Watching shows on TV is an ever-changing pastime for Americans. With shows like Grey’s Anatomy and NCIS seeming like they have been airing for ages, the available choices are plentiful. However, America classifies some shows as greater than others with yearly demand. 2020 was highlighted by Grey’s Anatomy, Criminal Minds and The Office, but you may be surprised to see what’s changed in 2021.

According to bleedingcool.com, a website that releases news and rumors regarding TV shows/comics, the third most demanded show so far in 2021 is none other than Spongebob Squarepants. Taking place in Bikini Bottom, Spongebob’s journeys with his best friend Patrick star are an all-time classic. While the show has not been renewed by Nickelodeon since 2019, all 12 seasons are still aired on the channel and some are also available on Amazon Prime. Since a large part of TV watchers is composed of the younger ages, Spongebob has managed to maintain high ratings for nearly two decades, and it is not surprising to see it as a high demand show for another year.

The second most demanded show in the US so far this year is something unexpected. The genre of anime, animated films originating from Japan, has recently had a growth spike in viewership. According to comicbook.com anime’s recent resurgence in popularity has actually been a trend since 2014, with the number of viewers steadily increasing and platforms like funimation and even Netflix agreeing to air anime shows. 

So which anime has created so much buzz to be ranked second in the list? The answer is Attack On Titan. The tale of Eren Yeager, an aspiring soldier for an association known as the Survey Corps, vows to defeat the Titans that are terrorizing his city. He trains for that goal along with his best friends Mikasa Ackermann and Armin Arlett, but has to face the cruel and complex reality about the Titans’ origins and goals as he tries to defeat their species. The show is currently in its fifth season with 74 episodes out in total, and it can be watched on one of the biggest anime platforms: Crunchyroll. “Aside from it’s great plot, Attack On Titan’s complex characters and countless plot twists make the show pleasing to watch,” senior Matias De Rosa said.

Finally, the show with the largest demand rating is Cobra Kai. Unlike Spongebob and like Attack on Titan, this show was recently made and it debuted in 2018. Based on the movie Karate Kid, Johnny Lawrence finds himself in his 50s working as a handyman when he rescues a bullied kid named Miguel. That event gave him a spark to get his life together, and he decided to restart the Cobra Kai dojo. The newest season has been airing on Netflix since the beginning of January and has everyone talking about the return of a childhood hero.