Names like Richie Rich, Tom, Jerry, Superman, Scooby Doo, Fred Flintstone and George Jetson instantly ring a bell. But do names like Bakugan, Kiteretsu, Naruto, Shouju, Hakusho, Ayakashi, Mgikano or Shinchan sound as familiar? Ask the younger generation of viewers and they will inform you these are characters from their favourite Japanese cartoon shows on television.

“It is a simple case of demand and supply. Japanese anime covers a wide spectrum of topics and is hence even watched by adults,” says Rohit Bhandari, senior vice president, AXN and Animax, which brought shows like Dragonball Z and Black Jack to Indian homes.

The trend initiated by Animax, which introduced anime in India, has caught on with the other channels as well. Nina Jaipuria, senior VP and GM, Nick India, says, “The aim of shows on Nick is to build a bond with them. Japanese shows serve that purpose quite well because they have compelling storylines. The superhero in the toon is also a role model for kids.” An instance would be of Ninja Hatori, a popular cartoon on Nick that has gone on to become a favourite with kids with its merchandise et al.

Nick, which started off with western shows, didn’t quite make inroads into the Indian market as the children found the shows too foreign to relate. Jaipuria rebuffs: “Western cartoons are still very popular. But Japan’s cultural milieu is very similar to ours, so kids find it easy to associate with Japanese characters. Also, Japanese animation series are characterised by a whole lot of action and colour and this draws the attention of the kids.”

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