Returning from our previous list, we have action. Without a shadow of a doubt, it is one of anime’s highest selling points. When it comes to action in anime, it expresses a creativity that defies the definition of imagination to the point that it’s very difficult to put into words, you just have to see it for yourself. One notable anime that exemplifies this is of course Dragon Ball Z. Some are just balls to the walls, and there are others that rely more on using brain over brawn, which was the case with Yuu Yuu Hakusho. Yes, you can enjoy classic martial arts flicks such Jackie Chan’s original Police Story films and Jean Claude Van Damme’s Bloodsport, but with anime, it just injects steroids into it for something more exciting.

So, what is that steroid (and we’re talking about the kind you get in Guadalajara) for that something more exciting? That would have to be Baki, based on the long-running hit manga by Keisuke Itagaki. Though it may not be as explosive as Dragon Ball Z or as tactical as Yuu Yuu Hakusho, Baki is straight up martial arts action without all the ki attacks. It may not have fireballs or power ups, but what it does deliver are punches and kicks thrown with the worst of intentions! Baki is simply the story of wanting to be the strongest man ever and not just for the sake of winning a championship belt, but to prove it amongst themselves and their peers. In this edition to Baki, Baki and his friends must face a ragtag group of escaped death row inmates (considering that some of these inmates come from nations that don’t legally have a death penalty except for military, we have to assume that some of these inmates are highly trained soldiers) who will resort to the dirtiest of tricks that would make pro wrestling legend Eddie Guerrero proud in the realm of cheating.

However, what defines the masculinity of this anime is that these fighters don’t give up. They got gun power exploded in their cheeks? No problem! Keep on fighting! They get knocked out! Whatever, get back up again! This is simply an anime about fighting for one’s pride and when that’s all you got, then you better have a lot of it because it may be the only thing that could keep you going when you got nothing left.

Yes, we know that this should be categorized as adventure, but if there’s anything that popularized this long-running series by Hirohiko Araki, it is definitely its action. Like Yuu Yuu Hakusho, it does use elements of strategy, but the execution in JoJo is largely different to the point that is difficult to explain, you just have to see it for yourself. Its identity as an action anime is solidified in its third story arc, Stardust Crusaders, and that is thanks to the inclusion of its mainstay gimmick, the Stands, or astral warriors that only a small few can possess. If one person possesses a Stand, then the only other people that can see it are fellow Stand users. Each Stand has their own unique ability and form. Some are close range and humanoid in nature, and there are others that take other unique forms and have their own distinct power, and how this series portrays them gives viewers a diverse array of creative action sequences.

However, its appeal goes beyond its original action. Thanks to Araki’s love of music, character and Stand names take a lot of inspiration from them. You have characters named Robert EO Speedwagon, Vanilla Ice, Wham, and AC/DC. As for Stands, you got Aerosmith, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Crazy Diamond, and Gold Experience. Thanks to these influences, it also paves way for a very unique soundtrack. Did you ever think that Roundabout by Yes or I Want You by Savage Garden would be used as ending themes to anime? If not, you really need to watch JoJo NOW!

Sci-Fi as it pertains to anime is a very broad topic and includes various sub-genres such as dystopian futures with neon tech, mecha, space opera, cyberpunk and whatever you can think of that relates to it. There are reasonable arguments that they can be separated as their own genres but when it’s all said and done, they are all sub-genres to Science Fiction. Just like how action anime has its share of creativity, so does Sci-Fi. While novels such as Starship Troopers may have been the first to introduce mechas to the mainstream, anime no doubt has further popularized it for the past four decades from Gigantor/Tetsujin 28, to the latest incarnation of the Gundam franchise. Of course, Hollywood has given us space operas with Star Trek and Star Wars, but anime has its fair share as well, and gives those titles a run for their money.

From the space opera subgenre of Sci-Fi, we have to recommend Legend of the Galactic Heroes. To be honest, it doesn’t matter which version you wish to watch because you’re still essentially getting the same story and themes. Star Trek may have popularized space opera years before and we’ve seen that franchise evolve from when it debuted in the sixties to where it is now, so how is Legend of the Galactic Heroes any different? Though Starfleet eventually makes peace with the Klingons, you don’t get any viewpoint as to how lets say Klingon culture is a viable alternative to what we humans have now. Yes, Klingon culture is barbaric and outdated but could we have such a system as a legitimate alternative to our present system? With Star Wars, it tends to portray empires as flat out evil. So, where does Legend of the Galactic Heroes fit into all of this?

