A wise woman (ahem, me) once said, ‘You will never forget your first-ever anime, no matter how good or bad it was.’ The anime world can be daunting, mysterious and even overwhelming for the anime beginners out there. Today, I want to explain some anime vocab and make it easier for you to choose your first-ever anime! Let’s start!
What is shoujo and shounen anime?
Shoujo literally translates to ‘girl’ and shounen to ‘boy’. Typically, shoujo animes are targeted towards girls aged 8 to 18, and the common theme seen in these animes is romance, fantasy and social relationships. Quite cute, actually (Kawaii style!). You would see a lot of tall anime guys with the tsundere (I’ll explain that next) personality and common masculine features.
My recommendations for starters
Bloom Into You (This one’s girl love, where the main female characters are part of the queer community)
Kaichou Wa Maid-Sama! (This one’s great for all you tsundere lovers)
Your Lie In April (Beware, sit with a box of tissues. This one’s a rollercoaster of emotions)
I Want To Let You Know That I Love You (All about first love! And about how awkward it can be)
Yona Of The Dawn (medieval setting, character development, what else could you want?)
Shounen anime are targeted towards boys aged 8 to 18, and common themes circulate action, science fiction and adventure. This is where you’ll see more of the cute anime girls with long hair and big eyes. Fanservice is quite common in these animes, but there are quite a few shows that have little to none.
My recommendations for Shounen anime:
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (need I explain more? You would probably need a box of tissues for this one too)
One Piece (It’s huge, with over 900 episodes, but you can skip the filler arcs! Definitely worth the watch!
Shingeki no Kyojin (Also known as Attack on Titan. Not recommended for the fainthearted; this one’s gory and bloody, someone or something is killed almost every episode)
Haikyuu!! (I personally love it so much! It’s a sports anime and a lot of character development takes place, and will definitely have you hooked on from the first episode itself!)
Boku no Hero Academia (Set in a hero world, with a lot of character development as well! An amazing starter anime that I seriously recommend!)
Just because Shoujo and shounen are targeted towards a particular gender does not mean that it’s just for girls or boys! A lot of shows incorporate both styles to suit a bigger audience, and many people prefer the opposite style of anime.
What is seinen and josei anime?
Seinen and josei are basically the grown-up versions of shounen and shoujo. Seinen is marketed towards young adult boys and has darker themes and the plots tend to be a lot more complex, as it is mainly for older teens and men in their twenties. Careful for all those who get scared easily – seinen anime does have its fair share of horror and gore elements. There is some serious action in these animes and is not for the faint-hearted. Sadly, seinen animes aren’t usually mainstream. Shounen gets major public attention, and while a few of seinen are into mainstream anime, it still isn’t adequately represented.
My recommendations:
Death note (warning: a lot of death)
Hellsing Ultimate (there are vampires in this one, so it’s perfect for all those who love the supernatural!)
Berserk (this one is pretty long and has its fair share of gore)
Space Brothers (this one is a little bit more realistic and grounded than the others)
March Comes In Like A Lion (this one’s big on mental health and character growth and development)
Josei anime is targeted towards young adult girls and themes tend to revolve around sisterhood, romance in the workplace, raising children or pets, pastimes and hobbies, and more. The main aspect that separates josei anime from shoujo is that josei anime depicts a lot more real-life problems and situations and their consequences. Again, like seinen, josei animes are overshadowed by shoujo anime and should be depicted in mainstream media a lot better.
My Recommendations:
Yuri on Ice (for all the ice-skating fans out there! One of my personal favourites. Also has boy love elements)
Usagi Drop (Bunny Drop) (single father raising his one and only daughter? Yes, please! This one will get you emotional, so have a box of tissues around)- Usagi Drop (Bunny Drop) (single father raising his one and only daughter? Yes, please! This one will get you emotional, so have a box of tissues around)
Nana (one of the few animes that portray relationships, heartbreaks and friendships realistically)
Ristorante Paradiso (buckle in! this one has plot twists and takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions!)
Nodame Cantabile (romance and music – the perfect pairing!)
Tsundere and Yandere characters:
Tsundere characters are those who have a cold and standoff-ish personality, which later changes to be gentle and sweet. In anime, it’s usually the female characters who are tsundere, but there are quite many male characters who have this kind of personality. Yandere characters, on the other hand, have a strong love towards another character, which often becomes toxic and destructive. Often, with yandere characters, you would see violence, possessiveness, extreme over-protectiveness, and stalking.
Dubs vs Subs:
For all those who do not know what these are, dubbing is basically a voiceover in a different language and subbing is subtitles with the original audio. Subtitles do require fast readers, as you need to look at the scene and read the text in a matter of a few seconds, but a lot of people can manage easily. For beginners, the dubbing may be best, but I personally do think it takes something away from the authentic experience. Of course, the authentic experience is when you can watch an anime without the need for subtitles or dubbing, but I do think that subs better than dubs.
Author’s note:
The world of anime is huge. Finding the right anime to start with can be a daunting and tedious task, even without knowing the different genres, so I hope the different animes in this article has helped you a little! Everyone’s taste is different and you should continue to experiment with different shows until you find the right genre for you! Happy watching!