DiAnime

What is Anime? What is Manga?

Anime is Japanese animation. The word anime is a transliteration of the English word animation. Related to anime is manga, as most anime was released first in Manga form. Manga is what comics are called in Japan. The word manga was coined by the artist Hokusai in 1815, usually translated to mean “irresponsible pictures.”

Anime and Manga are significantly different from their counterparts in America. For the most part, cartoons and comic books in America are thought of as geared toward youngsters. Cartoons and comics books in Japan are geared towards all ages. While well thought out, “adult” animation is something of a rarity in America there are pleanty of tv shows, movies and direct to video (called Original Video Animations or OVAs in Japan) examples of anime. Look for high quality animation, real vocal acting (voice actors and actresses are big stars in Japan who hold concerts and have magazines and “data books” devoted to them), music everywhere, real drama like people dying and falling in love (sometimes at the same time!), and even the occasional English phrase thrown in for no apparent reason.

Anime and Manga are commonly referred as an art form. As a visual medium, it naturally places a large emphasis towards visual styles. The styles can vary from artist to artist or by studio to studio.  Generally, the most common form of anime drawings are “exaggerated physical features such as large eyes, big hair and elongated limbs… and dramatically shaped speech bubbles, speed lines and onomatopoeic, exclamatory typography.” Other stylistic elements are common as well; often in comedic anime, characters that are shocked or surprised will perform a “face fault”. Angry characters may exhibit a “vein” effect, where lines representing bulging veins will appear on their forehead. Male characters will develop a bloody nose around their female love interests. Embarrassed characters either produce a massive sweat-drop (which has become one of the most widely recognized stereotype motifs of anime) or produce a visibly red blush beneath the eyes, especially as a manifestation of repressed romantic feelings.

An Anime usually has many genres typically found in any mass media form. Such genres include action, adventure, comedy, drama, fantasy, occult/horror, romance, and science fiction.  A show may have a seemingly simple surface plot, but at the same time may feature a far more complex, deeper storyline and character development.

Demographic

Demographic describes the intended target audience.

• Shōjo are generally targeted at girls.
• Shōnen are generally targeted at boys.
• Seinen is generally targeted at teenage or young male adults. 
• Josei is generally targeted at young woman.
• Kodomo is Japanese for “child”.  Children’s series’ fall into this category.

Thematic

• Bishōjo is Japanese for “beautiful girl”. A blanket term that features pretty girl characters.
• Bishōnen is Japanese for “beautiful boy”. A blanket term that can be used to describe any anime that features “pretty” and elegant boys and men.
• Robot/Mecha usually features super robots.
• Post-Apocalyptic simply deals with a post-apocalyptic world.
• Mahō shōjo is a subgenre of shōjo known for “Magical Girl” stories.
• Mahō shōnen is a male equivalent of Mahō Shōjo. 
• Moé features characters with perky, cute, weak, or naïve behaviors. In some way, they are not overly independent.
• Expertise specializes with a specific topic in depth. Topics range from sports, the arts, and cooking.
• Lolicon (”Lolita Complex”) is the sexualization of under-aged female characters.
• Shotacon (”Shōtarō Complex”) is the sexualization of under-aged male characters.
• Harem is a genre which focuses on a male character surrounded by the romance of multiple female characters.
• Reverse Harem reverses the gender balance in harem, where a female character is romantically involved with many male characters.
• Ecchi is Japanese for “indecent sexuality”, derived from the Japanese pronunciation of the letter “H”, (the origin of the term is not well known, even in Japan.) Sexual humor and fan service are prevalent.
• Hentai is Japanese for “abnormal” or “perverted”. This term is synonymous to pornography.
• Shōjo-ai or Yuri is Japanese for “girl-love”. These focus on love and romance between female characters.
• Shōnen-ai or Yaoi is Japanese for ‘boy-love’. These focus on love and romance between male characters.