13 Feb – "Mechamato" has set a record for the country as being the first foreign animation to win the Anime Fan Award in Tokyo. The Monsta animated series bested other contenders including "Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero" and "SpyXFamily" to win in the category, with more than 183,000 votes. "We thank everyone who voted for 'Mechamato'. We are very excited to have won the award ... [in] a country famous for its animation industry," said CEO Nizam Abd Razak.
"Monsta is confident that 'Mechamato' will be able to captivate the hearts of the Japanese audience, especially children, because of its unique concept and the story is full of values," he added. The team was also congratulated by the Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil, who said that the victory should be an inspiration for local players in the animation industry. The series is currently shown in over 70 countries including Japan, South Korea, and Australia. Meanwhile, the "Mechamato Movie", has now collected more than RM36mil and is still showing in local cinemas for the 10th week. The Tokyo Anime Film Festival (TAAF) will be held from 10 to 13 March.