Anime is almost never a proselytizing tool. So, it’s no surprise that religion usually doesn’t take the forefront in anime series. Even when religion plays a major role, it’s typically bended and used for aesthetic or plot reasons (ex. Evangelion) by the series animators. Still, it’s ever-present in anime, as religion is deeply imbedded in the country’s culture. … Read More Anime and Religion Survey: Spirituality in Anime
What do you believe? Is there a God? What is your faith? Do you have a faith? I wanted to know how the aniblogging community would respond to these questions. About half of all respondents were either atheist or agnostic, with responses split exactly evenly between the two. In other words, 49% of respondents don’t believe… Read More Anime and Religion Survey: Religion of Anibloggers
In mid-December, I conducted an Internet survey regarding anime and religion. The results are in, analysis done, and conclusions drawn! Over the next week, I’ll reveal the results and discuss some of the most interesting items from the surveys. I hope you’ll join in the discussion and offer your own opinions, analysis, and critiques. The… Read More Anime and Religion Survey: Introduction
With such a large percentage of the Japanese population identifying themselves as Buddhist, it’s not surprise to find Buddhist terminology, themes, and religious practices in anime and manga. These ideas sometimes go over our heads, even for those of us who have basic knowledge of the religion. But if we learn a little bit about… Read More Spirituality in the Anime Blogosphere: Buddhism in Anime
At the end of the first season of Oofuri, we left Coach Momoe and the ten boys on her Nishiura High baseball team savoring a hard-won victory against a stronger team in their first summer tournament. But rather than sharing responsibilities jointly with his battery-mate, Abe the catcher is more or less using Mihashi the… Read More Swing With All Your Might! Courage, Loss, and Renewal in Ookiku Furikabutte
I’m going to take a break for the moment from spirituality to focus on something entirely off-topic. Atom.com is a hosting a new show titled, “My Anime Girlfriend.” The site describes the show as follows: Sid is getting back in the dating game, and his friend John has the perfect girl for him, Yuruki. She’s… Read More Review: My Anime Girlfriend, Episode 01
Over at Mania.com, Niko Silvester presents a concise and well-written essay on the use of mythology, often associated with religion, and folklore in anime. The brunt of it focuses on context, including the definitions of these terms, which I find very interesting. I want to add that the connotation of folklore is often old and ancient… Read More Spirituality in the Anime Blogosphere: Folklore and Mythology
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