Anime Clubs

Location: Richton Park Public Library | Richton Park, IL
When do you meet? 3rd Saturday of the Month; 12-1:30pm; at the Library (4045 Sauk Trail, Richton Park, IL 60471)
Website: http://www.richtonparklibrary.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=arti...
Description: The Richton Park Library hosts Manga + Anime Crew on the 3rd Saturday of every month from noon to 1:30 in the afternoon. We have art supplies available for drawing and a big screen projector for watching Anime. Sometimes there will be a special event such as “Super Trivia Showdown” or a longer meeting so we can watch a movie-length series. We’re always open to new suggestions. Open to students grades 6 through 12. Programs are Free. Registration is preferred. You can register at the library or over the phone.
Contact Information: You can register for this program in person at the library or over the phone (708) 481-5333. For more information about the program, please ask to speak to Miss Ashley.

Location: This club is operated out of my home, and members’ homes in the Chicago, IL area.
Our events are hosted mainly in members’ private homes, with the occasional meet up in a public venue. The idea is to try to keep the meet-ups where they are accessible by public transit for everyone’s benefit. Some of our social meet ups have included movies, restaurants, and various stores! Right now, the meetings are run out of my home on the Northwest side of Chicago. Occasionally we have meetings in other locations, as members offer their homes for hosting meetings.
When do you meet? Our regular anime meetings are generally on the weekends, most of the time on Saturdays from 2-7pm. We generally have a poll monthly to decide what dates work best for members.
Website: http://japc.kisekinohana.net
Description: JAPC is a non-profit-non affiliated privately owned and operated Anime, Manga, and Proto-culture Club for the Chicagoland area. We are not an official club or organization. We are not a dating site. We like to think ourselves like a group of friends, hanging out, and having fun.
Contact Information: Those interested in membership are to visit the website http://japc.kisekinohana.net and click on “How do I join JAPC?
or they can email me at japc@kisekinohana.net

Location: Prospect High School in Mount Prospect, IL
When do you meet? We meet every Tuesday after school.
Website: http://jammclub.110mb.com/
Description: We watch anime every other week. The other meetings vary—sometimes we make crafts, do origami, have Japanese lessons, host discussions, and anything else related to Japanese culture.
Contact Information: Sorry, this club is only open to Prospect High School students.

Location: Hinsdale Central High School
When do you meet? Monday 3pm
Website:
Description: Watching different anime shows as well as playing some games, trading manga, and of course going to ACen!
Contact Information: Only individuals attending Hinsdale Central High School are eligible to attend meetings. We meet at the library.

Location: Michigan Building, School of the Art Institute of Chicago | Chicago, IL
When do you meet? Thursdays, 4 PM – 6 PM
Website: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=110200145668271

http://www.saic.edu/life/stud_org/groups/index.html#about
Description: Open to any (and only, sorry!) students of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, SAIC Anime club seeks to explore and educate about the art of anime as well through weekly screenings and casual discussion. We watch a variety of shows from mainstream to art house to feature film anime, usually curated/provided by members of the club itself.
Contact Information: On the portal, click the groups tab and join the SAIC Anime Club group (group Leader’s email will be listed there), and/or contact the Facebook group (FB is probably better).

Location: Southern Illinois University | Edwardsville, IL
When do you meet? Currently Wednesdays, 5:30-8:00. Times may change
Website: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=342442265398
http://myanimelist.net/clubs.php?cid=15025
Description: We take advantage of innovations like Crunchyroll to show a sampling of currently airing shows, and then also show older things either through nominations or through donations from Funimation.
Contact Information: Check out one of the website, or just show up to the meetings. It’s very informal.

Location: Chicago Lake Shore Campus, Loyola University | Chicago, IL
(It’s right off the Red Line El stop named after it)
When do you meet? Fridays 5:00-9:00PM during the school year, Quinlan Life Science Building Auditorium
Website:
Description: Technically only open to students, though we generally let non-students attend because we have about 30-40 regulars, so no ones going to notice. Please contact us beforehand though, we can’t have too many non-students showing up, and know that we will kick you out for misbehaving. We’ve had campus security escort students out before. Also note, no hentai or even most ecchi will be allowed. We watch a full season of a different anime, preferably one that isn’t something everyone’s seen like Evangelion or Cowboy Bebop, each semester. This semester we are watching Darker Than Black. Since that obviously can’t play out 4 hours a week, we also have one member each week choose an anime they like and show a few episodes and each month pick a member to come up with a theme and give a full meeting presentation on anime that follows that theme/genre/etc (former examples include: “Giant Robots 101: Real vs. Super Robots”, “The Supernatural in Anime”, “CLAMP”). Besides watching anime, we normally fool around a bit too, doing stuff like playing Mafia/Werewolf, watching YouTube/NicoNico videos, etc. Outside of meetings we have larger events, and this year they include holiday parties, a maid/host cafe, a game of Humans vs. Zombies and a Satoshi Kon Week that will be open to the campus and the public.
Contact Information: lucanimeclub@gmail.com

