My only criticism of anime is there aren't a lot of black characters, but I could say the same thing about most media in America. The story lines relate to Africans everywhere and I think that's why anime is popular in the black community.
People need relief. Escapism is a good thing in small doses. Reality is unpleasant at times for black folks. It's nice to see a fictional character that black people identify with win. Dragon Ball Z is a great example. A planet of super beings is destroyed by some demonic cracker. The survivors are dispersed around the universe and are forced to awaken and conceal their true power.