Sorry Shonen Fans, But These 10 Anime Are Better Than the Big Three

Shonen anime has dominated the anime industry for a very, very long time. To this day, it’s the most popular genre, with new hit shonen titles consistently taking the spotlight, such as Solo Leveling and Dandadan. But, it’s impossible to mention shonen anime without discussing the “Big Three.”

The Big Three refers to the most popular and influential shonen anime, One Piece, Bleach and Naruto. These anime franchises have been running for quite some time and have never once lost any steam. While there have been talks about coining a new Big Three to keep up with new-gen shonen, many fans refuse to hand the title off. However, as great as the Big Three anime are, it’s time to admit that there are some anime titles that have better plots, atmosphere and characters than the Big Three.

Takopi’s Original Sin Tells a Complete Story in Six Episodes

One of the greatest anime of 2025, Takopi’s Original Sin isn’t for the faint of heart. The brutal story founded in realistic suffering follows two young girls, Shizuka and Marina, whose lives dramatically change when an alien arrives to help them. Both girls experience horrific violence and severe parental neglect, which have, respectively, led to gross bullying and suicidal thoughts.

Takopi’s Original Sin isn’t easy to watch. It’s an extremely dark anime that churns the stomachs of its viewers, but that’s only a testament to how well-written it is. The message is clear — Marina and Shizuka shouldn’t be harshly blamed for their actions, even when they do terrible things. Unlike One Piece‘s thousand episodes and Naruto‘s spin-offs, Takopi’s Original Sin doesn’t need a lot of time to tell such an impactful story. This anime wastes no time with only six episodes, and they’re anything but forgettable.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica Continues to Be an Influential Magical Girl Anime

When talking about magical girl anime, Sailor Moon, rightfully, always comes up. But so does the dark and hopeless magical girl anime, Madoka Magica. Madoka Magica works so well because of its plot twists, but also because of how it tricks viewers as much as it tricks its own characters. Until the end of episode three, viewers expect something rather light-hearted in which the power of friendship rules all. However, a violent death forever changes the tone of the series.

Madoka Magica is one of the best anime series because of how it explores its themes of grief, loss, manipulation, loneliness and, most of all, love. It keeps viewers guessing the entire time, slowly revealing the dynamic sides of the characters when the time is right. When it comes to pacing, characters and setting, Madoka Magica is hard to beat. The art style is creative and beautifully terrifying at times.

Violet Evergarden Is a Slow-Paced Narrative About Understanding One’s Self

Beauty can be found in the most mundane aspects of life, and Violet Evergarden dissects that. Although this anime is extremely slow-placed, that’s the entire point of it. Violet was raised to be an efficient child soldier, so she struggles to understand the complex emotions of ordinary people. Thus, the anime details her journey of unburying her feelings and finding words to put to them.

Violet Evergarden proves that intense action isn’t necessary for a great story. The only thing needed to make a great anime is emotion, whether that’s sadness, happiness or even anger. Kyoto Animation nails the art of Violet Evergarden, making sure that each glint of color in the sunlight elicits a reaction from every viewer. The extraordinary of Violet Evergarden lies within the most ordinary.

Spy x Family Has Captured the Hearts of Anime Lovers

Spy x Family blends action, comedy and family into one perfect anime package. The concept of a family brought together out of overlapping circumstances while they all hide major secrets from one another is executed incredibly. Anya, the young child, is a secret telepath. Yor, a civil servant and stepmother by day, is a ruthless assassin by night. Finally, Loud, father and “doctor,” is actually a top-ranking spy.

Spy x Family is an amazing anime because it manages to be heartwarming, gag-worthy and suspenseful all at the same time. The Forger family has quickly become one of the best anime families. The most interesting thing about Spy x Family is that it reaches almost every demographic of anime fans, which is only a testament to the quality of the series. The Big Three cater to young boys and men, as shonen does, but those same viewers will tune in for Spy x Family alongside everyone else.

Fruits Basket Is a Must-See Shojo

Shojo is seen as the opposite of shonen, aiming its stories towards young girls and women instead of boys and men. What the Big Three is to shonen, Fruits Basket is to the shojo genre. This infamous romance anime follows the influences of the Chinese zodiac, as young and orphaned Tohru Honda finds herself becoming a human friend to the gods. Tohru’s endless wealth of kindness and respectable drive have made her one of the most popular female anime leads of all time.

