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Christians references on anime

hideway

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8 Dec 2006
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Lately I've looking for a new anime to follow and, even if I already had some clues from previous shows, I was amazed on how many christians references exist on animes. Those references do not focus on only one or two aspects of christianism. They range from the simple cross as a symbol to the apocalypse, passing thru other several popular legends (using this term loosely here) like the holly grail.

I usually am amused when I find these references on animes as most of them are completely out of context towards the real thing and I find myself laughing at it even on dramatic moments considering how ridiculous some of them get to be. Still, the references are abundant and they seem to be the popular choice when one wants to have a mysterious character or some grand supernatural events other than the traditional ghosts and hauntings.

I can only speculate that this is a result of much mysticism around something that japanese people (both as target audience and as a anime/manga producer) usually don't know much about but that tend to be somehow amazed about it. Although this kind of mysticism it's absolutely not a japanese-only phenomenon (just look at all the mysticism, some of us westerns, have about japanese culture for a quick example) all these christian references really intrigues me greatly.

What's your view on all this?
 
I'd put it down to a general interest in western religion, the same that the west have for eastern religion. Buddhist and Shinto beliefs are part of the Japanese culture and have been for over a thousand yeras. Christianity is an introduced religion and is so different to their traditional forms of worship that it holds a fascination for them, the same way that their beliefs hold a fascination to the west. Also Christianity does focus of End of Days and the judgement of all mankind moreso than eatern philosophies. Makes a good myth to a non-christian people. Even the west do it with Buddhist myths (Big trouble in Little China)
 
What's your view on all this?
Well I think that the Japanese might misinterpret parts of western cultures and religion, just like westerners misinterpret Japanese and other cultures. (Ninja Turtles!?)

Can you show us some examples of references to Christian symbols and stories Hideway? I'm interested in what you mean with these misinterpretations.
 
Although most of the action animes usually have at least one mysterious character associated to crosses, some animes really focus on some references as their main plot. Although I tend to try avoiding these, two examples immediately pop at my eyes when I think about these misinterpretations.

First is "Fate - stay night". Leaving the clichê of having a dude who is a very nice person with a bad past and who doesn't want to hurt people as the main character, the story is focused on the holly grail war. To keep it simple, the holly grail, every ten years, chooses a bunch of people (seven to be more exact) to fight and kill each other for the sole propose of acquiring it. These dudes are called masters and each one have one servant who themselves also want the holly grail and some even murder their masters in order to get a better one and therefor improving their chances of winning. Of course, to get things worse, the fuel of the battle are souls, and since every master (others than our heroes, who are in fact very nice people) is an evil and twisted ******* they plan different ways of killing the most amount of people so they can become stronger. Why would they want the holly grail in the first place? Apparently it grants wishes.

Another example of the main plot being completely focused on christians references is D. Gray Man. In this anime there are mainly two forces battling. One for the end of the world (very evil of them) and the other to save it. The evil ones get people to revive their recent defunct lovers/parents/friends but in return they curse the revived person into submission for their own plans of global destruction and make them kill the person who agreed to revive them so they can take over their body. Of course the people who agree with the reviving stuff aren't told of the whole deal forehead. The good guys basically save these revived people from their suffering by kindly butchering them and usually get thanked afterwards. Well, what exactly does all this have to do with christianism you could ask. The very fact that the bad guys are nothing less than the noah family, who have been alived for some quite time (I didn't found out why yet) and plot to end what god left unfinished during the big flood (they are evil, therefor not really needing a valid reason other than the duty to clean the planet from us). All these guys, good and bad, are in search for the innocence (a very very divine substance) using it for battle, and trying to gather as much as possible so their archenemies don't get to have them and accomplish their goals.

There are many others who also focus on either christianism or the catholic church on their main plot (although not as twisted as these two) like evangelion or trinity blood. Although some of them aren't that bad and manage to get a decent amount of reasonable story, I try to avoid these kind of anime almost as much as I try to avoid fan service animes.

Well, my two cents anyway. 😌
 
Hideway, those are some interesting examples, thanks a lot!! 👍

I recommend you to read Inazo Nitobe's Bushido. This man has written a book on Bushido and Japanese thinking in general and made many links with Christian thinking, and also other religions. I think you might see why many Japanese are fascinated with Christianity.
 
Can you show us some examples of references to Christian symbols and stories Hideway? I'm interested in what you mean with these misinterpretations.

Neon Genesis Evangelions main plot is based on Christian symbolism and biblical references.
 
Trigun also has some reference's

but it goes beyond anime

lots of rpg's have references like
Chrono Trigger,Dragon Quest ect.......
 
It's indeed amazing how many references they make to Christian symbols or stuff in animes, yeah. I've also thought about this sometime in the past. :)

I guess it's only natural that they use that kinda thing in their stories. Japanese culture has undertaken a slow process of opening itself to the rest of the world and many of the things they got from outside are so different to what they normally do/believe/see, that awakens their interest. Just like it happens to us when we start digging up and learning more about Japanese culture. For us, of course, it's kinda weird and can't actually get why they develop an interest on this or in that subject, 'cause we've always had it as a part of our lives, part of our world concept. But for them is something different and, at the very least, new and appealing to talk about in an anime. :)

As for animes with references, I guess one of the most famous ones is NEON GENESIS EVANGELION. I mean, it has sooooooooooo many references (direct and indirect ones) that it provides you with research material for months. I know; I spent months trying to understand all the references and symbols they used in it when I first watch it, back in 1998. :p

But that's not the only one. There's Weiss Kreuz or Scrapped Princess, Angel Sanctuary... Uf! A lot. And it's usually not limited only to anime plots. If you read lyrics of many songs, there are several references to these kinda thing. From the top of my head, I can point out what I'm listening to right now: PRINCE OF TENNIS. If you've ever heard Atobe Keigo's HAKOBUNE song, you'll know what I'm talking abot. I mean... PRINCE OF TENNIS is a sport anime, it has nothing to do with end of the world, armageddons, crosses or angels and, yet, one of its characters has a song named after Noah's Ark (and says, in one of the lines of the song, "Noah no hakobune to no inori~")... :)

It's a really interesting subject. Specially when you consider that, most of the times, these symbols or references don't even touch us because not even we are so informed about the theories or details used in this or that anime to develop their plots! I mean... I've learnt sooo many things about the Bible or Christian religion in general, just by looking up information to explain a certain scene or dialogue in an anime! 😌
 
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