Anime has emerged as an influential medium, captivating hearts
and minds of youngsters around the world. As one explores into the world of
anime, one unties the ways in which it leaves an unforgettable mark on the
minds and lives of the youth around the world and in Goa too.
Logan Lobo lives in Aldona and has been
watching anime since he was 10 years old. He began watching anime because of his friends and the first he watched was
‘Ranma ½’. After that, he got a liking for it and till date continues to watch
anime. “I later began watching ‘Naruto’ and I enjoyed it. I am a big fan of
‘Naruto’ and I watched all the series. It is one of my favourites but I also
love ‘One Piece’ and ‘Dororo’,” he says.
He mentions about how anime can have an
impact on youngsters. “It depends on which genre they watch. There are anime
like ‘Dr Stone’, which teach youngsters that there is no need for expensive
stuff and that they be satisfied with the things they have and that can give
you the same effect of expensive stuff. I have picked up a few things from
anime, like I can solve clues much better now since I watch anime which
involves detective stuff, mysteries, for instance, ‘Death Note’. This anime is
about a serial killer who has a book in which he writes name of people causing
them to die, and there a character L who tries find the killer.”
Adrian Fernandes a resident from Sodiem, Siolim, says that the
art style is what brought him into watching anime. “I was 13 years old when I
first began watching anime. There was nothing interesting to watch so I thought
why not watch an anime” he says. “If I had to pick an anime as my favourite, I
would say ‘JoJo’s Bi-zarre Adventure Series’ and if a movie it is Howl’s
‘Moving Castle.”
He has also shares what he has learnt from anime, “The character
development in anime has been done very well. In the anime, ‘My Hero Academia’,
the protagonist trains hard to overcome his difficulties and this has been an
inspiration to many youngsters, including myself to be physically active and
into constantly developing oneself. Something that I learnt from anime is that
if you have a dream, chase it, work hard and achieve it.”
Sybel Fernandes from Aldona says that watching anime has helped
her improve her art skills. “As children, my brother and I watched a lot of
cartoons. I remember watching the anime, ‘Dragon Ball Z’ besides ‘Doremon’ and
‘Shin Chan’. Later in Class 7, my brother came to know more about anime from
his friends, and both of us began watching those shows. Anime has a lot of
emotions in it. Every character is portrayed perfectly, even the villains, it
makes you hate them so much and that shows how great the character is,” she
says.
“People who watch anime for hours together tend to get obsessed
with it. There are people who even take it too seriously. But some people watch
just for entertain-ment purpose. I have always been into art, so watching anime
helped me under-stand art styles better. The animation and the work that is put
into creating these anime motivate me as an artist to learn things. I also
learnt that to be an artist you don’t need great skills, as long as you have a
start,” adds Sybel.
Bernice Mendes from Calvim, Aldona talks about her journey in
the anime world. “In Class 10, I had few friends who loved watching anime
whereas I disliked it. But later, I ended up liking it after my friends
recommend it to me. I began watch-ing anime later in 2019 and my favourite
anime is ‘The Promised Neverland’. But I also like anime with dystopian theme,
mystery, romance, as well as comedy,” she continues.
“I have also learnt a little bit of Japanese from it, and also
even if it wasn’t for anime, I wouldn’t have known anything, like from sports
anime. I came to know about different types of sports and through anime about
video games, I learnt about different video games, part of the games and so
on,” says Bernice.
Shahbaz Alam from Anjuna talks about his anime journey during
the pandemic. “I used to watch a lot of movies and series, but eventually got
bored and decided to try something new. Many of my friends talked about anime
and explained to me the captivating storytelling, action, and unique cinematic
experience it offers. In 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic when I had ample
free time, I started watch-ing anime. The first anime I dived into was ‘Death
Note’. The intriguing storyline, sound effects, and overall concept amazed me
so much that I ended up watching it again. Choosing a favourite anime is
difficult because I have watched several, and I consider all perfect. Still,
Naruto holds a special place in my heart”, he says. “The way it portrays the
story and develops the characters is flawless. Whenever I come across an anime
scene on social media, I often find myself searching it on YouTube to relive
that moment.”
He has also mentions the impact of anime on young people. “Anime
has had a sig-nificant impact on young people. Unlike Bollywood or Hollywood
movies and TV series, anime stands out due to its unique animation style and
the minute details. From Naruto, I’ve learned valuable life lessons. It taught
me about the importance of caring for others and how our actions have
consequences. Love, friendship, and empathy are recurring themes in the show,
which resonate deeply with viewers,” he says.
Shahbaz further adds, “Overall, I prefer anime over movies or TV
series because of its unique storytelling and distinct concepts. Anime has
enriched my life and ex-panded my understanding of the world around me.”
Calvin Fernandes residing at Aldona says that he began watching
anime around the age of 9. “I use to watch anime like ‘Dragonball’ and ‘Naruto’
as a kid, and my fa-vourite anime is ‘One Piece’. Anime is one of the best
written stories out there. While at the beginning it comes out as a fun
adventure, later it turns into an incred-ible story. There is a lot of
mysteries and tons of topics, values and themes tackled in the anime like
slavery, freedom, dreams, beliefs, racism and so on. I learnt through the main
character what it means to do your absolute best even if the odds are stacked
up against you,” explains Calvin.
Leanza Fernandes from Mapusa says her friend Rachel introduced
her anime. “Ra-chel had suggested me to watch anime. I started watching anime
during the lock-down. Among all the animes I have watched ‘Your Lie in April’
is my favourite anime. It motivates me and the young generation to work hard
and be better every day. Anime has, moreover, broadened my knowledge on the
Japanese language and culture,” she says.
Peter Fernandes from Sodiem, Siolim says that he got into anime
when he was in Class 4. “The first time I began watching anime was because of
my cousin brother. I love the animation style, storyline, soundtrack and
everything the anime has to offer,” he says.
He
speaks about how anime has an impact on youngsters. “Anime has impacted the
youth, morally and psychologically, like motivating them not to give up and to
keep trying. If I had to choose one anime, I would say ‘Black Clover’ as my
fa-vourite anime,” says Peter.
