Well,
Am I bored again? You bet yer ass I’m! So as I promised to y’all before (yeah, like anyone gives a damn), I’ll differentiate shojo anime and these catered to men.
Things about shojo anime that makes them shojo:
- 1. lots of bishonen.
- 2. lots of girls talking and thinking.
- 2.5 The main girl’s internal thoughts are revealed.
- 3. the main girl is often clumsy, flaky, or doesn’t know what to do.(Note: I stand corrected – the main girl is sometimes clumsy, but sometimes not, and not always clueless, except in love :P)
- 3.5. she needs a bishonen/older, handsome man/hot teacher to help her (see Sailormoon).
- 4. a lot of relationship issues, a lot less fighting of any kind.
- 5. lots bishonen getting “together”, or at least looking like it.
- 5.5 the men will talk a lot, and I mean A LOT.
- 6. lots of girls in the show will squeal over some guy.
- 7. the girls won’t get anywhere near naked (read: no girl skins will be shown – beautiful dressed don’t count – anyone knows any exception call it).
- 8. transform – but nothing is really revealed (however, the show has to fit the previous criteria, otherwise, it’s suspected to be a shori anime).
9. the villians are often funny or silly (OK, this is mostly 90’s shojo anime, like sailormoon). - 10. the eyes of the girls are so beautiful and complex that no shori/shonen/other anime can match. The stress is on the word complex, and no, don’t ask how to tell the difference. It’s difficult.
- 11. frustrating girl conflicts and stupid main guy that just doesn’t get it (see Peach Girl – the plot made me wanna kill Toji or whatever the main guy’s name is, and the conflicts in girls’ world is so narrow and yet so frustrating to watch).
Now for shori anime:
- 1. lots of girls and only one guy
- 1.5. male fanservice, but these girls would be having conversations.
- 2. the show has no men or almost no men, and the girls are lesbians or the tension is too high (see Strawberry Panic…oh, you didn’t see it? Abundant girl-kissing )
- 3. we get a glimpse of what women thinks, and lots of fan service after that ( see high school girls AKA Girls’ high). 3. Funny, especially when the only guy in the show gets his ass kicked often.
- 3.5. a lot less conversation, a lot more comedy – physical most of the time.
- 4. beautiful but flaky/clumsy main girl, but girls kissing, mecha fighting and fanservice (see Kyoshiro) 4.5. the main gets naked and her butt is visible (again see Kyoshiro).
- 5. the eyes of the girls are drawn like any regular harem shows (hmm…Just be a man and you’ll know what I mean, at least I hope you do).
- 5.5 harem shows are NOT bishojo shows – a lot of girls in one show doesn’t make it a bishojo show, but if it were to be made into a game it CAN be called bishojo game – which is for men, but it’s not a shori because there would be a lot less talking and a lot more action…heh heh heh.
- 6. we men get to know what the girls do, realistically. (in bishojo anime the girls are often unrealistic in their daily activities, hygenes and so on, they would perfect in everything, especially tennis – see Ace wo Narae…oh in case you didn’t know about it, women can be pretty gross and not in a sexual way at all in their own environment when among peers of the same sex…if your fantasy is to be a janitor for women’s locker room, cut it out right now and just go watch some hentai or pron…I’ve been fortunate enough and have never actually witnessed anything in person but I’ve heard of stories of women being really gross, sorry ladies…anyway, see Girls’ High, episode one).
- 7. just the direct opposite of the last, one of the women would be almost like a perfect goddess and unattainable, except she’s the magical girlfriend (yes, it’s a ’80s and ’90s vice- see Ah! Megami-sama), and her family (often full of women) is troublesome, hence the comedy happens by the main guy getting toyed with.
- 8. Love Hina is NOT a shojo anime.
- 9. Ah! Megami-sama/Oh My goddes/video girl Ai/Ai Yori Aoshi/She the Ultimate Weapon/To Heart/Ichigo 100/etc are NOT shojo anime.
- 10. Duh! Why is it that all these girls like that one single guy? Why is it machines are fighting? Why is it that the girls are kissing or having lesbian tensions all the time? Why is it the men don’t talk enough and they’re not bishonen? Why is it that we get to know about women’s real hygene? Why is it that panties and breasts are flying? Why is it that the guy keeps having opportunity to help girls out? Why is it his friend(s) never get any chance with any of the girls? (in the case of Sailormoon, her friends never meet any good guy, but this is the bishojo version of “friends get no chance with the opposite sex).
I’m open to debate.
Note: There may be exceptions but these days, a lot of anime are trying to earn money from both sides: example: Gundam Wing (the 5 boys), Gundam Seed/Seed Destiny (these are mecha shows but they have enough bishonens in them). And an ’80’s example – (gasp!) Saint Seiya! Japanese girls lined up to get the merchandise from it when they’re released to the market.
Side note: it seems like most people visiting this site are either long time anime watchers or recent watchers. Interesting…