Delhi rolled out the red carpet for a Indian voice acting legends as the World Connect Project (WCP) and Delhi Anime Club joined forces to host the WaConne AniFest 2.0. Taking center stage at the Kamani Auditorium, Mandi House, on April 25, the event attracted a fervent flock of otakus and saw the launch of VTubing in India.
The atmosphere outside the Kamani Auditorium crackled with excitement as a long line of weebs, decked in intricate cosplay, lined the streets in anticipation of the event.
Popular anime content-creators Aish Kharbanda and Manav Bhutani served as hosts, guiding the audience through an evening filled with entertainment and insight. Alongside them, guests including Mayo Japan, AnimeTm Talks, DBS Chronicles, Radiorasp and key representatives from WCP India graced the stage over the course of the event.
The Japanese company, WCP, has set its sights on VTubers (virtual YouTubers) as a means to capitalise on the growing market of anime consumption in India. With a thriving community of VTubers in Japan, actively engaged in live-streaming and diverse content creation on YouTube, WCP is now extending its reach to India, with aims to introduce new Indian VTubers to the market and elevate existing Indian VTubers with anime avatars.
Five freshly designed anime avatars — Meichi chan, Shiori, Tsukuyo, Ayane, and Xeno — were unveiled to the audience, each with its own unique backstory and personality. The character designs were crafted by the Japanese animation studio, Silver Link, known for their work on The Misfit of Demon King Academy anime series. These five characters will debut on the WCP Vtubing channel on YouTube over five consecutive days, from May 1st to May 5th.
What set this announcement apart was that these avatars would be voiced by a lineup of distinguished Indian voice actors, the likes of which include Sanket Mhatre, Parul Bhatnagar, Akanksha Sharma, and Sonal Kaushal. The event’s highlight featured the voice actors performing live renditions of their character’s iconic Hindi anime intros in character, evoking nostalgia from beloved anime series like Doraemon, Kiteretsu, Shin Chan, and Ben 10, that have comprised many an Indian childhood.
Sanket Mhatre, Parul Bhatnagar, Akanksha Sharma, and Sonal Kaushal performing live renditions of their character’s iconic Hindi anime intros at the WaConne AniFest 2.0
The Q&A session that followed provided attendees with a rare glimpse at the world of voice acting in India, as the cast shared experiences from their careers.
Sonal Kaushal, best known for Doraemon and Dragon Ball Z’s Android 18 , recounted how her physician recommended a 10-day voice rest regimen after her intensive dubbing for Johnny Test, a popular Cartoon Network show.
Meanwhile Shin Chan voice actor Akanksha Sharma shared amusing anecdotes about her family’s reaction to her career choice. She recalls her father’s response when asked about her occupation, quipping, “Pata hai meri beti kya karti hai? Awaaze nikaalti hai” (“Do you know what my daughter does? She makes noises”).
Veteran Indian voice actor Sanket Mhatre, celebrated for his portrayal of Ben Tennyson in Cartoon Network’s Ben 10, offered valuable insights into the intricacies of the VTubing process. Describing it as a proprietary software that translates real-time actions into animated avatars, Mhatre shed light on the comprehensive nature of the technology, making use of speech, facial expressions, and movements.
The event was was also punctuated with fun activities, from anime-themed Truth & Dare sessions to challenging trivia. However, the real highlight came with an absurd round of ‘Guess the character from their feet pics’ which christened an unlucky fan as the “Zero Two Feet Guy” for the rest of the event for cracking a really obscure pair of anime feet.
As the event drew to a close, the spotlight shifted to the cosplay ramp walk contest, where participants showcased their creativity and craftsmanship with a prize pool of ₹25,000 up for grabs.
