In case you don’t know, anime, short for animation, is a style and genre of Japanese animation that has been growing a huge global following with both adults and kids.

Anime has grown to become a massive part of today’s culture and much different anime have been created with its growing popularity, the most popular of which is “One Piece” with over 400 million volumes in circulation worldwide. The style often has dramatic themes, exaggerated eyes, and features, as well as iconic sayings and characters.

This semester, the Anime Club plans to celebrate anime and, of course, watch more shows

Anna Borgula ‘24 has been attending Anime Club since the first meeting in early January and has loved every session they have had so far.

“My favorite part of Anime Club is laughing and having fun doing things with my friends,” Borgula said.

Every other Tuesday after school, members of the anime club gather in Bill Wester’s room to participate in various anime-related activities, whether it’s just chatting and recommending different anime to watch or making anime-related projects.

“We do different things every week but everything is anime-related, last week we all made anime-related presentations,” Miriam Lam ‘24 said, who’s also been going since the club started.

Members of the  anime club recommend “Sk8 the Infinity,” “Haikyuu!!” “Bungo Stray Dogs,” and “The Disastrous Life Of Saiki K.,” though all members are looking forward to hearing about the anime that anyone else might watch.

According to “Bestfactsabout” in the USA approximately 18% of people watch anime, and 40-60% in the world (quora) those numbers have grown dramatically in the past few years as anime is finally being accepted today’s society.

Julia McDaniel ‘24 founded the club in early January. Many friends and anime lovers have been quick to join, and members recommend this club to anyone who likes anime or anyone interested in learning more about it, there are no restrictions to who can join so regardless of your grade or gender you are always welcome to join them in room 220 every other Tuesday after school.

According to The Japanese Shop, “One of the main reasons why anime has stood the test of time and grown in popularity across the world is due to its unique ability to grow with its viewers” “the genre has been widely accepted due to its unconventional nature.” 

“I like the artistic style of anime, and how it’s different from other stories,” Nate Grady ‘24 said. “They show the battles and the backstories more.”

Grady hasn’t come to the club yet, but the club says they are always looking for more fans.

“The meetings are fun,” Lam said. “I just like being around people who have similar interests as me.”

This article appeared in the February edition of The East Vision.