All Genre of Anime

Jan-Taihwo · Post by **Jan-Taihwo** » Wed May 11, 2005 4:39 am

Hello, i'm writing aboute Anime at school and i'm having a problem in trying to name all the main genres (fantasy, romance ect.)
Can someone here name all the main genres of Anime for me? (and i mean all, hentai, yaoi)

Evangelion Unit 01 · Post by **Evangelion Unit 01** » Wed May 11, 2005 8:32 am

I don't know if I can name all of them but here is what I can name off the top of my head

Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Comical Fantasy, Drama, Comedy, Mecha, scifi, Mystery, hentai, yuri, yaoi, Mecha Fantasy, martial arts, action, adventure, Shoujo, Shoujo-ai, Shounen, Shounen-ai, Doujinshi, Ecchi, Bishoujo, Bishounen, and Historical Peices (I am thinking Kenshin obisoulsy not 100% historically accurate). Well that is all I can name.

ifihadaninja · Post by **ifihadaninja** » Wed May 11, 2005 8:43 am

Evangelion Unit 01 wrote: Historical Peices (I am thinking Kenshin obisoulsy not 100% historically accurate).

grave of the fireflies suits that more.

bobbarker31 · Post by **bobbarker31** » Wed May 11, 2005 10:52 am

Do not forget the psychological pieces too. The most important thing to remember with anime is that it is treated as a medium in which anything is possible. There are no restrictions whatsoever and the only limitation is the mind and imagination.

Wolf's Rain for example would be hard to categorize. The wolves appearing as humans and the magic of the nobles would make it Fantasy... but it is also Science Fiction with the technology and time line involved... but there is also significant drama with the characters....apocalyptic themes... ecological, psychological.... there is action... and horror.... plus it is at times like a Western....

So what is it? It is all of that and more. The boundarys are being blurred.

Super Shanko · Post by **Super Shanko** » Wed May 11, 2005 11:52 am

hmm, whats the difference between Shoujo & Shoujo-ai Bishoujo & Bishounen and Shounen & Shounen-ai?

Kai Stromler · Post by **Kai Stromler** » Wed May 11, 2005 12:00 pm

Super Shanko wrote:hmm, whats the difference between Shoujo & Shoujo-ai Bishoujo & Bishounen and Shounen & Shounen-ai?

Warning: gross oversimplification ahead

shoujo: for young girls

shoujo-ai: "girls' love"; implicit lesbianism

shonen: for young boys

shonen-ai: "boys' love"; implicit homosexuality

bishoujo: "pretty girl"; usually refers to harem anime (with lots of pretty girls) aimed at males 16-25

bishonen: "pretty boy"; not really used as a genre indicator, but to describe any "pretty", usually somewhat effeminate-looking or acting male character, especially as found in shoujo, shonen-ai, or yaoi anime/manga

hth,

--K

OtakuMan22 · Post by **OtakuMan22** » Wed May 11, 2005 1:29 pm

Lucky for me, I've been studying:

Genres of Anime:

Kids Shows -
In Japan, anime aimed at kids is far different from the ones aimed at kids in the US. Kids shows in Japan often use high references to Japanese culture in their stories, ranging from folk tales to actual Japanese history and Japanese morals. Some morals are emphasized more than others, such as the importance of friendship and trust in others over being an individual. This is not to say that they don't cover this topic, but the Japanese lifestyle and culture place high importance in trust. Even in most action shows (like those found in Shonen Jump - Yu-Gi-Oh!, One-Piece, Shaman King), the key to victory is in the strength of the hero and the strength and faith in their friends. Same thing applies to shows for girls, such as Sailor Moon.

Comedy -
Comedy isn't so much a genre as it is something that happens in anime one way or another. Even in the most serious and action-packed of anime, a good joke, pun, or obscure reference can be found almost all the time. For example, in the psycho-thriller "Perfect Blue", a large VERY anime styled girl is seen on a picture, before the door swings open and you see a group of people entering an anime/music store. This is a very direct jab at the normal anime drawing style conventions. Finding a PURE comedy, a show that's nothing more than stuff to make you laugh, is not always easy to find in anime. However, shows like Azumanga Daioh and others based off of NEWSPAPER manga are often ALL laughs. There's also Lupin III which is so light-hearted and silly, that any actual drama is simply nothing more than a ploy. Seriousness? Get serious!

Drama -
TOOO wide to cover in one topic, so let's break it down:
Space Opera - Angst, War, and Tragedy... IN SPACE!
Romance - Will boy get girl? Will girl get boy? Will obnoxious person change?
Cyber-Punk - See Masamune Shirow and the folks behind Bubblegum Crisis.
Fantasy - Record of Lodoss War comes to mind, as does Sorceress Stabber Orphen. Likewise, something being STRICTLY drama or comedy is usually left for live action. Even Orphen had funny moments, despite some very emotional scenes.
Psycho-Thriller - Perfect Blue and some others come to mind here. This is the anime to scare the pants off you and make you stay on the edge of your seat to see what happens next.
Sci-Fi - Cowboy Bebop is a perfect example, but this has drama AND comedy... sooooooo... better look back at Space Opera.

Phew, this is trickier than I thought. I think your paper/presentation on the genres of anime is better left to the "While there are some genres in anime that are very distinct, such as 'Shonen-Ai, Yuri, hentai, and others", most coventional genres found in media are often mixed to create unique atmospheres that offer wonderful experiences to its viewers and gives them a sense that anything can happen, and nothing is predictable".

Hmm... sounds like a good angle to me.

~Otaku-Man

Malificus · Post by **Malificus** » Wed May 11, 2005 3:30 pm

The other genre: GAINAX. Think about it, they deserve their own genre, at least for FLCL or Evangelion.

Jan-Taihwo · Post by **Jan-Taihwo** » Wed May 11, 2005 3:50 pm

Big thanks to all of you, you really saved me

OtakuMan22 - hmmmm, maybe it would be smart to just write exact that.

OtakuMan22 · Post by **OtakuMan22** » Wed May 11, 2005 3:51 pm

Not just Gainax actually.

I'd just put this under the "PSYCHOTIC" section. Part Comedy... Part Drama... ALL FREAKIN' WEIRD!

Let's name some shall we?

Digi Charat
FLCL
His and Her Circumstances
Fairy Princess Ren (AKA: Elf Princess Rane)
Puni Puni Poemi
Excel Saga
Dragon Half
Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi
Azumanga Daioh

I'm sure there's more if I put my head to it, but this is a good enough sample to show that...

...anime and drugs are not only a good mix, but a GREAT mix!

~Otaku-Man