Crunchyroll’s Next Anime Could Give Shonen Fans a New Masterpiece
Vanessa Piña has been writing as a journalist for over two years. As a senior writer, she focuses on timely coverage of the latest anime releases and popular comic franchises.
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In an industry currently dominated by generic isekai titles and long-running series in decline, shonen lovers are clamoring for a new flagship series. Fortunately, one of the most exciting aspects of the global anime boom is the opportunity it offers for underrated or overlooked series to get an adaptation. Against this backdrop, a title joining Crunchyroll’s Fall 2026 lineup has all the ingredients to become anime's next big hit.
Shonen Jump has long been associated with high-quality anime, delivering some of the most popular titles that became global sensations, such as Demon Slayer, My Hero Academia, and Jujutsu Kaisen. However, 2026 marked the conclusion of many Shonen Jump series, leaving a need for a new anime to take the lead. Curiously, the title that could have what it takes to become a major anime hit is an adaptation of a classic manga that came out nearly two decades ago: Psyren.
Toshiaki Iwashiro's Psyren is arguably one of Shonen Jump's most obscure series; however, its low profile stems less from a lack of quality than from the time in which it was published. It began its run in 2007, during the Shonen Jump "Big Three" era, and it was also overshadowed by other popular titles of the time, such as Bakuman and Gintama. That said, while the fact that Psyren is getting an anime adaptation more than 16 years after its conclusion is certainly noteworthy, the series possesses several traits that make it a perfect, timeless sci-fi story for shonen fans.
Psyren Is the Forgotten Shonen Masterpiece That Deserves Its Comeback
To put it simply, Psyren centers on a survival game involving superpowers. It all begins when Ageha Yoshina receives a mysterious calling card with the word "Psyren" written on it and discovers that his classmate, Sakurako Amamiya, has one too. This sets off a chain of events that leads to him being suddenly transported to a desolate world, where he is forced to fight for survival. Thus, unlike other shonen series that focus solely on battles, Psyren has a unique charm, blending isekai-esque elements, dark fantasy, and a high-stakes game all at once, becoming one of shonen’s best hidden gems.
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01
Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) became one of the most-watched anime on Crunchyroll. The story takes place in a world where humanity lives behind massive walls to protect themselves from giant humanoid creatures. What are these creatures called?
✓ Correct! The giant humanoid creatures are called Titans. In the original Japanese, they’re referred to as “Kyojin” (giants). Eren Yeager’s quest to destroy all Titans after they breach Wall Maria became one of the most gripping storylines in anime history.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Titans. Kaiju are giant monsters from Japanese cinema like Godzilla, Hollows are the enemy creatures in Bleach, and Demons appear in series like Demon Slayer. In Attack on Titan, these towering humanoid creatures are specifically called Titans.
02
Studio MAPPA has become one of the most prominent anime studios in recent years, producing several massive hit series. Which of these popular anime was NOT produced by MAPPA?
✓ Correct! Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba) is produced by ufotable, not MAPPA. Ufotable’s stunning animation quality — especially the breathtaking fight sequences — became a hallmark of the Demon Slayer franchise. MAPPA produced Jujutsu Kaisen, Attack on Titan: The Final Season, and Chainsaw Man.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Demon Slayer. Demon Slayer is animated by studio ufotable, renowned for its gorgeous visual effects. MAPPA has produced Jujutsu Kaisen, took over Attack on Titan: The Final Season from WIT Studio, and animated Chainsaw Man.
03
Solo Leveling became a massive hit anime in 2024 after being one of the most popular manhwa (Korean comics) in the world. The story follows a weak hunter who gains the unique ability to level up. What is the protagonist’s name?
✓ Correct! Sung Jin-Woo is the protagonist of Solo Leveling. Originally the weakest E-Rank hunter, he gains the power of the mysterious System, allowing him to level up infinitely. His transformation from the “World’s Weakest Hunter” to the most powerful Shadow Monarch captivated millions of readers and viewers.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Sung Jin-Woo. Jin-Woo Sung reverses the name order (Korean names place the surname first). Kim Dokja and Yoo Joonghyuk are protagonists from Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint, another popular Korean series. Sung Jin-Woo is the iconic Shadow Monarch of Solo Leveling.
04
The Crunchyroll Anime Awards celebrate the best in anime each year. Which anime won Anime of the Year at the 2024 Crunchyroll Anime Awards?
✓ Correct! Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End won Anime of the Year at the 2024 Crunchyroll Anime Awards. This beautifully contemplative series about an elven mage reflecting on mortality and the passage of time after her hero party’s quest ends charmed audiences and critics alike with its unique, introspective storytelling.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End. While Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2, Oshi no Ko, and Vinland Saga Season 2 were all critically acclaimed, it was Frieren’s meditative exploration of time, memory, and connection that captured the top prize at the 2024 ceremony.
