While Charlotte hasn’t broken any new ground or done anything to make us feel it might become a classic like associated previous series and visual novels, it has been entertaining. Recent episodes have especially been good, including the last couple which have been surprisingly intense. In episode ten, we get to see Shun’s sacrifice through his time travels, as well as Yuu’s plundering of that power to go back and save Ayumi.
Rob of Christian Anime Review points out the sacrifices that Shuu made. He had to endure pain and hardship as well as the eventual loss of his eyesight. Rob also points out something interesting, that though the sacrifices are powerful, they can’t live up to that done by Christ. I wondered why this is true? Why are Shun’s sacrifices – fictional as they are – less powerful than Christ’s?
I think that, besides the truth of the gospel message and the fact that God himself did it, the impact of it boils down to whom the sacrifice was for. Yuu going back to for Ayumi is fulfilling for the viewers, but not because of anything moving on Yuu’s part – it’s because Ayumi has been drawn as a very loveable character. We want to see her return. Shuu’s efforts are a little more praiseworthy because, as Rob points out, he’s doing what he’s doing not just for his family, but for so many others as well.
Christ goes further than that – his sacrifice was for all mankind. And moreso, while Shuu certainly knows many of the people he’s saving, Christ knows us more intimately than any person ever could, more than we often know ourselves. He knows our pains, struggles, imperfections – the way we hurt others and the vileness hidden in our hearts.
And still he chose to die for us. That’s the power of the gospel – the perfect one dying for imperfect us.
Check out Rob’s article to read more on his thoughts:
>> Review: Charlotte, Episode 10: Looting
Visit these links to read more insights about anime/manga and religion/spirituality:
Kill la Kill gives us some insight into Christian eschatology, especially the idea that the kingdom of God is both here and yet to come. [Taylor Ramage’s Blog]
Himouto! Umaru-chan presents a very familiar, and very secular, version of what Christmas is apparently all about. [Old Line Elephant]
Religion will be a key element at the center of the new Ace Attorney 6 game. [Anime News Network]
The Muslim Manga Project seeks to engage both practitioners of the faith and those who simply want to learn more about Islam. [MuslimMatters]
Have you heard of ISIS-chan, the melon-loving anime character who was created to digitally combat ISIS (while respecting Islamic religion)? [DW]
The summoning of Shiva in Final Fantasy games begs the question of whether the inaccuracy in which the Hindu deity is presented is problematic. [Lady Geek Girl and Friends]
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As part of the Something More series of posts, Beneath the Tangles links to writings about anime and manga that involve religion and spirituality. If you’ve written such a piece or know of one, please email TWWK to be included.
No love for my comparison of dub haters to the King James Version-only guys?
I need to read this….
Woops! How did I miss that?
http://www.animebowl.com/2015/08/agk-4-kjv-only.html
If I look at all of my stats for the entire time I’ve run my blog, the majority of my hits come from Beneath the Tangles, so once again, thanks for the shoutout! Keep an eye out for an eschatological/theological post about Revolutionary Girl Utena in a couple weeks. 😀
Sorry this goes wholly off topic, but I’ve nominated you for The Sunshine Award, along with Fantastic Memes, Illogicalzen and Narrative Investigations! 🙂
http://neomoanime.com/2015/09/12/the-sunshine-award/