Not sure how many of you here are fans of anime, but I personally found this article pretty interesting being a fan of many anime myself.

http://www.techshout.com/features/2007/10/...by-the-channel/

I personally like to see Indians are opening up to foreign cultures like this, and hopefully we'll be inspired to some more mature Indian based/made animation (much like how in a previous thread "Indian" comics were being made).

Does this make India the last country in the world to accept anime? Even South Americans did it a long time ago.

I like 3 animes:

-- Cowboy Bebop
-- Ranma 1/2
-- Crayon Shinchan


Of those three, I know that Crayon Shinchan has been airing in India for some time now on Hungama TV....same with Doreamon and others. AXN channel in India also broadcasts anime from time to time....same with Cartoon Network.

Common people in India are too obssessed with Bollywood and television melodramas to take notice of animated shows/films. On the other hand, there have always been many Indian anime fans in the West. With the Animax channel launching in India a few years ago, the country itself should have a niche anime market by now.

Cowboy Bebop is class, I also recommend checking out Samurai Champloo Tenj.

I'm guessing that anime in India is like in most places outside of Japan tbh

I think anime is crap, and will never take hold in India!

Ah, ok....I'll definitely check it out. I've heard of it before but I've never actually seen Samurai Champloo.

A lot of the animes in India have been localized to appeal to the regional audiences. Usually they are dubbed in Hindi or in English and are broadcast as regualr cartoons (rather than being given an anime disctinction).



Otaku are annoying......but Anime itself isn't so bad.....lol

Agreed. There are some artistic ones but they tend to be shorter.

Why do you say that?


It depends on what you mean by artistic. Some of the longer anime series also contain darker artistic or postmodern themes, such as Rurouni Kenshin, Trigun, Death Note, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, Gantz, etc.

Hey, this is quite interesting if you ask me. Finally I want there to be more variety instead of all just the white and east asian otakus I see all the time. Never thought I'd see this thread get created so I just jumped in when I saw that someone made it. Indian anime fans, interesting, never have seen one myself.
Ties between Japan and India are also steadily growing as well, perhaps we'll see more Japanese getting interested in Bollywood flicks?

When I had gone to visit India in June 2006, I had the chance to watch Cartoon Network and Animax. Got to watch on Cartoon Network like Hindi dubbed Pokemon and One Piece and Animax was in all English. The Inuyasha English dub they showed on Animax is different from the North American English dub, different and refreshing. The Hindi dubs for the animes were very good as well.

Actually, otakus are not desireable people. I used to take Japanese back in High School and my class was filled with them. They were soooooo annoying!!!!!

May I ask why you took Japanese? As I stated, I have really only had experience with East Asian and white otakus, 98% of the East Asians being Vietnamese. The Vietnamese otakus were not annoying at all, perfectly reasonable sane people, normal in fact. It was only the white ones that were so fu-king rabid, disgusting, annoying as fu-k, always spouting kawaii or baka or neko or whatever. Trying not to be racist here, but eh.
Tenji, I'm gonna guess that everyone in your Japanese class except for you was basically white am I right?
I bet everyone joined that class just to watch anime without dubs or subs or read imported manga, videogames, etc. Its a shame now that nobody wishes to learn the language for more higher pursuits don' t you? Its only learned because of Japan's soft/pop-culture.
Why is your username Japanese again?

Does Luffy sound like a little kid in the Hindi dub of One Piece? That was the one thing that put me off from watching the English dub of One Piece. The original Japanese dub is usually always better.


I was thinking of taking a Japanese class just for anime and videogames, but didn't see any point if there are already fansubs being made. I did pick up some Japanese from watching anime though.

i don't think i've ever met an indian otaku

Then you should meet Rahul.

In high school we are required to learn a foreign language. We have a choice between Spanish, German, French and Japanese. I didn't really care much for German or French (since I can't use either language) but did like Spanish and Japanese. So, I singed up for Spanish.

I enjoyed Spanish very much, but disagreed with the teacher. So, I switched to Japanese. Hence the reason I took Japanese.

