Strange usages of Christianity?

[Momo-P]

Have you ever watched a series and noticed a bizarre usage of Christianity? I'm not saying exactly anything offensive, just stuff that makes no sense?

For example, lately I've been on a Dragon Ball high and the subject of Videl and her father came up. Seriously...was any real reason ever given for their last name? Neither Videl or Mr.satan are evil, but why use that name? Toriyama couldn't have been clueless as to what the name meant, one picture has Videl and Gohan driving in a car together and not only is her father's last name printed on the side, but so are three sixs.

Just...man. What the crap. ._.;

I really don't like mr. satan so it's not like I care, in fact I hated his guts when I just though his name was hercule. Still though...what a weird choice.

Anybody else notice some weird stuff? Heck, any answers to people's findings are also welcome. It would be nice to know what Toriyama or any of these guys are thinking...

[Radical Dreamer]

It doesn't surprise me. You have to remember that Christianity has a relatively small following in Japan; as I recall, it's only 1% of the population. Most Japanese see Christianity as something "Western" and "cool", so it gets misused in anime more often than not.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

Maybe he really does know about Christianity and he's trying to satirize it? XD

[MasterDias]

Toriyama named most of his characters after puns.
I mean, when you have characters named Piccolo, King Cold, Dr. Briefs, and Bra...

Yeah, I'm quite certain he didn't intend for anyone to take his naming conventions seriously.

[ADXC]

Yeah what MasterDias said. Also I think Toriyama called Mr. Satan because in the ring in he would certainly be a devil fighting wise in the eyes of the public. But compared to Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, Piccolo, Krillen, Tien, Videl(Even his own daughter), Trunks, younger Trunks, Goten, and Number 18 he's nothing more than a pillar of salt.

[Ashley]

I hardly see fraternizing Christianity as an Asian thing. How many mainstream dramas/sitcoms have featured something largely erroneous about Christianity? From psuedo-new age stuff like Buffy or Charmed, to the mocking Mr. Flanders or Rev. Lovejoy, to even movies like Saved!, this is hardly a new phenomena. Heck, even my favorite series, KKJ, seriously misrepresents our faith!

Nor is it surprising. Does not God's word say that we will appear foolish to men and they won't understand us?

I think the best thing to do in these situations is evaluate the author's intent (I suspect like others have said, folks like Toriyama and Tanemura do so out of ignorance and not malice), and then examine the critics to see if there is some truth the to stereotype/parody/etc. Sometimes this can be a real learning experience: we get so caught up in our ways of thinking and doing things that it can be eye-opening to step back and see how the world sees us.

[termyt]

CHristian imagery is very popular in Japan - mostly as fashion. Naming a character Mr. Satan would have a similar effect (only to a lesser degree) on the Japanese audience as it does with the US audience - it would generate a feeling of dislike for the character - which is exactly what they were going for.

[rocklobster]

Maybe it's because he's a loser like Satan.

[Debitt]

Welcome to failure to properly research the context of another culture. Pointer: Japan/anime isn't the only place where this is a problem.

Also, termyt is smert. :3

[mitsuki lover]

Isn't Mr.Satan also known as something like Hercule?

It's hard at times to understand why a creator names their characters the way they do without being able to get into their brain.

[ADXC]

Yeah, I believe thats his first name. But really though, sometimes we have to overlook these things. Would you really stop watching one your favorite anime just because someones last name is satan? Yeah sure it isn't good, but I doubt the creator had even the slightest intention of making a goofball, who couldn't beat one of the heros, a satanic like person. Anyways I just remember him as Hercule. He's actually an idiot goofball who's sorta there for comic relief and is also not the brightest tool in the shed.
I wouldn't stop watching a show for so long to figure out one of the last character's name is Satan, but if the show was centered around or was closely associated with idea satanism then I would drop the series down for the count.

(My two cents.)

[Blitzkrieg1701]

Not to derail the intense examination of the ethical standing of Hercule/Mr Satan and the arguments against considering DBZ to be satanic, but isn't that sort of not what this thread is actually about? I thought it was supposed to be a more lighthearted conversation about some of the ways Japanese animation has used Christian imagery in strange contexts...

