Breaking Down The Main Anime Genres
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It is no secret that anime and manga have taken the West by storm over the last few years. While anime was huge here in the 90s and early to mid-2000s, it had seemed to drop off in popularity. The Covid-19 pandemic saw many people have more time on their hands, and it saw the boom of TikTok which is a platform that many anime fans have joined looking for other anime fans to connect with. Thanks to these factors and the fact that new anime is just better than it has been over the last decade, there are a lot of new anime fans. As anime continues to grow in popularity here in the West, it can get difficult to understand the different anime genres,
especially if you are talking with a seasoned anime fan who uses words like “shoujo” or “shounen.” While anime is broken down into genres such as romance, fantasy, horror, and action, it is typically labeled with a different genre first. This genre lets people know what age group the anime or manga is intended for and then it will be categorized by one of the more common genres I listed above. In the past, there were five main categories of anime: shoujo, shounen, seinen, josei, and kodomomuke. Josei and kodomomuke are no longer widely used genres, so for this list, I will be breaking down the modern big five genres that are listed on most streaming services.
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Shounen
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Shounen, or Shonen, is by far the most widely known anime genre as it contains many of the most popular anime series. It is also the oldest genre of anime and manga. This genre is content that was created for young male audiences typically in the 12-18 years old age range. They are typically defined by their action sequences, character growth, rivalry-focused plots, and a clear good vs evil format. Modern anime series have begun to change these characteristics though and are creating a new age of Shounen content.
Popular Examples: Dragon Ball, Naruto, One Piece, Chainsaw Man, Fire Force, and My Hero Academia.
Shoujo
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Shoujo, or Shojo, is the second most widely known genre, and that is because it is the exact opposite of the Shounen genre. This genre is content that was created for young female audiences and focuses on themes like friendship, romance, and character growth. The leads in this genre of content are typically young women who are forced to navigate their emotions and difficult situations. This genre has been growing in popularity recently as more anime creators and mangakas have begun to push the boundaries of this genre.
Popular Examples: Sailor Moon, Fruits Basket, The Apothecary Diaries, Yona of the Dawn, My Happy Marriage, and Nana.
Seinen
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Seinen is by far the least well-known genre on this list, and that is because it was considered more taboo than the other genres. This genre is content that was created for adult male audiences and makes sure that its content reflects that. The genre typically features stories similar to those in Shounen anime and manga, but the focus is on the violence, psychological impact on the characters, and overall darker themes rather than on battles and supernatural power-ups. The protagonists are also typically a bit older than those in the other genres.
Popular Examples: Vinland Saga, Tokyo Ghoul, Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid, Classroom of the Elite, Bungo Stray Dogs, and Kaguya-sama: Love is War.
If you are thinking to yourself that many of the anime you love could fit into multiple of the above genres then you’re not alone. Since these genres are focused on audience demographics and not content alone there are plenty of hybrid anime and manga that fall somewhere in the middle. The last two genres that I am including are two of the newest ways that streaming services have begun to categorize content on their platforms. They are focused on content rather than audience demographics, so they can be a bit easier to navigate.
Isekai
The word isekai directly translates to “other world” or “differently world” which is exactly what this genre is. Every anime included within this genre features at least one character who is transported to a different world. Typically, this is a fantasy-style world with magic and fictional creatures, but there are a few where the character or characters are transported to another version of the real world. There are also a few anime in this genre where the character is reincarnated into a different world. The most common trope within this genre is a weak protagonist who gains incredible skills once they are transported/reincarnated where they get a chance to be the hero of the story.
Popular Examples: Suicide Squad Isekai, Farming Life in Another World, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, Sword Art Online, and Re:Zero.
Slice Of Life
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Slice of Life is one of my favorite genres of anime because anime within this genre are typically comfort animes. Every anime in this genre follows the “mundane” life of the main character or core group of characters. Mundane life is subjective because when these are set in fantasy worlds their version of mundane is pretty different from ours. The protagonists in these anime are typically working towards a goal or working on a relationship which could be platonic or romantic.
Popular Examples: My Dress Up Darling, OKITSURA: Fell in Love with an Okinawan Girl, but I Just Wish I Know What She’s Saying, BOCCHI THE ROCK!, Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You A Wizard?!, Call of the Night, and Jellyfish Can’t Swim at Night.
