Week Twelve: Shonen + Seinen

Shonen and Seinen are surprisingly far more fascinating to me than Shojo and Josei, despite being intended more for men. Perhaps it is because of the fact that these types of manga and anime are typically more action-packed rather than romance-oriented. While romance is still present, typically it is not the main focus, or are typically just harems which I tend to avoid due to lack of interest. There are always exceptions to these types of shows, of course, but I will not be focusing on any of those.

There are two shows that I want to cover in this post, as they are both Shonen but drastically different: Fullmetal Alchemist, and Lucky Star.


Fullmetal Alchemist is in my top three favorite anime of all time, solely because of its excellent story writing. This is one of the longer series out there, but because of the writing style and nature of the plot, time flies super fast while watching the show. This is one of the few anime that actually wraps up almost all of its plot points, leading into a solid conclusion with no potential for a sequel, whereas lots of anime tend to end on some sort of open-ended note, and for something that the viewer can think on.
Fullmetal Alchemist is so special because it does a stellar job at incorporating magic at a scientific level, making it more believable with hints of realism. Overall, it is heavily action-packed and often leaves the viewer very emotional or on the edge of their seat. On top of the stellar plot and very deep character development that goes on throughout the entirety of the show, the animation is also top notch and very pleasing to watch. This is one anime that I really don't want to spoil the plot for, but also really recommend as a beautiful classic.


To contrast the serious and beautifully-written Fullmetal Alchemist, I also want to talk about Lucky Star. This show is considered to be part of the slice of life genre, which can be watched basically from any episode, and in no distinct order. What makes Lucky Star so special is not the unique storytelling, as there is no amazing plot that links all of the characters and overall story together in a unique message. Instead, Lucky Star relies extremely heavily on its comedic value and constantly clashing character. The show contains absolutely no drama, no fighting, no tension: it's just straight up comedy, and that's what makes the show so enjoyable. There is lots of Japanese culture trickled into the show, which is also a nice plus.