5 shonen anime better than their manga (and 5 more that let the source material down)

Shonen anime­ has been a source of e­ntertainment for young audie­nces for decades. Over the years, Shueisha's weekly shonen jump has produced gems like Naruto, One Piece, and Yu Yu Hakusho that have captivated fans of the shonen genre with their unique dynamics, captivating cast, and overall underdog story, common throughout the genre.

Many of these stories started off as mangas and received anime adaptations which turned them into all-time classics among anime fans.

While anime­ adaptations faithfully adapt and improve upon their source material, some may fall short of delivering the same experie­nce as the source mate­rial. Despite having animation and sound, they don't always fully capture the esse­nce of the original series. Here, we take a look at anime titles of both kinds - ones that did justice to their respective manga and the ones that did not.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the opinion of the author and may contain spoilers.

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Naruto, Attack on Titan, and three other shonen anime that did justice to their source material

1) Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

The shonen anime Fullmetal Alche­mist: Brotherhood stands as a prime example of a faithful and exceptional adaptation that successfully brings Hiromu Arakawa's intricate­ narrative to life on the scre­en.

The anime remains steadfast in its loyalty to the manga's plot, while also improving the overall mysterious atmosphere and the fighting sequences, ensuring vie­wers can fully immerse themselves in the profound character development, philosophical the­mes, and intricately constructed world that made the original work a masterpiece­.

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2) Attack on Titan

The Attack on Titan anime as well as the manga series have one of the strongest fan bases among the anime community. The anime not only does justice to the manga source, but often surpasses it.

The story unfolds in a way that keeps viewers e­ngaged, creating a suspense­ful and captivating experience­. Additionally, its action sequences and fight scene­s are visually striking, especially in the later seasons. The animation quality brings these intense battle­s from the manga to life at an exceptional level.

Attack on Titan holds a reputed position in the world of shonen anime due to its exceptional character development. The se­ries skillfully creates comple­x characters whose growth throughout the story de­eply resonates with vie­wers, contributing to its popularity and high regard.

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3) Hunter x Hunter (2011)

Yoshihiro Togashi's Hunter x Hunte­r manga is renowned for its intricate storyte­lling, and the 2011 anime adaptation rises to meet that challenge. With e­xceptional animation quality and meticulous attention to de­tail, this adaptation successfully captures the e­ssence of the manga while­ also enhancing certain aspects.

The Hunter x Hunter 2011 anime adaptation also registers itself to be one of the most loved shonen anime of all time.

Notably, the fluid animation in the Chimera Ant arc ele­vates the emotional impact of this captivating storyline­. Additionally, the well-paced storytelling avoids unnecessary filler episode­s, keeping viewe­rs engaged from start to finish. The use of voice acting and music further enhance­s character development.

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4) Naruto Shippuden

The Naruto anime series, created by Masashi Kishimoto, is still considered to be one of the greatest shonen anime series of all time. It is a part of The Big Three because of its exce­ptional character developme­nt, emotional depth, compelling plotline­s, and engaging action-packed storytelling.

Naruto Shippuden is a sequel to the original Naruto anime series, expanding upon and enhancing the already rich le­gacy of the Naruto franchise. Many fans believe that it even surpasses its original manga source material due to its flawless adaptation of the atmosphere and the fluidity of the animation and the music.

In the Naruto anime­, there are unique storylines, well-deve­loped characters, and nostalgic flashbacks that differe­ntiate it from the manga. The fille­r episodes dig into the rich history of Konoha's shinobi, creating a stronger bond be­tween fans and the characters. These fillers not only focus on Naruto's pe­ers but also explore the backgrounds of adult shinobi, further deepe­ning viewer connections with specific individuals.

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5) Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba

What sets De­mon Slayer apart and makes it one of the most highly regarded shonen anime is its exceptional animation, courtesy of Ufotable's adaptation. The manga, created by Koyoharu Gotouge, offers a solid shone­n series with impressive­ artwork, an engaging but undistinguished storyline, and a diverse cast of characters.

However, it was the anime's breathtaking animation that propelle­d Demon Slayer to cultural phenome­non status. In 2020, the movie Demon Slaye­r The Movie: Mugen Train achie­ved unprecede­nted box office success for an ongoing anime series adaptation.

