Ask John: Please Recommend Some Recent Family Friendly Shounen Anime

Question:
I had the fortune of meeting you on the very first “Pop Japan” tour in 2003, where you were kind enough to allow me and a few others to tag along on outings to some places the tour could never have accommodated. I now live in Ikebukuro and have a son – adopted – age 11. After watching my son fall into a disappointing cycle of Conan, Keroro and Combat Butler, I would like to ask for your help. I’m trying to find a show that doesn’t go on for years and years, something we might both enjoy (me: sci-fi, guyish action) that’s new enough he won’t feel its age in the artwork.

Answer:
I must say that it feels odd for someone in Florida to provide anime recommendations to a resident of Ikebukuro, Tokyo. But I realize that people’s schedules and personal lives, regardless of location, impact their involvement in anime. It’s also fascinating that the global diffusion of anime now allows foreigners to be as familiar with contemporary anime as even Japanese residents. There have been a number of kid friendly anime series released over the past two plus years. A number of them have clearly skewed toward girls, including Yes! Precure 5 Go Go, Fresh Precure, Gokujou!! Mecha Mote Iinchou, Jewelpet, and Onegai my Melody Kirara. So I’ll disregard them. Since I’ve been requested to avoid series that “go on for years and years,” I’ll also disregard Yu-Gi-Oh 5D’s and the most recent Ojarumaru & Nintama Rantaro series. That still leaves a sizeable number of anime shows suitable for father and son viewing, including Net Ghost PiPoPa, both Battle Spirits series, Live On Cardliver Kakeru, Metal Fight Beyblade, Negibouzu no Asatarou, and Kaidan Restaurant, to name a few. Among the shows in consideration, though, are a few which may be more suitable to your circumstances and requirements than the ones I just mentioned.

The very first title to spring to mind was the currently ongoing Inazuma Eleven. This very popular soccer anime, based on a Nintendo DS game, delivers everything that will engross and satisfy young boy viewers while keeping grown viewers entertained as well. Unlike numerous shounen sport & hobby anime, such as Plawres Sanshiro, Dodge Danpei, and Chosoku Spinner that star somewhat annoying protagonists, the lead characters of Inazuma Eleven are immediately likable and interesting. Furthermore, unlike many similar styled shows that depict their heroes taking a long time to learn and master amazing techniques, Inazuma Eleven wastes no time before introducing exaggerated situations and superhuman soccer techniques. As a result, the show is briskly paced, attractive looking, and immediately engaging.

Select episodes of the Soul Eater television series include brief scenes that may be too risqué for certain young viewers, but the show doesn’t include any gratuitous fully graphic nudity or any sex. Honestly, I was somewhat disappointed by the Soul Eater television anime because its best moments suggest a level of exhilaration and outstanding animation quality that isn’t sustained throughout the whole series. However, even if the Soul Eater TV series doesn’t fulfill its potential, it does remain usually pretty reliably enjoyable, with the exception of a few side-story episodes (Excalibur, I’m looking at you) and a rushed, poorly conceived climax. The show is certainly dark and baroque enough to look cool and intriguing to viewers of all ages. Its shounen action makes it suitable for younger viewers while remaining enjoyable for viewers of all ages.

Basquash! didn’t become the breakout hit that it was seemingly anticipated to be. The show has been roundly criticized by viewers that consider it aimless and uneven. But I think that viewers that look for the positives in it, rather than the negatives, will find a lot to respect and enjoy. This mecha basketball adventure maintains a frenetic visual kineticism sure to enthrall younger viewers and intrigue older viewers. Character personalities are diverse and, like many things in the show, larger than life. The series encourages creativity, activity, and even a bit of daring rebellion, although it also demonstrates that too much rambunctiousness has undesirable consequences. Adult viewers that approach the show with skepticism may find weaknesses in it, but viewers that want to enjoy it as a pure fun adventure should be quite satisfied.

After years of watching Naruto, I simply fell behind and lost much of my motivation to catch up. Instead, I switched to watching the more recent shounen adventure series Fairy Tail. I’ll admit that Fairy Tail, so far, hasn’t been as engrossing or affecting as Naruto was from its outset. Recent episodes of Fairy Tail have also exposed some noticeably limited animation. However, despite its weaknesses, Fairy Tail is still a fast paced and fun magical battle adventure series. This isn’t a show likely to deeply engross and fascinate adult viewers. But it keeps its pandering and condescending to a tolerable minimum, which should make it agreeable to both young and old viewers.

Despite being a rather leisurely paced slice-of-life sports/romance series starring high-schoolers, Cross Game seems to be very popular among Japanese children. Among American fans, it’s very popular among teen and young adult viewers that appreciate its strong characterizations and believable dramatic narrative. There’s nothing supernatural, superhuman, or otherworldly about Cross Game. It’s a simple drama about high school kids trying to reach the national school baseball team championship. But once you start watching it, it’s hard to stop. Nice visual design, highly empathetic characters, and smart storytelling make Cross Game an addicting pleasure.

The very short length of the Hipira-kun episodes results in a complete series that lasts about as long as one normal weekly TV anime episode. The short episode length makes the series easy to digest, but disappointing because there’s so little of it. This whimsical story about a precocious vampire boy is charming and quite fun. The show’s distinctive visual design make it especially interesting to older, less wide-eyed viewers.

Speaking honestly, I haven’t watched enough of the ongoing Element Hunters television series to solidify a strong impression of it. The show has been quite successful in Japan. I know that it’s targeted at younger viewers, and I know from first hand observation that it includes elements (no pun intended) specifically geared toward entertaining older viewers. Especially among Americans, the show has been somewhat irrationally opposed because it’s an “educational” anime. But like many other so-called “educational” anime including Alice SOS, Omoikkiri Kagaku Adventure Sounanda, Moegaku 5, Gene Diver, and Yanbou Ninbou Tonbou, Elementhunters concentrates far more heavily on delivering entertainment than academic trivia.