Pop culture in the U.S. is evolving with the rising popularity of Asian pop culture trends, especially among the Gen Z crowd. It’s not just Spongebob and Big Macs anymore. Driving around Orlando, you’ll see a ramen or boba store in every other shopping plaza. Scroll through Netflix and you’re sure to stumble upon one of the 160+ anime shows that Netflix has in its library. It’s rare to find a Walmart or Target that doesn’t have entire shelves stocked with Pokemon merchandise. It’s also impossible to overlook the fact that in the first half of 2024, K-pop artists swept six of the 10 spots in the U.S. list of best-selling CDs.
As Asian cultural imports gain increasing hype in the U.S., you might be wondering what you have been missing out on. Below is a basic guide that explains the fascinating world of Asian cultural imports and maybe convinces you to dive in.
K-pop
The Basics
So are K-pop songs basically just pop songs sung in Korean? Not exactly. While it’s true that K-pop songs will often have Korean lyrics, K-pop’s most unique feature is the idol culture attached to it. The K-pop genre is famous for its many boy bands and girl groups, such as BTS and BLACKPINK, something not as common in current western pop. Fans commit themselves to their favorite idol groups.
“There’s more of a stan culture in K-pop, and I feel like it’s more of a following,” junior Chloe Ramos said. “People are really dedicated to their one group. [The groups] sell photo cards, and people collect those photo cards and they trade them.”
K-pop groups are also known for being multi-talented. The dance and performance aspect can be one of the most exciting parts of K-pop.
“There’s a lot of dancing and performance,” Ramos said. “I really think the performance is the different aspect from Western pop.”
K-pop’s Rise in the States
Clearly, for its many fans, K-pop is more than just music.
“For a lot of people, it’s a form of escapism,” Ramos said. “It’s a way for people to see themselves in idols, and also it’s just a really fun way to distract yourself. All the dancing and all the singing, it’s just really fun.”
According to Ramos, the K-pop community in the U.S. is very friendly and welcoming, especially at concerts. Ramos went to 17 concerts last year, including K-Con, which is a convention of K-Pop artists.
“[The atmosphere] is so different from Western artists’ concerts,” Ramos said. “When someone goes to their first K-pop concert, everybody is so nice, and everyone’s always talking to each other and complimenting each other. It’s just so fun.”
K-pop Artists to Try Out
If you are looking to start your K-pop journey, you can check out some of Spotify’s most streamed K-pop artists in 2024: BTS, Stray Kids, BlackPink and NewJeans.
“Everybody starts with Stray Kids; everyone likes them,” Ramos said. “And then for the girl groups, everybody likes TWICE. My favorite is Cravity. Check them out.”
Anime
The Basics
Anime is animated storytelling with a unique twist. While the general concept is similar to American cartoons like “Family Guy” or “The Simpsons,” the main difference is the vivid art style and imaginative storylines that Japanese animation studios typically employ. The colorful, detailed visuals, exaggerated character expressions, and fantastical worlds found in anime all make it distinctive.
Anime used to have more of a niche following in the U.S., but it has been finding a strong fan base among Gen Z. According to IMDb, 42% of Gen Z watches anime on a weekly basis including freshman Tyler Tongson.
“There’s a whole variety of genres, so you could probably find an anime about anything,” Tongson said. “There’s sports—I know there’s one about tennis—and then there’s fantasy and adventure. The scenes are mainly hand-drawn, and the art style is way different from Western cartoons. It’s a style specific to Japan.”
A great example of this hand-drawn style is the anime by Studio Ghibli, one of the more well-known Japanese animation studios with its Academy Award–winning titles like “Spirited Away” and “The Boy and the Heron,” its newest release. Tongson said the high quality animation is a significant draw of anime movies.
“Studio Ghibli has been known to only make hand-drawn scenes and use no CGI, so you can really see the animators’ hard work put into each scene,” Tongson said.
