Anime 101: The Basics for the Uninitiated

Amo dya ang imo handy-dandy guide into anime kun gusto mo mag testing ka ralantawon nga bukon duman asianobela. Very Asian man angud, pay "kinartoon"... Anime could be quite complicated (gina debatehan pa gani ka iban ang anime vs cartoon definition) but once you get oriented, it could open up a library of amazing works. In a way, pangaman mo man dya kun may makahagad kanimo, in the future, maglantaw sa sinehan ka anime film kag indi ikaw maka pangindi (because you're kaladkarin by nature).

So what exactly is Anime?

Ang anime is a form of animation that originates from Japan.. but the term has evolved. Hambal ni Wiki, anime, which is a shortening of the English word animation, is used in Japan as a blanket term for all animated works, regardless of origin. Outside of Japan, the term is used either to refer to animated works produced in Japan, or to their common visual style, which has since been adopted by a minority of works produced in other countries. And let's leave it at that.

Major Anime Genres

Anime (and manga for that matter) are typically divided into one of four major demographics. While not every single series ever created necessarily fits into this framework, the vast majority of anime could be categorized as either Shounen, Shoujo, Seinen or Josei — and, while that may look complicated, it's basically breaking things down into age groups and genders.

• Shounen (Young teen boys)

• Shoujo (Young teen girls)

• Seinen (Young adult men)

• Josei (Young adult women)

• Kodomo (Aimed at children)

Pay bisan waay man ikaw sa target demographic (laon whose into white-haired deities), makapili kaw angud ka imo nauyunan lantawon as these shows cater to a plethora of themes. Matyagan mo pinasahi ang imo preference? Believe me... somewhere, somehow, there's an anime for you!

There are many anime genres in existence because they are constantly evolving, but these are the most popular ones.

Typical genres that are used to categorize other mediums (such as tv shows, films or books)

Rurouni Kenshin: Wandering Samurai

• Action

• Adventure

• Comedy

• Drama

• Slice of Life

• Fantasy

• Magic

• Supernatural

• Horror

• Mystery

• Psychological

• Romance

• Sci-Fi

Subgenres and Settings

These are unique as they can describe a type of narrative that is essentially exclusive to anime or at least more prevalent in that medium. They cover a wide variety of themes and settings that can apply to the wider spectrum of major genres.

• Cyberpunk (a subgenre of sci-fi. It usually displays a future where society has become more ingrained with technology at the expense of social order. The setting is typically a dystopian future where technology may be doing more harm than good.)

• Game (revolves around the idea of gaming and playing. The anime can feature a card game, board game, puzzle game, or even a virtual online game.)

• Ecchi (Sexual content, but doesn't show any sex acts. Ecchi is paired up with comedy as both genres compliment each other well. This in turn serves as a buffer that prevents the shows from crossing the line and delving into something less appropriate for general audiences.)

• Demons (The term demon does not only encompass literal demon characters. It also extends to other entities such as monsters, beasts, ghosts, and other demon-type figures.)

• Harem/Reverse Harem (Boy surrounded by girls / Girl surrounded by boys.)

• Martial Arts (This subgenre is constantly popular and is usually in the action category. They mainly involve hand-to-hand combat and technician battles.)

• Historical (revolves around events in history and moments of antiquity. They are typically set in Ancient Japan and the feudal period. Other settings such as the Middle Ages and medieval period of Europe exist but they’re much more rare in anime.)

• Hentai (Anime with erotic and pornographic themes, this type of anime is generally about sex and sexual arousal, and depicts scenes of explicit sexual intercourse and nudity)

• Isekai (Isekai translates to "another world." This subgenre typically has a narrative where a protagonist somehow gets transported to a different world. The new world is more often than not in a fantasy setting, occasionally with traits pulled from Japanese Role Playing Games.)

• Military (This subgenre involves the military in one way or another. War may also be a huge part of military anime and is often coupled with the mecha and action genre.)

• Mecha (Anime about robots, usually ones big enough for people to sit inside them and control them like people drive cars. Mecha anime often have wars where the robots are used to fight between countries like tanks and planes are used today.)

• Music (typically focus on singing, dancing, or playing musical instruments. These usually fit within the larger categories of comedy and drama.)

• Parody (A parody anime is one where countless numbers of other anime references are showcased throughout the plot. It might be a popular running gag, a famous symbol, a character reference, or any other attempt at bringing another show into its domain.)

• Police (emphasizes the life and struggles of law enforcement in their line of duty. This genre isn't exclusive to police officers; detectives, investigators, and enforcers of any type are included as well.)

• Post-Apocalyptic (set in a world that is in a dystopian state. This could mean the world is destroyed and/or humans are nearly extinct.)

• School (An anime can be considered a part of the school subgenre if a school is the primary setting and the anime deals mostly with school and student life. This type of anime is usually seen within the comedy genre, though there are some entries in drama as well.)

