Jujutsu Kaisen Losing a Popularity Vote Proves the One Manga Genre That Could Be Bigger Than Shonen

Summary Jujutsu Kaisen's popularity is undeniable, but its loss to Fruits Basket in a fan poll was surprising.

Jujutsu Kaisen's unique take on shonen tropes and emotional depth set it apart in the anime world.

Fruits Basket's victory in the poll highlights the growing appreciation for shojo anime and its profound messages.

Jujutsu Kaisen possesses nearly unmatched levels of popularity nowadays, earning sky-high ratings, a widespread and active fanbase, and even recently winning a Guiness World Record for most popular anime. One would expect the series to always come out on top, which made its loss to Fruits Basket in a fan-favorite Barnes and Noble poll astounding.

The one-of-a-kind dark fantasy shonen anime based on Gege Akutami's original manga is certainly worthy of this love and viewership. The premise of sorcerers killing evil curses may sound relatively simple, but Isayama's writing gives shonen tropes new life. The characters in Jujutsu Kaisen are vibrant, oftentimes possess tragic and sympathetic backstories, and their relationships with one another are always intriguing and captivating to watch unfold.

Furthermore, the series delves into heavier emotional situations than just a typical fighting shonen, exploring the complex interactions between humans and curses and topics like how to continue pushing forward after great loss. Jujutsu Kaisen won a handful of Crunchyroll Awards and was the subject of a 2024 Superbowl advertisement, revealing its cultural relevance. However, while shonen is usually considered the king of anime, it would be better to not sleep on the popularity of shojo.

Fruits Basket Beat Jujutsu Kaisen In A Fan-Favorite Poll

The contest, hosted by Barnes and Noble, revealed the beloved shojo classic as the winner

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The poll was hosted by popular bookstore Barnes and Noble and contained a number of notable contenders for the top spot. The contest was split into two divisions, a shonen side and a non-shonen side, and then fans voted for their favorite series and losing franchises were gradually eliminated from the brackets. In the end, Jujutsu Kaisen was voted the best shonen series and Fruits Basket was voted the best non-shonen series. Ultimately, and to the surprise of some voters, Fruits Basket won the entire competition, earning itself the title of best manga in Barnes and Noble's Manga Madness Bracket Poll.

Fruits Basket's manga is immensely popular, and the accompanying anime series was a smash hit too, especially the 2019 version. The franchise falls under the shojo subgenre, which includes series led by a female protagonist that often focus on romantic plots and slice-of-life moments. The original intended audience for these anime and manga was young women, but shojo has grown into a diverse and widely appreciated genre with a variety of different plots, relatable characters, and delightful themes. There is a shojo to appeal to almost anyone, although the subgenre unfortunately often goes underappreciated and forgotten about.

Fruits Basket Is Not Just A Cute Series With Colorful Animation, It Contains Profound Messages

The series covers topics such as finding one's identity, bullying, and fighting for what is right

Fruits Basket follows the bubbly and helpful protagonist Tohru Honda, who moves in with the Somas after experiencing a loss in her family. She quickly becomes privy to the Soma's hidden secret: if they are hugged by the opposite gender, they will immediately morph into an adorable animal form. This may seem precious and cute, but it causes a lot of problems and leads victims of this curse to become isolated from society. Tohru helps the Somas overcome the curse and live fulfilling lives free of this difficult fate that previously held them back from forming genuine connections with people outside the Soma clan.

The remarkable shojo series has earned a relatively lighthearted reputation with too many instances of humor and silly interactions between Tohru and the Somas to count. However, what many people who are unfamiliar with shojo don't realize, is that Fruits Basket gets very emotional and profound too, with messages about accepting oneself and others, how to cope with emotional and even physical abuse, and finding one's place in an often unaccepting society. The franchise is beloved for its adorable and jovial nature, but also, for its sincere and mature lessons on the human experience that resonate deeply with many viewers.

Related Creator of Massive Shoujo Series Announces New Manga Fruits Basket author Natsuki Takaya has a new romance manga called Kakumo Chiisaki Sekai Ni Te or In Such A Small World and it's sure to be a hit.

The Hit Series' Victory Proves Shojo May Finally Be Gaining The Appreciation It Deserves

Shojo has sometimes been overlooked in the public eye, but the subgenre is actually tremendously popular

It is surprising to see that Fruits Basket beat Jujutsu Kaisen in a poll, since the amazing series is not as widely acknowledged in pop culture. For years, shonen has been dominating the cultural conversation around anime and if the average person was asked to name an anime series, most would list an older shonen classic like Naruto or Dragon Ball Z, or a newer shonen giant like Attack on Titan or Jujutsu Kaisen. Shojo is very appreciated by many people already and the results of this Barnes and Noble poll suggest the genre may finally be receiving well-deserved recognition.

Many people overlook how cherished shojo anime and manga series are, but Fruits Basket's victory in this poll could change shojo's place in mainstream society. A shoutout from popular bookseller Barnes and Noble will prove tremendously helpful for the genre's recognition and to grow the already large and established fanbase. Other popular shojo series are Ouran High School Host Club, Maid Sama!, Kamisama Kiss, and Nana, to name just a few well liked series in the expansive genre. Shojo is becoming less underrated by the day, growing into a truly flourishing entertainment medium filled with innovation and powerful meaning.

Source: @BNBuzz on X

Fruits Basket is available streaming on Hulu.

Watch on Hulu

Jujutsu Kaisen is available streaming on Crunchyroll.

Watch on Crunchyroll

Fruits Basket (2019) Cast Laura Bailey , Eric Vale , Jerry Jewell , John Burgmeier , Elizabeth Maxwell , Mikaela Krantz , Colleen Clinkenbeard Release Date April 6, 2019 Seasons 3 Streaming Service(s) Crunchyroll Franchise(s) Fruits Basket Writers Natsuki Takaya Directors Yoshihide Ibata Main Genre Drama Creator(s) Yûichirô Kido , Natsuki Takaya