I know, I know. The title is rather pretentious. I just have so much fun with writing cryptically and with grandeur. Sort of my inner chunibiyo I guess. But this title has purpose, I promise! I’ve been mulling over this topic for numerous seasons, under heavy indecision about publishing this blog, especially this early. It’s honestly very embarrassing upon re-reading and revising it repeatedly. However, this enlightenment has not only reaffirmed why I love anime and think it is one of the most flexible and creative mediums of entertainment. My long lost love for Shonen anime had been rekindled into a smoldering pyre. It is an effect I had not acknowledged until very recently. Shonen anime for sometime in my misguided opinion, only served to entertain primarily younger audience and fledgling anime viewers that had only dipped their toes into our world. However, I’ve very, very recently realized the positive impact it can have on the mental state. It is the overpowering optimism and strength of will of SC (secondary characters) and some MC (main character) that is absolutely inspiring! I know it is an odd choice for this to be such an early blog topic, but I chose this topic because I never looked at possible indirect positive benefits of this genre and maybe give my readers food for thought with their anime selection. A sage once cynical to Shonen anime, had his eyes broken wide to its earnestness, its heart, its charm, and its potential to deliver more than what’s on the screen.
This old sage has been suffering from the devastating vice of depression since 2017, and it only worsened since 2018 due to incredibly personal life events. 2020 was when it was so overwhelming that I submerged into a hermit phase, drifting away from friends and the outside world, becoming a recluse. That was when I found anime to be my greatest refuge, as society plunged into a chaotic world of Covid. That was beginning of an enduring free style through the massive depths of 2020 anime that caught my attention including my 2020 AoTy (Anime of the year) Decadence, Talentless Nana (Among US anime) In Spectre (Supernatural Murder She Wrote) and Seton Academy (Funniest take of National Geographic I have ever witnessed. Please lord, a Season 2 is a must) in addition to an immense backlog of recurring anime that I was putting off for months. This included the latest seasons of Black Clover, My Hero, Fire Force, Demon Slayer, Gintama, etc. At first, it felt like a slog because there were quite a few I was not current on. Especially Gintama and Black Clover. I just fell behind at some point, and procrastinated about catching up. 3 to 4 episodes for 3 series a day I made into a routine. I can’t recall the explicit order, but I remember the anime that did the unthinkable for me…
it made me weep, made me cry, made me bawl!
SPOILER WARNING FOR MY HERO ACADEMIA SEASON 3 AND KING’S RANKING…
The blinders had been snatched away from my eyes, and I saw these creations in different radiance. An anime had a scene that brought tears to my eyes and made me weep. And moments like it have been choking me up since. The earnest battle cry catapulting from a character’s orifice in desperate struggle or a character’s overwhelming rage. The burst of spirit to persevere despite grim circumstances. The moment that “broke” me was Deku’s moment in S3 of My Hero Academia against Muscular to protect young Kota. “1,000,000% Smash!” Deku screamed after Muscular threatened to kill Kota. The few seconds of roll veered into plot convenience, thinking about it rationally; Deku was worn out and battered from using One for All against Muscular, and Muscular was overpowering him critically. However, the moment he told Kota “to wait. I’ll kill you after” I knew Deku was going to destroy him somehow and cheered for it in tears. From the moment of that cry, something changed within me and my interaction with various Shonen series. It was a catharsis I guess. It is overcoming moments of immense adversity, immense fear, and immense self doubt; an incredible character defining trial of extraordinary stakes. I’ve always taken these moments for granted because it just felt like a happening of plot convenience. No way could the character of this scene, especially the MC, be bested in this situation. Earlier anime like DragonBall Z were really bad with it. However, Shonen anime of recent flavor have gotten better. More and more, they’ve evolved with greater stakes and payoffs.
And it greatly affects my emotional payoffs. The payoffs that I, at one point, took for granted. But no more. These moments etched themselves in my heart now. The boisterous scream of a character, as if possessed, summoning untold strength, eking whatever power mustered. All to overcome any hurdle that stood before him. And it stirs excitement and spirit within.
Then there are even more touching, quiet moments that are moving reminders that bonds are to be cherished; that your friends, your comrades, your family truly are in your corner. It is such a novel concept, indeed it is. But when you’re lost deep in the fog, you begin to retreat further from those closest. You feel alone as you crawl, wallow, and struggle to make sense of it all. So seeing characters have similar struggles to overcome hit to the core. These moments have spoken to me differently because trying to overcome a massively debilitating hurdle has immense relatability. Especially for me.
So now, shonen got me loving it like a kid
My lord is the feeling spine chilling! Wu has said to me before, that a lot of these anime bring out the inner child in you. A kid roaring with excitement that harkens back to days prior to adult cynicism. At some point that my cynicism ate away at my optimism and motivation. But the recent Shonen series have rekindled both into booming flames, showing me why I adored anime so much. And with combating depression, motivation and optimism are essential, priceless resources. Because it reels you away from the murk, snatches away the desire to just say “screw it”, and emboldens you to keep on keeping on. It is by no means an exaggeration to say it very well could have been my knight in shining armor. Me at now 35, cradled in arms as if a frail damsel. But it shielded me to safety, from the maws of depression. It is an embarrassing way to describe this way, but the romantic nonsense feels appropriate and glad I endured writing it.
So I recommend watching Shonen anime if feeling depressed or even just simply unmotivated. As a fellow immense fan of the medium, I wholeheartedly believe in its potential, in anime’s potential to extend beyond simply entertainment. Just like film, just like music. The benefits may surprise you and elevate your mood significantly. Believe me. Even the anime you may find too optimistic, that it borders on cheesy, may be your panacea. Your brilliant knight.
Or maybe I’m just a sappy asshole seeing and romanticizing something that just isn’t there. Chime your thoughts in the comments below of what you thought of these ramblings.