Introduction to Anime world

1. What is anime?

Anime (Japanese: アニメ Hepburn: [anʲime]) is a term used to refer to Japanese animated productions featuring hand-drawn or computer animation. The word is the abbreviated pronunciation of "animation" in Japanese, where this term references all animation. In other languages, the term is defined as animation from Japan or as a Japanese-disseminated animation style often characterized by colorful graphics, vibrant characters and fantastic themes. Arguably, the stylization approach to the meaning may open up the possibility of anime produced in countries other than Japan. For simplicity, many Westerners strictly view anime as an animation product from Japan. (Source: Wikipedia)

2. Genres

Action – By far one of the most common genres out there and the name basically explains it all, normally anime based solely on this genre tends to be lacking in substance although exciting due to lack of character development or an underlying story, to resolve this creators of action based anime try to mix in other genres, usually comedy, Adventure or Fantasy. Typical Examples of this Genre are Bleach, One Piece and Freezing.

Adventure – Also another popular genre of Anime, as the same suggests it deals alot with characters moving around and exploring new places, these anime tend to be very long and drawn out but the characters typically have a solid background. The anime itself usually has a well formed story-line but due to the nature of this genre viewers often get bored and annoyed at the slow progression. Overall its a pretty decent anime genre and allows pretty much every other genre to almost seamlessly integrate themselves into it. Common mixtures are: Adventure – Action, Adventure-Historical (due to its uncanny ability to tell a story) and Adventure – Slice of Life. Examples of this Genre are Kino no Tabi, Fullmetal Alchemist, and Pokemon.

Bishounen – This genre is pretty rare in the West but back in japan it has proved to be a successful alley, it deals with a young male whose beauty exceeds gender somewhat and is mostly targeted at the girls and women in japan. This genre often includes a strong sense of homosexuality and has very unique social relationships. It is normally paired with slice of life and examples are Ouran High School Host Club and Fruits Basket.

Comedy – The most predominantly Used Anime genres yet is almost never used on its own, as its name implies deals with usually light humor although it is very easily overdone. This is is usually achieved by the use of Props, Character Designs and the composition of the Japanese Language. Common combinations are Action Comedy’s or Romantic Comedy’s, such as Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, Full Metal Panic and Lucky Star.

Demons (Akuma) – Pretty common genre, deals with evil spirits, demons, witches etc, normally combined with the action (my personal favorite combination (demon + Action) ) or adventure genres. Examples are Inuyasha, Yu Yu Hakusho and Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou.

Drama – Suspenseful, shocking and full of emotion, the Drama anime genre is one of the most appreciated anime Genres, characters and the plot are usually well developed and viewers are very easily swept up with emotion and side with one character or a group of characters, it is usually well paired with Romance as well as Adventure, in fact, the Drama anime genre is very often synonymous with the Romance genre, a few common examples are Darker than Black, Death note and Monster.

Ecchi – This is the PG-13 of anime, although some shows drive it to the extreme where it could be Rated R, it is usually frivolous and lighthearted with the use of implied sexual innuendos. The ecchi genre does now show sexual intercourse nor the Primary Sexual Organs but leaves it up to the viewer’s imagination. This genre is usually used as fan service (due to its popularity among anime lovers alike) and recently the ratio at which anime is created with ecchi related content is drastically increasing. It is often incorporated with the comedy, harem and shounen/seinen genres, examples are Elfen Leid, Freezing, Zero no Tsukaima, Futari Ecchi and Ladies vs Butlers.

Fantasy – Magic worlds, magical powers and monsters, these are the main components that make up fantasy anime. It is usually combined with the adventure, action and history genres. Mythology and folklore is usually the foundation on which this genre is based upon, unfortunately the characters often have very poor backgrounds but the art is almost always breathtaking with unique scenery and magnificent character detail. It is normally paired with the adventure, harem and romance genres, common examples are Fairy Tail, Fullmetal Alchemist and Inuyasha.

