Yesterday, I gave numbers one through six on my list of the years top posts regarding anime and spirituality. It’s been difficult selecting the top posts of the year, though I’ve found again and again, they’re written by my favorite writers in the blogosphere. These wonderful bloggers seem to be adept at writing about a variety of subjects, religion included.
Below are the remaining six of the year, listed in chronological order:
7. Apples and Devil’s Deals: A Religious Analysis of the Apple Scene in Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica
7.13.2011
written by A Day Without Me
Kyouko herself gains knowledge, too, and likewise comes to unhappiness, although unlike her father she is capable of adapting. But she herself takes on the guise of the Snake, at least as things develop, for she offers a literal apple to Sayaka while also holding forth an apple of knowledge as well. Sayaka’s already dealt with one Snake in the grass, and made the mistake of taking the apple from Kyuubey, but tosses the apple back at the second she encounters.
8. Where Sacred Meets Profane
9.12.2011
written by Kathleen Kern
But I became alarmed that I was expending so much mental energy on these anime characters as a woman in my 40s.
When I met with my prayer group, I confessed my concern regarding this absorption, and a friend asked, “Have you offered it before Jesus in prayer?”
So over the next weeks, during my daily prayer times, I, feeling foolish, asked Jesus why my mind was so invested in these characters.
9. intermissions: nostalgia drive
9.16.2011
written by Seinime
Inspired by Usagi Drop (episode 10, specifically) and a flux of related posts. I was reluctant to sharing my stories at first, but reading other bloggers’ stories inspired me to finish up a post I had in mind a while ago for this week’s intermissions…
Adding a bit of religious undertones for TWWK, I do admit that as a Christian, my faith wavered a bit during the time I was in the hospital. For a little more than a month, I had to stay at the hospital and miss school.
10. Colloquium: Mawaru Penguindrum Episode 15
10.23.2011
written by vucubcaquix and ajthefourth
Momoka believes that there is nothing ugly in this world because God himself made it. There is beauty in everything because it was designed and created, and thus everything is something to be loved and cherished. She loved Yuri with no reservations, despite Yuri’s insistence that she was without beauty, thus outside of Creation and unable to be loved. Momoka refutes this, and explains that she is able to change fates with her diary and a small bodily sacrifice. She senses Yuri’s impending death at the hands of her father (a “Father of Lies” if ever I saw one) and takes it upon herself to alter Yuri’s fate. The cost is great, but Momoka doesn’t mind since she does it out of love.
Also read: Other colloquium posts on Mawaru Penguindrum
11. Macross Frontier 06: Politics and Religion
11.5.2011
written by animekritic
These words beg us to take them metaphorically some way. Maybe Sheryl is comparing her lover to God. Maybe the God mentioned is indeed God, but the farewell happened between the singer and another, suitably human lover. But I insist on taking the sentence literally: the singer was in love with God and is now shocked she has to say goodbye.
12. Mawaru Penguindrum 24 – Sharing the Fruit of Fate
12.24.2011
written by draggle
Anyway, it’s easy to associate Sanetoshi with the demiurge, and Momoka with the Sophia / Logos. Momoka has already been well-established as the savior of the world (the Logos) and she is the cosmic Opponent to Sanetoshi (dualism). Sanetoshi’s tirade at the end of the episode echoed the false God’s banishment from the garden of Eden: ‘for dust you are and to dust you will return.’
Also read: Other posts by draggle on Mawaru Penguindrum
It’s been an amazing year in the anime blogosphere. As evidence by these wonderful posts, just tiny percentage of the thoughtful essays written about anime and manga this year, the death of blogging has been greatly exaggerated. Beneath the Tangles is looking forward to linking to more spirituality-related posts in 2012 while also, of course, developing our own insights on the connection between Christianity and anime.
Happy New Year!
