Hellsing - Christian or Not?

[Nigmeister]

My personal favourite anime is the Hellsing series.

For starters, if you've even heard of it please reply, because i have a hades of a time finding fellow admirers.

Would you say that this is a christian anime. The cross certainly features big, and the subtitle is quite christian ("in the name of God the impure souls of the living dead shall be banished into hell. Amen" - more or less) Also, The hellsing organisation is a protestant one, and Alucard's gun has the slogan "jesus christ is in heaven now" on it

On the other hand, the main character is a vampire, and the motif on his arm has a pentagram on it.
Any ideas?

 

[Dracil]

Christian? Mmmm..... based on certain myths (vampires) based on Christianity, sure.

Ok for Christians to watch? Sure.

But if you mean some other Christian, probably not.

Oh, and I also liked it.

 

[ozanaki tori]

I think there's a difference in having Christian mythological figurings and being "christian."

A Christian anime would be about peoples loving one another and turning the other cheek. Somehow I do not think a vampire would be involved.

Big-O had (before being butchered into english) a lot of Christian symbolism..but it's not Christian.

 

[Sheseala]

Based on Bram Stoker's Dracula. Here is a searchable online book version: http://www.online-literature.com/stoker/dracula/

I haven't got through that book yet, but it follows the idea that the character Helsing was a Christian, and he killed vampires. That and they make Sir Hellsing more restrained like the book character rather than the nutty one in the movie. Acutally Andersong reminds me of Van Helsing of the movie.

I thought how the show portrayed the Catholics was amusing, and that the writer must have actually done some research to know about the tension between churches in the area.

Love the show, though it's missing some things, like the manga has more about Victoria's shifting from police mascot to hunter vampire. The anime only hints at it, and for some reason expands her bust as the show goes on.

 

[SAint Mark]

Seen the anime and read the first two volumes of the manga. Pretty good especially the first episodes. As for it being christian... nope, not even by a long shot .

I'd say that there are many christian references like in many other anime series (many of which are quite oftenly just plain wrong ), but nothing that even remotely resembles a christian message.

If you would want to call Hellsing christian then you'd have to call any rock group/artist that has a cross hanging round their neck christian.

 

[Nigmeister]

True, but i wouldn't dismiss it so fast.

The hellsing series does not portray love and turning the other cheek, but it offers a symbolic view of the war between darkness and light - a parody, if you will. As it is, it is probably a more masonic than chrisian theology, but still...

btw, how are vampires based on christianity?

 

[ThePhoenix]

Christian? No. Good? Yeah.

 

[MewithoutYou]

lot's of anime's have christian symbolism in them but i don't think it makes them christian

 

[Jeszaramuhamadarthamusrex]

Vampires were inspired from a real disease called porphyria, where the person's skin blisters by the smallest bit of sunlight, they become anemic and need blood(not suck blood), while their gums shrink exposing their teeth, hence the vampire legacy.

 

[indonesianpalmtree]

Vampires were inspired from a real disease called porphyria, where the person's skin blisters by the smallest bit of sunlight, they become anemic and need blood(not suck blood), while their gums shrink exposing their teeth, hence the vampire legacy.

Yep, I'd say that pretty much sums it up..

But according to Babylonian myths, I think, the night owl drank the blood of pregnant women and babies. In Christian tradition, the night owl is the mythical Lilith, the supposed "first wife" of Adam.

I doubt that the Lilith story pans out, since it contradict Genesis, but there is a reference to lilith in Isaiah 34:14..

Spooky.

Also, lilith is also displayed in evangelion, but I'm not even going to start with that heap of nonsense. It is so blasphemous, I felt sick when I watched it.

A friend of mine is an animejunky, and he made a AMV of evangelion with suitepee (the falling of Christ) of system of a down. He told me he only used it because of its similarities with evangelion. Show me something more blasphemous than those two media combined and I'll really be impressed.

Anyway, drifting a bit, but whatever.

God bless!


EDIT: I just want to add that if evangelion means something different to you, then that's your opinion, and I'm not in a position to judge anyway. Just saying what I feel

 

[Campanella]

...[snip]....Also, lilith is also displayed in evangelion, but I'm not even going to start with that heap of nonsense. It is so blasphemous, I felt sick when I watched it.

Hello Indonesianpalmtree!

If i may interject...
Neon Genesis Evangelion was not written for a Christian public. THe director Hideaki Anno had no intentions of reaching the Christian audience, because the many judeo-christian imagery in the anime were rather metaphorical, or symbolic, which is fertile ground for the many levels of interpretation. As the narration in the television series progressed, the tone unravelled towards a darker one in its descent towards raw psychology a la Dostoyevski. Most stories, particularly the generic ones, contain a narrative that are monological or dialogic in nature, but the many tiered perspectives of the characters in NGE actually drive the story. THe plurality of the various perspectives gave NGE a polylogical rhapsody.

