Why Do I Find Anime Evil? Is Anime Bad for Christians?

[Danny34]

I know there is a thread under me that says Anime is a tool of Satan or something like that, but I really want you guys who read this thread to tell me that I am wrong. I'll tell you this: that watching things with demons and other satanic elements and things that are not from God or the Bible will eventually tend to further away God's presence from you. For example, I know Naruto is frowned upon by Christians because of its contents such as demons and energy and all these other things. But what about the other shows? Like the ones about everyday life or school drama (you know what I'm talking about), what about those shows, are there spiritual dangers of anime there?
Another reason I avoid anime is because... well... most of you who watch is are... tend to be... anti-social and weird. I'm sorry, you really are and it makes me think that if I look at anime I will turn into one of those anti-social people who watch this stuff all day.
Is watching anime the same as, lets say, playing World of Warcraft? You know? A "You could be doing something better with your life" type of ordeal. Is this why anime is frowned upon also?
Is it the same as liking Star Wars too much? Dressing up? All these things?
I still feel uncomfortable watching anime, even if it doesn't have anything that's against the Bible or anything sexual.
Someone, anybody, please tell me this fear of mine is stupid and tell me why. I'm serious .

 

[Qyöt27]

It always depends on who you ask as to what theological answer you get. Some small groups of Christians are ardently opposed to fantasy of any kind, while the majority of the others couldn't care less about it. So even that blurb about Naruto or spiritual depictions in fiction isn't universally true. And even at that, if you're opposed to those kinds of elements in works of pure fiction, it would stand to reason you should be just as opposed to things like Greek mythology. The obvious difference there is that Greek myths were really believed by people at some point. Yet I never see these sorts of accusations leveled against retelling stories from ancient mythology, just against modern fiction which no sane person would ever put belief in. As for mundane comedies and dramas, there's nothing intrinsically special about anime as opposed to domestic live-action comedies and dramas. It being animated doesn't a difference. A comedy is a comedy, a drama is a drama.

The rest of those points have very very little to do with anime itself. Any group of fans of something - whatever it is - will have the obsessive ones that take things too far and get on everybody's nerves. But judging the entire group based on that small portion is just not accurate at all. Like most cases of this, though, the obsessive ones are an extremely vocal minority, leading to the impression by outside observers that they're more numerous than they really are. The idea that it can 'infect' you and turn you anti-social is pretty much just guilt by association run amok. The 'you could be doing something better with your time' argument can be used against any sort of entertainment, the particular form that it takes doesn't really matter. That's what entertainment is. The purpose of entertainment is to relax and engage one's imagination (well, usually) - whether through the escapism that fiction provides or the catharsis of a comedy or drama or even through the learning of a technical or historical program or something else that aligns with your interests. It's also why people listen to music.


The differences in perception in the second paragraph are much easier to reconcile - all you'd have to do is find people in real life (or online, but real life has more of an impact due to tangible relation to the observer) that don't fit that stereotype, and in fact seem to be the opposite of that stereotype. The type of person that simply enjoys it for what it is, like any other sort of movie or TV show or book, comic or otherwise. There's also another thing to consider here: as much as I'm loathe to admit it, the obsessive type of fan is often (not totally, but very often) a new fan, whereas the ones who defy the stereotype are much more mature fans that have had the time to balance out over the years. I'd also be more willing to concede that in new fans, the older someone is at first interest will be tied to their being less obsessive about it in general.

The theological stuff is far more contentious than realizing that the anti-social perception of anime fans is just a stereotype. Namely because theology is wrapped up in someone's worldview, and the idea that others don't see it the same way can be alien to what one is raised to believe, by which it simply seems odd and unfamiliar but not necessarily wrong, or it can be seen as actually against your beliefs. In either case, you'd be stepping into territory that would make you feel conflicted. You'd either continue to reject it out of it feeling weird to you or because your worldview tells you it's wrong, or you could accept the differences and grow beyond what you were raised to believe because you see that what you were taught about it wasn't entirely true. And that latter part is something that lies at the heart of pretty much every religious crisis, and the only answer to that is the individual's personal convictions, which are between them and God. As a person gets older, they generally do start having to figure out on their own what they themselves believe, and it doesn't always match what they were raised to believe. That realization and the individual's acceptance of such is a difficult process, and while hearing others' opinions and seeing the difference in practice firsthand can assist in that, it still is very much a personal conflict that nobody else but you can resolve.

 

[Danny34]

Amazing, You've just told me exactly what I needed to hear, the matter I want it to hear it. I am just going to continue trying to view anime, without the conflicting thoughts. If anyone else wants to contribute to my post, please go ahead.
Thank you again.

