Is MrBeast a fake anime fan? Why his Watchlist sparked backlash

Accusations of being a “fake anime fan” are not something MrBeast usually deals with, but a viral post on X put his anime fandom under scrutiny. After being accused of pretending to like anime to promote Netflix’s One Piece live-action, MrBeast fired back with a 22-anime watchlist. Rather than settling the controversy, the list only intensified criticism from skeptical fans.

The debate began after MrBeast changed his X profile picture to Monkey D. Luffy, the main protagonist of One Piece, in late December. Given that the YouTube creator rarely updates his icon, the move sparked speculation over whether it reflected a genuine interest in anime or a calculated marketing play.

As expected, anime fans wasted no time putting MrBeast’s watchlist under a microscope.

The list MrBeast shared has a total of 22 anime. "Call me weird, call me lame, but don't call me a fake anime fan," he wrote on X. "Here is a list of some I've seen off the top of my head, this blasphemy needs to stop." But why are people saying MrBeast is faking out his anime list?

One of the main arguments is that MrBeast's list consists only of popular anime, but that criticism loses weight when you consider that most fans primarily watch shonen series. Shonen, a major Japanese anime genre, focuses on action-adventure storytelling and dominates mainstream popularity.

Another claim suggests that he simply went to MyAnimeList and copied the top-ranked anime. That theory would make more sense if other widely popular titles had appeared on his list. Yet series like Chainsaw Man, Fullmetal Alchemist, and Gintama, all of which rank in the top ten, were not included. Not even Demon Slayer is included, and we are talking about one of the anime with the biggest fanbases worldwide.

Unless MrBeast deliberately scrolled far down the rankings, it seems unlikely that he selected only a handful of popular anime while ignoring the most obvious ones.

The number of typos in writing the anime titles also suggests that the streamer was indeed writing them one by one instead of copying a random list online, which would not have errors. Jujitsu Kaisen instead of Jujutsu Kaisen, Gundom instead of Gundam, and even the Guardians of galatic hero's is not well written since the anime is called Legend of the Galactic Heroes.

Not only that, but although this final anime is popular, it remains a niche title from 1988 and is far from familiar to most modern fans, especially due to its heavy focus on war, space, and political themes.

Even if he were a recent anime viewer, this debate is pointless. Many people simply do not watch older anime, either because they lack the time or prefer to start with newer and more popular titles. Not everyone will explore the same niche series, and that is perfectly fine. An anime fan is not any less of a fan just because they enjoy mainstream shows.

Nevertheless, MrBeast has mentioned Naruto as one of his favorite anime since the beginning of his career. In 2023, he even met the Japanese voice actress and asked her to say his name in true Naruto style.

Short answer: No.

While there’s no definitive way to prove someone’s fandom, the evidence used against MrBeast is weak. Based on the anime watch list he shared on X, he appears to be a casual anime fan - just like most viewers. Even after addressing the accusations directly by sharing his watch list, skepticism on social media continues, highlighting how difficult it can be to satisfy online fandom expectations.

Now, we’re going to rate MrBeast’s favorite anime based on the list he shared. Since I can only evaluate the ones I’ve actually watched, the rest will remain unclassified.

While the internet is relishing the opportunity to mock MrBeast, it seems MrBeast is indeed an anime fan. If anything, his list leaves room for discovery, with popular recommendations like Fate, Haikyuu, Banana Fish, and Demon Slayer still unexplored.