Not Just Anime Podcast

Jack Chen, or ZeroJ to those who're in the know, has been involved in the South African anime scene for more than two decades. From a humble internet cafe and South Africa's first print anime lifestyle magazine in the 2000s, to the current day Spoonkie and Anime After Hours Community, Jack's passion for anime has pushed him towards developing the local anime community and industry. We...

Jeffrey Lu, co-founder of Gunpla SA, is bringing joy to model kit - and especially Gundam model kit - fans in South Africa. But what eventually evolved into a business had its beginnings as a creative passion for making.   From art to cosplay to kitbashing, Jeffrey expresses his love for anime through creation but keeps a strong focus on developing the hobby and building a vibrant fan community ar...

Nizar Abrahams co-founded Readers Den more than 30 years ago in Cape Town, South Africa, and has ever since been the home away from home for comic book nerds, otaku and pop-culture fans. Being one of the oldest comic book shops in South Africa, Nizar was witness to the rise of anime and manga in South Africa during the early 2000s and played a key part in developing the market and spreading its po...

I sat down with Dr. Kotzee Kellerman, a successful medical practitioner, a long-time anime fan and one of my oldest friends. We reminisce about growing up in a small town in South Africa and going through the trials and tribulations of being an anime fan during the early 2000s. For the past 23 years, Kotzee has been a great friend and fellow anime-nerd, sharing many of our otaku experiences - and...

Market Kokoro is every anime fan's favourite Asian grocery store! From Karate Kid combos to hosting both iterations of Daru Fest, Market Kokoro has become an integral part of pop culture in South Africa. We sit down with brand manager Monique van Rooyen and dive into how a retailer became the hub of fan events and activities in South Africa. Recorded live at Daru Fest - Winter 2025

We welcomed The Notorious Po to our mobile recording studio at Daru Fest Winter 2025. Phirawat Supina, better known as The Notorious Po online, refers to himself as a semi-strong casual anime nerd, but after sitting down with him, I can confirm there's nothing casual about this anime content creator, with a deep passion for - and vast knowledge of anime music. We talk anime rooms, music, growi...

We welcomed Chad Beyers to our mobile recording studio at Daru Fest Winter 2025. Chad Beyers is an avid comic book collector (and soon-to-be mega anime fan :P), who shares his love of storytelling and passion for beautiful art and visuals with us in this episode. From comic books to anime and Hollywood adaptations, we explore what makes good storytelling that compels adults to spend small fortunes...

What if I told you that anime fans are some of the most interesting people you'll ever meet? I'm talking scientists who got into engineering because of Gundam... entrepreneurs who built businesses inspired by Dragon Ball... artists whose entire style came from watching Studio Ghibli films as kids. Here in South Africa, we've got this incredible anime community that nobody's really...