New Age Of Shonen Manga

The release of the latest chapter of Jujutsu Kaisen essentially marked the conclusion of the new gen shonen era, which began a few years ago. It was a delightful and historic chapter that carved its own unique path in the long tradition of the genre.

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Although many of these series often followed the rule of "style over substance" (as is the case with Jujutsu Kaisen), they remained consistently engaging and entertaining, which is, after all, one of the key elements of shonen.

For me, the undisputed king of the new gen is Demon Slayer. Primarily because it demonstrated that a simple plot does not equate to a bad plot. On the contrary, its simplicity is one of its strengths, as it serves perfectly as an amuse-bouche for someone encountering anime for the first time and who is not yet familiar with the genre. It's unfair to say that its viral success and the public's love for it are solely due to the animation.

While I believe the golden age of shonen was in the 2000s, the rapid rise in global interest in anime since 2020 has given new momentum to the mangaka themselves. Therefore, I don't agree with the sentiment often expressed that we've seen or read everything when it comes to innovation in shonen. Rather, the repetitive formulas are a symptom of the industry's nature. Still, there have been shonen that tried, within acceptable limits, to break away from this mold—and succeeded (e.g., Chainsaw Man).

Personally, my attention regarding new shonen is mainly focused on Kaiju No. 8, as I believe it has all the potential to be the next Attack on Titan, with the main difference being that this time, it will be feel-good. The first season was unbelievably good. After that, I would mention Wind Breaker and, of course, Dandadan (let's not forget its first episode has already been released).