[Raiden no Kishi]

If we're mentioning Christianity/Christian imagery used in strange ways in anime, I have but two words to say. They are Hellsing and Evangelion. Enough said. XD

.rai//

[Sheol777]

If we're mentioning Christianity/Christian imagery used in strange ways in anime, I have but two words to say. They are Hellsing and Evangelion. Enough said. XD

.rai//

I second both of these.

Hellsing: Iscariot Organization (Catholic priest sect)

Evangelion: Dead Sea scrolls (they had no idea what they were)

[the_wolfs_howl]

...Okay, finally thought of something. In FMA, certain people are able to perform alchemy simply by clapping their hands. One character doesn't really clap, she just sort of presses them together and looks like she's praying. I can't remember if this observation is made in the anime, or if it's just in the manga, but someone somewhere says, "Isn't that what people do when they pray to God?" And...I have no idea where they were going with that. It never seemed to materialize into anything, in the anime at least (can't say for the manga yet).

[KhakiBlueSocks]

If we're mentioning Christianity/Christian imagery used in strange ways in anime, I have but two words to say. They are Hellsing and Evangelion. Enough said. XD

.rai//

And I have two words to add to that...

Chrono Crusade.


Seriously, I love the anime, but nuns with guns is wild to say the least! Most nuns pop your wrists with a ruler--this one pops a cap. Go figure. Also the whole idea of a nun being friends (and soul contractor) with the devil (who in the end doesn't meet the definition of "devil", but he's still cool) can be seen, by some stricter religious groups, as being taboo.

We, as christian otaku, know better, of course.

[King of Fighter]

Evangelion would have to be one and it's much more than the Dead Sea Scrolls.

[EricTheFred]

And I have two words to add to that...

Chrono Crusade.


Seriously, I love the anime, but nuns with guns is wild to say the least! Most nuns pop your wrists with a ruler--this one pops a cap. Go figure. Also the whole idea of a nun being friends (and soul contractor) with the devil (who in the end doesn't meet the definition of "devil", but he's still cool) can be seen, by some stricter religious groups, as being taboo.

We, as christian otaku, know better, of course.

Well, you oughta just love 'Black Lagoon' then...

Okay, the nuns with guns in Black Lagoon aren't really nuns. It's just imagery.

[LadyRushia]

In the third season of Sailor Moon, Hotaru is refered to as the "messiah." Yeah, obviously not our Messiah, and her function doesn't even come close to the definition of the word.

There's also this picture of Usagi wearing a bunch of crosses. Again, it's probably the whole cool factor(it's a pretty picture though).

[Corkyspaniel]

[color="Purple"]I think it was like that on Coyote Ragtime Show. This preacher even said Jesus' name, but he was all into worshipping the earth and the sun and all that...[/color]

[ADXC]

Isn't Trinity Blood another example? Im not quite sure because I didn't really watch it that much, but when I did I see it they were catholic at the Vatican city. And they sometimes mentioned "Father" as the main character of the story. I can't really remember. (Please someone correct me.)

[termyt]

In the third season of Sailor Moon, Hotaru is refered to as the "messiah." Yeah, obviously not our Messiah, and her function doesn't even come close to the definition of the word.

There's also this picture of Usagi wearing a bunch of crosses. Again, it's probably the whole cool factor(it's a pretty picture though).

Hotaru actually is a decent "messiah" character. In fiction, a “messiah character” is one who’s primary role in the story is to provide salvation (or the path to salvation) through sacrifice and example. These characters can often be used as an allegory to Christ even if they themselves fall short of Christ’s ultimate example. (In other words, they don’t have to be perfect or Christ-like). In Sailor Moon season 3, Sailor Saturn sacrifices herself to defeat the bad guy and save the entire world.

Other examples of messiah characters in anime include Sailor Moon herself, Vash the Stampede, Rushana Tendo (Grenadier), well there’s a lot. It’s a common theme in anime.