Last week, while I was at Megacon, I met Vic Mignogna for the first time. People started lining up an hour in advance for his panel, and by the time the doors opened that line had snaked down the entire hall. The moment he bounced on-stage, I understood why: Vic is certainly famous for his… Read More Between the Panels: Simple Good, Subtle Evil
Recently, Beneath the Tangles was invited to become a blogger for popular database My Anime List. Aside from expanding our organizational platform, we hope to utilize MAL as a mainstream bridge between the spiritual and secular in a way that reaches a primarily non-Christian demographic. Our introductory post, which has received almost 5,000 views, provides… Read More Something More: Tangles’ MAL Debut, Crane Game Gospel, and Kiznaiver’s “Holy Spirit”
I’ve been on a Fate kick recently. I originally thought the franchise to be contained to a few anime adaptations and visuals novels. Boy, was I wrong. Weeks later, I’m still wading through light novels, manga, and video games and starting to realize that the anime is a (very budget-backed) drop in the proverbial bucket… Read More Between the Panels: Sewing Seeds, Saving Shinji
I get excited whenever I see Christ and Pop Culture publish a piece qualified for the “Something More” column, and this one is certainly an original. I never imagined that the JRPG airship trope could convey so many spiritual truths about freedom and responsibility. Looking back on my memories playing through the Final Fantasy series… Read More Something More: (Gnostic) Titan Jesus, Christian Freedom in JRPG Airships, and Humility Levels Over 9,000
“Cartoons” aren’t just for kids. Anime fans probably know that better than anyone. But it’s not just mature content and convoluted plots that make anime an appealing medium for adults. Through animation’s ambiguous limits, philosophy and theology can be easily conveyed in a manner that anyone can grasp (often without their realizing it). For example,… Read More Something More: Metaphysical Mushishi, Divine Dr. Black Jack, and Old Testament Anime… Sort Of
Death Note is no stranger to Christian symbolism—and ingenious detective L may be the centerpiece of it all. From his name (which is homonymous with the Hebrew word for God—El) and triune identity, to his miraculous ability to solve unsolvable crimes, L encompasses a variety of imagery pertaining to the Christian God and Jesus Christ.… Read More Holy Week: L Lawliet as a Christ Figure
At first glance, the uncanny merging of Christianity with Trigun’s western/sci-fi antics seems as unlikely as Vash and Wolfwood’s apprehensive friendship. But the implausible combination ultimately works as irony—one that reflects the protagonist Vash’s many apparent contradictions: pacifist/gun-slinger, wanted criminal/savior, demon/angel. Try justifying those personas within a single person, and you have the enigma that… Read More Between the Panels: Salvation According to Trigun