While romance has traditionally played a relatively minor role in most shonen anime, more male-driven shonen series are now opting to make romantic plots their primary focus. Since anime fans commonly associate shojo anime with the romance genre, shonen offers a different style and format of romance that isn't usually seen in shojo titles. With action and adventure continuing to play a major role in all shonen, here's how shonen romance is differentiating itself from its shojo counterpart.
Shonen romance typically stars male protagonists whose approach to love greatly differs from a female-driven shojo plot. As shonen continues to cater to male audiences, romance is often blended with the more typical shonen elements of fighting, action and adventure. This has led many popular fantasy and isekai shonen titles to feature romance as a major plot point, as seen in Sword Art Online. Romantic bonds are often formed and strengthened while couples travel together to complete a common mission -- a popular trope incorporated into shows like The Rising of the Shield Hero and The Seven Deadly Sins.
While many shonen romances begin with adventures in unfamiliar lands, many fans credit the genre's rise in popularity to Inuyasha. The journey of Kagome and Inuyasha set a shonen standard of couples overcoming life-threatening circumstances that wouldn't occur in reality. Meanwhile, shojo romances are often slice-of-life anime that are more realistic and tackle real-life problems. While shojo romance remains heavily sentimental and emotionally driven, shonen romance is full of excitement and fantastical elements.
Given the standard shonen formula, its romance is usually a slow burn that takes several seasons and a life-changing journey to solidify. Shonen romance likes to play with the idea of "will they or won't they," most notably seen between Natsu and Lucy in Fairy Tail. Meanwhile, shojo romances often have shorter series that center around a romance quickly unfolding and its aftermath. Moreover, as well as their lengthy lifespan, shonen romances typically don't lack fanservice to keep fans entertained. While shojo romance may focus more carefully on character design to create aesthetically pleasing love interests, shonen romance focuses more heavily on fanservice that isn't as commonly seen in shojos.
With the rise of shonen rom-coms like Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun, the comedy aspect of shonen romance is being highlighted more than ever before. Shonen titles are known for their comical aspects, whether the characters are fighting an intense battle or trying to impress a crush. However, shonen romance isn't always lighthearted and funny, sometimes choosing to approach deeper subjects like Your Lie in April. While most anime rom-coms outside of the harem genre are shojos, the sudden rise of other shonen rom-coms gives anime viewers more content options than ever before.
Shojo and shonen romances continue to be shaped by their respective target audiences. As shojos cater to female anime fans, these titles focus on sincerity and heart-touching romance that reflects and resonates with real life. Meanwhile, shonen romance uses action and adventure to keep male audiences entertained while following a long-term romantic plot. Although these genres may differ in style and format while also utilizing different tropes, both shojo and shonen romances remain binge-worthy for anime fans thanks to their unique stories, characters and settings.
