Ask John: What Are the Classifications of Manga?

Question:
I heard that there is another types of anime and manga beside shounen and shoju. Is it true? Also I heard Berserk in under a type called senein or something. I thought Berserk is shounen?

Answer:
While the classifications of “shonen” (boys’) and “shoujo” (girls’) manga are the most often used classifications among English speaking fans because the terms are the most convenient distinguishing descriptions for types of manga, these two classifications are not the only ones applied to manga. A few of the other varieties of manga include “gekiga,” “jousei,” “seinen,” “redisu,” “kodomo,” and “seijin.” However, since many readers prefer more than just one variety of manga, these terms and distinctions are most appropriate for use primarily in academic analysis of manga rather than casual conversation.

To provide some brief explanation:

Kodomo manga, as the name implies, are comics for children. (“Kodomo” is the Japanese word for “child.”)

Shonen manga typically consists of adventure comics for young boys- titles like One Piece and Dragonball and Yu Yu Hakusho.

Shoujo manga are comics for young girls- titles like Sailor Moon and Marmalade Boy and Fruits Basket.

Seinen manga are stories intended for teen and young adult men. The content of these titles, like Berserk, Tenjoh Tenge, Hellsing and 3×3 Eyes, is typically a bit darker, more violent, and more mature than lighthearted adventure comics.

Gekiga manga is a genre that first appeared in the 1960s and is characterized by themes of hostile psychology, violence, and resentment of social order. Examples of gekiga manga include Golgo 13, Akira, and Ghost in the Shell.

Jousei manga are comics for late teen and adult women. Probably one of the best known examples of Jousei manga among Western fans is Itoo Risa’s Ebichu Minds the House, perhaps better known as “Ebichu the Housekeeping Hamster.”

The terms “redisu” and “redicomi” stand for “ladies'” and “lady comics.” Both terms refer to pornographic manga made for female readers.

Seijin manga is the male equivalent of “redisu.” “Seijin” is just the formal name for hentai (pornographic) comics for men.

Yonkomi or “4 koma” is a style of 4 panel comic strip manga that may also fall under one of the other categories mentioned here. Some of the most familiar yonkomi include Azumanga Daioh, Pugyuru, and the original Di-Gi-Charat manga.

To be honest, manga is not my strongest suit, so I can’t really provide an extensive analysis of all of the different types of manga. And within each of the categories I’ve mentioned above there are sub-categories. And there are also famous genres of manga such as yaoi and yuri which may nestle beneath other broader categorizations. And finally, there are also the distinctions between professionally published and distributed manga and fan produced “doujinshi” manga.