This quarter, our screenings will be held on Wednesdays in Stuart 102. People start to gather around 6:45pm, and members are encouraged to come early to talk. Sometimes, members or officers bring dinner with them. Screenings then go from 7:00 - 10:00pm. Whenever Stuart 104 isn't available, our backup room is in the Biological Sciences Learning Center.
UCJAS tries to show a mix of genres - romance, action, comedy, sci-fi. Anime isn't just about senseless violence or nudity; there's some good storytelling in there! Officers pick three of the shows that we watch, in order to get a balance of types and eras of anime. The fourth show is selected by members through a vote. Screenings of a few 'candidates' are held at the beginning of every quarter, so if you'd like to have a say, make sure you show up for the first meeting! This Fall's line-up hasn't yet been decided. Last year we showed Rose of Versailles, Giant Robo, Excel Saga, Read Or Die TV, and Hi no Tori among others.
Yes! Anyone can feel free to walk in and out of our screenings. JAS has no time commitments (other than whatever time you spend watching), and the only fee we charge is for access to our library.
UCJAS generally does not show titles that are currently on TV, have been on air recently, or are soon to be on air. While they are immensely popular series (often for good reason!), there are other shows out there - some not even available in America - that are just as good. And besides, would you rather see something that you could just as easily watch in your dorm, or the latest from Japan? :)
We try not to show series that have already been shown in the past two years. If we kept showing the same things, no one would come! By all means please do check them out from our library though, if you're interested. And once those two years are up, the series is fair game.
Besides our screenings, JAS also holds an annual group trip to Anime Central, an anime convention that takes place in the Chicago area. While there we participate in the cosplay masquerade. 'Cosplay' refers to dressing up as anime characters and acting out skits, usually satirical. Since anime is becoming more popular now, occasionally there will be a movie playing in a big-screen theatre. If JAS knows about it, we try to organize a trip there as well. This year we are also planning on having two weekend marathons a quarter, so that we can watch something outside the regular titles. And for the third year running, we will be hosting our own convention, UChi-Con! We're always open to suggestions as to what other events to hold, so please contact us with your ideas!
The screenings are long so that we can show a lot of titles and find something for everyone. You don't have to stay for the whole screening. Just come and see whatever looks interesting. Don't worry if you miss some showings or pass up on a series. The point is to enjoy yourself.
Library fees are $5 for the year. However there are additional fees for late, or unrewound tapes. We have material in VHS, VCD, DVD, and fansubbed CD format.
If you have any further questions or comments you can contact our president, Sushu, or our webmaster, Eric.