Though often not standing the test of time, "classics" stay superior despite their shortcomings. Directly revolutionizing their respective demographics immortalizes their glorified reputation. This is especially true for shonen, the largest and most adored demographic in anime.
Even the shonen holy trinity is not invincible to the cruel progression of time. Fortunately, when it comes to classics, even a dozen elements aging poorly don't dampen the general appeal of the show. Be it true masterpieces, plain ol' bias, or simply nostalgia of walking down memory lane, elements of classics aging poorly don't drag their long-standing reputation through the mud.
Updated by Alexandra Locke on February 17, 2023: Shonen anime is one of the most prolific and beloved genres. Many of the best shows across the decades have been shonen anime. However, as time goes by, many of the older (and some of the newer) shows in the genre have not aged gracefully. Though they may have been beloved in their time, aspects of these anime no longer hold up to modern scrutiny.
15 Death Note
Despite being released in 2006, Death Note was never known for its stellar depiction of women. The show heavily focuses on its male characters, with the only significant female being Misa Amane –p who Light Yagami mistreats throughout their time together.
Misa is a stereotypical portrayal of a "helpless" woman who is obsessively infatuated with Kira. Even though she becomes Kira's partner, it does little to affect the storyline. Misa's poor characterization and insatiable need for Kira's attention obstruct the flow of storytelling as a whole. Death Note's standing and impact in anime are significant, but the misogynist tropes evident in Misa are too problematic to ignore.
14 Bleach
From damsels in distress to never-ending monologues, Bleach has it all. During the height of Bleach's popularity, a villain's pompous jabber and a protagonist's overdramatic declaration of victory can be attributed to healthy sportsmanship. Decades after its release, the anime scene has shifted and evolved. With less tolerance for the overused trope, Bleach's villain monologues do not hold the same gravitas as they did originally.
Damsels in distress is still a pronounced archetype in shonen, particularly in Bleach. Most of the women in the show are portrayed as weak and defenseless. Even Rukia and Orihime remain unimportant afterthoughts to the men in the series.
13 Fairy Tail
In competition with today's storytelling standard, Fairy Tail falls a tad short of exceptional. Abiding by true shonen parameters, Fairy Tail executes its plot in a simplistic tone to deliver a light-hearted yet semi-action-packed show.
Both characters and worldbuilding fall a little flat, as if not fully explored to their best potential. In retrospect, by 2009's standards, Fairy Tail did an excellent job of delivering an effective shonen. The anime still provides a decently enjoyable watch, but it cannot compete with modern anime.
12 My Hero Academia
Although it is relatively new, My Hero Academia has solidified its classic shonen status. Izuku Midoriya’s journey from zero to hero has inspired fans globally to follow their own dreams. However, there is one aspect of My Hero Academia that has not aged well over time.
Despite the show having numerous female heroes and students, they are usually relegated to being damsels in distress, or cast aside in favor of highlighting the males’ heroism. This aspect is not only nonsensical, but insulting, as many of the female heroes are stronger and more experienced than the male students especially. My Hero Academia is a great show, but it ignores some of its best characters simply because they are female.
11 Sword Art Online
In the first season of Sword Art Online, fans are introduced to Asuna – an incredibly skilled swordsman who even gives Kirito a run for his money. She is extremely capable and holds her own against numerous enemies. However, that seems to all go down the drain once she begins a relationship with Kirito.
Not only does the show depict her in compromising romantic situations, but the second season relegates her to being a literal damsel trapped in a tower. Even with all her combat skills from earlier in the show, Asuna does nothing but wait for Kirito to save her. Sword Art Online ruined its best female character, and continued to objectify women in latter seasons.
10 Assassination Classroom
Korosensei is an alien-like, tentacled creature who also happens to be one of the best teachers in the world. He is patient and kind to his students, and knows just how to challenge them to bring out their best.
Unfortunately, Korosensei, and Assassination Classroom in general, highlights many baser interests. Korosensei is often seen enjoying adult media and even has an inuenndo-filled private moment with another assassin/teacher. Korosensei’s personal interests and what he does during that time do not belong in a show about middle school students.
9 Dragon Ball
The Dragon Ball franchise has been an iconic piece of anime history for decades. New content continues to come out, allowing older fans to grow up with the series. It is a much beloved and lauded anime due to its story and its central character. However, the show also relies on many outdated tropes and tactics that do not sit well with modern audiences.
Bulma is one stark example. Bulma is a mega-genius scientist capable of innovations that far supersede contemporary science. Yet, her extraordinary brilliance takes a backseat to her objectification, despite her young age. Fortunately, the Dragon Ball franchise continually improves its flaws with each release, keeping its reputation in the shonen community as radiant as ever.
