When Japanese Anime Inspired a Subculture in India
The number of anime enthusiasts in India is fast growing, all the way from Aizawl to New Delhi and Bangalore.
Much like Japan, there are plenty of otakus in India too – young, confused people obsessed with computers and pop culture. And much like their Japanese counterparts, Indian otakus too have come to regard anime subculture as a strong part of their identity.
Beyond Borders
Anamika Rathore loves anime, manga and, in her own words, “everything Japanese”. To her, cosplay is a respite from her daily, hectic life as a technology professional. She also believes that anime and manga are the most beautiful things that could happen to her.
Anamika isn’t alone. There are many young men and women like her.
Japan in Nagaland, a documentary by Hemant Gaba explores Nagaland’s craze for Japanese anime in more detail.
The craze for Japanese anime isn’t restricted geographically. Anime Con, an annual anime convention that was started in 2010 in New Delhi, has grown into one of the biggest celebrations of pop culture, anime, manga and gaming in India. The convention finished its fifth edition in October last year.
Among anime enthusiasts, some cosplay looks are more popular than others; a hot favourite among women is the Misa look, which is characterised by knee-length dresses, high stockings, and dark make-up.
Much of the anime movement has its roots in Japanese manga comics. By the 20th century, manga comics and cartooning became a household fascination among the Japanese. And as with all things that go digital, after the comics were converted into animation, anime’s popularity shot up and it evolved into an international sub-culture.
Back in India, anime fans stay connected and try to improve their Japanese street cred through Internet forums and Facebook groups like Animestan and Animeindia. They regularly host cosplaying events, trade anime merchandise and even create anime music videos.
Many anime fans in India started off by watching the all-anime channel, Animax, the anime block on AXN, and Toonami on Cartoon Network. Now they download the latest series and songs on Internet.
Anime cinema and TV series are often misunderstood as featuring just “a bunch of Japanese kids with swords”, but the genre also houses high school romances (Whisper of the Heart), and even discusses socio-political issues (Akira) in equal measure. However, it is the former that is more popular internationally.
Language is no bar in anime; subtitles are a loyal companion. In fact, anime lovers try to retain as much Japanese flavour as possible. Purists go by the dictum,“Thou Shall Not Dub.”
Despite an alien culture and the language barrier, Indians who are loyal fans of anime like it for its interesting plots, multi-layered characters and of course its great animation. They believe that anime culture, although indigenous to the Japanese, is also universal – in that, its stories when supplanted into any other culture would still resonate with audiences, Orient or no Orient.
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