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I keep hearing the terms **Type A viewers** and **Type B viewers** in
discussions and chat.

What do they mean? What is a Type A viewer and what is a Type B?


CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-02-01T13:21:51.163
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2014-04-08T06:04:52.440
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terminology
What are Type A and Type B viewers?


These terms are used a bit inconsistently, but what I'm answering here should
be fairly uniform across a lot of the English-speaking community. I can't tell
where the terms originated, but it might be an analogy to blood types, which
[are important in Japanese
culture](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_types_in_Japanese_culture). It
could also be a reference to [Type A and B personality
theory](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_A_and_Type_B_personality_theory).

**Type A**

Type A fans are mostly interested in story. They choose anime because they
think the story is interesting and the environment is immersive. The
characters exist to drive the story, but their own characteristics are less
important than the story. Many don't like the trend towards moe anime over the
past decade (see [What does 'moe'
mean?](https://anime.stackexchange.com/questions/894/what-does-moe-mean)).
They tend to be fans of genres like action, mystery, and drama. They often
watch longer or older shows.

Shows that might appeal to Type A fans include Monster, Serial Experiments
Lain, Eden of the East, and Fullmetal Alchemist.

**Type B**

Type B fans are mostly interested in the characters. They view the story as a
way to explore the lives of the characters, rather than interesting in-and-of
itself, and it can become a distraction if it is too complicated. Moe anime
are primarily targeted at this group of viewers. They tend to be fans of
genres like comedy and slice-of-life, and tend to watch shorter and more
recent shows.

Shows that might appeal to Type B fans include K-On, Highschool of the Dead,
Strike Witches, and A Certain Magical Index.

* * *

There are some major omissions from this categorization, and it's hard to say
that anyone is actually one or the other type. Even most people who self-
identify as one or the other type will still watch and enjoy a good show that
doesn't match their type.

It's also worth noting that some people like to add the criterion of
fanservice, and say that Type B fans like shows with more fanservice. I am not
doing so here because this is often disputed by type B fans themselves.


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2013-02-04T04:38:33.043
2017-04-13T12:54:48.523
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