Crown Prince Siegwald can hear the voices of the gods. And all they ever want to talk to him about is someone else. If you were in the prince’s shoes, would you listen? It’s pretty common in Christian circles to talk about God speaking to us or hearing God’s voice. It’s a vital part of… Read More Endo & Kobayashi Live! Part II: Sieg Listens, & It Changes His Life
One day after school, Aoto Endo and Shihono Kobayashi become gods. One minute they’re playing Kobayashi’s beloved otome game Love Me Magically! (Magikoi), fangirl-and-boying over the tsundere villainess Lieselotte, and the next, they are being hailed as gods by the in-game male lead, Crown Prince Sieg, who can suddenly hear their voices. Fun premise for… Read More Endo & Kobayashi Live! Part I: God Speaks Like an Otaku!
Human beings have two responses to anxiety and crisis situations: to freeze up and do nothing, or to get busy—and I mean really busy. Or as Brené Brown and other mental health professionals term it, under-functioning and over-functioning. Sadly, this fundamental difference in responses to stress is the stuff that often tears relationships apart, rendering… Read More Lycoris Recoil Ep. 9: The Grace of a Friend
What do Itsuki Koizumi, Mikuru Asahina, St. Justin Martyr and St. Thomas Aquinas all have in common? Well, not much! Yet, there’s the fact that they have all been part of my collection of articles on the Haruhi franchise and the Thomist tradition. With the groundwork laid by these illustrious figures, now it’s time to… Read More Haruhi’s Five Ways, Way III: The Necessity of Kyon
It’s not necessary to wax philosophical about Haruhi Suzumiya’s SOS Brigade to enjoy the clever, absurdist humor of the franchise. Yet, as the Brigade searches out the mysteries of the Universe, how could I resist joining them? Thus, in these coming weeks, I’ll be engaging with some of Koizumi’s philosophical theories from my own Thomistic tradition. How,… Read More Haruhi’s Five Ways, Way I: The Motion of Itsuki Koizumi
In Western Spain, a November snowfall is a little miracle. And as I write, it’s happening out there. The children at my household, my younger siblings and our guests for the weekend, are ecstatic. Typing on the computer with a blanket on my knees, I can feel a little like the Ray of the group,… Read More Emma, Kill and Eat: Advent and The Promised Neverland
Before there was a Neon Genesis Evangelion, Osamu Tezuka made a Bible anime. In art as in life, beginnings have a certain freshness to them, a certain special light. If you’re new here as I once was, you may check the FAQ after three or four articles, and it’s there. The year was 1984. No… Read More The Genesis of Anime (But Not That One)