Gen Z Is Watching More Anime Than Anyone Ever Has

It’s no secret that anime is growing in popularity in North America, with many viewers having to make the difficult decision when diving into a new series and/or movie as to whether they’ll consume it “subbed” or “dubbed”. Thanks to streaming services like Crunchyroll, HIDIVE, Netflix, and many others, anime fans in the West are able to consume anime at record levels and can watch series that might have otherwise never made their way to the United States. In a new study, it would seem that Gen-Z anime fans are the biggest in the U.S. population.

Anime isn’t just shared via streaming services, as many fans are able to connect with old and new viewers thanks to social media. On outlets like Tik Tok, Instagram, Twitter, and many others, fans can post some of their favorite clips, reactions to major story beats, and share recent news when it comes to new tales in the medium. In recent years, especially those that took place during the coronavirus pandemic, sales for anime and manga alike have been skyrocketing and what’s more surprising, said sales haven’t decreased as a result of quarantines coming to an end. Anime is here to stay in the West and it’s clear that more entertainment producers are taking notice.

Gen-Z: The Anime Generation

In a new study created via WordFinder by YourDictionary, 1,000 attendees shared their thoughts on anime and the medium overall. Gen-Z took a resounding lead with 69% of respondents questioned stating that they watch anime. Millennials followed behind in second place with 57%, with Gen-X coming in third with 40%. Finally, the Baby Boomers had a surprising 23% stating that they watched anime, which might be a higher figure than many might have expected.

The study also revealed that fans prefer subs when it comes to watching Attack on Titan, Dragon Ball Z, Naruto, Death Note, Demon Slayer, and Spirited Away in that order. Overall, American anime fans are 50% more likely to watch anime subbed than dubbed, which might finally answer the question as to which viewers in the West prefer. Considering there still is a wide swath of viewers that prefer dubbed to subbed material, we don’t expect to see the end of English dubbed iterations of anime properties anytime soon.

What do you think of Gen-Z taking the anime crown? What surprises you the most about these stats? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.