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Animation is a beautiful, emotive medium. It allows writers and directors to create universes, free to release the farthest, deepest, most intimate depths of their imaginations. In the United States, animation is primarily a baby-sitter. Disney and the like have instilled in Americans the faulty idea that animation is solely for children, and the thought that it can be more -- that it can contain substance, truth, and passion -- is offensive.
If you believe cartoons are only for kids, you need only watch Grave of the Fireflies, Wings of Honneamise, or Mononoke Hime to see the abject extremes of beauty this art form is capable of.
In Japan, animation exists as no where else on the globe. There are children's programs. There are shows aimed at young girls. Adolescent boys also have their animations. There is science fiction. There is fantasy. There is horror. There are westerns. There are sports animations. There are series that deal with social issues. There are police mysteries and psychological thrillers. There are serious, emotional dramas. There is symbolism. There is depth. Allegories and metaphors are alive. There are delightful romps. There are joyless tragedies. There is love. There is sex. Pervasive and prolific, you will anything and everything.
Names like Miyazaki, Oshii, Tezuka, and Kawamori are revered throughout the world. Masters, they are only unknowns here in the United States.
ASIC knows these names -- and many more. We love animation. We love its possibilities. We love its stories.
Watch a vampire hunt down his own kind in Hellsing. Watch giant robots fight God in Evangelion. Watch a girl find love in Utena. Come by. Stay if you like.
For more, read ASIC's Newsletter, Constitution, and meet our Board of Executives and find out what the deal is with soap.