Years ago, it seemed like anime was a niche genre in the West, one that fans didn't openly talk about — if they did, it was either in fan clubs or online. Nowadays, anime has become so mainstream that people wouldn't be surprised to hear that their favorite celebrities might even be fans of the series they love.
This fact is true for stars from all around the world, not to mention from different backgrounds, including actors, musicians, athletes, and even CEOs. In fact, there have been occasions when these famous fans have gotten creative to showcase their favorite anime to the world.
10 BTS Dressed Like Anime Characters For A Halloween Concert
The members of BTS, especially Jungkook and V, are well known for their love of anime. They have even cosplayed as some of their favorite characters at a Halloween concert.
A few anime series that the boys seem to have enjoyed include Naruto (whose theme song the band performed during a karaoke session), One Piece (with Jimin getting a Zoro action figure for his birthday), and Attack on Titan (which inspired their song "Attack on Bangtan.")
9 Ariana Grande Has A Few Anime Tattoos
Back in 2018, pop star Ariana Grande revealed she had a tattoo of Chihiro from Spirited Away (2001). She further discussed her love and appreciation for the character on social media, focusing on Chihiro's growth and courage throughout the story. In 2019, Grande revealed that she had gotten a tattoo of the Pokémon Eevee — she stated that she had wanted it for a long time, while also admitting to liking the game Pokémon: Let's Go Eevee!
8 Kanye West Has Taken Inspiration From Akira
Kanye West has acknowledged that he's a fan of the Cyberpunk anime film, Akira (1988), often referring to it as one of his favorites. In terms of his career, the film was a powerful influence on the music video for "Stronger."
Several elements from Akira, such as Tetsuo's mental breakdown and the chase scenes through Tokyo, are incorporated into the video. Kanye also seems to have a fondness for Western cartoons, as well, considering that he uses images from The Jetsons for his music video, "Heartless."
7 Megan Fox Is A Fan of Inuyasha & Cowboy Bebop
Actress Megan Fox has admitted to being a fan of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles after being cast as April O'Neil in the film adaptation of the series. When asked about other animated remakes she would be interested in, she suggested Gundam Wing and Sailor Moon. Fox is also a fan of anime and graphic novels, claiming that Adult Swim shows like Cowboy Bebop and InuYasha were her gateways into the medium.
6 Keanu Reeves Wanted To Be Spike Spiegel
Keanu Reeves has never been coy about describing his love for the genres of anime and sci-fi. In fact, he reprised his role as Neo (from The Matrix franchise) in The Animatrix (2003) — a heavily anime-influenced anthology that expands on the world created by Lilly and Lana Wachowski.
In 2008, Reeves was cast as Spike Spiegel in a planned live-action adaptation of Cowboy Bebop, saying that while "there are a lot of things to take into consideration... we can do something good." Unfortunately, the movie never panned out.
5 Kirsten Dunst Has Admitted To Liking Sailor Moon
Kirsten Dunst, arguably best known for playing Spider-Man's love-interest, Mary-Jane, in the original Sony trilogy, was one of the first celebrities to reveal that she was a fan of Sailor Moon. She mentioned the character by name during an interview, in which she had been asked about her favorite superheroes.
When rumors of a Hollywood Sailor Moon movie emerged at the turn of the 21st century, fans suggested that Dunst could be a great fit for Sailor Mercury. Dunst was eventually able to showcase her love for Sailor Moon in the music video for "Turning Japanese," donning a blue odango wig for her character, "Akihabara Majokko Princess."
4 Tobey Maguire Likes Robotech
Dunst's co-star in the Sony Spider-Man trilogy, Tobey Maguire, has mentioned that he's a fan of anime series like Robotech, the rights to which were acquired by Warner Bros. and Maguire Entertainment in 2007.
The actor had been planning to take on the lead role in the live-action adaptation, but the project underwent so many changes over the past decade, that Maguire's name is nowhere in the mix anymore. As of 2017, Sony owns the rights to Robotech, with the movie set to be directed by Andres Muschietti of It (2017) fame.
3 Football Player Turned Wrestler Brennan Williams Is An Otaku At Heart
Brennan Williams, a professional wrestler and former football player for the Houston Texans, is such a noted anime and manga fan that both his Twitter and Instagram handles are @GREATBLACKOTAKU. His alias as a WWE Raw commentator, Dio Maddin, is believed to be a shout-out to Dio Brando of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.
Williams' favorite anime include Kill la Kill, Neon Genesis: Evangelion, Fist of the North Star, and Pokémon. During his run as an independent wrestler, he even named his finisher "Cruel Angel's Thesis" after the Evangelion theme song.
2 Skater Evgenia Medvedeva Took Anime On The Ice
Russian ice-skater Evgenia Medvedeva is such a massive fan of Sailor Moon that she based an exhibition program around the character, complete with a transformation on the ice. In 2020, she was cast as the character in the Sailor Moon ice show: Sailor Moon Prism on Ice.
In addition, Medvedeva is a fan of the ice-themed anime, Yuri!!! on Ice, having discussed her love for the show on Twitter. She also managed to get American ice-skating celebrity Johnny Weir hooked on the anime, too.
1 Centibillionaire Elon Musk Wants To Create A Mecha
Elon Musk, the South African-born entrepreneur and centibillionaire, has admitted to being a fan of anime, particularly feature films like Your Name (2016), Spirited Away (2001), and Princess Mononoke (1997).
Interestingly, when a Twitter follower called him "Weeblon Musk" in response to his announcement, he playfully replied with "<ahem> Elon-chan". Musk has also been noted for suggesting, possibly in jest, that "it is time to create a mecha," implying he's a fan of the classic anime genre.