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Remember the days when we all thought anime was a niche hobby and that there was no way actual superstars would be into something like that? As a girl, it was even more difficult because no one took a female weeb seriously. But it turns out, the amount of female celebrities that watch anime and openly declare their love for it is a lot. There are a number of amazing women, musicians and actors alike, who adore the medium of anime and have made it a point to say so. And that has been refreshing, to say the least.
I mean, anime has become a huge pull in its own right. What anime used to be a decade ago is irrelevant, because now it is a global phenomenon with an industry that easily makes millions of dollars annually. So of course, it has a fan following which includes impressive women from all walks of life and all ages. It isn’t about whether it appeals to a certain demographic or not. Because the stories in anime are so varied, there ends up being something for everyone. And of course, some stories are universally beloved.
Look, the truth is that anime and manga was a bit of a boy’s club back in the day. If you liked anime as a girl, 9 out of 10 times they assumed it was something soft like Shojou anime or Studio Ghibli movies. And obviously, there is nothing wrong with liking those. I am a very proud Shojou stan and Howl’s Moving Castle is one of my favorite movies of all time, period. But there is something so fun about talented women like Jenny Ortega revealing they are a JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure stan, or that Jamie Lee Curtis has been trying to play her favorite character in the One Piece Live Action series.
Safe to say, I love that anime is now this mainstream thing with so many fans just being out and proud about it. We didn’t have that before, you know? Now, it doesn’t feel like something that needs to be hidden, or a joke to laugh at. Anime is something that has touched the hearts of so many, but it’s especially heartwarming to know that these successful, independent women also enjoy it as much as we do! So, here is a list of female celebrities that watch anime, just like us.
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12. Ronda Rousey
It isn’t just the musicians and actresses that love anime. Ronda Rousey, a former UFC champion and wrestling sweetheart, has never shied away from proclaiming her love for anime.
Turns out, she isn’t just training to be the best in the wrestling game, but also regularly visits Pokémon Stadiums because she is a die-hard fan of the franchise, even dressing up as Pikachu for an ESPN promo at one point.
But perhaps her most fangirl moment is when she admitted her childhood crush was Vegeta from Dragon Ball and that it hasn’t really died ever since. And you can see Ronda rep her man in the ring, wearing merch that features him all the time.
11. Ariana Grande
When Ariana Grande was talking about a list of her favorite things in her famous song ‘7 Rings’, girlie forgot to mention that one of them was apparently Studio Ghibli movies?
But yes, the Princess of Pop has been pretty open about her love for said movies, but specifically towards Spirited Away. When fans spotted a tattoo of Chihiro, the main character of the movie, on her arm, they were quick to ask for an explanation and Ariana delivered.
She loves what Spirited Away stood for, with its themes of courage and self-discovery, and the tattoo was an homage to it. But what makes us really jealous is her impressive collection of anime figurines that she has shown off before!
10. Avril Lavigne
No, I will not be talking about how Avril Lavigne has a song called ‘Hello Kitty’, even though that was a serve in Camp. But the Scene Queen has contributed more to teenagers everywhere than just her amazing music that all of us could rock out to.
Oh no, did you know that she has also given her vocals for One Piece movies not once, but twice? Yeah, it isn’t just the ‘Sk8er Boys’ that make her smile, but apparently the Straw Hat Pirates too.
One Piece is apparently her favorite anime and she volunteered to do two covers for the One Piece Z movies.
9. Dua Lipa
So, Dua Lipa is a strange one because she is definitely more low-key about her likes and dislikes. But that doesn’t mean she hasn’t given off hints around her weeb status.
I mean, the biggest evidence to her being a fan of the medium is the lyric video for her hit song ‘Levitating’ which feels like a love letter to 90’s Magical Girl anime. Though, while you could say that might have been a production choice not influenced by Dua Lipa herself, she has gone on record to say that she loves anime, citing Ponyo as her favorite movie.
However, the most damning fact of them all? It’s an Instagram post of hers where she’s wearing a custom fit that is loaded with Straw Hat Pirates imagery. A casual nod to One Piece? I mean, she wouldn’t be the first one on this list to do so!
8. Lizzo
Lizzo has talked about her struggles growing up as a black girl that was both plus sized and a huge nerd. But she revealed that something that always helped her was looking up to her childhood idol, Sailor Moon.
Yes, the ‘Truth Hurts’ singer, who now has a feature with Beyonce, is the biggest Sailor Moon fangirl. Apparently, she would circuit all the local comic book stores in her area and search for the Sailor Moon merchandise, claiming her favorite Sailor Senshi was Sailor Saturn.
And it all came full circle when she got to dress up as Sailor Moon during a concert and perform while cosplaying her icon! Still, we’re hoping to see her cosplay the Sailor Senshi with her mates at a con, like she tweeted about back in 2019.
7. Jenna Ortega
While everyone was doing the ‘Wednesday Addams’ dance last year, apparently her actor, Jenna Ortega, was more interested in the gravity defying back bends that have become signature to JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure.
