PluggedIn Doesn't Like Anime...

[Azier the Swordsman]

Focus on the Family: Saw contains explicit blood and gore and peoples limbs being cut off and foul language should not be watched by anyone lest they polute their minds! O_O

Later---

Focus on the Family: Passion of the Christ contains explicit blood and gore and people's eyes being pecked out by crows and Peter cussing and has JESUS and must be viewed by EVERYONE! =D

[Cap'n Nick]

As someone who didn't find this article particularly offensive, I'm having a little trouble grasping your ire. PluggedIn puts my favorite hobby in a very harsh light, but it says nothing that isn't true. Anime is indeed full of spiritual pitfalls that merit a good deal of maturity and discernment. Parents that think it's just another Tom and Jerry (who are, incidentally, the target audience of this publication) need to be aware of this.

As for dragging your name through the mud, how does citing your site as an oasis of decency in the fandom constitute besmirching your name? What's more, I noticed that you failed to mention here (as you did on Anime Angels) that the quote was correctly attributed to approved Anime Angels material.

I too wish that PI would do more to highlight the things that make anime and manga my favorite pastime, but I think this is accomplished more effectively by reconciliation rather than accusation.

[Keely]

The tone of the PluggedIn article is quite offensive and the quote was out-of-context and pulled from member-submitted article wihtout our permission or knowledge. It was not a part of our Statement of Faith or our Mission statement as the PluggedIn article implies and does not show how most of our members feel.

The tone of the article and how our quote was used was not to "cite [AnimeAngels] as an oasis of decency" but to show that 'even AA agrees that anime is dangerous'.

It is a vast misrepresentation of AnimeAngels' and my personal mission.

However, all that aside - What I'm asking is for our communities to send positive requests for a more balanced article - not accuse PluggedIn of anything.

I want FoTF to work WITH us to help further our missions, that's what this campaign is for.

[ChristianKitsune]

NICE! I will try to help!

[Radical Dreamer]

I wrote a letter to Pluggedinonline; here's what it says:

To whom it may concern:

I am a Christian and a relatively large fan of anime. While I have found articles in your magazine to be helpful in judging the content in media, I recently read an article on your website that I had a very hard time fully agreeing with. The article was titled "Manga and Anime: Inside Japan's Hottest Exports." While I agree with and appreciate your efforts to warn parents about the darker side of anime, I found the article to be quite biased against anime, as it only gave the negative views on anime and manga. The few anime that you mentioned in the article were certainly some of the more violent and fanservicey anime in existence today. There are plenty of other anime that display good morals and the like without the fanservicey or violent aspects that the anime you mentioned.

I would greatly appreciate it if you would write a positive article on anime--one that shows parents that it truly isn't all bad, that gives some examples of good, clean anime for anyone to watch. The article I read on your website would undoubtedly turn many parents and their children away from the idea of anime as a whole, as it didn't seem to mention any of the positive aspects of anime or manga. As a member of both AnimeAngels.net and (a far more active member) of Christiananime.net, I would like to suggest that, if you choose to write this article, you mention the anime and manga reviews at Christiananime.net, in order to point both parents and their children in the right direction to finding a good, clean anime. I would also like to suggest that you attempt to interview Christian voice actors for anime, such as Vic Mignogna (of DNAngel and FullMetal Alchemist fame) and Johnny Yong Bosch (of Trigun).

I truly hope you choose to write this article, and I hope your magazine continues to sell well.

God Bless,

Corrie, a concerned anime fan

[Keely]

Awesome Corrie! That's exactly what I'm talking about! Thanks!

[freerock1]

Just wanted to throw in my support for Keely and the cause. I think PI does some good work for parents of teens and that they had some correct points in the article in question. But at times they tend not to look at a work in its entirety before writing off the whole thing.

I did want to comment on one of your points, Keely...

That is essentially what they have done and it damages my credibility as a witness at the conventions that I speak at.

It is entirely unacceptable for a Christian publication to create a situation like this that could - potentially – keep even ONE person from opening their heart to God. If this creates a roadblock that would otherwise have not been there for even one soul…it’s a horrible travesty...

