CAA: Christian Anime Alliance

EDIT: Take a moment to realize how old this thread is. Read the discussion that has already gone on. Then, if you still feel your post is something new or important, go ahead and add it. But please don't just post a random opinion.

Shounen, boys anime, and shoujo, anime for girls, are the two basic catagories for anime and manga. Each of these catagories are supposed to appeal to one or the other of the sexes: male or female. Many times, though, i find guys watching anime meant for girs, and girls watching anime meant for guys. I think that that's how it should be. You should be able to like any anime series you want to, regardlerss of which sex it was directed to. Some people think that it is weird if a guy watches a girl anime, while others think it weird for a girl to watch a guy anime. What do you think?

I don't think it matters much. If it interests a person, they'll watch it, regardless of who it was intended for. The Di Gi Charat manga is a shojo, but even my brothers like it because it's funny. I subscribe to Shonen Jump.

I think it's the same way in America. If you see a girl playing with say, GI Joes, you're probably not going to say anything. But if you see a boy playing with a Barbie, you're probably gonna think, "What's wrong with that kid?"

But that's a little off topic. I enjoy a lot of stuff that's considered shojo, such as Cardcaptor Sakura, Sailor Moon, Magic Knight Rayearth, and I think Ai Yori Aoshi might be kinda shojo, even with all the fanservice in it. I don't think it's weird, my other friends into anime don't think it's weird. I wouldn't think a girl watching Street Fighter or Gundam or DBZ would be weird. So whatever floats your boat really.

I agree with those who have posted before me: anyone is permitted to watch what they like. The labels are there for good reasons (they do reflect general trends) but they aren't rules set in stone.

I think anime ought to be divided into several thousand categories for several thousand types of people - and you shouldn't be able to watch anything not in your category. That way, well, you'll have a much lower chance of meeting someone who's seen the same series you've seen, which would, er, really, cut down on our ability to talk about anime, and, you know what? Maybe that isn't such a good idea.

Okay, how about this: shounen anime is more primarily cool, and shoujo anime is more primarily cute. So watch shounen anime if you want to see something cool, and shoujo anime if you want to see something cute. Then we can all see the same series, and discuss them to death. Yeah, I think that's better.

kaemmerite wrote:I think it's the same way in America. If you see a girl playing with say, GI Joes, you're probably not going to say anything. But if you see a boy playing with a Barbie, you're probably gonna think, "What's wrong with that kid?"

Yeah, I agree.

Kaligraphic wrote:Okay, how about this: shounen anime is more primarily cool, and shoujo anime is more primarily cute. So watch shounen anime if you want to see something cool, and shoujo anime if you want to see something cute. Then we can all see the same series, and discuss them to death. Yeah, I think that's better.

Yeah, I didn't think of it like that. I mean, I knew different shows were different more than just in what genre they are labeled, just not in that light.

IMHO: I think girls playing with GI Joes are weird.

But really, why should a boy not enjoy the romance stories of shoujo? Males are half of the romance, so why is that weird? And on the other side, the stories of shounen can appeal to girls too - shounen is chock full of themes like perseverance, hard work, determination, etc. Those themes appeal to everybody.

I dont think it matters too much, I mean there is no set rule. . . I think basically they are grouped in whatever category due to content type and whoever it appeals to gop for it. But majority girls watch shojo and guys watch shonen. . .
I tend to stick to shojo I guess . . . not by trying to, just what appeals to me . . . ^^'

panegryst wrote:IMHO: I think girls playing with GI Joes are weird.

But really, why should a boy not enjoy the romance stories of shoujo? Males are half of the romance, so why is that weird? And on the other side, the stories of shounen can appeal to girls too - shounen is chock full of themes like perseverance, hard work, determination, etc. Those themes appeal to everybody.

I didn't even know that anime and manga are separated like that. I don't think that it matters.

Oh, and by the way when I was little I played with my brothers G.I. Joes since I didn't have Ken, and I am not weird in the least.

Yeah, i def agree, you should be able to watch what you want. It's you're tv after all, or maybe its a friends, but still. As long as its clean... you should be able to

I dont believe it really doesn't matter either. I like every type of genre: Comedy, drama/teen dramas, action and etc... My dvd collecton is so diverse. Some titles i have are: Grave to the Fireflies,Great teacher onizuka, starberry eggs, Ceres, Those who hunt elves, Battle Athletes and Princess Nine (both are good sleeper titles) and so much much more! I wish they would release Teen Titans on dvd, i know, it's not an anime but it's a good show . I mean, only watching one genre would get boring to me. I like to keep (including my personality) well rounded.
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Yeah i think people should relly just choose what they like... its so silly for people to judge the types that we watch... as long as they're appropriate!

Anime is made for entertainment. But this brings up an interesting point. Why is it weird for a guy to like girly stuff while it's fine for a girl to like tuff that is for guys?

