Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose is now part of the anime world.
The trailer of an AI-powered anime series titled DQN offered glimpses of Bose earlier this month, sparking buzz among anime lovers in India.
The video shows Bose commanding his troops, boosting their morale before a bloody battle to protect India from a fictional nation called Avalon.
Donning his camo uniform, Bose says, “Comrades, today we stand at a point from which there’s no return. Our land, our future and identity — all are imprisoned. They tried to break us, but forgot that the blood of freedom courses in our veins. If needed, we will spill our blood, but never bow before Avalon’s tyranny.”
“We pledge that our next generations will never know the name of slavery. Rise! Break the chains of fear, and give this DQN revolution the fire that will burn the empire of injustice to ashes. Today is our struggle. Tomorrow will be our victory,” he adds in the trailer.
Bose’s words are followed by the ruler of Avalon, who challenges the Indian freedom fighter and other protesting nations to bring on the war if they dare.
The series is created by Tokyo-based Indian-origin creator Kushagra Kushwaha in partnership with his Tokyo-based studio 4861. DQN is produced by AI tech developer and production studio Morphic, marking the company’s first episodic anime series.
An IIT graduate-turned-anime creator, Kushwaha is known for his work on anime like Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, Yugioh Sevens, Danmachi, Hensuki, Yowamushi Pedal, and Vinland Saga. He has worked with several well-known animation studios including MAPPA, JC STAFF, David Productions, and A1 Pictures.
As per a logline by US-based entertainment portal Variety, DQN is set in a cyberpunk world ruled by decentralized networks and AI intelligence. It tells the story of 12 strangers locked in a race to uncover the secrets of a hidden vault that could “rewrite the rules of power”.
Indian fans could not keep calm after seeing Bose in an anime series. “As an anime lover, Indian and a Bengali it is literally a blessing to be able to see Netaji in anime,” one of them wrote. “I felt goosebumps when I heard Late Neta ji Subhash Chandra Bose voice…Jai hind,” another commented.
One of them pointed out, “Also he should have said that line, I was expecting that line, ‘If you give me blood, I’ll give you freedom.’”
However, some fans expressed their distaste for use of AI in the anime. “The heavy AI usage be killing me,” one of them shared. Another said, “It icks me so much seeing how so many people in the comments are supporting it even after knowing it's AI.”