A New Study That Will Make You Change Your Views On Anime Protagonists

More and more anime fans around the world are speaking up about what they want to see in their favorite shows. A big chunk of them are asking for more diverse stories. Especially ones with strong female leads and adult protagonists.

This survey was done in March 2025 and included responses from over 29,000 entertainment consumers across seven major markets: the U.S., U.K., India, Germany, France, Brazil, and Mexico. Out of those, 3,500 were anime fans who tune in at least once a month.

According to the new study commissioned by Crunchyroll, and carried out by the National Research Group (NRG), about 44% of anime fans say they want to see more powerful women taking center stage in anime. Another 38% of viewers are also looking for stories that focus on adult characters, rather than the usual teenage heroes.

Here are some recommendations for anime with women MC’s: Ameku M.D. & Bocchi The Rock

Recommendations for anime that focuses on adult characters: Orb & Kaiju No. 8

The Evolution of Anime

mikasa ackerman, strong female characters in anime, strong femal anime protagonists. anime female main character, who is the strongest female character in anime?

Clearly, anime is evolving. It’s no longer just seen as “a guy thing” or for “nerds”. In fact, the study found that girls now make up 44% of teen anime fans. So it’s no surprise that the call for more inclusive storytelling is getting louder.

We’re already seeing this shift in some recent hits. Take my recommendations mentioned above. Both shows are inspired by Japanese manga and light novels. They feature strong, complex female leads who don’t follow the usual shonen formula. Their popularity proves there’s a growing appetite for something different.

On top of that, 16% of fans also said they want to see more LGBTQ+ characters in anime. This push is especially strong among fans in the U.S., where another NRG report from September 2024 called ‘Anime, Ascendant’ found that nearly 59% of fans want to see more racially diverse protagonists as well.

Will We See More of This In the Future?

Why the push for more representation? It likely comes down to connection. As the anime fanbase grows more diverse, people want to see themselves in the stories they love. For many young viewers today, anime isn’t just entertainment, it’s a core part of who they are.

The Crunchyroll study backs that up: 88% of teen anime fans said anime is an important part of their identity, and a whopping 93% said they’re proud to be fans. On top of that, about a third of them said anime has shaped how they see the world. Especially through themes like friendship, resilience, and perseverance.

So, as the audience continues to grow and change, it only makes sense that anime itself will do the same with more diverse characters, stronger female leads, and stories that speak to a wider range of people.

0 Reviews

Miguel F.

jmfianza.88@gmail.com

Miguel channels his love for manga, anime, and gaming into creating digital contents with a goal to become a notable writer who continues to captivate his readers.