"Stop using Shonen as a genre" - Anime community clowns Mob Psycho 100 fans following questionable "anti shonen" claim

Modified Sep 14, 2024 23:30 GMT

Mob Psycho 100 fans have been called out for making absurd statements with regards to its genre (Image via Studio Bones)

Mob Psycho 100 is a brilliant anime and manga series written and illustrated by ONE, the same author who created the One Punch Man series. One of the reasons the former shot to fame is the themes explored during the course of the series. Shigeo, the protagonist of the series, goes through plenty of relatable struggles daily.

Furthermore, the character writing and the interactions that take place in the series are quite engaging. However, the fanbase has been scrutinized over a few comments on X. The anime and manga community has pointed out the flaws of the fanbase and how their perception is rather skewed.

In a recent post, fans called Mob Psycho 100 “anti-Shonen,” which was quite odd for many reasons. With that said, the animanga community clapped back with scathing responses like “stop using shonen as a genre,” pointing out the lapse in judgment that the fanbase exhibited with the aforementioned comments.

Why did the animanga community call the Mob Psycho 100 fanbase out for dubbing the series “anti-Shonen”?

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The fanbase called the series anti-Shonen, which was an odd phrase to describe it. There are plenty of reasons why that phrase is flawed and the primary reason is because Shonen is not a genre, but a section of the demographic. The word Shonen in Japanese translates to “young boy.” Therefore, it isn’t a genre, but a category of manga that is often aimed at young male readers.

The characteristics of a Shonen series include a simple plot, a protagonist who struggles and overcomes difficulties, fight sequences, and plenty of hype-worthy moments. Most Shonen titles have these traits. While Mob Psycho 100 might share some of these characteristics, it doesn’t particularly fall under this category.

Either way, seeing a portion of the fanbase calling the series anti-Shonen is a logically flawed statement and the community was quick to call them out. The community’s reaction to this was quite exaggerated yet justified.

How did the anime and manga community react to the statement made about Mob Psycho 100?

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"Literally what does that even mean," said one fan.

"When did we start acting like shonen is a genre when it’s not. It’s a demographic. Mob isn’t anti shonen, it’s literally a shonen," said another.

"Because people are stupid. Like legitimately stupid," said one netizen.

The community has made it quite clear that the aforementioned statements are completely false simply because there is no logic supporting them. Furthermore, the netizens clarified the meaning behind the word "Shonen," explaining how it describes a demographic and not a genre.

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"I'm worried about this new generation of anime fans. Their takes are horrendous. I saw a YouTube video the other day trying to say that FMAB was an underrated goated anime…" said one fan.

"Cringe," said another.

"People really out here just saying sh*t that makes no fu***ng sense," said one netizen.

The community has expressed concern about the new wave of fans who don't know much about the medium, yet seem to have strong opinions about it. Netizens believe that this could be the case and some even pointed out similar such instances where the statements did not adhere to logic. The community hopes to see better discussions from Mob Psycho 100 fans in the future.

Stay tuned for more anime and manga news as 2024 progresses.

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Edited by Meenakshi Ajith