Otakus, gather round for a unique watch party

Anime has a funny way of sneaking into lives. One moment, someone is casually watching an episode to see what the hype is about, and the next, its 3 am, six seasons deep into a shonen series, passionately explaining to friends why One Piece is not a cartoon. For years, anime fans in Thiruvananthapuram binged their favourite shows in their rooms. But that is changing now as the Onigiri Order, a small yet growing community, brings otakus in the city together. What began as a casual WhatsApp group has grown into a lively circle of fans who meet regularly to watch, discuss, and celebrate everything related to anime and manga. Founded by Nishanth Samuel Fenn, the group held its first official event in June this year. Since then, the community has been organising meetups, manga reading and colouring sessions and trailer review discussions. This Saturday marks its sixth gathering a Bring Your Own Anime Watch Party at Eves Coffee in Anayara. In cities like Bengaluru, there are so many communities organising events regularly. The only event I found here was a one-time thing two years ago. That is when a few of us thought why not start something ourselves? says Nishanth. For Vaishnavu Baiju, who recently joined the community, the group instantly felt like home. People in this community had been watching anime for years. We synced so quickly. We could throw in references to old shows, and everyone would get it. And it is not just the mainstream anime; people here explore all kinds of series, he says. Onigiri Order, named after the popular Japanese rice ball snack often seen in anime, is part of the larger Playfest community a network nurturing niche interest groups across Thiruvananthapuram. The people who gather at these meetups bring diverse stories of how their love for anime began. Abhijith Gangadhar, a second-year BDS student, found his way to the anime universe through manga. Anime has had a huge impact on me. Take Naruto, for example. Its core message is about chasing goals. These shows carry several messages about friendship, relationships, freedom, etc. It is entertainment, but also something that stays with you. For Abhijith, this is a space to interact with like-minded people. In the upcoming watch party, Nishanth says, participants will watch different titles on their own devices before regrouping to share opinions and recommendations. The Onigiri Order has been holding regular Saturday meetups. In the future, I would like this community to grow into a space where everyone shares new things and feels welcome, he smiles.