No doubt, Anime has become a great source of entertainment, and its craze is growing every day. But if you start watching Anime, then you may encounter various terms like Standard episodes, specials, OVA, etc. In this article, we will discuss What is OVA anime and how are they are different from other anime standards.

What Is OVA Anime?

OVA, which stands for Original Video Animation, is an anime series or episode neither shown in theatre nor aired on Television. These are directly released to the video market like VHS tapes, Blue-rays, or DVDs. They are higher in quality and budget and created for specific audiences, which sometimes include censored content.

Often, OVA anime is part of a promotional strategy, and some short episodes of full Anime are released on the video market. But sometimes, OVA anime are longer episodes, even a complete series, and they have nothing to do with original Anime.

OVA episodes are initially broadcasted in Japan, and hardly anyone knows what is OVA anime. But this works well and soon gets famous worldwide due to a crispy glimpse of short episodes.

These episodes don’t have any specified length and vary from title to title. Some OVA episodes are a few minutes long (usual excerpts of an anime series), and some are longer than the regular anime episode and last a few hours.

Is OVA anime episodes part of anime series?

As I discussed above, usually, OVA episodes are part of a complete anime series but not always. There is a possibility that OVA is neither associated with series nor OVA is a special episode. For example, an anime series Video Girl Ai is an OVA anime series that broadcasted all 6 episodes in 1992 on the Video market only.

Another case is when OVA is a part of anime series and contains some unique scenes that are not in the original Anime. For example, In Clannad anime, known as the saddest Anime, Tomoya has a romantic relationship, according to the aired OVA. Still, in the actual series, this part is missing.

OVA is generally created for selling purposes and has no advertisements no broadcast codes. No codes mean it is normal to have brutal violence in OVA; however, in more recent times, TV series DVD series, including OVA, are broadcast with censorship to follow adult protocols.

How is OVA different from a Special episode?

Now you have an idea of OVA anime, and let me tell you that OVA anime are not special anime episodes. OVA could be on the character of Anime which may not have to with the storyline.

On the other hand, special episodes are always part of the original anime series and are known as booster, bonus, or incentive episodes.

Also, OVA is released on video market or direct-to-video platforms before airing on TV and sometimes independently released from TV. In contrast, Special episodes are always released as TV series and movies as extra episodes, short episodes.

OVA is shorter in length (not always), although it depends on the episode to episode. But an average length of a special episode is usually larger than that of Original Video Animation. Special are just some extra catch-up for fun, while OVA are sometimes standalone anime series.

Is an OVA canon?

Canon is something that is part of the original story written by the author but missed in the manga series. The term canon usually refers to ideas and actions that a primary source has verified. This source can range from the original works on which the series is based to the show’s producer.

A few of the OVAs are considered canon, while others aren’t. As a result, whether or not an OVA is a canon depends on Anime to Anime. Many of the producers develop OVA stories that are canon to the original anime series. You might lose certain important parts of the original series‘ plot if you don’t see the canon OVA.

Should I watch OVA anime?

Once you understand what is OVA anime and what’s the importance of OVA in the anime world, you may ask would you watch OVA anime or not. To watch an OVA or not is entirely depends on the fact how OVA connected with the original or existing anime series. If it is connected, I recommend watching OVA to understand the whole series better.

If OVA is entirely different and has no connection with the original one, then it has become a matter of choice. However, you can still watch them but only for entertainment purposes.

If an OVA is a prequel to the story, it is recommended to watch it before the original one is released to relate to the actual story easily.

You can also watch an OVA because sometimes it contains a strong story related to your favorite character of the original anime series.

Final Words

I hope you understand what is OVA anime and how OVA differs from a special episode. Original Video Animation never gets aired on Television or theaters and broadcast only on direct-to-video platforms like VHS, DVD, Blurays, etc.

OVAs are a great source of entertainment and have tremendous demands as it works as bonus content for your favorite Anime.

We learned that not all OVA is part of the original manga or anime series. If an OVA is relevant to the original series, you shouldn’t miss them like Attack of Titan(AOT); otherwise, it is only a matter of interest.

We also learned that OVA is not a special episode, but both are different as specials are aired on TV also. I hope you like this post.