Episode 211 – Anime Genres

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What makes some of the primary genres you find in anime?  Is it the way the characters walk or talk?  Or is it something more?  We cover the primary genres in anime and what makes them good or bad.

Action/Adventure/Shonen:

  • Typical Traits

    • Primary Hero who is going to save the day

    • Shonen anime often have a theme of the hero gradually becoming stronger throughout the anime.  Progressing from weak to strong and having certain key events that propel them to new heights.

    • Certain systems of measurement that allow the viewer to gauge the strength of different characters (e.g. power level (DBZ), aura level (HxH), rukka (Magi), spirit gun shots (YYH).  In Attack on Titan, we go from new 3d gear to 3d gear, to being a titan, to being an accomplished titan.  Progress of strength.

  • Key Examples

    • Dragon Ball Z, Magi, Yu Yu Hakusho

    • Rurouni Kenshin, S-Cry-Ed, Gurren Lagann,

    • Attack on Titan

  • Clashing?

    • Chiaki: I don’t think Action/Adventure clashes much with other genres as it is very easy to fit comedy, drama, romance, etc into the folds of an action story

  • Peak of Popularity

    • There is no specific time though I would say the 90s had a surplus of shonen shows that fall into this category.

    • Continuation into today with HxH, One Piece, Naruto Shippuden, etc…

Slice of Life:

  • Typical Traits

    • Set in the real world

    • Character is normally JR High – High School age

    • Very minimal, if any fantasy/supernatural/sci-fi elements

  • Key Examples:

    • Hanasaku Iroha

    • My Neighbor the Yamadas

    • Gingitsune

  • Clashing?

    • Chiaki – I think a slice of life fails when it really relies too heavily on a sci-fi or fantasy element to propel the story.  An excellent slice of life should focus on developing, relatable, characters.

  • Peak of Popularity

Fantasy:

  • Typical Traits

    • Same thing you’d find for fantasy as other genres – magic, elves, other worlds

  • Key Examples

    • Escaflowne

    • Record of Lodoss War

  • Clashing?

    • Chiaki: Like Action/Adventure I think most things will fit into the blanket of fantasy if done well.  The only one that is much harder to pull would be sci-fi or mecha.  Escaflowne is the best example of this happening.

  • Peak of Popularity

    • Late 80s early 90s when you had a lot of the shows like Record of Lodoss War, Magic Knight Rayearth or Escaflowne coming out.  People going to other worlds or doing other things.

Horror:

  • Typical Traits

    • More blood/gore present

    • Often times related back to Japanese lore/historical horror

    • Often times overlaps with “psychological” and often isn’t done well in anime.

  • Key Examples

    • Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni

    • Aoi Bungaku

    • Ayakashi Samurai Horror Tales

    • Another

    • Attack on Titan

    • Boogiepop Phantom

  • Clashing?

    • Chiaki:  I think Horror clashes with comedy or romance.  They just ruin the vibe of horror.  Also, nothing will dispell the horror genre more than a nice dose of moe.  Really pull the viewer out of the setting.

  • Peak of Popularity

Mecha:

  • Typical Traits

    • The giant mechas are normally a pretty good tip

    • Pilots are usually little kids

    • Heavy dramatic tension centered around war and the loss of family

  • Key Examples

    • Gundam

    • Macross

  • Clashing?

    • Chiaki: If Macross can have love triangles and galactic songstresses I believe in anything.

  • Peak of Popularity

    • 80s??  Periodically we have a new gundam show but mecha is no longer a popular genre of anime.  Usually it appears in anime just to add flair (e.g. Suisei no Gargantia) but often times isn’t crucial to the story.

Romance/Comedy:

  • Typical Traits

    • Moe/Ditzy/Hopeless girls

    • Normally overlaps with slice of life

    • School setting

    • Normally the main character is female

  • Key Examples

    • Kimi ni Todoke

  • Clashing?

  • Peak of Popularity

Chiaki’s Overall thoughts on clashing::  I DO think clashing exists.  But it’s not a set formula of “this plus this equals this.” In my mind genre clashing is anything that takes away from what the story is.  If you have a serious story and you throw some boob jiggle in it then it’s just less serious.  Or, vice versa.  That’s when I think clashing exists.