A Rant from a Forum-Stalker

[orangedude]

I know you don't know me, but I'm Orange Dude and I've been looking for a Christian-friendly anime/manga for over two years now. It's a really frustrating search.

You find a great plot, connectable characters, and awesome artwork. You start to get into the series and then BLAM! They mention that a human is God and that they must do his/her will. Fruits Basket is my main example. I was falling in love with this series, but then they mention [spoiler]that Akito is God.[/spoiler]

Or you find a Christian-Friendly anime/manga and it has no plot, bland characters, and/or horrible art. On top of that, it's target audience are still in middle school. (No offence to middle schoolers, you guys rock! I just want something a bit more mature/deeper).

Has anyone else had this same frustration? I LOVE the art style; it's beatiful, fluid,and extremely enjoyable to watch. The basic plots tend to be really good, and the characters are generally unique. But the shocking ammount of witchcraft, false gods, idol worship, and various other offensives are just frustrating!

Okay, my rant is over...

[rocklobster]

points at Haibane Renmei. Very deep and has Christian themes. And doesn't even beat you over the head with them. It's something every Christian writer should emulate.

[Nate]

Nitpick:

Akito is not "God." The premise of Fruits Basket is that each character represents (and turns into) an animal corresponding to the Chinese zodiac. If you read the original fable, the animals were going to a banquet held by the Jade Emperor/God, and the order in which they arrived determined the order of the zodiac. Since the cat was tricked and never showed up at the banquet, that is why the cat is not included in the zodiac.

Akito is the head of the Sohma family and represents the Jade Emperor/God. Akito is NOT God, but the representation OF God from the fable. This is why Akito is the head of the Sohma family, and why Akito can and does exert influence and commands the cursed family. They are not saying Akito is literally God, although Akito does like to state it a lot (though again, only as a reference to the fable...like when Yuki says "I am the Rat" he isn't saying he is the actual rat from the fable, but the representation of the Rat).

Also, quick tip. If you're going to flip out every time a series does or says something not Christian, you might want to look for a different hobby than anime since only around 1-2% of Japan is Christian.

[Ante Bellum]

I also have to throw in the fact that, just because an author is Christian, doesn't mean that the work will be "Christian friendly."

[FllMtl Novelist]

I recommend looking at the review portion of the site, paying special attention to the "bad religion' part of the ratings.

[Nate]

I also have to throw in the fact that, just because an author is Christian, doesn't mean that the work will be 100% "Christian friendly."

That can be true too, though that also varies depending on how you define "Christian-friendly." Some people take it to mean zero objectionable content, so if you had a series that promoted Christianity but there was sex or nudity in it, despite the message, some people would call that not Christian-friendly.

There also could be doctrinal differences that would cause some people to reject the label "Christian-friendly" but I won't go into detail on those.

[goldenspines]

Many titles of anime/manga contain a lot of symbolism (sometimes religious with either Shinto or Buddhism). Also, most manga/anime also contain a lot of fantasy. Furuba is of course one of them (it revolves around the chinese zodiac and adds a fantasy twist of "what if the animals/characters of the fable were real people?") Like Nate explained very nicely, Akito was not meant to be seen as "God" in a real life sense, but rather as a symbol in relation to the created world in the story (or in this case, a fable within a story).

I personally think a lot of anime can give a Christian message, depending how you look at it. Not necessarily in the "religious" sense, but the more in "love others and put them before yourself" sort of way. Furuba definitely reflects that in Tohru Honda, who especially puts others before herself almost to a fault.

Each person will see a series differently though, I think. This is not uncommon, nor is it bad. Romans 14, of course, comes to mind when I think of this. (but I think I use that chapter too much in everything XD; )
Therefore, I do wish you luck in your search of Christian anime/manga. I cannot think of a suitable title to recommend to you, but I will think on it.

And yes, like Nate mentioned, you will probably have a very hard time finding a "Christian" anime/manga simply because Japan in not a Christian country.

Though, if you are interested in fan-made manga, some artists over at christianmanga.com have some stuff.

[Atria35]

You can't expect blatantly Christian content from a country that isn't Christian (like with the idol worship- they're a Buddhist/Shinto country and anime and manga is primarily made for Japanese. They would expect a visit to a shinto shrine or two).

That being said, I wonder about a few of the things your saying- are some of the other offenses like having bad language? A lot of the more mature series have bad language because, well, people swear. But there are many, many series that only have it occasionally. And how do you define "witchcraft"? Would that include psychic powers? What if these powers were genetic or induced by medicine? Or what if the story took place in a purely fantasy world, much like a fairy tale- would that make the "magic" okay?
Etc. (please don't answer here, feel free to PM with answers if you would like)

There are a lot of series that probably would be okay for you, but you haven't found them because of what's available in your area.

