Hobotaku Dictionary - Terminology in Manga/Anime

Sometimes, as State-side Hobotaku, we all have some trouble figuring out the different ratings and designations for manga and anime - that's where this handy Hobotaku Dictionary can help. Now you'll know what it means when a manga said to be Shonen Yuri or a character typically Moe.

Kodomo (Target Audience: All kids)
Distinguishing Features: Child-friendly plots that may be moralistic, and marked lack of fan service.
Examples: Hamtaro, Doraemon

Shōnen (Target Audience: Males under 18)
Distinguishing Features: High action and humor
Examples: Bleach, Naruto

Shōjo (Target Audience: Females 13 - 18)
Distinguishing Features: Character development through realistic human relationships
(Note: Viz Media is re-defining Shōjo for their line of manga to mean having a male and female teenagers target audience)
Examples: Lala, Hana no Yume

Seinen (Target Audience: Males 18 - 30)
Distinguishing Features: Encompasses a variety of styles - can be strange, avant-garde and/or pornographic
Examples: Ai Yori Aoshi, Maison Ikkoku, Akira)

Josei (Target Audience: Females 18 - 30)
Distinguishing Features: Realistic characters who grow through realistic romance, sometimes with older characters and adult situations
Examples: Paradise Kiss, Nana, Gokusen

Shonen ai
Distinguishing Features: Never sexually explicit, focuses on homosexual relationships between male characters
Examples: Eerie Queerie, Little Butterfly, I Shall Never Return

Yaoi
Distinguishing Features: Sexually explicit, focuses on homosexual relationships between male characters
Examples: Bonds of Love, Lies & Kisses

Shoujo ai
Distinguishing Features: Not sexually explicit, focuses on homosexual relationships between female characters
Examples: .hack, Kashimashi

Yuri (technically, at this point, Shoujo ai and Yuri are interchangeable)
Distinguishing Features: Can be sexually explicit, focuses on homosexual relationships between female characters
Examples: Strawberry Panic, Burst Angel

Hentai (Target Audience: Over 18)
Distinguishing Features: Extreme sexual activity, including bondage, creatures with tentacles, or other fetishes
Examples: Cream Lemon, Bastard!!

Other Terms

Moe (pronounced "mo-eh")
A character with personality or appearance designed to elicit a protective or loving response from the audience.
Example: Tohru in Fruits Basket, Suiseiseki in Rozen Maiden

Bishonen (Sometimes called "Bishi")
Literally "beautiful youth" - a young male whose youth and sexual appear transcend the boundaries of gender
Example: Yuki Sohma in Fruits Basket, D'Eon in Chevalier D'Eon

Dojinshi
Self-published comics, largely they are of licensed works and feature sexually explicit material.

Lolicon
Japanese term for "Lolita complex" - term for sexual attraction of either gender to girls below the age of consent - childlike female characters are over-sexualized.

Shotacon
Japanese term for sexual complex where in an adult of either sex is attracted to an underage boy (to some extent FLCL and Negima have shotacon elements where older women press themselves on younger boys)

Air Gear Manga Volume 1

Overall Rating: B
Synopsis: Air Gear is a shonen manga by Oh! great. The story follows Ikki, who is the toughest kid in his school and the leader of a gang. One night, Ikki bites off more than he can chew when he runs into the Skull Sabers Storm Riders. We're also introduced at this point to the concept of Air Treks, special skates that let the wearer "fly" (it's really more the sensation of flight). Ikki gets his ass kicked, and learns that his "sisters" (three women that Ikki lives with) are the legendary Storm Riders, the Sleeping Forest. They give Ikki his first pair of Air Treks and help him get revenge on the Skull Sabers.

I picked up the manga because it looked interesting. I kept reading because it reminded me of the game Jet Set Radio on the Dreamcast. If you've never played the game, check it out. It may get it's own review someday. Regardless, Air Gear is a pretty fun manga with an interesting concept. If you are in to fan service, there's plenty of that too, but it's pretty gratuitous (fair warning).

All in all, I enjoyed checking out the first volume, and will probably read the second one as well to see how the series holds up. It reads like it could go either way, building on the setting and becoming even better, or falling short and becoming a vehicle for more fan service. Let's hope it's the former. There's nothing wrong with a few panty shots or nude scenes, but I usually like a little plot in my manga.

