Reconciling Christianity and Anime

[FireStarter2003]

Konnichiwa y'all,

As Christians and anime otaku, sometimes we are misunderstood, and sometimes even criticized, by Christians who are not well-informed concerning anime and Japanese culture. I know that in my experience, I have come across some Christians who feel that anime and the martial arts are demonic, basing their assumptions on the links that certain martial arts and anime have, either directly or indirectly, to Shinto or other Asian false religious beliefs. As I am a person who does believe in the reality of the spirit realm and spiritual warfare (having participated in a few deliverances), and I am very careful as to what I allow myself to watch, I could easily swing in the extreme "demon under every rock" theology if I wanted to (which I don't see why anybody would want to think that way). However, I've been around anime and the martial arts long enough to have an objective understanding, not simply of certain spiritual dynamics, but also of Japanese culture, and the vastness of expression. I also bear in mind Paul's admonition to "Test all things. Hold fast what is good, reject every form of evil." As an anime-loving Christian, I endeavor to use wisdom in what I watch, but I'm also careful in whether I share with other Christians that I am an anime fan, because I do not want to cause them to stumble. With those whom would condemn or criticize me for anime, I seek to give them an honest answer that will hopefully bring some enlightenment.

Have any of you had any encounters with fellow Christians that are critical of anime or martial arts, and if so, how have you endeavored to communicate with them positively and in an edifying manner about it?

[Locke]

always! i try to explain to them the culture shockers that ticked e'm off

with both anime and martial arts

but one difference: they think all martial arts is powerangers GGrrrr

[Gypsy]

Excellent question, since that is indeed what we are all about. I have a few stories to share:

Instance #1 I got into anime when I was younger and still under my parent's ... "jurisdiction", if you will. They thought instantly "horrible demon infested Japanimation pornography!" At the time, dvds weren't really big yet, let alone anime dvds - so all I had was Fox and the Sci-fi Channel. Mom watched about fifteen seconds of Sailor Moon (it just happened to be a slightly disturbing monster transformation), turned to me with very wide eyes, and promptly instructed me to turn the TV off. Well, an eleven-year-old kid can't make much of a case for anime at that point, especially since I knew next to nothing about it. But as the years went by, my parent's gradually started to let me collect anime magazines and such, I began drawing in the anime style - and it went from there. I never pushed it with my parents, and I've never had to spit and sputter and justify what I watched. They saw my attitude about the entire issue and decided to trust my judgement. Since then, I'm still trying to con my mother into watching some Angelic Layer. (I should probably break her in by letting her borrow Chance Pop Session first ...). Both my parents really respect what CAA is doing, and they've encouraged me since day one of my leadership position here.

Instance #2 Well, obviously, I am no longer an 11 year-old kid. I have a job now, and one that happens to involve my own work computer. Well, as any anime fan would, I found the most conservative anime desktop wallpaper I could and used it. The next day, I came in to see a scrolling marquee screensaver (I generally have my screensaver turned off) blaring out a verse about being careful what my eyes see. When I moved the mouse, I found that my desktop wallpaper had been changed to an inspirational scripture/landscape montage. Come to find out, my boss was 100% convinced that by having an anime character on my desktop, I had brought demons into the building and I was cursing the company. No, I'm not kidding. In this case, I'll just never use an anime theme on my work computer again. No discussion, and no questions.

In short, there's probably going to be two kinds of Christians. There are those who are dead set against and kind of anime and truly believe that every ounce of it is demonic - and there are people that are apprehensive, but willing to listen. I've found that anime, in itself, is not worth getting into huge arguments over. If you find yourself constantly defending it, then chances are that whoever is doing the accusing will simply never look at it for what it is - an art form. Yes, there is bad anime, but there are also bad sculptures and bad oil paintings.

You'll be able to tell right off who has an open mind, and who won't. And while it sounds very cliche - some people will simply never understand anime. Woo, that was long, but I hope it helped!

[Michael]

Sure, one of my friends (from church) said a lot of anime isn't clean, but he's understanding about it and knows that everybody likes different things.

