CAA in Plugged In magazine

[glitch1501]

i still havent gotten my copy, they didnt have it yet at the family christian bookstore, so when i get it, i might also email a proper letter to the editor

[Kireihana]

I told my mom that I wished they had mentioned the good side of anime, and she told also me that I should write a letter to them. (by the way, I also showed her this thread, and she really agreed with most everyone here, especially Gypsy's post. ^^)

[uc pseudonym]

Thank you very much for providing the article. I am very pleased to see that animeangels was actually quoted in a positive light (more than just a reference, at least). On the darker side... (I hope no one takes this the wrong way. Satire, my friends, satire)

In fact, nowhere is girl power (the concept of strong, self-sufficient females able to hold their own against men) more prevalent than in anime.

That's terrible; I'm off to burn down the nearest anime shop now.

[Mangafanatic]

[quote="uc pseudonym"]
That's terrible]
If you can wait five minutes, I'll join you.


I had fogotten about that, but I was more than a little upset by that sterotype in the article. Afterall, "Girl power" is something Disney's been doing for YEARS! *Think Mulan.* (Furthermore, what are they talking about? I've never been stunned by "girl power" in manga or anime. . .)

[Htom Sirveaux]

They could have summed it all up with a simple statement which everyone here already knows:

It's just good fiction. That's all. Don't take it so seriously.

[bakura_fan]

hmm...maybe if they get lots of letters from people on what good anime is....they might consider trying to look at it in a positive light and warn off the bad stuff....but...we all have our own opinions...I think they're target is for adults who have young children who might be buying this stuff.....

[GhostontheNet]

Those who hope that they might write an article on "the plus side" are deluding themselves, you don't write a finely tuned polemic only to compromise it next issue or sometime thereafter. The group's opinion is quite clear, that they believe Anime is almost worthless, and often quite perilous. The rhetorical flow is quite smooth; Japan's religious and moral situation is quite precarious to the western Christian, and this is reflected quite well in the Anime exported from there. It appeals all too well to the base lusts of mankind, the lust for sex, the lust for blood, and the lust to abandon YHWH in favor of a religion made in man's image. And through it all there are only a few glimmers of light; major forums analysing the media from a biblical perspective, a manga studio preparing Christian works within the form, but at the moment there is so much darkness all around, one must at minimum be quite wary (good advice), and the implication of the article is that some (or perhaps most) parents should keep their children away from Anime entirely, lest they bend to the will of the satan with all his darkness with Anime as the portal to all kinds of spiritually precarious places.

[Kireihana]

If you can wait five minutes, I'll join you.

I had fogotten about that, but I was more than a little upset by that sterotype in the article. Afterall, "Girl power" is something Disney's been doing for YEARS! *Think Mulan.* (Furthermore, what are they talking about? I've never been stunned by "girl power" in manga or anime. . .)

Hmm... I can't think of any particular one either... I think they're interpreting "girl power" as feminism, and that's why they don't like it.

Verbal and physical conflict is common, even
between boys and girls. The fairer sex gets no slack.

I actually didn't understand this part of the article. Who is the fairer sex? Girls or boys? I guess they mean girls... but does that mean girls are fairer than boys? It's actually kind of humorous, because of course girls and boys fight. I only have to watch my little brother and sister to know that.

[CobaltAngel]

And Spirited Away was axe murdered in its review. They compared it several times to a Drug trip. So. Darn. Sad.

Trippin' on acid, huh? I've heard the same thing about Alice in Wonderland. Some people are just strange about stuff like that... afriad too look at things a little differantly.

But about CAA being in a magazine, thats pretty cool! I'm really impressed about that! ^_^

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

It is a well-known fact that Lewis Caroll wrote the Alice books while high on opium. Whereas Spirited Away reflects the Japanese culture. The last short on Animatrix was definetly 'helped' along by drugs though.
I think there are many bad manga and anime, but there are also so good ones.
As Christian's I think we should be more discerning in what we watch also. Sometimes I think we are too lax in that department. We shouldn't judge other people, but its a good idea to point them in the direction if you feel they are taking the wrong path. There needs to be more conviction.
Live for Christ!

