Do anime fans overuse the terms Shounen, Shoujo, etc...?

Me, personally, I don't care :::: I love it AAALLLLLLLL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I feel it's more of a case of people not understanding that shounen, shoujo, seinen, josei, etc. are NOT genres.

What they are is demographics, in that a particular series tries to aim for a specific demographic.

For example, if it's aimed at a male audience between 10-18 years of age, it's a shounen by definition, it doesn't necessarily refer to the content.

Besides, whether or not something is aimed at a specific demographic has no bearing on the quality of the content.

If you enjoy a certain series, then it shouldn't matter what demographic it's aimed at.

I kind of agree with this. I feel like they're misused sometimes.

Back when I was more active around here, some people just assumed that some anime/manga was shounen/shoujo/josei/seinen even when it wasn't, just because it seemed like that's what it was because of its genre. They would assume romance = shoujo, action = shounen.

Like when I would see a question asking for shoujo anime recommendations, some people would end up giving recs that weren't shoujo. I'm assuming it's because people associate shoujo anime/manga with the romance genre. But not all romance = shoujo or josei.

And also some people seem to think that seinen anime is all blood, action, and sex just because it's aimed at an older audience of guys. Which isn't true, there's plenty of seinen anime out there that's appropriate for a younger audience.

It seems like usually visual novels and light novels = seinen. And seems like slice of life + comedy usually = seinen? Like Hidamari Sketch and Haruhi.

It seems that what demographic a series belongs to depends on what it's based on, like if it was based on an eroge it'll be seinen, if it's based on a shoujo manga it's shoujo, etc. And what the demographic of the magazine it's in if we're talking about manga. And I've seen the demographic change from what the original source was to something else depending on what magazine it runs in. I've think I remember seeing that a series (can't remember which) where the manga demographic is different from the anime (I'm guessing) because the demographic of the magazine is different.

I think Zero no Tsukaima's considered seinen because it was based on the light novel. Which I'm guessing is seinen?

The Cowboy Bebop manga being shoujo kind of makes sense, since it was in a shoujo magazine (Asuka Fantasy DX).

Some that suprised me:

- Chi's Sweet Home: I thought it was kodomo, then I looked it up and seems like it's seinen (it's in a seinen magazine).

- Natsume Yuujinchou (shoujo): I thought it was shounen. Probably because the main character's a guy.

- Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei: shounen, expecting it to be seinen

I'm sure there's more, but I can't really think of any.

Heh, kids are kids. What can we do?

Teach them the right ways to use the type of anime?

Well, it is hard. We can't always get them to learn something. Besides, they're just fans.

Blood+ is one of them. Saya is the leading female character, yet the series is shounen with the usual action and adventure type of genre.

Death Note would be another one. Everyone thinks, "Oh, its seinen, but its in the shounen side."

There are a lot of series that can be classified as either shounen and shoujo series and the like. They're all mixed up with something else.

I don't think we put more meaning to the words then they actually deserve! I think that we just know Naruto, Bleach, One Piece as shounen so we classify animes like Death Note and Code Geass as shounen too because they have similar themes! This doesn't mean however that they are alike. They all just have the main protagonist as a male finding himself and figuring out life and how he struggles through it. Whereas shoujo always has the main protagonist as a female doing the same thing only the themes are more 'girly'.

Ones that don't fit?! I never really paid attention to that! lol I just watch it or read it if I liked it! I could care less if it is in the right category or not!

Although now that I think on it NANA is said to be a shoujo but I think it should be a josei. It is way to mature for younger females to be seeing or reading it! The theme dealt with in it are things that more grown up females may face.

EDIT:

Then why is Azumanga Daioh classified as a shounen?! Isn't shounen targeted for a younger male audience? Sure there may be other shounen out there that have a female protagonist...so I guess what I should have said is that most shounen animes have the protagonist as a male.

So is what you are getting at is that, the 'categories' only refer to the age group that the anime/manga is targeted for, they really has nothing to do with the plot or themes in the anime/manga??

I see what you mean. I just say I'm a fan of comedy and action. That's much more simple than going into detail.

I'm just a fan of good anime.

I think I'll have to disagree on one point though.....many, many fans of anime are teenagers that use slang. In other words, they don't really think about the continuity of the words they are using to describe their taste in genre. That's just the way it is as a society. I can see why it's unexceptable, but no one is really going to change unless they start calling horror anime a fluffy love story. Sorry if I'm not making sense, but that's a view that I have on such "wordplay" or whatever you would call it.

bya

EDIT:

I just saw that the Cowboy Bebop manga was listed as a "Shoujo" genre......That sort of proves my Horror to fluffy romance theory. V.V How impudent.

My example would be Evangelion. Sometimes it's considered a romance/shounen anime.

To tell you the truth, it's an apocolyptic anime with mental means (such as deathnote).

Sorry, but I'm not too occupied with the anime genres though. If it's good, I'll watch it. I don't like to call my self a "shounen" fan or anything like that because I simply like too many different genres. The reason why I say I'm a comedy and action fan is because there is much of that in all anime genres. (shoot, I'm not making sense again). Ehh. I'm done ranting.

bya (again e.e).

EDIT:

I agree on that (shounen with female leads). I mean, take a look at Slayers! (one of my faves). and Claymore has a female lead (I think, haven't a chance to watch it yet). Witch Hunter Robin is another.

That is a good point.

i read a manga recently called "No Bra"

and it was basically about this guy who was in love with two girls but one of the girls is actually a guy who dresses like a girl so the main guy doesnt want to like him/her.

but he likes both of them and has to choose.

This is published by "Shounen Champs"

How is this shounen?

i dont even know...

Ja~