Polygon surveyed more than 4,000 people to reveal the influence of anime in the world of pop culture.
本文翻译自Polygon的文章《Anime is Huge》。
introduction
To better understand the broad influence of anime culture, Polygon surveyed more than 4,000 Americans over the age of 18 about their anime consumption habits. In collaboration with Vox Media's insights and research team and market research group The Circus, our findings show that anime's popularity has grown significantly not only with each generation, but even surpassing cultural symbols like the NFL among younger audiences.
As a result, the influence of anime is huge. But how big is it, and in what ways? Let's dive in.
Generational differences
It's not surprising that anime audiences tend to be younger, as baby boomers (post-50s) and Gen Xers (post-60s, post-70s) have a hard time finding their favorite anime when they are younger, and we can't help but wonder: how important is anime in each generation?
So, we asked all 4,275 participants how often they watched anime. The results of the survey show that the frequency of watching anime has increased significantly as the years have grown. Only 3% of Baby Boomers watch anime weekly, while 42% of Gen Z (post-95) participants do. This number of Gen Z stands out significantly, not only because it shows the popularity of anime, but also because it surpasses some of the powerful elements that have been established. For example, according to YPulse, only 25% of Gen Z follow the NFL. Some teams even use it to please the audience. For example, the Los Angeles Chargers produced a promotional video themed around One Piece, while then-Detroit Lions player Jamal Williams proudly displayed his love for Naruto.
The proportion of generations that watch anime each week
Diverse fans
Our research found that anime fans are more diverse than the overall U.S. population. Black Americans make up 17 percent of anime fans over the age of 18, compared to just 13 percent of the total population. Asian-Americans make up 10 percent of anime fans, compared to just 6 percent of the total population. These percentages are even higher after narrowing down to Gen Z, with Black Americans making up 23 percent of followers compared to just 14 percent of the total population, and Asian-Americans making up 13 percent of fans compared to just 7 percent of the total population.
In addition, 27% of anime fans also identify as LGBTQ+, compared to just 16% of the total population — a higher percentage among Gen Z.
The sexuality of Gen Z anime fans
Emotional connection
Almost two-thirds of Gen Z anime fans say they have a deeper emotional connection to anime than they do to traditional media, thanks to the storylines and character types presented in anime. In addition, as shown below, 44% of anime fans, as well as 58% of Gen Z anime fans, said they had a crush on an anime character at some point.
Emotional range
The survey also found that anime also has a practical role for viewers, with many Gen Z and millennial (post-80s, 90s) fans seeing it not only as comfort food or as an escape when feeling upset, angry, or sad, but also about half of them use it to "motivate themselves" on important occasions. More than half said they refer to anime when they need to make a high-stakes decision, such as preparing a presentation or dating.
65% of anime fans even said that they believe anime is emotionally more appealing than other forms of media such as reality shows and movies, with 90% of them attributing it to the depth of the anime's characters, 89% to its emotional intensity, 89% to the character relationships, 87% to the animation style, and 86% to the quality of the dubbing.
The influence of anime
Whether it's in dress or the way you interact with the people around you, anime has had a huge impact on modern audiences in many ways, and it's fair to say that anime has become a contemporary "old friend". In the 90s of the 20th century, there was Rachel (a character from Friends), and in the 2020s, there were various Pokémon crossovers. More than half of Gen Z anime fans say that anime has had a broad impact on their lifestyles, especially in shaping their self-perception and social understanding. Like "Friends," more than half of fans revisit anime series they've watched and see them as a solace.
Where to watch anime
Finally, our team counted the platform preferences of Gen Z and millennial anime fans for watching anime. Considering that Netflix already has a massive subscriber base of nearly 250 million subscribers and a rich lineup of shows at the end of 2023, it's not surprising to see it at the top of the list, followed by established platforms Hulu and Prime Video. However, professional platforms such as Crunchyroll and Funimation also perform well, although their user base is nowhere near as large as Netflix.
Looking specifically at the viewing habits of Gen Z anime fans, Crunchyroll (58%) ranks second, behind Netflix (76%), followed by Hulu (55%), Prime Video (35%), and Funimation (32%).
Looking at the data, the anime industry is expanding and making a significant cultural impact among the Gen Z group, and if you haven't joined the ranks yet, you might be missing out on a lot of the highlights.