Dentsu Supports the Holding of “Mela! Mela! Anime Japan!!,” India’s First Authentic Japanese Anime Event

— A total of 16 Japanese anime content companies participated, and 47,200 people visited over the two days —

Dentsu Group Inc. (Brand: dentsu; Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President & Global CEO: Hiroshi Igarashi; hereinafter referred to as “dentsu”) announced that dentsu India, which oversees and operates the Indian business of dentsu, was commissioned by the Mela! Mela! Anime Japan!! Executive Committee to hold a Japanese anime event over the two days of September 28 and 29 at Pacific Mall Tagore Garden, one of the largest shopping malls in the capital New Delhi. Dentsu supported the planning and operation of Mela! Mela! Anime Japan!! (hereinafter referred to as “MMAJ”)^*1, a complex event consisting of a Japanese anime festival and booth exhibitions of Japan-related companies and organizations.

MMAJ is a core event of “Japan Month 2024”^*2 promoted by the Embassy of Japan in India, with the aim of deepening Japan-India relations, and it has greatly contributed to conveying the appeal of Japanese anime culture and Japanese products and services to the people of India.

Mela! Mela! Anime Japan!! key visual

The size of the Indian animation market is expected to grow to approximately 860 billion yen in 2032^*3, and the increasing popularity of Japanese anime among a wide range of generations is cited as a major factor in this growth forecast. Although there are already many fans of Japanese anime in India, it has been rare for IP holders such as anime production companies and publishers to participate in events related to Japanese anime. On this occasion, MMAJ won the support and participation of 16 IP holders, and exhibited popular content such as director Makoto Shinkai’s works, including ‘Suzume’ , ‘Jujutsu Kaisen,’ and ‘Attack on Titan,’ resulting in a record attendance of 47,200 people.

The booths of the main Japanese anime and Japan-related companies and organizations that exhibited at MMAJ are listed below.

1. Screening and exhibition booth of Japanese anime works
At the CoMix Wave Films^*4 exhibition booth, the display of production materials for director Makoto Shinkai’s works and the autograph session by animators were popular. Visitors also lined up to take commemorative photos with colossal Titan’s head balloon from ‘Attack on Titan’ (Image 1) which was over four meters tall. Japanese anime works such as ‘Jujutsu Kaisen’ were screened at the movie theater in the mall where the event was held, and ‘Five Centimeters Per Second,’ which was released for the first time in its Hindi-dubbed version, was particularly well received.

2. Exhibition of products and services by Japanese companies and organizations
Through product and service exhibitions and stage promotions by more than 40 Japanese companies and organizations, the synergistic effect with the popularity of anime created a sense of admiration for Japan among consumers in India.
ASICS exhibited its “NARUTO SHIPPUDEN” collaboration shoes, and CASIO announced its “G-SHOCK MANGA EDITION.” The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) worked with Japanese tourism-related companies to convey the appeal of Japan’s tourism resources, and eight universities including the University of Tokyo together with the Japan Student Services Organization exhibited at the “STUDY in JAPAN” booth, providing information for visitors seeking opportunities to study in Japan.

3. Stage performances by artists and other celebrities
Visitors, mainly from Generation Z, came to the venue dressed in cosplay attire as anime characters. In addition, fans could be seen humming along in Japanese during performances by artists with extensive experience in anime tie-ups, such as Luna Haruna and Spira Spica (listed in alphabetical order) who came from Japan to participate.

In addition to the IP holders who supported and participated in the event, several more Japanese anime and character-related companies came to New Delhi to observe the event and were able to discover the potential of expanding into the Indian market through anime and character-related businesses.

Dentsu will continue to promote activities that will help accelerate the popularity of Japanese anime in India, and will further contribute to the development of cultural understanding and business exchange between Japan and India.

<Mela! Mela! Anime Japan!! Event Overview>
Name: Mela! Mela! Anime Japan!!
Host: Mela! Mela! Anime Japan!! Executive Committee
Planning and Operation: dentsu India (Dentsu Advertising and Media Services India Pvt. Ltd.)
Support: Ministry of External Affairs of India, Embassy of Japan in India, Japanese Association Delhi, Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in India
Cooperation: The Japan Foundation, Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), JLOX+
Exhibition period: Saturday, September 28, 2024 to Sunday, September 29, 2024
Venue: Pacific Mall Tagore Garden (New Delhi)

For event details, please check the official website and the following social media accounts.
Official website: https://mmaj.jp/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mmaj_official
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563519671950
X: https://x.com/mmaj_official

*1: Mela means “festival” in the Hindi language. We combined it with the image of hot air burning like a flame in the Japanese language to come up with the name Mela! Mela!

*2: For more information on Japan Month 2024 please the Embassy of Japan in India page below.
URL：https://www.in.emb-japan.go.jp/itprtop_en/index.html

*3: Source: India Anime Market Size Worth USD 5,036.0 Million by 2032 | CAGR: 13.3%, Polaris Market Research
URL：https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/press-releases/india-anime-market
Source: India Anime Market (T.V., Movie, Video, Internet Distribution, Merchandising, Music, Pachinko and Live Entertainment, Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Romance & Drama, Sports and Others, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, Crunchyroll) - Market Size, Share, Competitive Landscape, Dynamics, Trends, Challenges, and Growth Opportunities, 2022 – 2030, Accurize Market Research
URL：https://www.accurizemarketresearch.com/report/india-anime-market

*4: CoMix Wave Films, Inc.
URL：https://www.cwfilms.jp/en/

‘Suzume’ : ©2022 "Suzume" Film Partners
‘Jujutsu Kaisen’: © Gege Akutami/Shueisha, JUJUTSU KAISEN Project
‘Attack on Titan’: ©Hajime Isayama, KODANSHA/"ATTACK ON TITAN" The Final Season Production Committee
‘Five Centimeters Per Second: ©Makoto Shinkai / CoMix Wave Films

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Business inquiries:
MMAJ Executive Committee Secretariat
Email：info@mmaj.jp

Media inquiries:　
Jumpei Kojima, Akiko Shimadzu
Group Corporate Communications Office
Dentsu Group Inc.
Email: group-cc@dentsu-group.com