by In the United States, young athletes are now actively expressing their love for manga and anime, which significantly impacts the sports world and the image of so-called “otaku.” A reporter from the New York Times, who grew up as a fan of Dragon Ball Z and Yu-Gi-Oh!, reported on this situation.
Williams (29) appeared at his first press conference after joining the NFL’s New Orleans Saints in 2023 wearing a hat of the fox-like character Eevee. He didn’t talk about American football but Pokemon, and this conversation served as his self-introduction. When American track and field athlete Noah Lyles won the gold medal in the men’s 100 meters at the Olympics this summer, he expressed his joy by thrusting his hands out in a bowl shape in front of him as if he were doing a Kamehameha from Dragon Ball.
Affluent American athletes are becoming increasingly outspoken about their love of anime, cultivating locker-room camaraderie over lovingly dissecting their favorite Japanese cartoons. In the process, they’re upending preconceived ideas about different kinds of fandom and outdated jock/geek divisions. “There are a lot of nerds here who are good at ball games and who also like anime,” Williams says. “You don’t have to be some stereotype that just raps and plays ball games.”
Relaxation between sports
Anime is often derived from Japanese manga, and in the United States, its popularity soared in the late 1990s with works such as Dragon Ball Z, Pokemon, and One Piece. Many unfamiliar with the genre consider it a niche hobby, but it is essential to the younger generation, including American football and baseball players. “Whenever I find someone who likes (anime), my eyes light up,” said Julio Rodriguez (23), an outfielder who has the most hits for the Seattle Mariners this season. He says watching anime is healing while he is rehabilitating from an injury.
NBA star Joel Embiid (30) was spotted watching Dragon Ball GT while receiving treatment on a massage table before a playoff match. After winning the 2023 US Open semifinals, female tennis player Cori Gauff (20) revealed that she watched four or five episodes of My Hero Academia before the match.
This summer, she became an anime character in an advertisement for the cargo delivery company UPS. Myles Garrett (28), a defensive end for the Cleveland Browns and one of the NFL’s most demanding players, always brings manga to the team’s facility. Garrett, who won the Defensive Player of the Year award last season, said, “It took a long time for this to happen, but the younger generation was open to exploring new things.
They got into anime and manga at a young and impressionable age, and they stay up late to keep up with them.” Garrett is currently watching Jujutsu Kaisen and Trigun. He says about 60% of NFL players are casual anime fans. Also, Zion Williamson (24) of the New Orleans Pelicans told GQ magazine a few years ago that the percentage of anime fans in the NBA is even higher.
