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: Shinichiro Watanabe, Part 1
Recorded live at C2E2 2023, this episode of Anime’s Game Changers focuses on the early smash hit works of director Shinichiro Watanabe, notably Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo. Host JPod and special guest Jamie, co-host of The Bebop Beat and AnimeChicago President, discuss Watanabe’s penchant for letting music drive his narratives brimming with loners and…
Anime’s Game Changers: Yasuhiro Yoshiura
In this episode of Anime’s Game Changers, hosts Neil and JPod traverse the well-structured sci-fi optimism of director Yasuhiro Yoshiura. We dive deep into Yoshiura’s growing body of work, including the award-winning Patema Inverted, surprise breakout show Time of Eve, and the recent Sing a Bit of Harmony. And that’s not including Yoshiura’s fascinating plethora…
2022 Annual Report: Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger
Since our founding sixteen years ago, AnimeChicago has grown from a small group of friends to a vibrant and engaged community of anime fans. The world is truly different now—and so are we. In 2022, we doubled down on our most popular initiatives, trimmed unpopular programs, and embraced hybrid events. But what hasn’t changed is…
Summer 2022 Anthology: Then & Now
Just like the plethora of remakes popping up in the anime sphere, we tasked our artists to recreate a work from their past. Unlike more remakes, the results are actually good!
Anime’s Game Changers: Hiroyuki Imaishi
This is Anime’s Game Changers, the podcast dedicated to highlighting the people, ideas, and events that shaped the anime you know and love. For the pilot episode, JPod and Neil tackle Trigger’s trash titan, Hiroyuki Imaishi — the visionary behind megahits like Gurren Lagann and Kill la Kill.
Spring 2022 Anthology: Cover Image
We asked our Art Circle artists to help promote the program to newcomers using their personal style. We are blown away by these new promo covers!
Winter 2022 Anthology: Very Very Peri
We challenged our Art Circle artists to create a work inspired by 2022’s Pantone Color of the Year: Very Peri. Let’s just say that the results are Peri good!
6 reasons Anime Sampler is worth your time
159 anime titles premiere this Spring 2022. They certainly aren’t all winners. But how can you be the most informed fan if you haven’t watched all 50 shows, OVAs, and movies airing this week? And the week after that? Until the literal end of time? It’s incredibly challenging to stay current every anime season. I gave…
AnimeChicago at ACen 2022!
Come rep AnimeChicago at Anime Central 2022! Join us for 3 panels, an IRL Member Mixer, and our first-ever Cosplay Parade! We couldn’t imagine a more perfect way to attend the first ACen since the 2019 Lockdown. The world has certainly changed these last two years. Our meetups also require masks and other prevention measures…
Fall 2021 Anthology: Your Favorite Anime
Fan art might be ubiquitous in the anime community, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t special. Especially the pieces our Art Circle regulars put together for our Your Favorite Anime Anthology.
2021 Annual Report: Old Favorites, New Norms
Last year was more of what we didn’t ask for: staying indoors, peeled to screens, creating whatever this “new normal” would be. Anime fandom landed firmly into the mainstream with this perfect storm! Hooray for streaming-on-demand, local movie screenings, and killer merch. Boo to the many large groups flooded with shouting matches, disinfo, and hate…
Summer 2021 Anthology: Wild Monsters
AnimeChicago proudly presents Summer 2021 Anthology: Wild Monsters published as a digital gallery for public viewing.
Spring 2021 Anthology: Summer Festival
AnimeChicago proudly presents Spring 2021 Anthology: Summer Festival, published as a digital gallery for public viewing. Each piece includes an artist’s statement that provides context into their creation.
Learn how your skills pay bills at “AMA: Passion to Profession”
Anime Central 2020 approved this panel and a pandemic thwarted it. So we’re bringing it online! Four AnimeChicago members will share how their respective fan labor projects created opportunities for career advancement and helped them level up their skills. Bring your questions, leave with solid career advice! ? Thursday, June 17 at 7:00pm CDTFree for…