Supergirl, but cuter.

The words of this post is Mahou Shoujo and Mahou Shounen.

Mahou Shoujo: a genre in which a girl is given powers

Traditional Examples: Cardcaptor Sakura, Futari wa Pretty Cure, Onegai My Melody, Pretear

Other Examples: Jubei-chan Ninja Girl, Getsumen to Heiki Mina, Mai-Hime, Pretty Sammy, Mao-chan

Common themes in Mahou Shoujo series are transformation scenes, frilly outfits, animal/creature sidekicks and catch phrases.

Transformation scenes are notorious for having the girl in a semi-nude form. The clothes and boots or accessories materialize out of light, magically.

Some animal sidekicks include Kero (from Cardcaptors), Ran, Miki, Su, Diamond (from Shugo Chara!), and Ryo-Ohki (from the Pretty Sammy series.)

The most popular catch phrase for magical girls is "I will punish you" or "punish evil!"

The Old: Sailor Moon, Cutey Honey, Himitsu no Akko-chan, Moldiver, Floral Magician Mary Bell

The New: Tweeny Witches, Sugar Sugar Rune, Birdy the Mighty Decode, Happiness!

Mahou Shounen: a genre in which a boy is given powers

Examples: DNAngel, Lagoon Engine, Naruto, Death Note

Have you heard the one about the cat and the fox?

Now that I've finished the red flag installments, I'd like to share some anime terms that have nothing to do with bad content. The word for this post is Kemonomimi

Kemonomimi: a genre in which characters have anime ears; it can also refer to characters who have animal features (such as Viral from Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, who has shark teeth.)Examples: Pick of the Litter (manga);

Nekomimi: cat ears; the most famous of the kemonomimi

Examples: Potemayo (from Potemayo); Aisha Clan Clan (from Outlaw Star); Serizawa Akane (from Pani Poni Dash); Yoriko (from Da Capo); Catherine (from Gintama); Momomiya Ichigo (from Tokyo Mew Mew); Tsukiyomi Ikuto (from Shugo Chara); Schrodinger (from Hellsing); Takuto (from Full Moon wo Sagashita)

Inumimi: dog ears

Examples: Inuyashi (from Inuyashi); Eruru and Aruru (from Utawarerumono); Inugami Kotaro (from Negima!); Hake (from Inukami!); Arf (from Magical Lyrical Nonoha)

Usagimimi: rabbit ears

Examples: Mina (from Getsumento Heiki Mina); Kuya and Sakuya (from Utawarerumono); Alice (from Angelic Layer); Mimika (from Usagi de Cue); Mai (from Kanon); Pipin (from Magical Play)

Kitsunemimi: fox ears

Examples: Kitsuneneko (from Kon Kon Kokon); Tenko (from Wagaya no Oinari-sama); Yooko (from Tactics); Megumi Takani (from Rurouni Kenshin); Sakura (Hyper Police);

Okamimimi: wolf ears

Examples: Holo (from Spice and Wolf); Ayame and Kooga (from Inuyasha); Nozomu and Saku (from Kanokon); Ooka (from .hack//Legends of Twilight)

Sarumimi: monkey ears

Examples: Saru (from Seto no Hanayome); Son Goku (Saiyuki)

Wrapping up the Basics - Recognizing Red Flags in Anime

More instruction on red flags in anime.

Harem

Harem: a show in which a lead male is surrounded by female characters

Examples: Kanon, Clannad, Love Hina, Happy Lesson, Tenchi Muyo, Seto no Hanayome

Reverse Harem: a show in which a female lead is surrounded by male characters

Examples: Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge, Ouran High School Host Club, Fruits Basket

Probably one of the top 5 most popular genres. Its popularity may have to do with the ocean of dating sim games in Japan in which the object of the game is to make it to bed with one of the many girls characters. When we use the word Harem in anime, it doesn't always imply a suggestive situation. Certainly there are shows like Saishuu Shiken Kujira that take after the girl games mentioned above. The definition of Harem used to mean that the girl characters were trying to end up with the (indesisive) male (ex. Love Hina.) But with more recent usage, fans call shows which merely feature many girls as Harem.

