Shaman King (2021) started as a promising reboot. Other works, such as Fruits Basket and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood had amazingly done reboots after the completion of their respective mangas to make amends for less engaging and faithful adaptations. In comparison, Shaman King (2021) didn't do equally well. So, is Shaman King (2021) still good and worth watching?
Is Shaman King (2021) Good?
Shaman King (2021) had a number of good elements, although most fans agree that some aspects did not work as well as expected.
The art style of Shaman King (2021) was an interesting attempt to modernize old character designs and create something that can compete with the amazing visuals of new 2020s works. The music is also well-done, making for an enjoyable audiovisual experience.
For the most part, the characters were consistent and true to themselves, while the lore and overall worldbuilding had interesting elements.
In short, those who enjoyed the anime praised the animation and faithfulness to the manga - at least as far as key events are concerned, with many thinking that Shaman King can still stand its ground against newer, trending shonen anime.
That being said, when an anime series is the second adaptation of the manga - and one that is marketed as better and more faithful than the last, expectations are extremely high.
Shaman King (2021) might have covered most key events of the manga, but even those who enjoyed the new anime pointed out that the pacing was particularly poor at times.
A lot of the main events were rushed - a common complaint about around the first 10 episodes of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood - as well. To an extent, this can be justified by the fact that early parts of the manga were already adapted from the original anime, and the creators didn't want to risk making the new one too similar.
However, while Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood displayed much better pacing later on - with the first few episodes still enjoyable even for those not familiar with the manga and first anime - Shaman King (2021) episodes didn't improve as significantly in terms of pacing.
Even towards the end, there were complaints about the rushed plot points, which made it hard for many viewers to feel any intense emotions about the story.
Some also feel that the battles could have been more well-done, though some fans did enjoy them, and the pacing seems to be the issue most viewers agree on.
Related: Does Yoh Asakura Become Shaman King?
Is Shaman King (2021) Worth Watching?
Whether Shaman King (2021) is worth watching probably depends on what you expect from it.
Long-time fans of the manga should probably at least give it a chance, if only for the nostalgic feels. Other than that, most viewers wouldn't widely recommend the show.
Of course, there's no reason why new shonen fans shouldn't try it out and stop if they aren't enjoying Shaman King. If anything, they might decide to pick up the manga instead.
Ultimately, each viewer can make their own decision, but it's worth knowing that you should probably not go into the show with extremely high expectations.
Explore new topics and discover content that's right for you!