a Love hate relationship with Villain Protagonists. So while I love the series, it does piss me off at points

edited 13th Aug '11 8:01:27 PM by gingerninja666

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
doen

Couldn't stand it

Read or Die then

Oh, I'm not sure if it counts but Giant Robo: The Animation: The Day The Earth Stood Still is awesome and you should watch it.

Incidentally I'm watching that currently.

Gundam? (Personal favs out of the bunch are Zeta Gundam and Turn A Gundam)

Also repeating To Aru Majutsu No Index... its really good.

edited 13th Aug '11 8:25:16 PM by Raso