By: Lasley Cash, Staff Writer
The anime club, an organization marking its sixth year on Furman’s campus, strives to create a fun, relaxing atmosphere for all students with an interest in anime. “As a student organization, [they] are dedicated to celebrating interest in Japan, Japanese pop culture, and of course, anime. We often do this by going to conventions together or by having movie nights,” said previous president and recent graduate Amy Boyter.
Beginning in 2009 with its first president, Rachel Tackett, the club met weekly. Each week, the club assigned one member to bring in an anime of their choice. More recently, the club chose six particular anime to focus on for the year, showing two anime in the fall, two in the spring, and two more shown variably throughout the course of the year. Club members chose their six anime by looking at which anime the majority of the club's members have never seen before. While members have watched up to four shows in one sitting, the club hopes this year to watch three different anime’s episodes at each meeting. The group also encourages club members to participate in cosplay, otherwise known as costuming. Cosplay is a hobby unique to the anime club, where members are able to dress up as particular character from movies, comics, pop culture, video games, or anime. While cosplay is generally seen at anime conventions and competitions, many members also like to dress up for fun or because they are personally interested in a particular character or show. The anime club’s Halloween party is the perfect opportunity to express such interest and enjoyment. It also gives students a chance to show off their crafting skills by participating in homemade cosplays.
The anime club Halloween comparison to the club’s main event: Anime Weekend Atlanta (AWA). A chance to have fun while meeting friends and alumni, finding interesting merchandise and attending panels, the convention is the highlight of the club’s involvement outside of Furman’s campus. This year AWA will take place the weekend of September 26 through 28. If you are interested in going, you should contact the club president Michael Mireb. You can also catch up with and meet club members through the Facebook page “Furman Anime Club.”
Around campus, the club likes to host movie nights and CLPs to gain greater student participation and involvement. Last year, the club hosted a showing of “From Up on Poppy Hill,” a Studio Ghibli film. The club’s faculty advisor, Dr. Yagi, takes a leading role organizing these CLP films for students and the greater Greenville community.