When Gachiakuta made its way to Crunchyroll this summer, it offered a new trend in anime that Black fans have been craving. In the English version, the character Semiu is voiced by Grey’s Anatomy alum Kenneisha Thompson, bringing forth a voice that matches a representation of Black culture. Yes, the stan fan base for anime is real, and the animation form has been responding with characters that reflect us.

Anime, an animation style born out of Japan that features expressively drawn characters in dramatic close-ups and complex storylines, draws a large crowd of viewers from our community. A Polygon/Vox survey in 2024 revealed that 17% of anime fans identify as Black or African American, which actually exceeds the 14% African American population in the US. Those fans include celebrities lik

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