Game – As the name says, it basically involves the characters playing some sort of game. (normally card / monster based). It on its own cannot be a genre, it has to accompany another which is normally either Adventure or Psychological. Examples are Yu-Gi-Oh, Duel Masters and Bakugan.

Harem – Almost always accompanied by the comedy or romance genres, Harem is more or less the scenario where the main character is surrounded amorously by three or more members of the opposite sex, usually with the protagonist being a guy. Almost always comical and has a certain degree of love/romance. Anime such as Da Capo, Love Hina and School Days.

Hentai – This is the Rated MA Stuff, basically anime po.rnography, unlike its softer sister ecchi it shows all the sexual organs and well as intercourse. This genre more often than not has no background and poorly developed characters with most of the content being from explicit scenes. Almost always paired with harem with a male protagonist. Examples include bible. black and mistreated bride.

Historical – Anime based on a particular time period, very often the Edo/Tokugawa period in Japan where the shoguns ruled the country (although it can be american based). Characters are often fashioned from well known figures in Japanese past such as commanders and even the shoguns themselves. Almost always paired with the samurai genre. Examples include Rurouni Kenshin, Baccano and Shigurui.

Horror – Despite the name, the horror anime isn’t very scary, instead it implies alot of bloodshed and mutilation, i suppose a better word would have been gruesome. Often used with the Drama, demon or psychological genres. Eg. Mnemosyne and Higurashi no Naku Koro ni.

Josei – A very rare (at least in the west) genre aimed at the adult woman (ages 18-40). They are normally themed about living the life of an ordinary woman although some can be held in a school setting. The animation is very mature and realistic (eg. no sparkly eyes), it tends to focus very realistically on romance, and character relationships. Paradise Kiss, Honey and Clover.

Kids – As the name implies, lighthearted and ‘kiddy’ themes, usually paired with comedy. Characters are normally small and somewhat cute. Digimon, Pokemon.

Love / Romance – This is a relatively popular genre which deals with the detailled creation and progression of the romantic relationship between two characters. Normally paired with comedy and harem it has developed into somewhat an industry on its own with tons of devoted followers due to the inclination for it viewers to form somewhat of a connection between themselves and one or multiple characters. Examples are Love Hina, Ai Yori Aoshiand Clannad.

Magic – Synonymous with superpower but used when referring to a more ‘kiddy’ styled anime. (young girl with magic wand etc.) It can also be used to refer to animes with a ‘realistic’ sense of superpowers such as, results from praying, magic charms etc. Da Capo, Twin Angel.

Martial Arts – Action Packed with the majority of the ‘actiony’ scenes from a form of martial arts such as boxing, kenpo or mixed martial arts. Historys Strongest Disciple Kenshi, Hajime no Ippo.

Mecha – Another action packed anime genre, but with the use of giant robots or Mechas. Often includes space, military and fantasy.Mobile Suit Gundam, Neon Genesis Evangelion.

Military – Where the main character is often in the military or ex-military. Frequent use of military weapons and millitary combat knowledge, involves the action, mecha or adventure genres. Ghost in the Shell, 07-Ghost.

Music – Where the theme of the show encompasses the art of music, either where it is used to express emotion or as a hobby. Usually incorporated with the love/romance genre. NANA , Nodame Cantabile.

Mystery – Anime Genre that keeps the views wondering whats going to happen next, usually involves a chain of unexplained events, where the protagonist tried to solve them. Normally with an above average intellect the protagonist slowly encompasses himself in the mystery and often becomes obsessed with the case. As the story unfolds the dark cloud that shrouded the answers is broken apart piece by piece letting the viewers enjoy a thrilling ride until the end. Common examples are Death Note, Monster and Darker than Black. It is very often mixed with the Psychological and Horror Genre.

Psychological – The genre that continues to never fail in producing anime masterpieces, shows such as Death Note, Monster and Code Geass are all great anime psychlogical pieces. Like mystery it keeps you on the edge of your seat wondering whats next, but there is always an additional twist with the entire series seeming somewhat like a game of chess, one character trying to keep 10 steps ahead of the other. Although it goes hand in hand with the mystery genre, psychological anime tends to leave the viewer guessing till the very last moment about what will happen instead of mystery’s way of slowly revealing truths. Overall, when it comes to an excellent story-line, this is one of the best genres out there.