My class was indeed primarily filled with white kids who read manga, watched anime and acted stupid. You are correct. But my dislike for otaku is primarily due to their obsessive nature (some of which borders on asiaphilia).

My username is Japanese simply because I was looking for a catchy name and this one seemed to fit the bill. It actually means "Masterless Indian Samurai", but the meaning has no connection to me (other than the Indian part). I just like cool sounding names. Guilty as charged.

as a Japanese person I can say honestly that all Otaku, Asian, white, black whatever are all equally assholes, even Japanese otaku lol you don't honestly think we consider them NORMAL in Japan do you? lol they get beat up in school and stuff all the time, well they may not be 500000000000000000000 pounds overweight like white otaku, they are still fu-king retarded.

Which nazi schools require a foreign language?

I grew up in the Seattle Area. All the districts here require it.....lol

Haha, Canada is so glorious, health care, no evil government and no naziness. Life is fantastic.

after my girlfriend made me watch densha otoko I never want anything to do with animu or manga or anyother gaylord activities.

Britain requires it. My school forced me to study French. Although I only knew a couple of phrases in French, my French teacher thought I sounded like a native Frenchman.


That's not an anime.

i like anime

I think it portrayed atleast how a lot of anime geeks I've met.

You should watch NHK ni Yokoso (Welcome to the NHK) if you want more insight into the Otaku mind and why they behave so differently to ordinary people.

I doubt Japanese anime will ever become a part of Indian popular culture, but chances are it will maintain a fairly strong niche following, much in the same way it has done in the West.

Anime isn't particularly crap, but it's been stereotyped to have become perceived in a certain way. During the 90s the perception was it was all violence, gore and sex and nowerdays it's edged more to being viewed as crazy nonsensical "Japanese weirdness".

However, anime in general has great variety and is comparable to movies, where there's genres for everyone, from Romantic comedies to horror, and action shows to arthouse work.

If there is one anime that personally left a very strong impression on me, it's Neon Genesis Evangelion, which is basically a show about children who pilot giant robots to save the planet from giant monsters called Angels. underneath this rather vague and ridiculous description I've given, is a show that has gone into incredible depth about the human psyche, religion, philosophy, politics and art.

Finally about otaku. For those who are seemingly lost as to what the discussion is, otaku are basically geeks who are considered socially inept. I guess they're the equivalent of comic book geeks in the west, whose social skills are poor, with their greatest desires in life being obsessive over their favourite show/comic and collecting merchandise. Personally, I've only seen/met a couple of "otaku", and can't really say much, as I never talked to them much.

do magic card geeks count as otaku's?

Your more of an otaku than I am, trust me. If anything, I'm a laptop and videogame otaku. I don't watch anime anymore, I'm just addicted to videogames and laptops, especially ultraportable laptops. Mmmm, yummy. What makes you think I'm an anime otaku Jagger? Seriously, in my whole lifetime, I've only watched a bit and it keeps decreasing and I've only like shows from the 90s, I hate the stuff created in this decade, the new school stuff.

Nope. Otakus are strictly limited to manga and anime freaks.

Otaku technically means an enthusiant/geek. So you can be a computer, Dungeons and Dragons, Star Wars, etc. otaku.
But we generally think of it as pertaining to those obsessed with anime, manga, J-pop, Japanese videogames, building Gundam models, etc since its a Japanese term.

I used to play that in High School and live action RPG's

You're the closest thing to an Indian otaku on AF. I'm not Indian, so I don't count.

I don't really think there are any Indian otakus here lol

I'm yet to meet a proper Indian otaku, I've only actually met white ones.

Also saw a tiny bit of a hanuman cartoon on tv today, looked a little old tbh.

Hanuman anime? Only Japanese animations count as "anime".

Was it the Ramayan one? I think I have a VCD of that one. It actually had pretty good production values for an anime made in 1990. By today's standards its probably dated though....lol


Well, in Japan, the term "anime" refers to cartoons in general. Outside of Japan its used primarily to distinguish Japanese cartoons (or cartoons made in the Japanese style) from others.

