How to recognize the different types of manga

To avoid getting dizzy with so many choices

The manga universe has become a worldwide phenomenon for several years now. The offer is diversifying and copies are sold by the millions throughout the world. In order to meet the expectations of a varied public, the genre is developing into several sub-categories. Whether you are young, old, male, female, romantic or a dreamer, you will find a story that suits you. This article will help you to see more clearly in this ocean of Japanese fantasy stories and thus find the book that fits you perfectly. Between shōjo, Shōnen, seinen, josei or even kodomo... there is something for everyone!
It is important to note that this classification of genre according to the different types of readers is widely spread in Japanese bookstores.

Kodomo

This genre is intended for children. The pitches are often simpler and lighter than manga for teenagers or adults, with childish characters and themes appropriate for young readers (but not only). The storylines are usually about heroes/heroines discovering the world around them, through crazy adventures. The themes are friendship, values or the quest for identity, all with an educational background.

examples:

"Detective Conan" (Conan Edogawa): a detective story that follows the investigations of a boy who has been shrunk to the size of a child.

"Chi's Sweet Home": a cat story that follows the adventures of a kitten who seeks to find his family.

"Sazae-san": a comic style manga that follows the adventures of a modern Japanese family.

"Anpanman": a manga about a superhero who has a head full of a sweet bread called Anpan.

"Pokemon": a manga about a boy who travels to capture creatures called Pokemon, which can be used to fight other Pokemon.

"Hamtaro": a manga about a group of hamsters who have adventures together.

The shōnen

This genre is aimed at teenage boys. It is usually characterized by intense action, fighting, and adventure stories. The main characters are often boys seeking to become stronger or achieve a goal. This genre deals with themes such as friendship, camaraderie and determination.

Shonen is broad. That is why it is divided into subcategories:

Sports shonen: featuring sports stories, such as "Hikaru no Go" or "Kuroko's basket".
Fantasy shonen: revolves around themes of magic, monster, travel to another world like "Naruto", "One piece" or "Attack on titan
The medieval-fantasy shonen: takes place in a medieval universe, with stories of knight, dragon and magic like "Seven Deadly Sins".

Other examples:

"Hunter X Hunter": an adventure manga that follows a boy who seeks to become a hunter to follow in his father's footsteps.

"Fairy Tail": a fantasy manga that follows the adventures of a group of mages who belong to a guild called Fairy Tail.

"My Hero Academia": a superhero manga that follows a boy who dreams of becoming a professional hero in a world where most people have superpowers.

"Death Note": a psychological thriller manga that follows a student who finds a notebook that allows him to kill anyone by writing their name in it.

"Black Clover": a fantasy manga that follows a boy who dreams of becoming the next king magician in a world where magic is all powerful.

"The Promised Neverland": a science fiction manga that follows children who try to escape from an orphanage where they are used as guinea pigs for scientific experiments.

The shōjo

This genre is aimed at teenage girls. It is usually characterized by romantic stories, dramatic plots, and strong female characters. Shōjo manga stories deal with themes such as personal growth, friendship, and romantic relationships.

As with shōnen, shōjo is divided into several subcategories :

The romance shojo: focuses on the romantic relationships between characters, such as "Fruits Basket" or "Kimi ni Todoke."
School shojo: takes place in a school context, with stories of love rivalries and friendship like "Honey and clover" or "Koe no katachi
Fantasy shojo: includes stories of magic, witch and ghost like "Cardcaptor Sakura" or "Nana".

Other examples:

"Nana": a manga that follows the lives and love stories of two young women who both have the first name "Nana"

"Beauty and the Beast Girl": a manga that follows a young girl who falls in love with a boy who was cursed to become a monster.

"Love So Life": a manga that follows a young girl who works as a nanny for children.

"Vampire Knight": a manga that follows a young girl who is the guardian of two vampire brothers.

"Shugo Chara": a manga that follows a young girl who has personal guardians who help her to realize her wishes.

