Summary

Anime genres are diverse and can be confusing, but understanding the intended audience helps set expectations. Shonen targets young boys, Shojo targets young girls, Seinen targets young adult men, Josei targets young adult women, and Kodomuke targets children. Action, adventure, and fantasy are popular genres in anime, often merged together in series like Attack on Titan and Demon Slayer. Subgenres like Mecha, Isekai, and Superhero also thrive within this genre. There are relaxed and informative genres in anime, such as slice-of-life and iyashikei. Informative subgenres can focus on music, culinary, or sports. Comedy is also a prevalent genre that entertains lightheartedly.

Long-time anime fans tend to know the ins and outs of the various genres and subgenres. Yet, at the same time, no matter how long you’ve been around, it can still get convoluted and complex to navigate for the fandom, let alone those new to it. This is further complicated by the number of cross-overs of themes in many of the most popular anime series; looking at something like Demon Slayer mixing action, fantasy, and historical can confuse one on how to approach the anime when explaining it to someone.

To help simplify your understanding of anime types or maybe brush up on terminology for existing fans, we will closely examine the various genres and subgenres in the medium while highlighting some great titles to check out in each.

Defining Anime by its Audience

One significant difference you will find in anime versus Western animation is how the terminology around the intended age of the audience shapes the genre. While we have a rating system, and some media are marketed more to one gender than the other, the West does not have the same terminology to define its audience clearly. This is important in approaching Anime as these terms will also give you an expectation of what you can expect, i.e., Shonen is less likely to deal with mature themes and more likely to be action-heavy.

Shonen is arguably the most popular genre, and while aimed at a younger audience, it also draws a mature one. Kodomuke is also popular, especially when it comes to marketing (Pokémon and Hello Kitty are globally recognized). Shojo has one of the most dedicated fanbases you will find. Seinen and Josei are generally more niche but still attract a substantial viewership with those looking for more mature stories that take place away from a high school setting or at least deal with coming-of-age elements in a complex manner.

Shounen/Shonen: Targeted for young teen boys. This would include Naruto, Attack on Titan, One Peace, Demon Slayer, and Dragon Ball Z. Shoujo/Shojo: Targeted at young teen girls. This would include Cardcaptor Sakura, Ouran Koukou Host Club, Fruits Basket, and My Love Story!!. Seinen: Targeted at young adult men. This would include Berserk, Vinland Saga, Erased, Oshi No Ko, and Netflix’s recent Pluto. Josei: Targeted at young adult women. This would include Mushi-Shi, Paradise Kiss, Nana, and Yuri!!! on Ice. Kodomuke: Targeted for children. This would include Doraemon, Hamtaro, Hello Kitty and Friends, and Pokémon.

Action, Adventure, and Fantasy Anime

Action, adventure, and fantasy are all elements that make for the most popular anime series of all time, with titles such as Attack on Titan and Demon Slayer merging the three elements (hence including them together here). This genre is generally where the franchises thrive the most and make their way into the collective conscience through a rabid fandom who dress the part of their favorite shows. Under this banner, there are many subgenres, some of which are more prominent than others. Three of the more popular subgenres include Mecha, Isekai, and Superhero.

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Mecha anime dates back to the ’60s, with the popular ’50s manga series Tetsujin 28-go becoming an anime adaptation in 1963 (known as Gigantor in the West). Still, the genre’s popularity was cemented with the Mobile Suit Gundam series in the ’70s and made even more iconic with titles like Neon Genesis Evangelion and Code Geass.

Isekai reveals a character being reborn in some capacity, though almost always into an alternative world with a heavy fantasy narrative. This genre is also very popular thanks to titles like That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime and Sword Art Online.

Superhero is a genre that has always been present, but its relevance has indeed skyrocketed thanks to titles like One-Punch Man and My Hero Academia. At the same time, the genre is perhaps best known for early standouts like Sailor Moon and Astro Boy, which have been widely recognized even by those who don’t watch anime.

