5 Overrated Shonen Anime on Crunchyroll

For countless anime fans, Crunchyroll is the streaming platform for this medium. Crunchyroll is home to countless must-see anime from legends Attack on Titan to modern hits like Jujutsu Kaisen and fantastic remakes, such as Fruit basket. Crunchyroll's top-rated anime makes this platform worth the price of admission, while other titles in Crunchyroll's library are also good – but not quite as much.

Some anime on Crunchyroll are almost as popular as the iconic legends, but don't have the same quality. These anime are overrated, with their reputation and online ratings inflated. That is not to say that they are Poor anime — they're not — but there's still a gap between how good fans say they are and how good they actually are. The gap can sometimes be small, which is another reason to watch these fun anime anyway, but viewers should remember that sheer hype doesn't always tell the whole story.

Solo Leveling and its OP Hero Love to Aura Farm

Jinwoo is about 80% as cool as he looks

Few anime sparked more debate than the flashy one Solo Leveling series. Its defenders praise Solo Leveling as an instant classic with enough aura cultivation to shut up the haters, while the detractors say the aura cultivation is just noise. There's no denying that Jinwoo Sung's aura cultivation, and the entire anime, helped Solo Leveling appear. Whether it's an asset to the anime or just a shiny coat of paint is the real controversy, and it's easy to see how this leads to criticism of the anime.

Solo Leveling is refreshingly straightforward as a power fantasy that takes itself quite seriously, making it worth watching at least once. Fans enjoy a stone-cold badass line Jinwoo Sung who has come a long way since his E-rated days, but that's all he does. Jinwoo may feel more serious than the likes of Luffy, Goku, and even Deku, but cool-guy aura farming can only do so much. Other, Solo Leveling just doesn't hit hard enough with the emotional impact, world-building or shocking plot twists – not yet, anyway.

Demon Slayer is solid, but it's not “Big Three” material

Demon Slayer is slimmer but no meaner than bleach

Demon Slayer is one of many examples of an overrated anime on Crunchyroll that isn't worthy of being called the best anime of all time, but is still worth watching at least once. Fans might say it's good, but it's not to good, and it should be enough for most casual to average viewers. Demon Slayer delivers exactly what it promises and then some, which is reflected in its sharp pace. This anime looks great and keeps moving, not wasting any time with filler or padding aside from some charming comedy routines. And of course the emotional side delivers.

Apart from all that, Demon Slayer is really carried by its amazing animation and some hard-hitting character moments, making it strong but not a true legend in the industry. On the one hand, Demon Slayer is a condensed and efficient version of Tite Kubos Whitenbut losing so much excess weight also comes at a cost. Unlike Whitenwhich had room for all kinds of philosophical musings, Demon Slayer is a fast-moving shonen roller coaster. It gives good speed but not quite enough depth along the way.

Sword Art Online needs to be much more than a Gamer Power Fantasy

Isekai Boom has left Kirito behind

Sword Art Online is remarkably similar Solo Leveling in many ways, with both being gamer-oriented action anime with a cool, badass hero who continues to push beyond all expectations. In the early 2010s, Kirito was Jinwoo Sung in his MMORPG world, which helped make isekai more mainstream. Years later, fans can safely say that other isekai titles such as The time I was reincarnated as a slime and Re: Zero left Sword Art Online in their pond, and it's too late for Kirito to catch up.

The starting point for Sword Art Online felt thrilling and gripping on the front end, with thousands of players forced to fight for their survival as their virtual gaming adventure became all too real. Soon the idea began to unravel between bland character designs, unnecessary harems, repetitive action and problematic treatment of the female cast. Over time, Sword Art Online tried to expand its storytelling, such as Asuna fighting to save Kirito from the underworld while he fought battles in real life. As a whole though Sword Art Online is too complacent and weighed down with too many clunky story/design choices to be as good as the die-hard fans say.

One Piece is stronger in manga form

There is a reason the One Pace Fan Project exists

The actual history and lore of One Piece is definitely not overrated. What author Eiichiro Oda envisioned deserves its incredible reputation as one of the best shonen tales ever told across the islands of the Grand Line. The only variable here is how the story is told, which leads to mixed results. The weakest version of One Piece is anime, which is a shame because apparently anime is even more popular than manga is. One Piecethe anime does a lot of good, but it also bogs itself down with a notoriously sluggish pace that will test anyone's patience. As an animated product, One Piece is too bloated and heavy, no matter how compelling the actual story.

That's why One Piece franchise shines brightest in manga form. Even then, the notorious length may scare off new fans, but at least the anime's atrocious pacing is absent. Fans are not is subjected to the same animations or actions a dozen times in an arc — the manga keeps moving and gives itself enough space for all the best plot twists. It is true that fans can try One Pace fan project to speed up the anime experience, but it's a worrying sign that such a thing must exist at all.

Dragon Ball Super is more of the same, for better or for worse

Goku's adventures continue to go in circles with the illusion of growth

More and more often Dragon Ball the franchise needs to flash its “I invented modern shonen” badge to stay relevant. That, and the great momentum of this long-running, legendary franchise is needed to keep it going. As for the actual quality, anime that Dragon Ball Super has something to offer, because watching this anime is not just a force of habit. To its credit, Dragon Ball Super offered fans genuinely creative and memorable arcs such as Terminator-flavored Future Trunks' saga. Not to mention the delightfully bizarre matchups found in the Universe 6 saga, like Vegeta vs Auta Magetta.

Other, Dragon Ball Super is more of the same, which is fine for diehard fans and is somewhat less impressive for the rest of the anime fandom. There's nothing really terrible about this formula, but again, it's a shame to see this franchise go in circles so many times. Half the power-ups and action sequences feel performative, like two fighters holding back to extend the runtime. Or the familiar issue of how every power-up is supposed to be an exciting game-changer, only to become instantly obsolete when the next, even stronger villain shows up.