Summary

• An anime's popularity in America doesn't always reflect its success in other countries, especially in Japan.
• Some anime are much more popular in America than in Japan because of their English dubs or from American audiences appreciating their aesthetic more.
• Other times, the difference in popularity is simply the difference between being a popular series and being an incredibly popular series.

While anime is a Japanese product originally, many series have garnered more popularity in the United States than in their native country. Over the years, America has undoubtedly become one of the biggest epicenters of anime in the world. Many of the biggest anime become popular through American streaming services, and with how often events in America like conventions are used to make big announcements about anime, it can be easy to assume how well an anime is received in America determines how well it’s received in the world, at large.

An anime’s popularity in America can sometimes be a good metric for its popularity in the rest of the world, but it’s hardly a perfect one. While many anime have some degree of universal appeal, whether it’s due to how the English dub script was handled or an anime simply having something that mostly appeals to Western audiences, there are numerous examples of anime that are far more popular in America than other countries, even in Japan. It’s a fascinating discrepancy that’s been going on for decades now, and there are a few anime, in particular, that best exemplify it.

10 Dean Wonderland Is Only A Cult Classic In America

Anime series by Manglobe; based on the manga by Jinsei Kataoka & Kazuma Kondou

Ordinary middle schooler Ganta Igarashi is framed for the murder of his class and sent to Dean Wonderland, a privately owned prison where inmates are forced to put their lives at risk for the entertainment of others. Secretly, however, the prison is a gathering place for people who can weaponize their blood in various ways, with Ganta being one of them, and he is forced to fight for his freedom and to learn the truth about what happened to his classmates.

While the Dean Wonderland manga was a modest success, the anime, at least in Japan, was a standard short series that largely existed as an ment for the manga. In America, on the other hand, thanks to Dean Wonderland being one of the first anime in Toonami’s revival and its hilariously edgy English dub, it was a much bigger hit to the point of people wanting it to be renewed for a second season after it ended. Nowadays, it’s only regarded as a cult hit in America, but even that’s a step above how little attention it received in Japan.

Watch On Crunchyroll

9 Panty & Stocking’s English Dub Is The Definitive Version

Anime series by Studio Gainax; directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi

Another anime that became more popular in America than in Japan thanks to its dub is 2010’s Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt. The titular Panty and Stocking are angels who were kicked out of Heaven due to their crude behavior, and under the guidance of reverend Garterbelt, they must protect Daten City from malicious Ghosts to eventually earn their way back. That being said, with how much Panty and Stocking are distracted by sex and sweets, respectively, accomplishing that is far easier said than done.

2010 onward marked the gradual downfall of Studio Gainax’s success and reputation, and with Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt coming out during that time, it couldn’t become as popular as the creators’ other works. However, with an English dub that doubled down on the vulgar nature of the series, Panty & Stocking became a big hit in the West and is often regarded as one of the rare examples of a dub suring the original Japanese. Panty & Stocking is set to finally receive a sequel soon, so it’ll be interesting to see if its reception ends up changing at all.

Watch On Crunchyroll

8 Digimon Tamers’ Only Problem In Japan Was Not Being Part Of The Original Series

Anime series by Toei Animation; written by Chiaki J. Konaka

In a setting meant to be more realistic than the previous Digimon shows, Takato, an avid fan of the Digimon card game, miraculously brings his original character Guilmon to life and s other real-life Tamers in protecting his home from rampaging Digimon. As Takato soon learns, however, the world of Digimon isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and his adventures gradually push him and his friends to their physical and emotional limits.

With its darker storytelling and deconstructive take on the franchise, Digimon Tamers has become a big hit with Western audiences and is often regarded as one of the best installments of the franchise. Conversely, while Digimon Tamers isn’t hated in Japan, anything that isn’t related to the original Digimon Adventure series tends to fall short in popularity, so Digimon Tamers is never treated as being as big of a deal in Japan as it is in America. It’s common for some installments of a franchise to be received better than others, and Digimon Tamers is a prime example of that.

Watch On Hulu

7 Gundam Wing Is Overshadowed By The Rest Of The Franchise In Japan

Anime series by Sunrise; directed by Masashi Ikeda & Shinji Takamatsu

Another anime that’s far more popular in America than in Japan due to other installments of its franchise is 1995’s Mobile Suit Gundam Wing. In the After Colony timeline, space colonies suffer under the oppressive rule of the United Earth Sphere Alliance and the military might of the OZ Organization. To combat their oppression, a rebel group has sent five Gundam pilots to Earth, including protagonist Heero Yuy, to dismantle OZ and the Alliance to win the colonies back their freedom in a plan referred to as “Operation Meteor”.

Similar to Digimon Tamers, Mobile Suit Gundam Wing isn’t unpopular in Japan, it’s just that its popularity pales in comparison to other installments like Mobile Suit Gundam SEED and anything set in the Universal Century timeline. Conversely, Mobile Suit Gundam Wing is incredibly popular in America, and thanks to being the first Gundam series to air in America, it’s responsible for the franchise having a fanbase with Western audiences. Nowadays, mecha and Gundam are nearly synonymous with one another, and at least in America, that wouldn’t have happened without Mobile Suit Gundam Wing.

Watch On Crunchyroll

6 Ultimate Muscle Is The Only Part Of Kinnikuman That Ever Took Off In America

Anime series by Toei Animation; based on the manga by Yudetamago

While the heavy censoring and script changes of anime licensed by 4Kids Entertainment generally hurt their reception in America, one example of that not being the case is 2002’s Ultimate Muscle. Also known as Kinnikuman II Sei, the series took place decades after the original series and had Kinniku Mantaro, the son of Kinnikuman, being trained to protect the world from a resurgence of evil. Unfortunately, despite his raw talent, Mantaro is even more of a lazy coward than his father, so his friends and teachers all have their work cut out for them.

