Oshi-katsu Worries: Financial Strain Most Common?! Collab Cafes Top Events, 15% Make DIY Goods! Oshi-katsu Survey [Goods & Events Edition] <2025 Version>

November 4th is celebrated as “Ii Oshi no Hi.” This special day, established in 2019, comes from a delightful wordplay on “ii” (meaning good, and the numbers 11) and “oshi” (meaning to push or support, and the numbers 04).

In recent years, the activity known as “Oshikatsu” has become a massive trend. This term refers to enthusiastically supporting one’s absolute favorite (oshi) character or work. Many readers are undoubtedly deeply immersed in their Oshikatsu, whether it’s by meticulously collecting merchandise or eagerly attending various events.

To delve deeper into this phenomenon, we conducted a reader survey titled “Tell Us About Your Oshi! Anime! Anime! Oshikatsu Survey.” We received a total of 58 responses during the survey period, which ran from October 20th to October 27th. The demographics revealed a clear female majority, with approximately 15% male respondents, 75% female, and 10% not specified. Regarding age, about 55% were 19 or younger, while those in their 20s and 30s each comprised about 15%. This article focuses on summarizing the responses related to merchandise and events.

Over 90% Buy Goods! Acrylic Stands Are King

First off, when we asked “How much do you spend per month on your Oshikatsu?”, the most common answers were “Under 5,000 yen” and “Under 10,000 yen,” both tied at 30%.

Following that, “Under 1,000 yen” accounted for 15%, a figure likely influenced by the fact that the majority of our respondents were teenagers. On the flip side, three individuals reported spending “Over 50,000 yen,” showcasing a truly significant range in monthly Oshikatsu expenditure among fans.

When asked “What kind of Oshikatsu activities do you engage in?” (multiple answers allowed), “Purchasing goods” was the overwhelming favorite, with over 90% of respondents buying some form of fan merchandise. This was closely followed by “Watching anime/videos” at 80% and “Buying manga/books” at 70%, clearly indicating a strong and interconnected relationship between enjoying the original work and collecting its related goods.

“Participating in events” was chosen by 40%, predominantly by readers in their 20s and above who likely have more disposable income and flexibility. “Creating original goods” surprisingly stood at 15%. This isn’t just a creative outlet to express deep love for a series; some fans also commented, “I make them because official merchandise isn’t available for my oshi.”

As for the question “What kind of goods do you purchase?”, “Acrylic stands” took the top spot at a staggering 65%. Reasons for their popularity included heartfelt sentiments like “I want to feel my oshi’s presence around me by displaying them in my room” and “Just looking at them brings me healing.”

“Can badges” followed at 35%, and “keyholders” at 25%, indicating a preference for relatively affordable and easily obtainable items. However, respondents who spend over 50,000 yen a month mentioned needing large quantities of can badges for creating elaborate “ita-bags” (decorative bags covered entirely in merchandise) or investing substantial amounts to complete trading card sets. “Plushies” also received consistent support, with fans saying they “bring them along for seichi junrei” (pilgrimages to real-world locations that inspired anime settings) or “take photos with them on trips and post them on social media,” making them cherished travel companions.

Collaboration Cafes Reign Supreme for Events

For the question “What kind of events do you participate in?”, “Collaboration cafes” were the most popular at 20%. Teenagers, in particular, showed enthusiastic attendance, with many primarily motivated by the exclusive cafe-limited merchandise. “Live events” came in second at 15%, drawing mostly fans aged 20 and above due to the higher ticket costs. “Movie screenings” and “Pop-up shops” each garnered 12%.

In contrast, about 10% of fans reported not attending events at all. They cited various reasons, such as events not being held in their local area, making travel difficult, or simply a complete lack of events for their particular oshi.

Regarding “Event attendance frequency,” answers were closely split with “Once a year,” “Once every three months,” and “Once every six months” each at 20%. Some truly devoted fans even mentioned “attending live events every week” or “going to collaboration cafes every week if they can secure a reservation,” highlighting their unwavering dedication.

When asked “At what point do you consider an event to be an ‘ensei’ (expedition/travel)?”, “Crossing prefectural borders” and “Requiring an overnight stay” were almost equally chosen. There was a tendency to consider crossing prefectural borders as an ensei for collaboration cafes, while live events and doujinshi conventions were considered ensei if they necessitated an overnight stay.

