what is a seinen anime

by Clark Conroy 9 min read
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Full Answer

What is a seinen story?

Rather than going through a journey of growing up, the seinen stories will typically focus on something that an adult might better relate to such as facing unfair odds in society, or the responsibilities of day to day life as an adult (job, bills, family life, etc.). Looking For Example Shows?

What are the best seinen anime?

Many of the best anime around started from seinen manga, including space adventures like Cowboy Bebop and rigid moral plays like Fate/Zero. Of course, some themes found in these types of seinen anime may be a little uncomfortable for younger audiences.

What's the difference between Shounen and seinen anime?

Shounen is (arguably) the most popular anime genre, ever. But a lot of shounen anime are shit (there are over 1800+ in existence). I bet you can’t even name less than 1/3 of them (I can’t). Seinen on the other hand has around 700+ shows. It’s one genre I don’t have much experience with.

How can you tell if a manga is seinen?

A common way to tell if a manga is seinen is by looking at whether or not furigana (pronunciation guide) is used over the original kanji text: if there are furigana on all kanji, the title is generally aimed at a younger audience. The title of the magazine it was published in is also an important indicator.

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What makes an anime seinen?

The word "seinen" means "youth" in Japanese, but Seinen anime and manga are those targeting young adult male audiences, with the female-targeted equivalent being "Josei."

What is a seinen vs shonen?

While shonen anime is targeted towards adolescent boys, seinen anime is aimed towards young men, ages 18 and up. Shonen anime includes notable shows such as Attack on Titan, Naruto, and Demon Slayer. Of course, whether a show is shonen or seinen, fans of all ages, genders, and preferences can enjoy them.

Is AOT a seinen anime?

Many fans classify the series as a seinen due to the violence and brutality involved in the series. Attack on Titan also involves politics which falls under seinen. However, none of these characteristics and themes are a requirement to categorized a series as either shounen or seinen.

Which is the best seinen anime?

15 Greatest Seinen Anime Of All Time8 Parasyte.7 Hellsing Ultimate.6 Erased.5 Land Of The Lustrous.4 Death Parade.3 Bungou Stray Dogs.2 Fate/Zero.1 Ghost In The Shell.More items...•

Is Haikyuu a seinen?

So, here's why I was disappointed to learn that Haikyuu was a shounen series... shounen series are almost always about action. And the focus of the series almost always tends to not be so much about character, but rather making the entire focus of the show on this action and competition.

Is Tokyo Ghoul a shonen or seinen?

Major shonen titles include Naruto, Hunter x Hunter, and My Hero Academia, while major seinen titles include the likes of Berserk, Tokyo Ghoul, and Psycho-Pass.

Is death note a seinen?

This is why many place the series, Death Parade, within the category of shonen, when in fact, it's a seinen anime. It's often compared to the series, Death Note, a shonen anime, which explains why fans would assume both series are targeted toward the same audience.

Is HxH a shonen or seinen?

shonenHxH is still clearly a shonen and doesn't try to be anything more than that.

What genre is Haikyuu?

ComedyComing-of-age storySports mangaHaikyu!!/Genres

What genre is AOT?

Action fictionDark fantasyApocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fictionDramaShōnen mangaAttack on Titan/Genres

Is Demon Slayer shonen or seinen?

shonen manga“Demon Slayer” began as a shonen manga by mangaka Koyoharu Gotōge and has been serialized in “Weekly Shonen Jump” since Feb. 15, 2016, so it isn't a particularly new source material.

Is Bungou stray a seinen dog?

Bungo Stray Dogs (Literary Master Stray Dogs) is a Seinen manga by Kafka Asagiri and Harukawa 35 (pronounced "Sango") which began serialization in 2012. The manga has also received an official ongoing English translation by Yen Press.

What is the Hellsing order?

The series takes place in a fictional world based on our times, in which the secret, royal Protestant Hellsing order of knights has been successfully fighting vampires and other undead on behalf of the British crown in Great Britain for centuries. But for some time now there have been not only natives, real vampires but also freaks, artificially created with the help of an implanted computer chip. Worried about their rapid growth, the organization sends the vampire Alucard to help eliminate the freaks. Seras, a survivor of a massacre and made a vampire by Alucard, now serves as his adjutant. But not only Hellsing, also the 13th Division of Iscariot, which came from the Vatican, was specialized in vampire hunting. As a bitter enemy of the British Protestant organization, she wants to put an end to them and especially Alucard. Above all, however, Hellsing has to fear for the National Socialist group Millennium, under whose leadership “the major” goes to war with a vampirized military battalion of 1,000 vampires against England and whose real agenda remains in the dark until the end.

How old is Ken Kaneki in Tokyo Ghoul?

Tokyo Ghoul. In Tokyo, there is a rising number of brutal murders committed by Ghouls, unknown beings that survive on human flesh. One day, 18-year-old Ken Kaneki meets a girl named Rize Kamishiro in a coffee shop and asks her out. After a seemingly normal date, Kaneki offers to accompany her to her house.

