The rise of niche interests in recent years needs to be studied. Both games and anime have become pivotal influencers of pop culture.
It wasn’t too long ago that you’d be bullied for watching anime in the West, and now the genre dominates. From music, fashion, and TV shows to acclaimed movies, celebrities, and online meme culture, anime is taking pop culture by storm.
So how did anime go from a source of ridicule to an international sensation? Firstly, let’s look at how anime became what we know it to be today.
“The Golden Age”
“The golden age of anime” refers to animation that came out of Japan during the 1970s, 80s, and especially 90s.
Anime had been introduced to the West with Astro Boy in the 1960s. However, it wasn’t until the 1990s that anime started to get more popular with people outside of Japan.
The late 80s/90s saw the release of iconic animes like Dragon Ball Z, Pokemon, Sailor Moon, and Hunter x Hunter — all of which are still relevant over two decades later. For example, Saudi Arabia is constructing an amusement park solely dedicated to Dragon Ball Z.
It was also during the 1990s that the first anime convention was held in New York. A convention refers to an event held to highlight a specific interest. The very popular ‘Comic Con’ is another type of convention.
Older animes like Neon Genesis Evangelion, Akira, Vampire Hunter D, and Cowboy Bebop continue to receive praise for their animation. The nostalgia of these “golden age animes” even attracts new anime watchers. Of course, the numerous edits made on social media about older animes do wonders to entice new watchers.
Anime in the 2000s
The early 2000s saw the emergence of “The Big 3,” which refers to three animes that dominated in popularity. ‘Naruto,’ ‘One Piece,’ and ‘Bleach’ were driving forces in increasing anime popularity in the West.
“The Big 3” is what first introduced anime to large swathes of Gen Z. Of course, back in those days, you had to watch on probably not-so-safe websites. Never forget trying to watch anime on YouTube, where the screen was a tiny box in the corner.
When I was growing up, I was repeatedly told that anime is meant for kids. That seemed to be the mindset of many people around me. So, what changed?
So, What Changed?
I sent out a questionnaire asking what happened in the last 5-10 years that has changed people’s perspective.
Common themes in the responses included social media and pandemic lockdowns.
”I remember being the weird anime kid, but now the people that would bully me for watching it are now active fans of the medium. I definitely think the rise of social media (TikTok mainly) has had a massive impact on the exposure of anime to wider audiences, young and old.”
Dino Goodley via Questionnaire
The word ‘exposure’ stood out from the responses. People tend to be wary of things that they’re not used to — unless they are actively exposed to them.
The same goes for anime. Because it is animation, there is a pervasive misconception that it is primarily designed for kids. While there are many that kids can watch, there are just as many that are not suitable for them.
Berserk, Elfen Lied, Chainsaw Man, and Junji Ito Collection are just a few examples.
Social media has played a crucial role in exposing people to the world around them. Anime is one such example that has benefited from the popularity of these apps.
Back in the day, three-minute-long Animated Music Video (AMV) edits would be uploaded to YouTube. These videos featured your favorite anime with a popular song as the backing track. Now, the norm is 30-second ‘edits’ to a trending song. The edits then show up on people’s For You Pages, exposing them to anime.
From there, users may search the name of the anime in the edit and watch it. Before they know it, they are avid enjoyers of anime.
The accessibility of the genre by streaming platforms has helped it reach broader audiences. Platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video have larger collections of anime then they did 10 years ago.
The Influences
When humans create anything, there is usually a source that inspired their creation.
With artists, it might be the way tree branches moved in the wind or how sunlight illuminated water.
Great masterpieces draw on inspiration to create new versions of things that already exist.
We see this in Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar. The director took elements from movies like Metropolis (1927), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), and Blade Runner (1982) — all of which are cult classic sci-fi movies.
With anime rising popularity, it is becoming a valuable source of inspiration — whether for Hollywood movies or a viral meme.
Let’s explore the pop culture elements that are currently being influenced by anime.
Movies/TV Shows
There have been countless movies made in Hollywood that lift from anime source material.
For instance, the 2017 movie Ghost in the Shell was based on the anime and manga by the same name.
Alita: Battle Angel is another blockbuster movie based on Yukito Kishiro manga Battle Angel Alita.
Finally, the Academy Award-winning movie Inception drew inspiration from the 2006 anime Paprika.
Mainstream Music & Celebrities
Many celebrities have woven anime into their music.
This can be seen in Lil Uzi Vert’s Naruto reference in his song ‘New Patek.’
“Throw up gang signs, Naruto / Put metal in my nose like Pain.”
Lil Uzi Vert lyrics via CBR
Megan Thee Stallion has shown her love for anime again and again — whether it be through cosplaying a character or, like Uzi, slipping in an anime reference into her music.
The rapper is dominating social media with her latest album ‘MEGAN’ and especially her song ‘Mamushi’ (feat. Yuki Chiba). The song is being used for the latest dance trend, especially among anime watchers who cosplay as a favorite character.
”I get money, I’m a star, star, star
Lyrics to ‘Mamushi’ by Megan Thee Stallion feat. Yuki Chiba
Star, star, star, star
お金 稼ぐ 俺らは スター
お金 稼ぐ 私は スター
スター、スター、スター、スター、キラキラ.”
Doja Cat, Migos, Kanye West, Lil Peep, and Higher Brothers are all artists who have mentioned anime in their music or music videos.
Other celebrities have highlighted their love for anime, from Ariana Grande’s Pokemon tattoos to Jennie of BlackPink transforming herself into a Sailor Moon character.
In the above photo, Billie Eilish is sporting a Sailor Moon printed two-piece outfit.
Online Meme Culture
Numerous social media memes stem from out of context clips and images. Paste an unhinged audio and some relevant words, and you have yourself a viral meme.
Anime also contributes to the memes circulating online. An iconic vine cut away sound and image are taken from Jojo’s Bizarre Adventures.
The Memes
Fashion and Beauty
Anime can be quite influential on people’s sense of style.
Sometimes characters’ unattainable figures can have negative effects on self-worth.
On the other side of the coin, fashion from the medium often influences people to make or buy similar clothing.
Cosplaying in particular is very popular among anime watchers. Cosplaying essentially means dressing like a character from a show or movie. An abundance of the people attending conventions like ‘Anime Expo’ cosplay their favorite characters.
Make-up styles like ‘Douyin Make-up’ have a very anime look to them, with exaggerated eyes and lots of blush.
Going Forward
How do we know that things have changed in the last 10 years?
In 2025, the anime market is predicted to reach $36.26 billion globally. Compared to 10 years ago, the market was valued at $18.1 billion. That means the value of the industry has virtually doubled in just a decade.
By 2016, anime accounted for 60% of animated TV shows worldwide.
It is predicted that almost half (40%) of the global growth of anime will be coming out of the United States.
‘Anime Expo’ is the largest anime and manga convention in North America. 350,000 people attended the event in 2019. Last year’s Expo saw that number increase to 392,000 people from over 60 different countries.
That is a staggering increase from the event’s first turnout — 1,750 people back in 1992.
To compare, ‘New York Comic Con (NYCC)’ is the largest comic, sci-fi, and fantasy convention in North America. It has been featured in popular shows and movies like The Big Bang Theory, Paul, and Modern Family. NYCC 2023 reported a total of 200,000 attendees.
Anime has drastically improved over time, from animation to plot to voice-acting. And with the genre’s popularity increasing overseas and animation studios increasing the budgets for their projects, the future is bright.
