By: Cam’Ron Johnson I Published: February 26, 2025
Anime, a genre that originated in Japan, has become a global phenomenon.
Anime has become one of the most popular genres in the 21st century. Known for its unique art styles and colors, anime has been a gateway of expression for millions across the world. Anime has had a blend of creativity, mixed with the deepness of powerful storytelling.
The stories that get told vary. Entertainers like Megan Thee Stallion, Michael B. Jordan, and others have referenced anime in their songs and even as sources of motivation. Although for some, it’s dismissed as just another version of cartoons, in reality, anime offers much more depth and complexity. To gain a deeper understanding of its impact, we spoke with members of the Anime Society at Kean University to capture their perspectives on anime today.
Zachary Valentin, a sophomore majoring in math education, has been a part of Kean’s Anime Society for some time now.
“My gateway anime show has to be the Pokémon series. My brother had the game and it dragged me into the show,” said Valentin. “It was a show that me and my brother would bond over. We felt connected to the characters that we would have long talks and always dissect everything. It was as if we were taking the journey along with [protagonist] Ash Ketchum to see how many Pokémons he could collect.”
When speaking on the differences between cartoons and storytelling shows compared to anime Valentin states, “I feel like there’s just so much more variety in anime compared to American shows… The variety isn’t the end all be all, to me it is really the animation… We hear stories all the time about how animation studios spend countless hours drawing and redrawing scenes that may only last four minutes but took over 40 hours to make. As a fan you just have a deeper appreciation for those moments,” Valentin said.
Valentin gave his favorite example of how anime is seen in everyday society.
“Music is a really big part of it for me, I love seeing people gush over anime openings and endings. The different kinds of beats and tempos that go into those songs… man I have a bunch in my playlist. For example, especially when the second season of Mashle came out, you saw that opening everywhere and it takes so many inspirations from many different cultures.”
The President of the Anime Society, Angeryca Concepcion, a junior business management major, enlightened the perspective of what the organization is. “The KU anime club is an outlet for people to talk about anime and other interests, giving people that nest of comfort.“
Concepcion immigrated to the United States during her childhood and first watched shows like Dragon Ball Z but she wasn’t initially interested and didn’t know that it was an anime. Her gateway anime was Hunter x Hunter. Concepcion said, “It was my first anime, it inspired me to watch more anime. My cousin was the one that introduced me to it and from there I kind of just fell in love with anime.”
“Anime consumption in 2025 is way more normalized, and just so many more ways to digest and seek out anime. You see it on social media endlessly, plus there are so many more conventions and clubs,” said Concepcion, on her perspective on the influence of anime.
Concepcion spoke about how anime inspires other paths. “Absolutely, the influence of anime isn’t just in how much we see it but anime has created a fire for people to unlock their creative side. Take someone like the YouTuber CoryxKenshin, right. He was gone for over a year and suddenly returned to YouTube and mentions that he’s been secretly making a new manga/anime this whole time. That kind of influence is just awesome.”
The Kean Anime Society is always hosting meetings and events that welcome students to come and be a part of their endless activities.
“Our project that I am proud of is the Costume Masquerade that we have in October. It’s really nice to see so many characters and have people just being themselves,” said Concepcion.
Concepcion emphasized the club’s values of inclusion and connection.
“Family, we want to create that family bond,” Concepcion said. “Kean Anime Society is a way to learn more about yourself while doing it in a fun manner that doesn’t feel like learning at all.”
Concepcion ended on this statement, that the club allows you to be yourself and welcomes uniqueness with open arms.
“Expression is key! Because anime is an expression of life.”
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