Location: Starbucks Streets of Woodfield | Schaumburg, IL
When do you meet? Monday from 6:00pm~Midnight.
Website: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=281731755738
Description: Our Club’s Purpose is to teach and spread the fun and enjoyment of Japanese style Reach Mahjong to the Anime Community. We also talk about other Asian type games such as Hanafuda and shogi. Since there are several groups out there that are specifically designed for Go, we will not be covering that game so deeply. When new anime, manga or J dramas come out and revolve around Mahjong, we post short clips on the Facebook site and try to update members. Anyone and everyone are welcome. If you have any suggestions or ideas, please do not hesitate to speak your mind. If you are interested in joining, please feel free to join us on Facebook, or contact me directly (Chris).
Contact Information: Email:chidorisenpai@gmail.com

Location: Glenbard North High School | Carol Stream, IL
When do you meet? Wednesdays at 2:45PM
Website: http://glenbardnorthanimeclub.webs.com/
Description: This club is only a year old and is new. In this club you get to watch anime, share intense discussions, and play video games! Our club consists of over 30+ people! And every Friday we plan to have Cosplay Fridays, sort of like Casual Fridays. And since we started our big field trip is ACen! We attended ACen 2010 and will continue to attend!
Contact Information: vampire_catgirl@hotmail.com

Location: Wilmette Public Library | 1242 Wilmette Avenue, Wilmette, IL
When do you meet? One Saturday a month @ 10:30 AM- 1:00 PM
Website:
Description: Our WPL Anime Club has been going on for about 3 years now. Every meeting, we watch around 3-4 episodes of an anime, play trivia, video games, and cosplay! Our WPL Anime Club is a great way of meeting new people that love anime. We also do manga workshops and just hangout. Many of us are planning to take a trip to ACen and we are just excited for ACen.
Contact Information:

Location: Siebel Center for Computer Science University of Illinois, Urbana, IL
When do you meet? Saturdays, 2-6PM
Website: http://uiucjac.org
Description: Aside from regular weekend viewings, we also run a number of yearly events including barbecues, karaoke, a Halloween cosplay party, and a maid café.
Contact Information: To sign up for our mailing list, please email k@uiucjac.org Prospective members should attend our showings in 1404 Siebel Center for Computer Science on Saturdays and register on our forum (http://forum.uiucjac.org). We accept both students and members of the local community.

Location: Elmwood Park Public Library | 1 Conti Parkway Elmwood Park, IL 60707
When do you meet? Every Tuesday 5-7pm
Website: epplyoungadults.blogspot.com
Description: We meet every Tuesday to watch a variety of different anime and J-Doramas/K-Doramas. Anime and Jdorama switches off every other Tuesday.
AGES 12-20 ONLY PLEASE!
Contact Information: Kim Zahrobsky
Young Adult Librarian
Elmwood Park Public Library
1 W. Conti Parkway
Elmwood Park, IL 60707
708-395-1237
www.elmwoodparkpubliclibrary.org
epplyoungadults.blogspot.com
kzahrobsky@elmwoodparklibrary.org

Location: College Of Lake County | 19351 West Washington Street Grayslake, IL 60030-1198
When do you meet? TUESDAYS [Room T234] 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM
THURSDAYS [Room T022] 1:30 PM – 4:00 PM
FRIDAYS [Room T237] 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Website: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=112777168741394
Description: We are a fun and open group to join if you are looking for a place to come to. We do activities like watching anime, doing skits, and making cosplay outfits while also doing business meetings to talk about bake sales, movie days, and other money making events to build up our budget so we can go to conventions like ACen and outings like Mitsuwa. We have official members that are a part of the college but also have associate members that only require you to be a resident of Lake County.
Contact Information: If you are interested in our club or have any questions, feel free to contact me at: lmcardinale@gmail.com (Lyliana Cardinale – AC Secretary)

Location: Mchenry Library in Mchenry, IL
When do you meet? 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month 7:30-8:30. No registration needed. Movies are held in a back conference room. High School and older.
Website:
Description: We mostly meet at the Mchenry Library for their movies that they have there, but would like to connect with more Anime and Manga fans in our area and possibly meet at events like ACen or other places in the area. Maybe see about renting a room at a library to work crafting some cosplay accessories.
Contact Information: Contact us through our Facebook page Mchenry Anime Manga.

