Hentai is anime and manga pornography. A loanword from Japanese, the original term does not describe a genre of media, but rather an abnormal sexual desire or act, as an abbreviation of hentai seiyoku. In addition to anime and manga, hentai works exist in a variety of media, including artwork and video games.
Manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term manga is used in Japan to refer to both comics and cartooning. Outside of Japan, the word is typically used to refer to comics originally published in the country.
Shōnenmanga (少年漫画), also romanized as shonen or shounen, are Japanese comics marketed towards young teen males between the ages of 12 and 18. The age group varies with individual readers and different magazines. The kanji character 少年 (shōnen) literally means "boy" or "youth", and the character 漫画 (manga) means "comic"; thus, the complete phrase means "young person's comic", or simply "boys' comic", with the female equivalent being shōjo manga. Shōnen manga is one of the most popular and best-selling form of manga.
Yaoi, also known by the wasei-eigo construction boys' love and its abbreviation BL, is a genre of fictional media originating in Japan that features homoerotic relationships between male characters. Though it is typically created by women for women and is distinct from homoerotic media marketed to gay men, it attracts a male audience and can be produced by male creators. It spans a wide range of media, including manga, anime, drama CDs, novels, video games, television series, films, and fan works. "Boys' love" and "BL" are the generic terms for this kind of media in Japan and much of Asia; though the terms are used by some fans and commentators in the West, yaoi remains more generally prevalent in English.
Naruto is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. It tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja who seeks recognition from his peers and dreams of becoming the Hokage, the leader of his village. The story is told in two parts – the first set in Naruto's pre-teen years, and the second in his teens. The series is based on two one-shot manga by Kishimoto: Karakuri (1995), which earned Kishimoto an honorable mention in Shueisha's monthly Hop Step Award the following year, and Naruto (1997).
Seinen manga (青年漫画) are Japanese comics marketed toward young adult men. In Japanese, the word seinen literally means "youth", but the term "seinen manga" is also used to describe the target audience of magazines like Weekly Manga Times and Weekly Manga Goraku which cater specifically to men's interests, and are marketed towards a demographic of older teenage boys and adult men between the ages of 18 and 45. Seinen manga are distinguished from shōnen manga which are for younger teen boys, although some seinen manga like xxxHolic share similarities with shōnen manga. Seinen manga can focus on action, politics, science fiction, fantasy, relationships, sports, or comedy. The female equivalent to seinen manga is josei manga.
Weekly Shōnen Jump is a weekly shōnen manga anthology published in Japan by Shueisha under the Jump line of magazines. It is the best-selling manga magazine, as well as one of the longest-running; the first issue was released with a cover date of August 1, 1968. The manga series within the magazine target young male readers and tend to consist of many action scenes and a fair amount of comedy. The chapters of series that run in Weekly Shōnen Jump are collected and published in tankōbon volumes under the "Jump Comics" imprint every two to three months.
One Piece is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. It has been serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine since July 1997, with its individual chapters compiled into 98 tankōbon volumes as of February 2021. The story follows the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy, a boy whose body gained the properties of rubber after unintentionally eating a Devil Fruit. With his crew of pirates, named the Straw Hat Pirates, Luffy explores the Grand Line in search of the world's ultimate treasure known as "One Piece" in order to become the next King of the Pirates.
Lolicon (ロリコン), also romanized as lolikon or rorikon, is Japanese discourse or media focusing on an attraction to young girls. The term, a portmanteau of the phrase "Lolita complex", describes an attraction to young girls, an individual with such an attraction, or the lolicon genre of media including manga and anime, where childlike female characters are often depicted in an "erotic-cute" manner (ero-kawaii). Within the context of otaku subculture, the term lolicon usually describes an attraction to fictional characters in media such as manga and anime, and not an attraction to realistic representations of girls or real girls as such.