But, Tohru alone doesn’t carry the series. Fruits Basket is an exceptional example of how anime can shine much brighter outside the confines of shonen tropes. The idea of the male power fantasy doesn’t exist in this anime. Instead, Fruits Basket focuses on the comedy and drama of Tohru’s life, with the 2019 version of Fruits Basket leaning more into the drama aspect as opposed to the 2001 anime.

The Apothecary Diaries Is an Anime That Does Everything Right

The Apothecary Diaries is, perhaps, the best example of a highly successful anime that has almost nothing to do with typical shonen tropes. Maomao is a young apothecary who finds herself working in the royal palace. As a historical fiction anime, being a woman is anything but easy, yet Maomao makes do with the cards she’s dealt. While there’s the exciting slow-burn romance between Maomao and the secret prince, Jinshi, romance is far from being the most important aspect of The Apothecary Diaries.

The Apothecary Diaries is one mystery after the next within the palace grounds. Upon first watching the anime, the different crimes and events might seem completely unrelated, but the true beauty of The Apothecary Diaries is that everything happens for a reason. Whereas the filler episodes of the Big Three are often unnecessary and forgettable, The Apothecary Diaries makes sure that even its more boring episodes carry a weight in the overarching story.

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Perfectly Executes the Art of Shonen

Shonen is a male-dominated genre. That’s not a surprise, given the word “shonen” typically translates to “boy,” but Frieren has gone above and beyond in proving that shonen-like anime can also be carried by female leads. Frieren has the ingredients of a shonen anime, with its overpowered main character and nasty villains, but Frieren is so far from being a recycled story about getting stronger and stronger.

Frieren, the titular main character, is one of the strongest mages, once a member of the famous Hero’s Party that defeated the Demon King. But, the series itself is hardly ever about fighting. Instead, the series takes an introspective approach, diving into the nuances of Frieren’s long life as an elf versus the shorter lives of her human companions. The action sequences are fabulous, but they are far from being the best that Frieren has to offer. It’s no secret that female-led anime don’t get the same love and viewership as male-led anime, but Frieren has beat the Big Three at their own game.

Revolutionary Girl Utena Leans Into Its Abstract Ideas and Symbolism

Actually the product of a scrapped story for Sailors Neptune and Uranus from Sailor Moon, Revolutionary Girl Utena is a tragic battle for love. A fine example of old school anime, Utena dazzles with its particular aesthetic, but it’s come to be known as an anime that can be rather hard to understand at times. In essence, the plot should be straightforward, but much of Utena‘s story requires viewers to read between the lines and focus on the little things.

However, just because Revolutionary Girl Utena calls for a rewatch doesn’t mean it’s a bad show. On the contrary. Utena is one of the greatest anime to come out. It offers a very different experience from popular anime like the Big Three, but that’s what makes it stand out. It’s a performance of art and an absolute treat to understand and explore. Sticking with the anime and slowly pulling back the layers makes for something extremely rewarding.

Cowboy Bebop Drips With Its Own Personal Style

The 90s is home to some of the greatest anime of all time. The classic art-style is hard to beat, but few can hold a candle to Cowboy Bebop. An absolutely legendary anime, Cowboy Bebop takes viewers into jazzy space with its crew of futuristic bounty hunters. Of course, the face of Cowboy Bebop is none other than Spike Spiegel, one of the coolest anime characters ever created.

Despite being decades old, Cowboy Bebop continues to be an inspirational anime that has influenced countless works. Aside from the fantastic music scores and impressive characters, Cowboy Bebop does something that the Big Three struggle with, and that’s choosing quality over quantity. Cowboy Bebop tells its story across its 26 episodes, and that’s it. It doesn’t need more than that to showcase the highs and lows of its ragtag group of characters. Every part of Cowboy Bebop melts together to make a glorious anime worthy of being anyone’s favorite anime.

Berserk Puts the Dark Trio Anime to Shame

The more mature counterpart of the Big Three is the Dark Trio. Comprising of Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man and Hell’s Paradise, the Dark Trio stands to offer harsher and more violent worlds as compared to the the Big Three. But, the edgy Dark Trio have nothing on the bloody and bleak world that is Berserk. Far surpassing the limits of the Big Three as well, Berserk is the tale of one man’s spiral into a battle against his very own humanity.

Guts is one of the most iconic anime protagonists for the gore-stained path he walks and the tragedies that haunt him. As the ultimate dark fantasy anime, Berserk never holds its viewers’ hands. Instead, viewers are thrown into a sickening narrative ready to be dissected and discussed at every single moment. Berserk has gone on to inspire countless works, most notably FromSoftware’s Souls games. When it comes to gripping stories and deep characters, it doesn’t get much better than Berserk.