Yup, we also have to keep in mind that Japan's culture is reflected in their media, so their competitive school and work culture work leads to anime and manga t

Yup, we also have to keep in mind that Japan's culture is reflected in their media, so their competitive school and work culture work leads to anime and manga that give people an escape from reality and makes them feel good. And that's why anime is so popular, everyone experiences the same types of stressors an average Japanese person would have (although maybe not to the same degree).