by Tessa Dinnie

The Anime Club has many devoted members who sometimes become frustrated at the stereotypes of anime fans. But despite the negative reactions they get, they still come together each week and talk about their love for anime.

Anime comes from Japan, and it can take the form of a show/movie or a book called a manga. Mangas are usually mistaken for comic books, but according to the group, they are not the same thing. Mangas are read backwards; the story starts at the back of the book and works its way forward. Anime shows, such as the award-winning Spirited Away, are cartoons and sometimes involve magical elements.

But the idea for an anime club didn’t come from one of the students.

“I’ve always liked anime,” says President Katelyn Rivela, “and one day my mom woke me up and said, ‘Hey! You should start an anime club!’”

At their weekly meeting, they break up into small groups and talk about d

ifferent shows and mangas that they passionately follow that are called fandoms. Different fandoms among the anime universe include Hetalia, Homestuck, Nataro, and Deathnote. They talk for a little bit about each anime, and then after talking and snacking, they sit and watch a show of their choosing until the meeting comes to a close.

Because of the passionate following that anime has across the world, fan sometimes become associated with unflattering stereotypes.

“One of the misconceptions about anime is that it’s really inappropriate, and it’s not,” says sophomore Evelyn Page.

People think anime is inappropriate because there can be nudity in some mangas for adult readers. Some of the other misconceptions about anime fans are that they are basement dwellers, meaning that those people spend their entire life indoors and watching anime. Basement dwellers are rare and are usually adults, not high school students.

Another stereotype is the belief that everyone is either a fangirl or a fanboy, which means that they get overexcited and really, really into the manga or show they follow. The term fangirl or fanboy usually has a negative connotation to those who don’t really understand what it is all about. But in actuality, they are just really big fans of what they watch and read.

“It’s not like our club is full of fangirls and fanboys,” says sophomore Jackie Wang. “We’re just people who like anime.”

The club is full of happy and friendly people who all share a common love of anime. They don’t care if other students think they are weird or out of place; they are confident in what they love and of what they do with their art.

The club has their own website,www.karkar5678.wix.com/hhsanimeclub,  set up by Vice President Karleen Delorme. It has their calendar of events for each month, videos that group members like and a place to leave comments and have a conversation.  Anime Club takes place every Thursday afternoon in G103 from 2:00 to 3:30.