That’s right, the Internet’s favorite goth girl portrayer is an anime nerd that loves playing Genshin Impact and even recognized when someone named their dog after a character in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure.
Not that it’s surprising, anime has become super popular, especially amongst Jenna’s age group. Still, the coolest thing about all of it? Her favorite anime is One Piece, because of course it is. I wonder what she thinks about live-action.
6. Kim Kardashian
Yeah no, this one caught me for a doozy when I first learned about it. But then again, did anyone have the Kim Kardashian being a Darling In the Franxx stan on their Bingo card? I didn’t think so.
Perhaps it’s an influence from her ex-husband Kanye West who was also a huge anime nerd, but one of the most influential people on social media does seem to be a low key anime lover. I mean, there are pictures of her being in Japan, one of the fashion capitals of the world, but instead of a red carpet, she’s at Shinjuku, sifting through manga displays at local retailers.
But the nail in the coffin was when she tweeted out about how she was ‘obsessed with anime’ and that Zero Two from Darling In The Franxx had inspired her makeover back then.
5. Grimes
Grimes has always been clearly inspired by anime in her aesthetic. The Hyperpop singer has made many references to her love for the artistry in the medium, with her albums featuring imagery that pay tribute to retro anime such as Akira, Revolutionary Girl Utena and, yes, Sailor Moon.
Grimes has stated how her music has been inspired by anime-adjacent and gaming motifs such as Hatsune Miku and the Final Fantasy franchise, even going as far as saying her Visions album was ‘anime-industrial’.
She says that the philosophical themes you can find in certain anime like Death Note and Neon Genesis Evangelion are what got her so interested in anime. Which, no surprises there, considering Grimes has a literal song titled ‘Shinigami Eyes’.
4. Hayley Williams
When I tell you that Hayley Williams was my ‘emo awakening’ back in the day, I mean it. Paramore shaped, like, most of my music taste growing up and Hayley Williams, the lead singer of the band, was my icon.
She was a rebel, really cool and so talented. So, when footage of her cosplaying the main character from Blood: The Last Vampire resurfaced on the internet? Girl, I was blown away. But apparently, Miss Williams has always been a huge anime stan.
She has watched Death Note which, well if you grew up emo? Of course you did. But the biggest surprise was her being a Digimon fan. As a fellow Digimon lover, I cried real tears at that. Something about it was so validating to me.
3. Emily Rudd
I mean, you can’t make a list of popular female celebrities and not mention the girl that brute forced her way into acting in the most popular live action adaptation of an anime to date, solely because she was such a hard stan.
Whether you believe that Emily Rudd secretly manipulated her way into being cast as Nami in One Piece or not, it’s clear that she has always been the biggest anime nerd. Emily has said that she grew up on the classics like the rest of us, that anime has ‘100% made her into who she is today’.
Currently, Emily has been watching Jujutsu Kaisen and Demon Slayer, but if she had to choose a favourite anime, it’s Made In Abyss. Which is a pretty metal choice, I have to say.
2. Jamie Lee Curtis
This one always warms my heart, because Jamie Lee Curtis has always been a real one. She’s a supportive mother, phenomenal hypewomen for her co-stars, an astounding performer in her own right and just the most intense One Piece fan ever.
Like she was repping that series at the Oscars, of all places. The Academy-Award winning actress has always been vocal about her love for anime, even stating how she wanted to play Nico Robin back in 2016. Right now though,Jamie is actively trying to get herself cast to play the part of Dr. Kureha, Chopper’s adoptive mother, in Netflix’s One Piece, and fans couldn’t agree more.
I mean, the cast is already made up of actors who genuinely enjoy anime, so Jamie Lee Curtis would fit right in. Also, how big of a flex is it to have someone of her caliber absolutely gunning to be a part of a project like this? It’s insane.
1. Megan Thee Stallion
Look, Megan Thee Stallion and her love for anime can be a whole separate article, because she is all about that anime lifestyle. Like when I listened to her song ‘Girls In The Hood’ and there was just a random line about ‘lookin’ for a Sasuke’ came on?
You best believe I had to do a double take. And when fans started circling the lyrics around, she came out and admitted she wrote that for her ‘Naruto stans’? Like, Megan Thee Stallion is a weeb weeb. She has always been vocal about her undying love for anime, once saying ‘I literally begin my day watching anime, and I end my day watching anime’.
She has even cosplayed My Hero Academia characters for magazine covers. Like, Mother Meg has all the anime girls beat. And yes, she is a Sasuke Uchiha fangirl, as all ‘Hot Girls’ should be.
So, these are just a few of the many out and proud female celebrities that watch anime on the regular. Did you know about any of them? Or are we missing someone you stan? As usual, comment down below what you think! Until next time.
Anza Qureshi is a writer, licensed dentist and certified Uchiha fangirl. When she isn't doing root canals or listing down anime waifus, you can find her screeching about her favorite JRPGs across social media.
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