Ecchi

Anime-Ima - the new South African Anime/Manga Lifestyle eMag

The team at Anime-Ima!! recently launched their digital anime and manga lifestyle magazine. After the closure of the print magazine, Otaku, this has come as saviour for South African anime fans hungry for information in magazine format!

The magazine may be downloaded here (10.3 MB PDF).

Below is the foreword by editor Jason Mitchell.

I could be forgiven for taking a line from the monopoly pay-tv broadcaster in South Africa, but that is, in a three word phrase, what anime is, in South Africa. It just is so much more, especially if I look back at the last, say, two years.

I have been involved with anime, in one form or another for the past 11 years. Until I met with others in SA who had shared passions, I had explored the reaches of this medium in isolation, on my own, and pretty much to avoid ridicule and ostracizing I kept it to myself.

It is amazing to have witnessed things develop from, basically nothing, to the point at which we stand today where we have a society, and hundreds of people all over the country who share a common interest. Things have progressed enormously from the days when I used to watch those poor quality (160 x 120 pixel) realplayer clips of Cardcaptor Sakura, sent to me on CD from overseas by well-meaning online pen-pals, to today where anime is an accessible medium and one can walk into the local Look and Listen and take your pick at several immensely popular series on DVD.

That said however, we cannot overlook or not thank the many people who raised awareness and made anime more accessible to the public at large during the early years, in the not so distant past. As far back as 2001, several individuals, who formed a club we all recall fondly as Black Blade, were already pursuing the end goal of what we have today, a society, of appreciation, of awareness, and love of the medium. They achieved much, and made a large impact on society at large. It is perhaps noteworthy to mention that Black Blade, with the help of Otakumag, likely were the reason why Multichoice added ANIMAX to their DSTV premium bouquet.

In this issue I look at the historical aspects of anime in South Africa, and in my own article, I explore where we have come with anime, where we are at present, and where we likely will be going, into the future. It is a brief history in timeline.. wait.. read the article and see for yourself :)

For me, this is really deja-vu, as this is the second time I am publishing an anime magazine of any sort, and the second time I am publicly involved with the anime community at large. It pleases me to see some very new faces, and a few old stalwarts in the community, which, as Jay has put it very succinctly, could be truly regarded as a society, so much more than just a community.

What started out as simple conversation on digitalnatives.co.za (which I have taken over recently) has begun to take form, shape and has materialized into a full blown anime magazine, which you are now reading.

With the past firmly behind me, and the experience and wisdom that comes with age, I look forward to embarking on this journey with you, which, as I have said before is of a secondary nature to me. However, that does not mean its any less real, or emotional for me, but, I do truly endeavour to make this magazine a reality for every South African Anime fan and I aim to make this the best it can be. I am really sorry to have seen the demise of Otakumag, however, it deserves much credit for exposing and introducing much of South Africa’s youth in particular to anime in a way that could never have been achieved before. For that we can thank Winston Sterzel, of Black Blade, for having the connections, forethought and insight to approach the right people to make that happen.

However, as a final word, let me say this- this magazine is for the community, the anime society in South Africa, and I invite you, the anime fan, reading this magazine, to make yourself heard! We did the market research, we’re bringing you the magazine, now, tell us what you think of it. Send your shout to us at anime_ima@anime-za.net, or write to us at PO BOX 1960, RUIMSIG, 1732. Either way, make yourselves heard.

Best wishes,
THE EDITOR