What Does Seinen Mean In Anime

What Is The Difference Between Shnen And Seinen Anime

The examples above show us that, the characteristics of Shnen and Seinen aren’t set on stone. The terms are often an over-specification of demographics, that doesn’t even describe the actual audience completely accurately, since more and more viewers enjoy the same titles, regardless of gender.

However, there are certain characteristics usually associated with either Shnen or Seinen, making it easy to classify them mentally, even if their creators categorize them differently. For instance, many Shnen works tend to belong, often having a “monster of the week” structure and many fillers even when there’s an overreaching plot.

Seinen on the other hand tends to be shorter, often with 12 or a maximum of 24 episodes in a single season. In the case of such Seinen works, every episode means something and furthers the plot in unique ways to reach a conclusion that will sometimes be violent or sad, rather than overly idealistic.

Tokyo Ghoul, for instance, has very short seasons, while the slightly longer Monster is very dark, and probably unsuitable for at least the youngest of the target audience of Shnen. The art style will usually be a bit more gritty and realistic, without the exaggerated facial expressions and funny moments often found in Shnen.

Just like Shjo and Josei, Shnen and Seinen can be useful tools in marketing and anime scholarship, while they can often help viewers find more anime and manga to love based on what their previous favorites are classified as.

What Is Seinen Anime

Seinen is a Japanese term that literally means youth, but it is also used to refer to a specific 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. The female equivalent of seinen is josei. Seinen is located between the shnen and the gekiga genres, as far as the ages are concerned.

As far as seinen manga is concerned, here is a list of the most popular publications from that category:

Seinen is one of the oldest animanga genres in Japan. One of the earliest manga magazines published in Japan was a seinen publication, Weekly Manga Times, which debuted back in 1956 for comparison, the two main shnen manga titles, Weekly Shnen Magazine and Weekly Shnen Sunday, appeared later, in 1959. The initial publications were marketed towards middle-aged men, featuring erotic fiction and manga and tales of yakuza. Then in 1967, the first of the magazines aimed at younger men appeared, Weekly Manga Action, which scored big hits with Lupin III and Lone Wolf and Cub, and later Crayon Shin-chan. Big Comic followed in 1968 this title is arguably best-known for its series Golgo 13.

Seinen: Like A Movie Trilogy

Some viewers may like how long the biggest Shonen titles run , but plenty of viewers, mainly older ones with busy schedules, would rather have a short and more digestible narrative. They don’t have all day to watch Dragon Ball Z reruns, after all.

Many Seinen titles run for 12 to 24 episodes , and this is long enough for a fully fleshed out story, minus any marathon story arcs or dragged-out conflicts or filler. In this way, a high-quality, 12-episode Seinen series can provide similar entertainment to a tightly-knit movie trilogy. Nice and efficient entertainment.

Recommended Reading: Anime Sword Drawing

Top 21 Best Seinen Anime To Watch Right Now

Whereas shounen and shoujo tackle themes and topics familiar and appropriate for teenage boys and girls, respectively, the josei and seinen genre are geared towards a more mature audience. Technically, anything possessing a mature setting or characterization would be closer to josei / seinen than shoujo / shounen.

However, when originally writing this list, I was going to include shows like Cowboy Bebop and Psycho-Pass before realizing that they werent seinen adaptations. So, Ive decided to make this list based purely on anime featuring the seinentag on MyAnimeList, just to be fair. Lets do this!

Quick Links

Ping Pong The Animation

Ping Pong the Animation stands out from many other anime because of an incredibly unique art style that fits perfectly with the show’s fast-paced ping pong action. Makoto Tuskimoto is a ping pong player with little motivation besides loving the sport, while his friend, Yukata Hoshino, is an outgoing person who wants to be the best table tennis player in the entire world.

This avant-garde work follows the pair as they compete in a variety of matches while coming to terms with themselves and who they are. It makes for an exceptional and unconventional story that feels nothing like other shows, anime or otherwise.

Don’t Miss: What Type Of Anime Character Are You Buzzfeed

Boku Dake Ga Inai Machi

ERASED is no longer part of the conversation these days.

But there was a time when the A-1 Pictures adaptation was the talk of the town.

And who didnt want to witness it unfold each week?

The anime had time travel, an adorable cast of young friends, and a hype-building OP by none other than Asian Kung-Fu Generation .

I love how its aspect ratio changes whenever Satoru travels back in time, creating a cinematic feeling. Which effectively makes you appreciate it as a film rather than a series.

Even with its flaws, I still think ERASED is a 10/10 an imperfect work of art thats left me speechless on more than one occasion for its gripping and utterly heartfelt moments.