Samurai – Often (if not always) used with the historical genre with the time frame being centered around the Edo Period in Japan, often has alot of action although the element of drama is also seen due to the time setting. Can be comical i.e Gintama, and Samurai Champloo or follow a more serious mood such as Blade of the Immortal or Rurouni Kenshin.

School – A very common genre on the lighter side of anime, usually incorporates drama, comedy, slice of life and love/romance, typically a middle school – university setting. Anime usually progresses in chronological order (exams, summer break, first day of school etc) and typically incorporates school activities such as running/swimming/basketball etc. The mood of this genre varies a great deal depending on the level of the institution, with the level of maturity of the characters increasing respectively. Common anime which include this are The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Beelzebub, Amagami SS and Great Teacher Onizuka.

Sci-Fi – Very often incorporated with the fantasy, mecha and space genres, typically includes technology that may be possible in the future but currently isn’t, such as teleportation, intergalaxy space flight and advanced civilizations. Also often includes alien creatures and to some extent giant monsters or robots. Examples include Level E, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann and Zoids.

Seinen – Is basically an indicator of an anime aimed at the adult male (ages 18-40). They tend to usually be psychological, sexual and violent while dealing with character development and relationships in a very mature way. Examples are Cowboy Bebop, Futari Ecchiand Rainbow.

Shoujo – Is basically an indicator of an anime aimed at the young female (ages 7-18). They tend to usually be very visual and aimed at telling a particular story, it tends to have a strong focus on romance, relationships and character development. Nana, Lovely Complex,Kare Kano and Vampire Knight.

Shoujo-ai – Relates to lesbian romance and relationships, is less graphic than Yuri(its more explicit counterpart). It tends to focus on romance, relationships and character development. Candy Boy, Simoun, Ga-Rei: Zero.

Shounen -Is basically an indicator of an anime aimed at the young male (ages 7-18). They tend to be incorporated with the harem, mecha and martial arts genres, it tends to have a strong focus conflict resolution via fighting (with superpowers or giant robots). Usually with and indecisive protagonist surrounded by a large quantity of beautiful women normally fighting for his attention.Examples of this genre are Chobits, Bleach and Bamboo Blade.

Shounen-ai – Relates to the sexual relationship between two males but is less graphic than Yaoi(its more explicit counterpart). It tends to focus on romance, relationships and character development. Junjou Romantic, Sekaiichi Hatsukoi, Uragiri wa Boku no Namae wo Shitteriu.

Slice Of Life – Basically implies the use of mundane realism in expressing everyday life. Usually mixed with the romance, school and josei genres. Examples are Kino no Tabi, School Rumble and Ai Yori Aoshi.

Space – Often incorporated with Sci-Fi and fantasy genres, and usually implies there is alot of space travel or a large amount of the show’s setting is on a space colony, or in a spacecraft eg. Planetes, Cowboy Bebop and Mobile Suit Gundam.

Sports – Often used with the School and action genre, and simply involves alot of sports where to protagonist is either incredibly gifted or extremely bad where he has to work throughout the anime to become better at it. examples include Major s1, Hajime no Ippo, and Prince of Tennis.

Super Power – Action or Adventure Based where the protagonist has variety of super powers (super speed, strength, etc). Dragonball Z, Naruto.

Supernatural – Has to do with, spirits, demons and other supernatural entities, different from the magic genre as it includes more out of the ordinary characteristics such as aliens, time travel and ESPers. Natsume Yuujinchou San and Ao no Excorsist.

Vampire – As the name states, deals with vampires, it by default is a subcategory of the Supernatural genre but has risen in popularity to the point where it became its own genre. Common shows include Hellsing, Rosario + Vampire, Trinity Blood and Blood +.