How did Ken Kaneki save Rize?

After a seemingly normal date, Kaneki offers to accompany her to her house. Upon entering an alley he is attacked by her, who turns out to be a Ghoul. During the attack, Kaneki is saved by falling beams that kill Rize before she can kill him, but she leaves him terribly injured.

What is a Seinen anime?

What is seinen anime? Seinen is a Japanese term that literally means “youth”, but it is also used to refer to a specific (sub)genre of manga and anime marketed towards young adult men, between the ages of 18 and 45. Although the term means “youth”, seinen is actually targeted towards an older age group of men.

What year was Tsuribaka Nisshi made?

The year 1972 saw the appearance of Big Comic Original, which featured Tsuribaka Nisshi, a manga about two older men who enjoy fishing; the manga was made into a series of popular movies. In 1979, the publisher Shueisha, known for Weekly Shonen Jump for teen boys, entered the seinen market with Weekly Young Jump.

How old is Seinen?

So, if you ever wanted to know what is seinen anime, keep reading our article! Seinen anime and manga are shows and comics marketed towards young adult men, who are between 18 and 45 years old. Seinen anime and manga tend to focus on action, politics, science fiction, fantasy, relationships, sports, or comedy.

What is the plot of Berserk?

Berserk tells the story of the meeting of Guts and Griffith, leader of the Falcon Troop, a band of mercenaries in the pay of the kingdom of Midland. From this meeting will be born an ambiguous friendship, but nevertheless efficient: the presence of Guts, a warrior with the disproportionate sword, will quickly prove essential to the ambition of the young Griffith, swashbuckler and outstanding tactician. The anime is thus the story of the rise and fall of the Falcon Troop, and the relationship between Guts and Griffith, particularly complex, between the relationship of interest (Griffith uses the strength of Guts), mutual respect ( both see each other as soldiers), and deep affection (each inexplicably needs the other’s presence).

What is a Seinen manga?

Seinen. Berserk, a popular example of a seinen manga. Seinen (青年漫画) is a subset of manga that is generally targeted at a 18–30 year old male audience, but the audience can be older with some comics aimed at businessmen well into their 40s. In Japanese, the word Seinen means "young man" or "young men" and is not suggestive of sexual matters.

What does Seinen mean in Japanese?

In Japanese, the word Seinen means "young man" or "young men" and is not suggestive of sexual matters. (The female equivalent to seinen manga is josei manga.) It has a wide variety of art styles and more variation in subject matter, ranging from the avant-garde to the pornographic.

How many categories of manga are there?

There are four main categories of manga: Shounen (young boys), shoujo (young girls), seinen (adult men) and josie (adult women), but there aren't really hard and fast rules about what is in each category; many manga straddle the lines between the categories.

Why is Neon Genesis Evangelion considered Shounen?

For example, Neon Genesis Evangelion, famous for it’s cryptic, off-the-wall story telling, is considered Shounen because it aired at a 6pm time slot, and Hideaki Anno aimed the story at Youth. Also, sometimes Seinen is mistaken for shows that have a dark, edgy tone containing brutal violence but this is a common mistake.

What age range is Seinen?

While most Seinen stories feature "young adult" characters (in the 18-25 age range), the category is considered to includes titles targeted at much older audiences (40-50 year old characters, etc).

What is Rev.com subtitles?

Rev.com is an online subtitling service that helps you add subtitles to videos. It supports multiple video file types, including direct integrations with YouTube and Vimeo, where(Continue reading) Seinen is a genre/demographic that is aimed primarily at the male, college-aged/young adult demographic.

Is Shounen the most popular anime?

Shounen is (arguably) the most popular anime genre, ever. But a lot of shounen anime are shit (there are over 1800+ in existence). I bet you can’t even name less than 1/3 of them (I can’t). Seinen on the other hand has around 700+ shows. It’s one genre I don’t have much experience with.

What does "target audience" mean?

It a target audience tag. It means the work is intended for mature men, but isn’t porn. It includes shows that are too complicated for boys, shows that are too violent and disturbing for boys, shows that are too boring for boys, and shows that need adult life experience to appreciate.

Is Seinen a commo?

Seinen is a genre/demographic that is aimed primarily at the male, college-aged/young adult demographic.

Tokyo Ghoul

A sinister threat is invading Tokyo: flesh-eating "ghouls" who appear identical to humans and blend into their population. Reserved college student Ken Kaneki buries his nose in books and avoids the news of the growing crisis.

Boku dake ga Inai Machi

When tragedy is about to strike, Satoru Fujinuma finds himself sent back several minutes before the accident occurs. The detached, 29-year-old manga artist has taken advantage of this powerful yet mysterious phenomenon, which he calls "Revival," to save many lives.

