Inspired by comments from 10 Most Rewatchable Shonen Anime Series, Ranked
Here are a few examples that I know of:
| title | expected | actual |
|---|---|---|
| Frieren | non-shounen (seinen?) | shounen |
| Attack on Titan | seinen | shounen |
| The Apothecary Diaries | shoujo | seinen |
| Umamusume: Cinderella Gray | shounen | seinen |
| 100 Girlfriends | shounen | seinen |
What are other instances of misidentified demographic you have seen?
Quick and dirty definitions of anime demographics:
- shoujo - girls
- shounen - boys
- josei - ladies
- seinen - men
For real fun, consider Saiyuki, which moved from a shounen magazine in its initial run to a josei magazine for later material. So which is it, really?
(There are other ambiguous cases—I think Escaflowne had two separate manga, one shoujo and one shounen. Given they were made after the anime, it’s questionable whether they really count, though.)