Christian Parents and Anime

Anime continues to skyrocket in popularity, particularly among adolescents.  However, this can cause consternation among parents who don’t understand anime and it’s literary counterpart, manga.  Christian parents, particularly, might be concerned by the images they associate with this media.  I’ve assembled a short guide to anime for Christian parents.  It is linked below, along with a Frequently Asked Questions page for Christian fans of anime.

• Christian Parents Guide to Anime
• FAQ

Below are some other links that may help you better understand this fascinating and popular form of entertainment:

Anime

What exactly is anime?  While I give a brief rundown in the guide, these pages go further in depth:

• Annalyn’s Thoughts
  Christian blogger, Annalyn, provides a six-part series on anime called “Anime 101.”  Among the topics she covers are early history, manga, and common misconceptions.
• Anime (defined)
• Anime (Wikipedia)
• About Anime and Manga
• Introduction to Manga
• Terms to Know
• Anime News Network Encyclopedia

Religion in Japan

• Religion in Japan
  This page quickly conveys some of the important facets of religion in modern Japan.
• Japanese Buddhism
• Religion Facts: Shinto
• Christianity in Japan (Wikipedia)
• Books about Japanese religion
  • Christianity Made in Japan by Mark R. Mullins
  • On Understanding Japanese Religion by Joseph M. Kitagawa
  • Religion in Japanese Culture: Where Living Traditions Meet a Changing World, edited by Noriyoshi Tamaru and David Reid
  • Practically Religious: Worldly Benefits and the Common Religion of Japan by Ian Reader and George J. Tanabe, Jr.
  • Religion in Contemporary Japan by Ian Reader

Anime and Religion

• Anime and Religion Survey
  The posts in this series discuss the results of a survey taken by anime and manga bloggers, who are an influential subgroup of anime fans.
• More Than You Ever Wanted to Know About Buddhism and Anime
• Spirituality in Anime

Anime and Christianity

Resources

• Christian Anime Alliance (CAA)
  This long-running site features information for Christian parents, a vast review database, and an active forum.
• Anime Recommendations for the Christian Viewer
• Christian Discernment at the Movies
• Oh, My Pop-Culture Jesus: Christianity in Anime

Viewing Anime

These posts reflect the various ways a Christian may approach anime (or media in general), and include three personal testimonies explaining why Christianity and anime need not be mutually exclusive.

• Viewing Anime Through a Christian Lens
• Confessions of a Middle-Aged Otaku: Discovering Christian Messages in Anime
• Orthodoxy, Anime, & Me
• Christian, Anime, Blogger

Reviews

• CAA’s Reviews
• The Anime Review
  Created and run by a Presbyterian pastor, this long-established review site doesn’t give “Christian reviews” per se, but the owner obviously has Christian concerns with the goal “to write reviews that honor Christ both in their perspective and in their quality.”
• Christian Anime Reviews
  This site is “devoted to cataloging anime soundtracks, albums and singles; and reviewing anime series and manga volumes, all from a Christian perspective.”
• OEL Christian Manga Reviews
  Although no longer current, this site offers reviews for many Christian Original English Language (OEL) manga and graphic novels, like Serenity and Goofyfoot Gurl.
• Plugged In Online
  Focus on the Family’s review site sometimes reviews major anime movie releases and series.