An exploration through Shōjo and Shōnen Manga through Sailor Moon and Black Cat Genres are one of the first things readers look at when determining whether a book should be read or not. Although there are many similarities between the shounen (man-oriented manga) and shoujo (women-oriented manga) genres that make it seem like a manga can belong to either genre, there are some differences intended to distinguish their respective audiences. As a more specific example, the common themes of combat, love, and superhuman powers as well as the character of Black Cat and Sailor Moon suggest a similar genre and audience; However, upon closer inspection, subtle differences between the use of these themes and characters in each manga reveal the intended audiences to be opposites. Themes are an important part of a genre in manga. For example, a mecha manga would be much less interesting without a technological theme. The same goes for shounen and shoujo manga. Themes such as fighting, love, superhuman powers, etc. are found in both Black Cat and Sailor Moon and help tell the story. Although these themes are present in both mangas, the way they are used is what sets them apart. The fights fought by the main characters help keep the stories interesting and come up several times in both mangas. In Sailor Moon, the main character must continually fight evil forces, just like the main character in Black Cat. Both characters even have companions to help them most of the time. However, the depiction of conflict in each manga is very different. For example, on page 36 of Sailor Moon (Act 1), Sailor Moon fights an energy-harvesting creature...... middle of paper ...... the intended audiences are distinct. The characters and the way they are represented also contribute to the difference in target audience. Black Cat is for men and Sailor Moon is for women. However, this does not mean that they can only be read by their respective audiences. The fact that these manga have so many similarities implies that there is crossover in terms of reader types. The next time you reject a book because it's a certain genre, remember that it may contain elements that you like to incorporate into it. Aaron, good job. I found much of your discussion to be interesting, although I agree with Gen that there were some problems, notably the lack of original research, to which I would add that you do not you didn't do. Works Cited Takeuchi Naoko, Sailor Moon I, Tokyopop: 1998, pp3-119.Kentaro Yabuki, Chat Noir, Shueisha: 2000-2004