Naruto in the neighbourhood: Tracing the rise of anime in New Zealand

An eclectic assortment of characters turned heads on Queens Wharf in central Auckland on the last weekend of April.

The appearance of the visitors in downtown Auckland was something rivalling the diverse collection of characters US director George Lucas assembled at the Mos Eisley cantina in one of the most iconic scenes from the original 1977 Star Wars movie.

Monkey D. Luffy from the immensely popular One Piece manga comics was there, as was the titular character from the hit Violet Evergarden light novel series.

Thousands of anime and manga fans flocked to Quay Street for the return of the two-day Overload convention, many dressed in costumes depicting their favourite characters.

The annual convention offers fans a chance to celebrate anime and manga culture - collectively known as nijigen, or "two-dimensional space".

Anime refers to the genre of Japanese-style 2D animation, while manga specifically refers to Japanese-style graphic novels.

But the celebration represents more than just cosplay for fans born in the late 1990s and later.

The convention offers fans a space for self-expression and connection through a shared passion.

And far from being a fringe interest, New Zealand's anime and manga scene has blossomed into a diverse subculture, reshaping the local creative landscape and redefining how Asian pop culture is interpreted and reimagined across the Pacific.

Akira forges new ground

Zak Waipara, a lecturer at Auckland University of Technology and illustrator, recalled watching Japanese animated film Akira for the first time in Auckland in the 1990s.

Waipara said the landmark 1988 cyberpunk film directed by Katsuhiro Otomo was unlike anything he had ever seen before.

The film was released in the United States the following year by Streamline Pictures and quickly gained an international cult following through myriad theatrical runs and VHS releases.

Akira captivated audiences in New Zealand, paving the way for more animated films from Japan to be screened in domestic art house cinemas.

The success of the release led to a growing interest in anime, with Studio Ghibli titles later becoming staples at international film festivals - often selling out every session.

Waipara said anime changed New Zealand's interest in such work at a time when many New Zealanders had been raised on US superhero comics and British graphic fiction.

"They changed the mainstream idea of what you can do in animation," he said.

"The storytelling is very different," he said. "It allows for moments of stillness and introspection, a kind of meditative quality."

As anime's popularity grew, so too did domestic appetite for manga.

Local comic shops began importing translated Japanese comics, fostering a hybrid cultural mix and laying the groundwork for what would eventually become a thriving community.

Pop culture boom

Established in 1994 by Stu Colson, Heroes for Sale has been a cornerstone of Auckland's comic scene for more than three decades.

Reflecting on the early days of manga in New Zealand, Colson said initial offerings were limited.

"It wasn't until companies like Viz and TOKYOPOP ramped up in the early 2000s that we really expanded our manga section," he said.

While North American superhero comics still dominated overall sales, manga was consistently growing in popularity, he said, noting that titles such as One Piece and Chainsaw Man were among the store's bestsellers.

"You have got Pokémon manga all the way up to Vagabond ... manga does everything for all ages," Colson said. "Now we have what we call the 'Great Wall of Manga'."

Interest in the genre was bolstered by Seong Oh, a lifelong manga and anime fan who turned a hobby into a career.

In 2002, he opened Graphic Novel Cafe, an Auckland outlet specialising in English-language manga and anime merchandise.

Four years later, he founded Overload, a convention designed to give this niche scene a dedicated platform.

Unlike the broader pop culture convention Armageddon Expo, which has been held since 1995, Overload focuses on original artwork, doujin (fan-made creations) and community-driven creativity.

Oh launched Overload to provide a space where both local and international artists could showcase their work and connect with fans.

"Manga is no longer just Japanese pop culture," Oh said. "Creators can now reach global audiences through online platforms."

Starting from 30 artists and 150 attendees participating in 2006, the event has expanded to more than 500 artists and 8000 visitors in 2025.

Among them were Wellington-based Filipino cosplayers Caryl Loria Illana and Clarydel Seviia, who came to meet others in New Zealand's Filipino cosplay community.

