The Never-Ending Appeal of Anime

• For the past few decades, anime has grown as a beloved niche in entertainment. Thanks to the pandemic and broadened streaming accessibility, Japanese-based animated content or anime took an astronomical jump into popular culture over the past year: anime titles can be found on nearly every major streaming platform including Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, and Amazon Prime. Netflix reported that with its expanding selection of original and licensed anime, the platform experienced a double in households viewing anime. In the realm of film, feature anime film Demon Slayer: Mugen Train was the highest-grossing film of 2020 and the highest-grossing foreign-language debut in the USA. 

When it comes to entertainment, the pandemic had us all sinking our teeth into a fresh slice of escapism, whether it was through hundreds of mindless hours on TikTok, our own little island in Animal Crossing, or an unhealthy dose of The Office. With people seeking out the next best watch, anime as a genre promptly came into view with its extensive catalog of stories and new shows coming every month. For anime-lovers all over the world, the genre has always provided a plethora of realms to live in. From demon-infested mountain landscapes to high-school hallways, there are thousands of timelines and dimensions for every viewer. Unlike some US-based cartoons which often only lean strictly into adult or kids audiences, anime offers plenty of titles for audiences of all ages in subgenres like horror, gore, and thrillers. Not to mention the endless amount of subgenres, spin-offs, movies, animation styles, and bonus content to catch up on after you finish your favorite series. 

Like most recent cultural ebbs and flows, TikTok has also had a huge hand in putting anime on people’s screens. TikTok’s For You Page algorithm has broken down walls for many communities as a means for cultural discovery and exploration and anime is no different. The #anime has been viewed over 438 billion times. Under the hashtag, you can find millions of fans flexing immaculate cosplays, trying on new merch, and acting out their favorite scenes. The social media platform has also come to house a number of fandoms and act as a tool for the communities to connect, further carving out space for anime in popular culture. One popular trend from earlier this year had creative fans drawing themselves into popular shows or next to their favorite characters.

hiWhat makes anime such a powerful cultural phenomenon is its ability to take on many forms and interact with other parts of popular culture. Gaming, which saw a similar evolution in popularity and size during the pandemic, often goes hand in hand with anime. The beloved Pokémon games spurred the anime series in 1997, becoming one of the most recognizable series from Japan to date. Genshin Impact, an anime-styled game, won the mobile game of the year 2020 and is one of the highest-grossing games of all time. Fortnite fans have been waiting for the Naruto Uzumaki skin for several weeks now, with the promise of future anime crossovers. 

Fashion designers have also incorporated their favorite series, both on the runway and on the streets. Our favorite unexpected collaboration was the lowkey Bananya collection born from Crunchyroll and Gucci this past May. The collection sported the cutest banana cats from the anime series created by TMS Entertainment. Uniqlo has also continuously capitalized on partnering within the anime space, housing multiple collections with titles like Jujutsu Kaisen, Your Name (君の名は。), and Hunter x Hunter. The clothing brand just announced an Aug 30th release date for its flagship Demon Slayer line, too.

And there’s one cultural figure that stands at the vanguard of anime, fashion, and style: Megan Thee Stallion. Her passion for anime comes across all of her work, from channeling My Hero Academia’s Todoroki for the cover of Paper Magazine a few years ago to lyrics referencing Naruto in Girls in the Hood to the artwork of her latest hyper-exclusive collection with Revlon. Meg’s love of anime proves that anime is here to stay, and here to inform the culture. 

Anime has quickly become a standard in the entertainment industry: playing in major movie theaters, broadcasting during primetime TV, and featuring bigger titles on streaming platforms. The audience will continue to expand as more people discover animes that speak to them. There’s plenty of potential to interact with the emerging culture as anime finds its way into more areas of the world. No doubt more and more brands will buy into the creative pool that anime has carved out for itself. 

Yours truly,

Micki