Historical fiction stories (such as HBO’s Rome and Hulu’s The Great) set made-up tales in past times. Oftentimes these stories involve real-life figures and are inspired by real events. Fantasy stories (Avatar: The Last Airbender for instance) incorporate supernatural and otherworldly elements. Many such stories take place in realms other than Earth.

After careful consideration of these factors, we settled on an underrepresent genre: historical fantasy. Amanirenas is inspired by the real-life Kushite queen and many of the events in the series represent occurrences from her life that have been preserved via the historical record. However, we have included fantastical elements to her story also. The gods of the Kush people are able to manifest in the physical space and their presence is capable of enhancing the abilities, proportions and senses of mortals.

And, we’ve found, that rather than take us out of the story, the inclusion of these fantastical elements creates a more immersive story experience. The Kush people were deeply spiritual and their gods played important roles in their daily lives. Making these gods a physical reality better reinforces their vitalness and their vitality. The same thinking applies to Amanirenas, the eponymous character herself. She was by all regards a remarkable woman so why not manifest this remarkableness as crackling visual power?

There is no value judgment attached to the choice of genre. It is incumbent upon a storyteller to choose the means by which they can best communicate their themes and ideas. We are eager to play in the space of historical fantasy; it is rare and exciting. We can only hope the audience has half as much fun watching this as we did making it; we had a blast!

Animation goes beyond entertainment to become a vehicle for heritage preservation, understanding, and dispelling stereotypes by integrating genuine cultural components. Olufikayo Adeola (Ziki), co-founder of Kugali Media, highlighted this shift in an interview about the Iwaju animation series with Walt Disney, stating, “There is a sort of cultural revolution at the moment. People are hungry for content from other sources.” A larger trend in which viewers want for narratives that reflect their identities and pasts is reflected in the rising call for diversity and representation. In Africa, where rich oral traditions have been passed down for generations, the emergence of studios committed to cultural storytelling is a crucial development. One such studio is Nsibidi Fables in Nigeria, which aims to revolutionize African animation by drawing from overlooked traditions and adapting them to contemporary storytelling formats. By embracing artificial intelligence, Nsibidi Fables amplifies the reach and impact of African narratives, ensuring they are preserved while appealing to global audiences. Anthill Studios in Nigeria is also making significant strides in blending African heritage with modern animation techniques.
When it comes to cultural representation in animation, authenticity is crucial. Toluwalakin Olowofoyeku, another co-founder and cultural consultant for Kugali Media, emphasized the importance of accuracy in storytelling during the same interview about the animation series, stating, “There are certain things that, if we don’t get right, if it’s not 100% accurate to real life, people are going to come for me in particular.” He further emphasized the significance of giving the animation a uniquely Nigerian feel and making sure it was created by Nigerians rather than coming across as an outside version of Nigerian culture.
Representation in animation should extend beyond on-screen portrayals to include diverse creators, animators, writers, and directors who bring lived experiences into storytelling. Cultural aesthetics, such as traditional clothing, symbols, and architecture, must be respected to ensure visual elements align with real-world heritage. The significance of cultural representation in animation cannot be overstated. It provides underrepresented communities with a sense of belonging and offers the world a valuable opportunity to appreciate diverse traditions through the universal language of animation.

In scenarios like this, I have found that a particular reframing device comes in handy: viewing the communication as actually part of the creativity. So, think of it like this: We’ve all been in situations where we were talking to someone, and they basically made us nothing more than a prop. They’re talking about something, performing conversation, but in truth, they are just speaking for themselves. Your presence or understanding doesn’t really matter. As artists, we should aim to avoid subjecting others to this experience. The aim of any piece of art is expression. That expression extends backward to the collaborative process. Being able to provide perspective to your collaborators (be they other artists, managers, financiers, etc) is a foundational tenet of personal development. Communication, or rather, communicating, is the creativity. It’s one of the more important things I’ve learnt at Nsibidi.

Anime is the word we (English-speakers) use to describe animation work that is of Japanese origin. In Japan, however, it simply means “animation” regardless of where that animation is from. That being said, it cannot be denied that there are certain stylistic preferences and sensibilities that proliferate Japanese anime and thus make it recognisable. My point is that when something is described as a “Western anime,” we know what to expect. It wasn’t made in Japan, but it will bear Japanese creative sensibilities.

This is interesting because origin and style coalesce in our minds to form an understanding of a particular school of creative animation thought. And with this in mind, one might ask, especially considering this is being posted on the blog of Nsibidi Fables, an African animation production company, what is the African animation style?

What defines it? Is it solely about the country of origin? What then of diasporic animators? Is it about language? That would be hard to pin down, no? So what then? I believe that African animation has yet to be truly defined. There is no rooted industry yet. But when this industry is established, I want to believe that the African animation style would be defined by our shared context: the ontological situation in which art on the continent must exist. The variegated cultures of Africa will each contribute their peculiarities to their own projects, but I believe the uniting position will be borne from our struggle. Our art will speak for us as we speak into it. At Nsibidi Fables, that is what we are trying to achieve. Hopefully, someday in the future, subsequent generations will agree that we fulfilled this promise.