Japanese Animation Club prepares for Triad Anime Convention
By Madeline Travell, Staff Writer //
High Point University’s Japanese Animation Club holds meetings where the members come together to watch and discuss the various genres of anime. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, anime is “a style of Japanese film and television animation, typically aimed at adults as well as children.”
Most of the club’s meetings are comprised of watching an anime movie or having a conversation about a popular topic in anime. Anime motivations range from being simply created for the enjoyment of the audience, to having a more meaningful, social or artistic significance. The target audience for anime programs can range from children, with a storyline that is simply directing a life moral, to more fully-developed plots for adults.
The Japanese Animation Club held their annual bake sale on Nov. 11-12 at the Wanek Center Philanthropy tables to help support the club’s activities. Because the Japanese Animation club does not receive money from the Student Government Association, their funding is supported solely through fundraising events. The club is planning on using their funds to allow all of its members the opportunity to attend the Triad Anime Convention in Winston-Salem.
The convention will be held March 13-15. Club members will be able to attend events, guest panels, and gaming. There is also an all-convention event called “Cosplay” which is a competition judged on costumes and a skit performed by each contestant.
The panels are a chance for club members to listen to guest speakers including actors, producers, directors and animation staff of many of the popular shows and movies. This convention is a great chance for members to learn from the professionals of the industry and to converse with other convention attendees about their passion for anime.
The club’s objective is to be a safe environment where people with a common interest in anime can meet. “I think my favorite part of the club is being able to have conversations with people about what they like to watch and then seeing their entire face light up as they explain what it is they love about the show,” said vice president of the club, Lilyana Diaz.
The club is a place where members can explore their love for the art of anime, whether it is the characters from the shows or movies, the style or genre, the artwork, or the storyline. The Japanese Animation Club is a place where anime enthusiasts form a common bond and enjoy the culture surrounding anime.
Anime is prevalent within our culture even though many times we do not realize it. For example, many of the popular television shows we watched growing up were a form of anime.
“We try to remove the stigmas surrounding anime by exploring all different genres of anime and the culture that created it. We strive to create a fun and safe environment for our members to not only share the genres and shows that they love, but also to learn about shows and genres that they may never have thought that they’d be interested in before,” explained the President of Japanese Anime Club, Danielle Prince.
For more information, contact Prince at princd10@highpoint.edu or Lilyana Diaz at diazl12@highpoint.edu.