Early in 2021,Funimationacquired Crunchyroll as a subsidiary, cementing the former’s place as the leading anime streaming platform in the United States. Debuting in 1994, Funimation has played a crucial role in bringing Japanese animation to Western audiences, particularly when it comes to dubbed series.
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Although somewhat lacking in movies, Funimation has a substantial collection of anime series that cover a wide range of genres and demographics. Regardless of whether someone is an anime newcomer or veteran, a subscription to this service will serve them well. Funimation does not have much in the way of Spring 2022 shonen anime besidesOne Piece, but its library has plenty of threats from the past. Let’s take a look at thebest shonen anime on Funimation.
The Japanese title of eachshonen animeincludes a link to the show’s Funimation page.
Number of Episodes on Funimation
87
Attack on Titandebuted in 2013 and is set to come to a close during thefirst few months of 2022. The anime finds humanity on the brink of annihilation as they hide behind a series of walls designed to protect them from massive monsters that feast on flesh.Attack on Titanevolves quite a bit throughout its run, with each season having a unique tone and pace.
Beautifully animated, unpredictable, and suitably graphic considering the premise,Attack on Titanis one of the mostpopular shonen animeof all time, and it will leave a big hole in the industry once it concludes its run. The show’s final season recently finished airing its second part, with a third one scheduled to drop in the future. The entire series can be streamed on Funimation, and this is a journey filled with pain, heartbreak, surprises, and growth.
1045+
One Piececelebrated its1000th episodein 2021. With more than two decades of content available, it has become difficult to recommend Toei’s anime adaptation of Eiichiro Oda’s legendary manga to newcomers, especially since the former doesn’t fully replicate the latter’s quality.
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One Pieceis a commitment, however, those willing to take on the challenge can look forward to months of epic, hilarious, exciting, and unforgettable moments.One Piece’s world-building is second to none, and its characters are just consistently likable. The anime has been on a roll since the start of the Wano Country arc, a saga that has brought out the best in nearly all of the Straw Hats. If someone finds the sheer volume of episodes too overwhelming, there is always the option to skipOne Piece’s filler arcs. That will still leave 800+ episodes, but the canon storylines are (at worst) good. At the show’s peak,One Pieceis a contender for thebest battle shonen anime on Funimation.
5-toubun no Hanayome
24
Shonen refers to a demographic and not a genre, therefore, it includes way more than just action series.The Quintessential Quintupletsfinds Futaro Uesugi, an intelligent student from a poor family, taking on the job of tutoring five sisters who are not exactly acing their way through school.
Personalities clash, laughs are had, and connections are formed;The Quintessential Quintupletsis aharem anime done right, one where every character is three-dimensional and feels like a genuine contender for the lead’s heart. Season 2 is especially strong as it builds nicely upon the dynamics established by its predecessor; that said, this anime is delightful from the start.
Finishing its second core during the Winter 2022 season,The Case Study of Vanitasmight not have the mass appeal ofAttack on TitanorOne Piece, but it is a must-watch for fans ofsupernatural anime. This series revolves around Noé Archiviste and Vanitas, two people who travel through Paris looking to turn Vampires back to their normal state.
Unfortunately, not everyone wants to accomplish the same thing.The Case Study of Vanitashas the aesthetic of a shoujo property, but its action and humor fall right in line withshonen anime. The anime’s characters are entertaining, its steampunk setting is unique, and its story comes with an engaging sense of mystery.
170
Black Cloverhas a bad rep since it starts on a weak note, mainly due to the voice acting beingtoo muchin the opening episodes. Once Studio Pierrot’s anime gets over its growing pains,Black Cloverbecomes an engrossing watch filled with great action, memorable character arcs, and a string of ambitious arcs that build to a satisfying crescendo.
