Anime and video games have a long history of complementing and harmonizing with each other. Whether it’s through art styles, movement sets, or box art, the influence of anime is evident across various franchises. Something more shared between these outlets is the shared demographics of young male audiences.
A focal point of the console wars era cheese that made up most of the game advertising of the ’90s, male machismo has literally driven console sales since the 16-bit era of the late’ 80s. It should come as no surprise then that Shonen, a manga genre that focuses exclusively on male coming-of-age history, usually through an out-of-this-world allegory of brute force, gave birth to quite a few character archetypes that have found their way. in the games.
9 Toon Link has the boyish charm
The legend of Zelda it is an interesting case. The series has always been a top seller outside of Japan, perhaps in part due to the rigorous localization process of the first entry. Along with the western fantasy elements of the series, one cannot immediately think of “Shonen” when thinking of Link. However, Link’s incarnation of The Legend of Zelda Windwaker, he is only a child when adventure finds him. Certainly a plot device used to power the adventures of many Shonen protagonists.
A staple of the Shonen genre, Link is ripped from familiarity as a child and is forced to take on the role of hero. His Windwaker The incarnation is especially expressive in a way that others were not and the flashes of personality in his eyes are reminiscent of similar child heroes like everyone else. Digimon Y Pokemon issue or hunter X hunters’ Gon.
8 Sora has the look and the attitude
Disney X Square’s cult classic collaboration series kingdom hearts features numerous Disney properties that have become icons of Western animation. However, the protagonist of the series, Sora, has characteristics seemingly torn from the pages of a Shonen manga.
Sora’s eternal optimism and love for his friends keep the intricate plot of Kingdom Hearts moving. Like any good Shonen protagonist, Sora’s true power can only be realized in conjunction with the power of friendship. With his spiky, unkempt hair and youthful ignorance at the beginning of his adventure, Sora’s journey throughout the Kingdom Hearts series, along with his appearance, reflects many character arcs and designs that resonate with Shonen Manga fans.
7 Sonic The Hedgehog Could Be From Planet Vegeta
No gaming hero owes more to his shonen inspiration than Sega’s mascot, Sonic The Hedgehog. Created in the USA by Japanese Sega employees, Sonic’s existence and success is a true testament to the mass appeal of Shonen heroes.
Much of Sonic’s world is straight out of the Dragon Ball playbook. He has the ubiquitous spiky hair, which has been known to change from blue to gold after a transformation into Super Sonic and is an obvious homage to Goku’s legendary Super Saiyan transformation. Even the process of becoming Super Sonic, hunting 7 chaos emeralds, is directly reminiscent of the 7 Dragon Balls. Sonic is so Dragon Ball at his core that he even has two former enemies turned into friends in the form of Knuckles and Shadow, replacing Piccolo and Vegeta, respectively. It’s puzzling to think that with all this Shonen influence, the Archie Sonic comic remains his darkest portrayal in the media.
6 Mega-Man X loves the thrill of getting stronger
The sequel to the Blue Bomber series, Mega Man X, made its debut on SNES in 1993. With the advent of radio in the 90s, the Megaman The series got a new coat of paint that removed the Robot Masters goof in favor of the much cooler Reploids. It’s clear from the get-go that X is a different robot race than its predecessor, and unlike the original Mega Man, Mega Man X seems to seriously enjoy the thrill of combat.
After being saved by Zero at the end of the introductory level, X declares his latent goal of one day wielding the great power of his compatriot Red. X continues on the path to power as a blue Yuske Urameshi from this point on, gaining abilities along the way. Expert players even had the opportunity to solidify the Shonen connection by unlocking a light capsule that allows X to perform a haduken, the famous energy ball attack from Street Fighter with a clearly shonen wave of the hand.
5 Ryo Hazuki is Sega’s first Avenger
From Sega Shenmue it was an ambitious title that tried to tell a long story of revenge. A technical marvel upon launch, Shenmue it’s one of those moments when you “had to be present” in video games. Sega’s attention to detail, right down to recreating weather patterns, distracted many of the narrative imperfections that are most apparent in a replay. The simple box office success story is set in motion after Ryo Hazuki witnesses his father’s death, triggering groans of familiarity around the world.
While his clumsy movement would certainly put him at a disadvantage in front of the likes of Goku or Saitama, Ryo’s bow is another brick in the wall for the weary trope of father-centric revenge tales in Shonen. Between this backstory and the constant struggle he’s in, Ryo Hazuki is a walking Shonen Jump series.
4 Travis Touchdown is the love adventurer
Travis Touchdown first appeared on SUDA51 No More Heroes for the Nintendo Wii. While he hasn’t been around for long in the gaming community, Travis has earned a huge following since the series’ debut in 2007.
Two years before, and probably during the development cycle of No more heroes, By Sinchiro Watanabe Samurai Champloo had started his ‘anime career’. This may have affected the overall personality traits of Wii’s resident party animal, Travis Touchdown. Physically, Travis shares a red jacket, spiky black hair, and sword skills with Mugen, Samurai Champloos‘protagonist. However, the similarities between the two don’t end there. Travis’s love for nearly every woman he meets is rivaled by Mugen’s wandering eye for women throughout his series, a tired trope that often keeps people away from both mediums.
3 Phoenix Wright is both awkward and competent
Phoenix Wright of the Ace Attorney The series has an anime art style that is well suited to visual novels. As you play the games, it becomes immediately apparent why you would eventually get an anime adaptation.
While he may be an extraordinarily competent defense attorney, it is his clumsy style of confidence outside of the courtroom that makes him an endearing protagonist. Remembering characters like Monkey D. Luffy, Phoenix Wright annoys almost everyone who crosses his path, a trait that is part of standard bar legal practice.
Parappa the rapper has The power of faith
Hip-hop hero Parappa the rapper He may not have the traditional spiky-haired Shonen look, but he certainly has the right attitude.
Throughout his series, Parappa is always able to find the strength to overcome any obstacle. He can fight with bars instead of swords, but his motto: “I have to believe!” – it’s a clear show of courage that only a Shonen hero could display on a regular basis. While Parappa eventually got the anime treatment, her televised adventures ended up geared more towards little boys than young men.
two Viewtiful Joe is the promoted fanatic
Weather Viewtiful joeThe influences can be traced more directly to the Sentai genre that Ultraman and Power Rangers gave us, Joe himself is an ordinary otaku.
His transformation into the titular hero in a pointy suit is a characteristic of Shonen itself that draws parallels to the entire My Hero Academia cast and his intense admiration for Captain Blue is his main inspiration for wanting to be a hero. Also, like One Piece hero Luffy’s obsession with Shanks, Viewtiful Joe only wants to emulate, and eventually surpass, his personal hero.
1 Beat serves Street Ready fashion
Radio Jet Grind For the Sega Dreamcast it was ahead of its time in many ways. By popularizing cell-shaded graphics, the game’s vibrant world remains hard to leave today.
While the game technically has a cast of heroes, GG leader Beat has become the franchise’s mascot. With its bright orange T-shirt, inline skates, headphones and bright green curtains, the memorable style of Beats would feel right at home alongside the inspired attacks of the Yu-Yu Hakusho cast or the streetwear adorned by the Z- fighters when you are not fighting.
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