As each anime season passes by, more and more adaptations are released to viewers at one time. With more anime comes more repetitive themes, causing some genres to get more love than others. Some genres have hundreds of series and some barely scratch triple digits.
Taking a look at both ends of the spectrum, there will be some popular series on this list, and hopefully some new series you haven’t heard of. If an anime piques your interest be sure to give it a watch. Alternatively, if you’re looking to get into a new genre, here are some series worth the watch.
10 Popular: Comedy
Kicking off the list is Comedy. The comedy genre is one of the most popular genres in all of anime as elements of it are often spread across other genres. Comedy series are typically lighthearted and easy to watch.
Humor is subjective, but thankfully with how many comedy series there are, you’re likely to find something that matches your interests. Nichijou is a good place to start for an all-around comedy series. It has everything from slapstick to traditional Japanese humor.
9 Overlooked: Josei
There main four demographic genres in anime are Shonen, Shojo, Seinen, and what this entry looks at, Josei. Josei anime are series targeted at late teen young adult women, but do not need to be restricted to this demographic. Typically having more mature themes, Josei anime often have relative to life plots. Nana, is a series that follows two young adult girls who are opposites of each other. One is a punk rocker in a band and the other is a hopeless romantic. The series deals with balancing relationships and teaches us that sometimes there isn’t a happy ending.
8 Popular: Romance
Like comedy, romance transcends the constraints of its genre and has elements in other genre series. With romance, you typically get your love story that benefits from viewer investment into characters. There’s different variations with love triangles and harems, but ultimately the viewer knows what they’re getting. Scum’s Wish is a series that throws viewers into a situation where they can be uncomfortable. A story of heartbreak, Scum’s Wish shows us that sometimes the people we want to be with aren’t always the right ones for us.
7 Overlooked: Sports
Sports is a genre that gets overlooked because of its real-life correlation. Viewers that have asked themselves, “Why would I watch sports anime if I can watch the real thing”? Keep reading. Sports anime can be more than just the sport itself. Series tend to also teach the sport throughout the anime using proper terminology. This can be a deterrent if you play the sport, as you’re probably use to using slang terms.
A spin on the traditional sports anime, One Outs is an anime that combines baseball with gambling. Some background knowledge of baseball helps with this series as the show focuses on manipulation of rules. A definite watch for anyone who wants a unique experience.
6 Popular: Shounen
Some of the biggest names in anime are apart of the shonen genre. Naruto, One Piece, My Hero Academia, the list keeps going. Shonen is a demographic that targets teen males and often has themes of a boy working to become the best at something. These series are typically long spanning multiple years and hundreds of episodes. However, it can take a while for the series to pick up.
Either way it’s all about the journey. Assassination Classroom follows a class of assassins in training to assassinate their teacher, a tentacle monster they named Koro-sensei. One of the shorter shonen series this anime has two seasons and one of the most heartbreaking deaths out there.
5 Overlooked: Parody
Created to parody other genres, the parody genre is great for viewers who don’t want anything too serious. The genre isn’t only limited to parodying other genre but themes as well. The introduction to a parodied concept in a series sometimes leaves holes in the overarching plot. Panty and Stocking with Garter Belt is a hilarious series that parodies the magical girl genre. The anime follows two female angels whose methods aren't always conventional. Be sure to check out the dub version of the series as the anime is at its best when lines are delivered, rather than subtitled.
4 Popular: Fantasy
One of the most popular genres as of recent fantasy anime, and specifically isekai, has become a staple with each new anime season. Fantasy anime take us out of the real world and drop us into a made-up setting with new rules and concepts. Fantasy anime isn’t always isekai, but the genre has received a popularity in isekai adaptations causing an oversaturation.
When the genre wasn’t oversaturated, KonoSuba!: God’s Blessing on this Wonderful World was adapted. The anime is hilarious and a must watch for fans of fantasy. The characters have amazing chemistry and each have their unique personality types.
3 Overlooked: Dementia
Dementia anime airs on the stranger side of anime. Not to be confused with psychological, dementia relies on elements that can’t be explained rather than things that have a deeper meaning. The plot lines are intricate and are often paired with psychological aspects. This isn’t a genre for viewers who want a casual watch. Focus on plot is emphasized as a lot of scenes are dialogue heavy. Perfect Blue is an anime film that demonstrates the dementia genre very well. Having elements from psychological-mystery, Perfect Blue will have you in an enjoyable confusing state.
2 Popular: Slice of Life
The best genre for casually watching anime, slice of life brings series taken from moments of everyday life. These series typically don’t require heavy investment and can be turned on in the background of doing other things. If you miss something its okay as it probably wont impact future episodes too heavily. The plot is usually day to day activities for the characters.
If looking for a series with an end goal, you’re in the wrong place. Girls Last Tour is a slice of life anime that’s more than the typical day to day life. The anime is set in a post-apocalyptic setting that two girls were born into. As they adventure through the wastelands, they learn more and more about the world they live in.
1 Overlooked: Yaoi/BL
Rounding out the list is the Yaoi and boys love genre. Series under this genre are known for their passionate romances, but fall short in popularity to their counterpart Yuri and girls love series. Yaoi doesn’t always focus on the romance aspect. Banana Fish is a gangster series following a group of journalists from Japan who want to explore gang life in New York. When a journalist boy takes interest in one of the gang leaders, he gets involved with the gang life. In trade he spends more time with the gang leader he covets.