On Friday evenings, one room in the basement of the College of Business building is dark, save for flashes of color from the projector screens and music that escapes into the hall.
The Anime Club at the University of Wyoming meets twice a week, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Mondays and Fridays, to watch and talk about Japanese animation, often called “anime.”
“The Anime Club at the University of Wyoming is dedicated to providing opportunities to experience the artistic, cultural, and linguistic wealth of Japan through animation,” reads the club’s description.
Members appreciate the chance to meet new people and get out of their comfort zones.
“Watching anime can be done in various settings; however, many people traditionally watch it on their own. The way that the Anime Club is formatted adds a level of socialization that can be hard to find,” said Veronica Garcia, the club’s advisor.
“My favorite part about [the] club is chatting with my fellow members and being introduced to new anime or media I otherwise wouldn’t have considered,” said Kadin Hodges, the club’s vice president.
Hodges has high hopes for the anime club. Foremost is the hope “that the club continues to grow and we can continue to extend our outreach and have more fun together.”
Growth has been a big goal for the Anime Club.
During the COVID-19 pandemic the club was forced to go completely online, streaming its events over the Discord messaging platform. Many members stopped attending at all. The Anime Club has only recently rebuilt its community, with 33 members currently registered.
“Recently, with the support of loyal club members, the club has been able to recruit, fundraise and has grown exponentially. Not only are we able to host our twice a week in-person anime viewings, but we are able to host other club social events that have been fan favorites for new members,” Garcia said.
Going forward, the Anime Club has plans to attend a Japanese pop culture convention in the spring.
“The club is going to share and experience Japanese pop culture as a group,” said Zoe Chilvers, secretary for the club. “I’m most excited to dress up in cosplay!”
Cosplay, the art of making and wearing costumes to dress up as fictional characters, is a big part of the experience.
Garcia hopes that the convention will be an opportunity for club members to broaden their horizons.
“Although I have been to an Anime convention before, many of our other club members have never had the opportunity to attend one. My hope is that this event will give our club members a place to bond, make new friends, practice cosplay, and learn more about the art form that brought us all together to begin with.”