As far as demons.....I think there's a worse enemy. See if you can figure out who or what it is.

[Bobtheduck]

What I have to laugh at is hypocritical anime-haters:

1. They think "cartoons" are childish so they can't watch "Grave of the Fireflies", but they'll watch something like "Dumb and Dumber" (not knocking stupid humor, just hypocricy) A few anime are in the arena of masterpiece theatre
2. They think anime is pornographic (even though not even every anime has suggestive clothing), but they'll watch Titanic (nudity_ or Coyote Ugly (no nudity, but entirely seductive) or something worse than either of them.
3. They are upset by the shinto but will watch something like "Jurassic Park" which has the influence of another false religion... Hint Hint...
4. They don't like the "bad animation" (what they mean is the low framerate) but they'll watch the old disney TV shows which use as many if not more shortcuts, and worse than that have no real plots to them (except for maybe gargoyles... for a short time...)
5. They think anime characters are ugly, but they'll watch Atlantis and proclaim how beautiful the characters are (beauty IS in the eyes of the beholder, but did ALL of the femmes have to look like Angelina Jolie? Eeeew...)
6. They think the anime characters are made unrealistically (big eyes) but yet have no problems with Flinstones or dexter or whatever... Notice how whenever american animators make asians, they ALWAYS accentuate the "slanted" eyes... Even though that's not the primary thing that makes people look asian (it has more to do with structure of the face, but that's harder to consciously recognize so we latch onto the eyes) I almost consider that racist. I hear repeatedly that the characters look "white" but they don't look white to me anymore... They look asian... I don't know why that is, but I dont' get shocked goint back and forth between the anime characters and real Japanese people. Characters like dexter and didi, fred and barney, or hercules and um... that girl on hercules (disney version) aren't exactly realistic either... Perfectly realistic drawings look weird and unnatural. Things have to be held back and exaggerated in animation. The very fact that it's cell animation means you have to only show what's important. Most of the Japanese animators just decided that noses weren't and eyes were... Oh, and on the "realistic" characters thing, notice how almost all american animated characters had only 4 fingers on each hand?
7. When they say "I hate anime but (name of anime) isn't anime so I love it.", or conversly, I love anime but (name of anime) isn't really anime so that's why I hate it..." That one really gets me...

So, what was the purpose of me saying this? I guess not much, really... Nothing any of us "obsessive anime fans who preach anime as a religion" are going to convince anyone who believes like that, so all of this conversation about it won't really accomplish anything...

We just gotta trick they into watching something that will specifically break their stereotype.

[shooraijin]

Too many of my Christian friends, though, know anime only through their non-Christian friends, and then get subjected to the popular but really violent/oversexed series that are prominently on the local Blockbuster rack, so they think all anime is sex (or violence, or both).

Trying to train them out of it has been an uphill battle. I had moderate success with one and some (clean) episodes of Ranma, but the other one needs bigger guns. I might start her on some light Fruits Basket.

My kid sister, however, is a Sailor Moon nut. One of these days I'll get her to show up here.

[ShiroiHikari]

*points to Bob's post* I know how you feel, man. -_- Why people pick on anime so much, I'll never understand. Is it just the culture shock thing...?

The only other Christians I know that watch anime are right here on this board. So I haven't had the experience of trying to break someone of the "anime = evil" mindset.

[inkhana]

I haven't had some of the more dramatic circumstances that some of you have, but I did have an interesting conversation with my aunt that went something like this:

Ink: ...(something something) CAA...
Candace: What's CAA?
Ink: Oh, duh...Christian Anime Alliance.
Candace: ...(silence for a sec) What's anime?
Ink: You know...Japanese animation.
(silence)
Candace: Oh, you mean that ugly stuff with the huge eyes...
Ink: (tries to explain)...

