School clubs exist to provide students with opportunities to develop social and leadership skills, enhance their overall education, and, most importantly, explore their special interests. One club at James Campbell High School (JCHS) explores one of the most popular mediums in modern day media: anime.
According to club advisor, Karly Kanehiro, Anime Club seeks to create, “A place where people can share their interests of anime in a place where they are comfortable, and there’s no stigma against liking anime or being interested in it.”
The club meets every Friday from 2:30 to 3:30 PM at P-25. Kanehiro said, “There’s no normal day. Every day is different. We’re doing different events all the time.” Currently, the club is working on a Cookie Corner fundraiser. The club’s officers and members will come in during lunch and look to sell cookies to anyone who is interested in buying. Kanehiro described the club as having people who are hard working and people who simply attend the club to encompass the safe space that the club provides.
At the school’s recent Campbell for Causes event, the Anime Club hosted a booth where participants could create buttons and origami cranes in which heartfelt messages could be written and then sent to children in Ukraine. Origami is a notable part of Japanese culture with symbolic and religious roots in the country’s history. Guests could learn how to construct an origami crane with a club member, a way of embracing Japanese culture while also supporting others.
This year marks Kanehiro’s tenth as an advisor for the Anime Club, and over the years, her members have consistently been able to attend KawaiiKon, a three-day anime and pop culture convention held at the Hawai’i Convention Center.
“I guess some people have the preconceived notion that Anime Club is just a place for fans to hang out, and they don’t do anything, but they actually do a lot of volunteer work within the community,” she said.
The Anime Club gives students at JCHS an environment to feel safe and express their interests freely, while also giving these students the opportunities to make meaningful contributions beyond the classroom.