Kiseijuu: Sei no Kakuritsu

All of a sudden, they arrived: parasitic aliens that descended upon Earth and quickly infiltrated humanity by burrowing into the brains of vulnerable targets. These insatiable beings acquire full control of their host and are able to morph into a variety of forms in order to feed on unsuspecting prey.

Elfen Lied

Lucy is a special breed of human referred to as "Diclonius," born with a short pair of horns and invisible telekinetic hands that lands her as a victim of inhumane scientific experimentation by the government.

Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Tensai-tachi no Renai Zunousen

At the renowned Shuchiin Academy, Miyuki Shirogane and Kaguya Shinomiya are the student body's top representatives. Ranked the top student in the nation and respected by peers and mentors alike, Miyuki serves as the student council president.

Bungou Stray Dogs

For weeks, Atsushi Nakajima's orphanage has been plagued by a mystical tiger that only he seems to be unaware of. Suspected to be behind the strange incidents, the 18-year-old is abruptly kicked out of the orphanage and left hungry, homeless, and wandering through the city.

Vinland Saga

Young Thorfinn grew up listening to the stories of old sailors that had traveled the ocean and reached the place of legend, Vinland. It's said to be warm and fertile, a place where there would be no need for fighting—not at all like the frozen village in Iceland where he was born, and certainly not like his current life as a mercenary.

15 Berserk

Bloody seinen animes with buff, sword-wielding protagonists aren't exactly the most family-friendly choices in anime. At least, Kentaro Miura's Berserk proves that much. With a brutish sword-wielding protagonist and a band of mercenaries just as violent, the anime is thrilling for the same reasons that it isn't meant for everybody.

14 Kaguya-Sama: Love Is War

Almost nothing can be more different than Berserk than a school-life romantic comedy series. Yet, Kaguya-Sama: Love Is War has more than proven itself to be a very competent seinen series (yes, Kaguya-Sama is a seinen series.)

13 Vinland Saga

Vikings aren't a common topic in anime. It is fairly uncommon for Japanese animation to explore the intricate world of Scandinavian warriors. Vinland Saga proves why this subject is perfect for the screen, with dark, gory warfare and a historical twist.

12 March Comes In Like A Lion

Granted, March Comes In Like A Lion may not have the mainstream popularity that other series on this list have. However, the series is unique in its exploration of depressing themes and hopefulness.

11 Cowboy Bebop

Few in the anime community are unfamiliar with Cowboy Bebop. The space dawdling, sci-fi adventure became a classic to the seinen anime medium, much like Star Wars was to film. The anime explores a world where Earth is uninhabitable and the protagonists, on the spaceship Bebop, act as bounty hunters working against interspace crime.

10 Made In Abyss

Mystery is one of the best sub-genres of seinen anime, and for good reason. These types of series fascinate audiences with information manipulation and clever world-building, allowing the author to regulate tension and suspense far more than in another type of series — something that Made in Abyss does very well.

9 Psycho-Pass

Sci-fi anime tends to go one of two routes: a space-based adventure like Cowboy Bebop, or a societal critique. Production I.G.'s Psycho-Pass falls into the latter category, and it does it very well.

What anime is Mononoke from?

It still amuses me to this day that Mononoke originated from one of the stories of the three-part horror anthology Ayakashi: Japanese Classic Horror, particularly in the third story Bakeneko. This is one of the finest horror shows in anime — and it’s an original story.

How many episodes are there in Planetes from Sunrise?

Or maybe I’m just hoping for a renewed interest in this god-tier sci-fi series. Planetes is a 26-episode anime about people whose working lives center around garbage collection — in space.

How many episodes are there in Land of the Lustrous?

But apart from its cinematic flair (both in sight and sound), Land of the Lustrous has a brilliant story with well-developed & well-designed characters — and it does so many things right in 12 episodes. I know it’s surprising to see this anywhere in the top 10 given it’s a 2017 anime.

How many episodes are there in Space Brothers?

Space Brothers is a 99-episode (yes, you read that right) series from A-1 Pictures about… well, two bros who had dreams of being astronauts when they were kids. One brother is already close to achieving it, while the older brother took on a different path in his adult life.

Is Dorohedoro a MAPPA?

Because Dorohedoro is exciting not only in story but in its execution. And I think it gives a hint about the future of anime in the context of technology and a growing global audience. See, it’s a MAPPA anime. As I mentioned earlier, that’s a studio willing to take the risks.

When was the Vinland Saga made?

See, Vinland Saga is an old manga — it’s from 2005. The story is epic. But no studio took on the arduous challenge of adapting it and giving it justice until Wit Studio came along. If you’ve wondered what a Viking story would look like in anime, check this out.

When will Otomo's magnum opus be released?

Plus, Katsuhiro Otomo’s magnum opus was slated for a re-release in theaters back in April 2020. Just the fact that its 4K remaster was slated for an IMAX release is proof of its lasting legacy. 19.

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