Date Published: April 5th, 2025

How To Create A Shounen Manga

In today's video, we're looking at how you can create a shounen manga! This video is specifically created for beginners, as it takes you step by step through all parts of the process, including how to brainstorm, incorporate shounen themes, create your main characters, and develop a shounen manga page.

What Is Shounen?

‘Shounen’ refers to a demographic of manga, specifically manga written for a teenage male audience, and usually focuses on stories with teenage characters who are determined to achieve their dreams, usually with the help of their friends along the way.

The Art Style

In shounen, the art can vary from series to series, but usually features stand-out character designs, bold lineart, and the use of various ‘camera angles’ and motion lines to show the movement of the characters.

Shounen Themes

A ‘theme’ in a story refers to the overall feeling or meaning that is shown through the story. Shounen manga will usually revolve around a few main themes:

• The protagonist is searching for a person or a mysterious object, and goes on a journey with their friends to find it. In this instance, the journey is the main component of the story.
• At the beginning of the story, the protagonist struggles to fit in and feel accepted. However, they are suddenly put into a challenging situation where they either need to work with someone they previously would not have gotten along with, or find a way to survive in a new world. Either way, they eventually find a sense of belonging with a new group of characters, or in a new world.

Of course, this can change depending on the genre, but these are common themes that you may see in many shounen manga or anime.

How To Brainstorm A Shounen Manga

To begin creating your shounen manga, take some time to research other shounen manga or anime, to help you understand what kind of shounen manga you want to create!

• Genres: Consider if there are specific genres that you feel drawn to the most.
• Themes: Make note of specific story themes that stand out to you.
• Styles: Pay attention to the art style, and what elements you like from these art styles.

Create Your Main Characters

When creating your main characters, remember to include the protagonist, deuteragonist, antagonist, friendships, rivals, love interests, and mentors.

Start With A Sketch

Start by sketching the main elements you want to include in your design. Start simple and work your way up!

Using The Colour Wheel

Understanding colours can also help you build a good design!

Complimentary colours (on opposite sides of the colour wheel) can create a bold effect.
Monochromatic colours (in the same hue) can create a softer effect.
Triadic colours (in thirds on the colour wheel) can create a stand out effect. This is also helpful if you have three main characters.

The Key To Good Design

It’s important to blend functionality with design. Ensure that the character’s design makes sense not only for their personality, but also for its purpose.

To test if a design works, try creating a silhouette of your character. If your character is easily identifiable, then the design is good! But if not, try adding more elements, to make the silhouette stand out better.

Plan Your Story

Once you have some ideas, and your main characters prepared, it’s time to plan your story. For this part, we can use the Kishotenketsu writing style most commonly used in Japanese literature.

How To Use Kishotenketsu

Kishotenketsu is a four part writing structure. It includes:

• Ki - Introduction
• Sho - Development
• Ten - Twist
• Ketsu - Resolution

Start by introducing the setting,  the main characters, and the main goal. Throughout the story, develop these points further. Later on, include a plot twist that surprises the audience. Then finalise all the plot points in the resolution.

English Novel Structure

This writing structure is more commonly used in western writing styles, but it can still be helpful for manga writing!

• Beginning
• Inciting Incident
• Rising Action
• Climax
• Falling Action
• Resolution

Choose the writing style that you would prefer to use when planning your shounen manga.

Planning Chapters & Arcs

A common component of many shounen manga are story arcs. Arcs are like smaller storylines within the main story, and also consist of a beginning middle and end.
Some common arcs in shounen manga include training and tournament arcs. They are only necessary if you plan on creating a longer story!

As you plan, divide the plot into chapters and story arcs (if applicable.) Keep in mind that a manga typically has 8-12 chapters per book, with around 20-30 pages per chapter. Arcs can go across books, and can be as long or as short as you want.

Write A Script

I recommend writing a script for a whole volume or for a whole chapter. This will help when it comes to storyboarding your manga.

Let’s take a look at a few different script writing techniques!

Script Example 1

For this method, write the character’s name, and then their dialogue. Put any additional actions or information before or after the dialogue.

Script Example 2

For this method, write the actions and dialogue in each panel.

Script Example 3

For this method, write the script using professional screenplay techniques.
This method is a bit more complicated than the others, and is only really necessary if you’re working with a publisher.

Creating A Storyboard

Once you have a script prepared, create a storyboard. Most mangaka storyboard per chapter, in order to make changes before the artwork is finalised.

Finalise The Pages

Once you have read your storyboard, and made any necessary changes, it is time to finalise the artwork!
You may choose to ink your shounen manga pages digitally or traditionally.

Canvas Size

Set the canvas size to 5 inches by 7.5 inches with a resolution of 300.

To follow along, you may use any drawing program you prefer. I am using Paint Tool SAI for this tutorial.

Paper Size

If you’re following this tutorial traditionally, please keep in mind that most professional mangaka use B4 deleter paper. This might be difficult to access, so you can definitely follow this tutorial with A4 or A5 size paper instead.

Please refer to this template to draw the panel sizes on A4 paper.

How To Draw A Shounen Manga Page Step By Step

Manga Panels

Start by inking the panels.

If following this tutorial traditionally, use a ruler and a thicker black pen for the borders.

If following this tutorial digitally, you may use the straight line tool.

Manga Sketch

Next, create a sketch of your manga page. You may include as much or as little detail as you would prefer.

If drawing this traditionally, keep your sketch light so you can erase it more easily later! 

Manga Lineart

Next, finalise the lineart for your manga page.

If following this tutorial traditionally, use an inking pen with a nib of about 0.2-0.5mm.

Manga Screentones

Next, add shading or screentones.

If following this tutorial digitally, your program may come with screentones or you may be able to download a screentone texture.

If following this tutorial traditionally, screentones can be a bit expensive. Instead, you may use grey pencils or pens, or simply use crosshatching techniques which we’ll look at next.

Manga Crosshatching

This is optional, but you may like to include crosshatching. This is a shading technique that involves drawing small lines crossed over each other to add texture and shading.

See the character’s hair and clothes for examples of this.

Add The Final Details

Add additional shading and highlights to the artwork.
I added a shadow over the character’s face, and white highlights in their eyes.

To do this traditionally, you may add shading with a pen or pencil, and use a white ink pen to add the highlights.

Publish It!

Once you have completed the first chapter of your shounen manga, it’s time to share it! You may wish to enter a manga competition, or upload it as a webmanga.
Or you may wish to keep creating for fun while you hone your manga creating skills. It’s up to you!