Ero guro

Ero guro: short for "erotic grotesque" - shows that feature violence or bizarre scenes as erotic

Examples: Mnemosyne

According to Wikipedia, these shows are a type of Hentai that involve blood, gore, disfiguration, mutilation and body fluids. Not all shows that have pornographic, bloody scenes are ero guro. It is an artistic genre. This is the genre from which "tentacle rape" emerged. Because of the perverse nature, this genre is tucked away with Hentai and it not very available or popular among fans - praise God!

Clothing Moe
As I mentioned in an earlier post about red flags, Japan has a huge clothing fetish. That's why you'll see many similar outfits on girls in anime. Some examples of clothing moe:
Miko, Sailor Fuku, Maid, School bathing suit, and yukata respectively

A Roadmap through the bad stuff - Recognizing Red Flags in Anime II

Continuing where I left off, I will offer more terms parents should be wary of in anime. Honestly, you parents should research thoroughly the anime your children watch. Most anime is not meant for preteens and certainly not for those under 13 (albeit shows like Cardcaptors and Medabots.)

Hentai and Ecchi

Hentai - literally "perverted," pornography.

Examples: Kite, Cream Lemon, Mezzo Forte, Welcome to the Pia Carrot, Akikan!, Akiba Girls, Ebichu, Koihime, Level C, La Blue Girl, Teacher's Pet

Ecchi - "Soft hentai" - comes from the "H" of hentai

Examples: Elfen Lied, Golden Boy, Green Green, Chobits, Kanokon, Popotan, School Days

Because of the vastness of the Internet, hentai and ecchi are extremely easy to abtain. Because of this ease and availability, it's becom the stereotype that all anime is inappropriate. That is not true. Hentai and Ecchi exist, though, and I advise parents to keep a watch on their internet history. There many popular themes in hentai including "tentacle rape," incest, beastality, torture, and other forms of perversion. After all, that's what Hentai means. Ecchi, while it is not straight out pornography, involves things like big, bouncing breast, revealing clothes, panty shots, and sexual content - usually offscreen, but with audio. There are more ecchi anime available than hentai.

Teacher-Student Relationships

There seems to be a fantasy Japanese girls have about falling in love with their teachers. I'm against teacher-student relationships 100%. Most of the time, there is some convienient excuse like the teacher is fresh out of college or a childhood friend. This plot be treated very casually in anime (such as in Marmalade Boy) or can be used for a hentai plot line, which makes me think they know it's wrong, but will do it anyway.

Examples: Great Teacher Onizuki, Please Teacher, Kodomo no Jikan, I, My, Me Strawberry Eggs

Fanservice

This is anything the creators add to an anime that excites or amuses the audience, but is not necessary to the plot. For example, if we get a glance of a character from another anime, or if the characters say, "You're not in a manga, you know." The problem comes in with sexual fanservice. This includes panty shots, jiggling breast, too-tight clothes. Female characters are usually the objects of fanservice because anime watchers are primarily young men. There is usually a onsen (hot springs) episode where the girls are bathing in the hot springs. Or, they all go to the beach and the girls are in bathing suits; or, for the school culture festival they have a maid cafe.

Examples of anime with large amounts of fanservice: The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Tenjho Tenge, Ouran High School Host Club

Moe

Moe: literally means "fetish" - refers to anything that fans think is cute or adorable

Examples: Lucky Star, Manabi Straight, Peto-Peto-san

Moe is nessessarily bad. The point when moe causes problems is when it activates fanservice. For example maganekko moe refers to fans who like girls with glasses. It's not wrong to be attracted to something, but to obsess over or use moe to cause arousal is wrong. Every year in Japan, fans meet online to vote for the most moe character of the year. This is the Anime Saimoe Tournament. Last year's winner was Kagami Hiiragi from Lucky Star.

A rose by any other name... Recognizing Red Flags part I

My mom suggested that I write an article for parents of anime-watchers about things to watch out for, I'll call them red flags. When I was first learning how to find the anime I wanted, I had to learn all this. Even knowing the terms (that I will give you), you need to research every anime title your children are watching. You don't want for you or them to be surprised by content later in the show.

