What Is Seinen Anime? How Is It Different From Shounen?

What Is Seinen Anime: Shonen, Shojo, BL, harem are all different types of stories that we get to see in the anime and manga world. News and update articles often mention the terms Shoujo and Seinen with respect to the genre of the anime. Fans tend to question as to what these types of storytelling mean. One of the most searched questions across the internet tends to be What Is Seinen Anime. Well, if you too are confused about the same are looking for answers, then you have come to the right place.

This article gives hints of what it means, plus, you can also find how this type of anime is different from Shounen. Thus, keep reading ahead to find out all the answers.

What Is Seinen Anime

What Does Seinen Mean?

What Is Seinen Anime: Typically, Seinen is a word that comes from Japanese. More than a genre, it denotes a specific demographic which is targeted towards an audience. The term Seinen means “youth” in Japanese. More often than not, the term is used alongside manga than anime. Thus, the anime which are derived from these mangas are called Seinen anime. But what kind of anime are counted under this umbrella? What are the examples of such shows? Keep reading ahead to find out.

What Is Seinen Anime

What Is Seinen Anime?

Seinen anime and manga are targeted towards young adult male audiences. Magazines like Weekly Manga Times, Big Comic, Weekly Young Magazine, and Ultra Jump are examples of these texts. There is an entire market for teenage and adult boys who read particularly action-specific content. This is the target market of these magazines. The age groups between 18 to 40 come under this demographic.

Some of the popular examples of the Seinen series include Berserk, One Punch Man, Tokyo Ghoul, Hellsing, and 20th Century Boys. However, these are also some shows that come under the umbrella of Shonen content. So, how are these two genres different?

What Is Seinen Anime

How Is Seinen Different From Shounen?

The term Shounen has a completely different meaning in Japanese. Shonen means ‘boy’ in Japanese terms. As for the content of this type, it targets a male market that is younger as compared to that of Seinen. The boys of the age group 12-18 come under the radar of these shows. For anyone who does not distinguish between the two, Shonen anime have a slightly early release time in the night. Meanwhile, Seinen demographic shows get late-night airing slots for an older audience. Some examples of Shounen include Naruto, One Piece, My Hero Academia, and Dragon Ball.

Just as movies are rated R, PG-13, and A, manga, and anime have a differentiation for the target audience. Thus, this was a brief explainer of what Seinen anime stands for. If you have more queries in regards to the same, then leave a comment in the box below. Lastly, for more trivia like this, keep coming back to The Anime Daily.