Originally posted in Porch.com by Maria Jose Meneses.

In Japan, anime refers to any type of animated cartoon, but in the West, it’s a term used to describe animation made in Japan. Having grown in popularity in the U.S. and other Western nations steadily since the 1960s, anime has now exploded onto the mainstream with many memorable characters, plots, and settings that fans can’t seem to get enough of. Worldwide, anime is now a $23.9 billion industry and is expected to grow by nearly 10% in the coming years.

With anime series like Sazae-San surpassing its 2,500th episode and other long-lived Japanese cartoons like Nintama Rintaro and Ojarumaru still in production, it’s no surprise that many anime characters have inspired fandoms and a wide range of merchandise that celebrate their artistry. In fact, many fans bring their love for this art form home to create anime rooms based on their favorite anime characters and plots.

While there are many forms of animation worldwide, Japan has distinctive and highly stylized animation qualities. Anime fans can easily recognize Japan-produced animation or anime-inspired animation by the characters’ large emotive eyes, detailed settings, and angled camera effects. Anime is often discussed in association with manga, which refers to Japanese comic books. Many manga series have been transformed into anime, with fans enjoying both mediums. Fortunately, there are many ways to infuse these series into a home anime room, including commercially available anime and decorative manga merchandise.

Although there have been some successful animated series for adults made in the West like The Simpsons in recent decades, there are many anime series in Japan enjoyed by adults as well as those created for children. In Japan, anime reflects many different genres, including fantasy, romance, comedy, science fiction, horror, and more.

Worldwide, some of the most popular Japanese anime series include:

  • Naruto
  • Pokemon
  • Yu-Gi-Oh
  • Attack on Titan
  • Dragon Ball Z
  • Fairy Tail
  • Inuyasha
  • Jujutsu Kaisen
  • Death Note
  • One Piece
  • Demon Slayer
  • Clannad
  • Tokyo Ghoul
  • Fullmetal Alchemist

Some of the most popular manga series include:

There is overlap between manga and anime, as mentioned, as anime creators continue to bring Japan’s most popular manga series to the screen.

If you or a household member is a fan of anime, you may be inspired to create a room that celebrates this distinctive art form. Anime translates exceptionally well into decor with its unique visual features, bold colors and lines, and colorful settings. Whether you’re decorating a bedroom, TV room, recreational room, or another room of your home, you can draw design inspiration from your favorite anime and manga series. Here, we’ll explore some tips to create your anime-inspired setting.

Wall Decor

When redecorating a room of your home, it’s natural to look first to your walls, making the ideal feature for displaying anime-inspired art. Owing to the popularity of both anime and manga, there are many commercially designed items you can purchase for your walls. You can also create your own decor using collected items from your favorite series. Here are some ideas for decorating your anime-inspired walls:

Manga Wall

If you’re a fan of a single anime or many different anime and manga series, you can create a collage wall that pays homage to the art forms. You can create your manga wall, for instance, using cutouts from old posters, product packaging, or even vinyl stickers arranged in an eye-catching display. If you have many items you want to showcase, a collage is a fun way to bring your walls to life with your favorite anime characters. Of course, you don’t want to rip pages from your favorite manga series, but you can use them as inspiration to recreate scenes from your favorite manga plots.

Gallery Walls

For a neater, more formal anime showcase, consider creating a special anime or manga gallery wall. Frame your images using similar frames in gallery-style formations. If you have collectible drawings or posters, you should frame them to keep them well protected while on display. When choosing anime artwork for your gallery wall, you might stick to a single series, genre, or character. On the other hand, if you enjoy a wide range of anime, consider adhering to a particular color scheme or season.

Posters

Anime lovers can find a wide range of posters in many different sizes representing many of the most popular anime shows. You can place posters directly on your walls without framing them. Instead of using tape, which can damage your posters and paint finish, use removable mounting squares or removable putty.

Neon Signs

Like many big cities, Tokyo’s streets are filled with neon signs, so it’s no surprise that many merch manufactures have opted to create neon signs that celebrate anime and manga. You can mount these signs in bedrooms or family rooms to enhance your anime decorative theme. The neon lights will add a dynamic note to the decor while celebrating a favorite character.

Wall-Sized Mural or Large Tapestry

If you have a large wall in your anime space, consider a singular decorative feature such as a large mural or tapestry. These make excellent focal point features, so you’ll want to mount them carefully. Use a measuring tape to make sure your item is centered. Depending on the product you’re placing, you may need a smoothing tool and stepladder to help you install your feature correctly.

