Bobo and Jee have been fighting for close to an hour now. As a lightning storm flashes in the background, Bobo delivers eight crushing kicks to Jee's stomach and then picks him up, only to slash him with his knife.
Bobo
a.k.a. Patrick Ginley, is a senior forensic chemistry major and the president of Japanese Connection, JCON, an Ohio University club devoted to all that is Japanese culture.
Every Friday night from 6 p.m. to midnight is JCON's anime-fest, but for an hour beforehand, a few members, like Ginley and sophomore JCON treasurer Jee Hsing, warm up by playing video games like King of Fighters 2002.
Jee congratulates Bobo on a respectable match, and the two start preparing Morton 237 for the night of Japanese anime ahead.
Anime is somewhat of an adult cartoon with lower censorship standards and more mature, in-depth story lines.
It's not the same old Bugs Bunny cartoons Ginley said, I was a child of the '80s and grew up on those cartoons but (anime) involves more mature themes like love and history.
The anime selections last Friday night were Gravitation
Revolutionary Girl Utena
Weiss Kreuz and This Ugly and Beautiful World.
As the lights dimmed and the theme song to Gravitation played, several people sang along. During the opening scene, over crinkling sounds of chip bags, the crowd of about 40 people periodically cheered, groaned and laughed.
Subject matter ranged from a homosexual love story in Gravitation to pure fantasy blood and gore delivered by the Night Hunters in Weiss Kreuz.
Many members of JCON agree that watching anime is the best part of being in the club, but there is a tight-knit social aspect as well.
I found (JCON) to be a fun place
and I have met a lot of interesting people here
Peter Badalament said. Badalament said he has made many friends through the club.
Senior Emily Mitch and freshman Greg Dikis found more than just friendship in JCON.
When the group was founded two years ago, Dikis began attending as a high school student. The couple met at JCON and have been sharing their love for anime, Japanese culture and each other ever since.
Ginley is encouraging members to give short presentations on varying Japanese cultural topics at the Tuesday JCON meetings.
JCON also is planning to visit local junior high and high schools in order to spread Japanese culture by teaching topics such as the Japanese tea ceremony, haiku and the language itself.
JCON's informational meetings are at 7 p.m. Tuesdays in Gordy 309. Anime nights are every Friday from 6 p.m. to midnight in Morton 237.
Those interested in joining JCON or those who have further questions can send Ginley an e-mail at pg315101@ohiou.edu.
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Paul Kita
