Summary
Despite anime’s global success, many anime remain much more popular in Japan than in the West, including the US. Some anime are unpopular in America because of how old they are and how long it takes to get licensed, such as classics like Doremon. Other anime are not popular in America because of unreasonable time frames or because they are not as attractive as what is popular in America.
There’s no denying how popular anime has become in America over the years. The increasing ease and availability of streaming has made it easier than ever to watch anime both old and new. As such, when an anime begins to gain popularity in Japan, it will most likely become just as popular in the US and other parts of the world, if not greater.
That being said, Not every anime that is successful in Japan will be successful in America. Whether it is because of the lack of an official translation or because the story does not appeal to foreign audiences, there are many cases where the anime will not be able to repeat the success it had in Japan and will be considered just a movie. cult. , preferably in the US.
While this is sometimes an understandable fate for many anime, it is still a shame, especially for some anime whose overall quality is so high due to lack of attention from audiences. popular in America.
Related
The 10 most underrated anime series streaming on Crunchyroll
Even with how easy it has become to watch anime, there’s still so much that goes unnoticed, and here are 10 of the most underrated shows on Crunchyroll.
10 Dragon Quest: Dai’s Adventure’s terrible time frame killed its popularity
Based on the manga by Riku Sanjo & Koji Inada
Year of release
2020
Episodes
100
See where it is
Crunchyroll, Hulu
The first notable anime that is more popular in Japan than in the US is 2020’s Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai. The anime is an adaptation of the classic manga of the same name and has some of the best animation of any work. any of Toei’s. However, The Adventure of Dai never became a huge hit outside of Japan. It is possible Dragon Quest: Dai’s Adventurethe late airing time means that too few people will have time to watch it. Even so, it’s a shame that the best version of such a classic series is so thoroughly overlooked.
Watch On Crunchyroll
9 JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind is the most divisive JoJo arc
Based on the manga by Hirohiko Araki
Year of release
2018
Episodes
39
See where it is
Crunchyroll, Hulu, Netflix
Another adaptation of a classic manga that is much more popular in Japan is 2018’s JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is one of the most popular anime to come out in the last decade, but while the fifth season , Golden Wind, is often considered one of the best in the entire world, it was much more divisive among American fans. Golden Wind often criticized for its monster-of-the-week form and the underdevelopment of Giorno and Diavolo.. Despite these criticisms, it did not affect its popularity in Japan at all.
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8 Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal is too childish for American viewers to enjoy
Based on the manga by Kazuki Takahashi
Year of release
2011
Episodes
146
See where it is
Crunchyroll, Hulu
Every Yu-Gi-Oh! Anime is divisive for one reason or another, but no series has been rejected by American audiences as much as Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal. Zexal tries to attract a young audience with both a younger cast and simpler writing, and while that worked in Japan, it was a big change for American fans, especially since it came from the majority of Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D. The second part of Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal demonstrated a much more serious writing style, but it was too late and Zexal was never able to completely shake off its poor reputation in the West.
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7 Sword Art Online is too simple for its own good
Based on the light novel by Reki Kawahara
Year of release
2012
Episodes
96
See where it is
Crunchyroll, Hulu
Sword Art Online has quickly become one of the biggest anime franchises in Japan and the world, but in the US, Online Sword Art very divisive in terms of how Kirito is often overpowered, and an overreliance on controversial topics like harem tropes and sexual assault. That’s not to say that Sword Art Online isn’t a huge hit in the US, but due to some of its more clichéd elements, its popularity in the US pales in comparison to Japan and other parts of the world. gender.
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6 Gintama has never been revered outside of Japan
Based on the manga by Hideaki Sorachi
Year of release
2006
Episodes
367
See where it is
Crunchyroll, Hulu
Not every Shonen Jump adaptation becomes a worldwide hit, and a perfect example of that is 2006’s Gintama. Both the manga and anime have been out for over 10 years, and despite being a hit, big in Japan but it’s just a cult hit in America, Viz Media even dropped it after 23 episodes. Gintama’s lack of success abroad is most likely due to The absurdist and reference-based nature of the comedy does not translate well into Englishbut regardless, this is still one of the most notable Shonen Jump stories of the past 20 years.
Watch On Crunchyroll
5 Tokyo Revengers was a complete failure in America despite the manga’s success
Based on the manga by Ken Wakui
Year of release
2021
Episodes
50
See where it is
Hulu
A successful manga doesn’t always translate into a successful anime in the West, and a notable example of that is 2021’s Tokyo Revengers. Tokyo Revengers is one of the biggest anime franchises of the past few years and The manga ranks ninth among the best-selling manga of 2023, but anime is becoming less and less popular in the US. The franchise is completely despised in some circles. Some reasons for this include lack of availability after Hulu acquired streaming rights and some controversial story decisionsbut with any luck, a hypothetical fourth season will alleviate those problems.
Watch on Hulu
4 Magical Girl Lyric Nanoha premiered too early for its own good
Original anime series by Masaki Tsuzuki
Year of release
2004
Episodes
76
See where it is
Currently unavailable
Sometimes it’s very specific genres that hold back anime in the US, and one notable example is 2004’s Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha. Nanoha is a very successful franchise with countless anime, manga, and movies, but Lyrical Magical Girl Nanoha came out at a time when magical girl anime was considered exclusively for girls, so this was a huge failure in the US, with only a few parts licensed. Nowadays, magical girl anime is more accepted by all audiences, so if Nanoha had debuted a few years later, it might have been more successful outside of Japan.
3 Kinnikuman may be too old to succeed in the United States
Based on the manga by Yudetamago
Year of release
1983
Episodes
183
See where it is
Currently unavailable
Age is another important factor as to why some anime never take off in America, and a good example of that is 1983’s Kinnikuman. Kinnikuman is one of the biggest manga franchises in Japan. Version and is said to have started many popular Shounen manga genres, but due to being over 40 years old and there has never been an official English translation, the Kinnikuman fandom is virtually non-existent in the US and other places outside of Japan. 2024’s new Kinnikuman anime could help the series become a real success in the United States, but it’s yet to be seen how successful it will be.
2 Saint Seiya missed out on the anime boom in the United States
Based on the manga by Masami Kurumada
Year of release
1986
Episodes
113
See where it is
Crunchyroll
Another older anime that never achieved huge success in America is 1986’s Saint Seiya. Saint Seiya is one of the biggest shōnen anime of all time, in Japan and other parts of the world, especially Europe , it played as important a role as Pokémon, Dragon Ball and Sailor Moon in making anime successful in the 90s. However, in America, Saint Seiya was not licensed until 2003, when it was broadcast in a heavily edited form Zodiac Knightso it never took off in America and can at best only be considered a cult classic there.
Watch On Crunchyroll
1 Doraemon is virtually unknown in America despite being a children’s classic
Based on the manga by Fujiko F. Fujio
Year of release
1973
Episodes
2973
See where it is
Currently unavailable
Perhaps the most famous anime that is more popular in Japan than in America is 1973’s Doremon. Doremon has been one of the biggest anime franchises in Japan for over 50 years with countless different shows and movies, and This manga is the fifth best-selling manga of all time. However, nothing of Doraemon The franchise was officially licensed in the US until the 2000sSo, despite being a major franchise for decades, Doraemon has little to no presence in the US and is one of the best examples of an anime that failed to gain popularity in the US. America as in Japan.