How Shonen Manga Treats Non-Canon Material

CBR

How Shonen Manga Treat Their "Non-Canon" Content

By Marc York

Published Dec 26, 2023

As more anime-original content becomes canon, the line between what is and isn't part of a series' continuity continues to blur.

The relationship between canon and non-canon material in the shonen manga industry has changed over time, with more recent works frequently treating anime-only content as canon.
Dragon Ball, One Piece, My Hero Academia, and Naruto have all incorporated non-canon characters and events into their manga, showing a shift in the industry's willingness to adapt and acknowledge non-canon material.
As the landscape of shonen manga continues to change, its most popular franchises seem to hint that anime-only content will continue to become more and more important.