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New anime like Demon Slayer and Jujutsu Kaisen have sparked widespread attention as of late, but a recent study proves that classics like One Piece remain among the most popular series in the U.S. In fact, a new study indicates One Piece is the most-searched anime in 25 states. What other shows are U.S. anime fans Googling?

‘One Piece’ is the most-searched anime in 25 U.S. states

'One Piece 1,000' graphic featuring all of the anime's characters
Key art for ‘One Piece 1,000’ | ©Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha, Toei Animation

One Piece just celebrated its 1,000th episode, so perhaps it’s no surprise it’s among the most-searched anime in a whopping 25 U.S. states.

A study published by CenturyLink on Jan. 14 indicates that One Piece was an incredibly popular query over the past year. For a show that premiered back in 1999, that’s no small feat. Of course, the fact that it’s been running for so long underscores how well-loved it is.

As CenturyLink notes, One Piece began streaming on Netflix in 2020 — and the streamer is currently in the process of turning Luffy D. Monkey’s adventure into a live-action show. Such developments could certainly have boosted interest from 2020 to 2021. And the anime’s big milestone probably didn’t hurt either.

According to CenturyLink, this was the methodology for determining which anime Americans Googled the most:

“We compiled a list of the 100 most popular anime (both classic and recently released series) based on data gathered from Polygon, CBR, My Anime List, Screen Rant, and Looper. We found each show’s search volume in SemRush and plugged the eight most most-searched shows into Google Trends to see which show was googled most by each state in the past 12 months.”

So, what other shows made the list? Two longtime favorites and a few new series dominated search results.

Although One Piece dominates search queries in half of the U.S., several other anime also proved popular Google searches. The results of the study suggest three classic series have maintained their fanbases over time. In addition to One Piece, Pokémon and Naruto both received plenty of attention. Pokémon was the most-searched anime in eight states, while Naruto dominated Google searches in six states.

Of course, newer anime also made the list. My Hero Academia continues to be one of the most popular shonen series right now, and five U.S. states searched it more than any other. CenturyLink notes that the release of My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission likely factored into that.

Death Note, which ended its short run back in 2007, was the most-Googled anime in three states. The interest in Death Note and Naruto proves shows can maintain an engaged following even after taking their final bow.

Surprisingly, Jujutsu Kaisen and Attack on Titan topped the search queries in only one state apiece. Both are incredibly popular, and Parrot Analytics recently named Attack on Titan the most in-demand TV show of 2021. Jujutsu Kaisen may see a boost in searches following the release of Jujutsu Kaisen 0. Likewise, more people may Google Attack on Titan now that its final outing is underway. We’ll have to wait for data covering 2022 to find out.

Sailor Moon was also the most-searched anime in one state — California — adding another beloved classic to CenturyLink’s findings. So, which anime was the most popular Google query in your state, and does it match your own interests?

A map of the most-searched anime in the U.S., which shows 'One Piece' leading in 25 states
Map of each state’s most-searched anime | CenturyLink
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So, which anime series is your state Googling the most? One Piece seems the likely answer, but you may reside in an area interested in another beloved series. If your state’s favorite show doesn’t match your own, don’t fret — any popular anime is likely to rank high when it comes to searches, even if it isn’t number one.

Should another study come out in the future, it’ll be interesting to see if One Piece maintains its hold on half of the nation — or if interest in new shows like Demon Slayer and Jujutsu Kaisen increases. For now, it seems Luffy D. Monkey and the Straw Hats still reign supreme.

Read CenturyLink’s full findings here.

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