When we first committed to bringing Nirnama to life as an animated series, we knew early on that we couldn’t just wing it. We had to feel the world before we could draw it.
It started with Hilal’s books and also comics. The team was digging into the history of Kesultanan Melayu the because that’s the world Nirnama lives in. Not a textbook version of it, but the essence of it. The vibe. The weight of it.
So naturally, the next step was obvious: we had to go to Melaka!
Melaka is arguably Malaysia’s most historically significant state, and for a story rooted in the Malay Sultanate era, there was no better place to ground ourselves. We spent a full day visiting key landmarks and museums, walking through displays, studying motifs, textures, that you simply can’t absorb from a book alone.
The goal wasn’t to replicate history with accuracy, Nirnama is a fictional story, and we’re not making a documentary. What we were after was essence. The kind of visual language that makes you feel like you’re in that world, even if every single detail isn’t historically faithful. There’s a difference between accuracy and authenticity, and we were chasing the latter.
The real work happens after the trip.
We can’t share too much just yet, but what we saw in Melaka absolutely shaped the visual direction we’re heading toward. The team is excited. Let’s just leave it at that.
Oh, and the Asam Pedas.
No trip to Melaka is complete without food, and we were not about to skip that. Lunch was, of course, Asam Pedas!
