Anime, like any other entertainment industry, is full of different plots and imagery. Almost every viewer can find a series to their liking. Anime covers many age groups – from very young children to mature men and women. You can easily get lost in the variety of genres.
Let's take a quick look at the 5 most popular genres according to anime fans.
5. Sports anime
Just like movies, anime about sports are very popular. In such stories the stakes are always high, the heroes have a clear goal (to win the competition) and motivation, and a lot of obstacles inevitably arise in their way. Sometimes such stories are not related to the most popular sports.
For example, Haikyuu!! is about volleyball, and it is one of the most popular sports anime. It’s impossible to stop watching, but the formula seems simple: well-developed psychology of the characters, exciting competitions and interesting relationships.
4. Isekai
Although isekai has many haters, there are even more fans of the genre. Isekai can seem like a lowbrow form of entertainment because there are only a few repetitive plots. Almost always they are stories about characters who are transferred from our world to a fantasy reality.
However, this is exactly where its popularity lies. Isekai offers viewers a vibrant escapist illusion to distract them from the daily grind. It is not surprising that the action often takes place in video games (Sword Art Online). Anime in this genre serve an important social function of recreation and relief.
3.Seinen
Seinen is a category of anime for a more mature audience (18 years and older). It often deals with darker themes, there is much more violence, and the characters are morally gray. Viewers are free to interpret events in accordance with their ideas about good and evil, beautiful and terrible.
Berserk (Kenpuu Denki Berserk) is considered the best example of the genre. A dark fantasy about a mercenary set in the European Middle Ages, Berserk constantly forces the viewer to reflect on the nature of evil and violence. Berserk, like other seinen, doesn't give easy answers, but it does pose difficult questions.
2. Slice-of-Life
How can a series that doesn't have a compelling plot be popular? In addition to a fascinating story, an equally important role in anime is played by a special mood. The most striking example of such “mood” anime is slice-of-life (stories about everyday life). Paradoxically, slice-of-life becomes a form of escapist anime precisely because the plot is dramatically weakened.
Look at K-ON!! The characters go about their routine, having tea parties and holding rehearsals. An ideal option for the viewer who just wants to relax and not worry about anything.
1. Shonen
Shonen is the trademark of the anime. Naruto, Bleach, One Piece and many other popular anime are shonen. Being primarily adventure stories, such anime create daily motivation and help with psychological problems (such as apathy). They are often didactic in nature, setting an example for young viewers to follow.
However, in recent years, more shonen have appeared that break the mold of the genre and offer audiences more complex themes.
Yes, there is isekai...
Anime, like any other entertainment industry, is full of different plots and imagery. Almost every viewer can find a series to their liking. Anime covers many age groups – from very young children to mature men and women. You can easily get lost in the variety of genres.
Let's take a quick look at the 5 most popular genres according to anime fans.
5. Sports anime
Just like movies, anime about sports are very popular. In such stories the stakes are always high, the heroes have a clear goal (to win the competition) and motivation, and a lot of obstacles inevitably arise in their way. Sometimes such stories are not related to the most popular sports.
For example, Haikyuu!! is about volleyball, and it is one of the most popular sports anime. It’s impossible to stop watching, but the formula seems simple: well-developed psychology of the characters, exciting competitions and interesting relationships.
4. Isekai
Although isekai has many haters, there are even more fans of the genre. Isekai can seem like a lowbrow form of entertainment because there are only a few repetitive plots. Almost always they are stories about characters who are transferred from our world to a fantasy reality.
However, this is exactly where its popularity lies. Isekai offers viewers a vibrant escapist illusion to distract them from the daily grind. It is not surprising that the action often takes place in video games (Sword Art Online). Anime in this genre serve an important social function of recreation and relief.
3.Seinen
Seinen is a category of anime for a more mature audience (18 years and older). It often deals with darker themes, there is much more violence, and the characters are morally gray. Viewers are free to interpret events in accordance with their ideas about good and evil, beautiful and terrible.
Berserk (Kenpuu Denki Berserk) is considered the best example of the genre. A dark fantasy about a mercenary set in the European Middle Ages, Berserk constantly forces the viewer to reflect on the nature of evil and violence. Berserk, like other seinen, doesn't give easy answers, but it does pose difficult questions.
2. Slice-of-Life
How can a series that doesn't have a compelling plot be popular? In addition to a fascinating story, an equally important role in anime is played by a special mood. The most striking example of such “mood” anime is slice-of-life (stories about everyday life). Paradoxically, slice-of-life becomes a form of escapist anime precisely because the plot is dramatically weakened.
Look at K-ON!! The characters go about their routine, having tea parties and holding rehearsals. An ideal option for the viewer who just wants to relax and not worry about anything.
1. Shonen
Shonen is the trademark of the anime. Naruto, Bleach, One Piece and many other popular anime are shonen. Being primarily adventure stories, such anime create daily motivation and help with psychological problems (such as apathy). They are often didactic in nature, setting an example for young viewers to follow.
However, in recent years, more shonen have appeared that break the mold of the genre and offer audiences more complex themes.
