Genre generally means a “Category". There are different types of genre, and they also vary per media (I’ve never heard of a “musical novel" or a “pop film"). Things that are considered as “genre" also differs per person, and here’s mine:
I’ve already defined a set of genres that is as generalized as possible, so that it could be applicable to all types of media that this blog will be covering. Genres are also mentioned in most of my critiques/reviews, and this post shall act as a guide on the genres I talk about.
The “Genre" that this blog refers to depends on the main set of emotions a particular story makes it audience feel. The “Comedy Genre", for instance, aims to make its audience laugh. Here goes:
 | Action Description: where characters engaged in a battle. Fights could either be physical or mental, and weapons could be a part of the body (fists, brains, etc.), physical objects (swords, guns, etc.), spiritual energy (flame power, force field, etc.), or a living/animated creature (familiar, robot, etc.)Feelings: righteous, vengeful, action-craving, strong, kickass, victorious Keywords: violence, champion, fighter, duel, game, sports, technique, strategy, combat Comments: I consider mental games such as chess to be action in a sense. The chess pieces that the players are using in a game represent actual warriors that engage in battle~ |
 | Adventure Description: the protagonist embarks on a journey to attain a certain goal. Numerous obstacles will get in the way, and the protagonist would face different challenges, but on every successful trial, victory becomes closer. Feelings: fulfilled, challenged, determined, positive, rewarded, noble, heroic Keywords: quest, journey, rescue, retrieval, task, challenge, travel Comments: Most adventures that I’ve seen have a mix of action, but adventure is more focused on findings treasures or doing rescue missions. |
 | Comedy Description: performs silly antics or sarcastic implications to humour its audience, whether through actions or words. They could be obvious or subtle. Sometimes the stunts used are quite unrealistic or too bizarre.Feelings: amused, humoured, pleased, entertained, joyful, awkward Keywords: parody, silliness, hilarity, stupid, weird, clowns, pathetic Comments: The lamer it is, the more amusing it is to me. I’m highly impressed with comedies that seem silly, and really funny, but actually also thought-provoking~ |
 | Drama Description: a work meant to instil emotional response, such loneliness and grief. It usually involves tragedies, and tackles human conflicts and misfortunes. Feelings: sad, lonely, tearful, depressed, gloomy, disheartened, down, longing Keywords: misunderstanding, death, isolation, arguments, tears Comments: Dramatic scenes between family and friends often make me cry ;_; |
 | Fantasy Description: features scenarios that are impossible in real life or contains elements that are only products of imagination. Unless you believe in them.Feelings: fascinated, awed, creative, dreamy, charmed, spellbound, imaginative Keywords: magic, spirits, miracles, powers, charms, spells, immortality Comments: Supernatural and paranormal are often separated from fantasy, but those things are still generally unreal… so fantasy is its umbrella term. |
 | Horror Description: makes use of loathsome, disgusting, or frightening images that are caused by humans, nature, or supernatural elements in order to arouse negative emotions from its audience, especially fear.Feelings: frightened, scared, disgusted, pained, wrathful, terrified, horrified, traumatized Keywords: monsters, blood, pain, torture, Goth, dark, phobia, fear, disaster Comments: Supernatural creatures (ghosts, vampires, etc.) are usually used to depict horrifying scenes, but dangerous situations caused by nature (sharks, calamities, etc.) are more frightening… since they’re more realistic. And the most frightening beings of all are none other than humans. |
 | Lecture Description: educates the audience with facts, trivia, procedures, spiritual teachings, moral lessons, etc. Feelings: educated, enlightened, learned, refined, knowledgeable, cultured Keywords: lesson, FYI, knowledge, history, experience, faith Comments: Sometimes in fictional works, one gets to know more about the real world. Facts shared, if they’re of my interest, often fascinate me~ It’s nice to learn through other mediums, not just from school or from a textbook. Historical fiction is under this by the way, if the story also shares to us the culture and events during those times, not just simply using it as a setting. |
 | Mystery Description: causes of intriguing events are unknown, and it’s up to the protagonists to investigate and find clues in order to put the pieces of the puzzle together and reveal the secret.Feelings: curious, confused, interested, lost, uneasy, engrossed, analytical Keywords: puzzle, whodunit, detective, unknown, secret, mind game, inquiry, investigation Comments: Detectives shows are usually under the mystery genre, but there doesn’t always have to be some unsolved crime for there to be mystery. It could be on something supernatural, or even something inside the household. |
 | Romance Description: focuses on love affairs, whether mutual or one-sided, and could be about people in love or people seeking love. Types of relationships could be arranged, forbidden, twisted, etc.Feelings: mushy, lovey-dovey, sweet, delighted, attracted, in love Keywords: eros love, date, courting, flowers, crush, elope, marriage Comments: People embrace the “power of love" theme. My favourite pairings are often those that don’t do romantic scenes much, or have a tragic end. How depressing ;_; |
 | Science Description: tends to use scientific (includes chemistry, biology, mathematics, etc.) or technological data as basis of its story, setting, and characterization.Feelings: geeky, nerdy, techy, smart, modern Keywords: computer, chemicals, equations, formula, experiment, laboratory, gadgets, space Comments: Most stories in a futuristic setting that I know are science fiction… the modern era is already very technological, and it advances really fast. |
 | Sex Description: has its characters in nude, partial or full, or engage in sexual intercourse, whether implied, subtle, or explicit. Such scenes are featured to show characters in love, being lustful (or extremely passionate), satisfying perverted desires (mild perversion or full pornography). Feelings: horny, lustful, passionate, aroused, perverted Keywords: naked, sexy, porn, strip, prostitution, underwear, genital organs, hormones, libido, sex appeal Comments: It doesn’t automatically fall in this category if the character just happened to be wearing a sexy outfit, but if the camera will focus on the sexy areas… now that’s different. In the anime and manga world, ecchi and hentai are part of this category. |
 | Suspense Description: aims to cause uncertainty and anxiety to its audience about the outcome of certain actions. Such situations often make the audience anticipate a big or dramatic event.Feelings: shocked, surprised, anxious, tensed, uncertain Keywords: thriller, tension, cliffhanger, surprise, shock, wait Comments: I figured that not all “shocking events" are related to horror, action, or mystery, so it should have its own category. |
This wraps up the list of what I would be considering as a “genre" in this blog. Of course, this is only applicable to the media that the blog covers (you can’t apply these to music since I don’t blog about music anyway).
This isn’t a ranking by favourites, by the way. They’re listed in alphabetical order, and my favourite genres shall be featured in another post.
Take note that this is a personal definition and way of categorizing. If you don’t agree or if you think that there’s a more appropriate way to do so, I wouldn’t be surprised. Feel free to correct me, but remember that this post just clarifies the way I classify things, not the way they’re officially classified.
Image Sources:
- Genre
- FrozenSkunk @ deviantArt
- Google Images
