In August, manga's biggest heroes including Naruto, Goku and Vegeta strode through the streets of Cotonou. This year's Subarachill convention opened up a space for Benin's youth to express their love of manga and anime, drawing all the while on with their own West African inspirations: a space where cosplay costumes are made with wax fabric and Shinto deities cross paths with those of the country's traditional Vodun religion.
“Anime and manga were a big part of our childhood," organiser Astride Donouvossi told FRANCE 24. "We really connected with everything we watched when we were young, and it gave us a lot of courage and strength. Not just to work hard in school, but to fully commit to everything we did.”
Across Africa | Vodun music revival in Benin
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The festival is celebrated with cosplay contests, video game tournaments, manga workshops and calligraphy sessions. Local artists and designers also share their work, using African fabrics to make manga-inspired fashion and adding traditional music and dance to otaku themes.
Beninese artist Melon Tchogou draws inspiration from the unmistakable manga art style to retell the story of King Toffa of Dahomey fighting the god of thunder.
“When I was six, I loved drawing and everything, but what really motivated me to keep going in this field was the series Dragon Ball,” he said.
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