A Brief, Otaku History of Megan Thee Stallion’s Unabashed Anime Fandom

The popularity of anime within the hip-hop community is nothing new, spaning from lyrical references to Dragon Ball to full-on cosplay. Currently, however, none in the community are more vocal about their love of Japanese animation right now than Megan Thee Stallion.

As well as one of the genre's biggest anime, the Houston rapper has also become one of the biggest names in hip-hop. The rapper's mixtape Fever was released on May 17, 2019, just in time to dub June, July and August as "Hot Girl Summer," which Megan took to the next level in more ways than one. The album not only garnered massive amounts of critical praise but also reached the top 10 on the U.S. Billboard 200. Then, after the album's release, Megan earned herself a spot on the cover of Paper Magazine, which is when most of her newly acquired fans may have first noticed her otaku pride.

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On the cover, Megan dons a My Hero Academia-inspired look based on the character Shoto Todoroki. This signature look, which Megan calls "Todoroki Tina," features the hero's blue training outfit and even includes the signature scar, two-toned hair and different colored eyes. While it's clear she is a fan of My Hero Academia, it only scratches the surface of her anime fandom.

During a recent interview with Crunchyroll's Tim Lyu, Megan reveals that her relationship with anime began with Inuyasha and that the shows' titular character resonated with her because of her love of "guys with attitude." She goes on to discuss some of the other series she enjoys, like Naruto, Blue Exorcist, Assassination Classroom and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, among many more. But --hot take alert! -- she isn't a big fan of Sailor Moon.

She explains that she thinks the show itself is "cute" but is turned off by Sailor Moon's reliance on her boyfriend, Tuxedo Mask, to help her out of tough situations.

An allure for Megan when it comes to deciding which shows to watch is when "things go down immediately," preferring that a series kicks off with a bang to hook her attention. Big on action-packed anime, it's no surprise that Megan also has Attack on Titan, Seven Deadly Sins, Black Clover, and Soul Eater to her watch list, as well. She even points to Attack on Titan's Mikasa Ackerman as a character she particularly enjoys watching, which fans of the show will likely agree with more than her controversial Sailor Moon take.

While a killer battle, animated to perfection, is hard to pass up for any anime fan, Megan also notes that the stories they tell resonate with her as well. She looks at the protagonists of both My Hero Academia and Naruto as examples of this. They both struggle to gain their goals and the acceptance of those around them but persevere even when others doubt them, which is something she strives to do when faced with doubt and adversity herself.

We've already seen how Megan Thee Stallion is ready to adapt her anime love into her outfits and style, and she's also alluded to the fact that some of her upcoming music may even include some lyrical references too. Though she has yet to attend an anime convention, she hints that once it is safe for people to get together again, she could be looking to check one out.

In the meantime, just keep in mind that spending quarantine making some anime-themed fan art of Megan Thee Stallion could wind up being the inspiration for her next look.