One reason I love social media like X, Bluesky, and Facebook is that I can post questions to my followers and get instant feedback from everyone. I recently came across a Kaguya “I raised that boy” meme that made a joke about “anime” raising us. The more I thought about it, the more it seemed like a nice topic of discussion for a blog post. What anime raised you?
Happy New Year from your Friend in Japan, J-List! We hope 2026 is a year of happiness and peace for you. To get things off right, we’re having a huge site-wide New Year’s Sale through Jan. 6, giving you 15$ off all in-stock products. Start browsing now!
What Anime Raised You? J-List Customers Reply!
I asked J-List’s excellent customers of culture to share the anime that “raised them,” and was most responsible for them becoming the anime fan they are today. We got a lot of great responses from everyone. Check them out below!
More than any other, seeing the Fatal Fury Motion Picture playing on a TV at a comic book store led me down a dark path I still walk to this day.
Probably Ranma 1/2. Specifically, the “Desperately Seeking Shampoo” OVA. It was the first anime I saw that wasn’t a 4kids dub and had such a distinctly different vibe. It was also my first view of anime titties and definitely altered my brain chemistry.
I got into anime around 12 years ago, while in high school. It was truly the perfect time. I watched several anime series from the ’00s and early 2010s. All the shows shaped me to be the otaku I am today!
I got into anime during high school. The magic of these shows will truly never vanish. I treasure the memories like the grandest of jewels, memories made watching these first shows. And when Highschool DxD came out, I was over the moon.
Take a wild guess which anime raised me…
I’d say Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun. It was the first anime that fit the “school romcom slice-of-life with max comfy and minimal drama” style that I am still fond of now.
More Anime That Raised Us
Pokémon: the first anime I watched in both English and Japanese and inspired my interest in the medium as well as manga and Japanese culture.
Some weebs will take a 26-episode anime and base their entire worldview on it. It’s me, I’m some weebs! And the anime is Evangelion.
DBZ, Pokémon, Sailor Moon, Tenchi Muyo, YuYu Hakusho, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and The Familiar of Zero.
Bible Black. Don’t judge me.
What Anime Raised You? Enjoy More Examples
Here’s mine, UQ Holder.
DBZ for me!
Here’s mine…
D-Frag. It’s not just the show that made me a weeb. It’s directly responsible for all the good in my life today.
There are three for me: Lucky Star, Sailor Moon, and Aikatsu!
When we consider that the anime that raised me was Unico, the shit I tell my therapist suddenly makes so much sense…
What About Peter? What Anime Raised Me?
How about me? What anime had the most profound impression on me? While I was (and still am) a huge fan of the OG Super Dimensional Fortress Macross, the show that really put me on the path I’m on now was Space Battleship Yamato, broadcast as Star Blazers in the late 1970s.
The show delighted me with its melodrama and the scope of its story, with characters who evolved and changed and sometimes died! But the above scene featuring Yuki/Nova in her underwear (which was broadcast without change in English) unlocked some kind of “dopamine gateway” inside my brain. I believe I was destined to come to Japan and create a hentai empire ever since that day.
And what am I doing with my evenings this week? I’m watching the remake of my beloved Be Forever Yamato in full HD. Because some friends stay with us all our lives, just like the anime that shaped who we are.
Thanks for reading this blog post about the anime that raised us.
Let’s Chat
You made it to the end of this post! Thank you! As a token of our appreciation, enjoy an extra 5% off your next order when you use the code BLOG at checkout. Also, don’t forget to follow J-List on all our platforms!
- Twitter / X, where Peter posts anime booba for you
- Bluesky, where we post several times a day
- Facebook, where we used to share memes and discuss anime
- Discord, if you want to chat with other J-List customers of culture
Happy New Year from your Friend in Japan, J-List! We hope 2026 is a year of happiness and peace for you. To get things off right, we’re having a huge site-wide New Year’s Sale through Jan. 6, giving you 15$ off all in-stock products. Start browsing now!
