top of page

Shonen, Seinen, Shojo, Josei, and Kodomo

What are the five main categories of anime?


The five main categories of anime are: shonen, seinen, shojo, josei, and kodomo. Each category can be further divided into genres and even sub-genres.


Note: We will use the term "category" only for the lack of a defining term. You may refer to the same "categories" as "styles", genre, classification, etc.


Each category represents a certain target audience (but are not limited to this specific audience).


Shonen


Shonen are directed towards young males. The stories tend to be adventurous or action-packed with a light-hearted tone.

Popular Shonen include:

- Dragon Ball

- One Piece

- Naruto


Seinen


Seinen are directed towards adult males (18-25 and older). These stories will typically be more complex than shonen with a more serious tone. Often, seinen will have elements of adult life like politics, sex, drugs, etc.

Popular Seinen include:

- Berzerk

- Ghost in the Shell

- Vinland Saga


Shojo


Shojo are directed towards young females. These stories tend to have a strong romance (again, this is not always the case) that is maintained throughout the story. Style and beauty are usually prominent in shojo.

Popular Shojo include:

- Fruits Basket

- Ouran High School Host Club

- Sailor Moon


Josei


Josei are directed towards adult females (18-25 and older). Josei will typically feature a more realistic romance and mature characters.

Popular Josei include:

- 07 Ghost

- Honey and Clover

- Paradise Kiss


Kodomo


Kodomo are directed towards children. The characters actions tend to be predictable. Humor is common throughout this category and the content should be straightforward.

Popular Kodomo include:

- Pokemon

- Digimon

- Astro Boy

Recent Posts

See All

What is World Building?

World building is exactly what it sounds like – the process of building your own imaginary world. World building is an important skill...

Comments


bottom of page