#7 Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple
This right here is a classic anime from 2006 which takes the shounen genre and applies actual rules to the world. There are no power ups that don’t make sense, no moments where the main character wins because of being the protagonist, and everything is grounded. Kenichi is an anime about Kenichi, a struggling student who wants to get stronger. One day, he happens to stumble upon a dojo with five of the strongest fighters from around the world. They agree to teach him all that they know so Kenichi can become their mightiest disciple. I absolutely adore this anime because of how realistic it is. Everything the main character learns is through hellish training that is deeply rooted to martial arts. There is no montage where the main character is suddenly stronger; everything is earned. This anime will always have a soft spot in my heart because it gave me hope that more shounen shows could be just like this.
Animation: Art in Motion 