Anime Thread #2

[Lost_Wanderer]

That would be great! PM me sometime

Anytime.
I personally don’t understand why Naruto haters think the fillers are a good argument against the show. The filler blocks are so large and so unrelated that it’s easy to think they never even happened.

The movies though are pretty impressive. My favorite pre-Shippuuden movie would definitely have to be the 2nd one. It’s the only Naruto story so far that features foreign (as in we’re talking European-style foreign) characters. In fact, if you want the closest to a fanfic featuring the Naruto world and your typical, medieval fantasy (like the Atelier Iris games), this movie would be it.

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

Hopefully this doesn’t come across as a hasty bump but I just thought I’d announce that I’ve just watched the third episode Gosick and I’m surprisingly absorbed. Perhaps it’s simply the setting and the whole Victorian-esque that snagged me, but I normally wouldn’t be interested in anime of the crime and mystery genre.

Has anyone else watched this?

 

[CesarAugustus]

I was searching images and articles about the series. Looks interesting, I like the designs.

Blessings!!!

 

[Laughing_Crow]

I’m going to watch Digimon Tamers!

There used to be the original Digimon with english subtitles on Veoh and YouTube for a while, but they’ve disappeared.

I kind of want to watch Naruto again as well, but I really don’t feel like going through the episode list trying to find which ones are filler episodes

Actually this remindedm e, anyone playing that free Digimon MMO? Im playing it currently with a level 23 Agumon, nearing ultra digivolution, a Gabumon who is at lvl 26 and a new Piyomon, lvl 1

 

[NewsTheMan]

Anybody here play Pokemon TCG? I recently started playing after ~10 years since I stopped even caring about pokemon cards. All those cards of mine that I collected and lost over the years oh how I wish I still had all of you!

 

[EphelDuath]

I’m briefly going to talk about Christianity in anime, in case anybody is specifically concerned or observing that.

I think Neon Genesis Evangelion (the original, not the remake) works pretty well as a Christian allegory. It’s my favorite series ever. Also, it’s helped me with my depression. I can go more in-depth with this, if anybody would like. The remake is more action-oriented than about plot, dialogue and character development, so the Christian imagery is just used to look cool I suppose.

Trinity: Blood has female Cardinals in the Catholic Church. I wouldn’t watch it just for that, though I’m sure the author didn’t mean it offensively, he just didn’t care.

Hellsing (the manga and the OVA) is… decent, though the way it portrays Catholicism is ridiculous so I would recommend against it. Haven’t seen the original anime. All the Catholics are portrayed as psychopathic blood-lusted bigots. An egregious moment near the end is when Fr. Anderson uses a nail from the True Cross in order to defeat Alucard, but it apparently wasn’t strong enough and he’s defeated anyway. My eyes almost rolled out of my sockets to that one.

Trigun’s author is a devout Roman Catholic. It has a bit of Catholic imagery in it, and its main theme is pacifism in the face of evil. You might be bothered by the way a priest is portrayed on the show, but I promise that his non-Catholic behavior is explained later in the series.

Fullmetal Alchemist is an interesting example. The 2003 anime series definitely has atheistic overtones, but that wasn’t produced by the author of the manga; it took a life of its own half-way into the series and diverged from the manga. The remake Brotherhood, though, isn’t precisely “Christian”, but the way it portrays God is more understandable. The character of Hohenheim is also a Messianic archetype in Brotherhood.

I saw Witch Hunter Robin when I was like 13, when it was on Cartoon Network. Can’t remember much about it, though I think the Catholic Church is portrayed decently in that series.

I’ve never seen Priest.

 

[Sailor_Kenshin]

Odd. I thought the first FMA series was utterly Christian in tone, whether it meant to be or not. (Goe does work in mysterious ways!)

But can someone explain MOE?

I’m watching Ouran HS Host Club and all the girls are squee-ing, “Moe!”

 

[EphelDuath]

Odd. I thought the first FMA series was utterly Christian in tone, whether it meant to be or not. (Goe does work in mysterious ways!)