[MomentOfInertia]

Not technically a manga but I highly recommend Tales of the Questor.
The art is very nice
Read from the beginning.

[Ante Bellum]

That can be true too, though that also varies depending on how you define "Christian-friendly." Some people take it to mean zero objectionable content, so if you had a series that promoted Christianity but there was sex or nudity in it, despite the message, some people would call that not Christian-friendly.

There also could be doctrinal differences that would cause some people to reject the label "Christian-friendly" but I won't go into detail on those.

I guess I meant zero questionable content, as in "lacking all the issues people will mention in reviews" such as nudity, language, etc.
I'm sure something like that exists somewhere out there...Of course, everything is going to offend someone, so nothing is going to be completely clean. I guess I misused "100%."

[ShiroiHikari]

Also, quick tip. If you're going to flip out every time a series does or says something not Christian, you might want to look for a different hobby than anime since only around 1-2% of Japan is Christian.

This, this, this.

[Yuki-Anne]

Here's my thing about entertainment, especially when it comes from other cultures:

Entertainment, whether it be television, music, or the written word, gives you a window into someone else's soul. I don't agree with every author's worldview. But I think that certain entertainment that isn't crude for crudity's sake has value as a way to understand how someone entirely unlike myself thinks. I was raised Christian, so I really have no idea how a secular humanist sees the world, and I have even less of an idea how a Shinto Buddhist sees the world. So seeing that worldview portrayed in entertainment has value for me because it helps me understand that way of thinking better.

Acts 17:22-34 is Paul's famous Mars Hill sermon, and if you go read it, you will notice that Paul doesn't witness to the people of Athens through the Bible. Rather, he uses their own entertainment as a way of appealing to their way of thinking. In verse 28, Paul quotes their own literature: "As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'"

I highly doubt that those poets were talking explicitly about the God of the Hebrews. I may be going out on a limb here, but I think if we were to read the original poetry that Paul was talking about, we might find some "offensives" in it. This was a polytheistic society, after all.

I don't mean to sound like I'm attacking you or anything. But the truth is, I see little value in "Christian" entertainment, partially because most of it is actually pretty awful quality-wise (and as a result isn't a very good witnessing tool, because if even I as a Christian have a hard time sitting through something like it, then I have a hard time believing that a whole lot of non-Christians would find it convicting and uplifting), but also because it's a worldview I already understand quite well.

You seem to also have noticed the lack of quality. Personally, I find it quite frustrating. I think people are so focused on making something that won't offend other Christians that they abandon all possible originality.

When I see something I disagree with in anime, I tend to see it as a reminder to pray, not a reason to get offended.

[Nate]

I think people are so focused on making something that won't offend other Christians that they abandon all possible originality.

And in the end they'll probably unintentionally offend other Christians anyway.

That's why I love Dean Rankine's comics. His depictions of Jesus have been called blasphemous and offensive, but does he care? Nope, he wanted to make good Christian comics with the message of Christ in them. And he succeeded.

[TWWK]

Some have already said this, but I think you've got to determine what's palatable to your own tastes, knowing that anime is not inherently a Christian form. It's like Hollywood - there are only a couple of major (well...I wouldn't even say that) "Christian" films a year, and frankly, their quality and enjoyment factor isn't always great. Anime is even less so, since as Nate mentions, the population is only fractionally Christian.

I'm gonna make another plug for my blog here. I commented on a really interesting post about various ways to view anime through a Christian lens. It might be work a look:

Viewing Anime Through a Christian Lens

[K. Ayato]

A lot of good points have been said. I will add that anime and manga are (pretty much) works of fiction. They might have some basis or inspiration in reality (Tezuka's medical experience helping him create BlackJack for example), but for the most part, it's all stemming from the author/creator's immagination.

About the fictional part, one of my favorite series is Full Metal Alchemist. I know there are certain philosophical elements within the story that I don't agree with, but I don't let it stop me from enjoying a good story.

Granted, I've checked out a few anime that I didn't get at all (art style or overall theme) but it didn't make me swear off anime forever.

In short, it's all about what you're hoping to get out of a manga, anime, novel, or movie.

[Radical Dreamer]

Here's my thing about entertainment, especially when it comes from other cultures:

Entertainment, whether it be television, music, or the written word, gives you a window into someone else's soul. I don't agree with every author's worldview. But I think that certain entertainment that isn't crude for crudity's sake has value as a way to understand how someone entirely unlike myself thinks. I was raised Christian, so I really have no idea how a secular humanist sees the world, and I have even less of an idea how a Shinto Buddhist sees the world. So seeing that worldview portrayed in entertainment has value for me because it helps me understand that way of thinking better.

