7 Anime Memes More Iconic Than Their Original Series, Ranked

For every anime that’s been released there will be ten times as many memes, as fans dive into each episode and pull screenshots and quotes to be used for the maximum meme potential. Popular series like Attack on Titan, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Dragon Ball Z have been memed to death by fans, while shows like Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure just feel like one giant meme.

But sometimes, a meme becomes so popular it turns mainstream, and many forget where the original clip actually came from. While it sometimes makes it easy to forget their origins, their impactful legacy often results in a cult following for any given series. Here are seven anime memes that became far more iconic than their original shows.

7. “A-” (Nichijou)

There are memes, and then there’s Nichijou. Released in 2011, Nichijou: My Ordinary Life is arguably the pinnacle of brain rot anime. Many shows have lines, soundbites, or screenshots taken out of context and turned into memes. But Nichijou is so mind-melting that a single scene became the entire meme.

In Episode 22, Yūko Aioi attempts to pet a dog, but the animal bites her hand. The animation team went all out, as her reaction caused a vibration of energy around her before the camera swooped around the scenery and pushed in on her face. With gorgeous animation reminiscent of the shonen genre, Yūko lets out a single, reverberated “a.”

6. Speed Racer’s Motivational Speech

Newer anime fans might know the Speed Racer franchise better for the 2008 live-action movie by the Wachowski sisters than for the classic 1967 anime. But, while new and old fans debate which version is better, Speed Racer wants them all to “stop crying!”

The “stop crying” meme has become infamous online. Fans have taken a seven second clip from the anime’s English dub, where the titular Speed Racer offers some words of encouragement, and turned it into an internet sensation. The otherwise assuming scene has become comedy gold online, thanks to the deadpan performance of the voice acting.

5. The Ghost Stories English Dub

You could easily make a Top 10 list of the best memes from the Ghost Stories dub. The story of Ghost Story’s infamy is pretty well known, so, to summarize, the series flopped in Japan, and, as a result, the English voice cast was given free rein to be as wild and stupid with the dub as they wanted.

The English dub has given us such great lines as “Run! She’s a ghost and a b-tch,” “A police station… I never thought I’d be happy to see one of those things,” and the multi-layered, “Oh wait, it’s in Japanese.” Far more people have heard the story of the Ghost Stories dub than those who have actually experienced it.

4. S Stands for (Blend S)

It’s not just the actual shows that are filled with meme potential; sometimes, an anime’s OP becomes the stuff of internet legend. In 2017, Blend S was released. Not long after, a wave of memes flooded the internet as people turned the otherwise cute OP into internet nightmare fuel.

“Smile. Sweet. Sister. Sadistic. Surprise. Service,” began the OP, “Bon Appétit♡S,” by Blend A. Using the comedic power of alliteration, meme makers began adding additional words to the end. Memes ranged from lighthearted jokes, like telling people to subscribe to YouTuber Pewdiepie, to incredibly dark jokes that cannot be reproduced in this list.

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3. “Hello, Everynyan!” (Azumanga Daioh)

Anime, including English dialogue (either dubbed or in the original sub), has become a meme in itself online. Fans have become obsessed with the way Japanese shows interpret the English language, especially when it is clear it’s a Japanese actor attempting to use an English or American accent.

This was taken to its zenith in 2002’s Azumanga Daioh, and one scene from the anime became a massive hit online. “Hello everynyan (everyone). How are you? Fine thank you. I wish I were a bird,” says Chiyo-Father, a strange yellow cat-like creature in the hilarious clip that went viral online.

2. Truck-kun

Forget characters like Goku, Saitama, or Satoru Gojo because Truck-kun is the most powerful anime character of all time. The “Truck-kun” meme usually refers to the isekai genre, where a character is hit by a truck and killed before waking up in a new world.

Not only has Truck-kun taken on a life of its own, but its origins are hotly debated by fans, and many don’t actually know where it originated. People have meme’d Truck-kun into lists of anime characters that can beat Goku, and even added it to the Super Smash Bros’ line-up.

1. “Is This a Meme?” (The Brave Fighter Of Sun Fighbird)

“Is this the #1 entry on this list?” asks Yutaro Katori of The Brave Fighter Of Sun Fighbird as the meme is revived yet again. Newer anime fans likely won’t have heard of the 1991 anime The Brave Fighter Of Sun Fighbird. But they’ve definitely seen a picture on social media of the show’s protagonist asking, “Is this a pigeon?” as a butterfly flies past.

“Is this a pigeon?” is arguably one of the most popular anime memes of all time, extending far beyond the anime community. Naturally, the quote was taken far out of context over the years, undermining Yutaro’s intended point, but in its place, a legend was born. As a result, its popularity has far outshone the original series,\ and will likely still be used for years to come.