From Physicswallah to SDGs: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Anime-Based Storytelling in Promoting Sustainable Development Awareness among Indian Youth

This study aimed to find out the effectiveness of Anime as a modern age mass media tool and further use to educating and awareness of Indian youth about the importance of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in context of analysis of effectiveness of YouTube Anime Web series by Physicswallah as an open source for learning Physics & Maths for secondary class students in India. Animation that originated or was produced in Japan is referred to as "Anime," and it is one of the major visual forms of Japanese popular culture that has drawn a large following worldwide. Anime programming is extremely popular in India alone, with the second-largest audience. On the basis of the Social Learning, Narrative transportation, and Cognitive theory of multimedia learning the researcher wants to study the impact of Anime as a mass media tool in shaping the cognitive and social behavior of an individual. The research design included the analysis of comment sections of “Physic Wallah” Anime YouTube web series and audience responses of young Anime fan followers and students. The finding shows that anime-supported learning improves student motivation, improves concentration and memory retention, and simplifies difficult concepts through visual narrative and visualization. Additionally, respondents reported that they felt more emotionally linked to the material they were learning, which made learning more engaging and relatable. However, the study also identifies certain limitations, including the possibility of students perceiving anime primarily as entertainment, difficulties among learners unfamiliar with anime styles, and the risk of distraction from core academic objectives. Overall, the findings suggest that carefully integrated anime-based awareness & learning can serve as an innovative and effective educational approach that positively influences students’ cognitive engagement and learning experiences.