Every year, dozens of anime titles are produced, which range from epic tales of heroism to comedies about day-to-day life. With so much on the market, it’s only natural to see people group them into genres, or categories based on their content. These can be broad-stroke terms, like “Comedy”, “Drama”, and “Action,” or they can be something far more cryptic, like Mecha or Seinen.
The situation grows even more confusing when people start talking about sub-genres, or secondary categories. Basically, it’s a show that is part of one genre, but also uses elements from a second genre to create a new atmosphere and feel. In human terms, this would be like calling a show an “Action-Comedy”, or a “Romantic Drama.” In western TV, this is a term that almost never arises, even though it is common in films. In anime, though, the blending of genres and categories is fairly common.
Through this chapter, we will explore the genres that appear more commonly in anime. Each one will be outlined with a brief description, a list of common traits, and a few examples of shows that fit the mold.
