Take a second to think about what you are doing today to make yourself a more cultured individual. Whatever your answer was, chances are it wasn’t watching an episode of an animated show. The Japanese Anime and Manga Society would like to change this.

“It’s kind of my personal mission to turn everyone into an anime nerd,” said Kim Rudolph, president of JAMS and history of science graduate student.

At 8 p.m. on Wednesdays, 30 or more people arrive at Dale Hall, room 200 to watch Japanese anime until about 11:30 and then relocate to the Crossroads Lounge for another couple of hours of video gaming.

Some may have seen the huddled mass of students surrounding a game console until early morning hours. Some may have walked past them and thought, “geeks,” or “nerds.” In case you were wondering, they already knew what you were thinking, Rudolph said.

“Anime is something that people have already formed strong opinions about. Either they already know and love it or think it is stupid and would never go near us,” Rudolph said.

For Forest Sharp, vice-president of JAMS and history of science graduate student, the world of anime and manga (Japanese comic books) invites him to expand his consciousness. Anime themes and plotlines are usually more mature and complex than other types of animation, he said.

“Most movies and television shows don’t even try to challenge their audience because they want to appeal to a mass audience, but the anime shows we watch make you think,” Sharp said. “Between the beauty of the animation and the content of the stories it is pretty compelling.”

Many of the members of JAMS encountered anime during their young adolescence. Like other escapist fiction, the imaginary realm of the anime provided them with a refuge from the insensitive reality of middle school.

“Generally people who had trouble getting along in social situations or making friends or were outcasts for some reason tend to venture into escapist fiction and anime is one of those communities,” Rudolph said.

An appreciation of anime usually leads to an appreciation of Japanese language and culture in general. Rudolph, who now speaks Japanese and has an extensive knowledge on the history of anime, was invited to be the keynote speaker at a Japanese language teacher’s convention. She spoke about how to deal with students who were only interested in taking a Japanese language class because of their love of anime. Rudolph is able to see a connection between watching anime and breaking down cultural barriers. After developing an interest in anime she began to look into other international media.

The JAMS mission statement is to deepen the appreciation and spread awareness of animation. But those who go to one of its meetings can tell that “appreciation” and “awareness” can easily translate into having fun with friends. They are ready to accept anyone who has an interest in anime and show those without any interest that their hobby isn’t all that different from others.

Sharp ranks the fandom of anime at the same level as the fandom associated with sports enthusiasts. Both allow people to forget about their worries for a while and bond with a community of like-minded peers. But there is a more personal and even spiritual aspect to this pastime than simply hanging out with your buddies.

“Experiencing and appreciating animation allows me to experience and appreciate motion, light and life more,” Sharp said.