Of Kami and Buddhas is a series of semi-regular posts examining religion in Japan. Ano Hana concluded last week in a teary episode, and though some disliked the finale, I found it fitting and emotionally realistic. The group was now finally reaching its goal of sending Menma on. They were able to bring peace to… Read More Of Kami and Buddhas: The Motivation to Placate Menma’s Ghost
Japan has a very small Christian population, with estimates ranging from about 2% to 0.5% of the Japanese identifying themselves as Christian. Missionaries from the U.S. and other countries, however, are working to spread the gospel in the country. Michelle Mikoski and her husband, Nate, recently returned to the U.S. after a missions trip in… Read More Interview with Japanese Missionary Michelle Mikoski
One the most interesting things about religion in Japan is how seemingly contradictory cultural expressions can find their way into religious institutions. In the past, I’ve mentioned the veneration of Thomas Edison in the country and the temple that is using an anime character as their mascot. Now, add another interesting combination to the mix,… Read More Spirituality in the Anime Blogosphere: Catching Pretty Cure at the Temple
My writing on anime and Christianity is largely reflective and personal. However, there are a number of individuals in academia who have written extensively on anime and religion. One such scholar is Jolyon Baraka Thomas, who graciously agreed to an interview with me. I discovered his writings through an excellent article he wrote about Hayao… Read More Spirituality in Miyazaki’s Films: An Interview with Jolyon Thomas
In 2003, a wonderful essay about Nicholas Wolfwood was posted in the ToonZone forums. Academic in nature, the essay discusses the Christian themes of sinful nature and grace as they are present in Trigun, particularly shown through Wolfwood. The essay is excellent and gives a lot of insight about the series. It also touches on… Read More Spirituality in the Anime Blogosphere: Violence, Grace and Redemption in Trigun
This is the fifth in a series of Aniblogger Testimony posts, where select writers will discuss their personal faith. Today’s post is by Ed of Manga Out Loud. The previous posts in this series were written by Lauren Orisini, R86, Nikko, and Arianna. Hi, my name is Ed Sizemore and I’m member of the Orthodox… Read More Aniblogger Testimony: Orthodoxy, Anime, & Me
AnimeAid is among the latest groups in the U.S. otaku community that are playing a visible role in raising funds for the Japanese earthquake victims. A joint venture between major conventions in the Washington DC area, AnimeAid seeks to commit “to the task of assisting fan based support initiatives throughout the area to maximize the impact in assisting… Read More Cons Join Together to Create AnimeAid
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