Weekly Shonen Jump needs more protagonists like Kaiju No.8's Kafka

Weekly Shonen Jump has given anime fans some of the most memorable characters in the recent past. The Shonen protagonists are among the most popular, resonating with viewers. They have a powerful sense of justice, and viewers look up to them. However, most protagonists in question are teenagers or young adults.

However, Weekly Shonen Jump will certainly benefit from having slightly older protagonists. If we take a look at some of the most popular titles from this publishing company, the protagonists are teenagers or young adults. Characters like Naruto and Monkey D. Luffy from Naruto and One Piece, respectively, are a few examples of the many. Let’s take a look at how older protagonists could affect the series in a positive way, improving the overall viewing experience for fans across the world.

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Weekly Shonen Jump: Older protagonists like Kafka from

Kaiju No.8 will be a breath of fresh air for fans

Kafka is one of the older protagonists in this generation of Shonen anime and manga series. However, fans love him, and the series is gaining popularity as time progresses. He is a middle-aged man and happens to be an underdog in the show. Additionally, he has exceptionally endearing qualities that help fans fall in love with him. He also cares deeply for the people around him. He has all the qualities that most Weekly Shonen Jump protagonists have.

It is important to understand the age of the average viewer of such shows. These shows are targeted at adolescent kids. This is also why most Weekly Shonen Jump protagonists have good qualities and strong ideals. As a result, the children watching such shows can look up to such characters and emulate similar qualities.

However, the age of characters can be detrimental to how kids perceive said characters. For example, it is a lot easier for a child to look up to a middle-aged person with an extensive list of accomplishments in comparison to someone their age.

All Might, as seen in My Hero Academia (Image via Madhouse)

The average viewer who consumes Weekly Shonen Jump’s content would love All Might as a protagonist. He wasn’t the main lead in My Hero Academia, and yet he had a lasting impact. Furthermore, this will be a breath of fresh air simply because it isn’t the norm.

Adults also have better emotional intelligence and restraint. The latter is an important quality that most hot-headed anime characters lack. Adolescent kids could potentially take important lessons with respect to such concepts from their favorite characters as well.

However, older protagonists would work when the Weekly Shonen Jump title in question is relatively short. This will give a limited window for growth. However, that’s not to say that adults cannot exhibit growth in the series. Younger audiences will get a glimpse into certain struggles that adults have, which could, in turn, prepare them for life.

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Conclusion

Older protagonists would certainly be more exciting as they deviate from the norm. Furthermore, younger audiences find it easier to be inspired by role models who are adults. The kind of growth that an older protagonist exhibits during the series is quite different from that shown by an adolescent. Therefore, fans could have a unique experience and take away lessons that might prepare them for later stages of their life.

Stay tuned for more anime and manga news as 2025 progresses.

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