Let’s Explore Demographics

Anime is one of my greatest loves and is my favorite form of entertainment. I got into manga and anime in 2010, but had exposure in my childhood through Cartoon Network and 4kids!. Since then anime has gained more popularity as it has become more accessible. With the help of the Internet and social media, it seems like more people know what anime is and are curious about it. Watching anime is now considered “cool” – although I always thought it was cool – and it’s no longer a weird thing weebs do. I never hid my obsession and since I love anime so much, I can’t help but tell everyone about it!

Here are some common questions for those who want to join the anime community.

So, What is Anime?

According to Dictionary.com, anime is “a genre of film and television animation created in or influenced by the traditional style of Japanese 2D animation and characterized by highly stylized, colorful art, fantastic settings, and mature themes.”. Essentially, the word “anime” is short for the word “animation” that originates from Japan; which was originally influenced by western animation by Disney. Nowadays, people may consider animation from other countries anime (Avatar: The Last Airbender for example) because of anime influences, but that’s a long discussion for another day. Anime are cartoons, but many people see a stark difference between the two, with anime being superior.

Anime consists of different genres and levels of diversity, anyone at any age can enjoy it. Major genres are science fiction and fantasy, western and eastern folklore, action, and comedy sub-genres include mecha, adventure, magical girl, sports, school life, harem, martial arts, hentai, horror, romance (including boy’s love and girl’s love), and so much more. These genres also overlap. Demographics include kodomo (children), shoujo (teen girls), shonen (teen boys), seinen (adult men), and josei (adult women). Regardless of the demographic, I see adults enjoy anime of all demographics.

A lot of the more mainstream anime and manga derives from the shonen demographic (i.e. MHA, Full Metal Alchemist, DBZ). No matter the series, anyone can read or watch the shows!

Where do I start?

There are anime that may be too extreme for beginners to watch and understand. Here’s a list of my recommended anime I believe is good for beginners that explore the major genres and themes. Descriptions can be read on anime-planet.com.