Malaysian animation series, Mechamato by MONSTA, has created history by being the first animation series outside of Japan to win the prestigious Anime Fan Award category at the Tokyo Anime Awards Festival 2023 recently.
The show has been receiving overwhelming support from fans around the world, especially in Japan, according to MONSTA chief executive officer Nizam Abd Razak.
"We are grateful to everyone who voted for Mechamato. We are very excited about the Tokyo Anime Award Festival award from Japan, a country known for its animation industry,” said Nizam.
"This is a great start for Mechamato in the Japanese market as well as the international market. MONSTA is confident that it will be able to captivate the hearts of the Japanese audience, especially the children because the concept is unique and the story is full of values."
The series aired on Cartoon Network Japan in March and was well received by Japanese viewers. The show was also eligible for the award thanks to being aired on Cartoon Network Japan. It’s also available to stream on Netflix Japan.
MONSTA marketing manager Faiz Zainal, meanwhile, expressed hope that Japanese distributors would published for Malaysian-made shows in the country.
"Thank you Cartoon Network Japan for believing in Mechamato. This award can help MONSTA to convince distributors in Japan to publish more Malaysian shows.
"We don't want to stop here. MONSTA will continue to try to bring the Mechamato series to their local TV stations, and if possible, to show the Mechamato Movie in cinemas there as well," he said.
The coveted award were won by iconic titles such as Idolish Seven in 2021 and 2022, Uta no Prince in 2020, and Yuri!!! On ICE in 2018 and 2017.
