SHONEN

Shōnen also romanized as Shonen, Shounen or Syônen can be loosely translated as “boy” or “youth”. It is the demographic opposite of Shōjo.

Adolescent boys are the generally the target audience of Shōnen Anime or Manga. They are known for being high-action or high-intensity series with increased emphasis on humour and camaraderie.

Of all the demographic categores, Shōnen is the most widely-known and popular one. While Shōnen Anime or Manga purportedly caters to a young male audience, in reality, its viewers and readers comprises of all ages and genders.

Historically, men and boys were almost always the main characters of Shōnen. Women were often given a supporting role as friends, colleagues, girlfriends, sisters, or mothers.

In older audience-targeted shows, female characters are frequently portrayed in a way that appeals to the male target audience as so-called bishōjos (beautiful young girls). They appear as objects of romantic or sexual desire for male protagonist in the stories. This type of fan-service inclusion is allegedly necessitated due to the high number heterosexual male-target audience.

This trend began to change circa the 1980s. Women/girls have taken on increasingly active parts in these fan service-focused storylines, even though these objectifying tropes continue to persist in Shōnen. Women/girls now play a more active role in Shōnen stories and are not merely there as passive support or story props.

Since the 1980s, an often-used romantic comedy trope in Shōnen, has been to pair a weak male protagonist with a strong female love interest who not only piques his romantic and sexual desire but also serves as a close friend and confidante.

In the harem genre, which developed from Shōnen, a male protagonist is surrounded by several female characters who desire him and who are frequently more assertive and confident than the protagonist.

Some of the best Shōnen: