As a teenager, I often daydreamed about what life would be like in my twenties. As I sat at home, watching Friends, I envisioned a similar life to those characters—establishing lifelong friendships, hanging out all the time, doing cool things, attending parties, making money, and even living in New York City. But my twenties weren’t… Read More 12 Days of Christmas Anime, Day 6: Sing Yesterday for Me
The last few weeks have been rough for America. The country has taken hit after hit after hit, with these tragic events and high profile incidents only inflaming division in the country. As a historian, I’m especially aware that there were times in this country’s history that were more chaotic, times that were much worse.… Read More Be a Peacemaker. Be a Menma.
I just watched Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke for the second time, this time with my mom. She was intrigued by the story, although she thought the mythological elements were a bit strange. This opened up great discussion about Japanese folklore, Shinto, and religion in Japan—and how these things sometimes influence anime like Princess Mononoke. But as we… Read More Annalyn’s Corner: Agents of Peace in a World Split by Hate
“And on the seventh day God finished His work that He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work that He had done.” Genesis 2:2 Catholics and other Christians have been accused of fetishizing the poor, making angels of them, as it were. While this extreme is less harmful than… Read More Examining Old School Anime: Leisure and Religion
In the modern world, the term “contentment” feels so old-fashioned and out of place. Why strive for contentment when we can have more? And indeed, that’s what it seems our lives are often about – becoming better, richer, stronger. But in attaining the things that make us happy, we often don’t feel the satisfaction we… Read More Volunteers in Need of Help: OreGairu and Godly Contentment
平和. 평화. שלום. Heiwa. Pyonghwa. Shalom. Peace is a beautiful word, but an agonizing one as well. It’s something we desire, something we feel should be, but like Mayuri Shiina reaching up toward the sky, it’s impossibly out of reach. World peace is a dream. Inner peace may be, too, but that doesn’t stop many… Read More Princess Mononoke: Ashitaka and the Fruit of Peace
One of the most divisive series of the fall is Guilty Crown. On our site, Goldy’s comments on the series have been mostly positive; others haven’t been so kind to the show. But regardless of one’s feelings, it’s no stretch to say the show features three main characters which are memorable – the weak-willed lead,… Read More The Faith and Peace of Gai Tsutsugami