Attack on Titan: The Final Season - Part 2 was the most in-demand show of 2021.
That's according to the market researchers at Parrot Analytics, who have released their yearly awards for the entertainment properties with the most consumer interest and demand behind them. As reported by Anime News Network, Attack on Titan was the show that audiences were looking forward to the most. The anime is the first non-English property to take home the title, which was previously given out to series such as Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead. Dragon Ball Z took home the award for being the legacy series that earned the most consumer demand, while Netflix's hit Korean drama Squid Game was named the most in-demand new series, signaling the increasing popularity of non-English media with global audiences. Parrot Analytics says that it determines its rankings based on a variety of sources, ranging from social media activity, Google searches and TV ratings.
According to the company's researchers, anime is now the third most popular genre of TV series, ranking just behind crime dramas and comedy sitcoms. Demand for anime has increased by 118% over the previous year, and interest in Japanese-language media has increased 87%. In 2020, Parrot Analytics reported that demand for anime had doubled since 2017. Julia Alexander, a senior strategy analyst, attributed the medium's growth to the increased accessibility provided by streaming services. "High caliber anime series out of Japan, like Attack on Titan, are more easily available now than ever before, streamlining the process of discovery, consumption, and conversation," Alexander said.
Crunchyroll subscribers are already probably well aware of how much demand there is for Attack on Titan, as a rush to see the Final Season: Part 2's premiere episode briefly brought down the anime streaming service's servers on Jan. 9. Crunchyroll, Funimation and Hulu are all simulcasting new episodes of the series as they air in Japan.
Attack on Titan was created by Hajime Isayama in 2009. Isayama's pitch was initially rejected by Weekly Shonen Jump, Japan's premier manga publication, but has since become one of the most successful series of all time, with a worldwide circulation of over 100 million copies. An anime adaptation premiered in 2014 and was originally produced by Wit Studio (Ranking of Kings, Vivy: Fluorite Eyes' Song) but production was unexpectedly moved over to studio MAPPA (Jujutsu Kaisen, Yuri!! on Ice) for the series' fourth and final season. Past seasons of the anime are available on a variety of streaming services, including Crunchyroll and Funimation. Isayama's complete manga is now available in English from Kodansha USA.
Source: Anime News Network