Genre is a term to describe the category of artistic, musical, or literary composition characterised by a particular style, form, or content.

Why Genres Matter

• Organisation: Genres help us organise and find works we’re likely to enjoy. If you love mysteries, you know to look for books or movies labelled as such.
• Expectations: Genres create expectations about what to expect from a work. A horror movie will likely have suspenseful music and scary scenes.
• Discovery: Genres can help you discover new things you might like. If you enjoy one type of manga, you might explore similar genres.

Here are the genres and subgenres covered on the blog:

I’ll now classify each genre using these tags:

• [Main] – Core narrative genres.
• [Hybrid] – Cross-genre blends or structural frameworks.
• [Sub] – Thematic or stylistic subgenres.

A

• Action (アクション / Akushon) –[Main] Fast-paced, combat-driven stories.
• Adventure (冒険 / Bōken) –[Main] Characters embark on a journey or quest.
• Anthology –[Hybrid] A collection of standalone stories or episodes.

B

1. Boys’ Love (BL) / Shounen Ai (ボーイズラブ / 少年愛) –[Main] Romance between male characters.
2. Battle (バトル / Batoru) –[Sub] Focuses on fights and rivalries.

C

• Comedy (コメディ / Komedi) –[Main] Lighthearted and humorous storytelling.
• Cyberpunk (サイバーパンク / Saibāpanku) –[Hybrid] Dystopian sci-fi with cybernetic elements.

D

• Dementia (ディメンシア / Dimenshia) – [Sub] Psychological, abstract, or surreal themes.
• Detective / Mystery (ミステリー / Misuterī) – [Hybrid] Crime-solving and investigations.
• Drama (ドラマ / Dorama) – [Main] Emotionally intense storytelling.

E

• Ecchi (エッチ) – [Sub] Mildly risqué, fanservice-heavy but not explicit.
• Edo Period (江戸時代 / Edo Jidai) – [Hybrid] Set in Japan’s Edo period (1603–1868).
• Esports (eスポーツ / E-Supōtsu) – [Hybrid] Competitive gaming-based stories.

F

• Fantasy (ファンタジー / Fantajī) – [Main] Magical or supernatural elements.
• Food / Gourmet (料理 / Ryōri) – [Hybrid] Focuses on cooking and food culture.
• Full-Dive / VRMMO – [Hybrid] Virtual reality game-based stories.

G

• Game (ゲーム / Gēmu) – [Main] Centred around games or gaming.
• Gag (ギャグ / Gyagu) – [Sub] Over-the-top slapstick comedy.
• Gender Bender (ジェンダーベンダー / Jendā Bendā) – [Sub] Involves gender transformations or role reversals.
• Gore / Splatter (スプラッター / Supurattā) – [Sub] Extreme violence and graphic content.

H

• Harem – [Sub] One protagonist with multiple romantic interests.
• Hentai – [Main] Explicit adult content.
• Historical – [Hybrid] Set in real-world historical settings.
• Horror – [Main] Intended to frighten or disturb.

I

• Idol (アイドル / Aidoru) – [Hybrid] Focused on idol culture and entertainment.
• Isekai – [Main]Protagonist transported to another world.

J

• Josei (女性 / Josei) – [Main] Aimed at adult women; realistic romance or life challenges.

K

• Kids (キッズ / Kizzu) – [Main] Targeted at younger viewers.
• Kawaii (かわいい / Kawaii) – [Sub] Emphasises cuteness.

L

• LitRPG – [Hybrid] Set in game-like worlds with mechanics such as stats or levelling.

M

• Magic (魔法 / Mahō) – [Sub] Involves spellcasting and magical powers.
• Magical Girl (魔法少女 / Mahō Shōjo) – [Main] Young girls using magic to combat evil.
• Martial Arts (武術 / Bujutsu) – [Hybrid] Focused on combat techniques.
• Mecha (メカ / Meka) – [Main] Features giant robots or mechanical suits.
• Military (軍事 / Gunji) – [Hybrid] Themes of war, tactics, and military life.
• Music (音楽 / Ongaku) – [Hybrid] Revolves around musical pursuits or bands.

