Join AnimeChicago at the Japanese Culture Center to celebrate the groundbreaking and cinematic storytelling of Mamoru Oshii. Known for his deeply philosophical and sweeping epics like Ghost in the Shell, Patlabor, and Urusei Yatsura, Oshii’s work is focuses on visual-storytelling and breathtaking action sequences. His works are credited with influencing Western directors such as James…
The AnimeChicago board would like to extend a massive thank you to the steering committee for inviting us to Japan Festival 2018, and special thanks to AnimeChicago member Natsue for facilitating our participation! This celebration took place on June 2nd 3rd at Forest View Educational Center in Arlington Heights. Here’s a recap of my experience.…
How we used to watch anime There’s never been a better time to watch anime than right now. Fans of the 70s and 80s had to “know a guy” with VHS copies and fan scripts to get their fix. Imagine if you had to glance offscreen for your subtitle. Yes, it’s that bad. DVD volumes…
AnimeChicago’s Interview series highlights local organization leaders, artists and personalities. Today we’re chatting with the anime-influenced artist AnimeSpice about her latest crate business Manga Spice Cafe! AC: Tell us a little bit about yourself, and how Manga Spice Cafe started out.AS: Back in my high school days, I was the project and event planner for…
When I registered AnimeChicago.com in 2006, it was a small dream. Chicago lacked a central guide for all the anime clubs and Japanese events around the city, and I wanted to solve that. Never did I imagine it would become the 800+ member club it is today. The collapse of Borders in 2011 and scarcity…
AnimeChicago hit a huge milestone this year – we visited Japan! Nine members signed on for a 10-day excursion in early May, right before the chaos of Anime Central. As the lead organizer with prior travel experience, I did tons of research, hostel booking, AirBnb reviewing, and managing of expectations. Here are three challenges and…
Back in 2011, I heavily researched Japanese tourism to prepare for a seventeen day backpacking spree. That’s when I found GoRamen.com and learned about the exhaustive qualities, variations, and techniques that go into a bowl of ramen. The author, Keizo, visited Chicago in 2012 and 2013 right before ramen caught fire here. He didn’t have…
In light of the upcoming convention season, AnimeChicago has been speaking more about the safety and comfort of our members at club-sanctioned events. Here’s one of a series of articles on this topic. Content warning for excessive talk on sexual harassment. In the last decade that I’ve been running AnimeChicago and visiting conventions, I’ve heard…
State of Chicago’s Anime Scene You have a million ways to view anime legally (Crunchyroll, Hulu, Netflix, Funimation, etc.) but there are fewer ways meet like-minded fans nowadays. Streaming services promote solo-viewing which encourages staying home, and maybe sharing thoughts on impersonal social networks or among hostile comment sections. This shift has lead to a…
In case you’ve missed my previous posts, I’m a bit of a UNIQLO fan. I’ve worn a variety of UNIQLO pants exclusively for the last year and a half, and you’ll have to pry them from my cold dead hands. Chicago’s flagship is opening next Friday and I am so jazzed! The clothing line lands somewhere beyond…