Black Sun: Silver Moon (Manga Review - volume 1) by Tomo Maeda

Rating: A

Synopsis: Taki Juhas is the oldest of ten children and his parents apparently owe a debt to the local Catholic church. In lieu of paying off the debt, the priest Shikimi Farkash comes and takes Taki as his indentured servant. As Taki spends his time cleaning the giant cathedral and serving his sensei tea, he wonders why on Earth they need to keep such a secluded church so clean. That night, Shikimi introduces Taki to the other part of his job - zombie killing.

Though there seems to be a bit of a misunderstanding about how the Catholic church works in this comic (owing debts to the church that are repaid with indentured servitude, and as a priest's servant, Taki is given a priest's outfit to wear) it doesn't really seem to affect the overall story.

Taki and Shikimi are both very attractive, and just seeing the cover one might think that there is going to be some shonen-ai going on, but that is definitely not the case. Their relationship is mostly humorous, with Shikimi being unreadably cheerful, and Taki being a teenage grump, always about to pull one over on his new master (like giving him mop water in his tea).

Supernatural elements of the story are introduced to us through Taki's introduction to them, and then Shikimi explains them. Shikimi hands Taki a sword and takes him to the graveyard to "see how he reacts" on his first night. Once a zombie pops up, and Taki kills it, Shikimi explains "Oh, that was the dead fisherman's wife we buried three days ago." It lets the story unfold and get explained to the reader very quickly, but it doesn't leave much to be answered in the next book. But now I really enjoy the characters, so I'm still going to read the next book (perhaps that was the point all along).

As Taki learns more about killing zombies that rise from the church's graveyard, Shikimi begins to reveal the reasons behind his silver hair (which seems to demonic to the townspeople) and why Taki is just so dang good at killing zombies. Though usually, he's not good enough for Shikimi, who critiques him constantly - "You used way too much energy getting the head off of that one."

Overall, it's like a supernatural slice-of-life friendship between unlikely people manga, and I think you'd like it.

King of Thorn Manga Volume 1

Overall Rating: B+
Synopsis: The series is a science fiction and mystery manga by Yuji Iwahara. The story follows Kasumi after she awakens from being cryogenically frozen. She, and 159 others were frozen after contracting the Medusa virus, which causes your cells to solidify into a clay-like substance. The result is similar to being turned to stone, hence the name. Kasumi and her twin sister contracted the virus, but only Kasumi is frozen. The 160 survivors awaken from their suspended animation in an undetermined future where blood-thirsty monsters and strange plants seem to have taken over the laboratory, and they must fight to survive.

I was first drawn in by King of Thorn's art. I usually find new manga by reading blurbs about what's coming out, flipping through a few pages in the store, and/or hearing good things about the series. It's very rarely the art that draws me in, even though art is so clearly an integral part of any manga. King of Thorn was different. There is something about the style of the art that made me want to like the book. Fortunately, after reading it, I can say the story (at least in the first volume) doesn't disappoint.

I'm big on science fiction and mystery, so this is a win-win for me. I want to know how long the survivors have been asleep, and where the creatures come from. What happened to Kasumi's sister, did she die of the Medusa virus? What is up with Marco Owen, the mysterious tattooed man? I would have given volume 1 a higher rating, but I don't know how the rest of the series is going to turn out. The first volume is high on suspense, builds lots of questions, and gives very few answers. Here's to hoping the series will play out well, I am definitely drawn in.

Midori Days - Manga Review (Volumes 1 & 2)

Rating: B-

Synopsis: Seiji Sawamura is known as a scary fighter throughout his high school with his "Devil's Right Hand" - his male friends utilize his reputation and fighting skills to help them get out of predicaments with gangs, and instead of bullying, he's usually protecting weaker students. Unfortunately, all Seiji wants is a girlfriend, and his badassery scares all the ladies away. One day, as he unsuccessfully tries to woo one girl, he goes home and wishes for a girlfriend. The next morning, his Devil's Right Hand has turned into a miniature girl's torso that's alive! In fact, it's the body of Midori Kasugano, a local high school girl who has a crush on him and has been admiring him from afar. Her life-sized body has gone into a coma-like sleep.

Suddenly Seiji's life has become a LOT weirder. With a tiny girl torso as his hand, he can't punch his way out of situations, and Midori is completely ga-ga for him and has a hard time shutting up while he goes to school. Everything is covered with humorous overtones, including going to the men's room, and how they bathe separately.


