If you often follow anime shows every season, you usually saw ‘OVA’ written on it either on the anime titles or on the official website of the said anime. Then, there are also abbreviations, OAD, ONA, and OAV -- whereby words are very similar to OVA! Maybe you wondered, “What’s the meaning of all these?”

The OVA and its abbreviation friends come out based on the anime distribution route. Of course all animes we enjoyed in Indonesia usually came from television or via streaming/download from the internet, so the difference between OVA, OAV, OAD, and ONA doesn’t have any impact on us!

In this digest, let’s break down each one of them!

What Is OVA? What’s The Difference With OAV?

Those two can exchange their meaning because the point is the same: OVA stands for Original Video Animation and OAV means Original Animation Video. Those two means ‘original animation that comes in a video.’ “Then why it comes with two names? And animation always comes in a video, right?” maybe you keep asking about this. Slow down, let’s break one first.

First, the word ‘video’ here doesn’t mean the form of the show; but the distribution media. So, animes that count as an OVA are animes that released in a physical form -- VHS tape, Betamax, CD, DVD, HD-DVD, Blu-ray, etc -- without having to be aired as a TV or in the silver screen first.

And second, OAV comes first. Because people often confused with adult video or A/V (audio/video) cable for electronic devices, and then OVA word created to avoid confusion. Now it’s clear, right? OVA or OAV, both are right!

Because it doesn’t air on TV (and don’t have to follow the strict show time), the quality of anime in OVA usually better due to the more budget it has from animes in general as well as more development time. 

Other things that differ from animes in general -- especially for novel adaptation of anime, manga, or game -- OVA usually has a new story that doesn’t connect to the source. The story can be prequel, sequel, story of other characters, spin-off, or parodies.

OVA is often used as an additional bonus from special edition manga or novel. These exclusive OVAs then telling an original story which is cannot be inserted in the main anime; Kuroko no Basket: Baka ja Katenai no yo! For example, it tells a spin-off from volume 5 of the manga.

The Reason Why Animes Only Released as an OVA

Animes that aired in Japan most of them is a “TV anime’ and valued as a bangumi or general TV shows. Then to be aired smoothly on national TV channels, they have to follow certain rules!

Aside from censorships, the duration also often a problem. Usually, one episode of TV anime has 20 minutes of duration and only aired once a week; putting away certain cases like special episodes or OVA promotion.

The airing schedule usually decided per season; except popular ones like Dragon Ball, Naruto or Boruto, One Piece, and anime for kids like Doraemon; where they have four seasons in one year. One year approximately has 52 weeks. And if divided by four, then TV animes must air 12 or 13 episodes per one season.

Usually, the directors and anime studio staff can overcome this issue by editing story paces (so don’t get mad about fillers, because often anime studios only fulfill their duty). But often due to the requirements to be aired on the TV can be annoying or the adaptation based on manga/novel/game is not appropriate or can be made for dozens of episodes.

Finally, outlier animes like that come out as an OVA; in a physical release like VHS, DVD, or Blu-ray. Due to the developing time is looser, the episodes can be various. Either just one, three, or five. Adult themed anime also comes as an OVA.

Few examples of popular OVAs to date:

1. Hunter x Hunter: Greed Island
2. Shingeki no Kyojin: Lost Girls
3. Haikyuu!!: vs "Akaten"
4. FLCL

What’s the Meaning of OAD?

Meanwhile, OAD stands for Original Animation DVD. Hence the name, OAD is also an OVA; but comes in DVDs. But the usage is more specific because it’s commonly used for DVD OVA that is bundled along with special edition manga.

DVD itself was introduced at the end of 1997-1998, but the terms came out in the middle of 2008; via titles like Goku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, xxxHOLiC: Shunmuki, and Tsubasa: Shunraiki which were distributed by Kodansha. 

But it looks like OAD is not a common name. Because even though Kodansha usually uses the OAD term, other publishers like Shueisha and Shogakukan still use OVA/OAV for extra anime DVD along with the manga.

Last But Not Least, ONA…

In contrast to OVA and OAD which come in a physical form, ONA stands for Original Net Animation (or also known as Web Anime) and is an anime that distributed directly via internet access. It is suspected that ONA was first introduced by Lingerie Fighter Papillon Rose, a parody concept of mahou shoujo which eventually came out as an anime in 2003.

Remembering the more convenient way in distribution access, all ONAs are created by amateurs and independent hands, so the anime quality can’t be said as perfect like animes that aired on TV. But by airing Mahou Yuugi 2D for the first time via the internet in 2001 before hit the TV, the animation studio AIC becomes a major studio that released an ONA.

Besides, there is Xam'd: Lost Memories anime created by Bones which premiered in 2008 via Playstation Store before aired on TV a year later. This is also considered as an ONA.

Then if an anime comes in the streaming sites like Crunchyroll, Funimation, Hulu, or Amazon, but mainly aired on TV then it cannot be said as ONA; that’s just anime TV which can be watched online.

An ONA can be packed and resell again in a physical form, either in Blu-ray or DVD. But as long as the anime comes first on the internet, then it can be said as an ONA. Because it is said as ‘original net’ animation or animation that comes on the internet first.

Nowadays, with an easier way to make an anime, either solo or by small teams then by the increase of animator’s skills, amateur ONAs qualities can beat major animes!

Examples of popular ONAs nowadays:

1. Puchimasu! Petit Idolmaster
2. Hetalia: Axis Powers
3. Brotherhood - Final Fantasy XV
4. Eve no Jikan
5. Plastic Nee-san

Also, Read>> Japan-cyclopedia: About Doujinshi, from Fans by Fans to Fans And Not Only Adult Contents!

So that’s the meaning of OVA/OAV, OAD, and ONA in the anime world. Now you understand the meaning of those, right? Stay tuned for more information regarding Japan in the next Japan-cyclopedia!

Source: Animenewsnetwork.com / Japanesewithanime.com

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