The manga and anime categories are meant to better target readers based on their age, gender, and taste. Of course, it is possible for you to like all three genres. You don’t have to limit yourself to just one category. The three genres shônen, seinen and shôjo each have their specificities and their cult titles that we will detail in this article.
What is a Shōnen?
This type of manga and anime is generally suitable for people aged 8 to 18 for its very funny and good-natured side. We follow the adventures of young heroes of this age group who show perseverance to achieve their goals and never betray their friends. Including a lot of group fights and adventures, this category corresponds more to boys than to girls. But as we said, everyone does as they wish!
Among the emblematic manga of this genre are Dragon Ball, Naruto or One Piece. On the side of the novelties stand out Demon Slayer, My Hero Academia, Classroom of the Elite and many others.
One Piece / Credit: Toei Animation
What is a Shoujo?
The Shôjo category has nothing to do with the other two types of manga/anime. The age range is between 8 and 18 years old. In this one, it is heroines who are this time put forward in order to target the hearts of the readers. Often romantic and sweet, these manga highlight the feelings of the characters, which can sometimes be overwhelming. In some, there may be fight scenes like in Shônen, but that’s not the priority or the majority.
In this category are a number of classics such as Sailor Moon, Fruits Basket, Card Captor Sakura, Nana, Vampire Knight, Orange or Dengeki Daisy.
fruit basket / Credit: Studio Deen
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What is a Seinen?
This is the category that is both the opposite of Shôjo and an extension of Shônen. The target audience is still male, but this time it is people over 18 years old. The principle of a Seinen is to take up the codes of Shônen while treating them with a more adult and more mature vision. This includes more blood, violence, sexuality and strong subjects. Certain titles are notably categorized as science fiction or science fiction, which never appears in Shônen.
Among the manga and anime of this genre are Tokyo Ghoul, Berserk, Gantz, Ghost in the Shell or erased.
Tokyo Ghoul / Credit: Studio Pierrot
All you have to do is decide which one (or which ones) appeals to you the most!