Around Half of Fans Worry About Money

Regarding “Challenges in your Oshikatsu,” approximately 45% cited financial burden. Heartfelt comments included, “My heart and room get full, but my wallet gets empty…” and “Since I can’t spend much money, I can’t help but compare my Oshikatsu activities to others’.” With many fans buying goods, a lack of storage space also seems to be a common concern, as treasures accumulate faster than shelving allows!

Furthermore, many pointed out that “event venues are far away.” With events often concentrated in major metropolitan areas, particularly Tokyo, travel costs and time become significant burdens, frequently leading to missed opportunities due to scheduling conflicts or financial constraints.

Another common concern was “difficulty finding fellow Oshikatsu companions.” Some readers expressed a touch of loneliness, unable to share their joy with like-minded individuals because few people their age knew the work, or their only conversation partners were confined to online spaces.

When asked “Who is your Oshi?”, popular works like Kimetsu no Yaiba and Meitantei Conan stood out.

Key visual for Gekijouban Kimetsu no Yaiba Mugenjou Hen (Theatrical Version Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Mugenjou Arc) (C)Gotouge Koyoharu/Shueisha・Aniplex・ufotable

The strong popularity of Shuukan Shounen Jump titles such as Dr.STONE, BLEACH, and Boku no Hero Academia was also strikingly evident among the responses.

Key visual for Boku no Hero Academia FINAL SEASON (C)Horikoshi Kouhei/Shueisha・Boku no Hero Academia Production Committee

Other popular titles included Pocket Monsters, Go-Toubun no Hanayome, Tokidoki Bosotto Russia-go de Dereru Tonari no Alya-san, Mahou Shoujo ni Akogarete, Tamagotchi, and Chiikawa, showcasing a truly diverse range of beloved works. Beyond anime, the objects of affection for oshi were incredibly varied, extending to idols, VTubers, manga artists, sports players, Hollywood stars, and even historical figures like Sengoku period warlords.

Teaser visual for Tokidoki Bosotto Russia-go de Dereru Tonari no Alya-san Season 2 (C)Sunsunsun,Momoco/KADOKAWA/Alya-san Partners2

The responses to “How many oshi do you have (individuals or groups)?” also varied widely, from “1 person” to an impressive “over 100 people,” but the sweet spot for most fans was around “3 to 5 individuals/groups.”

This survey clearly revealed that people approach Oshikatsu in a fascinating variety of unique ways, each with their own passions and challenges. Thank you so much to everyone who cast their votes and shared their passionate feelings with us!

More Visuals from the World of Oshikatsu

Visual for Meitantei Conan Sekigan no Flashback (Detective Conan: The Flashback of the Single Eye) (C)2025 Aoyama Goushou/Meitantei Conan Production Committee

Teaser visual for Dr.STONE SCIENCE FUTURE Season 4 (C)Kome Studio・Boichi/Shueisha・Dr.STONE Production Committee

Key visual for BLEACH Sennen Kessen Hen -Soukoku Tan- (BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War Arc – The Conflict) 3rd Key Visual (C)Kubo Taito/Shueisha・TV Tokyo・dentsu・Pierrot

Visual for Pocket Monsters Mezase Pokemon Master (Pokemon: Aim to Be a Pokemon Master) (C)Nintendo･Creatures･GAME FREAK･TV Tokyo･ShoPro･JR Kikaku (C)Pokémon

Key visual for Go-Toubun no Hanayome* (The Quintessential Quintuplets*) (C)Haruba Negi・Kodansha/“Go-Toubun no Hanayome*” Production Committee

Visual for Mahou Shoujo ni Akogarete (Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka) (C)Ono Chuakihiro・Takeshobo/Mahou Shoujo ni Akogarete Production Committee

*This survey is part of a consciousness study concerning readers’ current interest and attention towards anime works and characters. The results are not intended to determine superiority or inferiority among any characters or works. We hope this article can serve as an opportunity for readers to discover new works and characters, or to further deepen their understanding and interest.

By Takahashi Katsunori

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