05
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is consistently rated as one of the greatest anime of all time. The story follows two brothers who attempted a forbidden alchemical technique. What taboo did Edward and Alphonse Elric commit?
✓ Correct! Edward and Alphonse attempted human transmutation to bring their deceased mother back to life. The attempt failed catastrophically — Edward lost his left leg and then sacrificed his right arm to bind Alphonse’s soul to a suit of armor. This event drives the entire series as they search for the Philosopher’s Stone to restore their bodies.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is human transmutation — specifically, attempting to resurrect their dead mother. In the world of FMA, human transmutation is the ultimate taboo in alchemy. The brothers’ failed attempt cost Edward his limbs and Alphonse his entire body, setting the stage for their epic journey.
06
Spy x Family became a worldwide phenomenon with its wholesome yet action-packed story of a found family. The father, Loid Forger, is secretly a spy. What is his spy codename?
✓ Correct! Loid Forger’s spy codename is Twilight, and he’s considered the top agent of Westalis’s intelligence service, WISE. His mission, Operation Strix, requires him to build a fake family — leading him to adopt the telepathic Anya and marry the assassin Yor, creating one of anime’s most beloved found families.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Twilight. Agent Dusk and Shadow are fictional names, while Nightfall is actually the codename of another WISE agent, Fiona Frost, who has a crush on Loid. Twilight is Westalis’s greatest spy and the heart of Spy x Family’s charming story.
07
Crunchyroll merged with another major anime streaming service to become the dominant platform for anime. Which streaming service was absorbed into Crunchyroll?
✓ Correct! Funimation was merged into Crunchyroll after Sony’s acquisition of Crunchyroll from AT&T in 2021. The merger consolidated the anime streaming market, bringing Funimation’s massive library of dubbed anime together with Crunchyroll’s simulcast catalog, making Crunchyroll the world’s largest dedicated anime platform.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Funimation. Netflix Anime is part of Netflix and operates independently, HIDIVE is Sentai Filmworks’ streaming service, and AnimeLab was a smaller Australian service. Funimation — once Crunchyroll’s biggest rival — was fully absorbed into the Crunchyroll platform.
08
Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli are legendary in the anime world. Miyazaki’s final film was released in 2023 and won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. What is the title of this film?
✓ Correct! The Boy and the Heron (Kimitachi wa Dō Ikiru ka) was released in 2023 and won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2024. The deeply personal, surrealist fantasy film was widely considered Miyazaki’s farewell masterpiece, exploring themes of grief, imagination, and the passage between worlds.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is The Boy and the Heron. Spirited Away 2 and Ponyo Returns don’t exist. The Wind Rises was Miyazaki’s previous “final” film from 2013. The Boy and the Heron marked his true farewell, winning the Oscar and cementing his legacy as anime’s greatest storyteller.
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While Psyren doesn't just push the battles to the forefront, since it also focuses on characters investigating the mysteries of their reality and exploring another world, the series stands out for featuring one of shonen's most fascinating power systems. The power system in Psyren, known as PSY, bears a resemblance to the Nen in Hunter x Hunter, as it grants abilities that vary widely from person to person. This allows for expertly crafted combat sequences, with a lot of room for creativity in how they exert their powers, resulting in tactical, entertaining battles throughout the series.
The story of Psyren might start off a bit slowly, but it evolves into a gripping plot filled with surprising twists. Furthermore, its latest trailer demonstrates that Psyren successfully captures the nostalgia of 2000s shonen through its character designs. This, combined with a story featuring a fascinating world and vibrant animation, positions Psyren to earn a prominent spot on fans' watchlists once it premieres.
Psyren Could Become One of Shonen’s Greatest Anime
While Psyren may not be a revolutionary story, what makes it highly recommended among recent Shonen Jump titles is its consistent quality. Even though rumors of cancellation surfaced due to a somewhat rushed final arc, the story still concluded satisfactorily. Moreover, a major highlight of Psyren's anime adaptation is that it will cover the entire manga series. That means, with 145 chapters, fans can look forward to a long-running shonen series starting in Fall 2026.
Creator Toshiaki Iwashiro has confirmed his involvement in the anime's production, specifically supervising the script, which guarantees the original material will be respected. With psychic battles, time travel, and numerous mysteries waiting to be unraveled, Psyren has significant potential to become the next big shonen hit. Fortunately, fans won't have to wait long, as the series is set to premiere on Crunchyroll on October 5, 2026.
KioskNews shows a cleaned-up reading view extracted from the publisher’s page — the original always lives on their site, not ours.