Angel Beats

[Tek7]

The final episode of the Angel Beats anime airs in Japan this Saturday (June 26) and the fansub groups are likely to have the episode available for download with English subs a few days after.

As this series draws to a close, I find myself thinking again and again how amazingly close the authors get to difficult Christian truths, but narrowly missing the mark. I also find myself wishing I could find Christian fiction that's as emotionally compelling as Angel Beats.

It will be interesting to see how the story ends. I don't doubt that it will feature the, "If you try your hardest, the power of love and friendship conquers all!" ending that ruins so many otherwise great anime series and video games. (No, Final Fantasy fans, I'm not singling out one franchise. Anime series are notorious for weak endings.)

Then again, this is Key we're talking about--the same studio that brought us Clannad and Clannad After Story. So we'll see.

So has anyone else been watching this series? Am I just projecting or does anyone else see themes and developments that would better serve a narrative with a Christian worldview?

EDIT: Neirai: Please tell me you've been watching this series.

 

[Keero]

Why does 97% of all Japanese Anime have to be with students from a school, the other 2.9% being mecha, and the the last 0.1% being unique? ;_;

 

[Elader Arkon]

Why does 97% of all Japanese Anime have to be with students from a school, the other 2.9% being mecha, and the the last 0.1% being unique? ;_;

I think it's because they're trying to cram in as many fetishes as possible without going over some predetermined line.

 

[Logos]

I think it's because they're trying to cram in as many fetishes as possible without going over some predetermined line.

That is probably true Although the .1% such as FMA is pretty awesome with little reference to school at all...Although now that I think about it...Edward and Al are young...LOL So never mind, again with the whole tween thing.

 

[Elader Arkon]

FMA:Brotherhood blows me away every week. Thursdays are now a highly anticipated day because of it. The series is soooo close to ending now and I still honestly don't have the slightest idea how it is going to end. And now that I think about it, it is the only show I have watched in memory where I try my hardest to keep up to date with. I intend to buy the series as well as the manga (which will actually be a first for me) once I have a job and the money to do it because it is just that good.

 

[Tek7]

Why does 97% of all Japanese Anime have to be with students from a school, the other 2.9% being mecha, and the the last 0.1% being unique? ;_;

Target demographics?

/shrug

The series featuring students aren't necessarily not unique. Denno Coil (one of my favorite series ever, in case anyone missed the memo) immediately comes to mind.

Back on topic: Has anyone else watched Angel Beats? Or am I alone in spotting shadows (emphasis on shadows in this sentence) of Christian truth in a very Japanese series?

 

[Kidan]

I'm not too certain how many Christian truths I found in it. And of course, the over-riding concept rides close to the thought of purgatory, and attempting to "pray/find peace" as a way out of it to a greater reward. Then there's the secondary conceit that the entire group is trying to fight against God in order to escape the thought of disappearing from the purgatory/limbo that they're stuck in.

Keero[/B]]Why does 97% of all Japanese Anime have to be with students from a school, the other 2.9% being mecha, and the the last 0.1% being unique? ;_;

The same reason that so many of our pop culture elements are in high school (look at Buffy, Peter Parker, the Ultimate X-Men)--and why they never really wanted Peter Parker to be able to get out of high school.

High school is something that we all experience, it's the closest thing to a shared experience that a majority of the populace can get behind. Not everyone goes to college, and not everyone has been a twenty-something in a big city.

Additionally, high school is a good key-word to get into a certain mindset. We expect high schoolers to be a certain way emotionally, thus it's easier to forgive an anime's central conceit just based around the fact that you could see a high school kid missing the signs that someone with more maturity and world experience wouldn't.

 

[The Mighty Gerbil]

Why does 97% of all Japanese Anime have to be with students from a school, the other 2.9% being mecha, and the the last 0.1% being unique? ;_;

Because it's human nature to want youth (I.E live forever), power and love. School is a convenient framework (or lazy framework) for providing youth and the social circumstance to meet many unknown people for love/friendship. Mecha, magic or whatever give you the power. People also like unknowns and using young protagonists allows more uncertainty or a journey of growth. When you are old you are expected to know everything and be set in your ways already (yeah right XD ) .

Also you hit a larger audience because both young and old people have been there and can relate. Where as the young have never been old .

What I want to know is how do real Japanese students find the time to actually watch the anime Japan produces considering its volume? They have a 6 day school week plus many go to cram school. There is also the ubiquitous after school clubs anime have though I don't know how real they are.

 

[Tek7]

Neirai's Edit: Oh no I should not post at 10:36. I totally accidentally hit the "Edit" button instead of the "Quote" button, thus eradicating what Tek said.

This is very embarrassing.

He was being very clever, too. He said something like "Angel Beats has some very good ideas in it that are close to Christian Truths. It's like watching a man who accidentally stumbles onto a marathon, runs at a breakneck speed for about 25 kilometers, then loses interest and enters a restaurant and eats a pizza, all without realizing that he ran, and almost won, the race."

Then he said something about this being a great resource for sharing your faith with anime-loving friends.

Then he said that the show did a lot to restore his faith in the idea of Truth being able to be conveyed through stories without the person needing to be aware (or reminded) of the theology, philosophies, and point of the author.

VERY embarrassing, I must say. Sorry, Tek!!

 

[Neirai the Forgiven]

Okay, now to post what I was going to say:

The concept of "art sneaking past watchful dragons" or non-didactic storytelling/teaching/reaching/evangelism comes from C.S. Lewis; I think he'd be happy to see that Tek has been rejuvenated by it.

Also, Angel Beats (which I haven't seen but now want to) is not the first example of a "Christian" anime I've seen. Once again, I direct you towards Shakugan no Shana. Which I just finished watching for the fourth time.

 

[Tek7]

The concept of "art sneaking past watchful dragons" or non-didactic storytelling/teaching/reaching/evangelism comes from C.S. Lewis; I think he'd be happy to see that Tek has been rejuvenated by it.

C.S. Lewis = my hero. (Nearly) everything I want to do with my writing, he's already done.

Also, Angel Beats (which I haven't seen but now want to) is not the first example of a "Christian" anime I've seen. Once again, I direct you towards Shakugan no Shana. Which I just finished watching for the fourth time.

Shana was indeed awesome. It seems most of the best anime series in recent memory are based off light novels.