Category Archives: Anime
Space Brothers: People of Influence
Space Brothers is an anime that has been airing for a little more than a year and is probably one of the most, if not the most, underrated ongoing anime, at least among foreigners. Not only is it probably the best currently airing anime but it is also completely family and kid friendly, making it a great watch for all readers here that I highly recommend. I don’t know if people just aren’t discussing it due to its relatively simple nature or if it really has managed to go under so many people’s radars, but it has been the best recent anime I’ve seen in years. While it may have its occasional flaws, overall, this show is absolutely outstanding.
Space Brothers at its core is a slice of life. It has some drama on occasion, simple but fresh comedy, and sometimes touches on more serious topics that you might not expect. What shines the most are the character relationships and how characters interact with each other, but also how they deal with their own thoughts and feelings. In fact, the character flashbacks do more for the character development than the present timeline. There are so many different things that Space Brothers explores and with each one, I could draw a religious parallel. The siblings Mutta and Hibito, the perfectionism of Kenji, dreams, perseverance, luck, selfishness, relationships, the many different outlooks on life, and so on. Nearly every episode will have something to ponder on and it’s quite amazing how many different emotions this show can evoke.
As I mentioned, the flashbacks do wonders for the story. They usually depict a simple event between two characters but in that short period, the connection between the past and the current timeline is made clearly and meaningfully. These flashbacks are not even unique to main characters as many supporting characters have them and they always add so much to the situation and characters. As the characters reminisce about the past, the relationships between the characters and the connections to the viewers become stronger and more emotional, and the characters feel so much more real. The characters were all influenced by other people in some way to get to where they are. They all have their own hopes, dreams, and beliefs, but that is not a result of them alone. We see how what others have said and done have shaped these characters into who they are, what they want, and how they think. None of the characters are the way they are just because of some past but always because of a past regarding other people. It is always other people who influenced their lives that made them the way they are.
People cannot help but be influenced by others, be it small or large, positive or negative. Those closest to us are the most influential to our lives and inevitably shape our character and values. In Space Brothers, there are people who are key influences in characters’ lives to choose the path to become an astronaut. As children, Mutta and Hibito already dreamed of doing so, but it was other people who pushed them forward to truly pursue their dream. Everyone, religious or not, have people who influenced us toward where we currently are, and people will continue to influence us throughout our lives. When I look back on my life, even people who I no longer keep in contact with have influenced me in dramatic ways. The decisions, beliefs, and values we make are heavily determinate on past events and relationships.
Sometimes there is a person who stands above others in popularity, respect, and influence. In Space Brothers, that person was Brian Jay, a highly respected and loved astronaut who died in an unfortunate accident. Yet, every person who knew him and spoke to him had nothing but memories of him that changed who they were and how they thought. He was truly a man of influence. He was a person who did not have an especially deep relationship with people but what he said and did simply stuck with people. They clearly remember his words and actions, and it is that sort of subtle but powerful influence that can change lives.
However, while we are and have been influenced by others, it is also true that we influence others. It can be intentional such as when we minister to nonbelievers or something more practical like giving advice to a friend. It may also be unintentional such as saying something in passing that somehow resonates closely with another. Every person is a person of influence on those around them. Especially in today’s society where everyone with internet access can communicate and connect with each other regardless of geographic barriers, the amount of influence you can impart on others is essentially unlimited. For all I know, what I write here may influence someone twenty years from now. Whether we want to or not we can’t help but influence those we interact with. And sometimes we might just impart the kind of small, subtle influence that Brian Jay did, especially when it comes to Christ. Small, subtle influences are also the most memorable to the one it changes, even though it’s not always the case for the other. It is sometimes said that our job is to plant seeds and God will do the rest. A relationship with Christ can sometimes come from the smallest of influences, and those influences are Christians.
That said, there is more to being a Christian than only planting seeds of faith. I want to see Christians be a collective people of influence, of good influence. I want others to not think negatively or even neutrally of what we say and do but instead, completely positive. This is solely a desire to see the Christian reputation be one of love like it’s supposed to. When people think of Christians, I want them to think of someone like Brian Jay, a person who you could not help but remember, in a good way. I want to see Christians love and treat people with such compassion that others can’t help but take notice and perhaps even birth friendships from it. Some Christians already are like this while others have quite the negative reputation; however, most people are somewhere in the middle. By simply carrying the name Christian around with us, people will look at us and our relationships as representations of Christianity. In Space Brothers, the relationships and how the characters influence each other are everything. Everything we do, large or small, can influence the opinions surrounding our religion but also the relationships of all those around us. Christians are already a people of influence; how you use that influence is up to you.
