Rising in popularity: Anime Club

Eight years ago, the anime club had just three students. Today, the club has more than 25 members. On Thursday afternoons, they can be seen sitting on the floor of room 301, watching a new episode intently, with the club adviser and animated graphics teacher, Cathy Leather, sitting nearby.

“I used to watch anime and anime is absolutely fabulous,” Leather said. “This is my fourth year advising the anime club and it is growing significantly.”

Anime is a style of Japanese film and television characterized by colorful graphics and action-filled plots.

Many are eager to join this one-of-a-kind club. In the last year, the club has gained many new members of all different ethnicities.

“I think what this says about our school is that many people are open minded about other cultures, which is great,” said sophomore Katherine Liu, the public relations manager of the club.

“I think many people prefer subbed [Japanese dialogue w/ English subtitles] anime and that’s what we watch in anime club,” Liu said.

The club previews various anime series by showing the first episode of each show. They have watched episodes from shows like “Darker than Black,” “Clannad” and “Anohana.” Some students in the club enjoy one show over another and have watched the complete series at home.

“My favorite anime is probably ‘Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood,’” Liu said. “It’s kind of violent but the plot and characters are really good.”

The club has employed a voting system to see which show its members would like to watch. This has been especially helpful considering that there are thousands to choose from.

“The great thing about anime is that it’s stretched over different genres,” co-president sophomore Camille Bismonte said.

As co-president, Bismonte is charge of organizing parties for the club and bringing the anime to school.

Her brother Miguel Bismonte, who graduated with the Class of 2013, was also once co-president of the club. He convinced her to follow in his footsteps.

Bismonte’s biggest responsibility right now is organizing a trip to FanimeCon. Just like Comic-Con, FanimeCon allows fans to meet the creators of their favorite shows and dress up as their favorite characters.

This is the most important event for the anime club, scheduled to be held on May 24 in Downtown San Jose. Last year was the first time Bismonte went to the convention with the club.

“My favorite part was seeing all the merchandise you can’t get anywhere else, like anime figures and posters, and artists that you can only find online,” Bismonte said. “You are able to see the real artists themselves doing what they do best, [making anime].”

For most of the year, though, members watch anime from the comfort of room 301. They find that the club provides a way for students to de-stress.

“I like how everyone unwinds in the club,” Bismonte said. “The school itself is so academically oriented. It’s relaxing to just watch something with all your buddies.”