culture One of the fondest childhood memories of Melvin Mathew, a city-based journalist and anime enthusiast, is watching Pokémon on Animax India channel. “I would then draw the characters in my notebook”, he says. This was, of course, in the heydays of one of the most enduring anime shows globally, before the art form itself became a cultural phenomenon.
A lot has changed since then. Popularly known for its vibrant style and captivating stories, anime has found a strong fanbase in Bengaluru, after years of being in the shadows of fringe subculture. The credit, in part, goes to the ease of internet access and more significantly, streaming platforms abound with a massive catalogue of Japanese titles and live-action adaptations of graphic lores, or manga.
What was once considered a ‘kids’ genre’ has now found itself creeping into the mainstream, with many finding comfort in the folklore fantasyland, and others in the minutiae of everyday life, captured in striking visuals. The premiere of Jungle Book Shonen Mowgli in 1993 on Doordarshan marked the introduction to anime for many, although dubbed versions of popular shows like Pokémon and Dragon Ball Z had a more significant influence, spanning years. As the internet started taking over cable television, an array of shows and movies were made available to fans here, and with that were born several fandoms and communities for Bengalureans to connect with fellow anime enthusiasts and discover new titles.
The Bangalore.