Shoujo or not they can appeal to both genders and same with shounen stuff.

There are shoujo titles that i enjoy, but i do tend to stick to shounen, not because i wont watch shoujo. Just because i find romance to be boring when it's too much. I like some romance sometimes in anime, but there's a limit. I simply watch what i enjoy and that tends to be shounen. I dont avoid shoujo. I just prefer shounen.

I watch what i want to watch and i really don't care what other people say as long as its fun for me too watch

I'd say, in general, shounen is more action driven while shoujo is more relationship driven. You then decide what kind of manga/anime you like based on that, not on the gender labels. (And I don't claim they're 100% accurate. They're just the closest I could get to summing up what has been my experience with the two genres.)

As you all (should) know, my personal favourite anime would be Giant Robo...

This title does not fall in either shounen or shoujo. Yes, it has some action, and yes it has robots, but Giant Robo isn't anything close to shounen.
This series is more of an epic drama... nothing really with relationships (Aside from the father/child metaphor that it is based around), and nothing really in the way of angsty shounen action.

I just view what I wish. I don't care if it is shoujo or shounen...

I watch more shoujo anime and manga than shounen. Personally, I think trying to delineate it into "anime for boys" vs. "anime for girls" is like telling people what they should watch/should be interested. Often the storylines, style, and genres of shoujo appeal to me more than shounen. At least in my opinion, what one watches should be based on their personal preference and spiritual convictions, not what society says they "should" be interested in.

I think its just a basic category cause that is who is most likley to be interested in it. As well as themes presented in the book appeal more to one or the other...

^_^; Generally I tend to gravitate more towards shounen anime/manga, but my favorite series kinda...toes the line between shounen and shoujo. o.O

It seems like a lot of good series tow the line between shounan and shoujo. Take Escaflowne for example. Actually I've been noticing that the lines between the two have been blurring more in the last few years.

Just curious, what are some titles that could DEFINITELY be labeled as Shounen anime? I also agree with previous posts! Pretear is pretty much a Shoujo anime, and I love it! Would Love Hina be considered Shoujo despite the fanservice elements (though they usually involve Keitaro's crappy luck and "wrong place at the wrong time" life)???

That will lead to the inevitable (and likely lengthy) discussion of the exact definition of shonen and shoujo. Personally, I don't see an extreme need to classify specifically, because not all authors (hopefully, not many) set out saying "I'm going to make a shonen/shoujo series." Those terms are just our way of placing series on a general spectrum.

But I'd put Love Hina pretty strongly on the shoujo side. It's romantic "comedy" and doesn't contain any real action.

Strange, I always saw Love Hina as shonen because its primary target audience is male. The litmus test backs me up on this - Love Hina originally ran in Shonen Magazine Weekly. There are many shonen series that contain little or no action and a style that would at first glance appear to be aimed at females. I find them to be among the most disturbing works on the planet, but that's beside the point.

I was under the impression that shounen or shoujo was more defined by the general target audience and not the content (which is why Love Hina would probably be shounen). Not that it really matters much in the end. =O;

Yeah, I also enjoy Shoujo as much as the Shounen stuff. In fact, Cardcaptor Sakura ranks up there as one of my most favorite series. As long as one enjoys the content, it really doesn't matter. At first, I thought Azumanga Daioh seemed like a girly show, but it was actually serialized in Dengheki Daioh (a Shounen publication). So I guess the definition we should take of the two should not be taken seriouisly.

Cap'n Crack wrote:Strange, I always saw Love Hina as shonen because its primary target audience is male. The litmus test backs me up on this - Love Hina originally ran in Shonen Magazine Weekly. There are many shonen series that contain little or no action and a style that would at first glance appear to be aimed at females. I find them to be among the most disturbing works on the planet, but that's beside the point.

I apologize; the previous post was made under adverse conditions. In my mind, there are two useful definitions for the terms at hand. The first refers to the audience the series is created for and the second (less legitimately) refers to the content of the series. Under the latter set of definitions, I stand by what I said earlier, but under the former I agree with you. In general I feel the first set is useless to me (I don't necessarily fit said trends), so I tend to think in the second.

uc pseudonym wrote:...I don't necessarily fit said trends...

And I'm glad you don't! It appalls me sometimes the kind of thing my demographic is expected to like.

See what you want! I like many series that's shoujo, even though I'm a boy (don't think anyone really care that much about if you watch girls anime, though). I think that shounen/shoujo thing is just stupid

Cap'n Crack wrote:And I'm glad you don't! It appalls me sometimes the kind of thing my demographic is expected to like.

Indeed; glad to hear someone else feels this way. I was speaking in very general terms, but in reference to the type of thing you are referring to, I don't fit my demographic at all.

john... think of me and kae... we are shoujo lovas!