More Manga Genres

It's fairly innocent

I recently talked about the various genres you can expect to find in anime and manga. They were a basic description of the first few (safe) ones I could come up with. Well two separate incidents made me think it was time for another genre list. First there was a chat with a friend about women reading male-oriented romances which lead to a yaoi discussion. The second incident there was the slightly bizarre request for the more daring genres. Ookay! I might not be explaining ecchi in great detail but I think another list might help at this point.

Whatcha call us?

Yaoi

Yaoi means that the story as a whole or parts of it can involve two male characters falling for each other. Or finding each other really alluring as the moonlight shines on their pretty little heads (excuse the statement there). This genre is meant for a female reader. Thus, the way the characters, storyline and romantic instances are presented will cater to the tastes of the female reader.

Let me also mention this. Yaoi is not porn. It's not sexually explicit scenes of folks frolicking between the sheets, secretly meeting in barn and can I just stop these crazy analogies right here? Alright, so perhaps some manga are a bit suggestive (and do keep in mind, these are for older readers) but in a lot of cases, the stories are tongue-in-cheek and meant to tease. Kind of like the new Charlie's Angels and the ridiculous outfit/dance combos. Examples of yaoi? Well, Ouran Highschool Host Club had those lovey-dovey scenes with the twins. And don't forget DN Angel where Daisuke and Satoshi were cast opposite each other in a play as lead characters. Well, there are some Yaoi which fall into the adult category but the same goes for every other genre (scifi, horror, historical drama, etc.).

It's a she? .... that explains a lot!

Yuri

This is the female equivalent of yaoi. It involves romantic moments/relationships between female characters and cater to a male reader. As folks point out, it is the tension and goof ups created between the characters by potential or implied attraction that creates an interest in readers. Same as when Frasier fans were rooting for Niles and Daphne (from Frasier) to hook up. It's not that you want to see them make out, semi nude on a balcony. Rather you enjoy the gaffes and development in their attractions and thus, will happily watch all the awkward moments for five full seasons. That's the appeal of yaoi and yuri for fans … or so I've heard. Doesn't that fan of Inoue from Bleach count? The one who stalks her at school? Then there are bits from Rose of Versailles. 

You get the picture

Josei

This one's for female readers who want a story without all that weird glitter, glamor and wide eyed puppy love soppiness that comes with the shojo genres. Happily ever after is all good and fine when you are 15 but life looks a bit different when you finish school, start working and start living on your own. While many will disagree, I like to think of it as a genre with a Bridget Jones sort of theme. Of course, it is not all realistic love, heartache and sorrow in this genre; sometimes such a genre can help cover topics that are … too grownup for the young ones. The best example I can think of is messy relationships I came across in both Paradise Kiss and Nana. Both of them cover a lot of issues really well but I would not necessarily recommend them for the teenage readers.

Er .... NSFW?

Harem (and Reverse Harem)

It's not as bad as it sounds. At no point does any of the harem members do a dodgy dance of the seven veils. Well, I suppose that depends on the type of anime you are watching. But when you see elements of this genre in, say, something that is based in a school and is targeted at teens or slightly older readers, rest assured that it is pretty harmless. Harem means that you will find a whole bunch of female characters hankering after one particular male. All of the females will have distinct personalities (i.e. the girl next door type, the geeky girl, etc.) and, for the most part, they are targeting the tastes of various types of readers. Reverse harem is when the object of affection is female and all the harem members are male. Also keep in mind this is not a belly-dancing, grape-eating on chaise longue type of event. In both instances, it is more of a 'awe-struck fans chasing the Beatles' style of puppy love. Rosario+Vampire is a pretty good example of the harem genre while Ouran did have elements of reverse harem.