Young Kids Really Love Oshi no Ko, Says New Anime Survey

Anime is bigger than ever these days, and there is so much you can consume. The industry spans across every genre, so fans of all ages can find an anime that suits them. For kids, you might expect them to fawn over Chibi Maruko-san or Doraemon full stop. But thanks to a new survey in Japan, we've learned most elementary students are obsessed with Ai Hoshino of Oshi no Ko.

Yup, that's right. Kids are obsessed with Oshi no Ko... but let's just hope they did not watch the anime's premiere in full. Yikes!

Recently, Otakomu released the data of a survey held in Japan with elementary students. The survey wanted to know who young kids admire these days. Of course, plenty of kids put in family members or other loved ones but others aimed elsewhere. After all, the survey's third most frequently answer was Ai Hoshino.

As for the rest of the list, some other wild answers were given. Frieren: Beyond Journey's End made the cut as its titular character was listed a few times. These anime figures were joined by athletes like Shohei Ohtani, so you can tell these elementary students had good taste. Sadly, Tanjiro did not make the list, but we're sure the Demon Slayer star holds a place in these kids' hearts somewhere.

Obviously, netizens are scratching their heads about Ai Hoshino's place on this list, but it is not that surprising. Yes, Oshi no Ko is rather dark and dramatic, but it comes off glitzy. The opening sequence of Oshi no Ko makes Ai look like the ultimate idol, after all. The anime's theme song also dominated global charts in 2023, so kids must have seen a lot of the girl on television and online. So while parents ruled this list, it seems Oshi no Ko's mascot is coming for their title. 

What do you think about this latest anime survey? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!