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The series revolves around two orphans, Asta and Yuno, who set out to join the Magic Knights in the hope that one of them could eventually become the Wizard King. Unlike some other shonen anime, this is a healthy rivalry built on mutual respect rather than hatred or jealousy. As Asta joins the Black Bulls, he quickly finds himself in a makeshift family of outcasts under the guidance of a powerful captain. Once the story gets going,Black Clovertransforms from a forgettable shonen anime to one of the best of the last decade.
12
This series is a special case since it is an anime original that resulted in a manga adaptation that retroactively categorizedSSSS.Gridmanas a shonen property. Revolving around a kid, Yūta Hibiki, who can bring out the heroic Gridman to battle kaiju, this mecha show has gorgeous animation, which should not come as much of a surprise considering Trigger’s reputation.
Pretty visuals are hardly the only thing in this anime’s favor, asSSSS.Gridmantells a surprisingly character-driven story, albeit one that focuses on one of the main antagonists rather than the protagonist. Even if the story fails to strike a chord with a viewer, they can at least enjoy the many splendid fights that are peppered throughout the episodes.SSSS.Gridmanis an underappreciated gem in Trigger’s catalog that is also a solid entry point into the mecha genre.
The Vampire Dies in No Timeis a decent comedy with a sequel season confirmed for Winter 2023. As the title suggests, the story revolves around a vampire who tends to bite the bullet at a moment’s notice. While seemingly ripped right out ofclassic monster movies, Draluc has absolutely no interest in harming humans, something a hunter named Ronald learns when he breaks into the vampire’s home under the false assumption that he has kidnaped a child. Long story short, Ronald and Draluc have to move in together, with the latter agreeing to act as the former’s partner in crime.
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The Vampire Dies in No Timeleans into its premise’s silliness, packing its world with colorful and irreverent characters who do not hesitate to throw out risky punchlines. Not every joke in the series lands, but Madhouse’s anime is consistently amusing. Draluc and Ronald bounce well off each other, and they are backed by memorable side characters like Maremi and John.
Kemono Jihenaired during the same season asAttack on Titan,Dr. Stone, andWorld Trigger, and that’s only counting Winter 2021’s big action-oriented shonen shows. Consequently,Kemono Jihenflew somewhat under the radar, which is a shame as Shou Aimoto’s manga is pretty good. While by no means flawless, the anime adaptation has endearing characters, solid fights, and respectable animation. As far as battle shonen shows are concerned, this series is above average but falls short of greatness.
The story revolves around a detective agency consisting of yokai who can take the form of humans, and they accept cases that typically involve other spirits. Kabane Kusaka joins the organization in the hope that it might help him rediscover his parents; in the meantime, he finds himself surrounded by quite a few quirky personalities.Kemono Jihenshould not be anyone’s go-to shonen anime on Funimation, but the series will keep someone entertained for a couple of days.
37
Someshonen animeare so popular that their reputations precede them.Death Noteis one of those series. Madhouse’s mystery show tells the now-legendary tale of a teenager,Light Yagami, who finds a notebook that kills anyone whose name is written on its pages. Armed with this deadly power, Light sets out to reshape the world in his image, a quest that attracts the attention of the authorities and a detective known as L.
Death Noteis suspenseful, quotable, well-animated, and filled with iconic characters. Light and L’s cat-and-mouse relationship is undoubtedly the most famous in anime history, and, except for perhapsMonster’s central dynamic, it is also probably the best.
A popular shonen anime that is currently making waves due to its sequel movie,Jujutsu Kaisen 0, this series follows a teenager who swallows a cursed finger, causing him to gain incredible power and a new spirit companion.Jujutsu Kaisenis predominantly hailed for its slick animation, courtesy of MAPPA. The series has some of thebest fight scenes in shonenanime, ones that are not only smooth but come across as impactful.
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The story is enjoyable and filled with likable characters, even if the protagonist, Yuuji Itadori, can be a bit uninteresting.Jujutsu Kaisenis likely to be around for a whilesince season 2 has been confirmed for Summer 2023, so this is the perfect time to jump on this anime’s bandwagon.