Seinen: More Horror Elements

Not everyone loves horror, but many do, and horror has more psychological depth than it gets credit for. Forget cheap slashers and jump scars true horror taps into primal fears and instincts, and can provide excellent commentary about the darker side of humanity and society.

Seinen anime dives much deeper into this than Shonen usually does, and horror fans may rejoice. Anything from monsters to tightly-wound suspense to an eerie sense of isolation and becoming prey is enough to keep a viewer riveted. Even if a Seinen title isn’t primarily horror, it can add some horror elements wherever they’re needed.

Also Check: How Much Do Voice Actors Make Anime

Different: They’re Aimed At Separate Demographics

Shonen is predominantly aimed at young teenage boys, typically ranging between the ages of 12-18 years old. Seinen, however, stretches across a much wider demographic, marketed towards adult men aged between 20 and 50.

Although seinen seems to have an advantage by appealing to a wider audience, shonen takes the crown in terms of franchises under its belt, with many being the best-selling anime titles of all time.

What Is The Difference Between Shounen And Seinen Anime And How Can You Tell Between Them Full Details And Explanation

Shnen and Seinen might be terms you have heard of, even if you are new to manga and…

“Shnen” and “Seinen” might be terms you have heard of, even if you are new to manga and anime. Along with “Shjo” and “Josei,” they are often used in large anime and manga databases such as MyAnimeList to describe various titles and there are often conflicting opinions about the correct way to characterize certain works. Here is the full explanation of the terms:

Also Check: What Does Nya Mean In Anime

Common Tropes Seen In Seinen Works:

• Character Development: A lot of romantic seinen works puts a lot of emphasis on character development.
• Darker and Edgier: The genre as a whole is darker and much, much, much more cynical than Shnen, and can tackle topics such as the workplace and gambling like Hataraki Man and Kaiji.
• Many seinen works tackle heavy philosophical concepts and mature subject matter like Berserk and Parasyte.

Which Seinen Shows Do You Like

If there is a seinen show or book that you know of and would recommend that other people check out, then please feel free to share information about it in the comments section below.

Ive given my best explanation on the meaning of the word seinen and how it applies in both the Japanese language and more broadly to the genres of both anime and manga.

Im sure there are some of the finer points that I have missed, so if you know of any then please let me know and I will update the information in this article.

Thanks for reading!

You May Like: How To Draw Anime Side Face

*** Thanksgiving Recipes ***

These roasted brussels sprouts get a fair amount of spice from the crushed red pepper flakes, which cuts…

After trying every turkey-roasting method under the sun, I’ve finally settled on this as absolutely the…

We love how the cinnamon-scented streusel topping lets the juicy berries peek through.

Italian sausage and a heap of Parmesan cheese lend signature flair to the easy Thanksgiving dressing…

It’s all about the layers and ruffles in this dramatic seasonal pie.

Poach quince in rosé with a dash of cocktail bitters and a few warm spices, then assemble into a tart…

Leave the sausage, nuts, dried fruit behind in favor of this easy, vegetarian-friendly stuffing recipe…

Alton Brown’s turkey brine recipe from Good Eats will give you a flavorful Thanksgiving turkey with juicy…

Bone-in turkey breasts are easy to find, and as impressive as a whole bird when you roast them in butter…

This recipe was handed down by my great-grandmother. It is a family favorite that we make every Thanksgiving….

Cutting leeks into large pieces gives them a presence equal…

This crunchy crumble is the perfect topping for an ice cream sundae, easy apple crumble, or our Build-Your-Own…

Josei Magazines In Japan

In a strict sense, the term “josei manga” refers to a manga serialized in a josei manga magazine. The list below contains past and current Japanese josei manga magazines, grouped according to their publishers. Such magazines can appear on a variety of schedules, including monthly ” rel=”nofollow”> You), bi-monthly , and quarterly.

Recommended Reading: How To Draw Anime Feet With Shoes

An Intro To What Is Seinen Anime In Under 2 Minutes

As a real otaku, you have surely come across the term Seinen which qualify many well-known anime. But what is Seinen anime and what does the term Seinen mean?

Seinen anime is a genre or demographic that is aimed mainly at young adult men. This anime genre tends to be more mature than Shounen anime, which is aimed at little and teenage boys.

Besides, Seinen anime are often aired at later time slots. For example, Neon Genesis Evangelion, recognized for its dark story, is considered Shônen anime because it aired at 6 pm time slot.

Also, sometimes Seinen anime are mistaken for shows that have a lot of violent scenes and a dark atmosphere, but this is wrong. Death Note is an example of anime that has such tone but is actually a shounen anime which its manga was running in a magazine aimed at young boys .

In a Seinen anime, you will see more attention to things like the plot, interactions between characters, character development, etc.

