Anime culture finds niche in Ann Arbor

Wednesday, January 20, 2010 | Source: The Michigan Daily

The anime sub-culture has become steadily more main stream in Ann Arbor.

Excerpt:

As the semester kicks off and your free time is taken up by whichever hobbies, student groups or jobs you’ve committed to, you may not be aware of a certain group of fervent individuals quietly residing in all areas of campus, trickling into the far-out corners of Ann Arbor. This avid bunch, often secluded though very aware of the larger community it belongs to, has one common love: anime.

Everyone has come face to face with this Japanese-culture obsession at one point or another. Maybe you were the bandwagon "Pokémon" fan trying to make money off a Charizard card, or the die-hard Saturday morning “Sailor Moon” addict. You may even have a personal obsession with anime to this day, and if you do, you're not alone. Even if you simply have an anime-loving friend, you've been exposed to the medium.

"I’ve pretty much grown up with anime," said Ariel Roberts, a School of Art & Design freshman. "My mom is Japanese, and we had Studio Ghibli films like 'My Neighbor Totoro.' My middle name is Mei, after the younger sister in the movie."

Read the rest of the story here.