One more episode
Anime Club president wants people to understand what anime is for themselves.
By Kennedi Becker | Social Media Coordinator
Daniel Sochay finished off his Mountain Dew as the end credits rolled on episode 13 of season three of Attack on Titan. He knew he should start his missional ministries homework, but justified watching just one more episode since his roommate, Peter Schmidt, had just walked in the door.
The two have been watching anime together since they became roommates two years ago. Their interests are quite different — Schmidt has no desire to watch the anime about rock climbing that Sochay started a few weeks ago, but there’s no shortage of other shows they can enjoy together.
“You can kinda find whatever you want out of an anime,” Sochay said. He believes the easiest way to get into anime is to find a show that fits the interests you already have. The hardest part is choosing one.
As president of the Anime Club at Bethel University, Sochay has gotten a lot of people hooked on anime. He has also dealt with the stigma that exists outside of the community that anime is inappropriate, boring, or weird. He shows people who are interested in anime why that doesn’t have to be the case.
“At the end of the day, we just watch a good TV show.” — Daniel Sochay, Bethel Anime Club President
“I think a lot of the stigma comes from people just not understanding what it is,” Sochay said, “at the end of the day, we just watch a good TV show.”
He and Schmidt spend their Saturdays with the club watching shows and occasionally going to conventions. Sochay has realized that the club serves not only as a place to find new shows, but as a space for people to be themselves and like the things they like without fear of judgement.
Sochay presses play on episode 14 as his roommate settles in and cracks open a fresh can of soda. Homework will still be there after this episode…