Location: Guerin Prep High School, River Grove, IL
When do you meet? Thursdays in Art Room 1 from 3:00 pm to about 4:30
Website: http://guerinprep.org/clubs_activities.html
Description: A brief description of the kind of club it is – what activities you have – if it’s campus only or open to all etc: This is a club only for students who go to Guerin Prep High School. We want to foster a love, an appreciation and knowledge of Japanese Culture, both modern and ancient and to view and to keep abreast of current trends and technology in Japanese Anime. Lessons in origami and sumi-‘e (Japanese painting), lectures on Japanese culture, preparation and information about ACEN and periodic sushi parties.
Contact Information: If you go to Guerin Prep, you can come to Art Room 1 almost any Thursday and can join immediately.

Location: Student Resource Center, College of Dupage | Glen Ellyn, IL
When do you meet? Oasis Lounge, 12pm on Tuesdays
Website: http://codcosplayclub.webs.com
Description: We are open to all and dedicate our weeks to preparing for ACen every year, helping people make their costumes and providing tutorials on how to make outfits, props and work with wigs and make-up. Not exactly an anime club, but along the lines of and the endgame every year is ACen.
Contact Information:

Location: Indiana University | South Bend, IN
When do you meet? Currently meetings are being held at 6PM, once a week [Thursdays] You can keep up with meeting times/places via our Facebook page. [Indiana University Japanese Club!] Meetings take place upstairs in the club room of the Student Activities Center. [If you’re new to the campus, just ask a passerby, or look for the large building in-between The Dorothy and Darwin Weikamp building and the GreenLawn building]
Website:
Description: We do a variety of things, including fundraising for ACEN. (We go as a group, and it’s the highlight of our year as a club.) We also watch anime, talk about everything Japanese related, and have various other events, like sushi demonstrations, DDR tournaments, Japanese trivia nights, fashion shows, etc. Though we are a club underneath the IUSB campus, we are open to all people who want to join. You don’t have to be a member of the university to join. (You don’t even have to be in college!)
Contact Information: sayurinakamura AT gmail.com. This is my personal email that gets checked regularly, and I’m also in contact with the Vice-President of the club on a weekly basis, so if you have any questions, I can answer them!

Location: Kirkwood Community College | Cedar Rapids, IA
315 Benton Hall
When do you meet? Tuesday and Thursday from 2-5PM
Website: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=251256522829
Description: The club is open to members of the public. The club watches four running series that are voted in at the beginning of the semester, followed by one or two public request series each meeting (also voted in). There is time open for discussion after each episode. The shows we watch are limited to those that are rated approximately G to PG-13. The club also gets together from time to time to do various activities, such as going out to eat, going to conventions (of which ACen is the main convention that the club goes to). The club holds bake sales to raise money as well.
Contact Information: Facebook page listed above would be best

Location: U of Michigan-Flint | 303 E. Kearsley St, Flint, MI
When do you meet? Showings—>3rd floor UCEN Clint’s Cafe, 2nd Wed of month 7-10pm & 4th Wed of month 4-10pm
Planning meeting—> Place varies, 1st and 3rd Weds of month 7-9pm
To be sure, check our Facebook page for updates
Website: http://www.umflint.edu/clubs/fan/

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=35830492817
Description: We’ve been around for nearly 15 years and it’s open to the public, especially our anime showings. We usually have 15-25 people per showing.
Planning meetings and showings alternate from week to week (1st week-meeting, 2nd week-showing, 3rd-mtg,…). Ohayocon used to be our main
convention that we go to, but now we are increasing the number of cons we attend per year, like Youmacon and ACen. Primarily, we
only show licensed DVD’s and people vote during the planning meeting what they want to watch at the next anime showing. We show pretty
much any licensed anime out there.
Contact Information: Either add our Facebook page and check what’s going on and/or ask questions OR hsinkaic@umflint.edu

Location: Schoolcraft College 18600 Haggerty Road, Livonia, MI 48152
In the Lower Waterman Wing of the VisTaTech Center.
When do you meet? Saturday
5pm-10
Twice a month.
Website: otakuanime.org
Description: We get together for our screenings, where we watch anime, play games, order pizza, run a raffle, socialize, and much more! We also hold fun events outside of screenings.
Contact Information: leon@otakuanime.org

Location: University of Minnesota Twin Cities | Minneapolis, MN
Note: This semester we’re in Tate Hall 170 due to schedule conflicts, but we’re usually in Moos Tower 2-520
When do you meet? Thursdays from 6:30 PM to 10:00 PM
Website: http://www.tc.umn.edu/~anime/
Description: Basically we’re the University of Minnesota’s anime club, hoping to promote anime and Japanese culture. We watch 4 shows per semester, 1 of which is 11-13 episodes, the other 3 of which are around 24-26 episodes. We’re open to everyone to come and watch shows, which don’t cost anything, though membership is $6 each semester and includes extra perks. We have monthly social nights as well, and some of us help run and out with the local con Anime Detour.
Contact Information: See website for more information, but just show up to a meeting if you’re interested in joining.