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Showbiz

I Analyzed Megan Thee Stallion’s Discography To Find Every Single Anime Reference She Made In 2024, And They’re Even Better Than I Imagined

gcommunitytv@gmail.com18 hours ago020 mins

MEGAN!!! Drop another anime track and my life is YOURS.

The Texas-born rapper and singer has been a self-proclaimed “weeb” – AKA a major anime fan – since she hopped on the scene. In fact, she’s been advocating for nerd rights since high school.

Megan Thee Stallion poses on the red carpet, wearing a stylish black outfit and showcasing long, multicolored nails with elegant jewelry

And luckily for anime fans, the Hot Girl Coach didn’t shy away from nerding out in so many of her new releases last year.

Megan Thee Stallion in strapless black dress on a red carpet making a fashion statement with sleek bob hairstyle and dramatic makeup

Before Megan dropped, her single “HISS” made headlines after she seemingly dissed others in the industry with her infamous “Megan’s Law” line. But amidst all the drama, you might have missed Megan’s anime reference in the music video and on her socials — specifically, to the 2014 series Tokyo Ghoul.

Megan Thee Stallion in a sheer, fitted dress stands between mirrors, creating multiple reflections. They wear statement earrings and silky pants

In the “HISS” music video, Meg is sporting a white hairdo — just like the protagonist of Tokyo Ghoul, Kaneki Ken. Megan herself made the connection to the character on Instagram just before the song’s release.

Megan Thee Stallion with white hair wearing a bejeweled top and layered jewelry, posing with a bold expression, in a celebrity feature setting

“Remember when Kaneki really turned into KANEKI … yeah thats how i feel lol,” Megan wrote in an Instagram caption.

Megan Thee Stallion wearing a stylish, asymmetrical top with embellishments, poses dramatically against a contrasting background

And if you’re a fan of Tokyo Ghoul, you might have spotted another subtle reference in the “HISS” music video — Megan’s half-and-half look, which could be a nod to how Kaneki is half-human, half-ghoul.

Megan Thee Stallion in two-tone outfit stands confidently against a half-red, half-white background with a circular design on the red side

In May 2024, Meg announced “BOA” — the last single before the release of her third album. And fans instantly caught on to the anime references, both in Meg’s outfits and in the title of the song itself.

A static-filled TV screen shows a pixelated figure holding an object, in a room with a lamp and speakers nearby

The tagline in the “BOA” promos reads, “Curse of the serpent woman.”

Person in a vintage computer room, playing a video game on a CRT monitor. Multiple screens and retro gaming setup are visible

In the music video, Meg sports Boa Hancock’s iconic hime-haircut, along with her snake staff. She even proves lethal to the other characters in the video, which seems pretty in line with Boa Hancock and her ruthless leadership as a Warlord.

Animated character in a fighting stance with long hair and wearing a revealing outfit, set against a dynamic, action-packed background

And this may be a stretch… but was that an Ace reference?

Megan Thee Stallion in futuristic, asymmetric clothing is seen through a hole she just blasted in someone. She holds a white, snake-like accessory, evoking a stylish, avant-garde vibe

As soon as the Megan tracklist dropped, fans were instantly buzzing about the possibilities for Track 7. But releasing “Otaku Hot Girl” didn’t come without its challenges.

Megan Thee Stallion on stage wearing a futuristic cut-out bodysuit with knee-high boots, holding a microphone

Before the album’s release, Megan told her fans that she had an exciting anime sample for the track. But later, in an Instagram Live before a performance in Dallas, she shared that she had run into some trouble.

Performer on stage wearing a sparkling fringe outfit and tall orange boots, posing confidently with hands behind head

She explained that an unnamed production company had asked her to rerecord the track on the Tuesday before the album’s Friday release. The production company reportedly had originally cleared Megan to use both a sample from the soundtrack as well as character names, but made a last-minute decision and told Megan to either remove the character names from the songs or scrap the sample completely.

Performer on stage, in a sparkling outfit, holding a microphone, captured in an energetic moment during their performance

But when the album dropped on June 28, fans realized that “Otaku Hot Girl” had both an anime sample, and was FULL of character names. Thankfully, the production company had rescinded their decision, and fans were able to hear the record as Meg intended.

Megan Thee Stallion performing on stage in a detailed, shimmering outfit with intricate designs, captured in a dynamic and expressive moment

“Otaku Hot Girl” did NOT disappoint with the references. The main show referenced is 2020 hit Jujutsu Kaisen (JJK) — and not only did Megan sample the soundtrack, she also managed to get the protagonist’s voice actor to hop on the song.

