What is Shounen? A type of anime or manga directed at a particular demographic! More info here.
Shounen (少年), also written as Shōnen and Shonen, is a Japanese term used to categorize anime or manga commonly aimed at young men in their teens, though they generally appeal to a larger audience. In fact, the word Shounen means boy or young person.
This type of anime and manga typically have teenage males in the lead role, and feature a lot of action and comedic plots. Often times the female characters give a lot of fan service. Of course, over the years things have changed and Shounen anime and manga don’t always follow these parameters. The anime and manga considered Shounen are probably the most mainstream when compared to the other types. Notable examples include Dragon Ball, Bleach, Naruto, InuYasha, Attack on Titan, and One Piece.
This is just one of five different types of Anime and Manga directed at certain demographics. For more demographic groups, see my articles on Kodomomuke, Shoujo, Seinen, and Josei. And don’t forget, you can find more information on subculture terms just like this in my growing Otaku Encyclopedia.