Anime, according to Wikipedia, is a Japanese word derived from the English word ‘Animation’ that describes all animated work. Outside of Japan, and in English, anime is what Japanese animation is called. Although there are animated works with similar styles as anime, they are often referred to as Anime-influenced animation.
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, an otaku is a person having an intense or obsessive interest especially in the fields of anime and manga. That sounds bad, doesn’t it? Within Japan, the word ‘Otaku’ is more likely to be used to describe a fanatic rather than an enthusiast.
For most Otakus, however, obsession may be taking it a little too far, they prefer to refer to themselves as people who just love anime and in some cases, manga.
The Onset of Anime in Sub Saharan Africa
Anime has been in sub-Saharan Africa for a while. As far back as 15 years ago when local TV stations used to air shows like Pokémon, Yu Gi Oh and Dragon ball in the afternoons and evenings. Most people consider them ‘cartoons’ as they’re available in dubbed versions.
Otaku culture can be described as the norms and unspoken/spoken traditions that form the fandom enjoying anime, it can also extend into curiosity and appreciation for Japanese culture. It’s not something as rigid as other cultures with set down laws and traditions, it’s more lax, like pretending Promised Neverland Season 2 never happened. Because it didn’t.
Watching anime most time is for entertainment, a getaway from the tediousness of real life, something you can do to kill time. Underneath it all, watching anime for some people is an avenue to explore storytelling beyond the Western media, a way to see the human spirit represented in art, and a medium to see original stories told without being hindered. And then there are the people that watch it because the Japanese have a very interesting approach to sex and sexuality.
Being An Otaku in Africa
Being an Otaku in Africa comes with its own set of problems. For Eniola, who runs Apple’s Place, an online anime merch store, the hardest part of being an Otaku in Nigeria, is the unavailability of Anime merch and cosplay. A big part of Otaku culture is the want to cosplay your favourite characters. When it comes to her business, there’s a disconnect between the otakus who want to get merch and cosplay and the otakus who can actually afford to do so. Add in shipping companies and vendors and you have a recipe for a breakdown.
In recent times, there’s been an increase in the people who publicly identify as otakus and declare their love for anime and manga. Chinazam, an otaku who makes anime-inspired cards and a proud Jaegerist, points the increased interest to the anime ‘Jujutsu Kaisen’, “I think it’s the fact that there isn’t such a huge stigma in watching anime anymore. Anime became part of the cool human trope so a lot of people wanted to understand what was so cool about anime. You had people like Megan Thee Stallion being open about her obsession for anime, even using references in her lyrics. And billionaires like Elon Musk making anime jokes, so it really changed the idea of who an otaku was in the public eye. And of course, Jujutsu Kaisen.” She’s not wrong. On both counts.
Nigerian celebrities aren’t left out of the mix. Rapper YCee has made references to Jujutsu Kaisen in tweets and artiste Remy Baggins names his projects in Japanese, a nod to the Otaku culture.
Tiana, a Nigerian cosplayer, also thinks the shift is mostly owed to celebrities, “You have people like Kim Kardashian saying she’s watching Darlin in the Franx, and then the people that stan the Kardashians are obviously going to check it out. And then you have Zac Snyder mentioning that he got some of his integrations for Man of Steel from Dragonball Z. Once you have people like celebrities and directors saying that they’re getting inspiration from Anime. That changes things a lot. The final straw in my opinion was Kimetsu No Yaiba’s Mugen Train showing in cinemas and breaking records.”
Anime and Cosplay In Nigerian Pop-Culture
Cosplay is a big thing in Anime, although, like many other things, it’s harder for people in Nigeria. “It’s expensive, buying the cosplay from sites is expensive because of the exchange rate and if you can’t, you have to make them yourself,” Ufedo, more popularly known as Your favourite waifu, laments, “Plus there is the fact that a lot of people call it child’s play, which is just as annoying.”
For Tiana, it’s all that and more, “Many Nigerians only watch the big three. Not all. But they’re mostly watching the popular things and not bothering to go beyond the trend. So, when I want to cosplay, I’m torn between choosing what I want to wear and what people would recognize. I try to find a balance between both desires, I win most times sha. People tell me ‘Oh, you look nice’ but like they can’t tell who I’m cosplaying as.”
Although Anime has been around for a long time, it’s now a cool thing. “It’s no longer novel to the west, it’s weathered the storm and stayed long enough for people to familiarize themselves with it and try it as a viable source of entertainment,” Louis, one of the admins of Anime Ghana, an online community of Ghanaian otakus and weebs, says. “And also, geeks run the world now. If you can’t beat them, join them.”
The Rise of Otaku Communities in Nigeria
Speaking of communities, there has been a springing of large-scale Otaku communities all around the region. Eko Anime Fest being one of them, a gathering of otakus in Lagos that boasted cosplayers, video games and networking. Its maiden event was held on the 8th of January, boasting attendees from all over the country. Damilare, the convener of the event and also the owner of OtakuMart, the first physical otaku focused store in Nigeria, says Eko Anime Fest was a spur of the moment thing, “I was just talking about it with my General Manager and we just decided to do it. I’m glad we did though, it makes me immensely happy, being this close to my fellow cultured family, and bringing everyone together. That’s always been my goal, starting Otakumart and now Eko Anime Fest, I want to put Nigeria on the map with regards to animation. Maybe even building the first Anime themed mall.”
Becoming more mainstream has changed Anime, and for good too according to Tiana, “There used to be so much incest and paedophilia, Ouran High School Host club says hi, but because it’s now very popular, nobody wants backlash so they’re removing the things that aren’t palatable.”
With more and more anime and manga sites becoming accessible to people living in Africa, an increase in people who identify as Otakus seems almost inevitable. And as the stigma surrounding anime and manga reduces, Otaku culture is well on its way to becoming another facet of the ever-dynamic African pop culture.
