CAA: Christian Anime Alliance

Ok, this is wierd of me to ask...more wondering...

when you're doing manga, do the characters always have to be like christian...or like "good"? i mean, it's a good thing to do, but i think a good story needs to have some darkness right? i've done some pretty odd stuff and some of my christians friends didn't like it because characters died and no one became a christian...it that wrong? i mean like vampires, i really like to do stuff with vampires. i do lots of vampire short stories and sometimes they have a good message in them...personally, i believe there's a fine line between christian writing and jsut being plain boring...

Heheh good question again, SteelB!


In many of my stories my characters have Christian backround...but that doesn't mean that it is boring...i all depends on what you write about...

Like one of my characters, Brendan is a TOTAL crazy person...(the kind of crazy, that means he is off the wall..sorta guy...sorta boarderline punkish...but with his own unique style..)

Brendan is part of a group of Artists...who except one are christians...That one whow isn't is a blind Guy named Kyle...who I plan to have accept Christ sometime in my story...

As a hopeful comic writer, I want my stories to relate to God somehow...he gave me this talent I have of drawing...and I want to give him all the praise though it!

Are christian stories boring? Some are...but so are some secular stories as well...it is all in perspective...don't want to write boring christian stuff? WRITE AWESOME CHRISTIAN STUFF that will ultimately leave the reader going, "WOW! God really spoke to me through that!"

now about your christian friends being mad at you about having your character die w/o accepting christ. It isn't nessaccarily a bad thing for them to die...for it happens...I think I would be more sad than angry....

About writing about Vampires...what are your stories conveying? ARe they truly reflecting what you believe?

If you want encouragement on writing darker themed christian works with non-Christian main characters... some even dying before accepting Christ... read The Oath by Frank Peretti.

Very good for an example of proper and realistic story telling. Personally, the beastie in that book can kick any vampire's behind...

Lochaber Axe wrote:If you want encouragement on writing darker themed christian works with non-Christian main characters... some even dying before accepting Christ... read The Oath by Frank Peretti.

Very good for an example of proper and realistic story telling. Personally, the beastie in that book can kick any vampire's behind...

i have already read that book...i jsut want to be able to do my own thing and still be a christian writer...i can't ever seem to compromise

I think if you're not careful it can turn into a trap,i.e.having to have the
hero or heroine being a Christian.Read C.S.Lewis'That Hideous Strength.
One of the protagonists in it is an Agnostic(McPhee).So it be alright to
do a Christian manga and have one of the protagonist be for example a
Buddhist.

yeah your right

You don't have to make every character a Christian. In fact, you don't have to make any character anything you don't want them to be. There are a lot of people in churches who will tell you that every character should be a nice, cuddly bunnies and pink fluffy junk, plattitude-spouting "Christian" or it's a bad story.

Thing is, stories don't have to be any way in particular. You can write that bunnies and fluff story, or you can write a dark, psychological thriller, or a novella about Dracula on Wall Street. Whatever you want to write about. God won't abandon you for writing evil characters in your stories. (Actually, if I know Him at all, and I do, He'd be willing to help you write better evil characters. And better good characters. And better neutral characters.)

Ah!! so many questions!

First, I'd like to say it's great that your asking these kind of questions (I don't know if I'd have the courage).

I don't think all the characters in a story should be good at all. In fact, i think there should be something evil in it. Just look at Lord of the Rings! Undoubtedly one of the best books out there, and yet its filled to the brim with bad stuff. (not to mention the Bible )
The real question is: what happens in the end? Does good triumph over evil? Are they both shown for what they are?

Actually, one of my teachers just gave an example kind of like this. He said life is like a big book: there are good guys and bad guys, an author, a story, etc. In the end, the book will glorify the author, God, even when there seems to be so much bad stuff in it.

That's what I would be thinking about when writing: does this story glorify God in how it affects the reader? I mean, the story doesn't even have to end on a good note: the main character could die a horrible death after living a horrible life. the only thing you should make sure is "Christian" is the message your trying to get through.
Is this making sense, or am I horribly screwing it up?

(oh, and about the vampires, you should be careful; most people would think of them as satanic, and that might be bad for what your writing )

I think it depends on what you're trying to convey. A good christian thriller...wheither it be a comic, book, movie...whatever... needs to have that balance of Good and evil, like most of the above have mentioned. I too am writing my own manga, and most of my "good" characters all have their own flaws. The main character is an Assassin, one of the others is a married, yet flirty spy, one is nearly insane (sometimes), and another has a death wish. And one of them actually betrays the others, while a villian is eventually transformed into a good guy ( think a Saul/Paul like situation). The characters by themself don't convey anything, but when coupled with a story line about Redemption, I have hopes that God can use it for his Glory.