No, not really. Aside from Dante’s “Seven Deadly Sins” composing the villain’s henchmen, there’s nothing Christian about it. The 2003 anime is, especially towards the last dozen episodes, explicitly anti-Christian.

I don’t remember anything being anti-Christian in Brotherhood or the manga, aside from vaguely pantheistic themes (although God himself is portrayed as an independent, omnipotent entity that punishes the wicked and rewards the virtuous).

But can someone explain MOE?

I’m watching Ouran HS Host Club and all the girls are squee-ing, “Moe!”

Check out the TVTropes page.

 

[Sailor_Kenshin]

I have an utterly different take on the original FMA than you. I find Christian themes everywhere.

I’ve been writing an article about it.

 

[EphelDuath]

I’m willing to change my mind, if you present a good argument.

 

[CesarAugustus]

Ephel, I know about another series that mentions Catholicism.

20th Century Boys.

The portrayal of the Church and the Faith, is better (although not perfect) than other animes/mangas I’ve seen.

Anyone here has read that manga or watched the movies?

Blessings!!!

 

[Nec5]

All I can say is that the Fist of the North Star series was/is awesome, and the entire thing needs to be dubbed (I think only 30 or so episodes got the English treatment).

It is not to be confused with the hilariously bad live action film. Although the film is worth watching to laugh and cry at the same time.

 

[Paul1Up]

All I can say is that the Fist of the North Star series was/is awesome, and the entire thing needs to be dubbed (I think only 30 or so episodes got the English treatment).

It is not to be confused with the hilariously bad live action film. Although the film is worth watching to laugh and cry at the same time.

I loved the Streamline Pictures dub. The dialogue and voice acting were hysterical. My friends and I quoted that movie all the time. Plus I love that song during Rei and Raoh’s fight.

 

[Sailor_Kenshin]

I’m willing to change my mind, if you present a good argument.

Haven’t seen the series in a while, so I’m just working from memory. For one thing — Al is the perfect Catholic knight (dressed like one to boot!). Loath to kill. WIlling to forgive even his enemies, and by the power of his witness, Scar redeems himself.

I’d have to watch the series with you and point out what I saw episode by episode. When (and if) the article is published I will definitely show it to you.

But a work does not have to shout “Catholic, Catholic, Catholic” to represent Christianity, nor does it even have to mention Christ. For fiction, that would be obvious, blatant, and wrong, unless your character is a priest (Father Brown). LOTR, nary the word ‘Christ’ in it, is perhaps the greatest Catholic fiction of all.

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

Hellsing (the manga and the OVA) is… decent, though the way it portrays Catholicism is ridiculous so I would recommend against it. Haven’t seen the original anime. All the Catholics are portrayed as psychopathic blood-lusted bigots. An egregious moment near the end is when Fr. Anderson uses a nail from the True Cross in order to defeat Alucard, but it apparently wasn’t strong enough and he’s defeated anyway. My eyes almost rolled out of my sockets to that one.

I have to be half-and-half with you here. You’d be right about how the story could’ve went better in its portrayal but I would actually say that the psychopathic blood-lusted bigot bit is what I love most about Anderson. His rant at the museum in one of the OVAs is one of my most favorite parts in the entire series.

 

[EphelDuath]

I have to be half-and-half with you here. You’d be right about how the story could’ve went better in its portrayal but I would actually say that the psychopathic blood-lusted bigot bit is what I love most about Anderson. His rant at the museum in one of the OVAs is one of my most favorite parts in the entire series.

If Fr. Anderson were the only character like that, then I would agree, and probably wouldn’t think too much of it. But everyone in the Catholic faction is apparently insane. The way Catholicism is portrayed is like a Jack Chick strip.

Haven’t seen the series in a while, so I’m just working from memory. For one thing — Al is the perfect Catholic knight (dressed like one to boot!). Loath to kill. WIlling to forgive even his enemies, and by the power of his witness, Scar redeems himself.

I’d have to watch the series with you and point out what I saw episode by episode. When (and if) the article is published I will definitely show it to you.

