The Japanese Media Appreciation Club

What’s up JMACers,

While on the red line, I overheard a guy saying that we’re 5 weeks into winter and 5 weeks away from spring. Judging by the sweet Chicagoland weather this weekend, I, too, think it’s not a bad idea to "think spring."

Next Week’s Meeting: Winter Quarter Week 8
Join us for the next JMAC meeting on Monday, February 20th from 4-9pm in room 314A of the Lincoln Park Student Center. Our social hour for the week will be a panel about early Japanese animation, starting at 4pm~

The weekly showing will be Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo. This series takes place in the far future in the 51st century. Based on the novel, the show follows Albert Morcerf, a young aristocrat, who befriends the Count of Monte Cristo, a wealthy businessman.

And lastly, we’ll screen more episodes of our second running series for the winter quarter, GATE.

Last Week’s Powerpoint (Week 7)
Check out the slides to last week’s powerpoint through dropbox~

It contains the latest JMAC news (including applications to become a Public Relations member) (or do i mean memeber) and cool images themed to Valentines Day <3

The slides also feature a slice-of-life manga that follows body-swapping incidents between two students and a music video of a song featured in the movie Paprika.

Have a swanky weekend~
Sara S.
JMAC Secretary

JMAC Website

S’up JMACers,

We’re officially four full weeks away from the end of the winter quarter! Keep up the good work, and may the winter chill will be over soon. :)

The JMAC Voice Actor Event with Erica Mendez

The Japanese Media Appreciation club welcomes voice actress (and DePaul alumna) Erica Mendez! Though she hasn’t completely made use of the actual animation part of her studies, she instead lent her voice to plenty of animated characters in shows. She’s best known for the roles of Ryuko in Kill la Kill, Gon in Hunter x Hunter (2011), Aladdin in Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, Yuuki in Sword Art Online II and Nico in Love Live!

This event will take place on Saturday, February 11th from 12-4pm in room 254 of the Schmitt Academic Center. This event includes a Q&A session, a meet-and-greet, and free food! RSVP for this event by email or via the Facebook event.

For more information or other concerns, please contact JMAC by email.

Next Week’s Meeting: Winter Quarter Week 7

Stop by our next club meeting on Monday, February 13th from 4-9pm in room 314A of the Lincoln Park Student Center. Our social hour will begin at 4pm, which will be a (super highly promising!!) voice over activity~

The weekly showing will begin after the 5pm powerpoint. This week’s show will be Haruka Nogizaka’s Secret. This romantic-y anime series follows the ordinary Yuto Ayase, who likes his intelligent, rich, and attractive classmate Haruka Nogizaka. One day, Yuto stumbles upon Haruka indulging in her deepest, darkest secret, which is her interest in anime, manga and otaku culture.

And finally, join us for our (newly started!) running series for the winter quarter: GATE.

Last Week’s PowerPoint (Week 6)

Check out last week’s powerpoint online via dropbox~ it has the latest official news in a pretty, visual format!

The slides are themed with characters voiced by Erica Mendez! It also features a new slice-of-life manga for the (half) month and a super awesome music video from a Japanese hip hop group.

Have a sensational weekend,
(and hope to see you at this weekend’s voice actor event!!) :>
Sara S.
JMAC Secretary

JMAC Website

What’s up JMACers,

Through yesterday’s Groundhog Day predicts the coming of spring, today in Japan (February 3rd) is Setsubun, the day before the beginning of the spring season. This day is accompanied by a ritual to cleanse away evil for the coming year by throwing beans~

A Few Reminders

Tomorrow, February 4th, is Uchi-con, a one-day convention organized by the University of Chicago’s Japanese Animation Society. On Saturday from 10am-6pm, "poor college students bring you the best free convention on this side of the Atlantic," which includes an artist alley, cosplay contest, game room, karaoke, and a variety of panels! (check out the guidebook for more info)

If you’d like to meet up with JMACers for tomorrow’s (unofficial) event, a group will leave at 10am from Brownstones in the Student Center and commute together from Lincoln Park to Uchi-con~

On February 11th, JMAC will welcome voice actress Erica Mendez! She graduated from DePaul with a BA in Animation in 2011. While she hasn’t completely made use of the actual animation part of her studies, she instead has lent her voice to plenty of animated characters in shows. She’s best known for her roles as Ryuko in Kill la Kill, Gon in Hunter x Hunter (2011), Aladdin in Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, Yuuki in Sword Art Online II and Nico in Love Live!

This event includes a Q&A session, a meet-and-greet, and free food! It will take place on Saturday, February 11th from 12 to 4pm in room 254 of the Schmitt Academic Center. For more information, please contact us by email~

Next Week’s Meeting: Winter Quarter Week 6

The next JMAC meeting will be on Monday, February 6th from 4-9pm in room 314A in the Lincoln Park Student Center. Our social hour will be Nerd Jeopardy, beginning at 4pm.

The weekly showing will be Death Parade. In this anime, there is no heaven or hell, but a bartender that challenges pairs of the recently deceased to a game that decides their fate: ascending into reincarnation or falling into the void.