I'm a youth leader at my church, and my interest in anime has opened a few doors for me to connect with kids who are also into it. Plus I've been able to have some good conversations about Christ with people I've met through CAA. Also, I run a youth-oriented online Christian radio station. So I totally believe that God can use non-traditional means, including anime, to spread the Gospel. It would truly be a shame for anyone to be hindered from accepting Christ because of a negative stereotype, especially those who might not be reached through more traditional means.

[termyt]

I agree with Cap'n Nick that the article didn't lie, per se. There are dangers in anime (that should be well known at this point since anime’s been mainstream for several years now) and parents must be aware that not all cartoons are kid-safe simply because they are animated.

However, by printing that anime is full of these pitfalls and not expressing any other viewpoint, you are basically implying that all anime is full of these pitfalls.

What they printed may not be false, but it isn’t ethical, either. I personally would like to see “Christianâ€

[uc pseudonym]

I have yet to see a youth group all talk about the message in the church hallways right after church.

I have yet to see many adults talk about the message following it. For that matter, there are far too many "Christians" who couldn't tell you the first thing about the sermon an hour later.

[Bobtheduck]

Ok, this article (http://www.pluggedinonline.com/thisweekonly/a0002277.cfm) angered me enough to send the following letter to PluggedIn:



Tell me your thoughts! Ashley, if you'd be interested in helping with an article like this perhaps you should send them a letter as well. I can give you the contact info I found.[/url]

*sigh* No offense, but I've sorta written off FotF when it comes to entertainment... It's a good organization, but it can be looked at as the david wilkerson of this age, only they've probably had fewer people come to Jesus through their ministries (I'd guess) Wilkerson(sp) of Cross and Switchblade fame was a staunch opponent of "rock music" in all it's forms and origins. He believed that all music of this type was straight from Satan, and that those christians supporting it had left God... Even Christian bands... People in that camp could bring up numerous examples of bad music, as well as a number of non-sequiturs, but out of those examples (both valid and not) blanket label rock as evil. This has applied to movies and different musical styles and television and video games... It's not new, it won't ever stop, and chances are many here on CAA (read: Perhaps you, perhaps me) will be just like them when a new medium rolls around (Funny, though, a lot fewer people applied the same caution to the internet, which is much more of a cesspool than the other societally, heirarchaly filtered media, and no I'm not calling the entire internet evil, only wondering why more people don't...) and unfairly judge an entire medium or a large branch of a medium based on a few examples or based on xenophobia or other such fears...

[mechana2015]

[quote="termyt"] I personally would like to see “Christianâ€

[Radical Dreamer]

Well, I emailed Plugged In this morning around 12:00PM, and I had a response by the time I got home (11:00PM). That's impressive, I'm glad they have good "customer service," so to speak.

Anyways, here's the body of the message I received:

We appreciate your taking the time to share your concerns regarding this article on anime. We’re certain our editors will be interested in your remarks, and with that in mind we will be happy to forward your message to their attention. We assure you it will receive a careful reading. After all, feedback like yours serves to enhance the quality and relevance of our publications, and to that end we're thankful for your input.

As you can see, they're glad to get letters like the ones we've been sending, so keep on sending them! Maybe if they realize that enough fans are concerned about this issue, they'll really write an article on the better half of anime. I really hope so!

[Keely]

Radical Dreamer: I find that interesting as I have yet to recieve a reply and my email was of a slightly more official capacity...

mechana2015: I think that pointing out to them that they have a " journalistic and christian duty to their christian peers to help with their ministry and not misrepresent them to other Christians, and especially to new or non-christians who do not know anything about the parties involved and may read their articles," couldn't hurt. I would just be sure to do it in a positive, not accusatory way. Something like "I believe that by writing a positive article on anime you will help to further other ministries and perhaps open avenues for Christians to witness to the lost amoungst the anime fandom" or...something like that.

