My Thoughts on Anime
Due to a lack of urgent things to do right now- and a comment from one 'JD' who found my humble blog how? Through Basiame?- and my resolve earlier to update this blog, here are my thoughts on anime. Be warned, these aren't very organised, kind of as they come to me, rather in order of importance and whatnot.
I chose to see anime as a valid art/entertainment form, like any other. That is in the short, my philosophy of anime. Just like watercolours, sculpturing, black-and-white photography and dance. Of course in my opinion it's a little more interesting than all of those. :)
So, having decided that anime is valid art/entertainment, it's quite easy to see that there is both good and bad anime, appropriate and inappropriate anime.
Despite the fact that it is, as JD put it 'a product of distinctly Buddhist civilization', natural law is in everyone whether they know what it's called or not. Things like 'murder is a sin', 'do unto others...', 'there's Someone/thing bigger than us', 'there is such a thing as good and evil' etc. If I'm being overly simplistic/omitting important points, I blame my as yet unfinished education in philosophy- thus far about all I know is that I don't know much and that wonder is very important (two semesters of philosophy in one sentence).
Oh- and despite many recommendations and several people shouting at me, I still haven't seen Akira... but I heard it was _really_ weird.
Two series right off that I think of as being very recommendable are Rurouni Kenshin and Full Metal Alchemist. It will be difficult for me to avoid spoilers so I'll try to keep my descriptions short...:D
Rurouni Kenshin
Rurouni Kenshin is set in the tenth year of the Meji era, ten years after the Bakmatsu and the fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate. The main character is Himura Kenshin, a hitokiri or assassin during the Bakmatsu. After the revolution, he swore that he would never kill again and would live out his days protecting the weak and wandering Japan (hence 'Rurouni'). The anime follows his journey as he finds a place to stay and friends who become his family. There is a very positive message of redeeming one's self (and if you aren't Christian to begin with, that can't be Pelagianism!;)) through good works. Also, and perhaps more importantly, the idea that one must not simply be willing to die for a cause, but to live for it too is shown dramatically to say the least. Though unfortunately, my father who has only seen bits and pieces of the series chalked up the little he saw to Buddist nihilism... he didn't even listen to the dialog- I attempted to explain what had happened and he totally brushed me off... I'd attempt to explain again on here except it has massive spoilers. So I'll just say if you've watched Eps 41-44 you'll know what I'm talking about.
Unfortunately, the Kenshin series has something like four arcs, or so I am told. I watched the first two, the 'Tokyo' and 'Kyoto' arcs with great enjoyment, but then I found out about the so-called 'Christian' arc where apparently some nutcase thinks he's the next incarnation of Jesus and should lead the Japanese Christians to rebel against the government... or something... I haven't watched it, so I don't know. I'm just going to pretend it never happened....
Hm... I'm almost tempted to leave it to Coriel to write a review for Full Metal but since I started this I ought to finish it. It'll just be shorter. First of all, Full Metal Alchemist gets an 'F' for theology, yet still manages to impart some very good messages, such as the value of friendship, appreciation for the fragile and precious gift that is life, acknowledgement that there is no equivalent for an immortal soul, and that suicide is a bad idea. Sorry, this is very simplistic... I challenge Coriel to do a better job!:D
I'm certain I'll return to My Thoughts on Anime for a Part II or even Part III at some point in time, but now my creative juices are crying out for me to get finished with this one AMV so I can start another one... thank goodness it's summer!
Oh...
Ja ne!
I chose to see anime as a valid art/entertainment form, like any other. That is in the short, my philosophy of anime. Just like watercolours, sculpturing, black-and-white photography and dance. Of course in my opinion it's a little more interesting than all of those. :)
So, having decided that anime is valid art/entertainment, it's quite easy to see that there is both good and bad anime, appropriate and inappropriate anime.
Despite the fact that it is, as JD put it 'a product of distinctly Buddhist civilization', natural law is in everyone whether they know what it's called or not. Things like 'murder is a sin', 'do unto others...', 'there's Someone/thing bigger than us', 'there is such a thing as good and evil' etc. If I'm being overly simplistic/omitting important points, I blame my as yet unfinished education in philosophy- thus far about all I know is that I don't know much and that wonder is very important (two semesters of philosophy in one sentence).
Oh- and despite many recommendations and several people shouting at me, I still haven't seen Akira... but I heard it was _really_ weird.
Two series right off that I think of as being very recommendable are Rurouni Kenshin and Full Metal Alchemist. It will be difficult for me to avoid spoilers so I'll try to keep my descriptions short...:D
Rurouni Kenshin
Rurouni Kenshin is set in the tenth year of the Meji era, ten years after the Bakmatsu and the fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate. The main character is Himura Kenshin, a hitokiri or assassin during the Bakmatsu. After the revolution, he swore that he would never kill again and would live out his days protecting the weak and wandering Japan (hence 'Rurouni'). The anime follows his journey as he finds a place to stay and friends who become his family. There is a very positive message of redeeming one's self (and if you aren't Christian to begin with, that can't be Pelagianism!;)) through good works. Also, and perhaps more importantly, the idea that one must not simply be willing to die for a cause, but to live for it too is shown dramatically to say the least. Though unfortunately, my father who has only seen bits and pieces of the series chalked up the little he saw to Buddist nihilism... he didn't even listen to the dialog- I attempted to explain what had happened and he totally brushed me off... I'd attempt to explain again on here except it has massive spoilers. So I'll just say if you've watched Eps 41-44 you'll know what I'm talking about.
Unfortunately, the Kenshin series has something like four arcs, or so I am told. I watched the first two, the 'Tokyo' and 'Kyoto' arcs with great enjoyment, but then I found out about the so-called 'Christian' arc where apparently some nutcase thinks he's the next incarnation of Jesus and should lead the Japanese Christians to rebel against the government... or something... I haven't watched it, so I don't know. I'm just going to pretend it never happened....
Hm... I'm almost tempted to leave it to Coriel to write a review for Full Metal but since I started this I ought to finish it. It'll just be shorter. First of all, Full Metal Alchemist gets an 'F' for theology, yet still manages to impart some very good messages, such as the value of friendship, appreciation for the fragile and precious gift that is life, acknowledgement that there is no equivalent for an immortal soul, and that suicide is a bad idea. Sorry, this is very simplistic... I challenge Coriel to do a better job!:D
I'm certain I'll return to My Thoughts on Anime for a Part II or even Part III at some point in time, but now my creative juices are crying out for me to get finished with this one AMV so I can start another one... thank goodness it's summer!
Oh...
How about an anime version of The Man Who Was Thursday?That. Would. Be. So. COOL!!! :D I like it!! About the only thing better might be an anime version of 'The Ball and the Cross'!!
Ja ne!
3 Comments:
Адміністратор блогу видалив цей коментар.
Also you could ttempt to compare it with pagan literature. The theology is a bit off, but there are still the things that follow Christian thinking. Such as those things mentioned above.
I can't think of all I want to say right now, its late.
Plus, I don't know much about anime. I'm just going off what I've been told.
Ok, now I see what you were talking about. I can't say that I've really given FMA any incredibly deep thought, but I'll put something together for you.
Дописати коментар
<< Home