Anime club

An anime club is an organization that meets to discuss, show, and promote anime in a local community setting and can also focus on broadening Japanese cultural understanding. [cite news|first=Sophie|last=Swecker|url=http://media.www.easterneronline.com/media/storage/paper916/news/2005/10/25/EagleLife/Cartoons.Arent.Just.For.Kids-2369630.shtml|title=An Cartoons Aren't Just For Kids...|date=2005-10-25|accessdate=2007-12-02] Anime clubs are increasingly found at universities and high schools. Organizers may also utilize public meeting spaces such as a library [cite news|first=Sara|last=Freedman|url=http://www.wickedlocal.com/marlborough/homepage/x1846589282|title=Teens animated over anime|date=2007-08-30|accessdate=2008-04-07] or a government center. [cite news|first=Evan|last=Frank|url=http://www.restontimes.com/news/2006/aug/24/h3centeran-animated-culture-centerh3/|title=An animated culture|date=2006-08-24|accessdate=2007-10-10] Many anime club attendees that identify as otaku. Although the core of anime club attendees are in their twenties, there are generally no age requirements. Adults in their fifties and sixties and teenagers also attend. [cite news|first=Meredith |last=Goldstein|url=http://www.boston.com/ae/movies/articles/2004/12/01/members_of_mit_club_share_an_anime_attraction?mode=PF|title=Members of MIT club share an anime attraction|work=The Boston Globe|date=2004-12-01|accessdate=2007-12-10]

Activities

Anime club meetings can occur on a weekly or monthly basis. In addition to viewing anime, clubs engage in other activities such as viewing anime music videos, reading manga, karaoke and cosplaying. [cite news|first=Cindy Lee|last=Mackert|http://www.hvjournal.com/articles.php?id=2479&art_title=Anime_Fannatiku_is_a_Big_Hit|title= Anime Fannatiku is a Big Hit |work=Hurricane Valley Journal|date=2006-03-01|accessdate=2008-04-07] Many clubs host online forums to further foster community interaction, and feature library to lend books and manga to members. Participants of an anime club often are also involved in volunteering and organization of local anime conventions.cite news|first=Joshua|last=Cuneo|url=http://www.nique.net/issues/2005-04-01/entertainment/1|title=Tech hosts anime, gaming convention|date=2005-04-01|accessdate=2007-03-01] [cite news|first=Anthony|last=Ritz|url=http://www.nique.net/issues/2000-11-03/campus life/1|title=Anime-O-Tekku feeds Anime lovers|work=The Technique|date=2000-11-03|accessdate=2007-11-30]

Dependent on the scope of the club, activities can also have a broader range, to include playing of table top games such as Shogi, Go, and Mahjong. Outside activities include Saké tasting and visits to cultural events such as National Cherry Blossom Festival or a Kendo demonstration.

Anime Showings

Typically anime clubs exhibit shows in their original Japanese language track with English subtitles. Dependent upon policy of the club, anime fansubs or localized dubs can be shown.

Larger clubs can have multiple viewing rooms. Usually one room features localized anime and the other fansubs. The fansub room can also be known as the 'divx' room, named after the popular video codec.

Due to the long running and episodic nature of some anime, exhibition is scheduled in blocks with breaks. Often, a twenty six episode series will be screened over the period of several months.

There are also informal policies in some club circles regarding the total length of a viewed show. For example, Bleach and InuYasha run for nearly two-hundred episodes each. At this length, a club may be perpetually showing episodes, effectively depriving another show of that spot. Additionally, it may be difficult for new members of the club to follow or become interested in a storyline that has already progressed far.

Public Exhibition

When gathering in a public place to show licensed media, written permission from the domestic rights holder is required. This is known as Public Performance Rights or exhibition rights. [ [http://web.mit.edu/anime/www/starting-a-club.html How to start an anime club ] ] [ [http://www.newyorkerfilms.com/nyf/non-theatrical/PPR_Sheet.pdf New Yorker Films Public Performance Rights] ] In 2006, the Illinois State University Cinema Society was assessed $8,000 ($400 a screening) in fees by New Yorker Films for failure to get permission to screen films.

North American anime licensors, such as Funimation and Bandai Entertainment have established programs to help facilitate public screenings of their licensed content at anime clubs. [ [http://www.operationanime.com Funimation Operation Anime] ] [ [http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2002-12-02/bandai-announces-anime-club-support-progam Bandai announces anime club support program] ]

See also

* Genshiken - a manga and anime featuring a college anime club.
* Otaku no Video - comedy anime spoofing the life and culture of otaku
* Community center - a common place for anime clubs to meet

References