 

[christlover83]

Some of them have very bad sexual influences but many are good but some can use devil magic too!!

 

[bitter2sweet]

you kind sound like those kids in high school who think people who like anime are weird nerds.
I think you scared you will be addicted because the plots to the stories are so good that you can not help but see what your favorite character will do but people do not know how to control themselves. as for myself i watch anime occasionally since i have school and not a lot of free time.

its like if you have a favourite book you just can not put it down

 

[Mizuti]

There are some anime series that I would stay away from, but others (especially the ones about kids growing up, doing normal school stuff, joining clubs, hanging out with their friends) are good. Toradora has been a recent favourite of mine. The other thing with a lot of the anime series is to know that it's from someone's imagination and that it's not real.

But like just about anything, too much is a bad thing. If you're going to spend 12 hours a day watching it or neglect stuff you're supposed to do, then that's not a good thing. But watching a few episodes (an hour or so) a couple times a week of a wholesome show probably isn't harmful. Really, how would it be different than watching stuff that airs on prime time television?

 

[Bryant the Believer]

Anime is like anything else, if you watch it as a hobby and use it to have fun then it should be ok. If you follow their lifestyles and become obsess with it, then that's a problem. I use to be so obsessed with the anime "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya" that I would pretend she was a goddess (I wasn't a Christian then). I regret it now, but there is a line. It's like with real life shows like sports and reality shows. If you like the team (like I am with Dallas Cowboys in American Football) then it's ok, but if you get irate and even homicidal/suicidal if the team lose and bet on them and stuff, then it went to far. As far as anime always being associated to nerds and anti-social people, it depends, anime is still a small hobby in the states and it makes more sense to like anime than sports (which I like) or reality shows, but the last two are consider 'cool' in our society.

 

[Caedmon]

I've been watching anime for years, and look where it got me.

 

[Cc4FuzzyHuggles]

WARNING! this post is a wall of text.
​

From my point of view, and to put it bluntly, yes, anime is evil or at least almost all anime has evil in it. But there are still some neutral animes. But that is just my opinion.

However, let me give my perspectives on further details....

1) I'm not the one who decides what's evil.

I myself have mixed feelings on if it's bad just "watching" anime. Since I try to watch it with a discerning eye and disagree with lots of the content. And I also try to have a pretty good wall up against the lies and corruptions that can be found in anime. However, it does get hard admitting some animes are evil even if they don't appear evil.
But I don't like the idea of making excuses about what is evil or not evil just because I like it. It is not me or what I like and don't like that decides what is evil, it is God who knows what's evil and says what's evil.

2) Anime vs Regular T.V. shows.

The way I see it, anime really is no worse then what you see on regular T.V., it's just animated and not real.
Unless you watch Christian T.V. stations 24/7 your going to see things which probably are evil or have evil in them. Because lets face it, God has a pretty big list of what he considers evil, and most T.V. shows anime or not, have nothing to do with God and are simply made to satisfy their audiences. (Their worldly audience.)

But, anime does have it's good points unlike most T.V. shows.
Anime has a much larger variety of things to watch, so it's not like, whatever's popular is the only option. The evil things tend to be the popular things, but lucky we don't have to watch those thanks to the large verity.
Anime's also fun as it's like watching a story instead of reading a story in a book. So if you actually like stories it's a nice change of pace compared to whatever's on T.V.
And, because it's not real people it dose have that more fun feel to it.

But most of all, depending on what anime you watch, anime unlike average T.V., does support love, friendship, team work, helping one another, smiles, positive attitudes, dreams/reaching dreams, not giving up, strong characters, and pushing through the hard times.
There's surprisingly a descent amount of actually good content in anime that you just can't find or get from regular T.V. shows. But again, it really does depend on what you watch.
Or you can watch the Slice-of-Life animes and it really is just cartooned people instead of real people.
So, I do have to say, anime is still a GREAT alternative to regular T.V. shows.

Would I recommend you watch anime?

I know I just gave anime a positive bump, and I used to like it so much that I was addicted to it, and it's still pretty much the only thing I watch (other then Godly shows.) ....
But, I still can't really recommend anime as I do admit many animes ARE EVIL and most animes at least HAVE evil IN THEM.
God gives us gut feelings on what's right and wrong (I call it the holy spirit talking). He has given me that feeling back when I first started anime, but I couldn't resist anime and still fell for it. I look back on things now, and I fully see, that feeling was right.

So, as a fellow Christian, although I would love for you to like anime and be a anime crazy like me, so we can chat it up, I know that being honest with you and not leading you into evil is best.
So, I cannot recommend anime.


