One Piece, Dragon Ball and Pokemon anime icons take over Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade rocked a glimpse at anime's surging global fame as gigantic floats of iconic characters loved by Otakus rolled out in NYC.

Larger-than-life floats were a sight to behold at this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade where a swarming crowd gathered to make the most of the NYC event despite rain. The 98th edition of the annual Turkey Day celebrations saw enormous balloons of pop culture icons, including the animated avatars of Mickey Mouse, Kung Fu Panda, Spider-Man, Bluey, SpongeBob SquarePants, Minions, and more, making grand appearances. The rolled-out life-sized highlights of the day even included some showstopping and unforgettable features for anime enthusiasts.

Anime-themed floats of Monkey D Luffy, Pikachu and Goku from iconic Japanese TV shows were spotted soaring through NYC at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Anime floats at Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

Leading characters of classic anime titles, One Piece, Dragon Ball and Pokemon, were seen floating around, highlighting the significantly surging popularity of these shows.

According to official social media updates or accounts shared by parade-goers, at least three unparalleled anime protagonists were spotted at the Thanksgiving Day Parade. Dragon Ball’s Goku, One Piece’s Luffy and Pokemon’s Pikachu (alongside Eevee) became floating sensations at the Macy’s event, sparking joy in anime fans’ hearts.

Their balloon dimensions, according to BleedingCool.com, were as follows:

Goku in Super Saiyan form (Toei Animation): 70.5-feet long, 33-feet wide, 41.5-feet tall

Monkey D Luffy (Toei Animation): 43-feet long, 39-feet wide, 50-feet tall

Pikachu and Eevee in their Poke-ball-inspired sleigh (The Pokemon Company): 48-feet long, 23-feet wide, 34-feet tall

Future is looking good for anime

As per Screen Rant, Goku and Luffy’s attendance at the 2024 parade marks their eighth and second time at the New York City Thanksgiving celebrations.

With Japanese anime and manga establishing their dynamically ever-rising popularity in the zeitgeist of the 21st century, new-age protagonists from highly-demanded shows like Jujutsu Kaisen, Demon Slayer, Solo Leveling, Attack on Titan and more have entered the international mainstream discussions surrounding pop culture. Given the unstoppable love for this entertainment format, it wouldn’t be a shocker if more anime characters were to be brought out at the event in the future.