Dragon Ball’s legendary protagonist – Son Goku established a paradigm for various shonen heroes that followed, yet in hindsight, this in turn made shonen rather homogenous and predictable.
The contemporary shonen landscape has much to be grateful for when it comes to classic manga and anime titles from the 1980s and 1990s, such as Fist of the North Star, which provided the foundation for JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, and the ever-influential Dragon Ball by Akira Toriyama. However, the industry has at times gone too far in seeking to capitalize on Mr. Toriyama’s creative vision.
During the 90s and 2000s, numerous shonen manga/anime drew heavily from Dragon Ball and Son Goku, from the glowing auras and shouting attack names to the battle-loving main characters. While it’s positive that so many heroes were inspired by Goku’s design, it caused many protagonists to look alike and made shonen feel like it was a parody of itself. However, newer shonen titles in the 2010s helped to change this.
When Goku Was the Dream of Every Shonen Protagonist
Following the success of Dragon Ball, many shonen manga creators have created characters with strong stylistic and personality similarities to protagonist Goku. Naruto Uzumaki and Monkey D. Luffy, two of the “big three” classic protagonists, both owe much to Goku in terms of their look and behavior; both are loud, and cheerful and have bright orange and blue outfits. Natsu Dragneel of Fairy Tail, while not as well-crafted, is still heavily inspired by Goku; he is energetic and loud with flashy abilities and a determined personality.
Paying respect to the classics is commendable, but it can be argued that shonen artists of the past may have gone overboard. It seemed that almost every shonen character was a variation of Goku, which limited the creativity in the genre. Instead of having a range of characters, shonen became saturated with the same type of hero – someone who ate a lot, loved fighting, and had no romantic interest. This turned the shonen demographic into a caricature of itself and restricted its potential.
The template of shonen protagonists inspired by Goku led to a meta where exaggerated masculine traits were normalized. Aimed at young male audiences, shonen titles usually featured male leads characterized by traditional masculine values, such as courage in the face of adversity and stoicism when it came to emotions. Although such traits can make for an interesting shonen character, this homogenized approach limited the scope of exploration regarding masculinity. It was as if shonen had become too boyish, with Goku’s influence being a main factor, but modern shonen is now beginning to move away from this.
Different Shonen Protagonists in a New Age, Free of Goku’s Influence
As time passed, the influence of Son Goku on shonen gradually decreased, and in the 2010s, shonen characters became more varied and developed. Even newer shonen stories such as Jujutsu Kaisen and My Hero Academia still draw inspiration from the classics, but it is now more subtle. The current generation of shonen protagonists takes cues from the original big three, rather than Goku, therefore Goku’s influence is diminished and more indirect. This has allowed for a greater exploration of contemporary masculinity through more diverse and nuanced character designs.
Gone are the days of shonen heroes needing to be tough, emotionally repressed figures like Goku, or embodying 1980s machismo like Kenshiro. Nowadays, shonen protagonists are often a harmonious blend of traditionally masculine qualities, as well as more subtle, emotional traits. Characters like Izuku Midoriya, Tanjiro Kamado, and Yuji Itadori all demonstrate this balance, being open to the idea of crying for a friend or family member. It’s not a sign of weakness to show emotion, rather it is a natural and healthy part of being human – and these newer shonen heroes reflect this. Additionally, they also have an easier time forging relationships with female characters, with Yuji’s bond with Nobara Kugisaki and Tanjiro’s closeness to his sister Nezuko being prime examples.
There is no need for shonen male leads to conform to the “manly man” archetype set by characters like Goku. Instead, the more recent and complex portrayals of shonen boys demonstrate that a masculine character can be emotionally balanced and relatable. Examples from the series such as Naruto marrying Hinata Hyuga and Luffy’s grief over Ace’s death add new dimensions to the traditional concept of “manliness” and create an altogether more rounded and realistic representation.
Read more: Unravel the Truth: Which Dragon Ball movies are canon?
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