When 2020 began, very few people probably knew what Zoom was—and no one expected it to become a huge part of their lives, both socially and for work. Flash forward to today and people around the globe are doing everything from checking up on family to attending school and business meetings all on Zoom. Its become a huge part of a lot of people’s lives, and while the jury is still out about whether people actually enjoy using it or not, we have had to face the reality that it has become indispensable.
Zoom has one feature that has become especially popular, and that is the ability to change backgrounds. Instead of having your bedroom behind you in your meetings, you can choose from a variety of different images—or upload your own. That gives people a lot of power, and a way to shake things up in their meetings and keep things fun and fresh. Recently, a lot of anime and game studios have been posting free backgrounds to use online for fans that want to add a little otaku zing to their next meeting. While there are plenty out there to choose from and more coming all the time, we picked five of the ones we thought were the coolest and most popular to give you somewhere to start!
5. Super Mario Bros
If what you’re looking for in a Zoom background is bright, fun colours and whimsy, Super Mario has come through. The backgrounds they released are of some of favourite stages in Super Mario Odyssey, a game that won the hearts of old and new fans alike of the famous plumber. We especially recommend these backgrounds to anyone looking to make a boring meeting a little bit more bearable, or cheer up someone that’s feeling a bit down with the state of the world. They’re a lot of fun!
4. Evangelion
One of the most famous anime of all time, Evangelion is here to provide some positively awesome backgrounds for your online meetings. Have you ever wanted to work at NERV? Well, now you can look like you do. With these cool backgrounds from Evangelion, you can convince your friends that this is your new view out the window of your office at NERV. After all, if we have to ride out an apocalypse, we might as well have giant mechs and aliens to make it worth it.
3. Pokemon
If all the other big names in Japanese anime and games are making Zoom backgrounds, of course, Pokemon is, too! Even people that aren’t otaku are likely to recognise a character as internationally famous as Pikachu and symbols like Pokeballs. There’s no way you can get away with these backgrounds not being noticed, but if you’re looking to challenge someone to a trainer battle or just let everyone know you’d rather be in Galar, these backgrounds from Pokemon are yours for the taking.
2. Studio Ghibli
Studio Ghibli are definitely the surprise studio to make it on this list. Studio Ghibli are very well known for keeping everything very private and sharing very little with the public. It was already big news when they allowed their films to start streaming on Netflix in some countries, which was an unprecedented move already. But it seems that the pandemic is bringing out the best in everyone, and everyone is doing their part to make the world a little bit brighter. So now, even Studio Ghibli has released stunning background images from some of their most famous films, including Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, My Neighbour Totoro, and more! They’re simply beautiful, like all of Studio Ghibli’s art.
1. Final Fantasy VII Remake
Its no secret that a lot of otaku have been spending their time at home playing the much-anticipated Final Fantasy VII Remake game. From old fans that have been waiting 23 years for this moment to fans that are discovering the magic of Midgar for the first time, Final Fantasy VII Remake has captured the hearts and imaginations of people around the world. Square Enix has posted a few really gorgeous backgrounds to use for your next online meeting, including the ironic city of Midgar as seen from the air, and the flower garden in Aerith’s church. You can transport yourself right into the game!
Final Thoughts
Well, now you can certainly impress your co-workers, classmates, family, or at the very least your friends with some great otaku backgrounds for Zoom! Some of them are even on the subtle side, so you might be able get away with sneaking one in there with no one even realising it. And then, of course, there are the ones that very clearly show everyone exactly where your loyalties lie. Whatever you choose, we hope that you have a lot more fun on your next online meeting! And be sure to keep an eye on Twitter for even more backgrounds, too.
Are you going to try out one of these backgrounds for your next Zoom meeting? Which ones are your favourites? Which anime or game would you love to see sharing backgrounds? Drop us a comment before you leave!
Author: Jet Nebula