Iman Vellani is the kind of movie star whose enthusiasm, humor and openness radiate from the screen and have a positive impact in person. The 21-year-old actress, best known for her role as Kamala Khan in 2022 Ms. Marvel and 2023 The miracles, is unapologetically open in sharing her love of all things MCU, from playfully debating the finer points of canonical continuity with Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige to co-writing a Ms. Marvel limited series starring Sabir Pirzada.
But Vellani has passions other than Marvel: her most recent is anime. Earlier this year at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards, Vellani shared with Polygon what convinced her to finally take the plunge and explore Japanese animation.
“Until recently, I was very intimidated by anime,” Vellani said. “I started watching anime about a year ago, so this is a new obsession for me, but I’m really into it now. There’s just so much content that I didn’t know where to start. I mean, I can barely keep up with all the Marvel content out there.”
Image: White Studio/Crunchyroll
Vellani credits her budding love for anime to Attack on Titan, which she was introduced to through family and friends and which she proudly calls her current favorite anime. “They talk about it all the time,” Vellani said, “and Attack on Titan kept coming up when they talked about anime. I started looking at it and thought: This is a story that seems to be about humanity. I think I can get into it.”
Of the entire ensemble of characters featured in Attack on Titan, Vellani pointed to one in particular whose story resonated with her the most. “I love Mikasa Ackerman,” Vellani said. “The way she kept Eren’s scarf at the end of the show even though Eren told her to give it up and forget about it. She was the only one who could kill Eren at the end to stop the rumbling. That’s a woman who – I don’t think I’ve seen many other female characters like her who have the authority and the willpower and the determination to actually act on it. I recently cut my hair, and when I looked in the mirror I thought: I know what my next cosplay is.”
Image: White Studio/Crunchyroll
In addition to Mikasa, Vellani also mentioned one of the series’ other main characters as one she particularly enjoyed, even going so far as to praise the voice actor responsible for their performance in Attack on Titan‘s final. “I love Armin because I always like to champion the nerdy characters,” Vellani said. “I watched the last half of the show in English and I don’t know who the actor is who plays Armin, but they deserve a raise because their performance in the last episode blew me away. He made me cry, his wailing and that flashback scene between him and Eren, it just touched me in all the right ways.
After resisting anime for a while, Attack on Titan quickly became a show that stuck with her. “The ending was such a blow. I felt so terrible at the end, but it’s one of those things Succession-type endings where it’s not the ending you want, but it made sense. The ending made sense for the story, it made sense for the characters.
“I think they tied the knot so perfectly, and I can’t think of anything else I’ve seen recently that has impressed me so much. I lay in bed crying while watching it. My mother walked in on me and said, “It’s just an animated show!” and I was like, ‘No, this is real!’”
Image: MAPPA/Crunchyroll
Shortly afterwards Attack on Titan, she dove into exploring other popular series suggested by her friends. “I finally started Jujutsu Kaisen And A piece,” said Vellani. “A piece was one that I initially didn’t want to get into because it’s like a thousand episodes now, and that felt like too much. Grey’s anatomy was more than enough for me, and I stopped at season 10. But after the Netflix show came out, I was so drawn to the characters, and after the heartbreak of Attack on Titan, I needed something lighter and funnier and that made me feel good. The characters are likable and I want to root for them all, so that’s a show I really like.
And Vellani’s love for anime doesn’t stop at TV. “I looked Suzume right before I came to Japan and I loved it,” Vellani said. “That surprised me. Truly a masterpiece. I looked recently too The boy and the heron and as a 21 year old it really spoke to me and reassured me that my inner child still exists.
Image: Studio Ghibli via GKIDS/YouTube
When asked why she felt her generation embraced anime, and what it was about the medium that specifically appealed to her, Vellani cited the powerful roles and depictions of women and children, as well as the craftsmanship of studios like Studio Ghibli. of the reasons why anime is so popular among the Gen Z audience. “I just feel like anime is so progressive with the way they portray women and children, especially in Studio Ghibli films. All those films are so good at showing youth, childhood and imagination in a way that encourages children to maintain that mindset.
“I feel like a lot of American cinema is so depressing right now. It just wants to show the rough real life of the world. I want to live in a world that makes me excited for the future, and I think anime does a great job of showing all the beauties of life. We went to the Ghibli Museum this morning and saw how they draw every detail of the houses – the bricks, the walls, the windows – and you realize how many people paid attention to these details when they drew it. Like, this is how they see the world, and this is how I want to see the world, as something that is full of life and joy.