A friend of mine is an animejunky, and he made a AMV of evangelion with suitepee (the falling of Christ) of system of a down. He told me he only used it because of its similarities with evangelion. Show me something more blasphemous than those two media combined and I'll really be impressed.

I don't find neon genesis evangelion to be blasphemous because it wasn't intended to be seen as a honest presentation of Christian theism. The decision to go with religious imagery was an atheistic judgment, one that avoided appealing to what was familiar to the japanese audience.

 

[indonesianpalmtree]

Yes, yes I know.

But I sure hope an innocent Christian doesn't stuble upon it some day...

Plus, even if it isn't represented as being a valid Christian representation, it does offend the peacefulness, love and purity of Christ, so in other words, I'm only trying to bring the copyright situation in here.

Are Japanese folk supposed to think this is what Christianity is? Who gave the creator of NGE the right to use our faith as he sees fit? Do I make completely distorted movies about buddha? Because evangelion, with all its hate and morbidity as not what we stand for..

I'm just concerned for the ignorant..

God bless.

 

[Asur]

Yes, yes I know.

But I sure hope an innocent Christian doesn't stuble upon it some day...

Plus, even if it isn't represented as being a valid Christian representation, it does offend the peacefulness, love and purity of Christ, so in other words, I'm only trying to bring the copyright situation in here.

Are Japanese folk supposed to think this is what Christianity is? Who gave the creator of NGE the right to use our faith as he sees fit? Do I make completely distorted movies about buddha? Because evangelion, with all its hate and morbidity as not what we stand for..

I'm just concerned for the ignorant..

God bless.

Someone has to give someone the right to use Christian imigary? What are you talking about? When did you have to be given the right to use images? I really don't understand waht your talking about here as there are no copyrights on the ideas or images in the Bible (at least I beleive its public domain) and people can use them however they want. Also I think you miss the entire point. If a Christian watches this and actually believes it then I'm sorry, but I'd say they were either the weakest Christain in the world or weren't one ot begin with. THe story is not even close to true Christianity.

This line: I'm only trying to bring the copyright situation in here.

What copyright? The Bible is public domain.

I don't see how your getting so offended by something that isn't even intended to be a presentation of Christianity, much less a valid one.

 

[indonesianpalmtree]

OK, I'm made this too complicated then..

What I meant was: Would Christ watch it?

God bless.

 

[Campanella]

Asur has said it best, albeit with a bit more rancor than i would have.

Bottom line: art is not meant to be necessarily subservient to religious dogma.

As for Jesus, ignoring the anachronism in this question, i bet he would have watched it himself and perhaps got a laugh out of it, and see past the allegories themselves to the message Anno tried to convey. Why do i think so? Because as he was depicted in the Gospels Jesus was not a conservative person who obediently followed the customs of the day. He associated with the lowest of the low of the day, the taxpayers, the prostitutes, etc. That is why i don't think Jesus would be anything like what passes for a Christian today.

 

[indonesianpalmtree]

But He wouldn't intent to help the story as He tried to help those sinners, would he?

The story just sits there.. being wrong, faithfully.

I don't know, man..

These are just my thoughts..

Cheerio

God bless

 

[Asur]

But He wouldn't intent to help the story as He tried to help those sinners, would he?

The story just sits there.. being wrong, faithfully.

I don't know, man..

These are just my thoughts..

Cheerio

God bless

Sorry if that first reply was to hard.

Now I'm confused though by this: But He wouldn't intent to help the story as He tried to help those sinners, would he?

How can he help a story?

I also would like to know what exactly you object to. Could you state specific instances in the anime? You keep saying its wrong/blasphemous but don't state specific instances.

 

[Artema]

Sorry if that first reply was to hard.

Now I'm confused though by this: But He wouldn't intent to help the story as He tried to help those sinners, would he?

How can he help a story?

I also would like to know what exactly you object to. Could you state specific instances in the anime? You keep saying its wrong/blasphemous but don't state specific instances.

I dunno, Penguins drinking beer can be pretty scary things.

NGE bothered me solely because of the movie. It was interesting, and really messed with you mentally and made you think, but Shinji was such a coward and so selfish that it made me angry.

Can't say anymore without throwing down spoilers left, right and center. n.n'''

 

[Aburame]

Shinji was the most realistic character though. Thats why it was so good.

 

[SAint Mark]

Shinji was the most realistic character though. Thats why it was so good.

I disagree, he was TOO pathetic