Once seen as a niche interest confined to Japan and select parts of the world, the manga phenomenon has now taken root in Africa, inspiring vibrant communities and redefining youth culture across the continent.
In Côte d’Ivoire, the OTAKU community—a group of manga enthusiasts—has grown to include over 1,000 passionate members, mirroring similar movements globally.
These fans embrace their love for Japanese animation and comics through creative expressions like cosplay, digital content creation, and social media engagement.
Among them is Moussa Bamba, better known as Itachi Sama, a digital content creator who boasts more than 100,000 TikTok followers.
His account, dedicated entirely to manga and OTAKU culture, showcases his passion for embodying characters like Itachi Uchiha from Naruto Shippūden.
“Being an OTAKU is about a state of mind, a passion I’ve nurtured since childhood,” he explains.
“I take pride in cosplaying as Itachi Uchiha.”
The community also includes a growing number of young women challenging societal expectations and stereotypes.
One such figure is Emma Jeanne Koffi, known as Queen Jeady, another popular OTAKU content creator on TikTok. “I’m a fan of manga and everything geek culture,” she says.
“I love bringing anime and manga characters to life. Even though it’s often misunderstood, especially for women here in Côte d’Ivoire, we’re simply celebrating what we love—we’re doing nothing wrong.”
Manga, the Japanese art form characterized by its distinctive storytelling and illustration style, has firmly captured the imagination of African youth.
Through cosplay events and online communities, the OTAKU movement continues to grow, transforming what was once considered a foreign concept into a deeply rooted cultural phenomenon.
As manga fans in Africa increasingly assert their presence, their contributions to the global appreciation and evolution of this Japanese cultural export are becoming impossible to ignore.
From creative content to cosplay, Africa’s OTAKU are proving that passion knows no borders.
