Best Seinen Anime of the 2010s
Seinen anime is often overlooked due to its demographic similarities to shounen anime. Aimed at an older audience, seinen anime depict more dramatic stories with mature themes. However, this is not always the case. Some stories depict humorous subtext while targeting the student and office worker demographic. In the 2010s, seinen anime began to gain more attention with releases in this demographic such as Steins door. However, as more seinen were released, the stories got better. Here are some of the best seinen anime of the 2010s.
Tokyo Ghoul
Adapted from the manga of the same name by Sui Ishida, the plot of Tokyo Ghoul including death, cannibalism, and acceptance. See the story of Kaneki Ken as a great date turns sour. Kaneki is narrowly killed by his date, Kamishiro Rize, while alone in the park. In order to save his life, doctors replace his organs with Kamishiro’s. However, Kamishiro is a ghoul; a monster that feeds on human flesh. With her organs transplanted, Kaneki has become the very thing that nearly ended his life. Now Kaneki must navigate this new reality of his while being pursued by the police. Part Two of Tokyo Ghoul, Tokyo Ghoul: re, no competition to the first part of this horror anime.
In most cases, when an anime deviates from the path the manga took, it’s usually because the anime is catching up to the manga. Animators often add filler episodes until they have enough material to make an anime. Naruto is a perfect example as almost half of the episodes are just filler content. Tokyo Ghoul However, it was different. Sui Ishida wanted to go a different route in the anime than what he illustrated in the manga. This left fans feeling disappointed in the final product. Although Tokyo Ghoul: Remake Not the best adaptation, but the rest of the series is worth watching.
Deleted
If you like time travel, Deleted is an anime you should watch right away. The story of Deleted The story revolves around 29-year-old Satoru Fujinuma, a manga artist who is constantly trying to escape death. Every time an attempt is made to kill him, he is sent back in time a few minutes before his death. This cycle continues until he is able to prevent his death from happening. One day, after being framed for his mother’s murder, he is sent back 18 years to when he was an elementary school student. In order to prevent his mother’s death, he must find the connection between the past and the present.
Deleted is a story about how past choices affect the future. The theme of this mystery anime depicts loss, regret, and the consequences of one’s actions. Deleted shows that even if you save everyone in the end, something will still be lost.
Vinland Story
Since it started out as a shounen manga, Vinland Story is the story of Thorfinn, the son of a famous Viking. Thorfinn seeks revenge on the murderer of his father, Askeladd. To achieve this goal, he joins Askeladd’s mercenary group with the sole intention of killing him. As the story progresses, Thorfinn continues to face hardships as well as small victories.
Vinland Story depicts themes of revenge, redemption, and finding oneself in a historical setting. The author, Makoto Yukimura, drew inspiration from real-world events such as the Cold War to portray the characters in his story. This makes Vinland Story a valuable watch
Goblin Killer
Goblin Killer is about what the title suggests: Killing Goblins. In a fantasy world filled with goblins, dragons, and beasts, the most common death for novice adventurers is at the hands of goblins. Goblin Killer The story follows the adventures of a silver-ranked adventurer, Goblin Slayer, as he attempts to achieve his goal of exterminating all goblins. Through trials and tribulations, he learns every goblin weakness, strategy, and type to help him achieve this goal. Join Goblin Slayer and his team as they battle these vicious beasts.
Goblin Killer creates a dark image of, what would be, a low-level enemy in other anime as a terrifying enemy. Here’s why Goblin Killer stands out from most anime in general. Be warned as this dark fantasy depicts horrific attacks on women.
One Punch Man
Monsters and villains roam the earth, wreaking havoc in every corner. To combat these destructive creatures, the Hero Association was formed with righteous heroes consisting of Class C – S. These ranks determine the level of threat a hero can handle along with their abilities. Enter Saitama, a Class C hero with unmatched strength. Due to his overwhelming strength, Saitama tends to finish off any enemy he faces with a single punch.
One punch comparable to shounen manga like Dragon ball than the other seinen titles on this list. The story’s light-hearted comedic tone combined with the bombastic action has One Punch Man stands out from its contemporaries in the seinen genre.
Although seinen are slowly gaining ground among audiences, this anime demographic has existed since Lupin the Third And Madness. With commercial successes like One Punch Man And Vinland Story, Seinen anime has the opportunity to gain more attention over time.
All the anime listed above can be watched on Crunchyroll except One Punch Man. You can stream every season of One Punch Man ABOVE Hulu.
