Categories:Themes: Difference between revisions

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'''Themes''' describe the very central elements important to the anime stories. They set the backdrop against which the protagonists must face their challenges. Be it School Life, present Daily Life, Military action, Cyberpunk, Law and Order detective work, Sports, or the Underworld. These are only but a few of the more typical backgrounds for anime plots. Add to that a Conspiracy setting with a possible tragic outcome, the Themes span most of the imaginable subject matter relevant to anime.

'''Art''' plays an important part in the story and has central meaning to the characters (e.g. valuable paintings, or sculptures). Alternately the protagonists show a degree of artistic skill, e.g. as painters, sculptors, dress-makers, potters, musicians, composers, designers, etc. The anime will then centre on the development of those skills, from the unrecognized dilettante stages, right up to the moment of (commercial) breakthrough.

:''Examples: {{a|2835|Hachimitsu to Clover}}, {{a|5099|Iblard Jikan}}, {{a|2822|Gallery Fake}}

==Coming of Age==

In the strict sense the '''Coming of age''' describes a young person's transition from adolescence to adulthood. In anime the term is used in a more general sense where the protagonists have to face a challenge, make an important decision in their life, take on responsibility, or learn a lesson, and by overcoming these obstacles they reach a higher level of maturity.

:''Examples: {{a|286|Majo no Takkyuubin}}, {{a|5909|Toradora!}}, {{a|2835|Hachimitsu to Clover}}

==Conspiracy==

==Cooking==

Anime in the '''cooking''' genre will centre on the production of different kinds of food, including baking, but also gourmet meals and anything in between.

:''Examples: {{a|434|Chuuka Ichiban}}, {{a|3453|Cooking Papa}}, {{a|2429|Yakitate!! Japan}}''

==Cyberpunk==

:''Examples: {{a|61|Ghost in the Shell}}, {{a|99|Serial Experiments Lain}}, {{a|166|Appleseed}}''

==Daily Life==

The antics of the protagonists do not take place in some exotic setting or time, but in everyday life. When not "at the job" this means getting up in the morning, making meals, house cleaning, going shopping or out to eat, visiting the bath house or spa, leisure activities in the spare time, etc. The time "on the job" for students is [[Categories:Themes:School Life|School Life]], for others working in their profession. '''Daily Life''' is basically a synonym for everything normal, repetitive, and trivial happening to your average person.

:''Examples: {{a|370|Houhokekyo Tonari no Yamada-kun}}, {{a|5435|Myself; Yourself}}''

==Law and Order==

:''Examples: {{a|441|A.D. Police}}, {{a|61|Ghost in the Shell}}, {{a|493|Burn Up! Excess}}, {{a|353|HeatGuy J}}''

===Special Squads===

:''Examples: {{a|247|Koukaku Kidoutai Stand Alone Complex}}, {{a|345|Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040}}''

The anime concerns an organised armed force, and its members. Said body should have both the equipment and hierarchy found in military groups, and should ideally be actively utilising their power against an opponent. Characters are either employed as professional soldiers or enlisted on a volunteer basis, for ideological reasons.

==Proxy Battles==

In our terms, a proxy battle is a battle where humans use creatures/robots to do the fighting for them, either by commanding those creatures/robots or by simply evolving them/changing them into battle mode. Often the training aspect is also involved, or in some cases the proxies are nothing more than holographic representatives of some other variation of competition (like for example a card game). While many popular shounen anime fit under this category, it's not limited to shounen anime.

:''Example: {{a|595|Bakuten Shoot Beyblade}}, {{a|230|Pocket Monsters}}, {{a|234|Digimon Adventure}}, {{a|2061|Yuu Gi Ou: Duel Monsters}}, {{a|133|Dragon Drive}}''

Since a large part of the anime audience still takes part in school life or is visiting college, it is only natural to choose a setting the audience can identify with, be it elementary, middle, or high school. For the older viewers a college setting with more mature real-life problems is appropriate. And since clubs take up so much time in the lives of students, these are obviously also important.

'''Sports''' anime revolves around a ''recreational'' physical activity or skill. In addition they often adhere to certain genre conventions, the emphasis on ''training'' and ''practice'' in preparation for ''competition'', characters desire for ''self improvement'', and pursuit of a specific goal.

==Tragedy==

'''Tragedy''' is a form of drama characterized by seriousness and dignity, usually involving a conflict between a character and some higher power, such as the law, the gods, fate, or society.

:''Examples: {{a|332|Hotaru no Haka}}, {{a|3573|Hanbun no Tsuki ga Noboru Sora}}, {{a|1002|Gunslinger Girl}}''

The underworld we talk about here is not to be confused with the place where people are believed to go after they die, but the general term for organized crime. It is a shady world, unknown to most people, where illegal things like murder, smuggling, drug dealing and similar are happening daily. Groups known to be acting in this world are for example the Mafia or the yakuza.

:''Examples: {{a|3395|Black Lagoon}}, {{a|1018|Crying Freeman}}, {{a|998|Mezzo DSA}}

[[Category:Anime Categories]]