Im sure anyone born or lived in the 90s, 80s, or 70s have watched many animes or some. Many have roots in the live action craze in 1971 when Kamen Rider was made. Ultraman in 1967 helped as well along with Godzilla. Now what if Shotaro Ishimonori creator of Kamen Rider and Eiji Tsurabaya, creator of Godzilla and Ultraman were killed in World War 2? And what would pop-culture in France and Brazil be like (they love Japanese shows)
Interesting tidbit: One of Ishiminoris productions, Kikaider, had a villain called Hakaider who was cited as a Darth Vader inspiration!