Many people have grown up watching anime, and celebrities are no exception. At a time when anime was increasing its popularity around the world, many fell in love with it through trailblazers like Spirited Away and Dragon Ball Z.
It’s an amazing feeling to learn that a celebrity takes part in a community as vast as anime and manga. With the medium now more popular than ever, it should not come as a shock when more and more personalities come out and profess their love for anime.
30 Best Anime Series of All Time, Ranked
Anime has exploded in popularity recently, so it’s natural to wonder what series in the medium’s history rank among the best of the best.
10 John Cena Only Likes The Classics
The WWE star regurarly talks about his affinity for the trailblazers
The actor of Peacemaker and 16-time WWE world champion is an embodiment of his favorite anime, as he is just as muscular and good of a fighter as the cast of Fist Of The North Star. In a podcast, he mentioned that he liked the 80s classic, but quickly clarified that it was one of the few anime he likes. It seems that he is not a fan of newer anime, as they tend to be very different from what he loved and grew up with. Although it is true that the anime landscape is worlds apart from that of a few decades ago, there are still plenty of masterpieces that will give any classic anime a run for its money.
9 Samuel L. Jackson Produced An Anime
The star has accolades from working on series like Afro Samurai & Astroboy (2009)
Samuel L. Jackson took his love for anime a step further by producing and starring in the hit anime Afro Samurai. A fan of the classics, he also participated in the 2009 Astroboy, and his questionable taste in NSFW anime has been a running joke in the anime community for a long time. With a shining belt of awards, Samuel is one of Hollywood’s biggest actors, and he takes any opportunity to promote anime and manga, accelerating the medium’s rise on the global stage.
8 Israel Adesanya Is a Naruto Character Brought to Life
The famous fighter regularly references Kishimoto’s most popular series in the cage
Possibly the most entertaining fighter in the UFC, Israel Adesanya always promotes his favorite anime, Naruto, on one of the biggest stages in the world. Whether it is doing the Rock Lee stance from Naruto or sitting like L from Death Note, this world champion is an icon for his outlandish moves that are taken from his favorite anime. He has said that he is inspired by the bravery of Naruto and Rock Lee, which helped him continue fighting in such a dangerous sport.
Move Over Dragon Ball & One Piece – Naruto is Officially the Most Searched Anime Ever
In honor of its 25th anniversary, Google has revealed the most searched anime for the past half decade.
7 Ariana Grande Loves Ghibli
The pop star’s love of Spirited Away is unmatched
Ariana Grande might be more quiet about her love for anime, but the way she demonstrated it makes her more of a die-hard than most. A huge fan of Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away, she has two tattoos of the movie’s main character, Chihiro. The movie is very popular globally, but it seems to have struck a chord with one of the biggest artists in history. Hopefully, she will venture deeper into the medium that is filled with more masterpieces.
6 BTS Are Die-hard Anime Fans
While each member has different tastes, they all love the medium equally
The biggest boy band in the world are huge fans of many popular anime. Each member has their own different taste, with Suga being a fan of Slam Dunk and Jungkook obsessed with Spirited Away, but they’re all united by their love of Hajime Isayama’s Attack On Titan, which inspired their popular song “Attack on Bangtan”. From Haikyuu!!, My Hero Academia to Naruto, the band has impeccable taste. Anime is very popular in South Korea, which explains their love for it.
5 Bruno Mars Is a New Fan
The musician is a major fan of Jujutsu Kaisen & Hello Kitty
Jujutsu Kaisen has struck yet again, introducing the award-winning pop star Bruno Mars to the world of anime and manga. He posted a picture holding the latest volume of Gege Akutami’s battle manga during a trip to Japan. Wearing a Pikachu hat and holding a Hello Kitty doll, Bruno is yet another big-time celebrity who is entranced by the media, and the post garnered more than 2 million likes, with fans of the series losing their minds. The series is the biggest in Japan at the moment and is nearing its end, so there is barely any better starting point for Bruno.
4 Keanu Reeves Almost Starred In an Anime
Another fan of classics, Keanu loves Cowboy Bebop
The leading man in John Wick and internet sweetheart Keanu Reeves gives fans yet another reason to like him, as he is a huge fan of Cowboy Bebop and other anime. He loved the series and Spike so much that he was set to star as the main character of the live-action adaptation, but it unfortunately fell apart due to budget constraints and other reasons. Although the project didn’t see the light of day, one thing is for sure, Keanu would’ve absolutely killed it as the main character of one of the best anime ever.
3 Kanye West Idolizes Akira
The star fashioned an entire outfit based on the film’s protagonist
Kanye West, the multi-Grammy-winning musician and billionaire apparel designer, has made it known on numerous occasions how much he loves anime, particularly Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira. He has said that the director of this iconic movie was his biggest creative inspiration, and led him to make one of his biggest music videos, “Stronger”, with Daft Punk. Although he mainly talks about Akira, he also likes Bleach and Attack On Titan, and many other niche and obscure anime films.
2 Megan Thee Stallion Is an Avid Cosplayer
The star has gone viral multiple times for her masterful takes on popular My Hero Academia characters
The iconic Houston rapper has taken any chance she gets to express her love for anime. Whether featuring a series in her music videos or songs, posting incredible cosplay to discussing her favorite shows at the biggest events ever, Megan Thee Stallion is as big a fan as anyone else. She especially loves My Hero Academia and Jujutsu Kaisen but is also never afraid of venturing out to the latest series. It is not a stretch that she has introduced many of her millions of fans into the medium, given how many view her as a role model.
1 Michael B. Jordan Is Always Flexing His Love For Anime
The star happily references his love for the medium any chance he gets
Black Panther‘s Killmonger and the leading man in Creed has often voiced his love for the medium, most notably in an interview with GQ, where he revealed that Naruto was all-time favorite anime. He also styled his most iconic character Killmonger from Black Panther from Dragon Ball Z‘s Vegeta, showing his intense love for the medium. From a Naruto-inspired clothing collection to anime-inspired projects, Michael B. Jordan’s love for the medium knows no bounds.