In the case of the Hanuman anime, if its the one I think it is, it would still count as anime since it was a joint venture between Japanese and Indian animation firms and was drawn in the anime style....

depends on your definition of anime, but anyway it didn't look like Japanese anime, just a normal animated cartoon.

Actually, having done a search on google, there's a chance it could have been the 2005 movie. I can't be sure, I saw it for about 2-3 seconds as I was going out the house to fix the radio in my car.

By the way, anyone know if the author of the videogame webcomic, VG Cats, Scott Ramsoomair is Indian? I think in his email to me, he said he was west indian?

Well guys i think i should clear your thoughts about otakus.

First of all otaku means fanatic of something. For example if your are a fan of anime that means your an anime otaku. And if you are a fan of indian girls that means your are an indian girl otaku.

Second, not all otaku are weirdos and geek looking. I came from Malaysia. Majority otakus here are chinese. And they look cool with their spiky hair and chics do dig on them.

Third. I am indian and i am a otaku. But thats doesnt mean i have some anime as my wallpaper or dumping my room with figuras or anime posters. currently my wallpaper is genelia di souza. So i am an otaku but i dont act nerdy. ( let just say not many indians here are anime otaku here. but many are tech otakus and i am one of them)

fourth, only japanese made animation is worth calling anime. But dont rush and calling the hanuman show cartoon. It is under the animation category. So any animation made by non japanese it must be called animation. The difference between animation and cartoon is animation has a strong story line and cartoons well let just say they just want to convey comedy. for example, tom and jerry is a cartoon because i have seen tom hitting jerry with many things that might kill even an elephant. and still jerry is there for tomorrow's show

Ok if anyone still have doubts about this topic. just ask me. I dont have a phd on this. But i know a little bit of anime

kkdkckrl anime is not crap. (well certain anime show worth calling it crap or cow dung). but most of it is fun to watch. Just like bollywood dramas they just animated dramas. Maybe you detest animation and thinks that for kids

You must choose your first anime carefully. If you like action pack anime or a little childish. Well i have a long list of it. But i dont think so you are that type of person. i suggest your go to more mature type of anime. I highly recommend honey and clover. it is the best series and the manga(comic in english) won the prestigous kodansha(not sure the spelling right) award. So watch it.

You can discuss this even more detail in animesuki.com or any anime sites

In Japan, otaku (within specific context) refers exclusively to those obsessed with anime/manga. It does not apply to people obsessed (or simply enthusiastic) with other items/people/etc. "Enthusiast" on the other hand is denoted by other terms such as 'aikousha' and generally does not carry with it a negative connotation the way that otaku does. No self respecting Japanese person will ever refer to themselves as an 'otaku' with pride.

Also, in Japan, any cartoon (including Tom & Jerry) is called anime. Similarily, any comic is called manga. There is no specification between high end and low end cartoons. The whole "anime-as-a-seperate-category" thing was started by western retailers in an effort to distinguish Japanese made cartoons from American made ones. No such distinction exists in Japan. Similarily, no distinction exists between cartoons and animation as cartoons are a part of animation. Even anime has the same type of nonsensical things as a Tom & Jerry cartoon does, such as the ever present "hammerspace" (where characters are able to pull out mallets and other things out of no where and hit other with them).

It depends on what kind of anime series it is, since anime films/series are as diverse as live-action films/series. But if it's a light-hearted anime like Love Hina, then I agree. Keitaro can manage far more punishment than even the Tom & Jerry cartoons.

Well thanks for correcting my mistake. Well my facts based on
American based fansite. So forgive me. It's good to have a japanese expert like you in the forum. Anyway i love anime.

^^ welcome to AF



hmm, I think that's what Tenji meant, that there's the possibility you will find very comical events taking place in anime as well as the serious, which is precisely why all animation and cartoons are called anime. Anime is a term to describe the medium, rather than content.

Love Hina was ok, it was funny but I don't see why it's considered any greater than pretty much any other harem show tbh.

Last night I finished watching Maison Ikkoku (well, the 96 episode tv series, yet to see OVA and movie). Not normally into romantic comedies, especially those that are cheesy and formulaic, but this show is an exception for me, as character development was excellent and the comedy was well handled, but when serious the subtle and more sensitive moments were highly emotional.

