If you walk into any HMV store in 2025, you’re almost guaranteed to find a variety of shirts with anime and video game characters as graphics. While the options used to be between famous music stars or movie posters, over the last decade, video games and anime have steadily been creeping into their collection – and the collection of every clothing store for that matter.
This is indicative of a major shift in the fashion industry, where pop culture influences are no longer limited to music and film. Indeed, anime and video games have become key go-to’s for fashion brands around the world, with Uniqlo Supreme recently launching a collaboration to feature a range of beloved characters, proving that these graphics are no longer just for convention-goers – or a quirky buy for a customer wandering around Oxford’s HMV store! – but are made for everyday style.
The Video Game and Anime Cycle
So why is this the case and when did it all start? Over the last ten years, video games and anime have only been getting more popular, with the current gaming market worth over $250 billion and anime viewership up to 300 million.
The two markets have also been complimenting each other. Some of the most popular video games include Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and Dragon Ball Fighter, all of which are deeply rooted in anime culture and do their bit to welcome new viewers to the genre.
In the iGaming scene, too, anime-inspired slots have been some of the biggest sellers. In a recent All British Casino review, it was found that there were over 1,000 slot games on the platform, with some of the most popular including Book of Adventure, 777 Deluxe, and, you guessed it, Koi Princess – a game that blends anime aesthetics with slot mechanics.
This is one of the most popular casinos in the UK at the moment, but across every casino, anime-inspired slots are big hits, with the developers once again driving more players to become viewers, and subsequently feeding the growth of anime’s influence in mainstream entertainment.
This cycle – where anime-themed slots introduce players to anime aesthetics and storytelling – has gradually expanded the audience for anime as a whole. Developers recognise this trend and continue to incorporate anime-style visuals, characters, and themes into new game releases, and as a result, other industries have been taking notice.
The Fashion Influence
On a very basic level, fashion brands know that if they cater to video game and anime enthusiasts, they’re going to achieve more sales. That’s just the nature of business.
Whichever company it is, they know that if they infuse a few video game or anime graphics into their catalogue, it could open up their business to a whole new audience, tapping into the growing video game and anime fandoms and gaining access to highly engaged and loyal customers as a result – customers who are willing to spend money on merchandise, collectibles, and apparel that represent their interests.
Looking at all of this a little deeper, however, presents an interesting shift in the fashion industry as a whole. Over the last decade or so, fashion has become less about style and more about self-expression and identity. Clothing no longer just serves the purpose of covering the body and ‘looking good’, but has become a way for individuals to communicate their passions, interests, and affiliations to the world.
This shift has been significantly influenced by the rise of subcultures like gaming and anime, which have grown into mainstream movements. In 2025, fashion brands are no longer just focused on creating ‘trendy’ pieces, they’re looking to cater to a diverse range of tastes and personal narratives. For video game and anime enthusiasts, too, the idea of wearing your favourite graphics is an exciting one, as it works to elevate their personal connection to the characters and worlds they love.
Whether it’s a Dragon Ball logo, a Final Fantasy character, or a Naruto symbol, these graphics act as a visual representation of their identity, creating a sense of belonging that they haven’t been able to experience before.
The impact on the fashion industry is almost paradoxical, too. By wearing these designs, fans not only celebrate their favourite gaming and anime franchises, they help to bring anime and gaming culture into the mainstream, normalising these once-niche interests as a dominant force in gaming, media, fashion, and pop culture! As more people are then driven to both markets, the demand for anime and video game clothing graphics will grow even higher, and the cycle, once again, will continue.
Conclusion
This is the reason why anime and video game graphics have become more regular on clothing, but as mentioned above, we’re only just seeing the beginning of their influence, because the video game and anime industries are not showing any signs of slowing down.
In fact, the video game industry is projected to reach over $666 billion by 2029, while the anime market is forecast to grow to nearly $75 billion by 2032. As both markets continue to rise – and the world of fashion becomes even more focused around identity and self-expression – we can expect the presence of these graphics to become even more common. But as ever, only time will tell.
