I perceived a fascinating juxtaposition in the new arc of Boogiepop and Others. Boogiepop refers to herself as a shinigami or the Reaper, aka Death, but what are we to make of the Imaginator? The Imaginator is obviously the villain, but I wondered why a villain should be referred to as “he who imagines”? While pondering… Read More Death vs. the Devil in Boogiepop and Others
Some of you know that I am a big fan of Gintama. No show surpasses Gintama in variety: the plots cover all kinds of genres and moods, the animation stretches across the spectrum of awesome to mediocre, and the humor ranges from wordplay to toilet humor. All episodes of Gintama are not created equal. Yet,… Read More 12 Days of Otaku Christmas, Day 4: A Gintama Christmas
Few anime possess the brilliance of Space Pirate Captain Harlock. On the night when I became inspired to write this article, I watched no fewer than seven episodes in a row. This viewing also happened to give me another, more happy topic, but the topic of death appeared more interesting. To be more precise, Captain Harlock inspired… Read More Examining Old School Anime: As the Tree Falls
People are drawn to the horror game genre for different reasons. For me, I enjoy the challenge of desperate survival in an eerie atmosphere and satisfying that “Why is something like this happening?” curiosity. Fatal Frame is one of my favorite horror series because it creates that tense atmosphere and puts plenty of story behind… Read More Inadequate Sacrifices in Fatal Frame
If there is one thing of spiritual value that Death Parade has raised this season, it is the idea of eternal judgment. Considering that from its fundamental concept, the series explores the idea of determining a person’s final destination (or process), if not ultimate value, based on the human condition, it raises many questions for… Read More Anime Today: Eternal Judgment (Parade?)
Death Parade presents its own attempt in answering the always interesting question of “what happens after death?” Recently deceased characters wind up in a bar called Quindecim where they are told to play a game they must stake their lives on and are judged during the game on whether their soul will go to heaven (reincarnation)… Read More Judgment in Death Parade
Kathleen Kern, who works for a Christian peacekeeping organization, writes about her absorption with anime and how it developed into a novel. David Gilman-Frederick shares the wonderful story of an elderly Japanese man’s transformation in the months following the Tohoku earthquake. Canne talks about her spiritual retreat from the busyness of the world, including media… Read More Tohoku Testimony, Retreat from Anime, and Descending into Hell