Articles
Musings direct from our members
Anime Central 2025 – Across the Board
We’re a few days from Anime Central, Chicago’s biggest anime convention fondly known as ACen. So we asked AnimeChicago teammates what they were most excited to see and attend. Plan your weekend along with us so you don’t miss out on your favorite panels, events, and industry talks! Download Guidebook to draft your schedule. What’s…
2024 Annual Report: A Year of Connection
18 years later, and AnimeChicago not only keeps the lights on – we’re strengthening our social ties daily. Tough times call for resilient communities. Our focus is uniting Chicagoans through all things Japanese pop culture but we can aim higher than that. That’s why we stepped up against social isolation, connected people with kindness, and…
Anime’s Game Changers – Sayo Yamamoto
Sayo Yamamoto’s catalog might still be small, but it is impossible to ignore her impact on anime. Focused on realism akin to fellow director, and sometimes collaborator, Shinichiro Watanabe, Yamamoto’s works touch upon multiculturalism, strong female protagonists, and often bold sexuality. Join hosts Neil and JPod as they discuss Sayo Yamamoto’s three fantastic anime series…
2023 Annual Report: My Kind of Town
Here at AnimeChicago, we’re serious about connecting our local anime community and celebrating the best of Japanese pop culture. That’s been our mission for 17 years now. Last year was no different. Let’s dive into how we accomplished that and what’s to come! What we achieved in 2023 8 Impactful Highlights Last year, we worked…
Anime’s Game Changers: Our Interview with FACETS
The spaces in which we enjoy anime and the people who share in that joy can be just as much a game changer as the creatives behind anime works. On this special episode of Anime’s Game Changers, hosts JPod and Neil speak with Emma Greenleaf, marketing manager and series programmer at FACETS, a Chicago theater…
Anime’s Game Changers: Shinichiro Watanabe, Part 2
Acclaimed anime director Shinichiro Watanabe’s career didn’t end with the fantastic Samurai Champloo. Even with a long gap between Champloo and his next work, Watanabe has continued to produce quality shows at a steady rate. Returning from our previous episode, special guest Jamie, co-host of The Bebop Beat and AnimeChicago President, joins Neil this time…