The seinen

The seinen manga is a genre of manga intended for adult men from 15 to 30 years old. Seinen in Japanese translates to "young men". It is generally characterized by more mature storylines, more complex plots and more serious themes than teen manga. Breasten manga stories can deal with topics such as politics, war, technology, science, psychology and sexuality.

Here are some sub-genres of seinen:

Historical seinen: which focuses on the history of Japan or other countries, like "Vinland Saga" or "Ooku: The Inner Chamber".

Cyberpunk seinen: which focuses on a futuristic universe with stories of advanced technology and crime, like "Akira" or "Blame!

War seinen: which focuses on stories of war and conflict, such as "Gunslinger Girl" or "Fullmetal Alchemist"

Other examples:

"Gantz": a science fiction manga that follows people who wake up after death to fight alien creatures.

"Monster": a psychological thriller manga that follows a doctor who gets involved in a serial killer investigation.

"20th Century Boys": a science fiction manga that follows a group of friends as they fight against a terrorist group trying to take over the world.

"Berserk": a horror and fantasy manga that follows a mercenary who is betrayed by his best friend.

"Battle Angel Alita": a science fiction manga that follows a cyborg who remembers her past and seeks revenge.

The Josei

We are talking about a genre of manga for adult women. It is generally characterized by more mature stories, more complex plots and more serious themes than manga for teenage girls. Josei manga stories may deal with topics such as career, relationships, personal life and the problems of adult life. The main characters are often adult women who are trying to achieve their dreams or solve their problems.

By now you know the drill, Josei is also divided into several sub-genres:

Romance josei: focuses on love stories between characters, such as "Kimi ni Todoke" or "Hirunaka no Ryuusei"

Professional josei: focuses on stories about women who work in a professional environment, such as "Nana" or "Aoi Hana".

Realistic josei: focuses on stories of women's everyday life, such as "March comes in like a lion" or "Chi's sweet home"

Other examples:

"Honey and Clover": a manga that follows the lives and love stories of a group of students who live together in a dormitory.

"Ai wo Utau Yori Ore ni Oborero!": a manga that follows a young girl who falls in love with a popular singer.

"Kiss Him, Not Me": a manga that follows a young girl who is obsessed with shōjo manga love stories, and finds herself in a love story.

"Ao Haru Ride": a manga that follows a young girl who tries to reconnect with a boy she loved in high school.

"Love So Life": a manga that follows a young girl who works as a nanny for children.

The Seijin

Seijin manga is a genre of manga for adult men. It is generally characterized by more mature stories, more complex plots and more serious themes than teenage manga. Seijin manga stories may deal with topics such as politics, war, technology, science, psychology and sexuality. The main characters are often adult men who are trying to realize their dreams or solve their problems. It is true that there is a fine line between Seijin and Seinen. The most obvious difference between the two genres is the much more present sexual and erotic dimension of Seijin.

Here are some examples of famous Seijin:

"Gunnm" by Yukito Kishiro: a science fiction manga set in a post-apocalyptic future and follows the adventures of a cyborg who seeks to recover his lost memories.

"20th Century Boys" by Naoki Urasawa: a suspenseful sci-fi manga that follows a group of childhood friends who must fight a mysterious enemy who seeks to destroy the world.

"Vinland Saga" by Makoto Yukimura: an action-story manga that follows the adventures of a Viking warrior who seeks revenge on those who killed his family.

"Monster" by Naoki Urasawa: a suspenseful and dramatic manga that follows a neurosurgeon who is pursued by his past after saving the life of a fleeing criminal.

"Kannazuki no Miko": follows the adventure of two young high school students who fight against an ancient force that threatens the world: the Orochi

Maybe you will have a crush on a universe or the characters of one of these series, in which case there is nothing better than taking a comic book/manga drawing class to learn how to draw it and share your interests. Apolline offers courses in Lausanne, Morges, Montreux, Bienne and Delémont. And to deepen your knowledge even more intensely, you can participate in the comic/manga drawing vacation camps that take place all over French-speaking Switzerland during the school vacations!

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