What's oddly ironic about this is that my aunt has seen my anime sketches and thought they were good... LOL

LOL, I was blessed with a mother who watched anime before I did, so I've never had to justify watching it to my parents. (But then again, my mom likes several forms of animation, so it's just an extension of "general animation" to us)

[Ashley]

The argument I used with my parents when I started watching Toonami was that it was a form of entertainment, no different than books or movies or tv shows. And just as some of the aforementoned media has different ratings from G to NC-17, so anime did too, ranging from "childish" shows like Pokemon to hentai. I showed them a few episodes of Trigun and Gundam Wing, and they were ok with it for the most part, especially since my choice of shows were generally cleaner than theres, like ER or Seinfeld. If something came up, they'd question me about it respectfully ("what's with such and such?") and I'd answer them respectfully ("It's a symbol of blah blah. See, blah blah needs to save...") Basically, my parents learned that I'd be careful about what I watch, and they trust me until I prove untrustworthy. I respected their opinions, though, and if they said a show was out, it was out. No arguments.

As for the points Bob brought up, I totally agree. Why it's that way, who knows...perhaps just a general fear and misunderstanding.

[Shinja]

ha ha, my parents know i dont watch garbage. they refer to them as those wired japanese cartoons.

[Gypsy]

LOL, I was blessed with a mother who watched anime before I did, so I've never had to justify watching it to my parents. (But then again, my mom likes several forms of animation, so it's just an extension of "general animation" to us)

*laughs*

Ink, your Mom's so cool. Not only does your mom like anime, but she can slam you and Miss C around in SSBM and Soul Caliber II!

[inkhana]

NO! Only in Soul Caliber II. Not in SSBM! he he Tris and I can wreak havok on ol' Ganon with Peach and Roy respectively... Actually, Tris can beat both of us quite easily... I don't know why but Tris didn't do so well in Soul Caliber II.

[madphilb]

Ink, your Mom's so cool. Not only does your mom like anime, but she can slam you and Miss C around in SSBM and Soul Caliber II!

Here I thought my Mom was pretty cool....

My Mom's not into the whole anime thing at all.... 1st thing she complains about are "those eyes"..... oh well. She's not a believer so it's not really an issue, though she made the comment about not feeling right about getting me Manga for Christmas, though I think it's more of her not understanding it (Manga is very different from the comics she grew up with in alot of ways). Course I'm an immature 34 yo who's basically on my own... so I guess none of that matters much anyway


I think this would be somewhat on-topic.... I've noticed that one of the youth-groups or "dance club"/"coffee house" groups in the area (north of me, if not to the next county) was using a Gundam style mech as part of their flyers. Sad thing is that my "friend" who worked at the christian book store where I saw them (who has a teenage son) had no idea what that is.... she's so out of touch with most things current (unless it's the latest cheezy Christian fad).

[Michael]

I use Ashley's arguement too. My parents are OK with anime for the most part. My sister doesn't like it for some reason, Probably because she's an artist and can draw much better than anyone in the anime industry. No joke.

The sort of hostility we enjoy can be found eveywhere. I've been looked down on by other anime fans for being a fan of the Evil Dead series.

[Benu]

The only problem I've had with Christians and anime is the they think It's evil porn or just plain evil. But my parents are understanding about it and the whole Nudity issue that often pops up in anime too they understand to that they are like tv shows and movies but thier just animated but my mom hates cartoons so she has never really seen anime and my dad thinks all the english voices are cheese.

But there pretty much cool with it. I remeber when they took me too this anime store in L.A. and my mom kept giving me every single anime flyer and stuff they had thier telling me get some so you know whats coming out. I was shocked too say the least but my mom and dad didn't freak out when they took a look around the store either. My mom said they had some ugly stuff but either one said they had evil porn or somthing like that there. So I guess they accepted it completely now.

[shooraijin]

> 1st thing she complains about are "those eyes".....

Dad, looking at Ranma box set 4 (when I bought it): What's that?
Me: Oh, that's Ranma 1/2. It's a really funny Japanese anime series.
Dad: Oh, anime. That's the stuff with the weird big eyes, right?

[Benu]

Phear the Big Weird Eyes.

