Though the series Sonny Boy, which tracks a group of Japanese students who are given superpowers and find themselves transported to alternate universes, has been playing with the idea of salvation since early in the series, episode five more directly alludes to that idea as it crosses into religion. From any perspective, the new angle… Read More Sonny Boy, Episode 5: Making of a Judas, Rising of the Beast
“Anime is evil.” “Anime is not God-honoring.” “You call yourself a Christian and watch that?!” I think many believers have been told similar statements as I have. Despite the fact that I grew up watching Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball Z, when my parents became Christians, I recall them being very strict about letting me… Read More Finding God in Anime (Yes, You Really CAN Find Him in Anime)
Vinland Saga takes place during a fascinating time in history. Part of the historical context for the anime is that it was during these years when the Vikings rapidly converted to Christianity. They came into contact with the religion through raids into the British Isles, and it was then that many converted to the faith,… Read More Vinland Saga, Episode 11: The Weakness of Christ
When it comes to anime and light novels, you can’t swing a dead cat without hitting an isekai series or six. Countless stories spanning many genres have used the person-travels-to-another-world premise. To borrow language from the infamous TV Tropes, the isekai concept has been played straight, played with, inverted, subverted, parodied, deconstructed, reconstructed, and more.… Read More The World Is Not Enough: Isekai and the Hope for More
During this time of pandemic, all organizations and groups have had to change the way they do things. The church has been no different. For many, that means starting to stream worship services online if they hadn’t been doing so already. And despite the many challenges in going to an online format, this has perhaps… Read More Digital Church Services for Otaku
Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? takes place in Orario, a setting populated by gods drawn from a variety of ancient mythologies. These beings form followings known as familia. Early in the second season of the series, the god Apollo attempts to poach protagonist Bell Cranel from his goddess,… Read More Making Gods in Our Image (in a Dungeon)
One of Miyazaki’s hallmarks is to feature heroines as protagonists. There are a few exceptions, though—namely Porco (Porco Rosso), Jiro (The Wind Rises), and Ashitaka (Princess Mononoke), but even the latter is overshadowed by the pair of women with central roles in Princess Mononoke who are considerably more complex and interesting as characters. Still, Ashitaka… Read More Ashitaka and Porco: Ghibli’s True Believers
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