Kolkata burst into vibrant colour on Saturday afternoon as a sea of anime lovers, cosplayers and gaming enthusiasts flocked to Biswa Bangla Mela Prangan for the city’s debut edition of Anime India — one of the country’s biggest anime conventions and anison concert experiences — turning the venue into a buzzing playground of fandom, flair and fantasy.
The event kicked off with a bang, throwing open its doors to exhilarated attendees who were treated to a diverse lineup of attractions — from gaming zones and manga stalls to charming gift shops.
The opening day also kept the energy high with a host of interactive experiences, including playrooms, photo booths and arcade stations, ensuring there was never a dull moment for the crowd.
The event witnessed massive crowds huddled around the gaming zone, which showcased a fascinating lineup of popular titles including Pokémon Legends, a racing simulator and arcade editions of Street Fighter.
A dedicated section also spotlighted the popular action role-playing game Genshin Impact, drawing gaming geeks throughout the day.
No anime event can be complete without vibrant illustrations displayed on the walls. From self-made paintings of popular anime characters and posters to holographic stickers, several stalls had a treasure trove for fans.
Apart from these, fans also gathered to click photographs at photo booths with anime backdrops like Spy X Family and Assassination Classroom.
Another major highlight of the event was a line of shops selling anime figurines, plushies, handmade notebooks, scented candles, room decor, crochet items, tote bags and jewellery.
The displays ranged from popular anime characters like Tanjiro, Monkey D. Luffy and Goku to even Marvel and DC characters.
The stand-out of the event was the manga stalls, which offered a vast lineup of popular titles for readers — from Chainsaw Man, Spy x Family and Tokyo Ghoul to classics like Naruto and One Piece.
Popular Kolkata bookshop Storyteller Bookstore also drew bibliophiles with niche picks such as Blue Period, collections by Junji Ito, and deluxe hardcover editions of the iconic manga Berserk.
Much to the delight of anime fans, the event also dedicated a wall to vintage Indian comic art from the 1980s, spotlighting rare editions by Manoj Comics. The display featured special issues curated by Mumbai-based filmmaker Alok Sharma, who owns a collection of over 20 such rare comic editions.
Fans also engaged in activities like trying out anime props, calligraphy and showcase their rookie talents as artists by painting on Fan Art Wall. Other notable highlights include Glam-up shops, stationary and cosplay competition. In a more surprising twist, a designated stall for Bengali streaming platform Hoichoi brought a special exclusive preview of its upcoming anime meets Bengali spy-thrillers series, Phish Phish Bheri.