There are many harem shows inspired by Love Hina these days, but it was fresh and entertaining when it first came out back in 2000. I've only watched a dozen or so episodes of Maison Ikkoku. It seems similar to Kimagure Orange Road (since they were both from the 80s), but I prefer Kimagure.

I think Hana Yori Dango and Fruits Baskets might be good for a South Asian audience. They have some of that Bollywood-ish melodrama in them. Even my Bollywood-loving and anime-hating sisters liked them. A few anime also had Indian characters in leading roles like RG Veda, Revolutionary Girl Utena, Hellsing, Turn A Gundam, and Kama Sutra, and so did a few manga books like Buddha, Waltz in a White Dress, and Magnolia Waltz.

True that Love Hina inspired a lot, but I don't think it was particularly fresh in 2000. I mean Ah! My Goddess and Tenchi Muyo are also popular harem shows (both better imo) which predate Love Hina. Don't get me wrong, I like Love Hina, just don't think it's a classic as people suggest. I never really knew much about Kimagure, but it looks pretty interesting. Might give it a try.

Fruits Basket I think is generally approachable for any audience (not just South Asian), as many of the themes and the comedy is pretty universal. Of the anime you mentioned, do they really all have Indian lead characters? I mean, Revolutionary Girl Utena has a dark skinned (pretty obviously Indian) girl who is apparently an alien, but I don't remember any in say Hellsing (and others like RG Veda seem more influenced by Indian culture rather than having Indian characters).

I want to read Buddha a lot actually, has had great reviews.

Ah My Goddess and Tenchi Muyo are good but I still prefer Love Hina. It was fresh in subtle ways, especially the way the male lead gets treated by the girls (i.e. the punishment and torture), and the bizarre and often ridiculous situations (well AMG and Tenchi were ridiculous too in some ways). I guess it's just a matter of taste.

I've only seen a few episodes of Revolutionary Girl Utena but I read that the girl with dark skin and her older brother are Indians. The tanned-looking female leader of the Hellsing organization in Hellsing is an Anglo-Indian. RG Veda looks like it's set in ancient India or maybe an Indian-themed fantasy land. Kama Sutra is obviously a hentai in case you haven't guessed. Waltz in a White Dress and Magnolia Waltz are shoujo manga with an Indian male lead and are partly based on the Indian Independance Movement. The hero's ethnicity in Turn A Gundam is unknown but Gundam fans speculate he might be South Asian.

I haven't read the Buddha manga yet but read some good reviews which claim it to be Tezuku Ozuma's (the father of manga and anime) last and greatest epic. I wonder if there'll ever be an anime adaptation of Buddha?

Well, each to their own I guess. Tenchi was always a personal favourite for me as it was probably the first of that genre I actually watched.

I actually plan on watching the latest Ah!My goddess tv series soon, which is meant to be pretty good. Though before that I want to watch Last Exile, which is more serious and thought provoking.

I must say I'm going to get the Evangelion series with the director's cut, which is pretty exciting. I really love the work of Hideaki Anno as he has done some of my favourite shows, including Evangelion, Kare Kano (excellent romantic comedy/drama), Nadia: Secret of Blue Water (loosely based on Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea) and Gunbuster (a sci-fi drama).



hmm, ok quick rundown...

Utena - dark skin girl is obviously Indian (though is never explicitly called Indian I think).
Hellsing - I wouldn't say the character you refer to important (leading).
RG Veda - I can't remember much about it now, but it's based loosely on Rigveda, not sure it has Indian characters though.
Kama Sutra - Does it have an Indian character?

I'm surprised you didn't mention Nadia actually, as it has Captain Nemo and Nadia who are both argubly of Indian origin.

One thing about anime is it's not necessarily locked in any culture as such, which I've been reading about lately in a book I was given for my birthday. The characters usually don't have a look that usually specifically match people of any origin (for example, our assumptions about who's Indian is mostly just based on skin colour and possibly dress sense). This is one reason why anime/manga is so appealing at a universal level.



I hope so, would love to see it.

Tenchi was the first harem show I also watched, but found it repetitive with the same story being told again with each season.

