At the beginning of July, it was announced on Twitter that part two of the hit anime series Spy x Family would be released in October. The shonen anime had its highly anticipated part one released in the spring, and immediately became a favorite in 2022 for many anime fans.
While shonen animes tend to be thought of as mainly battle-packed stories with lots of fight scenes and an array of combat tactics, there are many that are not. There is an array of outstanding, non-fighting shonens that are beloved by fans.
Spy X Family
Initially released in spring of 2022, and with a part two on the way, now is the perfect time to hop on the Spy x Family train. The shonen anime follows an undercover spy who, as part of his cover, gets married and adopts a daughter to blend in and stay hidden.
Despite being centered around an action-packed job, Spy x Family centers mainly around the family dynamic between the dad, mom, and daughter. Each of them has a significant secret they're hiding from the others, and are trying to make the family work without their secrets being divulged.
Your Lie In April
A beautifully tragic story about hope and love, Your Lie In April is a far cry from the fight-centered shonen that most fans think of when they hear the genre. The anime centers around piano prodigy Kousei Arima, who loses his ability to play the piano after his mother dies.
Full of emotional punches and themes of overcoming past trauma, Your Lie In April is a tear-jerker shonen that consistently has fans in need of tissues after watching. The central relationship of Kousei and Kaori Miyazono, who looks to help Kousei find freedom in life and in piano playing, is the main draw of the anime, and a lovely shonen for fans looking for a bit less action in their viewings.
Death Note
A consistent fan-favorite among all animes, Death Note stands out as a great non-fighting shonen that still packs just as much of a punch when it comes to intensity and action. The titular book, found by smart shonen anime protagonist Light Yagami, can be used to kill anyone, anywhere, in any way, just by writing in it.
While fighting isn't central to Death Note, there are fierce battles of wits and intelligence that occur throughout its two seasons. Yagami, whose dad is a police officer heading task force investigating the killings, must find ways to covertly continue his murders without tipping off his dad or the world renowned independent investigator, L.
Dr. Stone
After all of humanity has been turned to stone, Senku Ishigami looks to rebuild the world using his adept scientific knowledge. Dr. Stone, the anime that follows Senku's journey of rebuilding humanity, is a fantastic shonen anime centered not on fighting, but on scientific creation.
One of the biggest draws of Dr. Stone for fans is its journey through the history of scientific progress. Viewers are able to watch Senku and his brawny friend Taiju Ooki figure out how to free others from their petrified states, and their attempt to rebuild the technological landscape from scratch.
Beastars
Set in a world of anthropomorphic animals, the slice-of-life Netflix anime Beastars looks into a world where herbivores and carnivores live side-by-side in uneasiness. The tension is taken to a new level at Cherryton Academy when Tem the alpaca is murdered and eaten by an unknown carnivore.
While the death of Tem is intense, the shonen anime mainly focuses on the life of student and wolf Legoshi, who struggles with his feelings and his animalistic instincts as a carnivore throughout the show. This inner struggle is the true central theme of Beastars, making for a very entertaining and thought-provoking watch.
Bakuman
Following the story of an aspiring mangaka duo, Bakuman takes a unique look at the making of manga and the unlikely pairing of two high school students. After largely giving up on his dream of becoming a mangaka, Moritaka Mashiro is sought out by writer and classmate Akito Takagi to form a partnership and write manga.
While it isn't the average fighting shonen, there are plenty of intense moments in the creation of manga and the dynamic of the main characters. There is also the relationship of Mashiro and Miho Azuki, his crush, which has the makings of a great shonen anime romance, as Mashiro promises Azuki she can voice the lead character of their manga in an anime adaptation should it happen.
Food Wars!
With some of the best anime chefs at its center, Food Wars! makes for an incredibly unique shonen experience for anime fans. The show follows the life of Souma Yukihira, who longs to take over for his father at the family restaurant. After his father suddenly shuts down the restaurant, Souma finds himself enrolled in Totsuki Culinary Institute, where food wars—culinary battles where the best dish wins—are commonplace.
While there are plenty of battles within Food Wars!, they are hardly the sword-style, deadly fights that fans of shonens tend to envision when thinking about the genre. Souma has to give his all to his cooking in order to survive at the Totsuki Culinary Institute and win the food wars that he is roped into.
Slam Dunk
High school drama, romance, and sports makes for an incredibly entertaining shonen despite not being centered around fighting. Slam Dunk follows Hanamichi Sakuragi, a high schooler who hates basketball because a girl chose a basketball player over him, but chooses to join the team after falling for a basketball enthusiast.
Sakuragi's incredible athletic ability and his journey coming to love the sport he hated is raved about by fans of the 1990s anime series. This shonen's main conflict occurs on the basketball court, and the dynamics and excitement of the court can be just as entertaining as an epic fight between swordsmen.
Detective Conan
The story of a high school detective who finds himself in the body of a seven-year old after a case gone wrong, Detective Conan makes for an incredibly intriguing mystery shonen anime. The story chronicles Detective Conan's journey to reverse the effects of his condition, and the cases that he manages to solve along the way.
While fight scenes tend to be the big draw of most shonens, Detective Conan's primary focus is the mystery within the individual cases Detective Conan looks to solve. Viewers tend to get roped into the intrigue and start attempting to deduce who the perpetrator could be, making it equally, if not more, of a fun watch than battle shonens.
Haikyuu!!
Focusing on Shoyo Hinata and the Karasuno High School volleyball club's quest for national success, Haikyuu!! is an incredible watch for fans of sports shonens. Hinata looks to leave his mark on Karasuno High School while following in the footsteps of his inspiration for playing volleyball, Karasuno's old ace, The Little Giant.
The battling that occurs in Haikyuu!! takes place on the volleyball court, where much of the series is set. The intense three set matches between Karasuno and their rival high schools is just as nerve-wrecking as any fight in a battle shonen. The show also focuses greatly on the companionship of the Karasuno team and how they mesh, adding another non-fighting layer.