Attack on Titan, Episode 07: Grace, Guilt, and Good Ideas
Another week, another terrific episode of Shingeki no Kyojin. But at this point, everything still feels like setup and context – when do we find out about some of these secrets (looks like very soon)? When will the troops start fighting back with ferocity (other than Mikasa)? When do we start getting to know the other characters?
I should sit back and just enjoy the series and all the build-up, I suppose, but my anxiety is that the series will conclude without finishing the run of the manga, and I’ll be left out in the cold. Well, if that’s the case, at least we got to see some real development for one of Attack on Titan‘s terrific characters, Mikasa Ackerman.
This week, Mikasa addresses the remaining squads with a speech that half inspiring and entirely condemning. The characters, some reticently, follow Mikasa into battle, but with different reasons in mind, and resulting in different consequences.
Art by へび
Note that more than once it’s mentioned that if the troops just stay there, they’ll eventually die. It’s simply a rational and good idea to take their chances. There’s also a feeling of guilt – those in the supply depot are trapped and dying, and Mikasa is running into battle by herself, so these elite cadets should at least help, right? But when reality strikes again, in the form of the ominous giants (and an out-of-commission Mikasa), many of the soldiers begin to crumble, particularly the guilt-driven Jean, who stands frozen in fear while his comrades die.
However, one soldier stands out by being brave, and perhaps it’s a surprising who it is. Read the rest of this entry
Something More: A Certain Problem With Evil
Only one post this week, but it’s an interesting one! Japes discusses the problem of evil as he examines a scene from A Certain Magical Index. [Japesland]
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As part of the Something More series of posts, each week Beneath the Tangles links to writings about anime and manga that involve religion and spirituality. If you’ve written such a piece or know of one, please email TWWK if you’d like it included.
Whisper of the Reality-Struck Heart
Of all the great Studio Ghibli works, my favorite is probably Whisper of the Heart. Smaller in scale than almost any of the others, it’s a very personal story about a young girl, a boy, and their dreams. Because most of us remember well the days we were young and had dreams as big as the skies, this little story makes the heart stir for many of us.
Art by きいじ
As you get older, first bursting into the confusing time of adolescence and then into the world of adulthood, you realize that dreams and reality don’t usually meld well together. Even for those that pursue their dream relentlessly, the results don’t always match their hopes.
For me, I’ve seen most of my childhood dreams fade away – some because of what you might deem as circumstance (though I would call it divine intervention) and some because of my personal choices. And though I admit I sometimes feel a sense of loss when I think of what might have been, I’m quickly brought back to reality – to a good type of reality, knowing that I’m meant to be where I am right now, and that I wouldn’t exchange the circumstances of my life for a chance to live the dream.
My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU (OreGairu), Episode 06: Life is a Redo
As episode six begins, Hikki has effectively broken up his friendship with Yui, because he thinks she’s only being nice to him because she feels guilty about her role in his delayed entrance into high school. And in episode six, when it looks like bridges could be built, Yui finds Hikki and Yukino together on a pseudo date as they shop for a present for their friend.
In many an anime, an entire angsty arc could have been made of this. SNAFU, however, resolves the problems by the episode’s end in really the most rational way. Whatever the two are feeling, they agree to put the past behind, evening the score, as it were, and starting over.
Their relationship becomes a redo.
Art by 刃天
I used to often think about how I’d redo my life. Even though most of us would probably say that ultimately, we wouldn’t change a thing, because what we did led us to who we are now, my past mistakes were so ridiculous and so fixable, that I dwelt upon them often and really wanted to change them. All that changed when I became older, married, and had children – but still, regrets remained.
And although I can’t relive the past, I can have a redo – a new starting point. Read the rest of this entry
Attack on Titan, Episode 05: Reality Bites
So, any expectations of Eren Jaeger and the corp going forth an immediately kicking giant butt all but faded away in episode five. The group gets it handed to them, and very quickly. Dismemberment, probably death, and lots of spilt blood fill the scene as the giants show that they only seem slow and lumbering – their reflexes are incredibly quick when their prey is in sight.