• Shoujo-ai / Shounen-ai (Anime about girls who are in love with other girls./ Anime about boys who are in love with other boys. The romance are milder compared with yuri/yaoi)

• Space (set in the cosmos can be labeled in this category. Space anime is often within the larger mecha and sci-fi genre.)

• Sports (shows that cover characters engaging in athletic competition. Popular choices in this category includes basketball, tennis, baseball, and soccer. Other sports exists as well, including those that you wouldn’t expect showing up in anime.)

• Super Power (If you see bursts of energy balls, death-defying attacks, and opposing forces battling it out throughout the story, then that means you’re probably witnessing a show in this subgenre. These shows generally fit in the action category.)

• Tragedy (revolves around tragic events or phenomenon where the characters are deeply involved and affected. Tragedy comes in diverse varieties such as disasters, accidents, misfortunes, and deaths.)

• Vampire (Vampires are not just exclusive to the horror category anymore. They’ve also manifested themselves into other categories such as comedy, romance, and drama.)

• Yuri / Yaoi (the much more sexually explicit counterpart of shoujo-ai/shounen-ai. This subgenre covers female-to-female/male-to-male relationships in a more mature light. There is more emphasis on serious relationships and intimacy.)

Mononoke (2007)

Ano manami lantawon as a beginner?

Depende dun dya sa preference mo.. kag imo level of tolerance, of course. In my case, I think I've been consuming anime even before pa kami nagkilalahay nga "anime" gali ang tawag ka nanda kag bukon lang cartoons, so my preference could be varied although mas naga gravitate ako towards romance, comedy, fantasy, horror, psychological, ecchi and smut.. Ang earliest anime in my memory are the Tagalog dubbed Voltes V (1977-1978) kag Voltron: The Lion Force (1984-1985). Oh, and Astro Boy (1980 series) pa gid. Amo man lang dan kauna ang malantawan sa tv. (Wow, ka-edad lang kami ni Voltes V!)

Whether you’re just a non-fan who is passing by, an interested onlooker or even a casual watcher, may I suggest you start with anime films. Yes, para dasig matapos kag indi ikaw mabitin sa mga seasons. Check out titles from Studio Ghibli or any films by Makoto Shinkai, Mamoru Hosoda, Satoshi Kon and Masaaki Yuasa. Gin limit ko lang ang titles para indi man ikaw ma overwhelm ka ralantawon. These are some of the films I enjoyed the most.

Studio Ghibli:

• My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

• Princess Mononoke (1997)

• Spirited Away (2001)

• Howl's Moving Castle (2004)

• The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013)

Makoto Shinkai

• Kotonoha no Niwa - The Garden of Words (2013)

• Kimi no Na wa - Your Name (2016)

• Tenki no Ko - Weathering with You (2019)

Mamoru Hosoda

• The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006)

• Wolf Children (2012)

• Mirai (2018)

Satoshi Kon

• Perfect Blue (1997)

• Millennium Actress (2001)

• Tokyo Godfathers (2003)

Masaaki Yuasa

• Night Is Short, Walk On Girl (2017)

• Lu over the Wall (2017)

• Devilman Crybaby (2018) - this one is a series

from The Garden of Words (2013)

Then kun ready kaw run mag commit sa mga anime series; here are some suggestions. Kalabanan ka dya gi mga popular shounen anime kag waay ko dun gin-abay ang shoujo & josei (and those with romance) hay raku dun ko nalista in my other posts.

• Hunter x Hunter (1999 & 2011 versions)

• One-Punch Man (Season 1 lang.. No further comments sa S2)

• Death Note (2006)

• Attack on Titan (All seasons)

• Detroit Metal City (2008)

• Hataraku Maou-sama! (The Devil is a Part-Timer!)

• Detective Conan

• Ranma 1/2

• Rurouni Kenshin: Wandering Samurai

• Mo Dao Zu Shi (The Founder of Diabolism) - this one is in Chinese

Waay ko man gali nadara sa lista ang kauna anay gina consider nga the Big 3 of anime (Bleach, Naruto & Onepiece), it's not that I have anything against them, it's just that sa sobra nanda ka popular (& kalawig) nga waay ako naganyat maglantaw. Amo man sa My Hero Academia, Full-Metal Alchemist kag Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba... I know they're great animes pay waay lang sanda sa preference ko... but you may also check them out. Kun ano man ang huyog mo, there's an anime for you.

sources: https://www.techtimes.com/articles/142866/20160321/beginners-guide-to-anime-terms-genres-and-streaming-services-you-need-to-know.htm; https://reelrundown.com/animation/Anime-Genre-List; https://comicyears.com/anime-news/anime-guide-for-beginners-everything-you-wanted-to-know-but-were-afraid-to-ask/