Yaoi – More explicit variation of Shounen-ai (male x male)

Yuri- More explicit variation of Shojo-ai (girl x girl)

(Source: AniRecs.com)

Blu-ray: it is not really a genres in anime content, it refers to graphic. Blu-ray anime have better graphic quality compared to DVD version. It also doesn't have censor in sensitive scenes. (Updated on 23/4/2015)

3. Some common terms

- Anime music video: Often abbreviated AMV, video clips from at least one anime series arranged to fit a musical piece playing in the background.

- Baka (馬鹿, ばか, or バカ): means "idiot", "stupid", "absurd", or (as an adjectival noun) "foolish" and is the most frequently used pejorative term in the Japanese language.

- Bishōjo (美少女): Literally, "pretty girl". Often refers to any young, attractive woman, but also used to imply sexual availability (as in "bishōjo games").

- Bishōnen (美少年): "Beautiful boy"—Japanese aesthetic concept of the ideally beautiful young man. Androgynous, effeminate or gender ambiguous. In Japan it refers to youth with such characteristics, but in the west has become a generic term for attractively androgynous males of all ages.

- Boys' Love (ボーイズラブ Bōizu Rabu): male homosexual content aimed at women, current, generally used in Japan to cover yaoi and shōnen-ai.

- Catgirl (猫娘 Nekomusume): A female character with cat ears and a cat tail, but an otherwise human body. These characters often have feline habits, claw-like nails, and occasionally show fangs. Emotional expressions are also feline in nature, such as an exaggerated fur-standing-on-end when startled. These characteristics are also sometimes used on guys as well as in the case of the characters of Loveless, Kyo Sohma of Fruits Basket, and Ikuto Tsukiyomi of Shugo Chara!.

- Chibi (チビ,ちび): Japanese word meaning "shorty" or "little one". Chibi characters are generally drawn in such a way that they look cute. Due to Sailor Moon and mistranslation, in the U.S. it is sometimes used to mean super deformed.

- Comiket (コミケット Comiketto): Comics Market (コミックマーケット Komikku Māketto)—World's largest comic convention held semi-annually in Tokyo, Japan for producers and fans of Dōjinshi (see the franchise Comic Party).

- Dōjinshi (同人誌): An amateurly produced work. A common misconception is that dōjinshi are fanmade (i.e. parody or fan fiction) or manga, but this is not necessarily the case.

- Ecchi (エッチ ecchi): The Japanese pronunciation of the letter "H". It represents the first letter in the word "Hentai" and can refer to anything ranging between mildly erotic manga and anime to unwarranted sexual behavior. In Europe and North America, it is mostly used for soft erotic productions while "hentai" is used for pornographic productions.

- Eroge (エロゲー): An eroge (エロゲー erogē), a portmanteau of erotic game (エロチックゲーム erochikku gēmu), is a Japanese video or computer game that features erotic content, usually in the form of anime-style artwork. Not to be confused with Galge. Eroge originated from Galge that added Adult content rated 18+.

- Fan fiction (ファン フィクション fan fikushon): A general story written by fans of media, including anime. Story or piece of fiction written by fans of a production.

- Fan service (ファンサービス Fan Sābisu): Elements specifically included to sexually amuse (such as scantily-clad and/or naked males or females, or ecchi content) or titillate the audience that are either necessary or unnecessary to plot development.

- Fandub: Short for fan-dubbed—A film or video in which fans have translated and voiced over the dialogue into another language.

- Fansub: Short for fan-subtitled—A film or video in which fans have translated and subtitled the dialogue into another language.

- Fujoshi (腐女子): A female yaoi (やおい) fan; "rotten woman".

- Gakuran (学ラン): A uniform made for middle school and high school boys in Japan. The gakuran was derived from Prussian army uniforms.

- Gei (ゲイ): Transliteration of gay.

- Gothicana: A serenade, with Gothic traits, such as black rose petals/ all attending wearing predominately black.

