Summary

  • Battle shonen anime can have romance, but many fans prefer pure, action-packed excitement over love stories.
  • Zatch Bell! Focuses on friendship and battles, with subtle hints of romance that are never explored deeply.
  • Romance takes a backseat to action and comedy in Mob Psycho 100, highlighting the protagonist's psychic powers instead.

There's no rule stating that battle shonen anime can't have any romance. Part of the power fantasy aspect in these shows is saving the damsel in distress, or managing to land the woman of one's dreams in other ways. However, many shonen fans prefer shows with pure, unadulterated, adrenaline-pumping action, full-stop.

best shonen romance anime
6 Best Shonen Romance Anime, Ranked

Despite often being action-heavy, even shonen anime can have romance in them, and these series are the best.

This certainly doesn't mean these series are devoid of any emotional moments. In fact, most of these shows emphasize friendships over romantic relationships. Other series feature characters that are too young to even think about romance, and then there are instances where the creator simply wasn't interested in writing romantic subplots. Regardless, these action shonen anime are a great time, and manage to be so without including an ounce of romance.

6 Zatch Bell!

MyAnimeList Score: 7.55

zatch bell, gash bell and kiyomaro takamine
Zatch Bell!
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Release Date
April 6, 2003

Zatch Bell! Is about mystical super-powered creatures known as Mamodo, which are sent to Earth every 1000 years to participate in a tournament to determine the king of the Mamodo world. The series follows a Mamodo named Zatch Bell, who teams up with a 14-year-old genius named Kiyo Takamine to win the title of the Mamodo King.

The series is almost devoid of romance, focusing on the power of friendship, the Mamodo battles, and overcoming tough challenges. While there are some subtle hints of romance between Kiyo and his classmate Megumi, it's never explored, and not at all central to the plot.

5 Dr. Stone

MyAnimeList Score: 8.28

Ishigami and the others in Dr. Stone
Dr. Stone
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Streaming Service(s)

After a mysterious event petrified every human on Earth, a scientific genius named Senku Ishigawa awakens 3,700 years later to a world devoid of any civilization. Using the power of science, Senku sets out to rebuild society and uncover the mystery of the petrification event.

Senku
Dr. Stone: 5 Biggest Weaknesses Senku Has

Although he can create almost anything, Senku is clearly not invincible with these weaknesses.

The core of Dr. Stone is its action and Senku's love of science and desire to restore civilization. It captures this all while providing an unconventional learning experience for the audience. Romantic elements are extremely sparse, and Senku himself never ends up in a relationship with anyone.

4 Mob Psycho 100

MyAnimeList Score: 8.49

Mob Psycho 100
Mob Psycho 100
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Release Date
July 12, 2016
Studio
Bones
Number of Episodes
37
Streaming Service(s)
Crunchyroll, Hulu, Netflix

Mob Psycho 100 follows a middle-school boy named Mob who possesses incredible psychic powers. Unfortunately, his powers are tied to his emotions, so he is forced to suppress them to keep his powers in control.

Despite the fact that Mob's crush on his childhood friend Tsubomi is what motivates him, it is emphasized several times in the series that he doesn't have a chance with her, and she doesn't play that big of a role in the series. Romance takes a backseat to the action and comedy in Mob Psycho 100.

3 Fullmetal Alchemist (2003)

MyAnimeList Score: 8.11

Fullmetal Alchemist
  • Release Date: October 4, 2003
  • Studio: Bones
  • Creator: Hiromu Arakawa
  • Number of Episodes: 51
  • Genre(s): Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy

Unlike the manga, and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, the first Fullmetal Alchemist anime significantly changes the direction of many character relationships from romantic to platonic, most glaringly with Edward and Winry. This was most likely because the anime aired when the manga was still running, so it ended up completely deviating from the original storyline.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, on the other hand, does have more obvious and fully fleshed-out romantic subplots, so the anti-romantics in the audience may want to stick to the first anime series if they want to avoid any mushy scenes.

2 One Piece

MyAnimeList Score: 8.72

One Piece
one-piece-header
One Piece
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Release Date
October 20, 1999
Studio
Toei Animation
Creator
Eiichiro Oda
Number of Episodes
1122
Streaming Service(s)
Crunchyroll, Netflix, Hulu, Pluto TV

The creator of One Piece, Eichiiro Oda, has stated in interviews that his characters are "in love with adventure." When asked by fans about the lack of romance in his series, he simply stated that One Piece is a shonen manga, and those wanting romance should read shojo.

One Piece Best Villains
One Piece: The Best Villains, Ranked

Luffy and the gang have come up against some incredibly dastardly villains but these fearsome foes stand above the rest.

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While many characters, like Sanji and Boa Hancock, do express romantic attraction, their feelings are yet to be reciprocated. Given that One Piece is famous for placing great importance on friendships, it's likely that adding romantic subplots would distract from this message. Well over 1,000 episodes later, that has remained the case.

1 Hunter x Hunter

MyAnimeList Score: 9.04

HxH Characters
Hunter X Hunter Character Roster
Hunter x Hunter
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Release Date
October 16, 1999
Streaming Service(s)

Hunter x Hunter follows a young boy named Gon Freecss who has only one goal: to become a Hunter like his father and reunite with him. To achieve that, however, he has to pass the notoriously difficult Hunter exam.

Like many battle shonen anime, Hunter x Hunter focuses on friendships, getting stronger, and tournament arcs. It should also be noted that two of the main characters, Gon and Killua, were just 12 years old when they were first introduced. It is highly likely that introducing a romantic subplot would distract from the series' themes of personal growth and the importance of non-romantic relationships, and considering the series' focus on children and teenagers, that's for the best.

wholesome animes split image little witch academia, the way of the house husband, ouran high school host club
Most Wholesome Anime That Will Put A Smile On Your Face

Some anime are extremely wholesome and will put a smile on any viewer's face. Here are the best feel-good series.

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