Put a "nice" spin on it, that's my opinion

[Rocketshipper]

I think I got almost exactly the same reply when I sent my message

[mechana2015]

[quote="Keely"]mechana2015: I think that pointing out to them that they have a " journalistic and christian duty to their christian peers to help with their ministry and not misrepresent them to other Christians, and especially to new or non-christians who do not know anything about the parties involved and may read their articles," couldn't hurt. I would just be sure to do it in a positive, not accusatory way. Something like "I believe that by writing a positive article on anime you will help to further other ministries and perhaps open avenues for Christians to witness to the lost amoungst the anime fandom" or...something like that.

Put a "nice" spin on it, that's my opinion ]

thanks Keely! This is the exact reason I asked, since I can be a bit too blunt at times, especially in areas that I feel strongly about. Would you mind if I PMed you the letter or somthing before I E-mail it? (when I get around to writing it, that is).

[Keely]

thanks Keely! This is the exact reason I asked, since I can be a bit too blunt at times, especially in areas that I feel strongly about. Would you mind if I PMed you the letter or somthing before I E-mail it? (when I get around to writing it, that is).

Actually I'm pretty bad about checking PMs. You can email it to me at keely@flying-dreams.com if you want. However, please note I will be out of town for a week after tomorrow, so I might not get back to you quickly.

Thanks!

[Mr. SmartyPants]

Keely, I too sent a letter to them

Dear Editor(s):

Upon reading one of the articles on the pluggedin website titled: "Manga & Anime: Inside Japan's Hottest Exports" (URL Here: http://www.pluggedinonline.com/thisweekonly/a0002277.cfm) I was quite discouraged by the content of your article.

I do agree anime and manga has some objectionable content, but the article does not mention anything positive about it. Anime is a medium, a subgenre. You cannot group every anime title together into one the "immoral media" section. (Or so to speak) Dispite the amount of objectionable content in anime, there are a large number of titles that are not objectionable. Since anime is a medium of entertainment, and people being entertained in different ways, anime has a wide variety of styles and context.

For example, Paranoia Agent, a 13 episode series (and one of my favorites) is a chilling psychological tale about a boy on rollerblades that attacks people. But that is only the outer appearance. In truth, Paranoia Agent has a moral message; to take responsibility of your own actions and to not let go of reality. Another popular title Full Metal Alchemist, is another title that has an excellent moral meaning as well; the meaning of brotherly love (Didn't Christ teach that in the Gospels?) and the extent someone will go through to atone their sins. Did I also mention that Vic Mignonga, the voice actor for the main character in Full Metal Alchemist is a geniune Christian? I have met him personally once and even chatted with him over the internet. He is most definately a geniune Christian. He even leads the worship group in his church. (Somewhere in Texas. For your convenience I have attached an open interview the folks at ChristianAnime.net had with Vic Mignonga. His username is fullmetalvic. There are some key parts of that interview that are worth the read. In both .txt and Document format for your convenience)

Anime is also an extrodinary way for Christians to reach out to those in need of Christ. In my experience, I have seen this work. Let's be honest. A Christian who's hobby loves to sail will not effectively reach out to a Nonchristian that is a car enthusiast and hates sailing. On the flipside, you have a Nonchristian car enthusiast with a Christian car enthusiast; something good is more likely to take place. Hobbies are what bind people together in social interaction. I have a deeper bond with my friends who enjoy the same thigns I enjoy more than the people who do not enjoy what I enjoy. It's just how everything goes. It's how God made things.

There are many websites that promote both Christianity and Anime. Such as ChristianAnime.net and AnimeAngels.net. Both which I am a member of. ChristianAnime.net has a wonderful feature that has a selection of Anime and Manga Reviews from a Christian perspective. Perhaps you should check those out? You can find them here:
Anime: http://www.christiananime.net/reviews.php
Manga: http://www.christiananime.net/manga_reviews.php

Not to be nit picky, but this part of the article bothered me greatly
"It’s not unusual to find teens in church hallways chattering more excitedly over each other’s artwork than about what happened in youth group."
Is that wrong to do? Let's be serious, there are adults that don't talk about the message after a church service. People talk about their hobbies after church services, is that wrong? Isn't that what fellowship is? I don't understand how talking about anime makes fellowship an immoral thing.

