Southeast Asia’s Anime Craze is Powering the Next Brand Boom

By The Malketeer

Anime, the once-underground Japanese art form, has burst into the mainstream—and nowhere is this more potent than in Southeast Asia.

A newly released Dentsu Consumer Navigator report reveals a powerful insight: anime fandom is no longer “emerging”—it’s here, massive, and already reshaping how brands grow across Asia.

According to Anime: A Growing Opportunity for Brands, nearly 1 in 3 global consumers now watch anime weekly.

In Southeast Asia, especially Thailand and Indonesia, the numbers are even more striking. The region is fast becoming one of the most passionate and participatory anime fandom clusters outside Japan.

But this is more than a passive viewership trend. This is identity.

SEA Youth Aren’t Just Watching—They’re Creating Culture

Anime’s appeal among SEA’s Gen Z and millennials goes far beyond the screen.

Young fans aren’t merely bingeing episodes; they’re building vibrant communities around their favourite characters and storylines.

Whether it’s fan fiction, cosplay meet-ups, TikTok duets, or custom art on Shopee stores, the ecosystem is alive with creativity.

In Indonesia, for example, nearly 1 in 5 Gen Z fans are posting about anime on social platforms or joining anime-themed Discord communities.

These are not fringe behaviours—they’re daily rituals. This makes anime not just content, but a living, breathing layer of youth culture.

Emotional Depth Meets Digital Escape

In markets like Thailand, anime serves a dual purpose: emotional resonance and digital escapism.

With genres that span romance, fantasy, slice-of-life, horror and sci-fi, anime speaks to complex human emotions often untouched by traditional Western media.

It’s no wonder that anime isn’t just watched, it’s felt.

For a generation grappling with economic uncertainty, social anxiety, and digital overload, anime offers solace, inspiration and connection—all in one.

Fandom as Commerce: Where Feelings Become Transactions

Here’s where the commercial opportunity comes in.

Dentsu’s report reveals that almost 1 in 3 Thai anime viewers have spent over US$200 on anime merchandise in the past year.

Multiply that across Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, and the numbers paint a compelling story. Whether it’s keychains, apparel, skincare collabs, or food delivery tie-ins—anime-inspired purchases are exploding.

The boundaries between anime, fashion, gaming, wellness, and digital identity are blurring.

Just look at Uniqlo’s anime collections, or TikTok creators building entire personal brands around anime aesthetics. This is fandom meeting commerce in real time.

Why Brands Must Lean In

Brands looking to remain relevant in SEA’s consumer landscape need to start understanding anime—not just as a trend, but as a cultural framework.

There is power in partnering with anime-inspired creators, developing limited-edition collabs, or even embedding anime-style storytelling in brand films.

The Dentsu study makes it clear: audiences in Southeast Asia respond not to surface-level tie-ins, but to brands that understand the emotional truth of fandom.

Anime allows brands to connect at a deeply personal level—whether it’s nostalgia, self-expression, belonging, or imagination. Ignore this, and risk irrelevance.

A New Kind of Influence

This shift also calls for a new kind of influencer.

In the anime economy, the most trusted voices aren’t celebrities—they’re fan-artists, VTubers, micro-streamers and Discord mods.

These are the digital natives who hold sway over communities that are tight-knit, hyper-engaged, and often invisible to traditional media metrics.

To break into this space, brands must move with authenticity, humility, and an understanding of the rules of the fandom game.

What This Means for Malaysian Brands

Malaysia’s anime fan base mirrors many of the trends seen in our neighbours.

With a massive bilingual Gen Z population deeply immersed in anime through YouTube, Crunchyroll, TikTok, and Telegram groups, the opportunity for local brands is significant.

Imagine anime-infused packaging for bubble tea chains, anime collabs for Raya fashion drops, or bank campaigns that gamify savings with popular anime IPs. Even educational brands or telcos can tap into this goldmine—with the right tone.

Anime is no longer “just cartoons”.

It is global storytelling, emotional resonance, and digital-native loyalty—all rolled into one. For Southeast Asia, it’s becoming the new currency of culture.

As the Dentsu Consumer Navigator report rightly concludes: “The opportunity is no longer emerging. It’s here.”

For marketers and brand builders in Malaysia and beyond, the message is clear.

Embrace the fandom. Respect the community.

And most importantly, understand the emotional code of anime before trying to unlock its commercial value.

Because in 2025, the brands that truly get anime… will get the growth.