Angel Beats and Christianity

[Kurama]

The anime series is set in a limbo (a state between life and death), which is characterised as a high school. The students living in the school have all had tragic lives, some of whom blaming God for everything. A minority join together to form the Afterlife Battlefront, in which they strive to ''rebel against'' God. They consistently target a girl whom they call Angel, the Student Council President, as they believe she is a servant of God, due to her responsibility of ensuring that all students find peace so that they may pass on (while the Battlefront want to remain in limbo permanently).

Sounds like a pretty anti-Christian anime...but after watching the series, I believe it is just the opposite. Trying to not spoil the plot, all I'll say is that the series gradually shifts from the main characters ''fighting'' God, to conducting introspection...finding reasons why their lives were so miserable in the first place, and making peace with it. One could say that God allowed the students to live in limbo in order to make peace with themselves, and Angel represented Him, much like Jesus (however that is an interpretation, it is not the premise of the entire plot, I won't spoil that!)


Anyway here's a sample from the first episode of the main character, Otonashi, fighting against Angel.

Angel Beats - Episode 1 Clip - YouTube

I have found the anime to be exhilarating, and it certainly is one of the most original series I have seen in a while. The anime contains some scenes which may break your heart in one moment and patch it up in the next. Even if you are not be an anime fan, I recommend that you watch Angel Beats!

 

[Bobby64]

Hmm, I stopped mid-way through the first episode due to its anti-religion stance. While I guess it might turn around, like you said, I still don't feel interested in it. The first episode had a lot of blood in it... Does that continue?

Cute avatar, by the way. Lucky Star was cute.

 

[Bristecom]

Yes, it is a very good anime and I also saw some ties to Christianity (as I often do). It starts out seemingly violent, then gets very funny, then gets rather serious and sad. I had my doubts at first too but after giving it a chance, I realized how good it was.

Bobby, it only seems that way at first. If you watch the next episode or two, you'll realize that they don't die and they're doing that because they think they need to. As the OP explained, their views change as it goes on. It's pretty interesting. But no, it is not a strictly Christian anime so if you're looking for strictly Christian animes, you may have to stick with Superbook. Although Superbook is not entirely Biblically accurate either.

 

[Kurama]

Bobby64

I too felt a little uncomfortable about Yuri and the rest of the Battlefront's words about God at the start. However what we have to understand is that Battlefront were very immature, to me this was very noticeable. We slowly realise that Angel might not be as evil as Battlefront sees her as, and gradually it is the sins of man that are to blame for all the troubles that will befall the characters (you'll be in for a surprise).

It is not a Christian anime...there probably has never been a significant one. However Angel Beats is not like Angelion, which simply uses Christian imagery to look cool, since it incorporates some Christian (as well as Buddhist) values to build up a story of love, compassion and loyalty. Angel Beats is not an anti-Christian series in that respect. As for blood and violence...as someone who has watched Elfen Lied, I can attest that Angel Beats does not have much blood. You'll come to realise that spiritual damage and emotional tragedies, which are very much present in the series, are far more shocking and saddening than any sort of violence.

Notwithstanding, I think you should begin watching the series again. At least finish the first episode, as the story progresses you'll see what I'm talking about...

Thanks, I haven't actually watched Lucky Star yet...but the characters look too cute!

Bristecom

JRR Tolkien wrote the Lord of the Rings. Although he said that LotR contained Christian values, he shunned against Christian allegorical use. This is why he objected to CS Lewis' Christian allegorism in his books (such as in Narnia). I believe that Tolkien, a practicing Catholic, would not have wanted Christianity to be imbedded within literature, since The Bible already serves that purpose. Tolkien thought it best that the feelings of love and compassion, which are greatly exemplified by Christianity, should be present in novels rather than allegories being used to promote Christianity.

I believe that Tolkien's view applies to Angel Beats. Although the anime is not a Christian allegory, it holds true to many of the teachings of Christ (though the director might have been unaware of this, but fans of the series can see it for themselves).

MASSIVE SPOILERS, do not read if you haven't seen series:

Spoiler: Angel Beats

There are four main events that give some reference to Christianity, in my opinion:

Firstly Kanade Tachibana (''Angel''), in all her selflessness and humility, is shown to help her fellow students make peace with their lives and pass on. However the Battlefront see Kanade as evil, and start torturing her by using violence and alienation. This is the same with Jesus and the Pharisees, as well as the torture He had to undergo.

