“Anime Club? You’re trying to tell me that there’s a club dedicated to watching Japanese manga cartoons?” asked Josh Cribben during his anger translator skit in Mr. NDA.

There is, in fact, an Anime Club at NDA, but it’s not a well-known club.

The club was started in 2010 by social studies teacher Adam Rudar, although he credits the students with the club’s founding.

“They would come and talk to me about all of their favorite shows once they knew I watched them. The students really wanted to start up an Anime Club, and at the end of the day, it is the students at NDA who are invested in the club and keep the club growing,” said Rudar.

During meetings, they watch anime that was chosen by a member. It could be a movie or a show. Sometimes, they do special “Ramen Days.”

Senior Emily Jerzyk said, “We have done ‘ramen day’ on several occasions where we basically bring in ramen cups to eat while watching our anime.”

Club president Dennis Guo described his ritual on these ramen days: “The night before the meat is cut and put into a bowl with various Asian spices and flavors. And the day of the meeting the movie is put on, and I head to the commons and begin cooking the meat on a hot plate. Within an hour or so meat is ready along with the hot water for the ramen.”

In previous years Rudar has let a current senior, Amber Gunderson, talk to the club about cosplay. Cosplay is when a person dresses up as a character from an anime show or movie, but it doesn’t always have to be anime. It can be anything.

“Going to a convention and dressing up like it’s Halloween for three days in a row, and everyone goes full out for costumes? Come on, what’s not fun about that?” asked Gunderson in explaining her interest in cosplay.

Not all members in the Anime Club cosplay, but they do love being in the club together.

Rudar recalled some of his favorite times in the club: “It’s the silly things.  The episode of Pokemon where Pikachu is obsessed with ketchup and really upset at the broken ketchup bottle for example.  So funny.”