While the original Kinnikuman is a cultural phenomenon in Japan, Ultimate Muscle didn’t have anywhere near as much success, and the anime ended on an unceremonious filler arc. In America, however, the English dub made Ultimate Muscle a hilarious comedy that perfectly fit its younger audience, and it was so popular that a second season with a proper conclusion was commissioned for an American release. It’s a rare example of censorship and script changes benefitting an anime, and it’s been a cult classic among American viewers ever since.

5 The Big O Was Saved By Its International Fanbase

Anime series by Sunrise; directed by Kazuyoshi Katayama

Another anime that received more content thanks to how it was received in America compared to Japan is 1999’s The Big O. In this Batman-meets-Evangelion classic, nothing outside of the domed city-state of Paradigm City has existed for 40 years, and everyone’s memories of why that is or what their lives before “The Event” was have ceased to exist. Now, however, the secrets of Paradigm City are beginning to unravel, and it’s up to Roger Smith to protect Paradigm City and discover the truth of their world, all with the help of his giant robot, the titular “Big O”.

During its initial run in Japan, The Big O was a commercial failure and ended up being canceled after only 13 out of 26 planned episodes were produced. In America, however, The Big O was incredibly successful on Toonami to the point that Cartoon Network co-produced a second season in 2003. Considering the Western and Noir influences of The Big O, it makes sense that it would be more popular in America than in Japan, and its popularity leading to more content being made is the perfect showing of that.

4 Chainsaw Man’s Anime Is Only A Phenomenon In America

Anime series by Studio MAPPA; based on the manga by Tatsuki Fujimoto

In a world where devils prey upon the innocent, Denji has been forced to work as a Devil Hunter with his pet devil Pochita since childhood to pay off his father’s massive debts. After one incident leads to Pochita fusing with Denji, Denji gains the power to become the devil hybrid Chainsaw Man, and he immediately uses his new powers to hunt devils for the government and find a way to be free for the first time in his life.

The Chainsaw Man manga is one of the biggest manga to come out in recent years, and when the anime started, it was one of the biggest hits of 2022 for American audiences. In Japan, however, Chainsaw Man’s anime was met with very mixed reception thanks to its untraditional direction and pacing, and the anime very infamously sold less than 2000 Blu-Rays in its first week. With the Chainsaw Man movie, it’s clear that the anime isn’t a lost cause, but it’s hard to say if it will ever be as big in Japan as it is in America.

Watch On Crunchyroll

3 Ghost Stories Was Famously Saved By Its Gag Dub

Anime series by Studio Pierrot; directed by Noriyuki Abe

While gag dubs are typically frowned upon for professional products, one notable case of it making an anime more popular in America than in Japan is 2000’s Ghost Stories. Satsuki Miyanoshita moves to her mother’s hometown after her untimely ing, and not long after arriving there, she discovers the town to be haunted by ghosts her mother had once sealed away. Said ghosts are now gradually being freed due to urbanization, and with her mother’s Ghost Journal, it’s up to Satsuki and her friends to exorcise the ghosts and protect the town.

While Ghost Stories is often stated to have flopped in Japan, in reality, the series was a moderate success with consistently good ratings from start to finish. Still, the series is a cult classic in Japan, at best, whereas in America, Ghost Stories’ raunchy and deliberately offensive gag dub has given it a far more enduring legacy, and decades later, it’s still viewed as a major part of anime’s history. With both dubs readily available for streaming, it’s easy enough for people to pick one over the other, but the English dub is undoubtedly the more iconic of the two.

Watch On Crunchyroll

2 Bleach’s Status As One Of The Big Three Of Anime Isn’t Entirely True In Japan

Anime series by Studio Pierrot; based on the manga by Tite Kubo

For an anime where the discrepancy in popularity is very noticeable, a perfect example is 2004’s Bleach. Ichigo Kurosaki has been able to see ghosts since childhood, and when he’s 15, he discovers there’s far more to it when he’s introduced to the Soul Reaper Rukia and the bloodthirsty Hollows. In a desperate attempt to save his family from a Hollow, Rukia gives Ichigo her power and transforms him into a Soul Reaper, and from then on, Ichigo and a growing group of friends work together to protect people from Hollows and any other threats that might arise.

Bleach is easily one of the most iconic and popular shonen anime in America, and it’s typically grouped with the likes of One Piece and Naruto as the “Big Three” of anime from the 2000s. In Japan, however, while Bleach has always been popular, it’s never been the cultural icon that it’s been in America, with its anime even being canceled in 2012. The revival of the anime in Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War has done wonders for the series’ popularity, but the discrepancy between its popularity in America and its popularity in Japan is still readily apparent, nonetheless.

Watch On Hulu

1 Cowboy Bebop’s Incredible Reputation Really Only Exists In America

Anime series by Sunrise; directed by Shinichiro Watanabe

In a futuristic setting where humanity has begun colonizing space, crime is still readily apparent and often requires bounty hunters known as Cowboys to deal with it. One of these Cowboys is series protagonist Spike Spiegel, a laidback man who, along with the rest of the crew of the Bebop, is always looking for the next big score while occasionally confronting the events of their tragic pasts.

Despite various rumors about its lack of success, Cowboy Bebop was a definite hit in Japan, even getting an interquel film in 2001. Even so, its popularity in Japan pales in comparison to its popularity in America, as almost 30 years after its initial release, Cowboy Bebop is still often regarded as one of the best anime of all time by American audiences. It’s the difference between being a big hit and having a legendary level of popularity, and that’s why Cowboy Bebop is easily one of the best anime that are bigger in America than in Japan.

Watch On Crunchyroll

Source: Slash Film.