Anime Club Comes To Life At FMSHS

Where can you go to experience the art, culture, and language of Japan? Well, if you don't have the money for a round trip ticket to Tokyo, you can always sit in at the new anime club at Frostproof Middle Senior High School.

This new club is sponsored by ESE teacher Caroline Shepherd and meets every Monday from 2:15 to 3 p.m. to discuss ideas for creating a new anime book that relates high school life through the Japanese cartoon style of anime. All members of the club are contributing to the book by creating their own unique characters based upon themselves.

Anime is a complex art form that incorporates various themes, animation styles, messages and aspects of Japanese culture.

"The new club, "Aeon Anime", offers creative students the opportunity to express themselves," said Shepherd. "I am amazed at the unlimited dialogue that goes on between the members. Topics from "Cosplay," learning Japanese, "headquarters," and a secret "island" sanctuary are always humming somewhere in our weekly meeting.

"The true appeal for the anime club is the idea that these students 'know' something that most other people do not. It appears to bring them both pleasure and power, something hard to find in this day and age for both middle and high school students."

As senior Ariel Villanea put it, "Anime releases me from the real world and I can get rid of all stress and enjoy something that comes totally out of my imagination."

Rachel Hendricks, an eighth-grader, agreed. "I can relate anime to my life - school and family problems and all the other parts of teenage life. The cartoons show me what I may need to change in my life (without giant swords) to make it better."

But how did all of this start? What sparked the idea that brought more than 40 students together?

It was three girls who are all anime lovers: freshmen Kristin Davis and Cherish Candis and sophomore Lilliam Castro. They approached Shepherd and the first meeting was scheduled. Quickly, though, her tiny room proved insufficient for the overwhelming response from interested students. The club now meets next door in a larger classroom, but still, that room is filled with anime lovers.

"In the beginning, this was to be a small group of students who wanted to share opinions about anime," said Shepherd. "It has ranged from six members to 45. We average at least 25 per meeting. As a teacher, it is so refreshing to see students who feel free to be creative. I am truly amazed every week just observing the chaos. The energy, learning new things, and the humor for me really make it worthwhile."

"We started the club so that kids can come and show all their creative ideas and express themselves among friends," said Candis. "The point of this club is for kids from all over the school to come together and enjoy anime in a group instead of being secluded."

At the meetings, members read anime books, work on role plays, sketch different characters, and work on their book.

Freshman Chelsie Schemehorn said, "I joined the anime club because I was so tired of having no one to discuss and enjoy anime with, so the day that the club started I was thrilled!"