EXPLORE THE THEME
Anime & Characters
Bringing the story into everyday life
Characters on the screen or the page become part of daily life. Through anime, stage shows, games and character goods, we read why some works keep growing.
5 articles 12 podcast episodes
START HERE
How to explore this theme
Start with the difference between 2D and 2.5D and the vocabulary of merch, then go to case studies on Pokémon, Detective Conan and Chiikawa. Move back and forth between enjoying the story and experiencing it through products and places.
READ & DISCOVER
Articles and glossary terms
From the key words to real cases.
- 01Glossary
2D, 2.5D and 3D in Oshi-Katsu: What the Dimensions Mean for Japanese Fans
2D means anime and manga characters, 3D means real people, and 2.5D sits between. See where 2.5D stage plays, voice actors and VTubers fit, and how fans cross dimensions.
- 02Glossary
What Does CV Mean in Anime Credits? Character Voice, Voice-Actor Fandom and the Person Inside
CV is Japanese shorthand for character voice: the voice actor behind a character. How it is written, voice-actor fandom, and how it differs from naka no hito.
- 03Merch
Why Did Oshi Plushies Boom in Japan? Nui-Dori, Nui Clothes and a Market That Grew 1.7x
Nui-katsu made the 2025 buzzword awards shortlist, and sales at 34 related firms rose from ¥50.4B to ¥84.9B. Labubu, a 3-year plushie-hospital wait and more.
- 04Business
Disney vs. USJ: Two Opposite Ways to Design an Oshi-Katsu Theme Park
Disney and USJ are both pilgrimage sites for fans, but designed on opposite ideas: growing home-grown IP versus editing what's hot. A comparison of strengths and risks.
- 05Glossary
Gensaku-Zei vs. Anime-Zei: Source Readers, Anime Viewers and Spoiler Etiquette
Gensaku-zei and anime-zei say which medium a fan entered through and how far they've got. How they differ from similar labels, and how to avoid spoilers.
PODCAST STORIES
Go deeper with the podcast
English summaries, and every episode has English subtitles.
- #61
Chiikawa Goes Global: Why Chinese Fans Call It a "Digital Ibuprofen" for Anxiety (Part 2)
How Chiikawa's mix of anxiety and cuteness crossed borders, what a Hawaii scholar sees in it, and why lasting popularity beats a sales explosion.
- #60
Why Adults Fall for Chiikawa: The Working-Life Story Behind the Cute (Part 1)
How one drawing became a national character IP, why a 33-person company can move fast, and why grown-ups see their own jobs and worries in Chiikawa.
- #59
Why Pokémon and 60 J.League Clubs Are Giving Away 1 Million Bags to Help Fans Find an Oshi
How a Pokémon and J.League tie-up used "evolution," a different Pokémon for each of 60 clubs and free bags to turn World Cup heat into local fandom.
- #52
Why Gen Z Loves the Heisei-Era Nostalgia They Never Experienced
Tamagotchi, purikura and Sailor Moon: why 1990s Japanese culture is selling again in 2026, to two generations at once, and what it means for oshi-katsu.
- #49
Disney vs. USJ: The Highs and Lows of Theme-Park Fandom
Tokyo Disney Resort and USJ both build deep immersion, but one is a world you return to and the other a world you chase. What each teaches about fan experience.
- #46
Detective Conan at 30: How a Long-Running Franchise Keeps Fans for Decades
Why Detective Conan keeps drawing new fans after 30 years: staggered anniversaries, one-episode cases, yearly films and new characters to love.
- #25
Why Pokémon Keeps Selling: How a ¥13 Trillion IP Was Designed to Grow
How trading between friends, version differences and a rumor about Mew built Pokémon's early fandom, and how one company kept the IP consistent across media.
- #24
Why LABUBU Sold Worldwide: How POP MART Sells Discovery, Not Products
How POP MART grew from a small Beijing shop into a global character company by selling the joy of discovery through blind boxes, robo shops and collector culture.
- #23
Why Sanrio Is the King of Oshi-Katsu: Hello Kitty, Kuromi and the Design of a Voting Festival
How the Sanrio Character Ranking grew from postcard votes into a yearly festival, and why adding entry points, promises and clear rules keeps fans returning.
- #17
Demon Slayer's Fastest ¥10 Billion: The Oshi-Katsu Behind a Revolutionary Hit
How Demon Slayer became a daily-life phenomenon, from episode 19 buzz and simultaneous broadcast to cinema opening days, convenience-store tie-ins and an ANA jet.
- #12
The Birth of Idol Voice Actors? A History of Voice Acting and Today's Fandom
How Japanese voice actors went from radio performers hidden behind their roles to people fans support directly, and the safeguards that closer contact needs.
- #11
Why 2.5D Spread: A History of Stage and Character Fandom, From Tenimyu to Demon Slayer
How manga and game characters came to life on stage, from Takarazuka's The Rose of Versailles to Tenimyu, and why 2.5D theater became a market of its own.
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