Thanks to the internet, showrunners, even in anime, have become more and more aware of what left an impression on viewers, especially compared to decades past. And nothing reflects the consciousness of a fandom than its memes, even when they take a bit of liberty on what the series or its characters are actually like.
Thanks to this, plenty of anime out there get to give shout-outs to popular memes. Sometimes, this is because it's a remake of a memetic older show. Other times, the anime has been in production long enough to get to know its fanbase. This also happens in foreign dubs of an anime, since, thanks to the time it might take for a series to get an official dub, the dubbers might have the gift of hindsight of what the fanbase, local or otherwise, thinks of the series.
10 Bleach: Leekspin Got Its Own Trading Card
The "Loituma Girl" meme, also known as the "Leekspin" meme, was made using frames of Orihime Inoue from Bleach twirling a leek, set to the Finnish song "Ievan Polkka." The name "Loituma" is taken from the Finnish quartet who helped popularize the song and whose version is normally used in the meme. A rare trading card based on the meme, "Orihime - Leek Spin" was released as part of the Bleach Trading Card Game, even addressing one of the meme's names.
9 Bakemonogatari: Araragi & Kanbaru Reference The Reaction Guys Meme
In the ninth episode of Bakemonogatari, Araragi and Kanbaru mimic a popular meme when they see Sengoku's scars: the "Reaction Guys" or "Gaijin 4koma" meme, which depicted four men reacting to the Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess trailer. The Monogatari series is pretty well-known for its fondness of referencing all kinds of media, from things like the Peanuts comics to The Powerpuff Girls.
8 Dragon Ball: Even Fanon Nicknames Get Adopted By The Series
The Dragon Ball franchise is one that likes to listen to its fanbase, even going so far as to repurpose fanon names. "Super Saiyan Blue" was originally named "Super Saiyan God Super Saiya," but, by Dragon Ball Super, Goku even acknowledged what a mouthful the expression is and its more popular name has been used since.
The "Over 9,000!" meme has also appeared in various Dragon Ball media, from official boxset artwork to dialogue in the series.
7 Naruto: Naruto Gaiden Address A Fan-Theory About Karin & Sarada
A popular theory that once existed in the Naruto fandom was that Karin and Sarada were mother and daughter due to their similar taste in glasses. Naruto Gaiden decided to put this idea to the test. Ultimately, however, the whole thing turns out to be a misunderstanding, as Karin mocks the idea of being Sarada's mother, who turns out to be Sakura all along.
6 Puella Magi Madoka Magica: The Series Took A Liking To Nakazawa
Nakazawa was a minor background character in Puella Magi Madoka Magica and, while he never really grew out of this to the point of not even having a given name, the series took a slight interest in him after a memetic scene discussing eggs.
He would end up being reused for similar jokes, such as one about cream puffs in the first drama CD, as well as in Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie: Rebellion. In fact, the movie reveals he is one of the few real humans in Homura's barrier. A scene was even added in after the theatrical release in which he is seen being freed by Madoka's familiars, among other characters.
5 Neon Genesis Evangelion: The Fanon Gave Shinji His Cooking Skills
Fans of Neon Genesis Evangelion liked to joke that Shinji was likely a good cook in order to contrast his guardian and tutor Misato's less-than-talented skills in the kitchen. This was acknowledged in Rebuild of Evangelion, in which Shinji was indeed shown to be a decent cook. By Shinji Ikari Raising Project, this is acknowledged by most of the cast.
4 Strike Witches: Clenching Proved Quite Practical For Minna
A meme that popped up about Strike Witches is that Minna has such a habit of clenching her butt that she could break anything she wanted with it. By the second season, this habit of her indeed came in handy when taking down a Neuroi bug that had been targeting the base.
3 Lucky Star: Konata Brings Up Miyuki's Nickname In The OVA
A meme revolving around the Lucky Star characters gave Miyuki the nickname of Miwiki, like an online wiki, due to her uncanny ability to share information at the drop of a hat. By the Lucky Star OVA, Miyuki was officially called "Miwiki-san" by Konata, making her nickname in the Japanese online community canon.
2 Attack On Titan: Jean Wasn't Originally The Backflipping Soldier
In one of the famous openings to Attack on Titan, a backflipping soldier can be seen with afterimage effects. Officially, this was not intended to be a specific character, but a representation of humanity. However, some viewers liked the idea of it being Jean. The anime's staff grew fond of the idea and gave it a shout-out later in the series: Jean is seen performing the move when his group faces the Female Titan.
1 Unlimited Psychic Squad: Two Internet Personalities Cameo In The Fifth Episode
Unlimited Psychic Squad, also known as The Unlimited: Hyobu Kyosuke, a spin-off of Zettai Karen Children, decided to give a shout-out to two well-known internet personalities: the Nostalgia Critic and the Angry Video Game Nerd, both of whom can be seen in the foreground of the fifth episode. Allegedly, this was intended as a shout-out to the two gaining Japanese followers thanks to Niconico, also known as NicoNico Douga, at the time.