Kathleen Kern, who works for a Christian peacekeeping organization, writes about her absorption with anime and how it developed into a novel.
David Gilman-Frederick shares the wonderful story of an elderly Japanese man’s transformation in the months following the Tohoku earthquake.
Canne talks about her spiritual retreat from the busyness of the world, including media like anime.
Ghostlightning discusses how the plots of Infinite Ryvius and School Days can be seen as descents into hell.
AniManga Confessions, a Tumblr blog that takes confessions and places them against graphical representations, posted one particularly about Christian representations in anime.
And finally, I didn’t mention it last week as I should have, but Justin of Organization Anti Social Geniuses was so kind as to interview me as part of his Thursday’s Lab Report series.
Hey, thanks for posting a link to my blog in this company!
No problem – and thanks so much for a really encouraging post!
Nice mix of articles. I like it! AniManga Confessions caught my eye in particular.
Just stumbled upon here so did not know you were a Christian. God Bless!
Thanks, and God bless!
Huh. I wonder who this Justin guy is?
He seems a little fishy, if you ask me.
I clean forgot about “Infinite Ryvius,” which I had started years ago and finished up last year. I’m always a nut for space stuff after all, so I had to watch the rest. I skimmed Ghostlightning’s interesting analysis and will have to go back and read it again. “Infinite Ryvius” is an interesting show, but not an easy one to watch.
And speaking of writing, if I don’t get on that KnC essay and quick, I’m likely to get scooped! 😮
It really sounds like an interesting series, particularly with both you and ghostlightning recommending it.
Ah, yes, KnC (I like that abbreviation). I’m eager to read that essay, though I’m worried it’ll make me want to rewatch that series, when I’m already behind on my viewing list!
Well, when I admitted I’d “clean forgot about Infinite Ryvius,” I guess I gave the game away in terms of it not being especially transformational. 🙂 Disturbing yet intriguing is what I remember. The comparison to “Lord of the Flies” is irresistible because it is so apt. I recall the ending being reasonably satisfying at least. Plus I do love me some space operas. 😀
“Kin’iro no Corda” is another thing entirely. You once said to me that it leaves fond memories behind somehow, and I have to agree. I’ll be arguing that it is no masterpiece, but does make one important point, awkwardly but repeatedly. And you have to give it props for not going completely off the rails, which would have been easy to do. *coughutapricough*
KnC essay #1 on its way today most likely. 😉
I ended up liking Infinite Ryvius a lot, even with all the tragedy and the angst. Goro Taniguchi´s Planetes was great, but I liked this one better. Maybe 15 or 20 compelling teenagers in the same show, each with his or her own arch, are no small acomplishment. They started off as archetypes, then started giving surprises, for the better and for the worst, sometimes both. It felt realistic, sincere.
What I liked the most was how everyone had his or her own, surprising arc, from the people-pleaser protagonist, his stranged brother and their bossy childhood friend to the corageous guy, the childish fangirl and the misterious “princess”, from the bright, kind student, the Vulcanian brainy or the loud head student to the weak-willed fat boy, the “bad girl” or the silent gang leader, and even the minor characters who were just friends of this or that other character, everyone had something to say, and most of them were things I hadn´t heard before from characters like these. I found their struggles compelling, and their moral failures (and what failures) and the way they changed after them hopeful. They kept surprising me until the very end, which I liked too.
I liked also how in every episode the show presented both the social (or “political”) implications of their behaviour and (sort of) the parallel spiritual effects, through the character of the misterious girl. I guess it´s important to develop that sort of vision when facing hard choices. The older style, sketchy animation was great too, the fights were tense and I understood them, and I loved the feeling of being lost in space. I´d love to find more like this.
Thanks for the this recommendation—I don’t know a whole lot about Infinite Ryvius, and haven’t heard much about the series over the years.