A few years ago, if someone said anime would start influencing Malayalam cinema, you might’ve raised an eyebrow. After all, Malayalam films have always leaned into realism — intimate stories, everyday people, quiet emotional punches. But things are shifting. Slowly, subtly — and surprisingly.It’s not like characters are sprouting blue hair or shouting attack names. But something’s changing. The colors. The moods. The tone. You can almost feel it — especially if you’ve grown up watching anime.A different kind of visual energyTake ‘Padakkalam’. On the surface, it’s a Malayalam film. But visually? It’s bold. Loud. Almost too bright at times — in a good way. Characters are a little exaggerated, scenes are cut with sharp energy, and the storytelling has this vibrant, kinetic feel. For anyone who’s spent hours binging ‘My Hero Academia’ or ‘Jujutsu Kaisen’, it hits familiar nerves.
It’s the kind of film that feels like it was made by someone who’s spent some time in anime worlds — or at least deeply respects them.“Me and director Manu are hardcore anime fans” – ‘Padakkalam’ writer Nithin C BabuRecently in the Kerala Pop Con meet, the ‘Padakkalam’ writer Nithin C Babu revealed that he and the director Manu Swaraj are hardcore anime fans. He said, “We are hardcore anime and DC fans. There are several easter eggs and One Piece action figures in ‘Padakkalam’. The ‘One Piece’ fans may know about Arlong Park and in it, there is an entry sequence of Luffy and gang which is exactly used in a sequence in ‘Padakkalam’. It is replicated shot by shot in ‘Padakkalam’. We are that much dedicated in putting all such references in the movie.”The writer further said that they didnt take the references randomly but they had inserted it intentionally.
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Gaganachari is weird — and that’s the pointThen you’ve got Gaganachari. A sci-fi mockumentary from Kerala? Ten years ago, that sentence wouldn’t even make sense. But here it is — funny, eccentric, dystopian. If you squint, it feels like something from ‘Cowboy Bebop’ or ‘FLCL’. It jumps genres without apology. That’s straight out of anime’s playbook.“Maniyan Chittappan’ will be a combo of ‘Rick and Morty’ and ‘Doctor Strange’ – Arun ChanduTalking to Film Companion, the ‘Gaganachari’ director Arun Chandu said that the next part of the movie which is called ‘Maniyan Chittappan’ will have the influence of the series ‘Rick and Morty’ (even though it’s not an anime). He said, “Maniyan Chittappan’ will focus on the adventures of a mad scientist.”Dubs made a differenceHere’s what a lot of people don’t realize — anime is now available dubbed in Malayalam. Over a dozen series, including Attack on Titan and Chainsaw Man, have local versions. That’s huge. Kids in Thrissur or Kozhikode are growing up with the same characters Tokyo teens love. And when those kids become filmmakers? Well, don’t be surprised if those influences sneak into the screen.Reddit’s already ahead of the curveYou should see some of the fan theories and wishlists floating around online. One person wants ‘Erased’ adapted as a Malayalam thriller. Another pitched Lijo Jose Pellissery directing a live-action horror inspired by’ Junji Ito’. Are these real projects? No. But the fact that people are dreaming like this says a lot. There’s an appetite. A hunger to blend the worlds.Morality tales, Malayalam styleHere’s the kicker. You don’t have to change Malayalam cinema too much to align with anime. Look at ‘Minnal Murali’. A small-town guy with superpowers, figuring out how not to mess it all up? That could be any number of anime plots. Themes like justice, identity, loss — both formats love digging into them.With the increasing love for anime among the Malayali audiences and many of them turning to filmmakers, it can be expected that there will be more of anime references in Malayalam cinema in future.
