Soma Dalai

Dragon Ball Z, Sailor Moon, Naruto, One Piece and even Pokémon — the list of popular anime and manga is endless and its followers are legion. If you’re part of that legion there’s a spot on campus just for you in the Animanga Club.

Started in 2011, the Animanga Club aims to introduce anime and manga  to the wider campus community, according to current president and second year geology student Jacob Van Breugel. 

The club began when a group of “anime and manga fanatics thought it would be a cool idea” and has carried on ever since. For those non-fanatics who don’t know the difference between anime and manga, Van Breugel has a sympathetic look and a simple explanation: “Anime is basically what’s on TV, while manga is books and comics.”

Every year, the club attends numerous events including the Saskatoon Blitz — which took place this past July at Prairieland Park — and the Saskatoon Comic and Entertainment Expo coming up Sept. 20-21, also at Prairieland. The Saskatoon Blitz involves gaming tournaments, vendors, artists and a cosplay contest while the Entertainment Expo is described by its own website as a “nerd-tastic celebration” and is usually well attended by the Animanga Club. 

If you are afraid of attending alone, you needn’t be. 

“We make groups so that people who are new to the convention scene have people they know who are going,” assured Van Breugel in a follow-up email. The Expo features guests from the television, film and comics industries along with numerous vendors and artists. This year, Dino Stamatopoulos from Community and Steven Yeun from AMC’s hit series The Walking Dead will be amongst the stars featured.

The Animanga Club also hosts events for its members throughout the year. In the past, the club has held Japanese language lessons and drawing lessons. Yearly Halloween and Valentine’s Day parties feature anime showings, large art auctions and food while karaoke nights, bowling and swimming are popular non-holiday themed events. 

“We like to have fun, hang out and watch anime,” Van Breugel said. 

“One of the big things for the club is being able to connect with like-minded people who have something in common and then building friendships and connections,” he wrote to the Sheaf. 

When asked why anime and manga continue to have such enduring appeal in a world filled with other forms of entertainment, Van Breugel waxed philosophical. 

“Part of the reason why people enjoy these things is because it shows part of a different culture than what we are used to,” he wrote. “Another part is that it brings back the fun of watching cartoons and reading comics that we did as children, but with a lot more teenage/adult viewpoints.” 

Van Breugel also commented on the various anime genres and the diversity of artistic techniques. His favourite anime shows and manga comics are Beck, an anime about a group of struggling teenage Japanese rock musicians, and Rave Master, a manga about a teenager who goes on a quest to find pieces of a stone and save the world. 

Aside from going to conventions and sharing enjoyment of their favourite shows, the Animanga Club is a non-profit that donates extra money made from events to charity. This year, the club has chosen the SPCA.

For those who wish to become involved in the Animanga Club, Van Breugel has a simple set of instructions. 

“Just show up,” he said. “Anyone can join the club, whether you’re an undergraduate or an alumni or someone who’s working. We have people from arts and science all the way over to engineering, and there is a lot of diversity between nationalities, where we have members from all over the world.” 

Those interested in joining the Animanga Club can contact them directly at uofsanimanga@gmail.com or attend one of their weekly Friday meetings, which begin Sept. 12 in upper Place Riel’s campus club room at 6 p.m.

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Photo: Katherine Fedoroff/Photo Editor