We’re a quarter of the way through this challenge now, and today’s post is the second in the anime vocab series. Last week’s vocab post covered some basic publication terms and the different media closely related to anime and manga. Today we’re talking about demographics.
Anime and manga tend to fall into one of five demographics. These demographics sometimes get treated like genres onto themselves in articles and videos online, but these are really just the age groups that studios and publishers in Japan try to target. Each demographic group tends to feature a consistent variety of genres and themes, and except for one, they’re split by gender.
Unit 2: Demographics
Kodomomuke: This translates to “intended for children.” Kodomomuke series are made for children 10 and under. They tend to make it to the states with very little change during localization. Shows like Hamtaro, Doraemon, Astro Boy and much of Studio Ghibli’s output including My Neighbor Totoro and Ponyo are all aimed at this demographic.
Shonen: Sometimes romanized as Shounen, this is the 11 to 18 demographic for boys. It leans heavily toward action and comedy. Protagonists are usually hammy, over-the-top and very competitive boys in the same age range as the intended audience. Series like Death Note that are targeted at this demographic can be quite dark. Sometimes these shows are targeted at adult audiences in the West. Examples of series aimed at this demographic include Dragon Ball Z, One Piece, Naruto, and My Hero Academia.
Shojo: Sometimes romanized as Shoujo, this is the 11 to 18 demographic for girls. Shojo art is often lighter and more fluid than shonen art. You can expect romance and magical girls with a plucky girl protagonist. Some series come dangerously close to blatantly erotic content and aren’t licensed for translation. Series that U.S. audiences may be familiar with are Sailor Moon and Ouran High School Host Club.
Seinen: This literally translates to “young adult.” Seinen series target men 18 to 40. Their protagonists can be any age or sex, but they tend to be young adults. Seinen features a wide variety of themes and can range from grim and gritty to light and comedic. Seinen works feature romance but tend not to idealize it. They make up the majority of anime targeted at adults because their counterpart is not often turned to anime. Sometimes the line between seinen and shonen can be hard to find, and they share a significant fan base. Shows like Akira, The Big O, Cowboy Bebop, Grave of the Fireflies and Hinamatsuri are all seinen works.
Josei: The 18 to 40 demographic for women. Josei series tend to follow young women in college and the workplace. Like seinen, they tend not to idealize relationships. They make use of a more realistic art style. Josei series are the focus of the noitaminA block we’ve talked about previously. Shows like Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku, Honey and Clover, Eden of the East and Princess Jellyfish are josei titles.
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