Manga and anime characters speak Malayalam, thanks to enthusiasts in Kerala

When Japanese Manga characters like Eren Jeagar Tanjiro speak Malayalam

Malappuram resident Aadil Muhammed, travelled eight hours to attend a meet-up for anime enthusiasts in Thiruvananthapuram. He was among 35 fans of anime who participated in the gathering held at Eve’s Coffee in May.

The popularity of Japanese graphic novels, animated movies and series has escalated as multiple anime-themed events have popped up across Kerala.

“Anime has a lot of reality for me. I see real faces instead of animated characters; they have been sources of motivation and have taught me valuable lessons of life,” says 18-year-old Aadil, who works in an ad agency.

Having attended similar meet-ups in Kochi, he was invited to the one in the capital city by Sahil S, founder of Shinigami Studios and organiser of the event. The event in May received enormous traction with registrations exhausting the stipulated number in a matter of days.

Sahil recalls that it was in his high-school years that he began to watch a popular anime series on the persuasion of a friend.

Initially, however, anime was often dismissed as ‘cartoon for grown ups’. It was during the pandemic that the narrative took a different turn. “Public receptivity towards new forms of entertainment improved greatly during the pandemic. People discarded their preconceptions and started watching and appreciating anime. Now, it has gone as far as to spark conversations about politics and society,” he contends.