Subject: Re: genres Date: 09 Apr 1999 00:00:00 GMT From: Nora Organization: Writers Anonymous Newsgroups: rec.arts.anime.misc SweetCoco wrote: > > can someone name all the Anime genres for me. the main ones and > sub-genres . like comedy, horror, fantasy, hack and slash, fantasy. > Give examples for each. thanks. I would appreciate it. It's really hard to classify anything into those sorts of subgenres, because such subgenres are pretty artificial even in Western culture. About the only thing that is certain is the genre classifications used for marketing: -kodomo (stuff aimed at little kids of either gender) -shounen (stuff aimed at young boys) -shoujo (stuff aimed at young girls) -seinen (stuff aimed at young men) -josei (stuff aimed at young women) There are other categories, but few of these have been animated; they're mostly visible only in manga format. (There are notable exceptions, of course--- "Gunnm," or "Battle Angel Alita," was originally marketed at middle-aged businessmen, in Business Jump.) Within those categories are a ton of subgenres, which are pretty fuzzy to define, but I'll try. Since most of these subgenre classifications are pretty subjective, anybody else feel free to chime in and correct me/add your own. KODOMO (dunno much about this; I don't watch much kodomo anime) -Magical creatures (e.g., Pokemon, Totoro) -Magical journeys (e.g., Doraemon?) -"Cuteness" (e.g., Keroppi, Hello Kitty) SHOUNEN -Mecha (e.g., Macross, or "Robotech") -Girls with Guns (e.g., You're Under Arrest) -Male Bonding Team Adventures (e.g., Saint Seiya, Yuu Yuu Hakusho) -Male Bonding High School Drama (dunno any *anime* like this, although I see lots of it in manga... has Slam Dunk been made into anime?) -Historical Romance (not romance as in love, romance as in literary romanticism, the romantic hero, etc. e.g., Rurouni Kenshin) -UST Comedy (Unresolved Sexual Tension---e.g., Ranma 1/2, Tenchi Muyo!) -Horror Adventure (e.g., Ninja Scroll) -Madcap Fantasy Adventure (e.g., El Hazard) -Fighting (e.g., Dragonball, Fatal Fury) SHOUJO (most of the shoujo anime mentioned here has not been commercially translated) -Magical girl/Female Bonding Team Adventures (e.g., Sailor Moon, Wedding Peach) -Romance, as in literary romanticism (e.g., Harmageddon) -Group Bonding High School Drama/Comedy/Romance/Fantasy (e.g., Mahou Tsukai Tai, Oniisama E, Koko wa Greenwood) -Shounen ai (e.g., Zetsuai 1989, Kaze to Ki no Uta or Song of Wind and Trees) -UST Comedy/Drama/Romance (e.g., Joker) -Horror Drama (e.g., Onikirimaru, or Ogre-Slayer) -Dramatic Fantasy Adventure (anything by CLAMP) -Growing Up/Coming of Age Drama (e.g., Candy Candy---I think this has been animated...) -Fighting, usually with really droollable guys (e.g., Weiss Kreuz) SEINEN -For the most part, the same general categories as shounen, just a bit psychologically deeper, more intense/satirical/violent/sexual, etc. Examples include Aa! Megami-sama!, Ghost in the Shell. In addition to more intense forms of shounen themes, there are the following: -H/Ecchi, including tentacle/rape stuff (e.g., Urotsukidoji or Legend of the Overfiend, La Blue Girl) -Office guys stuff (e.g., Shinesman; more prevalent as manga than anime) -Yakuza stuff (e.g., Sanctuary, Crying Freeman) -Espionage (e.g., Golgo 13) -Dissolution of Society (e.g. Akira) JOSEI -Same general categories as shoujo, just psychologically deeper, more intense, etc. Examples include Kimera (horror), Basara (literary and relationship romance), etc. A large proportion of josei manga and anime is yaoi---featuring male homosexual romance or sexual situations, including sexually explicit/porn stuff. Yaoi is hugely varied and present in every subgenre of josei. In addition to more intense versions of shoujo themes, there are the following: -PWP ('Plot? What Plot?' Usually porn, including shotacon [yaoi with prepubescent boys]. No animated examples.) -Yakuza stuff (e.g., Kizuna) -Yan-mama stuff (no animated examples---stuff aimed at young new mothers) -Office ladies/guys stuff (e.g., Boku no Sexual Harassment) -Espionage/politics (few animated examples. e.g., Patariro!) -Housewife/Family stuff (no animated examples that I know of) -Dissolution of/Degenerate Society (e.g., Ai no Kusabi) Anybody want to add any genres/subgenres I missed? Nora -- ______________________ njemison@the-spa.com (remove "nospam" for reply) Mirai's World (DB and Bakuretsu Hunter fanfiction, Yaoi and Shounen Ai manga reviews and excerpts, fanfiction writing resources) http://www.the-spa.com/njemison