Join our free community in 5 minutes!
Meeting new people can be overwhelming. We’re a very laid-back and down-to-earth group. Our event hosts start with introductions to ensure your first event is welcoming and enjoyable. Believe us, you’ll fit right in.
Thanks for joining, and we’re excited to meet you soon!
Frequently Asked Questions
I’m so behind on this anime thing. Where do I start?
Being a well-versed anime fan can be difficult, especially if you are new or if you’ve stepped away for a while. This guide was created to make your journey easier.
- RSVP for our next Anime Sampler. We host a quarterly screening party to discover new stuff from the latest season. It’s a great way to meet our members and learn about new anime titles!
- Choose a Streaming Service. Accessing anime and manga has never been easier. Crunchyroll, Funimation, Hulu, Netflix, Viz, and Amazon are just a fraction of services where you can enjoy the material legally. Please support these services with a paid subscription, so they can keep producing and distributing more anime and manga.
- Read “A Brief History of Anime and Manga.” We’ve compiled brief summary of anime and manga as well as its cultural significance so you have a solid foundation of the medium’s history.
- Review Terminology. Wikipedia has a glossary but feel free to request a definition for any unfamiliar word.
How often do you watch anime?
We watch anime every Tuesday evening at Deep Dives, every quarter at Anime Samplers, and at the occasional movie outing. The rest of our events are focused on discussion or socializing with members.
Who can join? Are guests or kids allowed?
Meetup requires account holders be 18 years or older. Many of our members are in their 20s or 30s our discussions may contain adult material. We do not offer any programming for kids or teenagers.
Your guests are welcome to attend Mixers and informal outings. Other events have limited seating so we’ll have to turn them away. Sorry, we do not allow anyone younger than 18 years old at our events.
Where are your events located?
At the start of the pandemic, we moved all of our events to our Discord server. When we do get together in person, we stick to Chicago city limits and neighborhoods like Lakeview, Bucktown, or Logan Square. We select venues that are close to public transit with ample parking and walk-friendly sidewalks. Some of our events are in private meeting rooms within co-working spaces. Other events happen at restaurants, bars, and cafes where things are a little more organic.
How do I prepare for my first meetup?
Prepare by reading the event description! Be sure to watch or read the chosen selection before any Discussion Circle, or else you’ll hear a lot of spoilers. Arrive at the event location no early than 15 minutes. Check-in: Say hello to the event host who will give you a name tag, and let them know if you have any physical or social needs that they can help facilitate. Seating is limited so RSVP only if you can make it! Coat and bag check is not available. Unexpected guests will be turned away. We cannot guarantee wheelchair-friendly access. Please support our hosts by purchasing refreshments.
Is there a step-by-step guide to joining Discord?
Complete Discord’s registration process, or login into your existing account. Install the Discord app on all of your devices. 
See this welcome screen? You’re in the right place! 
You will only see these three public channels until we approve your account. 
Post your introduction so a mod can approve your account within 24 hours. Hare are some examples of what an introduction looks like.
I’m new to Discord. What etiquette should I follow?
- Please, please, please use headphones! It makes all the difference.
- Enable Push-to-Talk (PTT). It works like a walkie-talkie to prevent distracting background noise. Hold down your PTT shortcut keys while talking to activate your mic.
- Take long personal conversations to Direct Messages. Our server is set to notify everyone of every conversation. Do your part in reducing distractions.
- All members are welcome to request new channels. If a topic warrants a new channel, post a question in #general. “Can we get a _ channel for _? Who’s with me?” Once your vote has 10+ interested people, a moderator will create the new channel.
I’m signed in on Discord for an online event. Where do I go?
Tune-in at your scheduled Meetup time to see a new Event category. We open and close our event chatroom so members can mute notifications at will.
Help, I’m having technical issues!
Confirm your audio is working properly with the Mic Test Tool. Try these audio tips if you’re having difficulty connecting, and calibrate sensitivity and noise suppression for best results.
Mac users must explicitly allow permission via System Preferences > Security & Privacy. Add Discord to these four feature lists: Microphone, Camera, Input Monitoring, and Accessibility.
Confirm your audio is working properly with the Mic Test Tool. Try these audio tips if you’re having difficulty connecting, and calibrate sensitivity and noise suppression for best results. 
Learn about screen sharing and video calls so you can share video content without issue. Some of our streaming channels have these features disabled. 
Use Push-to-Talk (PTT) like a walkie-talkie to prevent distracting background noise. Hold down your PTT shortcut keys while talking to activate your mic. 
Mac users must explicitly allow access to Microphone, Camera, Input Monitoring, and Accessibility. Go to System Preferences > Security & Privacy and add Discord to these four feature lists.
How do I report concerns to a team member?
By joining our community, everyone has agreed to our Community Policies. Please contact us immediately if you are uncomfortable, concerned, or have witnessed a policy violation. In Discord, type ?report to silently flag a moderator to review violations.