Acts 17:22-34 is Paul's famous Mars Hill sermon, and if you go read it, you will notice that Paul doesn't witness to the people of Athens through the Bible. Rather, he uses their own entertainment as a way of appealing to their way of thinking. In verse 28, Paul quotes their own literature: "As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'"

I highly doubt that those poets were talking explicitly about the God of the Hebrews. I may be going out on a limb here, but I think if we were to read the original poetry that Paul was talking about, we might find some "offensives" in it. This was a polytheistic society, after all.

I don't mean to sound like I'm attacking you or anything. But the truth is, I see little value in "Christian" entertainment, partially because most of it is actually pretty awful quality-wise (and as a result isn't a very good witnessing tool, because if even I as a Christian have a hard time sitting through something like it, then I have a hard time believing that a whole lot of non-Christians would find it convicting and uplifting), but also because it's a worldview I already understand quite well.

You seem to also have noticed the lack of quality. Personally, I find it quite frustrating. I think people are so focused on making something that won't offend other Christians that they abandon all possible originality.

When I see something I disagree with in anime, I tend to see it as a reminder to pray, not a reason to get offended.

I agree with this post 150%. A somewhat related article:

Art isn't Supposed to be Safe

[Yamamaya]

I'm going to invoke the words of C.S. Lewis here, "We don't need more people writing Christian books, we need more Christians writing good books."

Christian entertainment imo tries too hard to make sure it doesn't offend anyone. It whitewashes life.

I would rather read a book that was written by a Christian who is obviously going to insert his worldview into it(a la Stephen R. Lawhead) than an explicitly Christian fantasy book or what have you.

[Hiryu]

Look at Serenity. It's an old american manga from 2006.

[Ante Bellum]

I heard Serenity wasn't that good, actually.

[ShiroiHikari]

I also heard it was pretty terrible. Can anyone confirm this?

[CrimsonRyu17]

I heard Serenity wasn't that good, actually.

It's actually pretty terrible.

[ShiroiHikari]

I agree with this post 150%. A somewhat related article:

Art isn't Supposed to be Safe

I read this, and while I agree with the sentiment that art isn't supposed to be safe, this article seemed a little...unfocused to me.

I’m talking about things like redemption, peace, beauty and hope. These things can only exist when we tap into the creative heart of God.

I-- I don't know about this.

[Rusty Claymore]

Huh, I didn't think the first 7-8 volumes were too bad. Closer to the end of the series the morals began to feel a little forced, but I still enjoyed it. Example being that seemingly out of the blue it brings up a character's struggles in the sexual area. But that's only cause they hadn't done much of anything with that character before.

Imho, though, any bit of exclusive Christian truths placed into a book will rebuff non-Christian readers. Even some of the Christian fantasy books repel me in how they stuff Christ into things.

But neither this or that way, really, since I love C.S. Lewis' Christian themed fantasy, but the Circle series by Ted Dekker kinda erks me...

Anyways... Shiroi, I suggest reading Serenity. It's aimed at the Junior High age group, and it reads that way, but in that context it's good.

[ABlipinTime]

ANN has an anime listings search:
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/search/genre

It lets you pick what you want to find and what you don't want to find in the next anime you want to watch, and gives you a list of those matching those criteria.
I found it very helpful (but people's opinions on CAA are usually better and you can get feedback).

[Asuka Neko]

Well, I doubt you were expecting all this when you made this thread... (If I'm wrong, that's fine) It seems more like you just wanted the names of a few good animes. However, I can't think of any that fall under your "doesn't seem like it was written for junior highers" category. A lot of animes tend to be fairly non-religious, actually. But even so, they still do have some Shinto/Buddhism traditions that are just a part of Japanese culture now. For instance, there's usually a shrine that shows up somewhere. This is pretty much unavoidable in any manga or anime. What I look for in a manga isn't if it's "Christian" (i.e. the characters are Christian and are always reading the Bible and going to church) because that really doesn't exist. What I look for is whether the characters have the same values that I do. Okay, so let's take the manga you were talking about: Fruits Basket. Tohru is extremely selfless, and always wants to help other people and puts them before herself. I see that as being a good character, and someone I'd want to read about. And to me, Akito just shows that humans shouldn't try to play God, because Akito ultimately fails at doing so. Now, I'm not saying do this with every character (obviously the evil characters/enemies in a manga won't work at all), and I'm not saying that characters won't have their faults (that's what makes them seem realistic: if they were perfectly good at all times, no one would like them because they wouldn't seem like real people), but you want to be reading a manga that is generally uplifting. What I mean by this is you don't want to finish a manga and go "why the heck did I just read that? It was awful!", you want to be saying "Hm. That was a good story, it had good characters, and although the message behind it was not blatantly Christian and I didn't agree with all the content, it had a good moral to it and I agree with the main point of it."

Lastly, I can't exactly reccomend a manga because I don't know what kind you like. It might be a good idea to just throw some titles out there and see if any of us have read it and what we think about it!