"Oakland School for the Arts is a home to The Anime Club, where students come together via screen and discuss characters, manga, shows, suggestions, episodes, and more." -- Isabella Schainker, 7th Grade
The first anime was created in 1902 and since then, it has grown in popularity. Anime has risen with the wave of new viewers, centering on Japanese cultures and animation styles. Although anime has become increasingly popular internationally and in America in recent years. In OSA, there is a community of connection through these shows and suggestions, a small sanctuary for sharing thoughts and sharing anime videos.
One of the main reasons why anime has stood the test of time and grown in popularity across the world is due to its unique ability to grow with its viewers. Characters develop and strengthen their qualities and traits over the episodes.
Anime is no different than any other type of visual entertainment, but the reason it's popular now is it’s accessibility. In the old days of anime there were no licensed dubs, there were only fan made dubs. Dubs, dubbing, and dubbed is referring to the process of removing the original, Japanese voices of a given anime and replacing it with one's native language. Many people only watch dubbed series, so the dubbing industry has helped with the spread of anime. The visuals of Japanese animation are unique and fresh to the eye. Although anime is very diverse and stretches the boundaries of the logical world with characters and stories. No two shows are the same.
Oakland School for the Arts is a home to The Anime Club, where students come together via screen and discuss characters, manga, shows, suggestions, episodes, and more.
“I joined because I like anime and I like anime because it can be very exciting and interesting and I love the art style,” says Zion Gray, a sixth grade instrumental student. Liking anime is enough motivation to join. Each week the club alternates between anime episodes that are dubbed, again referring to the process of removing the original, Japanese voices of a given anime and replacing it with one's native language, and subbed meaning subtitled episodes of the original language.
A student or supervisor shares their screen to play an episode, intro, outro, or song from a series suggested by a member on the google classroom. After or in between the videos played, the club members and supervisor discuss the contents of the video and what it was about. People share their opinions without being judged and everyone gets a chance to suggest a show.
“The club is just having a space for us to come together and discuss anime and to bond over the topic.” says Mr. Qiu, supervisor and sixth grade math and science teacher. The club serves as a mutual connection between people who can’t meet face to face.
“Julian came up to me and asked if I could help supervise the club and I said yes,” Mr Qiu continued. “I always was interested in anime but I've never fully gotten into it. So I thought it would be a great opportunity for me to hold a space for people to come together but also learn more about anime myself.” Qiu wants the club to have more opportunities to explore anime and to share in the joy with one another. “Personally the goal, but also kind of where we are now is, sharing in joy of an anime that maybe some people have watched and get to re-experience or maybe watch and experience it for the first time.”
The founder of the club, an instrumental student in 6th grade, Julian Straesser talks of the origin story. “The purpose of the club is for people to bond over anime and have fun.” Straesser started the club about six weeks ago, this sets the stage for a flow of development and change, just like the entertainment itself with growing qualities and strengthening traits in every meeting.
“To be honest, I started the club because I had no one to watch anime with. I was also bored and wanted to connect with people,” said Straesser, who had interest in anime and starting a club as a new student and member to the community. “I would hope, of course, to be in person but like I think it’s pretty much where I want it to be, every week we watch anime and in the chat usually people are having conversations and I think that’s good for now.” Quarantine poses as an obstacle but also as as an appreciation of what we have now as a community thriving for the best with what we've got.
Payton Taunton, a 7th grade Digital Media student new to the Oakland School of the Arts community, Taunton joined the club to connect with people who have similar interests and find more suggestions of things to watch, he states he’s been watching anime for a couple of years and continues to watch it because it’s one of the things he can relate to before and through quarantine. He likes that he can meet new people without pressuring circumstances. “I’ve ended up feeling connected to anime characters and they become comfort characters and shows for me. I like that I can meet people who share the same feeling towards shows,” said Taunton.
The rise in popularity of anime is known, it centers on Japanese cultures and animation styles. Anime stretches the boundaries of the logical world with characters and stories. When it comes to the topic at hand, if you’re interested, intrigued, or anything of the sort; join Oakland School for the Arts’ very own Anime Club and email Mr. Qiu for details regarding joining the Google Classroom.
