Something More: God Moments, Kanon Angels, Identity in Cosplay and Resurrections

Konnichiwa my fellow anime fans, this is Samuru with your latest Something More entry! We did not post one in December of 2016 since we had our 12 Days of Otaku Christmas, so this one will be longer than the previous one. I did my best in discovering articles that would interest the readers of Beneath The Tangles, so please leave me a comment if you enjoyed this one. God bless!

Geeks Under Grace (GUG) has put together a new monthly anime collaboration with their anime department. I was actually once part of this group, so I know how dedicated and well thought-out they work. Once again (and no, this was not on purpose!) one of our BtT writers, Emma, contributed to this post on how biblical stories can benefit from anime adaptations.

Imagine Christ healing the sick, Moses parting the Red Sea and the rest of the Bible coming to life through our favorite Japanese medium. Anime is viewed by many age groups and cultures, and it can give a different perspective on Christian stories. Of course, there are movies which have real actors and scripts, but anime can go in any direction. It could focus on a small detail in the Bible, create shorts or an OVA. I do hope to see more of these created, and I hope you will enjoy reading the opinions of the GUG writers.

>>  How Could Christian Stories Benefit From Anime Adaptations?

 

Myself and JP (big boss here at BtT) were interviewed by Godreports. The funny part of the story is that neither of us knew that the other one was on the post until it went live. I personally received an email asking my opinion on anime and Christianity, as did JP, and some of our answers (at least not all of mine) made it here. I believe we both gave different perspectives on what God is doing through anime and how Christians can make it more entertaining for the world. (Godreports)

Another fellow staff member, Casey, wrote a piece on how she feels when she dons her cosplay. What makes this unlike a regular write-up on how cosplay is fun to do: she shares how it shaped her identity. Each character has given her strength, even as a Christian, to learn more about who she is and gain confidence from the cosplay itself. (Geekdom House)

Kill La Kill is a different kind of anime that not everyone can get into (I for one couldn’t). Taylor, though, wrote a detailed post on sin, humanity, and how the Life Fibers in the anime keep the characters in bondage. She also quotes a couple books to explain her points better. Good stuff here! (Taylor Ramage)

For those who aren’t familiar with anime from KEY, I recommend Clannad and another which is titled Kanon (2006). Rish Raff wrote a brief analysis on the symbolism of angels and the character Ayu which I believe you will enjoy. (Rish Raff Anime Reviews)

There’s a guest post on Theology Gaming on an obscure Japanese game titled DoDonPachi Resurrection. Patrick discusses how it compares to the resurrection of Christ and the game’s ending, which seems to be very dark. *Warning: there is one fan service image in the article*  (Theology Gaming)

There’s an amazing yet short anime video titled Shelter which has made its rounds with anime fans worldwide. If you haven’t seen it yet or would like to see Neighborhoodotaku break it down, here’s the perfect post for you. The video is at the end.  (Otaku Collision)

Sam gets personal and discusses how he’s been feeling lately, mainly starting college. He relates his emotions to Subaru from Re:Zero and how we can still be ourselves in God and find purpose to a sometimes monotonous life. (Unsheathed)

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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 contact us to be included.

Samuru
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2 thoughts on “Something More: God Moments, Kanon Angels, Identity in Cosplay and Resurrections”

  1. Great lineup, well worth the December hiatus. Thank you for linking to my article on cosplay. I’m honored. Now, off to enjoy the others!

    Shelter has been on my “watch list” since I saw it advertised. Maybe I’ll finally give it a look tonight before I read what Neighboorhoodotaku’s detailed analysis.

    1. Thanks! I actually missed a few good articles that I will post next time, I didn’t want to put like 20 links you know? I don’t know if readers would look at them all.

      YES! You must see Shelter, it’s such a good anime short. I honestly think it’s the best one I’ve ever seen for it’s short length and short dialogue. They did an amazing job, especially since I love EDM/Techno music 🙂

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