- Gothloli (ゴスロリ Gosurori): Gothic Lolita—A fashion trend where girls and young women dress in the style of elaborate porcelain dolls. Usually is a mix of gothic and 19th century dress, but some of them are very colorful, and other do not use 19th century European clothing. For example Kurumi Tokisaki who wears a dress with crimson and black frills, giving her the appearance of an Gothic Lolita. Or like Kuroneko of Oreimo.

- Harem (ハーレムもの hāremumono): an ambiguously-defined subgenre of anime and manga characterized by a protagonist surrounded, usually amorously, by three or more members of the opposing sex and/or love interests. Male-oriented harems are the most common.

- Hentai (変態, ヘンタイ): "Abnormal" or "perverted". Used by Western audiences to refer to sexually explicit or pornographic anime and manga. However, in Japan the term used to refer to the same material is typically Poruno or Ero. Hentai is a popular subject in fan fictions and fan art.

- Josei (女性): Lit. "Woman"; Anime and Manga intended for the adult female demographic.

- Lemon (レモン Remon): derived from the hentai anthology series Cream Lemon (くりいむレモン Kurīmu Remon). Material with explicit sexual content (not to be confused with the slang term for Lesbian in some English speaking cultures).

- Lolicon (ロリコン rorikon): Portmanteau for "lolita complex". A genre of manga and anime wherein childlike female characters are depicted in an erotic manner. In Japan it is also a slang term for "pedophile".

- Manga (漫画, マンガ): Japanese comics. Or conforming to "manga style", usually marked by features such as large eyes, long limbs, speed lines and exclamatory typography.

- Mangaka (漫画家, マンガ家): Creator of the manga. Mangakas are often the writers and illustrators of the work.

- Mecha (メカ meka): Abbreviation for "mechanical". In Japan, that word is used for all kinds of machines. In Western countries, it applies mainly to anime and manga focusing on piloted combat robots. Divided into two subgenres: super robots (the mecha have unrealistic powers, and the focus is more on the fighting and robots themselves) and real robots (more realistic, with more drama and focus on the humans). The word "mecha" can also be used to refer the robots themselves.

- Meganekko (眼鏡っ娘)A female character who wears glasses. Male characters sporting glasses are called megane.

- Moe (萌え)Generally used for female characters, though it can refer to effeminate males in some instances. Something or someone that is considered moe is generally considered to be endearing, innocent, and naive, while taking on some of the emotional qualities of adolescence generally meant to invoke a paternal feeling of protectiveness and sympathy within the viewer. The most literal translation of the word into languages other than Japanese is "fetish", though the concept of moe does not necessarily have a direct correlation to sexual preferences, and often refers to works of a non-sexual nature. It can also be used to modify other words or concepts, such as meganekko-moe ("glasses-girl" moe), referring to a character who both wears glasses and has the qualities of moe.

- Okama (オカマ): Literally cooking pot. A man who crossdresses, wears makeup, talks like a woman, etc. Could be of any sexual orientation.

- Omake (おまけ, オマケ): Some kind of add-on bonus on an anime DVD, like a regular "extra" on western DVDs. May also be a bonus strip at the end of a manga chapter or volume.

- Onee-chan (お姉ちゃん): Older sister, with "onee" meaning older sister and "-chan" being an affectionate suffix. The beginning "o" is a respectful honorific.

- Onee-sama (お姉さま): Older sister, with "onee" meaning older sister and "-sama" being a respectful suffix. The beginning "o" is another respectful honorific.

- Onii-chan (お兄ちゃん): Older brother, with "onii" meaning older brother and "-chan" being an affectionate suffix. The beginning "o" is a respectful honorific.

- Onii-sama (お兄さま): Older brother, with "onii" meaning older brother and "-sama" being a respectful suffix. The beginning "o" is another respectful honorific.(similar to Onii-san).

- Otaku (おたく, オタク, ヲタク): The literal translation of the word is your house, but in Japanese slang, this refers to somebody who has an obsession with anime. The person in question is usually assumed to be a neet, or shut-in, and are often characterized by antisocial tendencies, and intense attraction to anime characters, or "2D girls".

