Everytime you start a new shounen, one arc that I feel like most of us hope for is a Tournament Arc. Not all shounen have them sadly, but most seemingly do. Whether it’s a test of strength, a free for all, who can survive the multiple challenges presented to them, or the classic, one on one showdown. 

My favorite form of this is one on one battles. Just two people, trying to see who’s stronger out of the two. It’s simple, cool, and it usually gives us a better understanding of the two characters' personality, ideology, and fighting style. I feel like Naruto’s Chunin Exam Arc is a perfect example of this, with having multiple challenges, that aren’t just fights, but also the epic one on one battles, that put everything on display.

Still one of the best shonen fights.

So that’s why I wanted to point out Kengan Ashura. I talked about this series recently in my Baki and Kengan Ashura article, and how I was watching the series in preparation for that collab. Well, 12 episodes deep, I can say that I honestly enjoy it more than Baki.

Kengan Ashura gives me what I want from a tournament series. We actually get tournament matches, without all the fluff, and unnecessary stuff. Yeah, the first few episodes aren't about the tournament and more so building up the characters and setting up for the tournament, but once we’re there, we’re there.

Episode to episode, just fight after fight after fight. Every fighter gets an episode for themselves, not taking up 3 episodes to resolve one fight, dragging it out for no reason. And even when they do more quick fights, it still has meaning and significance to them. It’s everything that’s good about a tournament arc, but being a complete anime, instead of just a one off arc, and I love it.

I feel like the only thing that would turn people off the most about this series is the 3D, which yeah, can look a little off at points, but with how much I love the characters and the fights that are going on, it’s the least of my worries.

Don't mix 2D, with 3D.

I’m not sure how many other series about tournaments actually present it as good as Kengan Ashura, I would really like to see more series like this. Cause at this point, if you’re looking for a series that is about one on one tournament fights, I think this is one of the best series out there.

Have you watched Kengan Ashura? Do you like tournament arcs? Are there any other tournament focused anime? Tell us in the comments.