Disclaimer: The following films are difficult to find and may be out of print. So you’ve watched a bunch of new anime and wonder, “why do they keep referencing these older super robot shows?” Or you’ve heard about Godzilla movies as well as shows like Super Sentai and don’t know where to start. Finally you…
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…
Reading is probably the hardest part of learning Japanese, so I thought I’d share some strategies that helped me improve my reading while I was in Japan. This is directed at people who are taking Japanese classes. I don’t have any experience with self-study from scratch so I can’t offer much advice there. If I…
The seasons are finally starting to change in Chicago, and warmer weather is on its way. But as those of us who have lived here a while know, we haven’t seen the last of cold weather. Hopefully now that we’ve hit 60 degrees we at least won’t see the negatives again for another year, but…
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…
“…in terms of popularity and sales, manga in America can be divided into Naruto and everything else. Aren’t most comics “alternative” to most of America? So what the hell. For the purposes of this post, the manga under discussion are Awesome Manga, all the titles that are too smart, too weird and/or too old for…
After hearing reports about the man who brutally held his ex-girlfriend he met at a con captive for two months, and news earlier this year about the convicted sex offender who coerced an underage girl he met at a con, I’d like to stress convention safety. Anime conventions are some of the most fun places…
The short answer is “no.” You can view our directory of local retailers which may appeal to anime fans, but they do not meet our criteria for an all-encompassing anime store. The continual frustrating question is “why not?” A true anime store needs to meet a few criteria to succeed in Chicago: 1) Be accessible…
Whether you’ve played a few rounds at a friends house or play regularly at an arcade, there’s nothing worse than dance game pads you can’t trust. Most experienced players devote hours on a dedicated cabinet and you might want to take the leap. For new players and new residents, here’s a primer on what to look for…
Whether you’re a seasoned con-goer or just a one-day attendee from last year, many of have already experienced the convention in some form and can offer a some tips for the uninitiated. Of course, there are quality convention survival guides out there, but here’s a few recommendations to get to know this convention specifically: Hotel…