I simply wish that the editors at pluggedin be more open minded about such things. Perhaps write an article explaining the good that can come from Anime. Or maybe perhaps schedule an internvew with some Christians whose work is anime. Such as Vic Mignonga, Luci Christian, Steve Blum, or Johnny Yong Bosh.

Sincerely and God Bless,
Ryan: A Christian Anime Fan.

[Linksquest]

You made a really good point here, Ryan:

Not to be nit picky, but this part of the article bothered me greatly
"It’s not unusual to find teens in church hallways chattering more excitedly over each other’s artwork than about what happened in youth group."
Is that wrong to do? Let's be serious, there are adults that don't talk about the message after a church service. People talk about their hobbies after church services, is that wrong? Isn't that what fellowship is? I don't understand how talking about anime makes fellowship an immoral thing.

I simply wish that the editors at pluggedin be more open minded about such things. Perhaps write an article explaining the good that can come from Anime. Or maybe perhaps schedule an internvew with some Christians whose work is anime. Such as Vic Mignonga, Luci Christian, Steve Blum, or Johnny Yong Bosh.

Sincerely and God Bless,
Ryan: A Christian Anime Fan.

Good job.

[Radical Dreamer]

Ooo, nice letter, Ryan! I hope they reply to that...I find it interesting that Keely has yet to receive a reply, and Mech had pretty much the same reply I did. That dissapoints me to a degree, and I hope it doesn't mean that they really just don't care. I honestly hope that they'll take the high road and respond to all of these letters with the suggestions we've made about more positive articles on anime. This will be an interesting campaign, but I hope it works!

[Keely]

Hobbies are what bind people together in social interaction. I have a deeper bond with my friends who enjoy the same thigns I enjoy more than the people who do not enjoy what I enjoy. It's just how everything goes. It's how God made things.

What a wonderful point! Great job!!

As for me not hearing back yet...I hope that is because they're taking my letter more seriously seeing as I am the creator of the site that they "quoted". We shall see.

I really just want to get the word out that anime isn't evil!

[Bobtheduck]

Keely, I too sent a letter to them

No offense, MSP, but getting FotF to extract positive meaning from something super violent (short of Passion of the Christ, and even that they had problems with) is going to be a fruitless exercise... They view the violent content itself as sinfull and dangerous, hence where I clash with them... For instance, Plugged-In's review on To End All Wars made me so angry, I can't even begin to say. I want to be a crew member or extra or actor in the next R rated movie that David Cunningham does, JUST so that I'll know they were partly referring to me in their rediculous review... Hehe... Well, that, and to be able to meet one of my favorite directors.

I have a feeling that if my writing (or eventually games) ever get popular, and FotF is still around, I'll be getting a lot of flak for what I make. Which will be great, because I'll talk to them personally about it, doing what David Cunninham never did which is defend his excelent work to his fellow Christians, particularly a very influential group like FotF... It's unfair to have his work maligned and he probably doesn't even know about it (since his views on entertainment are obviously different than theirs, he may have been able to anticipate their response) so he has no say in the matter and his name is dragged through the mud for a lot of Christians...

[truthgone12]

Well Focus on the family not liking anime is not very suprising considering they don't like much of anything.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

No offense, MSP, but getting FotF to extract positive meaning from something super violent (short of Passion of the Christ, and even that they had problems with) is going to be a fruitless exercise... They view the violent content itself as sinfull and dangerous, hence where I clash with them... For instance, Plugged-In's review on To End All Wars made me so angry, I can't even begin to say. I want to be a crew member or extra or actor in the next R rated movie that David Cunningham does, JUST so that I'll know they were partly referring to me in their rediculous review... Hehe... Well, that, and to be able to meet one of my favorite directors.

