Top 10 Anime Memes of The Last Decade (2012 - 2022)
Script written by Jonathan Alexander
Top 10 Anime Memes of Each Year
Top 10 Anime Memes
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Anime Memes of Each Year.
For this list, we’ll be looking at the most popular anime internet trends from the past decade.
Which year had the best memes? Let us know in those comments!
2013: Madara Uchiha Copypasta
“Naruto: Shippuden” (2007-17)
All this meme does is pose a very serious question. Could anyone ever defeat Madara Uchiha? And we’re referring to Rinne Tensei Madara Uchiha with the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan and Rinnegan doujutsus (with the rikidou paths ability) equipped with his Gunbai and control of the juubi and Gedou Mazou, a complete Susano'o, with Hashirama Senju's DNA implanted in his chest so he can perform Mokuton kekkei genkai and yin-yang release ninjutsu as well as being extremely skilled in taijutsu and bukijutsu… Really, it’s a simple yes or no question. One that just so happened to become an iconic running gag in online forums. We’d say more, but this copypasta speaks for itself.
2014: “Anime Was a Mistake”
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Nothing brings a community together more than some good, old-fashioned self-deprecating humor. In this case, some creative trolls falsely credited the memed comment to the influential Japanese director, Hayao Miyazaki. Coming from the creator of iconic Studio Ghibli fare like “Spirited Away” and “Howl’s Moving Castle,” the line served as a complete mic drop to any otaku discourse. It was the ultimate comeback whenever animation quality dropped, a fan was obnoxious, or there was any sort of hot take about a show. To this day, some of these problematic romance anime make us wonder if fake-Miyazaki was right all along.
2015: Top 10 Anime List Parodies
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Yeah, yeah, we get the joke. Halfway through the 2010s, some anime fans decided to try their own spin on the top 10 formula. Except, in a loving tease to our own videos, they added images that clearly didn’t match the titles. No, we’ve never actually made an anime list featuring “Spongebob” or “Cory in the House.” But that didn’t stop the internet from including basically every non-anime show under the sun in an endless slew of memes. And, rest assured, the irony of including this on its own rank is not lost on us. We’ll still take this one on the chin, if only because imitation is the highest form of flattery.
2016: “Ah, I See You're a Man of Culture As Well”
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“Arakawa Under the Bridge” (2010)
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and this still frame is no different. Six years after it aired, the innocuous phrase from a scene in “Arakawa Under the Bridge” took over the anime conversation by way of utter meme infamy. It served as a visual badge of honor for all like-minded fans to appreciate each other’s tastes with just a single image. That’s not to say it stayed with anime, either. Food preferences, historical knowledge, and even romantic inclinations were all subjected to the same animated barometer. Alongside plenty more clever variations, it proved that anime fans were cultured, after all.
2017: Gohan Blanco
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“Dragon Ball” Franchise
When Dragon Ball Super was airing, speculations and fan theories were running rampant. One idea to come out of it was that Gohan would ascend further than his father and become Gohan Blanco! Basically just some headcanon of a white haired Gohan. But the result of this was even more ridiculous predictions of what was to come including Gohan Calvo, a bald Gohan. Most terrifying of all was Grand Minister revealing himself to be the true final boss of DB Super - Named El Grande Padre! Along with the likes of El Hermano, this meme format was downright infectious.
2018: “Is This a Pigeon?”
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“The Brave Fighter of Sun Fighbird” (1991-92)
Well, is it? It’s a question that overtook every single social media, online forum, and group chat for years. Somehow, a random scene from a forgotten 1991 anime became the template for all sorts of important moral quandaries. Like, is this a cat’s scratching post? Is this the Krusty Krab? Is this a meme? Its inherent flexibility along with the character’s innocent expression made it easy pickings for all sorts of inventiveness. Its legendary status is all the more impressive since, in the same year, it had to stand out among other heavy-hitters like the “shocked pikachu” react. Although, to be fair, you can never have too many memes.
2019: Area 51 Naruto Run
“Naruto” Franchise
Evidently, every ninja at the academy learned a summoning jutsu for hilarious internet trends. We’ve seen everyone from Shrek to Darth Vader choking Sasuke, but even still, nothing may ever top the notorious fact that shinobi are great at cardio. One anime stan took the meme and literally ran with it all the way to a top-secret government compound. While the pose has always been a part of anime culture, seeing someone crash an official news report with it was a fire-style technique on the internet. It made actual headlines, which seemed to confirm suspicions that if anything could infiltrate Area 51, it was totally the Naruto run.
2020 - “Rent-a-Girlfriend” Intro
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“Rent-a-Girlfriend” (2020-)
Ironically, this show’s opening theme lives up to its title by renting some classic internet memes. Through the catchy song, a quick section of the cutesy girls dancing became easy fodder for a storm of edits. Enter: monkey’s going bananas, fridge’s falling over, and a completely new punchline to the hum-worthy chorus. The built in set-up easily lured in unsuspecting viewers anticipating a normal song, which helped the trend go absolutely viral on social media. If you think about it, it’s basically two memes for the price of one. Sure, you have to rent it, but that’s still a good deal nonetheless.
2021 - Guts’ Theme
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“Berserk” (1997-98)
This iconic anime deservedly has one of the most impactful soundtracks, too. But, one part of its legendary score found fame for a very different reason. Guts’ emotional theme was teasingly repurposed to play over any clip with a hint of negativity, leading to some rather cheeky results. The arrangement technically gained traction in 2020, but it truly rose to prominence the year after following the tragic death of “Berserk’s” manga artist, Kentaro Miura. In a way, the meme just speaks to how brilliant the actual composition is. It works as both a serious memorial and an ironic joke at the same time.
2022 - “The One Piece is Real”
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“One Piece” (1999-)
Ten years after Whitebeard uttered his famous last words, he sailed back into the pop-culture conversation… with nothing new. For some reason, it took a decade for his catchphrase to catch on, but once it did, it took the world by tsunami. A low-res edit of the scene circulated far and wide, usually accompanied by a not-safe-for-work edit of some characters. Oh, and there was Kanye West music. Yeah, there’s no real rhyme or reason to it, let alone why it took so long to anchor in meme culture. But, that’s kind of what makes it hilarious. Though, fair warning, if you look it up, you’re really gonna want to have SafeSearch on.
