Grok’s popularity surges in Japan after anime-style AI companion goes viral
Grok has reached the number one spot on Japan’s App Store after introducing a newanime-inspired AI companioncalled Ani.
The chatbot, developed byElon Musk, saw a dramatic surge in downloads following its July 14 update, which added a new “Companions” feature. Ani, a fully voiced 3D anime girl, has quickly become a standout sensation, captivating fans with her gothic fashion, expressive animations, and multilingual functionality.
As you can imagine, her debut has sparked a wave of attention across social media platforms like X, Reddit, and Douyin, with fans sharing screen recordings, memes, andcomparisons to classic anime characters.
The sudden boost in popularity propelled Grok to the top of Japan’s App Store rankings, where it continues to prove a hit amongst fans.
Grok skyrockets up Japanese App Store charts
Following Ani’s release on July 14, Grok shot up to the top of the Japanese App Store charts, but has since settled into second place, just below ChatGPT (as of July 17). This is still a huge jump, asdata from Sensor Towerreveals that Grok was originally the seventh most downloaded app the day before Ani’s release.
Originally positioned as a direct rival to GPT, Grok has shifted gears in recent days by leaning into anime culture and design. Ani’s rapid rise follows the release of Grok 4, the latest version of the model, and the launch of SuperGrok Heavy, a premium $300 per month subscription tier.
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Behind the scenes, xAI (the company behind Grok) appears to be investing heavily in its anime theme. In fact, the company iscurrently hiring engineers to build more anime-style companions, offering salaries up to $440,000. That’s a lot of money to help design virtual waifus!
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Grok’s sudden dominance in Japan highlights the growing demand for AI companions that go beyond text. Whether it’s a passing trend or the start of something bigger, one thing is clear: waifus sell.
Just don’t make the same mistake I did, and search Twitter for viral Ani posts during work hours, you too could be having a difficult discussion with your boss…
