CN to OTT: How Indian Anime Fans Grew Up from DBZ to Demon Slayer
There was a time in India when we didn’t even know what “anime” meant. For most of us, it all started with TV channels like Cartoon Network, Toonami, Jetix, and Hungama TV. Shows like Dragon Ball Z, Beyblade, Pokemon, and later Naruto, were just “cool cartoons” for us. We didn’t realize that we were actually watching Japanese anime that had its own unique art, storytelling, and culture. We just knew one thing — we loved it.
In those days, we would run home after school just to catch the latest episodes. We didn’t care if it was a repeat — watching Goku scream and transform into Super Saiyan gave us goosebumps every single time. Beyblade battles were intense, and we all had our favourite teams. If someone had a “Dranzer” top in school, he was instantly the coolest kid around. That was our world — simple, exciting, and full of imagination.
Things really started to change when Hindi-dubbed anime became popular. Naruto, the anime series based on Masashi Kishimoto’s manga, first premiered in Hindi in India in 2007 or 2008 on Cartoon Network and suddenly Indian kids had a new hero (Years later, Sony YAY! aired the complete Hindi-dubbed Naruto series from 2022 to 2023, bringing the full story to Indian fans at last). Sure, the dubbing wasn’t perfect — sometimes it was even funny — but it helped thousands of kids connect with these characters without needing subtitles. Around the same time, many of us started buying anime CDs or downloaded episodes from cafes and torrents. The video quality was bad, the subtitles were sometimes off, but the excitement was real.
As the internet became faster and more affordable in India, a new phase began. We discovered a wider world of anime — from Death Note to Bleach, One Piece, and many more. We realized anime isn’t just action and fights. It’s about emotions, pain, friendship, betrayal, and deep storytelling. For the first time, we started watching shows with subtitles and learned words like “baka”, “senpai” and “arigato”. Anime music, especially the opening and ending songs, became part of our playlists. Some of us even made anime edits with English rock songs and shared them on Facebook and YouTube.
Then came the OTT revolution. Platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Crunchyroll gave us access to high-quality, officially released anime. No more broken links or slow downloads. We could now binge-watch shows like Attack on Titan, One Punch Man, Tokyo Ghoul, and many more — with proper subtitles and great video quality. Muse Asia and Ani-One even started uploading full anime episodes legally on YouTube for free. It felt like anime had finally arrived in India in a big way.
Today, anime is not just a hobby. It’s a big part of pop culture. You’ll find anime cosplayers in every Comic Con, anime tattoos on people’s arms, and anime-themed pages on Instagram with millions of views. Shows like Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Chainsaw Man are now being released in Hindi dub, and anime movies are getting proper theatre releases in cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, and Bengaluru.
The best part? Anime has truly blended with Indian culture. You’ll see anime edits with Bollywood music, reels where Naruto walks in slow motion to a Hindi rap song, or even Ganpati pandals with Luffy or Goku idols. It’s no longer “just for kids”. Even adults proudly say they watch anime, and no one laughs at them anymore.
What’s beautiful is how we, as fans, have grown too. Earlier we just liked watching fights. Now we know the names of studios like MAPPA, Ufotable, and Studio Ghibli. We wait for new seasons, follow voice actors, and even debate over which version is better — sub, dub, or Hindi dub. We understand anime on a deeper level now. It’s not just about fun — it’s about feelings, art, and passion.
From sitting in front of the TV with a plate of Maggi during Toonami, to watching the latest episode of Demon Slayer on our phones at midnight — the journey has been long, but beautiful. Anime has changed, we have changed, and the way we watch has changed — but one thing remains the same: our love for anime.
Final Thoughts
Anime is no longer something “only a few people” watch in India. It’s everywhere now. And those of us who started with DBZ or Naruto back in school — we feel proud to see how far the anime community in India has come. From bootleg CDs to legal streaming, from Hindi dubs to theatre screenings — this is just the beginning.