More People Are Watching Anime Than Ever Before: Report

In this day and age, anime has shed its reputation as a niche interest. The medium has been growing for decades, and following a boom in the '90s overseas, anime has made an indelible mark on fans globally. Thanks to streaming and social media, it has never been easier to find anime. And thanks to a rather thorough survey, we can see more anime is being watcher now than ever before.

The data itself comes from Polygon in tandem with Vox Media and The Circus, a market research group. A survey was done early this year that polled over 4,000 Americans over the age of 18. It was there consumers were asked about their media preferences, and the results revealed younger generations are consuming anime at a pace that puts giants like the NFL to sham.e

According to the survey, 42% of Gen Z responders said they watch anime on a weekly basis. This is almost double what millennials are watching at 25% which isn't too shabby. As for Gen X, that number caps at 12% while only 3% of Boomers said they are watching anime regularly. As you can see, the generational shift is huge in anime consumption, and Gen Z has certainly benefited from streaming's focus on the medium.

The poll also broke down the kind of audience anime brought in, and it is very diverse. Not only is the Gen Z demographic a lucrative one for companies, but the anime audience is diverse. The medium appeals to more Black Americans and Asian Americans than you'd expect from a general population sample; Plus, this delineation becomes even higher when you look at Gen Z responders. There is also a higher percentage of LGBTQ+ fans in anime compared to general population according to the report.

Clearly, there is more focus on anime than ever stateside, and this poll breaks down where fans are consuming content most frequently. According the data, the place to watch shows is Netflix. Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Crunchyroll, Max, Funimation (RIP), Tube, VRV, and HIDIVE. For Gen Z specifically, the younger generation pivots between Netflix and Crunchyroll for its anime fix. So if you have noticed Netflix's rising interest in adult animation, well – this is the reason why.

Anime has spent decades on screen, and these days, experts are reveling in its global renaissance. From east to west, the industry is becoming incredibly mainstream in tandem with manga. So at long last, anime is being rightly recognized as a major influence in the entertainment sphere.

What do you think about this thorough new anime report? Let us know what you think over on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!