[Mangafanatic]

Those who hope that they might write an article on "the plus side" are deluding themselves, you don't write a finely tuned polemic only to compromise it next issue or sometime thereafter.

If that's the case, then I=delusional. Furthermore, I'd say that if they received a flood of letter pointing out some of the unfair sterotpyes made in the article, it would only be proper to write another article. Misrepresenting the facts is simply bad journalism, and I don't think that's something FoTF would willfully do.

[GhostontheNet]

If that's the case, then I=delusional. Furthermore, I'd say that if they received a flood of letter pointing out some of the unfair sterotpyes made in the article, it would only be proper to write another article. Misrepresenting the facts is simply bad journalism, and I don't think that's something FoTF would willfully do.

While I will express my doubt that such will happen, I will back off as I don't wish to tar an organization I'm not familiar with enough to say that they will stick to their guns even if shown that they aren't firing upon the enemy.

[CobaltAngel]

Sorry about the Alice thing, guess I don't really know that much about literature, lol. ^^;;

Whereas Spirited Away reflects the Japanese culture.

Right. And it has a lot of symbolism. What I meant by comment that I think that some people don't believe someone could come up with something that creative without help from a drug. Kind of like some of people don't believe that Michael Phelps won all those metals or Lance Armstrong won all those races without taking steroids or something. Its just seems like their saying that Mayazuki isn't creative enough to think of those symbolic ideas on his own.

[Kireihana]

I'd say that if they received a flood of letter pointing out some of the unfair sterotpyes made in the article, it would only be proper to write another article.

It'll be interesting to see whether they print some of those letters in the next issue.

[Jasdero]

Hmm.. well.. if they do print some of those letters, they would probably be very selective... to their advantage... But that's my opinion.. XD;;;

[uc pseudonym]

Regarding the newest line of conversation relating to Focus on the Family. Regardless of my own feelings on the subject, I would ask that all of us leave the discussion where it currently is and not slowly drag this thread into an argument.

As for letters... we will see. They have printed surprisingly critical letters in their other publications (though generally only opinions, never an opposition to their worldview).

If you can wait five minutes, I'll join you.

See you there.

I actually didn't understand this part of the article. Who is the fairer sex? Girls or boys? I guess they mean girls... but does that mean girls are fairer than boys? It's actually kind of humorous, because of course girls and boys fight. I only have to watch my little brother and sister to know that.

Terming the female gender as "the fairer sex" is a fairly old practice, most likely (though I do not speak from solid evidence at this point) emerging from medieval beliefs about gender roles. Personally, I never use it because it seems pointless.

[blue whisper]

I saw CAA in the article and was so happy! But I do agree with Kireihana, it only mentioned the most controversal anime. I thought it was too bais, but hey, CAA had positive reviews.

[Swordguy]

i do belive we are getting a few new members out of it so that is a blessing

[Bobtheduck]

Plugged in... Some of their stuff makes me sick... Their reviews on two movies in particular... "Time Changers" and "Omega Code"

Now, omega code wasn't a great movie, but they bashed it for the small amount of violence in it, and they gave a huge thumbs up to "Time Changers" because it had no objectionable content, that's just because, with the exception of some moronic theological debate, it had not content in it at all... Time changers is the best example of why Christians are not respected in Hollywood. They treat ever movie as if it is an attack on children, and have no room for GOOD movies that just happen to be made for adults. This is a view on entertainment that I find to be rather damaging, particularly to christians trying to break into the movie industry

They do not take a "anything reletively fantasy in a story = evil" which I am glad about, but they treat the mythological elements in Spirited Away as though they were an attempt at converting American Children to Shintoism... I mean, Miyazaki is a friggin atheist for crying out loud... He doesn't even believe in the spiritual world... He just wanted to tell the story of a girl and her growth and experience... Their SA review made me want to vomit... It was so sick and wrong... Then there was their blanket review on the entire anime industry... Yeah, that's right, the entire industry... That was so nauseating I felt like hitting someone... They gave fair reviews and even had positive things to say about a lot of rather iffy movies, but they took an entire industry and made it out to be "satan's new attack on american children"

I'm not a fan, to say the least.