In this anime, there are no definitive good or bad guys on each side of the war. The leading generals to both sides of the conflict: Yang Wen-Li of the Free Planets Alliance and Reinhard von Lohengramm of the Galactic Empire may be rivals, but they’re the good guys in their own way. Not only do they have to deal with each other on the battlefield, you see how they have to deal with conflicts within their own nations as well. You see how both democracy and monarchies can be good and bad, but it’s a simple question of who is in charge in both systems to define that. So, if you lean left, right, or in the middle of the political spectrum, all viewers can get something out of this. While humans may one day migrate to space and start life on new planets, does it mean that human nature can change?

As we previously shared, if there is any genre that can serve as the pinnacle of sci-fi in anime, it has to be the mech genre. So, what do most mech heads say is the pinnacle in that respective sub-category? It would certainly be Gundam! However, if you’re looking to get into the Gundam franchise, we recommend its prequel series, The Origin. When we say prequel, it’s a prequel to the very first Gundam series that debut 40 years ago! Despite the gap, The Origin does a great job of being faithful to the style of the original anime (since Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, the character designer of the original series, once again contributes to this edition) and brings back a majority of the living seiyuu cast, most notably Shuuichi Ikeda as Char Aznable, whose origin in the backbone of this anime.

When it comes to the mechs, they are designed in very distinctive ways to give them a sense of intimidation and fear, and you see this with the bulky designs of the Zakus, the grunt mechs. Since this is an origin story, you get to somewhat see how that technology was conceived and how it evolves to becoming a weapon of war. When you finally see Char in battle, you see how mechs can be productive in a space battle as opposed to lets say a fighter jet. As you watch this series, not only do you get some really creative mech battles, you do get some politics but a different kind from Legend of the Galactic Heroes. With Gundam, if mankind is to migrate to space, do space colonies have the right to seek their own independence? In addition, could it also lead to mankind evolving to a more advanced life form? If so, how can we deal with that? Through this edition to Gundam (and many other installments), you can find the potential answers to those very questions.

Another returning genre we must recommend is adventure. Whether you’re an old man that wants to enjoy his lawn or a boy that wants to goof around on that old man’s lawn (as he yells at you to get off it), adventure is another distinguishing genre that is relatable to them. To viewers, adventure is a symbol of not only just freedom and independence, but trying to achieve your personal goals, making friends, building yourself a family and maybe finding true love on the way. In the world of anime, those adventures can range from finding your parents, a lost treasure, trying to improve your skills, saving the world, or ultimately – finding yourself. Either way, as you view the journeys of these characters, you see how they first start as curious individuals who wish to see a world outside their comfort zone, and how that affects them as they venture into new places and meet new people.

In this remake to the classic series by Osamu Tezuka, the master of anime and manga himself, you have a dark adventure of how the titular Dororo, an orphan, meets and joins up with Hyakkimaru, a young man who is like a living doll (and with blades hidden within his prosthetic arms) who cannot hear, see, smell, or talk, but can still kick some serious ass. In this anime, you get a superstitious portrayal of feudal Japan and how harsh it was back then. Samurai and bandits are looting from innocent farmers, and it has made them distrusting of other strangers, especially when Dororo and Hyakkimaru show up. Not only that, villagers now have monsters to worry about!

Even when Hyakkimaru manages to help the villagers, they still shun him due to the nature of his condition, no thanks to his birth father making a deal with the devil(s). Some adventure anime can be more positive and uplifting, but with Dororo, you see the harder side of life and not everybody you meet is going to be your friend from beginning to end, and in some instances, they aren’t going to have a happy ending themselves. However, Hyakkimaru finds success whenever he slays a demon, he gains a new part of his body. Even when he and Dororo are overcome with joy, other witnesses only see another monster.

If we’re going to acknowledge old school on this list for men, it has to be Hokuto no Ken. Not only does Josh Barnett, a two-time MMA champion endorse this anime, so does wrestling champion John Cena! What could be more manlier of a seal of approval than that? Throughout most of this anime, Kenshiro, the main character, travels throughout a post-apocalyptic wasteland in search for his lost love, Yuria. On the way, he must do battle with bandits that prey on the innocent! Thankfully, with his martial arts training, he can make an opponent explode with just the touch of a finger, or with 100 punches! Not only will he have to fight bandits and other lawless thugs in the wastelands, but within his journey, he also has to confront two of his own brothers in their own quest for power. But thankfully, he will gain some helpful allies.

Just like Dororo, Kenshiro is not openly welcomed by every village he enters, but in the end, he will always do the right thing and protect the weak. However, this anime also portrays that Kenshiro can’t always save everyone and when he can’t, he’s not afraid to share some man tears. Though a lot of people praise Hokuto no Ken for its manliness, we and its fans also like to give it credit for portraying that it’s ok for men to cry as well when they face such failures.