"It's a really fun time to meet new people and find others who love the same things," Seviia said.

Oh said the event showcased the unique way in which domestic fans were embracing global trends.

"These New Zealand communities aren't just consuming pop culture," Oh said. "They're interpreting it in their own way, creating something new and sharing it."

Idol worship

When Xintao Zhang performs as Moonblossom Midori, she's a bundle of energy and joy.

As an underground idol, Zhang sings and dances at small local events such as anime conventions and local community gatherings.

"We wear costumes from popular songs and try to uplift the audience with our smiles and charm," she said.

Originating in Japan, underground idol culture is linked to fans of nijigen, a Japanese word that refers to the world of anime, manga and video games.

Many performances feature songs from idol-themed anime, attracting fans of both anime and manga.

Unlike polished mainstream pop stars, idols are celebrated for their journey and growth alongside their fans.

In New Zealand, where the scene is still small, idols such as Zhang build their following independently through conventions and social media.

Zhang's audience includes fans from the Asian, Pasifika and wider ethnic communities.

Offstage, Zhang is a third-year law and piano student at the University of Auckland.

She is a transgender woman who has battled depression and gender dysphoria.

At 16, during what she described as the "darkest and most painful time" of her life, she found solace in Touhou Project, a fan-made game series set in a fantasy world separated from human reality.

"I wanted to escape to (fantasy world) Gensokyo and live with the yōkai forever," she says, referring to the supernatural creatures and spirits that appear in Japanese folklore. "But later I realised I had to create my own Neverland in the real world."

Zhang made her idol debut at Overload in 2022.

She used her platform to uplift audiences and inspire others to embrace their dreams - regardless of who they are.

"Even if you're different, you can still chase your dreams with confidence," she says.

In New Zealand, she believed the idol scene felt less restrictive and more inclusive than in East Asia.

"Fandoms there can sometimes objectify idols, which leads to appearance anxiety," she said. "But New Zealand's nijigen scene is still emerging - it feels more human."

She hoped to use her future legal career to support other creators in the scene, helping them navigate intellectual property and copyright law.

"Nijigen has become my core," she said before describing herself using a colloquial Japanese term that refers to an adolescent with delusions of grandeur. "I'm the most chūnibyō person in the world."

Alternative narratives

Since relocating from China to New Zealand in 2019, 36-year-old Xin Li has filled her home with more than 6000 Chinese-language manga.

Most of her collection came from online platforms such as Taobao, Taiwan's Eslite Bookstore and Amazon - shipped across the globe at a personal cost of more than $70,000.

But Xin Li did not consider herself to be a nijigen fanatic. What drew her in was the storytelling - narratives that felt authentic and emotionally resonant.

"Compared to the individualistic heroism in American or European comics, I prefer characters with flaws who grow over time, like Naruto Uzumaki in Naruto," she said. "To me, it's a form of spiritual support."

Waipara agreed that anime and manga's appeal transcended cultural boundaries.

While the artform remained rooted in a Japanese context, it offered alternative narratives for those seeking more inclusive representations.

"A whole generation of young Māori and Pacific kids grew up on Dragon Ball-Z and similar series," he said.

"As well as the sense of belonging that the Asian diaspora could gain from seeing elements of their cultures reflected in the storylines of manga and anime, they were also drawn to the positive cultural difference these works might portray."

Waipara said the subculture was helping to shift the demographics in animation programmes, with more female students and a broader range of ethnic backgrounds entering the field.

Xintao Zhang is currently preparing for her next performance at Armageddon Expo on May 31.

Zhang believed immigrants had helped to drive the growth of New Zealand's nijigen community.

More importantly, she saw the community as a way to build social connection.

"Nijigen brings people from all backgrounds together," she said. "There's no division - just the joy of loving what we love."

Li has continued to grow her collection.

She recently connected with a young Chinese couple who shared her passion for manga, and they now placed group orders to save on international shipping.

"Manga keeps me feeling young," she said with a laugh. "If you read manga, you never really grow old."