One of my favorite things about my favorite anime series, Oregairu, is that while it is, in one sense, a very traditional romcom, in another it stands by the boast of its full title: My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected. It’s something totally different. Part of that difference is how witty the… Read More Even Still, Hikigaya Hachiman Is Seeking Something More Genuine than Secularism
One of my favorite things about attending anime conventions isn’t the guests, the art, or even the anime itself—it’s the people. I never felt that more strongly than last year, when I cohosted a panel at Anime Matsuri. This year, we’re coming back, as Tiff of ShortStuffArts (Etsy/YouTube) and Few of the Many (Instagram/ YouTube)… Read More Christian Themes in Anime and Church Community at Anime Matsuri 2026
Dear Christian VTubers and Streamers, You are doing important work. Whether you realize it or not, you are serving on the front lines of digital ministry and missions. Through streams, videos, conversations, Discord servers, and social media, you are reaching people that many churches never will. Some of the people who listen to you are… Read More An Open Letter to Christian VTubers and Streamers
One of the goals of Something Genuine is to introduce viewers to people whose stories might challenge our assumptions about fandom. This week’s guest, Ani, does exactly that. Ani is a cosplayer, content creator, and anime fan who has built a following through her creative approach to cosplay as a hijabi. But what struck me… Read More Something Genuine Season 2, Ep. 3: Hijabi Cosplayer Ani on Navigating Faith and Fandom
Happy Friday, otaku! Here I come again with another “old school” anime devo, but as Discotek Media says in all their sizzle reels, “Blu-rays are forever. So are the classics.” Speaking of them, they released today’s subject on Blu-ray a few years ago: Iria: Zeiram the Animation (1994). This six-episode OVA (original video animation) from… Read More A Relentless Enemy: Zeiram and the “Roaring Lion” Called the Devil
People are more than numbers. This was part of my pedagogical philosophy when I was a high school history teacher (now many moons ago). Despite dealing with events long past and the frequent discussions of the numbers of people involved in those events, I hoped to help my students understand that they were studying the… Read More Rei Ayanami and the Imago Dei
From Superbook to Gabriel and the Guardians, Manga Messiah to Hunters of Illumis, Christians have delved into anime and manga to tell stories from the Bible and focused on the faith. Anime Relatable just dropped a video that provides a survey of Christianity in anime and manga—and explains the importance of what Christians are doing… Read More The History of Christian Anime