Post originally by Michael Hopcroft at 2004-03-23 23:47:04
Converted from Phorums BB System

Actually, that would still be wrong. Since I publish anime-based RPGs I should know. Shoujo and shonen merely are stylistic distinctions, based on the intended audience of the anime or m,anga to which the term is assigned. it has nothing to do with powrr level. Sailor Moon is a shoujo heroine, but she in quite powerful by any standard you can imagine. Shoujo implies the series is aimed at girls, which shonen implies a target audience consiting mainly of males. And that is ALL these terms mean. they are literally the Japanese words for "girl" and "boy".

Sentai refers to live-action shows, usually based around heroes and heroines in form-fitting costumes or body armor. The word means "Five-team", but is applied to smaller or larger gorups, and to solo heroes such as kamen Rider. Again, the term has no relation to the power level of the characters or the setting.

There are better gaming-related terms by which to measure power level, but anime creators rarely bother with these distinctions. In anime series, the heroes and villains are usually the best in the immediate world at what they do. The heroes of anime anime series are the world's most powerful heroes, their greatest mecha pilots, the weilders of the most powerful magic and technology available to humans in that setting.