An Unhinged List of Shonen Media

Last updated: 2026 May 24

This is a list I’ve made for myself tracing the origins of Shonen. I know this list is diabolical and I am ready to get canceled. But hey! It’s much more fun than just watching shonen anime to no end!

Please, also bear in mind that I have consumed less than a fifth of the stuff listed down below. As per usual, I will be updating it as I work my way through it.

Literature

  • Kojiki (around 712)
  • Taketori Monogatari (around 900)
  • Heike Monogatari (1220-1240)
  • Journey to the West (16th century)
  • Three Kingdoms (14th century)
  • Water Margin (14th century)
  • Dream of the Red Chamber (mid-18th century)

Wuxia

  • The Legend of the Condor Heroes (1957/1983)
  • Come Drink With Me (1966)
  • Golden Swallow (1968)
  • The Heroic Ones (1970)
  • A Touch of Zen (1971)

Wuxia → Martial Arts

  • The Big Boss (1971)
  • Fist of Fury (1972)
  • Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan (1972)
  • The Way of the Dragon (1972)
  • Enter the Dragon (1973)
  • Executioners from Shaolin (1977)
  • The Sentimental Swordsman (1977)
  • The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978)
  • Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (1978)
  • Game of Death (1978)
  • The Five Venoms (1978)
  • Drunken Master (1978)
  • Crippled Avengers (1978)

Martial Arts → Anime

  • Mobile Suit Gundam (1979)
  • Zu: Warriors from the Magic Mountain (1983)
  • Project A (1983)
  • Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam (1985)
  • Police Story (1985)
  • Armour of God (1986)
  • Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ (1986)
  • Dragon Ball (1984/1986)
  • Police Story 2 (1988)
  • Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack (1988)
  • Dragon Ball Z (1989)
  • Armour of God II (1991)
  • Yu Yu Hakusho (1900/1992)
  • Police Story 3 (1992)
  • Slam Dunk (1990/1993)
  • Drunken Master 2 (1994)
  • Ashes of Time (1994)
  • Fist of Legend (1994)

Anime, Games, Movies

  • Rurouni Kenshin (1994/1996)
  • Initial D (1995/1998)
  • Yu-Gi-Oh (1996/1998)
  • One Piece (1997/1999)
  • Inuyasha (1996/2000)
  • Xenogears (1998)
  • Shenmue (1999)
  • Naruto (1999/2002)
  • Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
  • Shenmue II (2001)
  • Xenosaga Trilogy (2002)
  • Hero (2002)
  • Kingdom Hearts (2002)
  • Tales of Symphonia (2003)
  • Bleach (2004)
  • Sora no Kiseki Trilogy (2004)
  • Samurai Champloo (2004)
  • Sword of the Stranger (2007)
  • Naruto Shippuden (2007)
  • Gintama (2003/2006)
  • Tales of the Abyss (2005)
  • Yakuza (2005)
  • Gurren Lagann (2007)
  • The World Ends With You (2007)
  • Tales of Vesperia (2008)
  • Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (2009)
  • Xenoblade Chronicles (2010)
  • Zero/Ao no Kiseki (2010)
  • Hunter x Hunter (2011)
  • Tales of Xillia Dulogy (2011)
  • JoJo (1987/2012)
  • Haikyu!! (2012/2014)
  • World Trigger (2013/2014)
  • Sen no Kiseki Pentalogy (2013)
  • Boku no Hero Academia (2014/2016)
  • Xenobalde Chronicles X (2015)
  • Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (2017)
  • Planet With (2018)
  • PROMARE (2019)
  • Kimetsu no Yaiba (2016/2019)
  • Jujutsu Kaisen (2018/2020)
  • Neo: The World Ends With You (2021)
  • Kuro no Kiseki Trilogy (2021)
  • Xenoblade Chronicles 3 (2022)
  • Freiren (2020/2023)
  • Solo Leveling (2016/2024)