For Zelda Landon, a general studies sophomore, SUU has become her home partly due to a certain passion of hers: the Anime Club. Landon first became acquainted with the group while enjoying herself and surveying the wide variety of clubs at Paint the Town Red her freshman year.
“When I saw the Anime Club it just lit my eyes up,” she says.
After teaching herself to draw at the young age of seven, Landon began practicing how to draw animated characters which sparked her interest in the anime genre. Luckily, after attending SUU, Landon discovered she wasn’t alone.
The club features students who are passionate about drawing, as well as watching and appreciating the anime film genre. According to the club’s website, a normal evening with the Anime Club would look a little like this:
“We will watch at least 3 episodes of anime a week, most anime lasting 24 minutes an episode. Before we start watching anime we will discuss anime news and what you can expect coming up in the future! Overall, we just want to enjoy watching anime together!”
Currently the club is watching “Good Luck Girl” and “Mob Psycho,” two animes both about young students possessing supernatural powers. Also, rumor has it that drinks and cookies often make an appearance at weekly meetings.
The club also supports avid fans of Studio Ghibli, an extremely popular animation studio based in Tokyo. Some of their most well-known films include “Spirited Away,” “Howl’s Moving Castle” and “My Neighbor Totoro.”
For Landon, anime is about a lot more than watching movies and eating snacks.
“[You] kind of get sucked into an awesome world that you feel like you’re a part of,” said Landon. “When you first get into it, you kind of start tying in animes and how they represent your life.”
One anime in particular has been especially significant in her life. “Fairy Tail” is the story of a dragon slayer, wizard, and supernatural cat that join together to fight crime and embark on fantastical missions. While it might seem trivial to those unfamiliar with the genre, “Fairy Tail” has truly become a life-changing show for Landon.
“‘Fairy Tail’ has been my second family because of the hardships and everything that I’ve been through,” she says.
SUU’s Anime Club is about more than friends watching animated movies; it provides an outlet for those wishing to share the art that has helped shape their lives. As a community, the club is supportive and friendly while celebrating a special part of their identities.
The group currently stands at around 15 members, but are always welcoming new anime enthusiasts to share and appreciate this impactful art, regardless of previous knowledge of the genre.
Landon says it simply, “If you want to look for some laughs and giggles, come to the Anime Club.”
For those interested in joining, the Anime Club meets every Thursday in the Starlight room at 7 p.m.
Story by: Amanda Walton
life@suunews.net
Photos Courtesy of Zelda Landon