Fullmetal Alchemist is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hiromu Arakawa. It was serialized in Square Enix's Monthly Shōnen Ganganshōnen manga magazine between July 2001 and June 2010; the publisher later collected the individual chapters into twenty-seven tankōbon volumes. The steampunk world of Fullmetal Alchemist is primarily styled after the European Industrial Revolution. Set in a fictional universe in which alchemy is one of the advanced natural techniques revolved around scientific laws of equivalent exchange, the series follows the adventures of two alchemist brothers named Edward and Alphonse Elric, who are searching for the philosopher's stone to restore their bodies after a failed attempt to bring their mother back to life using alchemy.
Tankōbon is the Japanese term for a book that is not part of a series or corpus. In modern Japan, the term is most often used in reference to independent volumes of a single manga series: most series first appear as individual chapters in a weekly or monthly manga magazine with other works before being collected into tankōbon containing several chapters each.
Fairy Tail is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hiro Mashima. It was serialized in Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine from August 2006 to July 2017, with the individual chapters collected and published into 63 tankōbon volumes. The story follows the adventures of Natsu Dragneel, a member of the popular wizard guild Fairy Tail, as he searches the fictional world of Earth-land for the dragon Igneel.
Attack on Titan is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hajime Isayama. It is set in a world where humanity lives inside cities surrounded by enormous walls that protect them from gigantic man-eating humanoids referred to as Titans; the story follows Eren Yeager, who vows to exterminate the Titans after a Titan brings about the destruction of his hometown and the death of his mother. Attack on Titan has been serialized in Kodansha's monthly Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine since September 2009 and collected into 33 tankōbon volumes as of January 2021.
The Seven Deadly Sins is a Japanese fantasy manga series written and illustrated by Nakaba Suzuki. It was serialized in Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine from October 2012 to March 2020, with the chapters collected into forty-one tankōbon volumes. The manga features a setting similar to the European Middle Ages, with its titular group of knights representing the seven deadly sins.
Haikyu!! is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Haruichi Furudate. The story follows Shōyō Hinata, a boy determined to become a great volleyball player despite his small stature. It was serialized in Shueisha Weekly Shōnen Jump from February 2012 to July 2020, with its chapters collected in forty-five tankōbon volumes.
My Hero Academia is a Japanese superhero manga series written and illustrated by Kōhei Horikoshi. It has been serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump since July 2014, with its chapters additionally collected into 29 tankōbon volumes as of January 2021. The story follows Izuku Midoriya, a boy born without superpowers in a world where they have become commonplace, but who still dreams of becoming a superhero himself. He is scouted by All Might, Japan's greatest hero, who shares his Quirk with Midoriya after recognizing his potential, and later helps to enroll him in a prestigious high school for heroes in training.
Black Clover is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yūki Tabata. The story centers around Asta, a young boy seemingly born without any magic power, something that is unknown in the world he lives in. With his fellow mages from the Black Bulls, Asta plans to become the next Wizard King. It has been serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine since February 2015, and has been collected into 27 tankōbon volumes as of January 2021.
Shōjo manga (少女漫画), also romanized as shojo or shoujo, are Japanese comics aimed at a young teen female target-demographic readership. The name romanizes the word 少女 (shōjo), literally meaning "young woman". Shōjo manga covers many subjects in a variety of narrative styles, from historical drama to science fiction, often with a focus on romantic relationships or emotions.
The Promised Neverland is a Japanese manga series written by Kaiu Shirai and illustrated by Posuka Demizu. It was serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump from August 2016 to June 2020, with the individual chapters collected and published by Shueisha into twenty tankōbon volumes. The story follows a group of orphaned children in their escape plan from an orphanage after they realize a dark secret. In North America, Viz Media licensed the manga and serialized it on their digital Weekly Shonen Jump magazine.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Koyoharu Gotouge. It follows Tanjiro Kamado, a young boy who wants to become a demon slayer after his family is slaughtered and his younger sister Nezuko is turned into a demon. It was serialized in Shueisha's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump from February 2016 to May 2020, with its chapters collected in 23 tankōbon volumes. It has been published in English by Viz Media and simulpublished by Shueisha on their Manga Plus platform.