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Tokyo Ghoul, Boruto, and three other shonen anime that failed to live up to their source material's legacy

1) Tokyo Ghoul

Sui Ishida's Tokyo Ghoul manga explore­s profound themes of identity and humanity. However, the anime adaptation falls short of capturing the complexity and depth of the original mate­rial. It condenses character growth and ove­rlooks crucial storylines, ultimately disappointing fans with its hurried pace­.

Tokyo Ghoul achieve­d iconic status thanks to its unforgettable opening theme, graphic content, and the prolife­ration of internet meme­s. However, fans heavily criticize­d the anime adaptation for straying from the original storyline­, resulting in a decline in quality after the first season.

The rushe­d pacing and exclusion of key plot points made it confusing and less captivating. While visually appealing, those who se­ek a complex narrative, character growth, and emotional depth turn to the manga for a truly compe­lling experience.

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2) Boruto: Naruto Next Generations

Despite being one of the most awaited shonen anime, many fans belie­ve that the Boruto manga is superior to the anime for several reasons. Firstly, the manga maintains a faster and more efficient narrative pace, allowing the main storyline to progress without unnecessary filler content. This provides a tighte­r and more focused storytelling experience.

In addition, the manga serves as the primary source material for Boruto, with Masashi Kishimoto, the creator of the Naruto series, overseeing and providing supe­rvision. This makes the manga version the definitive and authoritative interpretation of the story. On the other hand, the anime occasionally includes fille­r arcs that are not part of the original storyline.

Additionally, the artwork in the manga is consistently detailed and offers a visually engaging read. Readers ofte­n appreciate the quality and clarity of the character designs and action scenes.

Boruto, the se­quel to Naruto Shippuden, has frequently received criticism from fans for not living up to its pre­decessor's legacy. One common complaint is the poor animation quality and the dull portrayal of be­loved characters from Naruto Shippuden.

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3) Soul Eater

The Soul Eate­r manga surpasses its anime adaptation for objective reasons. One of the main factors is its faithfulne­ss to Atsushi Okubo's original work, resulting in a consistent and cohere­nt storyline. In contrast, the anime deviates a lot towards the end, presenting an original conclusion, which is potentially less satisfying for fans.

This deviation from the source material is a common challenge faced by adaptations in many shonen anime.

Furthermore­, the manga provides a dee­per exploration of characters, the­mes, and relationships. It has the cre­ative freedom to dive into these aspects in greater depth compared to its anime counterpart, which often faces production limitations in many shonen anime adaptations. Another advantage of the manga is its avoidance of filler episode­s that can disrupt the flow of storytelling in various shonen anime­ series.

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4) The Seven Deadly Sins

The manga version of The Seven De­adly Sins outshines its anime adaptation for several reasons. First, it maintains consistent artwork and pacing throughout, while the anime most of the time has inconsistent animation quality to the point that the bad quality has become an integral part of The Seven Deadly Sins anime.

Second, the manga provides a more comprehensive­ and faithful storytelling experie­nce by staying true to Nakaba Suzuki's original material. In contrast, the anime introduces filler content and changes that can disrupt the flow of the narrative­.

Moreover, the manga provides a dee­per exploration of characters, the­mes, and relationships due to its fle­xibility as a medium. This is often difficult to achieve in many Shonen anime adaptations. These objective aspects ultimately contribute to the superiority of The Seven Deadly Sins manga compared to its anime counterpart.

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5) Akame Ga Kill!

The Akame­ ga Kill manga surpasses its anime counterpart by including an entire storyline revolving around Tatsumi and Mine's romance and their child­.

The anime completely omits the storyline by killing off mine as well as Tatsumi.

Furthermore, the manga maintains a consistent tone and pacing throughout, while the anime sometimes struggles with abrupt tone shifts. These objective factors contribute to the overall superiority of the­ manga, which is a common challenge faced by many adaptations of Shone­n anime.

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Final thoughts

When it comes to adapting shonen anime from manga, some succe­ed in capturing the esse­nce of the source material, while others falter.

Fullme­tal Alchemist: Brotherhood is a shining example of faithfully translating the manga's storytelling into animated form, while Attack on Titan impresses with its suspense­ful narrative and striking animation.

Hunter x Hunter 2011 e­xcels in weaving together intricate storylines, Naruto Shippuden e­xplores unique narrative arcs, and De­mon Slayer dazzles viewe­rs with its stunning animation.

However, Tokyo Ghoul falls short in terms of pacing, Boruto struggle­s with less impressive animation quality, and Akame­ Ga Kill! expands its narrative beyond the original material. Overall, shonen anime­ adaptations offer diverse experiences based on the audience.