While the anime mentioned in this article are spread across streaming platforms they are all available for streaming.
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Top 5 Horror Anime
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Anime popularity has boomed over the last few years thanks to TikTok spreading the word about lesser-known series and so many new and incredible series. Most anime conversations revolve around series like Dragon Ball, Naruto, My Hero Academia, and One Piece, while the horror subgenre of anime is almost completely absent. However, series like Chainsaw Man, Demon Slayer, and Jujutsu Kaisen have helped the subgenre to get a little bit more attention, and still, there are so many incredible series that are completely missed. Let’s take a look at five of the best horror anime series currently available to stream.
Quick Note: Horror anime can be incredibly difficult to find, so I only included ones that you can find on streaming platforms. It also should be noted that horror anime can be incredibly graphic, so please check the synopsis before watching!
5. Zom 100: Bucket List Of The Dead (2023)
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Zom 100 is one of my favorite anime series of all time, and the only reason it isn’t number one on this list is that I do believe that there are some better horror anime series. This show follows Akira Tendô as he navigates the zombie apocalypse. While this might sound just like every other zombie apocalypse film/show, it really isn’t. Not only do the creators of the show use bright colors rather than the darker colors we are used to, but the overall tone of the show is actually really upbeat and happy. Akira is ecstatic that there has been a zombie apocalypse and spends his time creating a bucket list of things he wants to do before he becomes a zombie.
Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead is available to stream on Crunchyroll in both Japanese and English.
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4. Higurashi: When They Cry- GOU (2020-2021)
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I want to be completely transparent when I say that this show is not for the faint of heart. I have never seen a show with so much blood, and while I love this show, it does not have a ton of rewatchability because of how bleak it is by the end. There are also multiple different versions of the show that have been coming out since 2006, but if you watch the series labeled “GOU” then you will have the most book-accurate and most recent version of the show. The series follows Keiichi, who has just moved to the quiet village of Hinamizawa. He makes friends quickly but can’t kick an overwhelming sense of dread.
Higurashi: When They Cry- GOU is available to stream on Crunchyroll in both Japanese and English.
3. Erased (2016)
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Erased is the least gory series on this list, so if you want a horror anime with minimal blood, then this one's for you! The show follows a struggling manga artist named Satoru who is struggling to make a name for himself. He is also living with an ability that no one knows about – he is forced to travel back in time to the moment right before a life-threatening event occurs. He can only stop this if the source of the threat is erased. This show is amazing and keeps you on the edge of your seat until the conclusion.
Erased is available to stream on Crunchyroll in Japanese and on Hulu in English.
2. Another (2012)
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This was one of the most interesting horror anime series I have ever watched. The show follows a high school student named Kouichi who has just moved to Yomiyama to live with his grandparents. He is quickly hospitalized, and when he finally makes it to his new school, he learns that his class and the school have been hiding a dark secret since the spring of 1998. This show is perfectly paced, and it kept me guessing until the final twist, which is really rare.
Another is available to stream on Crunchyroll in Japanese.
1. King’s Game (2017)
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King’s Game is another series that is incredibly graphic with its violence, so make sure that you go into it prepared. I loved this show, and while I hated the ending, it is definitely the most original horror series I have ever seen. The show follows Kanazawa, who has just transferred to a new high school after a horrible event took place at his last one. Unfortunately, tragedy has followed him, and soon he and his classmates are getting text messages from “The King”. Each message includes a command that is designated to specific students. If the students do not do what they are told, then they will suffer a punishment. The commands and the punishments continue to get worse as the show goes on, and the students race against time to discover the true identity of The King.
King’s Game is available to stream on Crunchyroll in English.
Honorable Mentions: Junji Ito’s Collection & Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre (2018 & 2023)
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I don’t usually include honorable mentions in my list, but I had to for this one. Junji Ito is a mangaka known as the master of Japanese horror. Most recently, his manga, Uzumaki was turned into an anime that ran on Adult Swim. Both Netflix and Crunchyroll have created anime series that are collections of some of his scariest stories. If you love horror, then you definitely need to check out these collections!
Collection is available to stream on Crunchyroll, and Tales of the Macabre is available to stream on Netflix, and both have a dub. You can also stream Uzumaki on Max.
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