In the last few years, the world has been forced to stay indoors, drink their coffee, turn on their TVs and binge shows on Netflix even if they are shows foreign to them. Due to the current world climate, this has caused an increase in TV viewing and with that, a rise in those who binge anime! At our jobs outside Honey’s Anime, we began to see an increase in non-anime viewers talking about shows like Sword Art Online, Death Note, Demon Slayer, Blue Period and Komi Can’t Communicate! Does that beg the question, with the problems of the world, has anime finally become mainstream? If it has, is that also a good or bad thing!?
Anime Fans Multiply!
Any otaku out there can remember the harsh days of middle school or Jr. High where talking about anime got you dirty looks and whispers from your fellow classmates? Many of you older otaku may remember those days but we have begun to notice with the rising popularity of anime, younger kids nowadays are gushing about Naruto and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure! One Punch Man is also hitting our youth with literal punches as we have had discussions with parents saying they want to be bald superheroes when they grow up! The anime community has always been growing—that is very evident when one looks at the lines at Anime Expo—but we really believe that in ten or twenty years, kids in elementary will be talking about anime and thus, creating a future of anime viewers and fans!
Doctor…One-Dose of Anime Please
Anime has definitely begun to worm its way into the world when you go on YouTube and notice doctors mentioning the facts and falsities of series like Cells at Work! Code Black. We have seen businessmen and women alike talk about how Aggretsuko gets their issues in life as young workers. Even artists have begun to gush about how Blue Period nails the feeling of having to struggle to prove you are an artist to those around you like your friends and family! Needless to say, it was one thing to see younger folk talking about anime but now seeing professional workers talk about it daily… is a sign anime is becoming mainstream!
Are There Stores That Don’t Sell Anime Stuff?
Has anyone noticed a growing trend of walking into a convenience store and seeing POP Figures and keychains of numerous anime characters? We sure have! There is a slew of stores that are now carrying anime merchandise when they use to barely have Yu-Gi-Oh or Pokemon cards. Anime is taking over the US which means maybe more anime-focused stores will pop up across the nation as well!
Netflix, Hulu, and HBO Max…ALL HAVE ANIME!
Netflix isn’t the only home to anime, obviously there are other streaming services specifically for anime like Crunchyroll, Funimation, and HIDIVE but there has been an uptick in anime on other services like HBO Max and Hulu. There will no doubt be battles over what services can get specific anime series but we don’t mind those battles. The more services including anime, the more ways anime will spread to everyone!
Final Thoughts
There is no doubt in our hearts and minds that anime is indeed becoming mainstream. Time will only cause anime to grow more in the hearts of millions of people worldwide as word of mouth spreads in workplaces, break rooms, and schools. We can’t wait for anime to be known by everyone one day and we think it might happen sooner than later!
Now here’s a question for you readers out there. Do you think anime becoming more mainstream is a good thing or a bad thing? Let us know in the comments below! Be sure to keep locked here at Honey’s Anime for even more anime articles and news!
Author: Aaron
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