Many people don’t understand the appeal of anime. Such people scoff and saying that anime shows are cartoons, just for children.

Senior Deja Theroux disagrees with this common misconception. “Anime is not just cartoons!” she said. “There are plots and some adult themes. Sure, there are some shows appropriate for children like Pokemon, but there some shows I definitely would not show a child. It’s just like animated shows in America. I wouldn’t show ‘Family Guy’ to a child.”

As the president of the Anime Club in NKHS, Theroux is passionate about the club and what they do. Anime Club meets Tuesdays after school in Room 134. Ms. Tara Harrington is their new advisor. Theroux says that she met some of her closest friends at Anime Club and it is fantastic to hang out with them. They do many different activities at Anime Club: they draw, discuss anime, watch anime, have parties and eat food, and play video games.

Senior Brandon Pelcher said he likes watching anime because “it’s just like watching movies” and he likes that there are many different subgenres inside the genre of anime. There are anime music videos, anime adaptations of video games, and many other types of anime entertainment.

Theroux says she likes anime because “as an artist, I appreciate the animation. I also love the plots. They can sometimes be serious and dramatic or they can be funny. It’s extremely entertaining.”

She also says that anime can teach you a lot about the Japanese culture. “You really get to know the Japanese culture and their values,” she said. “If I were learning Japanese, I would also pick up some good Japanese vocabulary. As of now, just from watching anime, I can greet people and I know a few phrases.”