La Mangafique presents: "Anime Species 2"

Hello darlings, remember me? I wouldn’t blame you for having forgotten, but even drama queens like me need a vacation now and then. Though I don’t know if checking up on one’s minions really counts as a vacation. Have you all been well? Entertained by everything on offer during my absence? Ready for fresh doses of my insanity?

Then let’s start with part two of our feature on major anime categories. While the earlier edition dealt with, for lack of a better word, tamer genres within the animeverse, this time we delve into the darker, edgier sides of anime!

Shoujo: Easily one of the more popular categories, Shoujo is a heavyweight in the animeverse and tends to dominate both manga and anime alike. Heavily characterized by multiple bishounen heroes and villains (all of whom fall for the heroine); ugly ducklings turned into maidens fair (usually but not unhappily in distress); romantic settings; obstacles to the lead pair in the form of disapproving parents/grandparents/uncles/aunts; and the couple's best friends who just about lay down their lives to help in the name of true love. The term Shoujo itself translates to ‘young woman/girl’ and denotes the 10 to 18 year age-group this genre caters to. Popular examples include Kaichou Wa Maid Sama, Vampire Knight and Skip Beat. One of the latest to join the genre, Uta no Prince-sama ~Maji Love 1000% is still airing, and has all the girls swooning. Did I mention rabid fan-girls are a special, free part of the package? Be prepared to fight for your favourite guy. Sometimes I wonder what it would take to buy my way into one of these series.

With so many cute guys to choose from, of course there’s going to be a 1000% love!

Shounen: The second heavyweight contender in anime/manga, Shounen encompasses the boys and their toys. Shounen refers to boys ages 10 and over and into the grade school years. Anime/manga in this category is essentially enjoyed for it’s crazy, over the top adventures, typical superhero-like protagonists, and constant battles and challenges that keep one’s adrenalin pumping. Popular hero breeds include ninjas (Naruto), pirates (One Piece) and magicians/wizards/alchemists (Full Metal Alchemist), accompanied by long, ongoing storylines. Another popular example, Bleach has been selling like hotcakes since it’s inception in 2001, and continues to do so till this day with multiple movies and OVAs only fuelling the rabid fandom. Merchandise originates mostly from Shounen manga and anime, with spin-offs providing fans with something to brag about. This lady does not quite understand the craze, not being a teenage boy herself, but will admit to taking some pleasure in some of the less graphic ones.

What do those faces tell you? This is srs bsns!

Josei: Coming onto the more serious genres, Josei - Japanese for 'woman' - is essentially an evolution of the Shoujo genre. Like growing up and dealing with the lesser pleasantries life, Josei doesn’t cloak the ups and downs of reality, bringing together elements enjoyed by mature women into overall realistic storylines. Not as big as Shoujo, but big enough to make an impact, this genre is mostly sought out by those who seek enough emotional baggage to fill an airport. Tears and drama aren’t held back, and if you see a glimpse of your life within the manga you read – well then, that’s the mangaka's intention. Ai Yazawa is a known name in this field with two famous titles, Paradise Kiss and Nana, under her belt. Another classic is Honey and Clover, its characters dealing with the various issues like friendship, love and life as they mature through their college years.

Fashion, the low life, friends, the works.

Seinen: The male counterpart of Josei, Seinen is also about grown up life – with extra large doses of sex, violence, maiming, rape - you name it. Meant for adult males, anime and manga in this category aren’t for those with tender stomachs or fragile minds. Innocent and likable characters suddenly morphing into psychopaths and gore galore are pretty much the order of the day here. Psychological issues are also deftly dealt with - ever constant, ever biting and may leave you reeling more often than not. You have been warned. Popular examples include Monster, Basilisk: Kouga Ninpo Chou, and Death Note.

Caution! That good looking dude is a psychopath.

 
Hentai: I’m sure a number of you just scrolled right down to the bottom for this. Hentai covers, to put it briefly, everything perverted. And I mean everything perverted. Sub genres includes Ecchi, Yaoi, Yuri and tons more. This genre covers anime and manga ranging from brief fan-service (cleavage flashing, and so on and so forth) to full on hardcore sex. It rakes in the most moolah for obvious reasons. Guys may deny it but they watch it, and therefore hentai is the anime equivalent of Playboy (I kid - it can be so much worse!). If you were expecting examples, you have another thing coming.

….I kid. Golden Boy is one such example – and the lady's not telling you why.

Did my pearls of wisdom enlighten your journey into the world of anime? In other words, are you there yet? Do comment with what you thought, and what you’d like to see!

See you next week, with more anime/manga madness!

The Resident Drama Queen

Calyptra Oujo Sama