User blog comment:Weavillain/POLL: Is the "Waifu Factor" an Essential Reason Behind the Show's Sucess?/@comment-32799780-20170927092433

No way. In fact, I can't think of any ​instance where waifu factor is a direct cause of popularity. It's the story and characters (and gameplay, in case of video games) that first draw people towards a peice of media, and waifus/husbandos are just a natural by-product of people enjoying that particular work.