After the training episodes, this one returns the series to the fearsome tone conveyed earlier in the series. The giants are, at this point, my favorite anime villain ever. This is how you create a great villain – they make you feel dread and think about the possibility probability that characters you root for can die at any point and any time. In this way, the series carries a Saving Private Ryan kind of feel, conveying the horrors of this war, fantastical as it is.
In the face of danger and imminent death, Eren remains headstrong, brave, and haughty. He will not sit idly by, and through flashbacks, we find out a little more of what he and Armin want and what they seek, which is in one word, freedom.
Art by めろ
It’s hard to make this episode into something optimistic or hopeful. After all, the quest for freedom, and even less than that, survival, is getting squashed completely and easily.
Yet, Eren continues to fight so that he won’t remained confined within the walls of civilization – he wants something more.
Something More: Modoka > Jesus Concludes
After last week’s barrage of spiritual articles, this week has been much slower. Still, a few terrific articles were posted, as Alexander of Ashita no Anime concluded his Madoka > Jesus series.
Alexander claims that Jesus creates some kind of co-dependency as a savior, which Madoka does not. [Ashita no Anime]
He concludes by emphasizing that God is tyrannical, which Madoka is not. [Ashita no Anime]
I highly recommend you read through Alexander’s series, which is quite thought-provoking. His tone may be off-putting (I’ll admit, I didn’t comment on a number of posts because I felt too emotional to leave comments due to how Alexander references Christ at times), but it’s one that has led to some good debate. And as such, I recommend, also, that you read the comments following the entries as closely as the post themselves.
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As part of the Something More series of posts, each week Beneath the Tangles links to writings about anime and manga that involve religion and spirituality. If you’ve written such a piece or know of one, please email TWWK if you’d like it included.
Suisei no Gargantia, Episode 04: A New Way to Be Human
You’re throwing your love across
my impossible space
You’ve created me
Take me out of me into…
A new way to be human
To a new way to be human
I’ve been wavering on Suisei no Gargantia, unsure if I would continue the series. It’s been pretty to look at, but other than that, I’ve only been captured by certain moments in the show, instead of by the setting, the characters, or the plot in general. Episode four, however, turned things around a bit, as our protagonist begins learning how to be “more than soldier.”
Ledo begins to search for information, and as he does so, we see his attitude. He espouses survival of the fittest, the greater above the lesser, and rules over heart. Ledo finds the ideas of family and friends to be foreign and unnecessary. He will only help others when it promotes his mission. And as such, though he fights for the survival of the human race, Ledo’s heart is one filled with selfishness.
But through Ledo’s meeting with Bevel, Ledo comes to see that there is value in kindness and compassion that can’t be measured by his goals.
Humans are at their best when they forget themselves and put others first. Selfless acts bring warmth to our hearts when we see them on the news, and help bring us happiness and peace when they are personally demonstrated toward us.
I’ve said that our nature is selfish. It’s what we gravitate toward – this motive to love ourselves above all others. But we also know that it isn’t right – it isn’t what ultimately satisfies. Deep down, Ledo knows this, too, as demonstrated through some sort of painful sacrifice, briefly insinuated in this episode, is buried deep in his memory, and by his own selfless actions in the first episode.
I hope (and imagine) this will be a larger theme of Suisei no Gargantia - Ledo connecting to this loving humanity and he spends time among a people. And as he searches for a way to return to the battlefront and his home, he’ll find something else as well – a new heart.
God’s Pursuit in The 12 Kingdoms
The Twelve Kingdoms is an in-depth anime that explores 12 countries in a parallel dimension to the real world filled with characters from Japanese mythology. The main character, Yoko Nakajima, is sucked into this world after a storm and, through a random series of events, becomes the leader of one of the countries, which is called Kei.
The anime really goes into the politics in the countries and explores what it means to be a good leader, the consequences of a bad leader, and the way different leadership styles shape each country. One of the most prosperous kingdoms in the parallel world, which is actually just called Twelve Kingdoms, is the kingdom of En.
That prosperity is due in large part to the kingdoms king, Shouryu, a laid-back, confident former feudal lord. Shouryu is always aware of whats happening in En, rarely loses his cool, shows mercy whenever possible and exacts justice when necessary. Out of all Shouryu’s qualities, the one I noticed the most was his desire to make a place for all of his people. Not just some, not just most, but each and every one.
After squashing a rebellion that had risen up in the kingdom, Shouryu met one man, Kouya, who was insistent on the impossibility of himself fitting into En.