Wall Art

Why not create your own anime art inspired by your favorite series if you enjoy painting or illustrating? You can apply your work to canvas or directly onto your walls. Not an artist or aspiring artist? Consider hiring a professional artist or talented art student who focuses on anime art to create art for your walls. This type of installation can add loads of wow factor to any space in your home.

Office or Home Workspace

Transform your office or workspace with anime-inspired merchandise. You’ll not only find a wide range of anime-inspired products on major retail sites like Amazon but even on sites like Etsy and eBay. Many retailers feature decorative items with anime themes owing to the Japanese art form’s continued popularity. When planning your anime workspace decor, consider the following:

Anime LED Lamp

Brighten your space with an LED lamp that showcases a fun anime character. Many LED lamps feature color-changing effects, allowing you to pair them easily to your room’s color scheme. You can find LED lamps and other lamps that feature well-known characters like Totoro, Sailor Moon, Naruto, Sasuke, Goku, Luna, and more.

Anime Rug

Just as anime tapestries are available for your walls, there are fun anime rugs to spice up your flooring. You can find small anime mats that are suitable for doorways or large area rugs that feature bold designs. Some popular anime rugs feature designs from notable series like Yu-Gi-Oh, Rogue Ninja, Pokemon, Cowboy Bebop, and Sailor Moon.

Manga Bookshelf

Add a bookshelf in your room to show off and stow your collection of manga comic books, and anime DVDs. You can also use part of your bookshelf to show off small framed photos of anime-inspired art or anime merchandise like Pokemon plush figures or imported Totoro toys.

Gaming Setup

If you use your office or workspace to enjoy some downtime fun with video or online games, you can find plenty of anime-inspired items like chair covers, headphones, mousepads, and more. Choose a cool anime screensaver for your computer and a fun anime coffee mug to sip from at your desk.

Office Supplies

There are lots of office supplies produced today with anime themes or related styles. You might consider some ideas for your desktop and office, including a Sailor Moon pencil case, a cup filled with Kawaii pens and pencils, Dragon Ball Z notebooks, etc. Each little detail can help you transform your office into anime style to create your perfect fandom setting.

Bedding

If you’re decorating a bedroom to reflect an anime or manga theme, you’ll have many options to choose from. You’ll find comforters, blankets, and throw pillows that feature popular anime series like My Hero Academia, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Hunter x Hunter. These items will function for both your comfort as well as your decor.

Dakimakura

To add more Japanese culture to your bedroom space, look for dakimakura, which are Japanese pillows/pillowcases that showcase anime designs. These pillows are long body pillows that are typically adorned with a popular character. In Japan, they are quite popular with their life-size images of anime characters, other pop culture characters, and even actors or actresses.

Stuffed Toys

In addition to bedding sets and anime throw pillows for your bed, you can top it with fun anime stuffed toys and plush figures from a wide range of series. Look for popular anime characters like Pikachu, Totoro, Demon Slayer Nezuko, Pusheen, and others.

Wardrobe

Your anime-inspired room is a great place to store and show off your anime-themed wardrobe. Add a small stand-alone rack to hang up wardrobe items so they’re easily accessible but also visible so they can enhance the decorative look of your space.

Clothing

When it comes to clothing, there is a wide range of anime-inspired hoodies, t-shirts, jackets, and accessories that you can find online or even in many brick-and-mortar shops. These garments may feature unique accents like faux fur or patches that are reminiscent of the characters they mean to represent.

Cosplay

Enjoy cosplay? Add your cosplay collection of wigs, custom outfits, makeup, and various accessories to display in your anime-themed room. You can install shelving or a small wardrobe to hold all of your cosplay items. Because these items tend to be so distinctive, they can add to your decor with their bright colors and exciting patterns.

Other Anime Decorative Ideas

Considering the wide range of anime merchandise and Japanese pop cultural items, you’ll have no trouble filling up your room. In fact, you may want to invest in some display cases or shelving units so that you can show off fun anime and manga decorative items such as:

  • Funko Pops
  • Puzzles
  • Hats
  • Sticker collections
  • Action figures
  • Collectible cards
  • Socks
  • Charm bracelets
  • Games
  • Figurines and more

If you love anime, you’ll find that decorating a special room devoted to your fandom is loads of fun and something you can do over time. As you collect new items, you can work them into your room’s decor. Use these tips to help you plan for your perfect anime room makeover.

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