“Examining Old School Anime” has enjoyed a long run, and now seems like a good time to end it. Finding theological topics within old school anime proves harder with each show. The Leijiverse brims with such topics, but sticking to Galaxy Express 999 would deprive this column of variety. Also, the art style of 60’s,… Read More The End of Examining Old School Anime
Towards the end of one episode of Saint Seiya, the girl running the fighting competition, Saori Kido, pleads with her deceased grandfather for advice on how to deal with the theft of the Golden Cloth armor. Rather than the monologue I expected, her late grandfather actually appears to her and gives her some consoling advice. He… Read More Examining Old School Anime: The Saints Point to Christ
Two old school anime got me thinking about this topic: Saint Seiya and Riki-Oh: The Wall of Hell. Most of our readers have never heard of the latter title, and it can’t be recommended to most. Riki-Oh is reminiscent of Fist of the North Star in its bloody martial arts violence, and 80’s anime tend not to shy… Read More Examining Old School Anime: The Effects of Tribulation
Most of you have likely not seen the original Vampire Hunter D, but I cannot recommend it enough to the fan of action, adventure, or gothic style horror. (The following article is clear of spoilers by the way.) Though, take warning: this film has plenty of blood and brief scenes of nudity–and try to find the… Read More Examining Old School Anime: D’s Silence
Watching the spellbinding fight between Shiryu and Seiya in Saint Seiya, aka Knights of the Zodiac, brought to mind both our Lord’s admonition to “be as wise as serpents” (Matt. 10:16) and a particular interpretation of this counsel. One thing that one comes to realize as one reads the Church Fathers and ecclesiastical writers through the time… Read More Examining Old School Anime: Be as Wise as Serpents
Recently, I started watching Saint Seiya, an old anime which has enjoyed more popularity overseas than in America, placing it in a similar category to The Rose of Versailles. The nearest series I can compare it to is Yu Yu Hakusho–probably due to the tournament, in which our cocky hero is compelled to compete. At any rate,… Read More Examining Old School Anime: Cosmic Power of Saints
But, what are we to make of a mere revenant of our heroes surviving? Does the sacrifice of the many for the sake of the few diminish the value of the few’s survival?… Read More Examining Old School Anime: On Self-Sacrifice