Anime can now finally be considered as part of American mainstream culture and there is a proper study to prove it.
Entertainment news site Polygon has surveyed over 4,000 Americans to find out how many are familiar or are into the anime culture.
Results have shown that at least 42% of Gen Zs are watching anime regularly, more so than NFL games and other pop culture shows common in older generations.
Surprisingly, some Boomers and Gen X also watch anime with 12% in the Gen X and 3% in the older generation admitting they do watch at least once a week.
Across all generations, Black Americans have been the most common demographic of anime at 17%, followed closely by Asian Americans with 10% of the population.
Also Read: The Secrets Behind 'One Piece's' Long-Term Popularity
Netflix, Streaming Platforms Help Bring Anime to Americans
One of the main factors why many people were able to get into the anime culture is thanks to streaming platforms bringing the shows and movies from Japan to the US.
Polygon's survey has shown that over 70% of the US population watches anime from Netflix, and probably discovered it there too.
With 77.3 subscribers in the US, many Americans are being exposed to other shows and films outside the Western pop culture.
The introduction of Western-made live adaptations like "The One Piece" likely renewed interest in the original series and similar shows, as well.
Hulu placed second behind Netflix at 55%, while Amazon Prime Video is third in overall count. For Gen Zs alone, anime-dedicated streaming platform Crunchyroll is the first runner-up at 58%.
Related Article: Netflix, Nippon TV Deal Brings 'Hunter X Hunter,' 'Claymore,' More Anime to the Platform
Polygon: Anime Influences American Culture
Outside of being a pastime entertainment, Polygon's survey also showed how anime itself influenced its audience in more ways than one.
Younger generations, in particular, have been shown to have been heavily influenced by anime in terms of aesthetic, identity, online interactions, and communities engaged with.
In a sense, the anime has become this generation's "Friends" and "How I Met Your Mother" as the shows that defined a huge part of their lives.