[Bobtheduck]

Why are the big eyes weird but the dots on Barney Rubble and the square bodies like dexter and the bodyless Didi or the human-like Bugs and daffy or whatever aren't weird?

Akira doesn't have the big eyes (except for the kids, but they're freaky enough that you don't really notice it...) but it is violent and has like a half second of nudity in it, and the Pioneer Dub is loaded with "naughty language" including the F word about 2 or 3 times. I honestly can't figure out why people are so freaked out by the eyes, but that's because I was raised on video games and the big eyes were commonly part of that style, so I never had a problem with them.

[Locke]

ph34r!! sc4ry 3y3s b1g 3y3s !!

[Kite]

Too many of my Christian friends, though, know anime only through their non-Christian friends, and then get subjected to the popular but really violent/oversexed series that are prominently on the local Blockbuster rack, so they think all anime is sex (or violence, or both).

Yeah. All my blockbuster carries is stuff like regin and ghost in the shell. NGE. Hellsing. Man they might as well just carry hentai!

My sister doesn't like it for some reason,

My sister hates it. Only reason is she says its stupid. She's seen everything I've seen cept inuyasha. She saw GOTF and she still hates it. I think dbz,pokemon and yugi-oh ruined it for her. My mom lets me watch them. That is as long as their clean. Hence I watch .hack every saturday. My libary carries manga and anime to so thats where I got GOTF. Can't watch kenshin cause my goofy bros are always up at 9:00 AZ time.

[Michael]

I don't think it's demons you have to worry about, it's yourself.

[cbwing0]

I personally don't have a problem with reconciling anime with Christianity. It doesn't cause me to stumble, although I can see how others might be disturbed by it, especially if they have been influenced by one of the many anti-entertainment demagogues that enounce everything that is not explicity Christian in its production, content, and message.

I think a lot of people are turned off by shows like Pokemon and DBZ, because they are a bit more juvenile than most anime shows. They were meant for children, and it is kind of embarassing to see older people watching them. In my high school, there were two guys who were really into Pokemon, and they gave anime a bad name with their nerdiness and antisocial behavior. They watched the show, played the games, and collected the cards. Of course they played in school, and got some serious heckling as a result. I'm sure this happens in other places, and then this image of anime fans is seized upon by those that are predisposed against anime, giving then reason to avoid it at all costs. Frankly, I don't care about these people: it is their loss. It is better to concentrate on the people who are curious, and then expose them to the best anime before showing then weird stuff.

It's a lot like Christianity, if you think about it. It's not the message that turns people off, but the human messengers. All the more reason to present yourself as a good example for others to follow.

[Mithrandir]

It's a lot like Christianity, if you think about it. It's not the message that turns people off, but the human messengers. All the more reason to present yourself as a good example for others to follow.

LOL. I never thought about this, but it's really true.

[Megami Tsunami]

My mom sometimes wonders how could you be a devout Christian and be otaku at the sametime. But she gives me a break on it and hasn't really gotten on my case about anime since she's grown up with the classic stuff in Japan.

[Shao Feng-Li]

,my mom doent care what we watch she trusts us. she knows that we wont watch anything bad... anime are just cartoons, and she treats them as such. All the kids at school watch south park and friends *Barf* the anime's i watch are WAY CLEANER when it comes to fanservice and language.

==I just that i prefere cartoons from japan...hmmm. i dont REALLY blame people for being ignorent about anime... every try typinng anime in a web search? *shiver*== but if you show them something good and they still dont get it...

as for demons, most aanime's like that are fairy tales, like Spirited away.... like someone meantioned jurassic park all ready... and what about X Men? Evolution is a religion...

but i should emntion that i dont think it helps when we watch anime with cussing and fanservice (Faye) such as Cowboy Bepop (waht the heck does that mean any way?) wouldnt a *christian* watching that stuff look kinda weired if you were the non christian? (did that make sense? i probalby shouldnt bring this up, but it's been bothering me for a long time.)

