Just as Paul Fendwick, 3WA's first president when the group formed in 1995, gracefully backed out of the limelight, Chien will soon step down from this prestigious position at the beginning of March when 3WA holds its annual general meeting.

"The annual general meeting is where all members, new and old, come together to elect a committee to represent them during the year," Chien explains. "The committee, on behalf of the club, can apply for funding for various events from the Student Union."

Chien recognized Syamanond as his likely successor, an endorsement that serves as a testament to the current secretary's unrelenting commitment to the operation of 3WA.

"As the secretary, I spend most of the time updating membership lists and maintaining a mailing list which allows the committee to communicate with all club members (e.g. announcing the screening schedule, chasing down unreturned tapes, etc)," Syamanond says. "I work with the other committee members to organize weekly screenings as well as anime marathons, which are usually held at the end of each semester. Committee members work closely with each other to ensure that these events run smoothly."

Syamanond may or may not aspire to the 3WA presidency, but when asked about who would make a good president, she turns to an ideal world in which anime characters reign.

"Someone with good leadership qualities, like Shishio Makoto from 'Rurouni Kenshin,'" says a joking Syamanond. "We'll make everyone watch anime 24 hours a day." Officer transitions will not disrupt the weekly screening times, however, and anime will regularly continue to pervade the University of Melbourne on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., perfect for lunchtime respites from grueling University life.

The Australian anime market remains a niche market, and anime still tends to be more popular with people who have Asian backgrounds, but with clubs like 3WA, that may soon change.

"In the last five years the general level of [anime] exposure has increased," Chien concludes. "People are becoming more aware of its existence. Now most students will have a grasp of what anime is, although it will be limited to 'Neon Genesis,' 'Ghost in the Shell' or 'Ninja Scroll.'"

Interested in promoting anime and having a good time, 3WA members scour the web in search of the latest anime information - an operation that requires avid fanfiction and manga reading, as well as general searches for anime news. All in all, 3WA modestly succeeds in its main goal - to promote the genre to as many people as possible. And this is only the beginning.