See, i think if someone is writing a christian manga...someone somewhere in the plot should accept Christ or whatever. If you don't have anything like that, a basic storyline about God versus Satan/Evil, why even write a "christian" manga? Because if you don't have some type of salvation/christian theme to it... it's not a christian manga, now is it? I mean, you need to ask yourself if your writing just to please yourself, of if you're using it to reach the Lost for Christ. If you're doing it to reach the Lost, Christ needs to be represented in there some where...because he's the Gateway. I'm not trying to be harsh, but this is basiclly what I think.

weither you write a christian manga or not I think that since you yourself are a christian the line between good and evil should be very distinct. That doesn't mean the characters cant make mistakes, I think that it is always good to deal in absolutes. At least that is what I think!

I guess you can make your stories show that bad things happen to good people(reality)...like the book of Job...or make it about the sadness of being a non-beliver...or even the horror of sinning....maybe put hope in there?...i..don't...know.

steelbeliever wrote:Ok, this is wierd of me to ask...more wondering...

when you're doing manga, do the characters always have to be like christian...or like "good"? i mean, it's a good thing to do, but i think a good story needs to have some darkness right? i've done some pretty odd stuff and some of my christians friends didn't like it because characters died and no one became a christian...it that wrong?

Vampire issue aside (as it has been addressed in another thread), I feel that a story would be seriously lacking if all characters are completely "good." People are imperfect. If you wish a character to be human and connect with any readers (which you may not), they must reflect humanity.

As for people dying, I don't see a problem with it. Is the objective of your story to be happy-happy and make the readers have warm, fuzzy feelings inside? Likely not. In real life people die all the time without ever considering Christianity. If everything ends up "picture perfect" your story loses any sense of realism.

However, I'll temper that with something else: the story should have some reason for being written and labeled "Christian." Just as a secular story with no purpose is not quality, a Christian story without some manner of message is not. It is important to consider what messages or themes you are sending (as you will send them, regardless of your intent).

LightUpTheDark wrote:I think it depends on what you're trying to convey. A good christian thriller...wheither it be a comic, book, movie...whatever... needs to have that balance of Good and evil, like most of the above have mentioned. I too am writing my own manga, and most of my "good" characters all have their own flaws. The main character is an Assassin, one of the others is a married, yet flirty spy, one is nearly insane (sometimes), and another has a death wish. And one of them actually betrays the others, while a villian is eventually transformed into a good guy ( think a Saul/Paul like situation). The characters by themself don't convey anything, but when coupled with a story line about Redemption, I have hopes that God can use it for his Glory.

See, i think if someone is writing a christian manga...someone somewhere in the plot should accept Christ or whatever. If you don't have anything like that, a basic storyline about God versus Satan/Evil, why even write a "christian" manga? Because if you don't have some type of salvation/christian theme to it... it's not a christian manga, now is it? I mean, you need to ask yourself if your writing just to please yourself, of if you're using it to reach the Lost for Christ. If you're doing it to reach the Lost, Christ needs to be represented in there some where...because he's the Gateway. I'm not trying to be harsh, but this is basiclly what I think.

you're not being harsh, and you're absolutely right

uc pseudonym wrote:Vampire issue aside (as it has been addressed in another thread), I feel that a story would be seriously lacking if all characters are completely "good." People are imperfect. If you wish a character to be human and connect with any readers (which you may not), they must reflect humanity.

As for people dying, I don't see a problem with it. Is the objective of your story to be happy-happy and make the readers have warm, fuzzy feelings inside? Likely not. In real life people die all the time without ever considering Christianity. If everything ends up "picture perfect" your story loses any sense of realism.

However, I'll temper that with something else: the story should have some reason for being written and labeled "Christian." Just as a secular story with no purpose is not quality, a Christian story without some manner of message is not. It is important to consider what messages or themes you are sending (as you will send them, regardless of your intent).

right...what i'm trying to prove is that there won't always be a happy ending for all God's children...i still ahve good emssages and in my projects (i believe) i still get the message of Christ throguh though nomrally some of my good characters die. i guess its one of those hate the bad more than you love the good type of thing...