The basic types of manga cover much of what the western world has already offered, like drama, science fiction, fantasy, and the like. However, manga and anime have many unique styles exclusive to them that do not actually exist elsewhere. That is their legacy.
Just like in music, you should be able to pick the difference between post hardcore and death metal. With manga, you should also learn how to categorize if you want to be a serious anime reviewer. While everyone can pretty much assume what is classified as romance or action, obscure knowledge of anime can make you confused in terms of labeling the movie or series you are watching.
Those with robots are technically called mecha. Short for mechanical, this category resides in an alt universe where all robots exist. Well, they might not be super huge, they can be little machines compressed to make a large one, but as long they can have human pilots, then they fall under mecha.
Love can be humorous and gratuitous at the same time. That is ecchi, a perverted genre that is actually comedic and does not really go as far as porn. When love is not just a triangle but becomes a hexagon or octagon because the leading man lives with so many ladies dying to win his heart, then you call that a harem manga.
Cute, barely legal girls can fight crime and evil. But when they do, they usually transform into some kind of a superhero with costumes and makeup and headdresses. It is not all war and violence, though. The magical girl anime genre will still uncover the daily life of the transforming heroine, including her relationships in love and friendship.
Renaissance men and women are not rare in the manga universe. In fact, there is a whole following dedicated to the idol genre, the type where the overtalented becomes rich and famous. It is usually a rags to riches story and may have some slice of life bits.
Card and monster battles are probably the most familiar. As suggested by their titles, card battles have plots that focus on characters who are playing a card game, which are collectible and can be mixed with the science fiction and action genres. Monster battles, of course, are those stories with adorable and trained monsters to be used for battle.
Shonen ai refers to manga containing a male homosexual relationship at its core, while shoujo ai is for lesbian relationships. They are not pornographic, but rather romantic. The sexually explicit ones are the yaoi for the male and the yuri for the female.
The best way to define a genre is knowing the audience it is trying to reach. That is the most distinct way they can be told from another besides the obvious plot if you are left confused. Archetypes of the characters will also help you besides the storyline itself.
Just like in music, you should be able to pick the difference between post hardcore and death metal. With manga, you should also learn how to categorize if you want to be a serious anime reviewer. While everyone can pretty much assume what is classified as romance or action, obscure knowledge of anime can make you confused in terms of labeling the movie or series you are watching.
Those with robots are technically called mecha. Short for mechanical, this category resides in an alt universe where all robots exist. Well, they might not be super huge, they can be little machines compressed to make a large one, but as long they can have human pilots, then they fall under mecha.
Love can be humorous and gratuitous at the same time. That is ecchi, a perverted genre that is actually comedic and does not really go as far as porn. When love is not just a triangle but becomes a hexagon or octagon because the leading man lives with so many ladies dying to win his heart, then you call that a harem manga.
Cute, barely legal girls can fight crime and evil. But when they do, they usually transform into some kind of a superhero with costumes and makeup and headdresses. It is not all war and violence, though. The magical girl anime genre will still uncover the daily life of the transforming heroine, including her relationships in love and friendship.
Renaissance men and women are not rare in the manga universe. In fact, there is a whole following dedicated to the idol genre, the type where the overtalented becomes rich and famous. It is usually a rags to riches story and may have some slice of life bits.
Card and monster battles are probably the most familiar. As suggested by their titles, card battles have plots that focus on characters who are playing a card game, which are collectible and can be mixed with the science fiction and action genres. Monster battles, of course, are those stories with adorable and trained monsters to be used for battle.
Shonen ai refers to manga containing a male homosexual relationship at its core, while shoujo ai is for lesbian relationships. They are not pornographic, but rather romantic. The sexually explicit ones are the yaoi for the male and the yuri for the female.
The best way to define a genre is knowing the audience it is trying to reach. That is the most distinct way they can be told from another besides the obvious plot if you are left confused. Archetypes of the characters will also help you besides the storyline itself.
