Club Spotlight: Anime Club

By: Teresa Prytko

*Design created by Emily Le ‘25

No one can deny the impact that anime and Japanese culture, in general, has made on the culture in the United States. 

Anime first came over to Western audiences in the 60s, but it was not until the 90s that it became mainstream in The United States. Shows like Pokémon, Dragon Ball Z, Naruto and Sailor Moon were, and still are incredibly popular among fans. Show like these and more helped a generation of kids to fall in love with anime and gave them something to connect to. This is where Anime Club originally found its roots. 

It is a place where fans of anime, whether old fans or new ones who are eager to embrace it can share their love and appreciation for it. It is a community and a great place to de-stress after a long week of work and classes. 

The club meets every Thursday in Tsotsis 109 at 8 o’clock, unless otherwise specified by the President. 

If you are interested in joining but have a lot going on this is not a huge concern. There aren’t any major commitments expected, you can show up to whichever meetings you wish. One of the hardest things is deciding which anime to watch next, which can be very difficult. It is done democratically, each member gets to make a suggestion and then vote on them.
Generally, the club watches two anime during its meetings and then each member will watch two on their own. Most episodes are only around 25-30 minutes and there is a whole week in between meetings to watch them.

Before they start the anime, the members have the chance to talk about what they thought about the last episodes, what they think will happen next, or any news regarding the anime community in general such as new movies or season updates. 

So far Anime Club has watched “Odd Taxi” a newer anime that can be found on many top 10 lists for the best anime of 2021. It follows the life of a taxi driver and is anything but simple. The twist at the end will leave every viewer shocked. They also watched “Ride Your Wave”, a movie about the love between a girl who loves to surf and a boy who is a firefighter and how it perseveres despite many challenges. Their most recent show is Mob Psycho 100 which is about a middle schooler who has psychic powers. Currently, they are on season two. 

If you are interested in joining Anime Club you can email Matthew Canning at matthew.canning@assumption.edu