Person in a fur hooded coat and crop top examines a shelf of figurines in a store, holding a phone. Cartoon graphics are on the image

Itadori Yuuji — JJK’s protagonist — is known by many for his iconic moment when he’s asked about his type in girls. In “Otaku Hot Girl,” dub voice actor Adam McArthur says the memorable line… with a twist. “I like a tall woman with a nice big ass… Like Grammy-winner Megan Thee Stallion.”

Megan Thee Stallion on stage, wearing a unique, wrapped outfit, dancing energetically with backup dancers

In the song, Meg raps, “Can’t touch me, like Gojo,” and “White wig on, I’m finna go Gojo,” which are perfect references to the show’s most popular character, Gojo Satoru. He’s known for his shock of white hair and his “Infinity” technique that makes him quite literally untouchable.

Megan Thee Stallion posing in sleek, long-sleeve outfit with sunglasses and long hair, giving a playful expression and gesture

“Fighting demons in my head like I’m Itadori” and “…bow down when I pop out like Sukuna” are both references to Itadori Yuuji and the spirit he’s possessed by — King of Curses, Ryomen Sukuna — who has a tendency to “pop out” when Yuuji’s not expecting it.

Megan Thee Stallion on stage at an event, wearing a strapless, fitted gown with a dramatic skirt. Audience cheering in the background

The song’s final JJK reference sees Meg mentioning the most powerful JJK technique: “cause he wanna get caught in my Domain Expansion.” Usually, you wouldn’t want to be caught in anyone’s Domain Expansion, but for Meg? I wouldn’t mind.

Person wearing a form-fitting, patriotic-themed bodysuit and white heels, dancing in front of a cheering crowd on stage

While those are all the JJK references in “Otaku Hot Girl,” the song also sees Megan return to her Naruto roots, with a couple of incredible bars. “I’m not finna argue with a Sasuke avi. Incel mad I’m a weeb and a baddie,” she raps.

Megan Thee Stallion in a red and black striped outfit performs on stage, holding a microphone

“Couldn’t be like me with a Sasuke Sharingan,” Meg declares, referencing Sasuke’s Sharingan technique of being able to copy any jutsu. And then my personal favorite: “Sexy jutsu, feel like Naruto,” where she references the wild-fox protagonist himself.

Megan Thee Stallion in an elegant strapless gown with a thigh-high slit, holding a small handbag, posing confidently

And it’s not just in Meg’s album releases that she has referenced her favourite shows; she also made several references in some of her most iconic collabs.

Megan Thee Stallion on the red carpet wearing a glamorous, deep purple halter gown with a plunging neckline, posing with an outstretched arm

In April, Megan hopped on a track with everybody’s favourite Memphis born rising star – Glorilla. And Meg’s verse featured a bar that had fans talking.

Megan Thee Stallion posing on a large table in a formal room, wearing a bikini with confidence and style

“I’m the female titan, I’m steppin’ on bitches. I’m showin’ my titties, I tore up the city.”

Megan Thee Stallion poses in striking fashion: long white hair, sunglasses, black leather top and shorts, holding open books, exuding a bold, confident style

And the final music reference I spotted in 2024 came from Meg’s collab with BTS’s RM in their track “Neva Play.” As many of the Meg/BTS collabs do, this one went viral on social media, but did you spot the DBZ reference?

Megan Thee Stallion in glossy, strappy outfit winks dramatically

“Blue hair like Bulma, big Chi-Chi’s.”

Animated character of Megan Thee Stallion with blue hair performs on stage, raising one hand. They wear a futuristic, revealing outfit and tall boots amidst glowing lights

And in the semi-animated music video, Meg fires off Dragon Ball protagonist Goku‘s signature finishing technique – the Kamehameha.

Megan Thee Stallion on stage kneels with a dramatic gesture, creating a vibrant visual effect. The setting is dynamic, evoking a sense of energy and theatrics

She also showed out as Gojo at the Crunchyroll Awards, which was perfect as she announced the winner of Anime of the Year — which of course, went to JJK Season 2.

Megan Thee Stallion on stage wearing a leather outfit, performing energetically under bright stage lights

And as well as the JJBA girlies (and Bruno) she made sure to pay homage to Thee Magical Girls as well, exploring Amsterdam dressed as Sailor Moon, as well as strutting around Seoul in a pair of Sailor Moon Jimmy Choos (I’m not jealous at aaaalll).

Megan Thee Stallion in a stylized, edgy outfit with a heart and butterfly design, walking on a city street with bicycles and buildings in the background

There’s nothing I enjoy more than seeing Meg authentically nerd out. I love that she never shies away from showing off her interests. I can’t wait to see what 2025 brings for her.

Megan Thee Stallion in a store holding a plush toy, surrounded by various gaming merchandise. They appear surprised or excited

My personal favourite anime reference Meg made this year? Thanks for asking! It’s gotta be “BOA” – the hair, the snakes. She’s so major. LMK yours in the comments below.

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