Anime Recommendations for the Christian Viewer

One thing that’s been tricky in this whole blogging experiece for me is to write for two very different audiences – Christian fans of anime, and non-Christian fans of anime.  Mostly, I write to the latter while still keeping an emphasis on Christian spirituality.  However, the Resources section of my site emphasizes both.  Today, I’m adding a new element to that section that is particularly for Christian viewers, and specifically those who may be new to anime or are otherwise wondering what kinds of shows they might consider “Christian anime.”

Please take a look at Six Anime Recommendations for Christian Viewers.  It contains six shows that I would consider excellent pieces for Christian anime fans to view in light of their faith.  The list is also a work in progress, and I hope to eventually populate it with additional series and movies.

Twwk
Latest posts by Twwk (see all)

20 thoughts on “Anime Recommendations for the Christian Viewer”

  1. http://www.bakabt.com/157405-the-flying-house-eng-dub.html

    The Flying House. I watched this over and over as a kid (mostly Gospel ministry up until Acts of the Apostles and Paul).

    http://www.bakabt.com/157317-super-book-english-dub.html

    Superbook — another show I watched over and over. I think this is the better show, and covers a whole LOT of the Old Testament from Genesis.

    By the time I read the Bible seriously (age 10) from cover-to-cover, it was pretty easy due to my repeated viewings of these shows which were syndicated locally and played every weekday practically my entire childhood.

    1. You know, I’ve wondered if I’d seen either of these…Superbook sounds particularly familiar to me.

      I…should probably watch these shows one day. 😛

  3. Most of the shows you’ve listed are on my hitlist. I’ve seen Higashi no Eden, and the beginning of Haibane Renmei.

    As I look through my own watched list, I think a couple stand out:

    * Kurau: Phantom Memory: This show involves a young girl accidentally exposed to a science experiment in her father’s workplace. A foreign entity takes over her body, and later we are introduced to her “Remax pair”: a younger version of herself, whom she names “Christmas”. I don’t recall the particular instance that made me think this, but the intimate nature of their relationship made me comment “This is like the love that God has for us” to my daughter, and we were watching it. It was one of the first series we ever watched together, and it still rates highly on both of our lists.

    * Eve no Jikan: The Time of Eve has come, and machines are only distinguishable from man in two respects: their role in society, and a holographic halo that sits above their heads. Again, while not overtly Christian, this short series brings home the value not not judging others.

    Of course, there are plenty of other series that are “appropriate” for Christian audiences, much in the way that similar series are appropriate for children. A lack of objectionable material and a quality production are pretty much the only requirements, there. Favorites like Nodame Cantabile, Aishiteruze Baby, Dennou Coil, and Asatte no Houkou would make that list.

    1. Kurau: Phantom Memory is an intriging title for me – your not the first to mention that it contains themes or ideas that might make one think about Christianity (or maybe it WAS you in earlier comment!). It’s on my “to watch list.”

      Time of Eve is a beautiful series. I wish I had my thinking cap on more the first time I watched it – I feel I need to rewatch it to get a better feels for the themes in the series. But I definitely wouldn’t mind watching it again – it was fantastic.

      Appropriate, sure, there are plenty of shows to fit in that category…maybe. It’s kind of hard to select a line at which to make that cut-off of what’s appropriate and not. It’s perhaps different for every Christian. I think it would be easier to make a line for an age threshold rather than for faith…but even then…

  4. I had to check out the list as a matter of curiosity. Hooray for Trigun! Which I really need to finish watching one of these days.

    1. The blogger at Animevice.com just recently went through each episode in the series – he didn’t seem to particularly enjoy it, and others don’t seem to think it held up so well. But I rewatched a bit of it a couple of months ago, and I still enjoyed it. I hope you’ll finish it – I think it concludes very well. 🙂

  5. A good list all in all, but I would also recommend Sora no Woto in it. Other than rampant speculation, this serie could be interpreted in a very Christian manner — That in the legend of the Fire Maidens, God stopped the destruction because there was a few righteous men in the world, paralleling Abraham pleading with God to not destroy the city Lot was in. As well, Amazing Grace being a song that stops wars and as the path to peace is quiet an interesting concept.

    1. Thanks for the recommendation. Ya know…I should really give the series another shot. I hadn’t thought much about the Fire Maidens legend, though it was definitely neat hearing “Amazing Grace” as part of the series. But I just couldn’t get through the show. I was too bored after about three or four episodes, but I’ve heard such good things that I think I’ll jump back in.

  6. Interesting list. I did notice most of the same things you mentioned when I watched Kino’s Journey a few weeks ago.

    I have a question: What do you think of how Christianity is portrayed in Arakawa: Under the Bridge?

    1. Well, my answer is: I have no idea. I’ve never seen Arakawa – I barely made it through the first episode. How is Christianity represented in that show? Would it be worth checking out?

      1. It’s kind of hard to say with out spoiling the first few episodes. I will say that the show is worth checking out it gets MUCH better after the first episode.

  7. As one raised a Catholic (and it never really washes out), Haibane Renmei was the one that did it for me – not just for the wings & halos (which smell like bagels, after all) but for its takes on purgatory, original sin, and redemption –

    1. I imagine the imagery is very obvious to those with Catholic backgrounds. I’m not so familiar with the idea of purgatory, so that was something I had to delve into a bit – but the themes of original sin and redemption were heavy in the series and stuck out to me, as one with a Protestant background.

  9. Very happy to see some of my favorite anime (Haibane Renmei, Kino no Tabi, and Samurai Champloo) on there.

  10. I think I’ll recommend Romeo no Aoi Sora (Romeo’s blue skies), the Trapp family singers, little prince of frauntrelloy (Cedie), Remi nobody’s boy and Princess Sarah, This anime’s is worth watching for us Christians..

    1. Thanks for the recommendations! I’ve wanted to watch Nobody’s Boy: Remi for quite a long time, but I haven’t heard of the others.

Leave a Reply