Secondly Yuri Nakamura's love towards her friends can also be compared to Christ. Later on in the series, like Kanade and Yuzuru, Yuri pledges to help her friends find peace and pass on. However the AI behind the Angel Player noticed this, and thus called upon the Shadows to ''reset'' the Afterlife. Thus the AI can be seen as Satan, for it wants to strip the students the ability of passing on into their new lives, by using the Shadows to steal their souls and become NPCs.

Thirdly the AI tempting Yuri to ''become God'' by using the Angel Player can be compared to Satan tempting Eve to eat from the Tree of Knowledge. However Yuri declines, telling the AI that she already has put Kanade and her friends through enough trouble, and citing that she wanted to pass on. She then opens fire on the Angel Player in the computers, causing the AI to perish and thus allowing the rest of the students to pass on peacefully without the threat of the Shadows. This can be compared to Christ's defeat of sin, and His redemption of humanity, to allow us to die and pass on to heaven.

Lastly at the end of the series, Kanade cannot seem to tell Yuzuru how much she loves him. However she reveals to him that in her previous life, it was Yuzuru who had given her the heart transplant she needed so much. Yuzuru's death in the subway allowed Kanade to live longer due to having Yuzuru's heart donated to her. Kanade thanks Yuzuru for ''giving life to her'' and, after all her suffering and torment in the Afterlife, passes on peacefully. This can be compared to Christians accepting Christ's sacrifice on the cross, His gift of life to us. By accepting this, we will be able to pass on and not truly die. We cannot simply love Jesus, we must accept His sacrifice to truly pass on. Kanade probably always loved Yuzuru, but needed to thank him for his heart in order to find peace...

However it is all up to interpretation. What cannot be denied is that Angel Beats has a strong sense of love and sacrifice, which resonates in Christianity. I am not going to say that Angel Beats is a Christian anime, for it is not, but it is certainly not anti-Christian as some may initially believe

 

[Azureknight 773]

Ah! At last, someone here other than me watched that show to the end. I love the story as to how some would blame God only for God to send someone to help them in the end. God is never a Big Bad, He is a BIG GOOD ALL OF THE TIME! Yet people can't grasp it due to His immeasurable wisdom.

 

[Kurama]

Glad to know that we there's another Angel Beats fan here .

Well...spoiler time:

Spoiler: Angel Beats

It's pretty much clear that, even from the early episodes, that the whole premise of the series is not about fighting God, but more about finding peace themselves.

It's clear that, while the writers might not be giving out a wholly Christian message, they are most likely advocating predestination. It was destined that Kanade would receive Yuzuru's heart. It was destined that Yuzuru would drift into the Afterlife and meet Kanade, despite he himself already living a fulfilled life. It was destined that Yuri would vanquish the Angel Player in order to allow her friends to pass on peacefully.

Although the Afterlife Battlefront first claim that they're fighting against God, they're pretty much fighting against themselves since, in reality, they should pass on but instead they spend an eternity in fighting. God would have sent Yuzuru, who never needed to go to the Afterlife in the first place, to help the Battlefront pass on. It is also apparent that God ensured that Kanade got Yuzuru's heart, so that the two would have a connection (which could be another reason why Yuzuru came to the Afterlife, he was unknowingly being drawn by his own heart).

Ultimately God chose Yuzuru and Kanade to guide their friends through the Afterlife. Whether or not the two actually believe in Him is irrelevent, since they are doing what He would want anyway. Also I believe that Yuzuru and Kanade never said anything negative about God, they are definitely the most friendly and loving characters in the series, who act selflessly with compassion towards their friends. There's even one point (in ep. 10) when Yui tells Yuzuru that God is a meanie for ''ruining'' her previous life, to which Yuzuru tells her that's not true.

Anyway, if you want, you can go on this website: Angel Beats - Television Tropes & Idioms

It gives many different theories, and delves into the existence of God in Angel Beats. Lol, I'm still pretty much not over the story yet...I still wanna know so much more!

Well I think it's safe to guess that Kanade and Yuzuru are finally together again...

