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…
Reactor Meltdown
Conventions are a big endeavor, so people weren’t surprised when con chair James Alsup announced Reactor 2008 would be canceled. Some think it was a poor decision to move to the new Weston in Wheeling for 2007, noting that con-goers are often unpleasant for regular hotel guests, tend to trash rooms, require the occasional ambulance,…
Hello Chicago!
After 10 years of radical growth in the Japanese animation industry, we’re witnessing our fandom return to the underground from which it emerged. Despite studios rapidly dropping titles, disparaging bumps from Adult Swim, and the loss of Geneon, many fans are still eagerly waiting for the next great show and looking for people to share…