With a dark and complex history of military invasion and occupation, anime may act as the modern day bridge between Japanese and Chinese cultures.

When Erle Du was a teenager in Harbin, northeast China, Japanese animation was not recognised by mainstream publishers, so he would secretly read the Japanese Dragon Ball comics under the quilt at night.

Now 34, with a PhD in social sciences from Shanghai’s Jiao Tong University, Du has continued to make time for anime. Despite a rigorous academic schedule, Du attended the Shanghai anime expo in 2019, the final year of his PhD. Returning to the expo this year, he noted the exponential growth of the event compared to its modest beginnings.

In July, BW2024, the biggest anime expo in China, was held at Shanghai’s National Exhibition and Convention Centre. BW, short for Bilibili World, is run annually by Bilibili, China’s leading anime streaming platform.

Demand for the event was high. More than 20,000 member tickets sold out within 30 seconds, and a further 100,000 regular ones were gone in just one minute, Sohu News reported. More than 250,000 people attended in person and the peak livestream audience on Bilibili soared past 30 million.

The event’s popularity provides an insight into the number of anime enthusiasts in China, with passion for Japanese anime culture leading the charge.

"Compared to 2019, the scale and attendance of this year's BW expo are incomparable," Du said. "I can hardly believe how quickly this culture has spread in just a few years."

China and Japan have a long, complex history, with the conflicts of the early 20th century continuing to cast a shadow over their relationship. The atrocities committed by the Japanese Imperial Army during the invasion and occupation of much of China continue to have a profound impact on Chinese perceptions of Japan.

'The trend is providing many more opportunities for cosplay enthusiasts like me to go out in public than ever before.'

Those attitudes resurfaced during the recent pandemic, with a backlash against Japanese animé culture. “During the lockdowns of COVID in 2020, the economic downturn caused people to recall the hardships that the Chinese had endured throughout history,” Du said. “This led to a peak in patriotic sentiments, combined with Japan's discharge of nuclear waste. Such emotional outbursts inevitably affected some Japanese anime enthusiasts."

The reach of social media platforms has also facilitated the widespread appreciation of high-quality Japanese anime series such as Demon Slayer. These platforms have allowed the world to discover and embrace the genre.

“The booming development of China's social media has provided technical means for the improvement of the Japanese anime market through their precise grasp of consumer needs,” Du said. “With the economic recovery, people can alleviate their historical sentiments projected onto Chinese compatriots who love Japanese culture.”

One way fans express their passion for the genre is through cosplay, which is an integral part of Japanese anime culture. It also provides fans with a platform to connect with like-minded people. At anime expos, cosplayers bring their favourite characters to real life with crafted costumes and makeup, captivating the audience with their dedication.

Nineteen-year-old Ryan Yin, a screen production student at UNSW Sydney, began engaging with this culture six years ago. He formed his own Japanese anime-themed band in 2021.

He recalled an experience on a bus in Shanghai where he was going to an anime expo dressed in costume where an older man lectured him, saying that as a Chinese person, it was unacceptable to enjoy Japanese culture. “Now, everyone is gradually accepting and getting used to it,” Yin said. "Fortunately, now the looks I receive on the street are no longer strange, but rather surprises.”

Duoli Hei has made anime culture the subject of her postgraduate research at Jiangnan University, 90-minutes drive from Shanghai. She held her own anime expo in Shandong, eastern China, in August.

As a dedicated cosplay enthusiast since 2017, Hei observes that the stigma associated with these hobbies has diminished, enabling cosplayers to express themselves more openly. Hei said that because these hobbies are no longer discriminated against, today's cosplayers are boldly showcasing themselves.

“I must say, the trend is providing many more opportunities for cosplay enthusiasts like me to go out in public than ever before,” Hei said.

Since China's reopening post-COVID-19, Japanese anime culture has evolved from a target of criticism to a celebrated subculture, contributing significantly to the economy.

The ACG (Anime, Comics, and Games) market in China was worth 60.29 billion yuan (A$12.44 billion) in 2021 and is projected to reach 110.58 billion yuan by 2026, according to Sohu News.

The increasing number of Japanese anime merchandise stores is a testament to the genre's integration into the mainstream, even invigorating the struggling offline retail sector.

The Chengdu Tianfu Red shopping centre is a case in point. It has seen a remarkable revival and sales growth by building a Japanese anime business, exceeding 150 per cent year-on-year to May 2024. Prior to this, it was a struggling traditional department store building, Xinhua News reported.

“Rather than saying that the public is tolerant, it is more accurate to say that it is being integrated into mainstream culture,” Hei said. “I can now find things that interest me anytime, anywhere, which was absolutely impossible before.”