The 2010s gave us some of the most iconic anime in recent memory. While many anime fans fondly look back on anime from the ’80s and ’90s, the 2010s are home to some of the best modern anime that are still relevant today.
It was a particularly great decade for shonen fans, with incredibly popular series debuting and completely changing the anime landscape. It was tough to narrow it down, but these stand out as the very best shonen anime from every year of the 2010s.
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2010: Bakuman
While most popular WSJ manga tend to be battle shonen, relying on power-ups, deadly rivalries, and high-stakes clashes, Bakuman focuses on manga, specifically the industry and the culture around it. Created by the same writer and artist combo that gave us Death Note, Bakuman might not be as high-stakes as its predecessor, but its story and characters stand out in a way that might be even more memorable to some fans.
The series follows Moritaka Mashiro, who, after initially giving up on his childhood dream of becoming a manga artist, is coerced by his classmate and aspiring writer, Akito Takagi, to once again pick up his pen. With Moritaka finding his passion for drawing again, the two try their luck at breaking into the industry under the pen name Muto Ashirogi.
2011: Hunter x Hunter
Hunter x Hunter fans have it rough sometimes. The manga is frequently on hiatus, and while the 2011 anime adaptation was received well by fans, it doesn’t look like any new anime content will be coming out any time soon.
Hunter x Hunter has had two anime adaptations so far, the 1999 series and the 2011 series. Both are popular among fans, but the most recent adaptation has much better animation, pacing, and some incredible fights. You can’t go wrong with either, depending on what you’re looking for, but the 2011 series is a modern classic.
2012: Medaka Box
Author Nisio Isin is best known for his Monogatari light novel series, but he’s written a variety of manga series and one-shots. The most notable work of his outside of the Monogatari series has to be Medaka Box.
Published in Weekly Shonen Jump from 2009 to 2013, Medakka Box has some supernatural and battle shonen elements you’d expect to see out of a Jump series, but it very much feels like a Nisio Isin series. The series follows the exploits of the seemingly perfect Student Council President Medaka Kurokami and her best friend Zenkichi Hitoyoshi. When Medaka sets up the eponymous “Medakka Box”, she and Zenkichi set out helping others around school, coming across all sorts of challenges along the way.
2013: Attack on Titan
2013 was a great year for anime, but when it comes to narrowing down the best anime from that year, the answer has to be Attack on Titan. The series became a cultural phenomenon, winning over anime and manga fans all over the world thanks to its incredible characters and world-building.
Season 1 of the series is a strong start, thrusting viewers into the conflict between humanity and the horrifying threat that are the Titans. It’s filled with incredible, dramatic moments and more than a few shocking character deaths that give you a look at just how unforgiving the rest of the series will be.
2014: Noragami
It might not have been as big as other 2010s era anime like Attack on Titan or Hunter x Hunter, but Noragami is still one of the best series the decade had to offer.
The series follows Yato, a minor deity who dreams of one day having millions of followers. When a middle school girl named Hiyori saves Yato from being hit by a bus, her soul leaves her body. It’s now up to Yato, Hiyori, and Yato’s partner Yukine, to set things right for Hiyori while also completing various requests along the way.
2015: Assassination Classroom
Assassination Classroom might be one of the more unique anime of the 2010s. The series has some great characters and an interesting premise to go alongside some fun comedic moments.
Assassination Classroom follows a group of students who are tasked with assassinating their teacher, Koro-sensei. That might sound harsh, but it’s completely justified. Koro-sensei is an octopus-like alien who, having already destroyed the Moon, seems to have set his sights on the Earth next unless his students can take him out.
2016: My Hero Academia
The My Hero Academia anime is over, ending a nearly decade-long run that saw it become one of the most recognized anime in the world. Looking back on it, the series stands as one of the defining anime of the 2010s.
It’s not hard to see why My Hero became as well-liked as it was. Adding in a superhero twist to the usual shonen formula helped the series stand out from its contemporaries. Add in a strong cast of characters and a sympathetic main character, and you have one of the best series of the 2010s.
2017: Kakegurui
While most popular shonen series focus on physical competitions of strength, Kakegurui takes a much more psychological approach. The series is a breath of fresh air for anime fans looking for something outside of the usual battle shonen formula.
Home to the elite of the elite, Hyakkaou Private Academy seems like a normal school at first, but in reality, it teaches its students how to get ahead in the world through high-stakes gambling and deception. When Yumeko Jabami transfers to the school, her unorthodox methods and love for gambling challenge its hierarchy, putting her in the crosshairs of Hyakkaou’s Student Council.
2018: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind
The 2010s were a great decade to be a JoJo fan. The first part of the anime adaptation aired in 2012, followed by Stardust Crusaders in 2014, Diamond is Unbreakable in 2016, and Golden Wind in 2018. Each of those made a strong case for being considered the best anime of their respective years, with Golden Wind standing out as the best of 2018.
Part 5 takes place in Italy, following aspiring gangster Giorno Giovanna, who, though unconventionally related, is a distant member of the Joestar family. When Giorno comes across Bruno Bucciarati, a member of the Mafia group known as Passione, he joins the Bucciarati squad in hopes of achieving his dream. But things start to go bad for the group when they attract the attention of Passione’s boss.
2019: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
Demon Slayer might be the biggest anime around right now. Despite the manga having ended years ago, Ufotable’s incredible adaptation has garnered the series worldwide praise. With the first Infinity Castle movie having just been released last year, Demon Slayer’s momentum isn’t slowing down any time soon.
Tanjiro and Nezuko’s story might’ve been what made fans initially fall in love with the series, and Demon Slayer’s ability to tug at your heartstrings definitely plays a role in why it has resonated with fans the way it has, but Ufotable’s incredible animation has really brought the manga to life in ways that we don’t often get to see with other adaptations. It’s one of the best-looking anime you’ll watch, and it was a great way to close out an incredible decade of anime.