I have a feeling that if my writing (or eventually games) ever get popular, and FotF is still around, I'll be getting a lot of flak for what I make. Which will be great, because I'll talk to them personally about it, doing what David Cunninham never did which is defend his excelent work to his fellow Christians, particularly a very influential group like FotF... It's unfair to have his work maligned and he probably doesn't even know about it (since his views on entertainment are obviously different than theirs, he may have been able to anticipate their response) so he has no say in the matter and his name is dragged through the mud for a lot of Christians...

Uhm... what??? O.o Since when did I speak of mass violence? I'm talking about like.. anime... and how it can bond people together, etc etc yadda yadda.

[Bobtheduck]

Uhm... what??? O.o Since when did I speak of mass violence?

Paranoia Agent = Very violent and such...

FotF = "Violence, even portrayed in fiction or retelling, is teh evil"

MSP = Check out good things about Paranoia Agent (very violent)!

MSP = Doing useless exercise.

See? Trying to use a super-violent anime as an example of how anime can be good, when FotF views violence in visual media as evil, is a useless exercise. It would be better starting off tackling one problem at a time. Either their stance on violence in fiction (or in retelling), or their stance on anime... For the latter, it would be best to use a less threatening anime than Paranoia agent.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

Paranoia Agent = Very violent and such...

FotF = "Violence, even portrayed in fiction or retelling, is teh evil"

MSP = Check out good things about Paranoia Agent (very violent)!

MSP = Doing useless exercise.

See? Trying to use a super-violent anime as an example of how anime can be good, when FotF views violence in visual media as evil, is a useless exercise. It would be better starting off tackling one problem at a time. Either their stance on violence in fiction (or in retelling), or their stance on anime... For the latter, it would be best to use a less threatening anime than Paranoia agent.

Yes, I understood that. But that wasn't my entire argument.

I was also stating it was a good way for Christians to reach out to nonchristians, etc that stuff.

[Kawaiikneko]

Perhaps we should keep this thread nice and positive ^^ I mean, people from FotF could very well visit the site and read through it, right? Like Keely has mentioned, this shouldn't be a FotF bashing thread.

I would love to see FotF release another article about anime, however I can see where they're coming from. What their magazine is for is to warn parents about the bad things, not tell about the good things. For instance, I'm sure Paranoia Agent wouldn't go over well with the PluggedIn review system because there is a fair amount of sexual content in it. It's an adult show, but since its animation its hard for people to get their minds around that. In the end, FotF is only trying to warn people and help them make good decisions about what kinds of things they watch. Let's not bash them for their beliefs, okay? It's like Paul and eating meat ^^

[Bobtheduck]

It's an adult show, but since its animation its hard for people to get their minds around that.

FotF makes no diferentiation between an adult show and a kid's show in ANYTHING... For them, all movies and TV shows should be child friendly. So, it isn't exactly hypocricy on their part, but treating anime as one big item rather than each anime individually is the problem.

[quote="Mr. SmartyPants"]Yes, I understood that. But that wasn't my entire argument. ]

I understand your point entirely. They won't. Simple as that. They'll view it the same as they would reaching out to people in strip clubs. Since they view anime as this dark, dangerous thing (and sinfull) coming to corrupt our children, then using anime as a starting point for making friends or for evangelism would be contradictory and insulting to them. See what I mean?

[beau99]

Well Focus on the family not liking anime is not very suprising considering they don't like much of anything.

Well... they don't dislike all anime.

They gave the Pokemon move an excellent review.

[Nate]

I agree with Kneko, if we sit here and bash them in this thread, and they come over here to check us out (since Ryan gave a link in his email), and see this thread, what are they going to think? If I worked for FotF and saw this thread, I wouldn't think very highly of this site, I'll tell you that.

FotF are not our enemies, they are our brothers and sisters in Christ, and instead of alienating them and speaking ill of them on our board, I think we should reach out to them and work WITH them.

[Rocketshipper]

I don't think anyone has said anything really bad about them so far, the response e-mails people have written seem respectful to me. I'd say most of what is said here is "constructive criticism" ^_^.

Is David Cunningham the guy who directed "The Exorcism of Emily Rose"??