I've watched a couple of episodes of the recent Ah! My Goddess TV series and I think it's better than the old OVA series (which was just too short).

I hated the ending of Evangelion when I first saw it in my early teens, but now appreciate the ending more after watching other postmodern anime and playing a few postmodern games (especially Metal Gear Solid 2). I've only seen the first episode of Kare Kano but it seems funny. I watched Nadia years ago and loved it but stopped half way for some reason. I haven't seen the original Gunbuster but seen the recent Gunbuster 2, is it better or worse?


Revolutionary Girl Utena - Anthy and her brother Akio both have bindi dots and the series apparently has quite a few references to India (although I've only seen a few episodes quite long ago). The mangaka of the series, Chiho Saito, often has leading Indian and Arabian characters in her other works aswell.
Hellsing - Integra Hellsing (who is Anglo-Indian) is the female lead in the original Hellsing manga, while Seras Victoria is the female lead in the anime adaptation.
RG Veda - Like I said, it might be set in another fictional world based on Indian culture. In that case, the characters could really be any ethnicity.
Kama Sutra - Yes, it's an old hentai about an Indian princess, but it's not worth bothering with even if you're a hentai fan.

I almost forgot about Nadia, but I heard Nadia is supposed to be from Africa? It's very likely that Captain Nemo is Indian, since he was Indian in the original novel of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, but I'm not sure if he's related to Nadia?

It's true that it doesn't matter where anime characters are from, they all look the same except for the skin colour and the way they dress, which is what gives anime characters a universal appeal. But what I have noticed about South Asian characters is that they always seem to have a stereotypical bindi on their forehead, like in Gundam, Code Geass, Utena, Love Hina, etc.

I guess it depends which Tenchi you're talking about. The original OVA was an all time classic, but then the series was made and it lost purpose. Tenchi in Universe is ok, but was too similar to the original series and Tenchi in Tokyo was just lame. There are other Tenchi's but I haven't seen them.

I really liked the original OVA of Ah!M G, so am looking forward to the series.

I loved Evangelion's ending, but I was in my late teens/early adulthood when I watched it. I think that's one reason it hit me so hard as one of the main themes is of maturity and learning responsibility, which at the time was easy to relate to for me. I suggest watching Kare Kano, the only disappointment was a lack of firm ending as it caught up with the ongoing manga. You should also watch the rest of Nadia, the second half of the series get's a lot better.

Gunbuster is strange. I mean the new one is totally different and doesn't feel part of the original (it was directed by the guy who directed FLCL, so expect crazy and random events). The original was meant to be a parody of fanservice in anime, but became a really serious and complex OVA. I watched it in two sessions, after the first I was left disappointed, after the second I was hit hard and felt like crying.



Nadia's character design was initially based on African girls yes (though they found curly hair hard to draw, so left it straight). However, in saying that, without ruining the show, I personally think logically both Nemo and Nadia are Indian characters, or supposed to be. However, this is a pretty broad assumption and really it's a bit more complicated than that. As for them being related, watch the show and you'll find out

True what you say about stereotypes, but I think it's also because inspiration is drawn from our world. However, considering most of these characters aren't often even human, it gets complex and difficult to judge ethnicity (as with Nadia).

That's what I meant about Tenchi. The original Tenchi OVA series was really good, but the later TV series and movies kept milking the show like a cash cow. I actually liked Tenchi in Tokyo though, aswell as the first Tenchi movie.

If you like dark and complex anime (like Evangelion), you should also check out Death Note, Gantz, Kenshin, Trigun, and Higurashi no Naku Koro ni. Those are some of the best anime series I've seen.

I haven't seen anymore Nadia episodes for over 5 years now. I used to really enjoy the show, but there weren't anymore episodes available for download at the time. I might download it again and watch it from the beginning one of these days.

Do you also watch any sports anime (like Hajime no Ippo, Hikaru no Go, Slam Dunk, Battle Athletes Victory, etc.)? Hajime no Ippo is also one of the best anime series I've seen. Battle Athletes Victory also reminded me of an old Aamir Khan film Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander.