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)
Beyond the obvious gore and sexualization that is prevalent in much anime, there is probably one anime fundamental that bothers most Christians who are fearful of exposing their children to thoughts that might undermine their Christian faith: Eastern philosophy. While modern Western thinking is arguably based in post-Enlightenment secularism as much as it is in… Read More Enjoy the Ride!
Many people today like to refer to the famed Studio Ghibli director, Hayao Miyazaki, as the proverbial “Disney of Japan,” but this analogy doesn’t seem to stand for very long upon analysis. While Miyazaki has surely gained enormous fame domestically, and even worldwide, his approach to animation and impact upon the industry both differs greatly… Read More Anime Today: Young Black Jack’s Cognitive Dissonance
Another season of anime has come and gone – and that quickly, a new season is upon us! But before we move too quickly ahead, let’s be reminded of the spiritual notes that rang out from some of the latter episodes of Spring 2015 series, as well as commentary about a few older anime: Death… Read More Something More: Godless Death Note, Virgin Mary Adventure Time, and Sinner Moon Crystal
Today in his House of 1000 Manga column at Anime News Network, Jason Thompson describes Osamu Tezuka‘s epic work, Buddha. As one who rarely watches anime or reads manga created earlier than the 1990s, I know Tezuka only by reputation and not by experiencing any of his works. As such, and I think this may… Read More Spirituality in the Anime Blogosphere: Buddha and Religious Criticism