10 Best Magical Boys in Anime

The Magic Girl genre is one of the most popular genres in anime. Sailor Moon is an iconic anime that is loved by everyone worldwide. Sadly, their male counterpart, Magic Boys aren’t quite as popular. Magic boys, or Mahou Shonen is a great subgenre that follows a male character with magical powers.

These series are a perfect blend of fantasy, romance, and action. They deal with themes such as friendship and teamwork. These anime are filled with great characters and emotional moments as well as a coherent storyline.

10. MAR (Marchen Awakens Romance)

Release Date: 3rd April 2005

MÄR follows a normal boy, Ginta Toramizu who is transported to a magical realm called MÄR-heaven. This is where Ginta discovers his hidden powers and his ability to wield ÄRM, a magical artefact that has immense power.

Ginta forms a team with Babbo, a talking magical weapon and sets on an adventure throughout MÄR-heaven. They go around MÄR-heaven and fight the evil organisation, Chess Pieces in order to stop them from conquering the world. Central theme of this fantasy anime is friendship, self-discovery and bravery.

9. Twin Star Exorcists

Release Date: 29th March 2017

Twin Star Exorcist is a story about two exorcists, Benio Adashi and Rokuro Enmado, who are prophesied to give birth to the ultimate Exorcist. The anime follows as these two come together and fight off the evil force known as Kegare.

Rokuro and Benio come from a tragic place and are unable to work together. The story shows these two get closer and learn to trust each other as they accept their fate. They are soon faced with the inevitable doom of humanity in the form of Magano, a parallel reality to Kegare.

8. Tokyo Mew Mew

Release Date: 6th April 2002

While it is not a Magical Boy anime itself, Tokyo Mew Mew does have a magic boy, Masaya Aoyama. The story of Tokyo Mew Mew revolves around Ichigo and her four friends who are transformed into Mew Mew, warriors with animal traits, after they encounter an endangered species.

The Mew Mews are tasked to save humanity from the parasite alien race. Masaya is Ichigo’s love interest and boyfriend, who is later revealed to be the Blue Knight, protector of Mew Mew. The anime combines love, drama and humour very well. It focuses on the importance of teamwork and environmental awareness.

7. Heroman

Release Date: 1st April 2006

Heroman is a sci fi action adventure about Joey Jones and his Mecha, Heroman. Joey is a sad, downtrodden high school kid, who discovers a broken toy robot. He repairs the toy and turns it into a sentient and powerful Mecha. The duo work together to stop the evil alien race, Skruggs from invading the planet.

The anime follows our two protagonists as they go through difficulties and learn the importance of trust and teamwork. Heroman is Stan Lee’s creation and offers a wonderful blend of the Western and Japanese comic book storytelling.

6. Kyou Kara Maou!

Release Date: 3rd April 2004

Yuuri Shibuya, a high school student who is transported to a magical realm, discovers that he is the reincarnation of the Demon King and it is his destiny to rule the Demon Kingdom. Kyou Kara Maou! Tells an enchanting tale of an ordinary boy who works his way to become the king of the Demons.

Throughout the series, Yuuri tries to adjust to his new life. To become the Demon King, Yuuri must learn the politics of the Demon Kingdom and build an alliance while defending his kingdom. Yuuri must also discover his innate powers. This lighthearted anime focuses on companionship, diplomacy and romance.

5. Zettai Karen Children

Release Date: 7th January 2013

This action adventure follows three kids known as “The Children,” who are immensely powerful. Under Minamoto’s supervision, these Psychic kids work for B.A.B.E.L, a government organisation for Psychics.

The anime is a Magic girl anime but it does introduce the audience to Kyosuke Hyobu, an esper with a dark backstory. The Children with Kyosuke work together to face various threats and rogue espers together. The central theme of this fantasy is about finding your place in your people and being an outsider.

4. D.N. Angel

Release Date: 3rd April 2003

A generational curse comes to Daisuke Niwa, a 14 year old boy. On his birthday, Daisuke discovers that he can transform into a phantom thief called the Dark Mousy whenever he feels intense emotions of love.

With this weird curse, now Daisuke must try to balance his life as a teenager. It gets even more complicated when he starts to fall in love with Risa Harada, who is in love with the Dark Mousy but not with Daisuke. The anime is a perfect blend of humour, romance and action.

3. Shounen Onmyouji

Release Date: 3rd October 2006

Being the grandson of the legendary exorcist, Abe No Seimei is not easy, especially when you are unable to access your powers. Shounen Onmyouji is the story of Masashi, grandson of Abe No Seimei, who despite his legendary genealogy is unable to find his powers and struggles to find a path to lead his life to.

His life changes when he meets a mythical creature, Mokkun, who helps Masashi awaken his powers. Together the duo faces a number of malevolent spirits and demons hellbent on destroying Heinan-era Japan. This historical fantasy shows the evolution of Masashi as he tries to step into his grandfather’s shoes and become a powerful exorcist. The anime is about legacy and finding one’s path.

2. Karakuri Circus

Release Date: 11th October 2018

Masaru Saiga is a young boy who is the inheritor of a vast fortune along with a suspicious puppet named Shirogane. The story follows Masaru as he crosses paths with Narumi Katou, a powerful martial artist and the puppeteer of Shirogane. Masaru’s relatives want to kill him and take his property but Narumi vows to protect the kid no matter what.

Together, Narumi and Masaru uncover a conspiracy about automata called Karakuri and a deadly virus that only targets those who laugh. The series sees the duo go deeper into the conspiracy as they find the magical world of puppeteering and their place in that world.

1. Cute High Earth Defense Club Love!

Release Date: 6th January 2015

This series had to make the top of the list, it was a no brainer at all. Cute High Earth Defense Club Love is a parodic comedy about five high school boys who encounter a pink wombat from outer space and are bestowed with magical powers.

This is a direct parody of every Magic girl anime. The story has our protagonists fight aliens with their magic powers using the “Power of Love,” as they try their best to balance their normal life along with it.

Conclusion

Magic boys genre deserves a lot more love than it receives. It is one of the most funny, interesting and versatile genres in any media. It has a diverse array of storylines. We have stories about Mecha and boy friendship to reincarnation to parody.

The genre does not get much attention but it has given some of the best storylines to the audience and some of the most relatable characters. These takes on male characters in anime or in any media is very rare and it can be very refreshing to watch Magic boy anime.

10 Best Magical Boys in Anime – FAQs

1. What is a Magic Boy anime?

Answer:

Magic boy anime is a subgenre of anime that revolves around a boy or group of boys who are bestowed with magical powers.

2. Who is the strongest Magical Girl in anime?

Answer:

Madoka Kaname from Puella Magi Madoka Magica is the most powerful magic girl in the anime subgenre.

3. Is Mob Psycho 100 a Mahou Shounen?

Answer:

It can be debated that Mob Psycho 100 is a Mahou Shounen. It follows the story of Mob who is an Esper with immense psychic abilities. He works with a con man, Arataka Reigan who claims to be the most powerful Psychic in the world.

4. Is Heroman worth watching?

Answer:

Yes, If you are looking for a beautiful blend of Japanese anime with Marvel like characters, Heroman is tailor made for you. It was created by Stan Lee and blends the Japanese culture and Western Storytelling very beautifully.