- Updated on: July 24, 2022
- by Ernie
When you go on any anime streaming site and click on “Genre” you will get to pick between more than 30 genres. But did you know that only 11 of them are the official ones?
This is an easy guide that will help you understand better how anime categories are divided and why.
Table of Contents
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Table of Content
1. Shónen
Shónen is the Japanese word for “boy”. It is the most popular anime genre till now. It is the most-watched and the one that is the most written about.
Although the target audience is young boys between 8 and 18 years old, it is equally watched by girls and the audience age cannot be defined since even adults are following up.
The MC of this kind of anime will most probably be a young male. The Shónen series will be filled with incredible action scenes, acts of heroism, overpowered attacks, and lots and lots of excitement.
The protagonist will be portrayed accompanied by his faithful comrades that he will meet on his adventures. An example would be Bleach where Ichigo, the MC, gathers his team composed of Rukia, Orihime, Ishida and Sado. Also, the main supporting character will most probably be a beautiful and powerful young woman who will be the main reason why the MC decided to become a hero. In the case of Bleach that character, it would be Rukia.
There will be some exceptions to the rule where the MC is a girl, like in Akame Ga Kill
The sub-genres of Shónen are Action, Adventure, Martial arts, Sci-fi, Comedy and Fantasy.
The most popular Shónen anime that have been in the top ten of all rankings since their debut are:
- One Piece
- Naruto
- Bleach
- Dragon Ball
- FullMetal Alchemist
The new generation of anime is also catching up with higher quality and more developed stories. They are threatening to take the podium in the near future. Her we have:
- Jujutsu Kaisen
- Demon Slayer
- Tokyo Revengers
2. Seinen
The English translation of Seinen is “youth” or “young man”. In terms of concept, it is not very different from Shónen. The biggest difference is that most of them can be considered mature and are targeting young adults.
The storyline is basically the same as Shónen anime but depicted in a more violent and traumatic way. A lot of physical torture as well as mental is to be expected, plus we can look forward to a lot of other similar themes. The story will also be a little bit more complicated to follow. They will often turn to analyze the psychological issues that the MC will face.
Here the gender doesn’t matter, it is not restricted to adults, it is just more recommended for the mature audience.
Like Shónen, the sub-genres are Action, Adventure, Martial Arts, Sci-fi, Comedy, Fantasy plus Psychological and Drama.
The most popular Shónen anime are:
- Tokyo ghoul
- Hellsing
- Ghost in Shell
- Phantom
3. Shójo
The official definition of Shoujo is a bit ambiguous, it can mean “maiden” or “young girl”. So here it is simple, it’s more of a romance anime that is targeting young girls from 10 to 18 years old.
It’s the exact opposite of Shónen. We have no action, no fighting, no blood, just an adorable love story with lots and lots of drama. It focuses on relationships, on how to create bonds, on how hard it is to be with someone and how much you have to sacrifice for one another.
But don’t get me wrong, it is nowhere near as depressing as it sounds. Comedy is often used and the action is just portrayed in a different way.
Here the MC will most of the time be a girl. Their personality will greatly change depending on the Sub-genre that you will choose.
Shoujo is mostly enjoyed by girls, males will rarely find the urge to start this kind of anime.
The Sub-genres of Shoujo are Romance, Drama, Comedy and School.
The most popular Shoujo anime are:
- Clannad
- Ouran HighSchool Host Club
- Fruit basket
- Kaichou Wa Maid-Sama!
4. Josei
Here, like for Seinen, Josei is similar to Shoujo but aimed at the older population. The target is still on women but older than teens.
Where Shoujo tries to portray the perfect cheesy love stories Disney style, Josei doesn’t aim for the happily ever after. They go deeper into the psyche and in terms of depression, it is a lot more present.
It can be a bit traumatic to watch since we have a lot of assault. It is also a lot more mature and intimate but like Seinen, the detailed scenes of the action are never shown.
An easy definition would be that Josei is just way darker.
The MC will also be a girl but the gender of the audience is irrelevant. Since it is a lot more psychological, even boys are interested in this genre.
The Sub-genres are also very similar to Shoujo, they are Romance, Drama, Comedy, School plus Psychological.
The most popular Josei anime are:
- Nodame Cantabile
- Paradise Kiss
- Honey And Clover
- Nana
5. Isekai
Isekai means “another world”. The word is fairly new, they used to use the title “Help! I’m Trapped in Another World!” to introduce Isekai and explain the genre.
The definition may have tipped you off. Here, the story of the anime is based on an MC, may it be a girl or a boy, who suddenly woke up in a world that is not his own. This spirit may have traveled through dimensions, he may have died and reincarnated elsewhere, or he was sucked in a game.
They, most of the time, wake up in a fantasy world, filled with magic, demons, special skills and their appearance may also change.
The main purpose of the MC will be to find a way to go back home. They will go on an adventure to explore this new world, find comrades along the way, level up and build experience.
In some cases, the MC will find himself feeling more at home in this strange world than in his real life, and instead of finding a way back, he’ll try to stay here forever. A good example would be “No Game No Life”.
The Sub-genres of Isekai are Fantasy, Adventure, Comedy and Action.
