Japanese anime enjoys high recognition in Vietnam as well. Quite a few Vietnamese people begin learning Japanese or choose Japan as a destination for study or work because of anime. Admiration for anime characters runs so deep that some young people even want to marry Japanese partners—anime is firmly rooted in Vietnamese life.

So what Japanese anime do Vietnamese people like? We explain generational trends and the secrets behind their popularity.

Popular anime among Vietnamese people ①: Doraemon

The Japanese anime that took root earliest in Vietnam is Doraemon. It is a Japanese anime that everyone knows, regardless of age or generation.

Doraemon arrived in Vietnam in the 1990s

Doraemon first arrived in Vietnam in 1992. It was published by Kim Đồng Publishing House, which handles children's books in Vietnam. Because illustrated reading material had been relatively scarce in Vietnam, manga that children could enjoy visually became a huge hit. A distinctive feature is that volumes have fewer pages than in Japan and there are more volumes overall, so they can be finished quickly.

Many Doraemon-related products as well

Doraemon is a representative Japanese anime character known across generations in Vietnam. Vietnamese people hold positive images of Japan such as “high quality,” “safe and secure,” and “delicious.” As a result, Doraemon is sometimes treated as a symbol of Japan and used as a product image character. A well-known example is Doraemon tofu, which is always stocked at major supermarkets. The same company also sells Doraemon dorayaki, baby castella, choux ice cream, and more.

Popular anime among Vietnamese people ②: Detective Conan

When Vietnamese children reach the upper grades of elementary school, they graduate from Doraemon and become absorbed in Detective Conan.

Popular with Vietnamese girls in junior high and above

In Vietnam, Doraemon is somewhat of a nostalgic, child-oriented anime. Among Vietnamese people currently in junior high school and above—especially girls—Detective Conan is highly popular. The protagonist Shinichi Kudo appears both as a child and as a high school student, but the high school version is more established in Vietnam. Quite a few Vietnamese junior and senior high school students develop a kind of crush, thinking he is “cool!”

Conan movies are also released in theaters in Vietnam

In addition to manga and TV anime, Detective Conan movies are regularly released in theaters. The latest film, Detective Conan: The Scarlet Bullet, was released simultaneously in Japan and 22 countries worldwide in April 2021. Vietnam, where Conan is highly popular, was also among the simultaneous release countries. Originally scheduled for the 17th, the day after the Japan release, it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and ultimately opened on the 23rd.

Popular anime among Vietnamese people ③: ONE PIECE

Recently, the lineup of popular Japanese anime in Vietnam has been shifting. The former “big three” of Doraemon, Crayon Shin-chan, and Detective Conan are gradually giving way to a new generation of anime led by ONE PIECE.

Vietnamese translations have sped up

Until now, Vietnamese editions of manga tended to be released considerably later than in Japan. With ONE PIECE, however, the lag is only about two volumes—readers can enjoy it at almost the same time. The reason is the increase in Japanese language learners. Vietnam previously lacked enough people to translate Japanese manga. As more Vietnamese translators specializing in manga have emerged, publishing speed is said to have improved.

Many counterfeit ONE PIECE products also circulate

In Vietnam, large quantities of so-called counterfeit goods manufactured outside official channels are in circulation. ONE PIECE in particular has many fakes on the market—not only manga and DVDs but also stationery, posters, accessories, and more. Cosplay has recently become a boom in Vietnam, and ONE PIECE cosplay goods, though counterfeit, are easy to obtain.

Popular anime among Vietnamese people ④: Gintama

Combined with its Japanese period-drama-style setting, Gintama has captured the hearts of Vietnamese people above junior high school age.

Gintama is a gateway for anime otaku

Doraemon, Detective Conan, and ONE PIECE are national anime in Vietnam. Compared with those, Gintama has a somewhat more otaku feel. Vietnamese people who say “I love Gintama!” are likely well versed in Japanese anime, so they will probably keep up with more specialized manga and anime topics such as NARUTO, Kuroko’s Basketball, Haikyu!!, and Yuri!!! on ICE with a high degree of probability.

The live-action film version fueled the cosplay boom

Like ONE PIECE, Gintama is a staple cosplay theme. Cosplay events held across Vietnam draw highly polished Gintama cosplayers dressed in period-drama-style costumes. The live-action film Gintama, released in Japan in July 2017, also ignited Gintama cosplay fever in Vietnam. Gintama cosplay images have spread online, and today more Vietnamese people enjoy cosplay even without knowing the story.

Summary

More recently, with Netflix becoming available, further “otaku-ization” among Vietnamese people has advanced. Some are even well versed in Japanese anime that many Japanese people themselves do not know. Quite a few Vietnamese people have learned Japanese through anime, so bringing it up as a topic may spark more enthusiasm than you expect.