You can comment, show suggestions, debate over different anime-related topics and find weekly updates on the club as well as the zoom link to the Anime Club meetings. Anime Club meets every Tuesday at 2pm.
One of the main reasons why anime has stood the test of time and grown in popularity across the world is due to its unique ability to grow with its viewers. Characters develop and strengthen their qualities and traits over the episodes.
Anime is no different than any other type of visual entertainment, but the reason it's popular now is it’s accessibility. In the old days of anime there were no licensed dubs, there were only fan made dubs. Dubs, dubbing, and dubbed is referring to the process of removing the original, Japanese voices of a given anime and replacing it with one's native language. Many people only watch dubbed series, so the dubbing industry has helped with the spread of anime. The visuals of Japanese animation are unique and fresh to the eye. Although anime is very diverse and stretches the boundaries of the logical world with characters and stories. No two shows are the same.
Oakland School for the Arts is a home to The Anime Club, where students come together via screen and discuss characters, manga, shows, suggestions, episodes, and more.
“I joined because I like anime and I like anime because it can be very exciting and interesting and I love the art style,” says Zion Gray, a sixth grade instrumental student. Liking anime is enough motivation to join. Each week the club alternates between anime episodes that are dubbed, again referring to the process of removing the original, Japanese voices of a given anime and replacing it with one's native language, and subbed meaning subtitled episodes of the original language.
A student or supervisor shares their screen to play an episode, intro, outro, or song from a series suggested by a member on the google classroom. After or in between the videos played, the club members and supervisor discuss the contents of the video and what it was about. People share their opinions without being judged and everyone gets a chance to suggest a show.
“The club is just having a space for us to come together and discuss anime and to bond over the topic.” says Mr. Qiu, supervisor and sixth grade math and science teacher. The club serves as a mutual connection between people who can’t meet face to face.
“Julian came up to me and asked if I could help supervise the club and I said yes,” Mr Qiu continued. “I always was interested in anime but I've never fully gotten into it. So I thought it would be a great opportunity for me to hold a space for people to come together but also learn more about anime myself.” Qiu wants the club to have more opportunities to explore anime and to share in the joy with one another. “Personally the goal, but also kind of where we are now is, sharing in joy of an anime that maybe some people have watched and get to re-experience or maybe watch and experience it for the first time.”
The founder of the club, an instrumental student in 6th grade, Julian Straesser talks of the origin story. “The purpose of the club is for people to bond over anime and have fun.” Straesser started the club about six weeks ago, this sets the stage for a flow of development and change, just like the entertainment itself with growing qualities and strengthening traits in every meeting.
“To be honest, I started the club because I had no one to watch anime with. I was also bored and wanted to connect with people,” said Straesser, who had interest in anime and starting a club as a new student and member to the community. “I would hope, of course, to be in person but like I think it’s pretty much where I want it to be, every week we watch anime and in the chat usually people are having conversations and I think that’s good for now.” Quarantine poses as an obstacle but also as as an appreciation of what we have now as a community thriving for the best with what we've got.
Payton Taunton, a 7th grade Digital Media student new to the Oakland School of the Arts community, Taunton joined the club to connect with people who have similar interests and find more suggestions of things to watch, he states he’s been watching anime for a couple of years and continues to watch it because it’s one of the things he can relate to before and through quarantine. He likes that he can meet new people without pressuring circumstances. “I’ve ended up feeling connected to anime characters and they become comfort characters and shows for me. I like that I can meet people who share the same feeling towards shows,” said Taunton.
The rise in popularity of anime is known, it centers on Japanese cultures and animation styles. Anime stretches the boundaries of the logical world with characters and stories. When it comes to the topic at hand, if you’re interested, intrigued, or anything of the sort; join Oakland School for the Arts’ very own Anime Club and email Mr. Qiu for details regarding joining the Google Classroom.
You can comment, show suggestions, debate over different anime-related topics and find weekly updates on the club as well as the zoom link to the Anime Club meetings. Anime Club meets every Tuesday at 2pm.