Death Game: A team or individual is forced to survive a ‘game.’ Notable entries include Danganronpa: The Animation, Deadman Wonderland, and Btooom! Martial Arts: Boxing, grappling, and MMA. Notable entries include Fist of the North Star, Grappler Baki, and Hajime No Ippo. Sci-fi: Less popular than fantasy, there are still notable Sci-fi anime, including Cowboy Bebop and Ghost in the Shell. Samurai/Historical: primarily taking place around Japan’s Edo period and focusing on samurai or ninjas. Notable titles include Rurouni Kenshin and House of the Five Leaves.

Relaxed and Informative Anime

At the opposite end of the spectrum, there is anime meant to move at a slower pace. These genres have their cult followings, and while they can use aspects of comedy and light action, they are generally meant to be a more casual or informative watching experience.

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Slice-of-life is meant to capture a place and time in a character’s life; the stories generally don’t stick to a significant plot or have a clear ending. Some notable titles include Spice and Wolf and Your Lie in April. Iyashikei is, essentially, a more relaxed form of slice-of-life. This includes titles like Slow Loop and Laid-Back Camp.

On the more informative side, specific subgenres can touch on other elements by taking a more practical approach to exploring their subject. This can come via music, culinary, or even sports. For music, notable titles include Carol and Tuesday and K-ON!, for culinary, titles like Silver Spoon and Ristorante Paradiso are significant. Sports anime can undoubtedly be more explosive and fall under the action genre, but some series tackle less volatile sports with a general love for the game; this includes titles like Yoamushi Pedal and Hanebado!

We will also sneak in the comedy here, given it goes hand in hand with many genres, but its general intent is to entertain lightheartedly. Some of the most beloved comedy series include Gintama, KonoSuba and The Devil Is a Part-Timer!

Romance Anime

Like anything that falls under the banner of ‘romance,’ there are broad interpretations and different approaches to the subject. While high school relationships are common in anime, mixing up the genre with historical or gothic elements is also prevalent. Notable anime romance titles include Your Name (or all of Makoto Shinkai’s work, for that matter), Toradora!, and the original Fruits Basket. You can also break down the romance genre further by looking at the types of relationships explored.

Yaoi: Romance between boys/men. Popular anime include Given and Sasaki and Miyano. Yuri: Romance between girls/women. Notable titles include Bloom Into You and Aoi Hana. Harem: Boy surrounded by girls. This includes titles like High School DxD and Date A Live. Reverse Harem: Girl surrounded by boys. Titles worth checking out include Ouran High School Host Club and Romantic Killer.

Adult Anime

While most anime is aimed at a younger audience, or those young at heart, there are specific series that are best kept for adults. Horror is predominantly targeted at adults despite the fact there is some crossover with other genres like action and fantasy (there are plenty of horror titles that still fall under the Shonen banner.) However, titles like Another, Berserk, Highschool of the Dead, Corpse Party, and Elfen Lied have aspects that will not make the work accessible to all audiences.

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Psychological anime is not necessarily graphic, but its subject is meant for a mature audience and tends to thrive in adult themes through deeper social issues or personal struggles. The Satoshi Kon film Perfect Blue is perhaps the perfect example, dealing with murder, mental health, and the perils of stardom. Other popular series in the genre include Monster, Parasyte, Serial Experiments Lain, and Steins;Gate.

Finally, we would be amiss without briefly mentioning erotic content. Hentai has explicitly erotic and pornographic content; there are many subgenres within this one. Ecchi is slightly more accessible as it has sexual content but is not explicit; popular titles in this genre include Prison School, No Game No Life, and Nisemonogatari.

When navigating the world of anime, remember that so many of these cross over with one another. Thankfully, you can check out plenty of lists, from the best horror anime to thrill you or to fall for characters finding love. There is much out there for you to discover once you know what you are looking for.