And finally, we will begin the second running series for the winter quarter: GATE. When off-duty officer and otaku Youji Itami attends a doujin convention, a mysterious portal in the shape of a large gate suddenly appears. After supernatural creatures charge and destroy the city, Youji must lead a recon team to restore order and create peace with what lies beyond the gate.

Last Week’s PowerPoint (Week 5)

Check out the latest news in the JMAC powerpoint, which can be accessed online via dropbox~ The theme for this week is the lunar new year!

Included in this week’s powerpoint is the manga of the (half) month about a viking named Thorfinn and a nostalgic music video by a band that has done many anime openings.

Have a spectacular weekend!
Sara S.
JMAC Secretary

JMAC Website

Hiya JMACers,

Happy (early) Lunar New Year! The year on the rooster is (soon to be) upon us. Did you know that roosters are on every continent but Antarctica? …yeah!!

JMAC on Ice and Dim Sum

Join us for tomorrow’s outing: JMAC on Ice. A club tradition long before the popular Yuri!!! on Ice rigged the Crunchyroll awards, JMACers try their best to ice skate! JMAC will meet at 11am in Brownstones (leave at 11:30am) to arrive at Millennium Park for ice skating at noon. If you’d like to skate, be mindful that skate rentals are $12.

Afterwards, we’ll head to Chinatown for dim sum. Our dinner reservation is at 4:30pm at Triple Crown. If you’d like to join us for dim sum, please bring cash to pay for food. Bringing $1 and $5 bills would be greatly appreciated! :)

Other Forthcoming Events~

Next Saturday, February 4th, the University of Chicago’s anime club will host Uchi-con, in which "poor college students bring you the best free convention on this side of the Atlantic!" JMACers are currently in the works of planning an unofficial group to leave from Lincoln Park and travel together to the con next Saturday. As a reminder, pre-registration for this free event ends on Saturday, January 28th. For more info, check out the Uchi-con website!

On Saturday, February 11th, JMAC will welcome voice actress Erica Mendez! A Chicago native, she graduated from DePaul in 2011 with a BA in Animation. While she hasn’t completely made use of the actual animation part of her studies, she instead has lent her voice to plenty of animated characters in shows. She’s best known for her roles as Ryuko in Kill la Kill, Gon in Hunter x Hunter (2011), Aladdin in Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, Yuuki in Sword Art Online II and Nico in Love Live! Save the date for this anticipated event~

Next Week’s Meeting: Winter Quarter Week 5

The next JMAC meeting will take place on Monday, January 30th from 4-9pm in room 314A of the Lincoln Park Student Center. Social hour will take place at 4pm, which will be card games!

The weekly showing for next week will be Kekkai Sensen (aka Blood Blockade Battlefront). After obtaining the "All-seeing Eyes of the Gods" at the cost of his sister’s eyesight, the novice photographer Leonardo Watch ventures to Hellsalem’s Lot, formerly known as New York City. At Hellsalem’s Lot, the secret organization Libra fights supernatural monsters to keep order in the city.

Lastly, join us afterwards for the conclusion of Mob Psycho 100, the first of our two running series for the winter quarter.

Last Week’s PowerPoint (Week 4)

Check out the PowerPoint from last week, filled with the latest news and other updates~

In honor of this week’s outing, the slides are themed with ice skating! It also features a new manga for the (half) month that’s based on historical fiction and a music video from a group that has theme songs for Kara no Kyokai and the Fate series.

Have a superb weekend!
Sara S.
JMAC Secretary

JMAC Website

Good afternoon JMACers,

So how ’bout this unseasonably warm weather we’re having? I, for one, welcome the break from typical arctic-like temperatures.

A Few Reminders

This unseasonably warm weather is bound to change by the weekend… just in time for our JMAC on Ice and Dim Sum outing! On Saturday, January 28th, meet JMAC at Brownstones in the Student Center at 11am (leave at 11:30am). We’ll arrive at Millennium Park at noon; if you’d like to skate, be mindful that skate rentals are $12. Afterwards, we’ll head to Triple Crown in Chinatown for dim sum at 4:30pm; if you’d like to eat with us, please bring cash to pay for food.

This year, JMAC welcomes Erica Mendez as our guest to the annual JMAC Voice Actor Event on Saturday, February 11th. She’s voiced many characters such as Ryuko Matoi in Kill la Kill, Gon Freecs in Hunter x Hunter (2011), and Aladdin in Magi. Be sure to save the date for this event!!

This Week’s Meeting: Winter Quarter Week 4

The next JMAC meeting will take place today, Monday, January 23rd from 4-9pm in room 314A in the Lincoln Park Student Center. Join us at 4pm for a social hour explaining the Fate series.

This week’s weekly showing is Garakowa: Restore the World. This sci-fi animated movie follows Dual and Dorthy, two anthropomorphized anti-virus programs within the Box of Wisdom, a supercomputer that holds all of human history. Together, Dual and Dorthy delete viruses that infect the Box of Wisdom.

And lastly, join us afterwards s for a continuation of our running series Mob Psycho 100.

Since JMAC did not have an official meeting last Monday, the latest news is actually last week’s news! Check out the PowerPoint for week 2 via dropbox~

See ya soon!
Sara S.
JMAC Secretary

JMAC Website