One In 5 Americans Now Watches Anime According To New Global Survey

BusinessHollywood & EntertainmentOne In 5 Americans Now Watches Anime According To New Global SurveyByRob Salkowitz,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Rob Salkowitz is an Eisner-nominated comics journalist and author.Follow AuthorMay 26, 2026, 02:51pm EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.387921 03: Ash, Pikachu and Misty (background) in 4Kids Entertainment's animated adventure "Pokemon3," distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. (Photo by Warner Bros. Pictures)Getty ImagesJapanese animation, or anime, has been outgrowing its niche fanbase in the western hemisphere for more than a decade, but a new report shows the extent to which it has become mainstream just in the past five years. According to a study by GEM Partners, a Tokyo-based analytics firm focused on the entertainment industry, the US has seen anime viewership more than double between 2020 and 2025, hitting 22% in the latest data released by the company.The report surveyed over 15,000 direct respondents aged 13-65 worldwide across fifteen major markets, and covers the years 2020-2025.Prior to the pandemic, just about 10% of Americans regularly watched anime, which includes everything from all-ages adventure series like One Piece, Sailor Moon and Dragonball to intense, adult-themed horror, crime, drama and science fiction. But in the past five years, viewership increased at a CAGR of 17%, driven in part by a high-stakes competition for content among streaming platforms including Netflix, Prime Video, and Sony’s anime-focused Crunchyroll service.The increase in viewership is complemented by the rise of manga – the comics on which most anime are based – to become the category leader in North American comics publishing, vastly outselling superheroes and other genres in the trade book channel and, increasingly, in comic book stores. The growth in fandom is als...