- OVA: Original Video Animation, or OVA is a type of anime, which is intended to be distributed on VHS tapes or DVDs, and not to show in movies, or television. It can also less frequently be referred to as OAV, or Original Animated Video.

- Oyaji (親父, おやじ, オヤジ): "Daddy"—Older male such as a teacher or other role model. Often slightly perverted, but usually portrayed affectionately. Can also be used as "pops" or "old man" (as in father).

- Raw: Anime episode or manga scans in its original language without editing or subtitles.

- Scanlation (also "scanslation"): the scanning, translation and editing of comics from one language into another.

- Seinen (青年): Anime and manga intended for the adult male demographic.

- Seiyū (声優): Japanese voice actor. As well as voicing characters in anime, seiyū do the voicing for video games, radio shows, drama CDs, etc.

- Seme (攻め): "Dominant" partner in Boys Love.

- Shōjo (少女): Lit. "Young woman". Anime and manga intended for the adolescent to teenage female demographic.

- Shōjo-ai (少女愛): coined following the form of shōnen-ai, denoting lesbian content, typically for material without explicit sex. In Japan, the term shōjo-ai is not used with this meaning, and instead tends to denote ephebophilia.

- Shōnen (少年): Lit. "Young man". Anime and manga intended for the adolescent to teenage male demographic.

- Shōnen-ai (少年愛): A term denoting male homosexual content in women's media, although this usage is obsolete in Japan. English-speakers frequently use it for material without explicit sex, in anime, manga, and related fan fiction. In Japan, it denotes ephebophilia.

- Shotacon (ショタコン shotakon): A genre of manga and anime wherein childlike male characters are depicted in an erotic manner.

- Sub (字幕 jimaku): Origination from subtitle, when an anime is kept in its original language, but has subtitles.

- Tsundere (ツンデレ): A character personality who's usually stern, cold and/or hostile to the person they like, while occasionally letting slip their warm and loving feelings they're hiding inside due to being shy, nervous, insecure or just can't help acting badly in front of the person they like. Such as spending a lot of time and effort to make their crush's favorite lunch, but when giving it to them saying something like "I made too much and it'd be a waste to throw it away so here! And it's not because I really like you or wanted to make your favorite meal just to see you smile." For example, Liliana Kranjcar from the manga Campione! tells Godou repeatedly that she's only serving him as his knight yet does or suggest things only a girlfriend would do. Such as making lunches for him, resolving an argument on whether Erica or Yuri should heal him or provide information on a god (through kissing) by saying she'll be the one to do it, and using figurative terms usually used to denote marriage to describe their relationship to others.

- Uke (受け): "Passive" partner in Boys Love.

- Yandere (ヤンデレ): A Japanese term for a person who is initially very cheerful, kind, loving, caring, and gentle to someone (or at least innocent) they really, truly like and care about a lot until their purely intense romantic love, admiration, and devotion becomes feisty, stubborn, bossy and mentally destructive in nature, usually, but not always through either overprotectiveness, violence, brutality or all three.

- Yankii (ヤンキー): Since the late 1970s, the term Yankī has been used to refer to a type of delinquent youth. Yankī—a subculture popularized in Japan consists of secondary school delinquents who attained notoriety due to violent and reckless behavior. They are characterized by punch perms or pompadours, shaved eyebrows, bleach blonde hair and altered school uniforms. Although a unisex term that can apply to both men and women, it is more commonly applied to men.

- Yaoi (やおい): Japanese acronym for "yama nashi, ochi nashi, imi nashi" (no climax, no point, no meaning). Also known as boys love. Sometimes male-on-male sexual content; usually created by women for women.

- Yuri (百合): Lit. "Lily". Jargon term for lesbian content or girl love. In Japan, the term denotes a broad spectrum of attraction between women. It is also used for sexually explicit content outside of Japan. It is used like the term "yaoi" for men.

(Source: Wikipedia)

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