Why anime is having a moment (again)
Let’s be real: Anime isn’t just “having a moment,” it’s having a steady stream of moments. From blockbuster releases topping box office charts to anime-inspired TikTok trends and award-winning crossovers with music, anime has long rooted itself in every corner of pop culture.
The most recent spark was OpenAI’s release of GPT-4o, which included powerful new image-generation tools, including anime-style imagery. Almost overnight, users flooded social media with portraits of themselves reimagined in the watercolor-like aesthetic of the world-famous Japanese anime creator Studio Ghibli. The trend went viral under hashtags like #GhibliStyle and #AIGhibli, with celebrities and all kinds of official accounts joining in.
It’s just the latest wave in an unstoppable tide. Anime’s current visibility is built on decades of creative evolution, cultural impact, and relentless fandom. Whether it’s handcrafted storyboards at Studio Ghibli or hyper-stylized footage cut for Instagram reels, anime is here to stay.
Short history of a genre that shaped contemporary visual culture
To understand why anime is inspiring more creators and audiences than ever, it helps to know where it came from. The roots of anime trace back to early 20th-century Japan, but it was in the post-war era that Osamu Tezuka redefined the medium. Often called the “Godfather of Anime,” Tezuka revolutionized animation in the 1950s and ‘60s by blending cinematic techniques with emotionally rich, serialized storytelling. His creation ‘Astro Boy’ — a futuristic TV series based on his own manga was a game-changer, setting the tone for the expressive characters and visual style that still shape the genre today.
In the decades that followed, anime expanded across genres and mediums, from television series like ‘Speed Racer’ and ‘Dragon Ball Z’ to critically acclaimed films. Studio Ghibli emerged in the ‘80s and ‘90s as the gold standard, with ‘Spirited Away’ winning an Academy Award and ‘My Neighbor Totoro’ and ‘Princess Mononoke’ becoming icons of animated cinema.
Today, anime is much more than a style. It’s a cultural force. Streaming platforms like Crunchyroll, Netflix, and Disney+ are investing heavily in original anime productions. From ‘Demon Slayer: Mugen Train’ smashing box office records to ‘Your Name’ and ‘Suzume’ becoming global sensations, anime has crossed every boundary imaginable
For Gen Z, anime has never even been a niche thing. It’s a familiar part of everyday culture. From streaming ‘Naruto’ and ‘Attack on Titan,’ to watching Studio Ghibli films on Netflix and remixing anime clips on TikTok, the anime style of storytelling is woven into how they engage with content and express themselves.
Anime across platforms and formats
From binge-worthy series to music videos, streetwear drops to 15-second reels, anime is shaping how stories are told across platforms. It’s on the packaging of your favorite snack, in the look of a new sneaker campaign, and it’s the visual style of the latest video game release. Creators are remixing it, referencing it, and building entire aesthetics around it. Brands have been leaning in for years, constantly finding fresh ways to tap into anime’s influence and energy. Which brings us to the good stuff: real use cases.
1. Music videos
Some of the most creative uses of anime footage have shown up in music videos. Linkin Park’s ‘Breaking the Habit’ from 2009 is a standout. Animated by Studio Gonzo, it visualizes themes of pain and self-destruction with raw intensity. It blurred the line between anime and Western music video storytelling long before it was trendy.
Fast-forward to Ed Sheeran’s ‘Bad Habits’ anime version, illustrated by the Japanese manga artist Rui Ikeda. The video tells a twisted love story with a supernatural edge, tapping into anime’s flair for romance and horror.
Pharrell Williams’ animated music video ‘It Girl’ channels the exaggerated cuteness and visual overload of the kawaii aesthetic. Common in anime subgenres like magical girl series and romantic comedies, kawaii is defined by big eyes, pastel palettes, and ultra-stylized femininity.
And then there’s Daft Punk’s ‘Interstella 5555’ – a 14-track visual album animated like a sci-fi anime epic. It’s less a series of music videos and more a love letter to the genre itself.
2. Filmmaking
Anime has established itself as a powerful cinematic genre in its own right, captivating global audiences with its distinct visual language, emotional depth, and narrative ambition. Unlike many forms of animation that target children, anime often explores complex themes such as identity, technology, memory, and loss, making it especially suited for cinematic storytelling. It has given rise to visionary films that are now considered classics of world cinema.
One of the first films to achieve significant international success was ‘Akira’ (1988), which brought dystopian futurism to a global audience and redefined animated action. ‘Spirited Away’ (2001) gave the genre its first Oscar win and proved anime could hold its own against any animated feature in the world.
