Cowboy Bebop is one of my favourites, the director Shinichiro Watanabe is dang good, I don’t see how anybody cannot have seen episode 5 ‘A Ballad of Falling Angels’ from the Ave Maria to the end where Spike falls through the Cathedral Window and not totally fall in love with that show! Of course the vocal BG music by the composer goddess, Yoko Kanno, makes everything that much more beautiful!
I remember Robotech as a kid, apparently I hear the Harmony Gold US release was heavily edited… I liked the first and Invid saga, those motorcycles are cool!
Witch Hunter Robin is currently playing on TV here, last episode next week
Speaking of Christianity in Japan, it did manage to get there but there was a revolt by a group of Christians which led the Japanese to annihiliate very last Christian until there was none left. Best I remember it. This revolt was used as a background in an OAV called ‘Ninja Resurrection’ however when the Christians were defeated hell was unleashed and what started out nicely and interesting degenerated into a weird pornographic extremely violent tale. Wouldn’t recommend that one, turned me off completely, but I guess that was the idea of hell on earth.
Currently it is highly intriguing how much Christianity features in many anime. Currently in Japan it is a popular fashion to wear rosaries around ones neck. Same with crosses. Even though Christinaity is at most seen in much the same way we enjoy watching movies like ‘The Mummy’ and their egyptian ‘beliefs.’ But I’ve got to give them credit, as they do treat Christianity with a bit more respect than most films here, though that doesn’t mean you wont find some that don’t.
Some to mention, Hellsing of course, features a rivalry between the Protestants and Catholics. The Catholics are sort of the good bad guys, or bad good guys, like I said rivals. No real theology is spoken of aside from heresy, the Iscariots are protrayed as quite a fanatical sect, who quote Scripture as they carry out their missions with a trance-like chant.
Another well known one is ‘Neon Genesis Evangelion’ properly translated as ‘New Age Gospel’ WHile there are fleeting references to Christianity, using some myths as code names, and lots of imagery as teh crosses and crucifixion, one would properly say the series and films are based more on Kabbalah. Though it may include some references to Revelations it’s main focus seems to be with the Old Testament and prophecies in the Dead Sea Scrolls. It’s a great series and to explain all the symbolism is something akin to explaining everything about ‘The Matrix.’
Witch Hunter Robin is based on the Salem witch hunts and while there isn’t much to do with Christian beliefs otherwise, though Robin is shown to be Catholic showing she goes through the sacrament of Confession with a priest towards the end who comes from Italy where their group is called ‘Solomon.’
Another one we may mention is the series ‘Trigun’ and the character ‘Wolfwood’ a gun slinger who is somewhat like a priest though not necessarily Catholic. Carries around a huge Cross which stores his weapons and even becomes one itself.
There are a bunch others can’t recall them all. So it’s not surprising to see some characters or episodes dealing with Christian themes. An episode of ‘Samurai Champloo’ had a nice one dealing with the early Christians in Japan tricked into following a con-man calling himself Francis Xavier III or something which is resolved in the end in a manner both practical and even miraculous. The series isn’t all out yet, and it seems the Christian theme may carry on in the future seeing as that the person the main characters were looking for left them a trinket of a skull with a crucifix inside symbolic of ‘Mount Golgotha’ so it’ll be interesting to see where that leads.
But be warned, this manga isn’t for the easily offended and doesn’t say anything about Church teachings other than exterminating vampires and heretics and Nazis. Also the main characters and ‘hero’ are Protestants.
