The golden age of manly anime has powerful lessons for us men to reclaim our humanity. Animes like Sakigake!! Otokojuku, Hokuto no Ken (Fist of the North Star), Dragon Ball Z, Yu Yu Hakusho, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure OVA (1993/2000), Beserk, Street Fighter II V, Guyver: The Bioboosted Armor, etc., have been the go-to shows of a growing journey as a man, for myself.

For far too long, men have been treated like dirt, and some have lost their purpose in various areas of life, yet I thought to myself that developing a community of brotherhood is crucial for personal growth. A real community where we can open up about our everyday struggles without judgment, hit the gym together, challenge each other every day to reach our dreams, celebrate small and big wins, and so forth.

At the end of the day, we’re all brothers fighting the same war. There shouldn’t be any division based on the evil lies of this world.

One thing I would like to throw out there is that men shouldn’t be putting other men down because of “how they feel superior to them.” Calling yourself an “alpha”, yet putting down a brother who’s lost in this messed-up world is loser mentality, in my honest opinion. Strong men lift up the weak and helpless. They don’t go around gloating about having all of the women in the world, fancy cars, watches, achievements, and unnecessary material wealth. Your life could end prematurely under God’s timing, so why delude yourself into thinking you’ll live forever as a false king?

You wouldn’t see Kenshiro or Goku boasting or making fun of a man who’s suffering; they would go out of their way to help him. Sometimes you can’t help those who don’t want to be helped, but as a man, compassion is a crucial element of leadership. Also, don’t be a royal prick just because social media fake alpha gurus tell you that’s how you win in life.

On a side note, Bat, from Hokuto no Ken, started as a weak and terrified boy who, years later, became a resistance leader of the Hokuto Army. How this all came to be, Kenshiro showed compassion, humility, love, and other healthy masculine traits. These qualities helped Bat grow into the man he saw in Kenshiro throughout Hokuto no Ken.

Sakigake!! Otokujuku had it right on how men should face challenges together and work as a team. You even see Goku and Vegeta having to fuse as Vegito and Gogeta in Dragon Ball Z when dealing with Buuhan and Super Janemba. Without teamwork, one can’t stand alone against a greater threat.

My takeaway for today is that good men should inspire other struggling men to be better. Whether we see those traits of our favorite anime characters who display healthy masculine traits, we should always seek improvement and not be a foolish jerk.

Cited Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sakigake!!_Otokojuku

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fist_of_the_North_Star

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_Ball_Z