Initially, I thought this manga would have the one hook - his hand is a girl! And yes, they have that, but they really do address a lot of the strangeness that could go on, such as, she is a tiny doll-sized girl, so how is she going to get clothes? Well, I guess Seiji will have to go buy doll's clothes if he cares. It takes him two or three tries to manage to buy her doll's clothes, and once ended in a brawl. But mainly, over time, we see Seiji begin to care for Midori (like when she gets a cold, or needs clothes) while she occupies his right hand.

Typically, for a manga boy, Seiji is completely oblivious of any girl who likes him (which there are several, including Midori (his now right hand), who constantly fawns over him) and bemoans his lone wolf status on a number of occasions.

Despite the shōnen tendencies to show boobs for no reason, they at least try to work it into the plot. I really liked the art style, the plot is funny, and the characters definitely grow on you. I would suggest this to anyone who isn't going to be weirded out by a guy with a girl for his hand. (Midori Days is by Kazurou Inoue)

Black Metal Volume 1

Overall Rating: 666 (the equivalent of an A+)
Synopsis: Black Metal, by Rick Spears and Chuck BB, follows twin brothers, Shawn and Sam, who are a little...different from the other kids. To start with, these brothers are totally brutal, and are seriously metal. Their favorite band is Frost Axe, and their parentage is mysterious to say the least - though their foster mother is hilariously normal. Soon we learn that they may be the reincarnation of the demon Roth, and they have to fulfill the dark and totally grim prophecy of the Hell Baron.

Ok, so Black Metal may not be manga in the strictest sense, but that all depends on your definition of manga. That's a discussion for another day, but I will say that Black Metal is definitely manga sized if nothing else. So, I'm reviewing it, and there's not much you can do about it. Except go out and buy the book, because it's bad ass.

I picked up the first volume of the series at Comic Con this year, and I knew it was going to be good, because I got a free guitar pick of someone throwing the horns. I read it all that night, and then ran into Rick and Chuck at the con the next day. The book kicked ass and the guys were awesome. I bought a totally grim poster from them, and they gave me a cd by Satyricon.

One of my favorite parts of the book is when the boys' foster mother takes them shopping for school clothes. Looking around the store, they comment that "this store is ripe for the apocalypse". If you've ever been the weird kid, and especially if you're into metal, goth, punk, etc., you will love this book. The second half of the book follows the boys as they learn of their brutal heritage, and the prophecy they must fulfill. Part mythology, part high adventure, and all hilarious, Black Metal is totally necro!

Dokebi Bride - Manga Review (Volumes 1 & 2)

Rating: B

Synopsis:
Sunbi is a girl who can see ghosts and spirits. This isn't unusual, since her grandmother and mother had the same powers. Her grandmother has used her understanding of the spirit world to be the shaman of a small town. Unfortunately, Sunbi's mother never found a good way of dealing with these strange abilities, it drove her mad and she committed suicide.

The story follows teenage Sunbi as she leaves her small town home with her grandmother to move in with her estranged father in the city. The spirit world doesn't seem content to leave her alone, and Sunbi is torn between dealing with her new school and dealing with the strange spirit-related happenings that only she can see. Fortunately, the city holds a monk and a nerdy classmate who have an understanding of spirits, and may keep Sunbi from going mad.

From the book
Dokebi: mythical Korean creature, frightening in appearance (typically having giant head horns) - humorous, mischevious, but known to reward good people

Dokebi Bride is a manwha ("comic") from Korea. The story is based in Korea and steeped in Korean culture. The first two volumes have a lot of flashbacks and glimpses into the life of Sunbi's grandmother and Sunbi's younger years in order to establish the characters. Sunbi is really strong, but it's obvious she can't deal with the spirit world on her own and we are left wondering at the end of book two what allies she will develop in her new home.

The storyline and character design are both really well done. The art is very clean and angular (a typical manwha style). The use of white space gives the entire comic a strangely soothing overtone, even though there's a lot of strange things going on. Some particularly cool and well illustrated scenes - a giant dragon (spirit of the ocean) shows up, or when Sunbi and her grandmother feed the Dokebi to help their village's fishing. I absolutely love the cover designs for them (see left).

The second volume has a lot of exposition, because the story is relating a lot of difficult ideas (like detecting spirit energy by scientific means). In this case the exposition works, but I'm hoping the third volume gets back to more character-related dialogue and action.

This book definitely has a dark feel to it, and is not as lighthearted as a lot of other manga out there, but the story is compelling and I look forward to reading more.