Popular Anime Among Gen Z
The current “big three” anime action titles are “One Piece,” “Naruto” and “Bleach.” Other noteworthy titles are “Your Name” (romance), “Spy x Family” (comedy), “Death Note” (thriller), “Jujutsu Kaisen” (action) and “Demon Slayer” (action). “Jujutsu Kaisen” has become particularly popular among Gen Z, including junior Ben Demetriades.
“Anime like JJK is really cool because you get these super powerful and cool characters who are multi-dimensional,” Demetriades said. “Take Gojo for example: he’s insanely powerful but he’s also one of the most childish people in the show, which makes him so much more likeable. Anime like JJK also has amazing animation. It’s one of the main reasons to watch it. They choreograph these super intricate fight scenes, and paired with phenomenal animation, it’s pretty tough to beat.”
A good place to start would be to check out the anime shows available on Netflix or other streaming services, such as Crunchyroll. There is a wide variety available, and since anime covers a vast expanse of genres, there’s bound to be something you will enjoy.
Food and Drink
Boba
Boba tea is one of the most well-known drinks originating in Asia. While it was introduced in the U.S. in the 1990s, its popularity has taken off in recent years. According to research website Ibis World, there currently are a whopping 6,635 boba shops in the United States. Also called “bubble tea” or “pearl milk tea,” boba tea refers to the refreshing blend of sweet milk or fruit tea with chewy tapioca balls at the bottom.
Senior Zayden Buford loves drinking boba and notes the differences between boba and regular tea.
“The difference is that most teas are just tea, milk and sugar,” Buford said. “Boba has the tapioca pearls in it. There’s also different tastes you can put in it. My personal favorite is brown sugar.”
If you are looking for boba shop recommendations, refer to “Brewing up the Competition” by Jack Ververis and Reese Taylor on thetrinityvoice.com.
Bakeries
Asian bakeries, Korean ones in particular, are also gaining momentum in the U.S. The most popular products at these bakeries include items like red bean pastries, sausage buns and cream cakes. Many of the breads and pastries sold at these bakeries include a mix of sweet and savory and have Asian-inspired flavors, such as matcha, ube, taro and black sesame. The unique flavors and wide variety of offerings are clearly gaining a following, as more of these bakeries open up in the Orlando area. Buford and his friends enjoy trying out the various Asian bakeries nearby.
“My friends like to go to this one bakery called Light on the Sugar,” Buford said. “It’s good. I really like their cakes and pastries. In Lotte Plaza, there’s [Tous Les Jours] in the back, and they have really good cake. A lot of bakeries are really expensive, but those two I found to be pretty affordable.”
Tous Les Jours, Paris Baguette, Bakery 1908 and Light on the Sugar are all popular Asian bakeries in Orlando. While the names often sound French, these bakeries are actually often Korean in origin. If you’re in the mood for a light and fluffy chocolate cream bun or a savory curry bread, stop by one of these delicious Asian bakeries.
Pokemon
The Basics
Pokemon started as a Game Boy game created in Japan but quickly grew into a mega-franchise consisting of a TV series, trading cards, toys and more. The franchise entered the U.S. in 1998 and immediately became a hit with its characters who battle with their fictional creature companions stored in “poke balls.” The creatures each have their own unique battling abilities and are often based off of real-life animals or objects. For example, Pikachu resembles a mouse.
Senior RJ Pini is a long-time Pokemon fan who loves playing Pokemon video games.
“I like [the video game] because it’s a fun strategy game with cute creatures,” Pini said. “I hear a lot of people say it’s like chess, since it’s a lot of thinking ahead.”
How to Get into Pokemon
Pokemon isn’t just about video game battling. Many Pokemon enthusiasts started their journey trading Pokemon cards or playing the Pokemon Go mobile game. Although it was released back in 2016, Pokemon Go made a comeback in recent years and is maintaining its popularity thanks to the introduction of new Pokemon character “generations.”
Pini offers his recommendations for anyone wanting to explore the world of Pokemon beyond the video games.
“There’s also the Pokemon anime, and there’s movies you can find on Netflix,” Pini said. “There’s also free games, like Pokemon Go. If you want to try the trading card game, you can download TCG Live or TCG Pocket.”