Newer films like ‘Your Name,’ ‘Demon Slayer: Mugen Train,’ ‘Jujutsu Kaisen 0,’ and ‘Suzume’ continue the legacy with breathtaking visuals and deeply human stories.
Whether you’re editing a short film, music video, or motion graphics reel, Motion Array’s anime clips are a powerful way to bring cinematic anime energy into your project, without the demands of full-scale animation.
3. Branding
Anime has long appeared in brand marketing, especially in Japan, but its use was often limited to surface-level aesthetics or niche tie-ins. What’s new is the rise of large-scale, global campaigns — complete with original content and collaborations with top anime studios — that fully immerse audiences in anime worlds.
For its ‘WcDonald’s’ campaign, McDonald’s teamed up with Japan’s Studio Pierrot, one of the most influential animation studios that’s behind long-running hits like ‘Naruto’ and ‘Bleach.’ The fast-food brand launched a full anime-style universe, complete with a four-part series, manga, music video, and even a themed pop-up in Los Angeles.
Major League Baseball followed suit with its ‘Heroes of the Game’ anime campaign. Big-league players like Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge were reimagined as anime protagonists, their stories unfolding in dramatic, stylized visuals crafted by top Japanese studios. The campaign ran on socials and screens from Times Square to Tokyo.
These aren’t just ads. They’re immersive brand experiences made possible by anime aesthetics — the kind of visual language you can experiment with using stock footage.
4. Social content
From TikTok trends to YouTube intros, anime-style visuals are everywhere. Creators drop anime-style cityscape loops into their videos to set a moody, late-night tone. They use animated reaction shots, like exaggerated shock or blushing characters, to add humor and drama. They insert anime-style transitions into fashion edits. Often, it’s about borrowing the feel of anime. The tone. The visual language.
Check out influencers like Sasuke or Rossdraws for more anime inspiration.
Motion Array’s Anime Clips Collection
Even very short videos can pack an emotional punch with the right anime b-roll or motion overlay. Whether you’re editing a lofi vibe reel or an explainer video, you’re certain to find anime footage that fits. Explore Motion Array’s anime collection to find loops and overlays that capture everything from quiet introspection to full-blown cinematic drama.
2D Cosmic Spirit Anime
This close-up anime loop captures a girl in a moment of emotional intensity — eyes closed, fingers pressed together, light flashing around her — before she opens her eyes in a sudden epiphany. Use it as a powerful visual metaphor for self-realization, transformation, or a dramatic turning point in edits, reaction videos, or music-driven storytelling.
2D Anime Man Falling From Buildings in a City
This dramatic anime loop showing a figure in freefall between looming skyscrapers, arms raised as the city blurs past, is a haunting visual of descent, isolation, or surrender. Ideal for edits exploring emotional collapse, urban alienation, or the weight of internal struggle.
Anime Couple
This anime loop captures a quiet moment of emotional distance as a girl gazes downward in melancholy while a boy stands with his back to us, separated by silence and space. Works perfectly for scenes of nostalgia, unspoken feelings, or the aftermath of a relationship shift.
Rainy Cyberpunk Anime City Loop
Bird’s-eye view of a purple night sky with rain falling over a moody, neon-lit cityscape. Skyscrapers in deep blues and purples frame the scene from all sides. Great as a background for a music video, cinematic title sequence, or moody reel edit.
2D Anime Teenager Listening to Music in a Train Loop
This subtle anime loop shows a teenager standing in a subway car, earphones on, eyes on her phone, while the train rushes forward — a quiet, introspective moment amid urban motion. Use it to convey solitude, daily routine, or show a character lost in thought amid the monotonous rhythm of city life.
Retro Car Driving on a Night Road Loop
This retro anime loop features a car cruising down a nighttime highway, silhouetted against an oversized glowing sun. Perfect for setting the mood in edits about escape, freedom, or late-night journeys through open landscapes.
Cherry Blossom Tree with Glowing Lights
This dreamy anime loop centers on a lone cherry blossom tree, its petals gently swaying in the breeze. Drawing on the symbolic use of sakura — the Japanese word for cherry blossom — in anime, it evokes themes of transience, nostalgia, and the quiet beauty of passing moments.
Bring anime aesthetic into your next project
From music videos and social content to brand campaigns and personal projects, anime offers a rich visual language that’s both emotionally powerful and endlessly versatile. Whether you’re aiming for drama, nostalgia, or high-energy aesthetics, Motion Array’s anime footage gives you the tools to create something that resonates. Explore the collection, experiment with the style, and bring your next edit to life, anime-style.