When anime is licenced, the suggested age levels are indicated on the back of the DVD case. Even so, this isn't going to give you a nearly clear enough idea of the content. As you may have guess, I've researched hundreds of anime titles for my own viewing and if you were to send me a question about one, I could give you an accurate idea of what you'll find there.

However, I'm going to give you some advice about red flags you'll want to know. Below are some red flag vocabulary:

Lolicon and Shotacon

Lolicon: genre in which girls below the age of consent become objects of affection to either ohter characters or the audience.
Examples: Ichigo Mashimaro, Komodo no Jikan, Koi Kaze, Rizelmine

Because of the Japanese's attractions to cuteness, the balance between sexual cuteness and childish cuteness dangerously wavers. While Americans see wild or daring characters as sexually arousing, the Japanese see quiet, shy characters as sexually arousing. The entire world recognizes the childlike qualities of Asian woman; the trouble comes in when the attraction for childlike woman become attraction for children. This is a huge issue for Japan and thus for anime/manga as well.

Many anime will feature young girls as a part of the female cast (ex. Chiyo-chan from Azumanga Daioh and Hitsugi from Hyakko.)

Shotacon: genre in which boys below the age of consent become objects of affection to either other characters or the audience.

There are much fewer shotacon anime/manga than lolicon; and, there are more shotacon manga than anime. Cute little boy characters can be found in countless anime/manga (ex. Hunny from Ouran High School Host Club and Shin from Pretear) and you can bet all the girls in the show go gaga for them.

Examples of mainstream anime/manga with shotacon elements.: the works of Sugisaki Yukiru: DNAngel, Lagoon Engine

Shojo-ai and Yuri

Shojo-ai: genre depicting intimate/romantic relationships between girls; literally "girls' love"

Yuri: genre depicting intimate/romantic relationships between women.

Examples: Kannazuki no Miko, Candy Boy, Blue Drop, Kashimashi

Just because a show isn't actually yuri or shojo-ai in genre, it doesn't mean there are no elements in the show. For instance, in Shigofumi: Stories of the Last Letter, episode four shows two girls in a relationship. It has recently become a popular joke in anime to have a bi-sexual character (ex. Nene from Hyakko) or a character that isn't homosexual, but has a semierotic attraction to others of the same sex (ex. Nobue form Ichigo Mashimaro.) Then, there are show in which there is some question as to whether the relationships between two female characters could "advance into" romantic love.

Examples of this are: R.O.D. and Bee Train shows such as Noir, Madlax, and El Cazador de la Bruja.

Shounen-ai and Yaoi

Shounen-ai: genre depicting intimate/romantic relationships between two boys; literally, "boys' love"

Yaoi: genre depicting intimate/romantic relationships between two men.

Examples: Loveless, Antique Bakery, Kyo Kara Maoh!, Junjo Romantica

"Pairing" is a hugely popular activity for yaoi and shounen-ai fans. They create their own doujinshi (unofficial manga) featuring characters they want to be together. These fans are usually girls or women; most shounen-ai and yaoi titles aren't written for men, but for female readers. It's a common gag in anime to have a yaoi fangirl, or Fujoshi, (ex. Harumi from Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei.) Flamboyant gay men are used as comical relief in many anime (ex. Leron in Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann and Hana in Tokyo Godfathers.) As I mentioned above, there are shows in which shounen-ai and yaoi elements are present despite it not being in that genre. Or, shows in which the relationship is ambiguous.

Examples of this are: Ookiku Furikabutte

Gender-Bender
Examples: Maria Holic, W Juliet, Hana-Kimi, Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru, Princess Princess

This genre is very popular; the idea of characters looking or dressing as if they are of another gender. There's also Gender Swap where characters try to "be" of the opposite gender (ex. Jun in Happiness! and "Seiko" in Lovely Complex.) Crossdressing may show up as a character's only means of abtaining a goal (Shion no Ou.) Or, the character may have to choice (Ranma in Ranma 1/2) - but, of course, the author is in control.

I will continue providing advice on red flags in installments.