Fullmetal Alchemist begins with a freak alchemy accident and a new catastrophic reality. On paper, this is still an interesting enough premise for a fantasy genre anime, but when contending with overarching plots and beautiful animation of other dystopian worlds, Fullmetal Alchemist falls short of perfect.
With timeless classics, fans often adore rewatching their favorite scenes to re-live the heavy dose of nostalgia. Unfortunately, Fullmetal Alchemist has not aged very well. The anime's pacing problems become glaringly obvious, and major plot twists become far too predictable. Regardless, viewers are too emotionally attached to these characters to criticize the anime too harshly.
7 Naruto
By today's political standards, Naruto has a myriad of problematic tropes. From Naruto's Sexy Jutsu to Orochimaru's experiments on children and even Sakura's need for a man's help, Naruto has an abundance of questionable values.
Though unwelcomed, misogyny and objectification are unsurprising for an anime from that era. What is surprising, though, is Naruto's poor character upkeep. With an overwhelming surplus of characters in the franchise, some of them do not receive proper closure. Individuals with riveting potentials, such as Tenten and Yamato, blip out of existence instead of receiving a full ending. For one of the shonen holy trinities, sporadic plot holes should be avoidable.
6 Hunter X Hunter
Ging's unconventional parenting style would not fly if Hunter x Hunter was made today. Ging wants Gon to fulfill his potential, but in doing so, he constantly puts the latter in danger of imminent death. By Ging's command, Razor has personally been responsible for a handful of Gon's near-death experiences. Even when Gon was dying in the hospital, Ging refused to visit.
Hunter x Hunter has a plethora of seinen elements, the aforementioned included. However, the light and casual approach to its dark storyline does not work with such a sensitive topic. The heavier topics made pivotal story arcs come off underdeveloped. In Ging's case, it feels like an incredibly problematic issue was being shoved under the rug.
5 Inuyasha
Inuyasha's power imbalance has some serious issues. There is a double standard to Kagome's possessiveness. Whenever Inuyasha gets jealous, the anime portrays him as exceedingly petty. Yet, when Kagome gets jealous, Inuyasha remains at fault.
Some fans speculate that the imbalanced dynamic may be rooted in the Osuwari command. The moment a command leaves Kagome's lips, the beads around Inuyasha's neck force him to comply. Though Kagome often does this to save Inuyasha's life, her petty track record makes audiences wary. The Osuwari command appears incredibly manipulative in retrospect.
4 One Piece
Unfortunately, the over-sexualization of female characters is not anything new in anime. However, while most anime stop at too-little clothing, One Piece takes it further by designing nonsensically proportioned female characters.
Women are subjected to unrealistic beauty standards no matter the medium, but One Piece's depiction of women gets progressively worse. Across the over one thousand episodes, Nami's proportions in particular are absurdly inaccurate. The outrageous portrayal is then accentuated by her outfits which are not modest at all. Even after fans aggressively criticize the "fan service," none of the female representations seem to have improved.
3 Attack On Titan
Attack on Titan is one of the greatest anime ever created. Yet, just like Naruto, it falls victim to an abundance of characters. In fact, some characters have only gotten in the way of the flow of the epic story.
Fans have openly voiced their annoyance at the waste of screentime spent on side characters. The excess of storylines needlessly overcomplicates the story, seemingly leaving the main plot on the sidelines while it attempts to develop lesser cast members. Though Attack on Titan arcs are well written, many characters feel like unnecessary additions who would bode well from early exits.
2 The Seven Deadly Sins
Meliodias is an ancient being imbued with the Dragon’s Sin of Wrath. He is the leader of the Seven Deadly Sins, and a former member of the Ten Commandments. Although he has incredible power and many titles to his name, the worst part about Meliodas is his relationship with Elizabeth Liones.
Elizabeth is the reincarnation of Meliodas’s lover in many past lives. Yet, each time she is reincarnated, she begins life as a baby. She also has no recollection of who Meliodas is or what he means to her. This is no different for Elizabeth Liones. Despite her youth and amnesia regarding their relationship, Meliodas takes every opportunity to violate Elizabeth’s body and privacy. This is especially disturbing considering Elizabeth seems innocent toward Meliodas’s actions initially. His despicable behavior puts many fans off of The Seven Deadly Sins.
1 Black Butler
Black Butler is a classic shonen that introduced many fans to anime. The story of Ciel Phantomhive and his demon butler Sebastian Michaelis is a dark and intriguing tale full of mystery and malice.
Unfortunately, the relationship between adult Sebastian and child Ciel is much too suggestive for modern fans. The two often find themselves in compromising positions, usually with a domineering Sebastian trapping a clearly uncomfortable and uneasy Ciel. Though many fans remember this anime fondly from a younger phase, it would not hold up well today.
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