Anime is a form of Japanese animated cartoon now as popular as ever in the West. Popular anime include Naruto, Haikyu!!, Attack on Titan, My Hero Academia and Demon Slayer.

Whether it is the beautiful attention to detail in StudioGhibli movies or the immersive fight scenes of Dragon Ball Z, animes are famous for their visual storytelling. Audiences of these shows and movies are able to relate to the loveable characters and engaging stories.

“My favorite anime is Kuroko’s Basketball since it was one of the first anime I watched and it got me into a new genre that I wasn’t too interested in before. It was also relatable because the main character had to go through trial and error to find out what worked best for them. This has happened plenty of times throughout my life so far too,” sophomore Jimmy Huynh said.

People enjoy meaningful and mature themes in anime. Unafraid to tackle gritty topics such as war and sex, it also teaches lessons of friendship. From drama, action, and romance to historical fiction, horror, comedy, and more, there’s a series to match any taste.

“One Punch Man taught me that power isn’t everything and that true character comes from your actions,” senior Harley Payne said

Anime can either be watched in either subbed or dubbed. Subbed is when there are subtitles at the bottom of the anime that the viewers can read as they are watching. While dubbed is when the original Japanese voice of the characters is removed and replaced by the preferred language. Viewers debate which is better, while most prefer subbed.

“I prefer watching in subbed because it sounds more pleasing and I feel more connected to the characters. It just feels off when I see dubbed anime. I was also raised on subbed and it improved my reading,” freshman Huy Nguyen said.

Some may find anime to be “cringe-worthy,” and others are afraid of being bullied for their interest in anime. However, with streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu adding more and more anime content, it is becoming a media enjoyed by all. No more fear of being called a weeb.

“I absolutely think that people should give anime a try before judging it because it is so comforting and entertaining. There’s something for everyone to be honest,” sophomore Kei Wilson said.

From tear-jerkingers such as Your Lie in April to action-packed like Banana Fish, anime can be enjoyed by everyone.