Anime Genres
Looking for something in particular to taste? I've sorted out some genre pages for you all. Some are your pretty standard, universal genres like romance or fantasy. Others are very peculiar to anime, like iyashikei, mecha, or magical girls. Don't be surprised of overlap. Also if genres were too similar or sub-genres that simply didn't have much on my watchlist then I've probably combined them or excluded them (if a work fits somewhere else, it's going in as many categories as possible anyways).
Action
Plays out mainly through a clash of physical forces. Frequently these stories have fast cuts, tough characters making quick decisions and usually a beautiful girl nearby.
Adventure
Exploring new places, environments or situations. This is often associated with people on long journeys to places far away encountering amazing things, usually not in an epic but in a rather gripping and interesting way.
Comedy
Multiple characters and/or events causing hilarious results. These stories are built upon funny characters, situations and events.
Mind-Screw
Pieces that have mind-twisting plots.
Drama
Story that often show life or characters through conflict and emotions. In general, the different parts of the story tend to form a whole that is greater than the sum of the parts. In other words, the story has a message that is bigger than just the story line itself.
Ecchi
Anime that contain a lot of sexual innuendo. The translation of this letter (Ecchi is the letter 'H' in Japanese) is pervert. Ecchi is about panties (pantsu) and bra/breast showing, situations with "sudden nudity" and of course, subtle hints or sexual thoughts. Ecchi does not describe actual sex acts or show any intimate body parts except for bare breasts and buttocks. Ecchi is almost always used for humor.
Fantasy
Works that are set in a mythical world quite different from modern-day Earth. Frequently this world has magic and/or mythical creatures such as dragons and unicorns. These stories are sometimes based on real world legends and myths. Frequently fantasies describe tales featuring magic, brave knights, damsels in distress, and/or quests.
Comedy series focused mainly on jokes, skits, or gags rather than having much of a plot.
Gaming
Series whose central theme is based on a non-violent, non-sports game, like go, chess, trading card games or computer/video games.
Harem / Reverse Harem
Anime that involves one lead male character and many cute/pretty female support characters. Typically, the male lead ends up living with many female support characters within the same household. The lead male typically represents the average guy who is shy, awkward, and girlfriendless. While each female character surround the lead male possesses distinct physical and personality traits, those traits nevertheless represent different stereotypical roles that play on popular Japanese fetishes; i.e. the librarian/genius, tomboy, little sister, and older woman. Reverse harem is just that - one female lead surrounded by many distinctive male characters.
Historical
Plots whose setting is in the past. Frequently these follow historical tales, sagas or facts.
Horror
Works whose focus is to scare the audience.
Iyashikei is Japanese for "healing", a term used for anime and manga created with the specific purpose of having a healing or soothing effect on the audience. Works of this kind often involve alternative realities with little to no conflict, emphasizing nature and the little delights in life. Often overlaps with Slice-of-Life.
Known as mahou shoujo in Japanese, Magical Girls are, often young, girls empowered by various means with fantastic powers that both assist and complicate their lives, but manage to persevere despite this. As far as Japanese media is concerned, the genre with the largest crossover appeal, so you can find these in every other genre.
Martial Arts
Series whose central theme revolves around martial arts or even general hand-to-hand fighting. This includes all hand-to-hand fighting styles, including Karate, Tae-Kwon-Do and even Boxing. Weapons use, like Nunchaku and Shuriken are also indications of this genre. This is a sub-genre of action.
Military and Warfare
An anime series that has a heavy militaristic feel behind it.
Mecha
Anime whose central theme involves mechanical things. This genre is mainly used to point out when there are giant robots. Human size androids are in general not considered "Mecha" but "SciFi".
Music
Works whose central theme revolves around singers/idols or people involved in music.
Mon
Any show centering around creatures that fight for a summoner or trainer of some sort.
Mystery
Anime where characters reveal secrets that may lead a solution for a great mystery. This is not necessarily solving a crime, but can be a realization after a quest.
Psychological
Often when two or more characters prey each others' minds, either by playing deceptive games with the other or by merely trying to demolish the other's mental state. Can also be series that delve deep into other psychological and even philosophical elements.
Romance
Anime whose story is about two people who each want [sometimes unconciously] to win or keep the love of the other.
School
Works set in primarily around a school environment or deal with school life.
Slice of Life
Life, observed and examined. A cast of characters go about their daily lives, making observations and being themselves. School is perhaps the most common setting for these kinds of series, especially in animation. Coming of age is often a major part of their stories.
Sci-Fi
Works where the setting is based on the technology and tools of a scientifically imaginable world. The majority of technologies presented are not available in the present day and therefore the Science is Fiction. This incorporates any possible place (planets, space, underwater, you name it).
Sports
Anime whose central theme revolves around sports, examples are tennis, boxing and basketball.
Supernatural
Anime of the paranormal stature. Demons, vampires, ghosts, undead, etc
Thriller
A thriller is a genre in visual media and literature which focuses on action, fast pacing, tension, and suspense. The conflicts are usually between desperate heroes and powerful antagonists who outmatch them by a large margin. Frequent location changes, time shortage, and Cliffhangers are extremely common.
Yaoi / Shonen-Ai / Bara
Works focused on relationships between two male characters.
Yuri / Shoujo-Ai
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