[ice122985]

i don't know if this will win me friends, but for the most part, i don't watch too much anime- i simply like the style of drawing. as for the series, well, i give them one chance to tell me a story without nudity or seductive suggestive themes. once they blow i don't watch it again.

[Shao Feng-Li]

dont wrry ice you'll find them and i understand your concerns. but you'll find animes that are watchable.

[Ashley]

but i should emntion that i dont think it helps when we watch anime with cussing and fanservice (Faye) such as Cowboy Bepop (waht the heck does that mean any way?) wouldnt a *christian* watching that stuff look kinda weired if you were the non christian? (did that make sense? i probalby shouldnt bring this up, but it's been bothering me for a long time.)

Well, my defense has always been I watch secular movies and enjoy them and just tune out the sexual stuff/cussing...try to enjoy the good story and ignore the bad. Anime to me is no different than watching TV or a movie...some are good despite flaws, some are horrible beyond salvaging. But I don't think it makes us any less Christian--especially if in a discussion you bring up that you feel it's wrong. It's only when you start imitating that kind of lifestyle that I'd start calling into question whether you should be watching it or not.

Then again, that's just me. I feel like my life is enough of a testament to Christ that I'm not putting it in jeopardy watching anime around others...but on the other hand, most of my friends are already Christians. I guess in that time the best thing to do would be ask the Lord if He'd want you watching it before them or if it would stumble them. To each his own, you know.

[MillyFan]

Well, my defense has always been I watch secular movies and enjoy them and just tune out the sexual stuff/cussing...try to enjoy the good story and ignore the bad. Anime to me is no different than watching TV or a movie...some are good despite flaws, some are horrible beyond salvaging. But I don't think it makes us any less Christian--especially if in a discussion you bring up that you feel it's wrong. It's only when you start imitating that kind of lifestyle that I'd start calling into question whether you should be watching it or not.

Then again, that's just me. I feel like my life is enough of a testament to Christ that I'm not putting it in jeopardy watching anime around others...but on the other hand, most of my friends are already Christians. I guess in that time the best thing to do would be ask the Lord if He'd want you watching it before them or if it would stumble them. To each his own, you know.

In total agreement with Ashley's post. Amen.


Also, when it comes to non-Christians, I seriously don't think that most, if any, are attracted to Christ by seeing what we *don't* do or *don't* like. Despite hearing this countless times during my adolescence as a fundamentalist Baptist ("They'll ask you what's different when you don't say/do/read blah blah"), my real life experience with non-Christians has been the exact opposite of that.

In fact, most non-Christians, at least in my experience, are *repelled* from Christianity at that one point-they think it's "all about the rules" or living a life of constant, haughty censoriousness and fear of "contamination." Many perceive Christianity the same way we Christians perceive, say, ultra-Orthodox Judaism, strict Islam, or the Jehovah's Witnesses-nice people maybe, but not for them, too many "do's" and "don'ts" to remember. . .

Also, non-Christians, just like us and unlike what some of us seem to think, CAN be insulted. To reverse the situation a bit, let's say you asked a non-Christian to read your most favorite Christian book-and said non-Christian threw it back in your face screaming "I don't read this garbage" or something similar, or even with a somewhat more polite "No thanks. I heard that book was nothing but religious feelgood babble."

I think if non-Christians are to be won and stay Christian. . .the only way that will happen is through showing them what we *do* have in common, developing friendships, and being willing to let God deal with someone on His and their own terms. Personal convictions are good, but they aren't worth losing someone entirely over by making them a "must." That is much like the contestant on a game show that has a chance at a million dollars-and throws it all away going for a million and five hundred dollars.

I once saw the following sign in front of a church a few years back: "Be ye fishers of men. You catch 'em, I'll clean 'em-God." I think we need to take on this attitude more-step back and realize that we are *not* in the business of saving souls and making people pure-that happens to be God's work. ^^

[Mave]

Emm..all I can say is that once I decided to reconcil both A/M and Christ, I became way more selective in anime/manga coz I gave up more A/M to make way for Christ. It's been a GREAT change for me, leaving me a more fulfilled individual..