Just like how Shounen is targeted primarily for boys, Seinen is primarily targeted for mature men. Just like how Shounen has many unique sub-genres, there are many sub-genres primarily targeted for men lets say older than 20 (since that’s the age you’re no longer a minor in Japan). In comparison to Shounen, much of the titles obviously contain more mature themes and content on just about every level you can think of. Some are about Japan’s semi-legal prostitution trade, the nightlife in Tokyo’s Kabukicho pleasure district, political/legal dramas, or heavy duty action that you can’t get away with in Shounen.

If there is any title that solidifies the Seinen genre for worldwide audiences, it is most certainly Kentarō Miura’s Berserk. The title just explains it all. If you enjoy a dark fantasy with some graphic violence, then you’re getting what you paid for plus a bag of chips and a large drink. But the appeal to Berserk goes beyond how the main character is a bad ass who can slice down monsters with a giant sword like it’s a butter knife. The series explores universal themes of chasing your dreams (and what you’re willing to sacrifice for them), and what it means to have friends. Every now and then, the series also gets spiritual/philosophical as it explores the true meaning of fate. Are we people bounded by a predetermined destiny? Or are we free to make our own choices? Even if fate does exist, can we truly defy it if we want to hard enough? Thanks to Guts defying unbelievable odds time and time again, we see that if you push forward, all things are possible.

Like Berserk, some of the content may be too much for kids to handle, but when you get to the cerebral side of this series, it does further show why this is for mature audiences.
In comparison to your typical superhero story, Inuyashiki takes an opposite approach that older audiences can relate to. As opposed to a young hero facing an old man for a villain, the roles are reversed and is demonstrated for excellent reasons. Just like how most heroes and villains share similar origins, the same is true with Inuyashiki and the series does a great job of showing why Inuyashiki and Hiro make their choices to use their new found powers.

It deals with very mature issues in regards to why they made their choices and both of them are relatable in their respective ways. Inuyashiki may not have had a happy life and didn’t have much long to live for prior to being resurrected, but thanks to his experiences, he is capable of displaying an appreciation as to why he was given a new life and why he wants to do good with it. While with Hiro, who has been abused and bullied for his young life, despite how he uses his powers for evil, we can understand his point of view as to why he would do use them with malicious intent.

If there is one genre that we missed the first time, it is most certainly the sports genre. Though stories of sports exist in other media mediums, none do it more intriguingly than anime. Considering that most Japanese schools encourage students to take place in some sort of activity, it is only natural that a large percentage of sports anime take place in a school setting. For some viewers, it could be their gateway to a sport they were unfamiliar with like the traditional art of sumo as seen in Hinomaruzumou, or something more familiar such as basketball (like Slam Dunk) or soccer (Captain Tsubasa). Some sports anime are a rather accurate representation of the sport it portrays, and for others, let’s just say like action anime, they can get pretty imaginative (like Prince of Tennis and Kuroko no Basuke).

While there are more recent titles such as Megalo Box that we could give a case for, it doesn’t exactly portray the sport of boxing as accurately as Hajime no Ippo. Just about every man has probably looked up to the best that the sweet science has to offer these past generations such as Jake LaMotta, Muhammad Ali, Ray Robinson, Manny Pacquiao and Mike Tyson. Through this respective anime based on the long-running hit manga, you see what it truly takes to get in the ring. Anybody can put up their dukes, but can you put in the hard work and dedication (as Floyd Mayweather best put it) to become a champion?

Boxing may not officially be a team sport, but through this series, it shows how it takes a team to make a champion. It’s not just about the fighting, but about the bonds you make with your trainers and your gym mates. Not only is the combatant making the sacrifices, so are the people surrounding him showing that not every champion can make it on their own. As we see Ippo apply himself and succeed, it inspires viewers to do the same with themselves and it doesn’t have to be about combat sports, but whatever it they’re doing with their lives.

Rugby may not be exactly popular outside of Oceania, but thanks to All-Out, viewers both international and domestic can get an idea as to how this sport is played, and how scholastic sports work in Japan. As portrayed in this anime, joining a sport such as rugby not only educates you about the sport, it prepares you for the real world in its own way as you learn how to interact with your bosses (or your captain or the teacher in charge) your senpai, how to advance through the ranks as you get older and how to interact with your own kouhai, or underclassmen. For some viewers, especially those from the US, All-Out may be their first exposure to rugby and it does a great job of informing you as to how the sport is played and how it’s much different from American Football beyond the removal of pads and helmets.

While Hajime no Ippo emphasizes on hard work, All-Out does a very great job of displaying that sometimes working hard doesn’t always equal working smart. Prior to getting a proper coach, the main team of this series just relied on books and magazines in relation to rugby, and they never produced any results despite how most of their members happen to be genetically gifted for the sport. Thanks to this anime, it shows that you should never be afraid to ask for help and when you do, you can truly learn to do what you want to do, move forward, and meet your goals. We all know the old saying that if you want to get something done, you need to do it yourself, but when you don’t know how to do it, don’t be afraid to find someone who can teach you.