Oh, as for their thumbs up, in a way, to CAA... The thumbs up was to people like Psycho Ann and Inkhana and such who are making Christian Manga, if I picked up on that right, and not a thumbs up to the community as a whole. A start, but still operating out of some nasty logical flaws and prejudice.

(to explain, the logical flaws I referred to were the ones that thought we were just here to provide an "alternative")

[ShiroiHikari]

not trying to drag this too far off topic, but remind me never to visit that place again. my stress level is high enough as is.

[MorwenLaicoriel]

I used to have a very high opinion about Plugged In, but lately I'm not so sure. This recent "attack" (that might be too strong) on all things anime kinda starts to reinforce the fact that my friend, Link, is right about the fact that they're a little too...well, I'm not sure.

I think the thing that people need to realise about anime and Japanese imports in general is that they can't be ALL good or ALL bad. Yes, there's definately some bad stuff out there. Yes, people need to be causious. But to say that all anime is spiritually troubled, filled with sexual innuendos and ultra-violent takes it rather far. Not all anime can be Hamtaro, not all anime is hentai--just like how not all american animated films are as morally good as Finding Nemo or as bad as South Park (or, for that matter, not all american media choices are clean). You really have to take it at a case-by-case basis.

[Mangafanatic]

Yea, I'd been thinking about that. I just think the basic point of the article was a setup for failure. Writing an article to decide whether anime is bad or good is like writing an article where you must say that movies are either bad nor good. Saying any medium for story telling is bad or good is a misrepresenation.

[uc pseudonym]

Oh, as for their thumbs up, in a way, to CAA... The thumbs up was to people like Psycho Ann and Inkhana and such who are making Christian Manga, if I picked up on that right, and not a thumbs up to the community as a whole. A start, but still operating out of some nasty logical flaws and prejudice.

I am, of course, aware of this (I think that others with comments similar to my own are the same). Factors being what they are, I am happy with them not condemning our discussion outside of "alternatives" even if they did not give it their blessing.

[tbiechli]

However, one interesting thing that made me happy was that apparently Dynamic Animation (dynamic-animation.com), a Christian anime studio (I didn't even know one existed, lol) are creating a manga featuring KJ-52. They also plan to make a PC game about the manga.[/QUOTE]
However, one interesting thing that made me happy was that apparently Dynamic Animation (dynamic-animation.com), a Christian anime studio (I didn't even know one existed, lol) are creating a manga featuring KJ-52. They also plan to make a PC game about the manga.

__________________
Dynamic Animation is sorry to say the decision to postpone putting The Great Commission Anime on KJ-52's music cd was mutually agreed upon by both parties. Reason being for creative differences and the meaning of what Anime is and what it is not. Neither party has decided on a resuming date at this time. Again we are sorry for any inconviences that this may have caused anyone.

Thank You
God Bless
Dynamic Animation
Posted 12/14/04

[Lady Arianrod]

I remember reading this article. Even though I'm glad they mentioned CAA, I was still quite disappointed by their generally negative comments about anime. I know that this thread itself is quite controversial, but I felt the need to respond to it.

A few years ago, they reviewed two or three anime titles and dismissed them as vile, deviant cartoons. Although they (and every other Christian) have a right to question what we're watching, they really didn't give anime a chance. Instead of finding the good in anime, they warned parents to exercise caution when approaching the genre. Even though some of their criticisms are valid, they're really grasping at straws when they call all anime "satanic" or "pornographic".

As some may have mentioned, it's similar to parents who dismiss all modern music as sexual and nihilistic. Wholesome bands like Switchfoot do exist, but they're hard to find in the entertainment world. It's very much the same for anime... There are many occultic or pornographic anime out there, but there is a Rurouni Kenshin or a Haibane Renmei for every "evil" anime.

Overall, I think that Plugged In really didn't give anime a chance. They did more research for this article than for the previous one, but their attitude is still quite condescending and biased. I hope that this website will give reluctant new anime fans a place to discover worthwhile anime.

[Jman]

Great job CAA and AA!