Everyone has to start somewhere, and if you are new to watching series, you probably don’t have a good idea as to the various genres on most streaming platforms. There are so many different types of series to explore in 2022, and each has its own unique set of benefits that can be appreciated by different audiences. Whether you’re looking for a heart-pounding action thriller or a feel-good comedy-drama, there’s a series out there for you. Here are just a few examples of the different genres you can explore this year.
Anime
The first genre on this list is anime, and many people have a few disagreements as to exactly what it is. Anime is colloquially short for the word animation and is used to describe animation that comes from Japan. With that being said, in Japan, the word “anime” describes any type of animation. If you were to describe the style of anime, it would be along the lines of the main characters having quite large eyes and usually involving some sort of combat. If you’re interested in this genre, there are many sites listed on Earth’s web that allow free anime streaming. There are wonderful platforms among them if you want to stream the best anime movies and series for free.
Horror
The next genre on this list is a time-old one, which is horror. The horror genre is defined by its name, and its purpose is to bring about feelings of disgust or fear in the people who watch it. Over the years, the horror genre has usually been defined by supernatural elements or apocalyptic events. However, this isn’t entirely true, especially with films like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, which had a major influence on the genre and is technically considered to be a slasher movie.
Fantasy
The next genre on this list, which is often confused with the adventure genre, is fantasy. The defining traits of the fantasy genre usually involve some sort of magical element as well as supernatural elements and can be inspired by folklore or mythology. If you need an example, you merely need to think about The Lord of the Rings, although The Lord of the Rings is typically considered to be high fantasy considering its grand scale.
Thriller
Another incredibly popular genre that many people enjoy watching is a thriller. Although it’s quite common for many horror series or movies to have thriller elements, the thriller genre within itself is something entirely different. The thriller genre can be defined as anything that makes the audience feel anticipation, suspense, surprise, anxiety, or excitement. If you are sitting on the edge of your seat, wondering what is going to happen next and fearing for the life of the main character, you are probably watching a thriller series.
Comedy
One of the most popular genres in the world is the comedy genre. This genre is quite self-explanatory and is defined by anything that intentionally makes the audience laugh. Of course, this is an oversimplification of the genre, and there are many subgenres of comedy. For example, there is anti-humor, slapstick humor, character comedies, burlesque, and more. Some comedies are entirely satirical, and others are quite ridiculous.
Sci-fi
Another time-old classic in terms of genres is sci-fi or science fiction. The hallmark of the science fiction genre is any content that deals with things such as time travel, advanced technology, advanced science, parallel universes, space exploration, and so on. Much like comedies, there are various subgenres of science fiction, such as space opera, dystopian fiction, steampunk, soft science fiction, apocalyptic science fiction, and more. It’s not uncommon for the science fiction genre to be blurred with the horror genre, especially in terms of apocalyptic science fiction.
Action
Finally, another incredibly popular genre of series, especially on platforms such as Netflix, is the action genre. While it is true that many of the genres above do have elements of action within the content, that doesn’t necessarily mean that it fits within the action genre. The typical characteristics of content within the action genre would be fast-paced content, doesn’t have an elaborate plot, or includes many fight scenes, slow motion scenes, chase scenes, superheroes, and more. One way to distinguish an action film or series from a film or series that includes action is whether or not the content is more focused on the action or plot.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2022.