However, if you do watch anime and still want to enjoy it, then I at least have some warnings and tips. Some of which you might already know of or have realized. But anyways....

3) Be discerning!!

Depending on the anime, ANYTHING can be made to seem as "good". Literally, they can make suicide into a beautiful work of art. It's scary on how easy they can make wrongful things into something "acceptable" or "ok".

For individual animes, the anime it's self might be fun and have good aspects to it like positive thoughts and supports loyal friendships, but they will have their other content that is not-so-good if you go with what's right and wrong according to God. The content in anime is very mixed. So I don't think all animes ARE evil, they just have evil IN THEM. (and vise-versa)

And just like regular T.V. shows, anime likes to try and bring their viewers into lust. So be careful with that.

Also, most anime has no "God". So when characters need strength it's normally "self strength". They don't have God who strengthens them through all things. Instead their strength comes from themselves, friends, and emotions (normally anger, revenge, and rage.) Anime is a world without God, which is sad, and technically, going to be evil just because of that. A world that takes out God is Evil. But I guess these days most T.V. is a world with out God too.

So, to sum things up, if you do watch anime, do NOT get your life lessons from anime, remember to get your life lessons from God and the Bible. Keep anime as anime.
And be careful you don't fall for lies or deception when they make things God calls "wrong" into things that seem "right".

4) And to finish things up, here is a quote from another forums I like to play at...

"So, the staff of CAA (not to mention its members!) has noticed that a lot of you are wondering when you join CAA: does any "Christian" anime actually exist? To answer this question for future reference, we've decided to sticky a thread about it. After all, it is a valid question, especially for those new to anime and/or Christianity. Unfortunately, the answer to the question of the existence of any anime deliberately created with a Christian mindset is: "no, not really." There are two anime, called "Superbook" and "Flying House," that were made back in the 80s that told Bible stories to children, but other than that, the results are few.

So why are there so few "Christian" anime out there? Frankly, the main reason is that the Christian population in Japan is nearly as small as the percentage of "Christian" anime.

That being the case, why do so many anime series features crosses, nuns, priests, and the like? Mainly because just as Americans are fascinated with the Eastern culture (yin-yangs on t-shirts and Buddhas in candleholders at Target, for instance), the Japanese are fascinated with the Western culture, and they see Christianity as part of that.

Unfortunate as this may sound to some of you, it certainly doesn't mean that you can't find any anime that portray themes that resonate with Christianity. Basically, treat anime just like you would any other form of entertainment--think critically, use the reviews we provide, and have fun!"


That's all! Sorry it was so long! ^^
I hope I was able to help. And I know you like anime, but remember to listen to God if he's trying to tell you something. God loves you, he's out to protect you. I've learned this the hard way.

And by the way, this was all my opinion and my perspectives from personal experiences. So I apologize if others disagree or were offended by my view of things.

 

[Rion]

Amazing, You've just told me exactly what I needed to hear, the matter I want it to hear it. I am just going to continue trying to view anime, without the conflicting thoughts. If anyone else wants to contribute to my post, please go ahead.
Thank you again.

You might try Trigun. It has a rather (very Japanese-based) Christian take on things. It's essentially asking about non-violence, and when, or if, it's okay to use violence to stop evil.

 

[usagi444]

I know there is a thread under me that says Anime is a tool of Satan or something like that, but I really want you guys who read this thread to tell me that I am wrong. I'll tell you this: that watching things with demons and other satanic elements and things that are not from God or the Bible will eventually tend to further away God's presence from you.

I don't believe anime is for everyone, and I certainly don't believe some of them should be watched by children. I think I am old enough, however, to discern what is real and what is make-believe. Not everything in it is Godly, perhaps, but it is only a TV show afterall. There are some worse things on American TV but many people don't seem to have a problem with that. Also, while there are things in there that are fictitious, not of the Bible, etc, the two shows I am currently watching, Sailor Moon and Tokyo Mew Mew, have both subtly shown the power of Christianity. Actually, I think the Sailor Moon example MIGHT have even been eliminated in the English, but there is an episode I just watched where the evil people attacked a priest and Sailor Moon said, "In the name of God, I will punish you". Also, Zakuro in Tokyo Mew Mew (the purple girl or Renee) is shown in her first episode praying at a church, she wears a cross, and her weapon to defeat evil is a pair of whips that come from the cross. In other words, it COULD be interpreted as "Christianity defeats evil". I think people just need to stop taking things so seriously, and see that amidst all of the demons, what tends to happen (at least in the anime shows I've watched so far) is that good triumphs over evil, not the other way around.