The most popular Isekai anime are:
- Inuyasha
- Sword Art Online
- The time I was reincarnated as a Slime
- Overlord
- The Rising of the Shield Hero:
6. Slice Of Life
The Slice of Life genre, like the word may suggest, interprets a series of events that happened to the MC during a certain period of his/her life. It will show the personal development of each character, how they overcame their issues, and how much each experience made them grow. It will most of the time conclude with an open ending that is open for interpretation.
Slice of Life is all about portraying the most normal parts of our lives. It’s something we will all be able to relate to. There is no power or special abilities, no monsters, no heroes nor magic of any sort. It’s like the author chose someone, cut out a part of his daily life, and made it a show without changing anything.
Slice of life anime can be very dramatic and a bit depressing, comedy is rarely used. But as depressing as it may be, seeing the characters overcome problems that we all face, manage to change for the better, make friends, or find love gives us hope that that may happen for us too with some work. They become an example to follow and a ray of hope for our future.
The Sub-genres of Slice of Life are Drama, Romance, Psychological and School.
The most popular Slice of Life anime are:
- Anohana
- Toradora
- K-On
- Hyouka
- Mushishi
7. Mecha
Mecha is a derivative of the English word “Mechanical“. In Japan, they define it as “Giant Robot”. In this kind of anime, the MC will be the pilot of some giant armor that he will use to fight evil.
They come in all sizes and shapes, they don’t necessarily have to look like humans. They are overpowered and are considered the ultimate weapons of destruction.
They are very difficult to control and many of them will choose their own owner. This is what makes the MC so special when he is seen piloting it with ease and elegance. The armor becomes a part of him, an extension of his body.
The Sub-Genres of Mecha are: Action and Sci-Fi The most popular Mecha anime are:
- Evangelion
- Patlabor
- Code Geass
- Gundam
- Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
8. Kodomomuke
Kodomomuke comes from the word Kodomo which means “kid”. We all have watched at least one of them during our youth. They are fun, they are entertaining, and they make you smile. Of course, the target audience is children, it’s a kid show after all.
Because we watched them at a turning point during our lives, this type of anime will most probably have a moral to share. Such as honesty, determination, hard work, friendship and much more.
They make us dream, they stimulate our imagination, they try to guide us on the right path, and they try to make us grow into proper human beings.
The animation is simple yet creative and filled with colors to catch the attention of kids. The dialogue is also modest, easy to understand and the story is easy to follow.
The MCs can be girls or boys, sometimes they are animals. The gender of the watcher is irrelevant but age is crucial. But to be honest, I’m 23 and I still watch some of them.
The Sub-genres for Kodomomuke are Comedy, action, adventure. The most popular Kodomomuke anime are:
- Pokemon
- Digimon
- Tokyo Mew Mew
- Doraemon
- Gundam
9. Lolicon
Lolicon comes from the word “Lolita“, which means cute young girl. The MC will be a female in elementary school or at least looks like one. Their dialogue will be cute and childish, and their appearance will be adorable.
They will most of the time be drawn short, with a round mushy face and huge glittery eyes, almost like a super attractive cute baby.
Those kinds of anime focus on our attraction toward underage girls, more specifically their innocence and purity.
This kind of show is more focused on targeting boys. The story itself will be pretty funny. And the embarrassing moment even more. But it doesn’t have much of a plot twist nor a really developed story.
The Sub-genres of Lolicon are Romance, Comedy and School.
The most popular Lolicon anime are:
- Strawberry Marshmallow
- Is the order a rabbit?
- Ro-Kyu-Bu!
10. Shotacon
Shotacon is a derivative of the “Shōtarō complex” which means an attraction for young boys. You got it, it’s the same as Lolicon but instead of girls, it’s boys.
Where Lolicon is fairly popular, Shotacon on the other hand isn’t. Purely Shotacon anime are very rare and not very known.
The Sub-genres are the same as Lolicon, being: Romance, Comedy and School.
The most popular Shotacon anime are:
- The Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok
- Nabari no Ou
- Daikyuu Maryu Gaiking
11. Yaoi
Yaoi anime are BL, Boys Love. This genre targets women and is most of the time written by women as well. But of course, a lot of people from the gay community are attracted by them.
They are very intimate and very romantic.
Shónen Ai and Yaoi in anime are basically the same since the intimate scenes are very briefly portrayed, and none even exist. The difference lies in the manga where in Yaoi, it is depicted in every detail while Shónen Ai is more on the soft side.
While it can be very cute and romantic, a lot of them feature other themes.
The Sub-genres of Yaoi are: Romance, Comedy and Drama
The most popular Yaoi anime are:
- Junjo Romantica
- Yuri!!! On Ice
- Sekaiichi Hatsukoi
- Marginal Prince: Gekkeiju no Ouji-tachi
- Descendants of Darkness
12. Yuri
Yuri is exactly the same as Yaoi but instead of Boys Love we have Girls Love.
The Sub-genres of Yuri are: Romance, Comedy and Drama
The most popular Yuri anime are:
- Bloom into You
- Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid
- Yuru Yuri
- Riddle Story of Devil
- · Citrus
Which Genre Do You Like The Most? Comment!
This is all the information you need to tell apart your favorite anime! I hope you enjoyed the read and that you’ll keep following up with us with the latest news and reviews. Cheers!