How To Tell Apart

If you want to know whether an anime is shounen or shoujo, check what manga it’s adapted from, and what magazine the manga was serialized on.

For example, Naruto is a shounen anime, because its manga was serialized on Shounen Jump , which is a shounen magazine.

The content of the anime doesn’t matter. The terms aren’t genres, they’re demographics.

The magazine has its target demographic, so its editors will prefer content that its demographic will like. If a manga is published on Shounen Jump, it’s because the editors of the magazine think it’s suited for a shounen demographic.

Naturally, the editors whose job is literally to figure this out probably know what they’re doing, so there’s no point in arguing a manga isn’t shounen when it’s published in a shounen magazine.

I want to emphasize that if Naruto got published in a shoujo magazine instead, it would have been called a shoujo manga, EVEN IF THE CONTENT WAS THE SAME.

The content doesn’t matter at all, it’s whom it’s marketed to that matters. It just happens that one thing influences the other.

Recommended Reading: What Type Of Anime Character Are You Buzzfeed

What Does Seinen Mean In Anime

What does seinen mean in anime? Thats the topic for todays post and there are a couple of different answers depending on the situation.

The first one is just the meaning of the word in Japanese. Thats going to be explained in the first section of this article and will lay the foundation for the rest of it.

Then well talk about the words specific meaning when it is applied to both anime and manga. Get ready to learn all about the meaning of the word seinen!

Different: Seinen Includes More Adult Themes

Because seinen is aimed at an older demographic in comparison to its shonen counterpart, it often includes adult themes that you wouldn’t generally see in a shonen title. For example, themes of a sexual nature are not uncommon in seinen anime Tokyo Ghoul featured a particularly intimate scene between Kaneki and Touka.

Further, seinen is far more graphic in the way it portrays violence and will often push boundaries beyond that of a shonen anime.

Don’t Miss: How To Draw Anime Hands And Feet

Being The Wrong Audience

Sometimes people ask if it’s okay for them to like shounen manga if they aren’t children, or shoujo manga if they aren’t girls. Of course it’s okay.

This is just the audience the magazine is aiming for. If more girls than boys bought a shounen magazine, the magazine would gladly take their money.

In some cases, a manga published in a shounen magazine is more popular with its female readership than with its male readership.

This is specially the case if it’s a series that has very few female characters in it, which occurs with sports series like Haikyuu , that has volleyball teams full of male characters, and almost no girls around.

Anime Subgenres And Settings

These are the more specific categories of anime. Some of these subgenres are unique as they can describe a type of narrative that is essentially exclusive to anime or at least more prevalent in that medium. These subgenres cover a wide variety of themes and settings that can apply to the wider spectrum of major genres. For example, there can be multiple anime with a school setting that range from comedy to horror.

Recommended Reading: Anime Girl Mouth

Alignment Rules In Word Processing Or Typesetting

Various word processing or typesettingsoftware programs, such as Microsoft Word, Adobe InDesign, Adobe InCopy, etc. have features for adding ruby text, especially Japanese furigana. Among formatting features are different rules for aligning the kana over or to the right of the base text, usually either when the base text string is longer than the furigana string or vice versa. Extra spaces may be needed depending on the size of the shorter string relatively to the longer one.

• Centered, left/top or right/bottom: No spaces are added in between the characters. The shorter string is aligned to the center , the left/top or the right/bottom of the longer string.
• 1-2-1 : Spaces are added at the start of and the end of the shorter string, and in between its component characters, so that the spaces in between are twice as wide or tall as the spaces at the start and at the end. Space width or height is calculated based on the width or height of the square bounding box of a glyph . The strings are still, in essence, aligned to the center of each other, rather than to the left/top or right/bottom.
• 0-1-0: Equal spaces are added, similarly to the 1-2-1 rule, in between the component characters of the shorter string, but not its start or end.

Mature Plots Themes & Gray Morality In Seinen Anime

What puts an anime series inside the Seinen category is its mature theme and plot, not just having a lot of violence. Imagine reading some of Dostoyevsky works in middle school, there are some little boys who can do it, but for most of them, they might be a little lost.

More often, in Seinen anime, we see conflicts that grow between people, nations or ethnic groups that dont adopt the same moral point of view.

For example, one party may have kind intentions, but have procedures to accomplish them that lead to hurting innocents while another party may be trying to protect what we call the common good, but they are actually only doing so to preserve their personal interests.

However, its not always evident to choose which is the side we should be on, and more often, both sides are wrong.

This also involves characters who have larger moral complexities. The main protagonist may be an antihero, someone who lacks conventional heroic qualities like idealism, sense of justice and morality.

Also Check: How Do You Draw Anime Hair