The sub-category of seinen within Japanese media refers to material marketed toward young adult men (typically college age). In Japanese, the word “seinen” literally means “youth.” It’s not to be confused with “shonen,” which means “boy” and refers to content targeting younger male audiences. However, despite being created with older folks in mind, not every seinen anime is particularly dark and gritty. There are numerous romantic series or other stories that also fall under the same label. There are plenty of seinen anime on services like Crunchyroll to enjoy, so if you’re looking for somewhere to start, we have some suggestions catered to your specific tastes.
Image via Bones
Best Supernatural Seinen Anime: Bungo Stray Dogs
Kafka Asagiri and Sango Harukawa’s Bungo Stray Dogs has been serialized in Kadokawa Shoten’s seinen manga magazine Young Ace since 2012. An anime adaptation produced by the studio Bones aired in 2016 with 12 episodes and follows 18-year-old orphan Atushi Nakajima, who was thrown out of the orphanage and finds a new will to live. Once Atushi meets detective Osamu Dazai, he becomes aware of a supernatural ability he possesses that allows him to transform into a large white tiger with increased strength, speed, durability, and regenerative capabilities. Atushi joins other supernatural beings in a business known as the “Armed Detective Agency” to solve mysteries and carry out missions assigned to them.
Image via A-1 Pictures
Best Older Romantic Seinen Anime: Kaguya-sama: Love is War
Aka Akasaka’s romantic comedy manga Kaguya-sama: Love is War ran from 2015 to 2022, spawning an anime adaptation produced by A-1 Pictures that aired in 2019. It was renewed for a second season, which aired in 2020, then continued with an original video animation (OVA) episode released in 2021, and a third season in 2022. Additional content includes a live-action film adaptation and an anime film adaptation. The plot follows Miyuki Shirogane and Kaguya Shinomiya, accomplished students of the Shuchiin Academy. Miyuki serves as the student council president with Kaguya as his vice president. They are envied by many, regarded as the perfect couple. Both have feelings for each other, but neither wants to admit it for fear of being considered the lesser.
Image via Studio Mother
Best New Romantic Seinen Anime: More than a Married Couple, but Not Lovers
The manga series from Yūki Kanamaru, More than a Married Couple, but Not Lovers, spawned an anime series from Studio Mother in 2022. The story focuses on third-year high school student Jirou Yakuin, who’s in love with his classmate Shiori Sakurazaka. He hopes to be paired with Shiori for the “marriage practical” assignment: a random selection of boy-girl pairs who are assigned to live as pretend married couples. Meanwhile, the lively Akari Watanabe wants to be assigned to her crush, the popular and good-looking Minami Tenjin. Jirou and Akari end up paired together, as do Shiori and Minami. Both couples are now determined to score the most points and earn the right to switch their partners.
Image via Wit Studio
Best Historical Seinen Anime: Vinland Saga
Makoto Yukimura’s Vinland Saga is an ongoing manga with 27 tankōbon volumes in total. as of this writing. A 24-episode anime television series adaptation, animated by Wit Studio, aired in 2019.The anime was renewed for a second season, animated by MAPPA, which premiered in January 2023. Vinland Saga follows a young man named Thorfinn who finds himself on a quest for revenge against his father’s killer. Inspired by the King of Norway Olaf Tryggvason, Yukimura decided to write Vinland Saga as a story about slavery. Although his father once told him that he has no enemies and that there is nobody who it’s okay to hurt, Thorfinn soon discovers that nothing could be farther from the truth.
Image via GEMBA and Millepensee
Best Fantasy Seinen Anime: Berserk
Kentaro Miura’s Berserk began serialization in 1989 and is still ongoing as of this writing with over 40 volumes thus far. Set in a medieval Europe-inspired world, Berserk follows a man named Guts who embarks on a journey to defy the gruesome fate of dying at the hands of demons, who relentlessly pursue him. Preparing to stand his ground and fight, he equips himself with the Dragonslayer sword and vows to exact vengeance on the one who branded him, eventually hunting down a man he once considered a friend. He encounters some unlikely allies along the way, such as an elf named Puck, and Isidro, a young thief wishing to learn the ways of swordsmanship. This ragtag group bands together to face the waves of demons hunting Guts.
