The Different Types of Manga

If you know a little about manga, read it, or watch anime, you have undoubtedly noticed that there isn't just "one" manga style, but a variety of styles unique to each author. From the simplest and cutest styles to the most realistic or dynamic, there is a true range of possible variations.

To begin, the manga style has evolved over the years. Since its appearance, until now, a definite evolution can be noted in the tools and the style itself. Initially highly influenced by American culture and Disney, it gradually blended with the Japanese artistic style to result in the manga that we have known for the past one or two decades. It is these more recent styles that I will focus on today.

If you read manga, you've certainly noticed that these are categorized not by genre as in Europe (fantasy, science fiction, slice of life, etc.), but by target audience. There is Shonen for young boys (especially Shonen Nekketsu), Seinen for adults (primarily men), Shojo for young girls, and Kodomo for young children. Of course, there are other genres (such as yaoi, or hentai), but I prefer to focus on the most famous categories with the most distinctive styles.

Each of the genres mentioned above has its own graphic codes but also themes that are quite common in most of the works.

CHILDREN'S MANGAS: KODOMO

Let's start with Kodomo, which are mangas intended for a very young audience; the illustrations are generally quite simple. These are stories filled with adventures, featuring young protagonists and their groups of friends. There isn't necessarily an antagonist, and they don't usually tackle very dark themes either. The tone is "child-friendly" and the stories always have a happy ending. I'm sure everyone here has seen at least one and grew up with it. Just out of curiosity, does anyone here know Pokémon? :D

Among other big names of this genre, there are also: Hamtaro, Keroro, Doraemon, Chi - a cat's life, Magical Doremi, Yo-kai Watch, Astroboy, Digimon, and Beyblade. Note that I do not necessarily limit myself to the paper format "manga," but also include pure and hard anime.

 
^Pokémon

^Hamtaro

^Doraemon

MANGAS FOR GIRLS: SHOJO

Next, let's move on to Shojo! The manga for girls! Generally, it's about romance, often set in a school environment (middle school or high school). The protagonist is usually a young girl, the characters' feelings are often the central point of the narrative, and their portrayal is particularly meticulous. Both the narration and the style are generally more developed, more illustrative, and more refined. Among the famous names in this genre, we can mention: Nana, Vampire Knight, Fruits Basket, and Gokinjo.

 
^{Panier de fruits}

^Gokinjo

^Nana

^{Vampire Knight}

A SUB-GENRE OF MANGAS FOR GIRLS: THE MAGICAL GIRL

But sometimes these stories take on a fantastic hue! It's the category of Magical Girls, maidens endowed with fantastic powers! The Magical Girl is somewhat the female counterpart of superheroes. Forced to juggle her daily life, her studies (elementary, middle, or high school), and her life as a witch/world protector, she often encounters troubles when love starts to interfere. Often accompanied by other characters with powers, the Magical Girl falls into a genre that's a bit more action-oriented, even though the characters' emotions are always handled with special care, just like the "everyday life" aspect.

Among the famous names in this genre are Card Captor Sakura, Sailor Moon, Alice 19th, and Chocola and Vanilla.

^{Alice 19th}

^{Card Captor Sakura}

^{Chocola and Vanilla}

^{Sailor Moon}

SHONEN AND NEKKETSU MANGA

Let's move on to Shonen, especially the Nekketsu, which is the most famous. This style of manga was originally intended for young boys, and the genres are varied. The hero, often an orphaned young boy, seeks to achieve a goal with the help of a group of cheerful companions, constantly needing to improve and become stronger in order to hope to achieve his objective. Values such as friendship, determination, tenacity, and self-improvement are promoted. Here, the focus is on action. The style is more lively, more incisive, and more dynamic. Attention is given to the characters' looks and their charisma, strategy in battles, etc.

There are many famous names here, including: Dragon Ball Z, Naruto, One Piece, Hunter x Hunter, the Knights of the Zodiac, Kenshin, Bleach, Samurai Deeper Kyo, FullMetal Alchemist, Fairy Tail, etc. As you can see, there are many, and you probably have lots of other examples in your library :D

^{Dragon Ball}

^Naruto

^{Hunter X}

^{One Piece}

SEINEN MANGA FOR ADULTS

The last category covers Seinen. Intended for an older and predominantly male audience, it delves into much darker themes such as pollution, war, society and all that it entails, dystopias, horror, etc. It extensively discusses the flaws of existing systems, technology, science, and politics, and does not shy away from using sex, violence, and gore, or from pushing the thought process to its limits to advance the story and keep the reader engaged. This is also one of the reasons why the graphic styles are generally much closer to realism and there is great attention to detail in the backgrounds, graphic scenes, and characters.

Here again, we find many famous names such as: Akira, Berserk, Monster, 20th Century Boys, Gunnm, Pluto, Vagabond, Gantz, Parasite, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, etc.

 
^{20th Century Boys}

^Berserk

^Gunnm

^Akira

^Parasite

^Vagabond

You will have seen just by reading this article that the styles vary greatly depending on the target audience, but there are also many variations among them, even though there are some similar elements. The way of formatting, emphasizing certain elements or toning them down, the level of detail, etc. can all vary.

Feel free to share your favorite manga in the comments, there are plenty to choose from! :D

Editor: Camille Rakjah