KUANTAN: Although Tourism Malaysia are in talks with the publisher of popular Japanese animation television series "Jujutsu Kaisen", plans to build a memorial for the popular anime character - Kento Nanami - will take longer than expected.

State Unity, Tourism and Culture Committee chairman Leong Yu Man said there were several matters that had to be ironed out especially involving copyright and intellectual property rights.

"Tourism Malaysia representatives met the anime publisher in January to convey the Pahang government's interest, hoping to obtain the creator's consent to help promote tourism here. We have provided all the supporting documents.

"All communications related to securing the approval are done through an intermediary as the creator seldom appears in the public and does not want to be under the spotlight.

It might take some time to complete the required procedures especially, involving copyright," she said at the Malaysia International Tourism (MIT) Expo 2024 press conference here today.

Last year, Leong told the Pahang assembly that a beach in Kuantan was mentioned by Nanami in episode 42 of "Jujutsu Kaisen", and the state government hoped to capitalise on this.

Prior to his death in the series, Nanami had expressed his desire to visit and settle down in Malaysia, specifically Kuantan.

The state government had expressed interest to build a memorial for Nanami here in December last year and invited the creator, who goes by the pen name Gege Akutami, to visit the state as part of efforts to promote the state to anime fans.

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2024/04/1038537/pahang-govt-securing-rights-build-japanese-anime-monument