Why did things like anime and cosplay become a popular thing in the West?

Even in Japan anime was mostly aimed at infantile no-lifers as a form of escapism. Back then people would mock you and sometimes beat the shit out of you for even mentioning something of japanese origin. But now every second guy is acting like he's a hardcore anime fan, especially girls who treat it as a fashion accessory. Now it's an integral part of the modern internet, so many people are using anime avatars, lingo or are simply fetishizing japanese culture for no reason. Westerners are also preferring japanese products instead of supporting their own (entertainment, musical instruments, electronics, tech, cars etc).

Even sex industry and dating market is starting to imitate japanese model (rent-a-friend, people paying for interacting with girls, paywalled erotic content, vtubers, parasocial relationships, cuddle cafes, waifu holograms, advanced masturbation devices, sexbots etc) Even anonymous imageboards and virgin/neet epidemic (aka hikki) were originated in Japan (now they're inces in the west). Why do people suddenly become interested in something so foreign and obscure? Is Japan secretly the precursor of globohomo and mindless consumerism.