 

[Caedmon]

Lucky for me, I don't have to discern what's evil and what's not. If I'm interested in a film or series, I simply watch it. Then I discern whether it's good stuff, or absolute crap. And I think that's the way anime should be judged, considering it comes from a culture that doesn't draw strong lines between good and evil, that doesn't have to have a winner or loser, a purely righteous hero or a purely evil villain. It should simply entertain you and provoke you to think. That is all.

 

[chews]

I haven't been on this site for a while, and really need to update my profile lol. Not why I logged in though. I noticed this discussion and thought someone might find this new series helpful. I put a good amount of time into making this, not yet to the quality level I eventually wish to achieve, however it is a step in the right direction as I get used to speaking to a non present audience.

 

[Hikarifuru]

I know there is a thread under me that says Anime is a tool of Satan or something like that, but I really want you guys who read this thread to tell me that I am wrong. I'll tell you this: that watching things with demons and other satanic elements and things that are not from God or the Bible will eventually tend to further away God's presence from you. For example, I know Naruto is frowned upon by Christians because of its contents such as demons and energy and all these other things. But what about the other shows? Like the ones about everyday life or school drama (you know what I'm talking about), what about those shows?
Another reason I avoid anime is because... well... most of you who watch is are... tend to be... anti-social and weird. I'm sorry, you really are and it makes me think that if I look at anime I will turn into one of those anti-social people who watch this stuff all day.
Is watching anime the same as, lets say, playing World of Warcraft? You know? A "You could be doing something better with your life" type of ordeal. Is this why anime is frowned upon also?
Is it the same as liking Star Wars too much? Dressing up? All these things?
I still feel uncomfortable watching anime, even if it doesn't have anything that's against the Bible or anything sexual.
Someone, anybody, please tell me this fear of mine is stupid and tell me why. I'm serious .

I won't touch on the theological problem because I don't believe in such things but I will say that I think you have a personal problem with loving and accepting yourself for who you are and what you feel and also accepting people that aren't appealing to you.

There is nothing wrong with people who cosplay or stay at home or have a waifu or are a weaboo. If that's what makes them happy then that's a good thing. You don't need to be afraid of being like that, if you were like that way you'd be happy that way... and there would be nothing wrong with it anyway. Those people don't need your acceptance and you shouldn't need anyone else's acceptance. The happiness and peace something brings you is the most important thing, nothing that someone else thinks is that important.

Part of the reason anime is the way it is, is because our culture and world is oppressive and cruel and we are not allowed to live out these feelings and ideas and actions, so we make amazing movies that express all we desire and love and crave, all the happiness we want but never have in this world. It's a special thing that needs to be cherished, and there's nothing wrong with it. I want to be a hero and save the world, but I can't so I have anime heros that I love so much. There's nothing wrong with these feelings, and you should try to come to a place of peace and acceptance to where you don't need someone to prove to you, that you're ok. Those people who convinced you that you weren't, they were wrong.

 

[Hikarifuru]

wow, this thread is really old :O

 

[chews]

just a little

 

[one-light]

I am not here to judge what considers a good / bad anime, or whether it is wrong or right for christians to watch anime. The bible does not prohibit christians from watching anime or TV shows, and whether it is anime / tv drama / movie / novel / manga / magazines / newspaper, there are always ones that I think we need to be aware of and stay away from because it is against biblical values.
I will list a few examples:
1) Those that promote violence, hatred and revenge. Lots of these exist in entertainment and not just anime. Nevertheless, I do enjoy watching martial arts / super-hero genres but only if the purpose is for self-defence / to protect the weak / not to create chaos or suffering in others.
2) sexual immorality, lust, 'fan-service' (display of nudity for the purpose of lust), etc. Again, these are common not just in anime but in many entertainment industries. Of course, not all anime fall under this category but you need to be aware of those that do and avoid.
3) Those that advocate sinful behaviours such as lies, deceit, selfishness, drugs etc. Again, I will avoid.
4) those that openly speak out against god / condemn the bible and god - I am not sure if such anime exists, but I will avoid them.
Besides those, there are some other important considerations:
1) Don't become too obsessed - too much of anything is not good especially if it deprives me from spiritual growth and spending time studying the bible.
2) It's common to like the characters in anime but we should not 'idolise them' or 'worship them'.

Having said that, I like watching (some) super hero anime because it makes me feel good watching heroes helping the weak and vulnerable. I also like watching medical anime that features doctors helping the sick. Despite lots of bad publicity, there is still anime that does not go against biblical teaching and entertaining.