Anime is a medium, not a genre! That said, within the medium of anime there have arisen several rather unique genres that take on a particular flavor within the medium.
If you’re starting out in the world of Japanese animation, and find the genres on apps like Crunchyroll and HiDive a little less than self-explanatory, then you should take a few minutes to peruse this list of genres to steer you in a direction that matches your taste.
14Iyashikei
A sub-genre of the “Slice of Life” anime genre where not much happens, each episode basically covers the daily lives of the characters. Iyashikei or “healing” anime takes this a little further, and are specifically designed to offer a calming experience in a soothing setting. The pacing is slow, the scenery is nice, an vibing is the main goal rather than a strong plot.
Exampled includeAria the Animation, Natsume’s Book of Friends, and Laid-Back Camp.
13Isekai
Literally “other world” this is one of the tougher genres to describe. The basic premise for any Isekai anime is that the protagonist has been whisked off to another world. So it’s just likeAlice in Wonderlandor the adventures of John Carter in the classic Barsoom novels.
This means thata lotof anime fall into the broad Isekai genre, but the stereotypical (and often infamous) Isekai anime usually involve a character that’s been reincarnated, summoned, or transported to another world along with some fabulous powers that give them an enormous advantage in that world. In many cases, this ends up being a power fantasy, and effectively the junk food of the anime world. Fun and entertaining, but not particularly gripping.
However, there aremanyfantastic anime that fall in this genre, and our friends at Game Rant put together a list of thebest isekai anime of all time.
Personally, I’d recommendOverlord,Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash,Fushigi Yuugi, andNow And Then, Here And There.
12Gekiga
Literally meaning “dramatic pictures” , this is actually a genre of manga rather than anime, but obviously gekiga manga get adapted to anime as well, and so we have gekiga anime.
These are more serious, dark, and adult-focused stories, but that alone isn’t enough to qualify something as gekiga. These stories also tend to have a more “serious” art style, with characters that are proportioned more realistically, and harsher lines and shadows. Anime likeMonsterorParasyte: The Maxim,andGolgo 13are great examples of the genre.
11Kodomomuke
Literally “intended for children”, kodomomuke anime fill the same niche asSesame Streetand are aimed at teaching life lessons and proper behavior in society.
Key examples of kodomomuke includeDoraemon, Hamtaro, Maya the Bee,and the legendaryAstro Boywhich practically started the anime industry.
10Shounen and Shoujo
Possibly the most popular anime genre, these are stories written for teens, but often enjoyed by people of all ages. This is where massive hits likeNaruto, One Piece,andBleachfit in. Usually mildly violent, with some light bawdy content, the characters and stories tend to be positive and hopeful, with plenty of struggles for the character, but ultimately it’s an adventure.
9Seinen and Josei
Like kodomomuke, seinen and josei aren’t really genres per se, but target demographics meant for older men and women, respectively. So, of course, gekiga anime are also seinen or josei anime, but not vice versa.
These stories tend to be more complex and mature, although not necessarily unsuitable or with sensitive content. More drama, more tragedy, more realistic relationships.MonsterandBerserkare popular seinen shows, whileNanaandHoney and Cloverare examples of josei anime.
8Mecha
Possibly one of the most stereotypical anime genres and what many people associate with the medium, mecha anime is actually a rich and varied genre that spans a wide range of stories for all ages.
The one thing all of these shows have in common is giant robots. These range from what are effectively Iron Man-style suits all the way to mechs that are large enough to go toe-to-toe with Godzilla itself.
Within the genre there are several important subgenres and eras of mecha. The most important shift was from the earlier “super robot” phase where giant robots were essentially magic, to a more grounded approach speaheaded byMobile Suit Gundamin 1979. Then we got the mecha-genre deconstruction shows exemplified by my personal, all-time favorite,Neon Genesis Evangelion, and followed by shows likeRahXephonand many others.
Today you’re able to get mecha anime in every subgenre, and often the actual mecha aren’t that central to the plot, but they never fail to beverycool.
7Chūnibyō
This is one of the weirder ones, but aChuunibyo(Chūnibyō) is basically a teenager with delusions of grandeur. Like they believe they have special powers or a special destiny. You know, like if Harry Potter believed he was a wizard, but he was actually just a normal dude.
The real point of most of these shows is to show the awkwardness of being a teen, the cringe, and the pain. Usually quite funny,Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusionsis a good place to start.
6Mahou Shoujo (and Its Deconstruction)
Like mecha anime, “magical girl” anime is one that lots of people are at least aware of. A team of (usually) girls are given magic powers and use them to fight the forces of evil. So it’s a little like “sentai” shows (thinkPower Rangers) but much cuter. The big name here isSailor Moon
Recently, there’s been a trend to deconstruct this genre, in much the way that Evangelion deconstructed mecha anime. So we have gritty and violent shows likePuella Magi Madoka Magica,Yuki Yuna is a Hero, andMagical Girl Raising Projectwhich are dark and violent.
5Guro (Sensitive Content!)
Often thought to mean “gore” but is really “grotesque”,guroanime are all about extreme violence, terror, and disturbing imagery. It’sabsolutely not for sensitive viewersand you can throw it into the same general category as western movies likeSawandHostel. A mild example isElfen Lied(at least in the anime version) and an extreme example would be the classicGenocyber, which I admit to having on my own personal list of favorites, but I really couldn’t recommend that anyone actually watches it. Proceed at your own risk.