REMINDER TO ALL: Ensure to use the spoiler tab whenever giving any plot details away. You can do this by... [spoiler=''any topic'' ]INSERT TEXT[/spoiler ]

Just remove the spaces at the end, and you're set

 

[justbeyourbestself]

I love this anime,,, but I've not finished watching the entire episodes...

 

[Kurama]

I love this anime,,, but I've not finished watching the entire episodes...

Oh, then DO NOT look at the spoilers! There's just too much to give away...

Hope you enjoy watching the rest of the series, be sure to let me know what you think afterwards（‐＾▽＾‐）

 

[Rhamiel]

i will have to check this out...
I get really upset at how most of the world looks at christianity, and since the christian religion is in the minority in Japan, I would expect that it is even less faithful to accurate representation

 

[Kurama]

i will have to check this out...
I get really upset at how most of the world looks at christianity, and since the christian religion is in the minority in Japan, I would expect that it is even less faithful to accurate representation

Well I think you'll need to like anime to enjoy Angel Beats, since it has large amounts of references etc. As stated above, Angel Beats is by all means not a Christian anime, but it does contain some Christian (as well as Buddhist) theology. Take note that in the early episodes, you might find the anime to be anti-Christianity, due to the beliefs of the Afterlife Battlefront...but they change gradually (I won't reveal anymore).

Indeed, Japan is about 1% Christian (but the country has had 8 Christian Prime Ministers). Christian anime is generally not as popular as all the other genres. However that doesn't really matter...it's more about what the anime represents. JRR Tolkien, a devout Catholic, said that Christian allegories should not be used in literature, because we already have the Bible. However adding a few Christian references and theology, which can be interpreted by the reader, into literature is good (just like in the Lord of the Rings).

I stand with Tolkien on this one, and I believe his theory applies to Angel Beats (even if the director had nothing to do with Christianity, we can interpret things for ourselves)

 

[Azureknight 773]

I watched this twice, one in English Sub and one in English Dub and I cried more in the latter since it was in a language that I could understand.

 

[Florenzian Parameter]

i always see it in FB anime pages, but i dont seem to have interest on it..... but ill give it a try but i think ill end up not watching it because i have a lot of anime to watch

 

[Kurama]

Just give it a try, it's only 13 episodes.

Chances are you'll like it...

 

[chaoticfirefly]

For those thinking of watching it:

have tissues with you. It's a fair warning.

 

[Kurama]

For those thinking of watching it:

have tissues with you. It's a fair warning.

Agreed...I certainly used them. I mean...oh, not going to spoil it!

 

[Azureknight 773]

i always see it in FB anime pages, but i dont seem to have interest on it..... but ill give it a try but i think ill end up not watching it because i have a lot of anime to watch

You SHOULD give it a try since it is a wonderful anime and so many aesops can be seen back and forth.

 

[Paradoxum]

I might give this anime a go.

 

[alexamasan]

I love much of Key's anime. Clannad is my favorite romance of all time and Kanon was great too. But after I saw the first episode of Angel Beats, it turned me off personally because of their motto "No God, No Buddha, No Angels." Now, that doesn't mean you can't enjoy it, but just be aware that some of the things they teach us in anime are against those of Christianity. This of course doesn't just encompass anime, but much of today's entertainment.

 

[Kurama]

I love much of Key's anime. Clannad is my favorite romance of all time and Kanon was great too. But after I saw the first episode of Angel Beats, it turned me off personally because of their motto "No God, No Buddha, No Angels." Now, that doesn't mean you can't enjoy it, but just be aware that some of the things they teach us in anime are against those of Christianity. This of course doesn't just encompass anime, but much of today's entertainment.

I personally thought it was an anti-Christian anime. However, like in all good animes, each character has their own sentiments. Yuri is, however good her leadership, still a child and she might jump to conclusions. You'll come to realise after a few of the episodes that the Afterlife Battlefront is not entirely a force of good...

A lot of anime could be considered anti-Christian in that context...but I think that if we look deeper, the feelings and emotions the Angel Beats exhibits is Christian. The virtues of friendship, love and humility are all present; and I highly doubt that the director had any anti-Christian sentiment. Rather, he simply wants to highlight the sheer immaturity of the Afterlife Battlefront.

 

[WisdomTree]

It's definitely not pro-Christian, but I wouldn't go as far as to say that it is deliberately anti-Christian either.

In a way, the setting of the story kind of resembles purgatory without all the burning.