N

• Nekketsu (熱血 / Nekketsu) – [Sub] Hot-blooded heroes with burning passion and ideals.
• Noir (ノワール / Nowāru) – [Sub] Gritty, dark-toned crime/detective stories.

O

• Occult – [Sub] Hidden supernatural elements and mystical beliefs.
• Otome (乙女 / Otome) – [Main] Romance aimed at a female audience, often in dating sim format.

P

• Parody – [Sub] Humour that mocks genre conventions or tropes.
• Political – [Hybrid] Political intrigue and factional conflicts.
• Psychological – [Hybrid] Explores characters’ minds, trauma, or mental tension.

R

• Reincarnation (転生 / Tensei) – [Sub] Characters reborn into new worlds or lives.
• Reverse Harem (逆ハーレム / Gyaku Hāremu) – [Sub] Female protagonist with multiple male suitors.
• Romance (ロマンス / Romansu) – [Main] Focuses on love and relationships.
• Romantic Comedy (ロマンチック・コメディ / Romanchikku Komedi) – [Hybrid] Love and laughs combined.

S

• Samurai – [Hybrid] Stories focused on samurai or bushido codes.
• Satire – [Sub] Social or genre parody with a critical twist.
• School – [Hybrid] Set in academic or school-related settings.
• Sci-Fi – [Main] Futuristic, technological, or space-related stories.
• Seinen – [Main] Aimed at adult men with mature themes.
• Shoujo – [Main] Aimed at young girls, often romance or drama-driven.
• Shoujo Ai – [Sub] Light romantic focus between female characters.
• Shounen – Aimed at young boys, usually action-packed.
• Shounen Ai – [Sub] Light romantic focus between male characters.
• Slice of Life – [Main] Realistic depictions of daily life and relationships.
• Space – [Hybrid] Stories set in outer space.
• Sports – [Main] Competitive sports as the central theme.
• Steampunk – [Hybrid] Retro-futuristic setting mixing steam tech and fantasy.
• Supernatural – [Main] Ghosts, spirits, or mystical phenomena.
• Superpower – [Main] Characters with special abilities.
• Suspense (サスペンス / Sasupensu) – [Sub] Builds tension and uncertainty, often featuring crime, psychology, or time-sensitive danger.
• Survival – [Sub] High-stakes stories of endurance and danger.

T

• Thriller (スリラー / Surirā) – [Sub] Tense, high-energy stories with twists.
• Time Travel (タイムトラベル / Taimu Toraberu) – [Hybrid] Characters move through different time periods.
• Tragedy (悲劇 / Higeki) – [Sub] Narratives with sorrowful or heartbreaking endings.

U

• Urban Fantasy (アーバンファンタジー / Āban Fantajī) – [Hybrid] Magical elements in modern settings.

V

• Vampire (吸血鬼 / Kyūketsuki) – [Sub] Vampire mythos in romantic, horror, or fantasy contexts.

W

• War (戦争 / Sensō) – [Hybrid] Large-scale battles, politics, and strategy.
• Western (西部劇 / Seibugeki) – [Hybrid] Inspired by the American Wild West.

Y

• Yakuza – [Hybrid] Stories about organised crime, loyalty, and underground life.
• Yaoi – [Main] Romantic and/or explicit relationships between male characters.
• Youkai – [Sub] Focused on Japanese folklore creatures and their interactions with humans.
• Yuri – [Main] Romance or emotional relationships between female characters.

Z

• Zodiac – [Sub] Celestial themes or horoscopic influence.
• Zombies – [Sub] Undead-driven survival or horror narratives.
• Zoo – [Hybrid] Animal-focused stories in a zoo or conservation setting.