But a work does not have to shout “Catholic, Catholic, Catholic” to represent Christianity, nor does it even have to mention Christ. For fiction, that would be obvious, blatant, and wrong, unless your character is a priest (Father Brown). LOTR, nary the word ‘Christ’ in it, is perhaps the greatest Catholic fiction of all.

I agree that you don’t need to actually show the Catholic Church for a work of fiction to be sufficiently “Catholic.” But, the 2003 anime specifically talks about Christianity as being a “dead and ridiculous religion” that persecuted polytheists. Col. Roy Mustang says out loud “there is no such thing as God” when fighting Führer-King Bradley. Dante and Hohenheim were Spanish inquisitors before they discovered the secret to immortality, and created the first Philosopher’s Stone by using the souls of heretics. Dante’s main argument in favor of stealing peoples’ bodies is that the world is an unjust place anyway and there’s no God to punish the wicked or ensure fairness; and, Edward has no legitimate argument against her, he’s simply fighting to get what he wants (his and Alphonse’s bodies back). Scar is a redeemed anti-hero in the remake Brotherhood, but in the 2003 anime, he’s so obsessed with vengeance against Amestris that he sacrifices himself to kill thousands of soldiers and create the Philosopher’s Stone. Rather than finding God beyond the Gate of Truth, they simply come to an alternate world, which portrays the universe as being cyclical and patheistic rather than according to God’s good designs.

All-in-all, I think the way the 2003 anime portrays Christianity is entirely negative. The only possible counter-argument is that the most vicious anti-Christians are the villains, but series seems to somewhat sympathize with them.

The remake Brotherhood is much better about it, because I enjoy the way it portrays God. The philosophy of the alchemists is still vaguely pantheistic, but at least God exists as an independent entity.

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

If Fr. Anderson were the only character like that, then I would agree, and probably wouldn’t think too much of it. But everyone in the Catholic faction is apparently insane. The way Catholicism is portrayed is like a Jack Chick strip.

Sure you are right about the faction but remember, the Iscariot Organization is just one of the alleged 13 inside the Vatican. If anything, the fact that it’s named after that famed traitor of the apostles could mean that the organization is not seen highly among the others.

 

[EphelDuath]

The fact that there’d be a Vatican-sanctioned organization named after Iscariot is itself preposterous.

 

[Kit15]

It’s not a “Catholic” title and I know there are people who may find its political incorrectness (Nazis in space anyone?) to be offensive…

But the Mudazumo Naki Kaikaku (also known as “The Legend of Koizumi”) manga has had me in stitches every step of the way and has renewed my husband’s interest in Reiichi mahjong. Obviously knowledge of the game helps quite a bit in understanding the manga (which I admit I don’t)…but so does having some knowledge of history and politics (basically just recognizing the characters) and of shounen tropes like shouting your attacks, power levels, and battle auras. I’m very glad I saw this now instead of jumping to it when I first got into anime. I never ever would have appreciated this back then.

Basically it takes bits of Hetalia, Gurren Lagann, Kaiji, and Dragonball and cranks it to amazing absurdity. The English language seriously fails me when trying to describe this one.

Benedict XVI is a major character. While he is clearly a satirical version of the real deal and not at all an accurate portrayal (as are ALL of the political figures appearing in this work) he’s still awesome…just a very different kind of awesome.

There is a 3-episode OVA featuring Koizumi vs. a resurrected Chairman Mao. I recommend seeing that first if the title sounds interesting. The Mao arc does not appear in the manga but the ending of episode 3 leaves you begging for more (at least it left ME begging for more), which you *will *get in the manga. Unfortunately after you finish the manga, you may be begging for more of it to get animated.

 

[CesarAugustus]

The fact that there’d be a Vatican-sanctioned organization named after Iscariot is itself preposterous.

That’s one of the main issues I have with that series.

Some of the others are Enrico Maxwell, Anderson killing humans, the use of the Nail, and the fate of the Crusaders, and the mission that Maxwell gave to them… but, they’re only of the few good things in the series. They’re based on real life Military Orders (some of them still exist!) and thye wear the Nazareno Capirote, awesome!

About FMA Brotherhood and the manga, at least in that continuity, they show a God.-like figure.

Blessings!