Is Anime/Japanese Music Safe For Christians? A Deep Analysis

Hello! Nostalgia here! If this is your first time on my blog, welcome! I know there are articles and videos covering ‘if Christians should watch anime’, but I’m here to focus more on Japanese music. However, since anime is riddled with music, it’s only natural that I will have to talk about both.

[And also, didn’t I find just the perfect cover photo for this article? It’s from an anime called “Angel Beats”. It used to be on my favourite list and I’ve watched it a few times. Probably the first anime to actually make me cry…even when I rewatch it. I also had their full album and have listened to it quite a bit back then. I was hoping to cover a song or two with my band, but we never got to it. The show talks about ‘God’ and the afterlife, so it encapsulates all I want to talk about in this article. I reference the show in Shinto/Buddhist section of this article]

A bit about me, I was born and raised in a Christian home, but I also watched anime on TV like the average 90s kid, not knowing that they were animes or that they came from Japan. In middle school, I started watching Digimon online (a show that seemed too violent and scary for 6yo me, but my bro was obsessed with it, so I wanted to give it a second chance) and fell in love with the positive messages and lessons. I especially loved Kari who was so kind, selfless, and forgiving, like Jesus.

I also came across the original opening “Butterfly”, which was so beautiful and meaningful compared to the English rap track. I did some research and only found out then that all my favourite chilidhood shows (Pokemon, Sailormoon, Cardcaptors, Yugioh, Beyblade, Hamtaro, etc) were from Japan. Not only did I become super curious about this little island, but I also fell in love with Japanese music, and it has made up the majority of the music that I’ve listened to since.

I then became obsessed with Japan. The music, shows, dramas, food, culture, electronics, martial arts, language, fashion….if something was Japanese, I certainly looked into it at some point. I was not shy or embarrassed about my interests either, so I was often mocked by family and asked ‘when am I going to move there?’ Thankfully, there was at least a small community of anime fans at my school, and some are still close friends to this date.

And as an adult, not wanting to die with regrets (dramas like “1 Litre of Tears” certainly made me think), I pursued my dreams like crazy. The first thing I did was book a solo trip to Japan. Having faced quite a few fears then, I gained so much confidence to pursue other dreams of mine, and that includes playing with a band on stage. And thus, Chromatic Dreamers (this blog which started to promote my rookie anime cover band) was born, and we have since performed at a couple conventions and even a festival!

So, growing up as a legalistic Christian who didn’t mind the law, clearly I didn’t see an issue with the music or shows that I indulged in. Compared to Western media that focused more on love/lust, violence, love of money and fame, partying and living for tonight, rebellion, drugs and drinking, etc…..Japanese content seemed so pure as they talked about being courageous, chasing your dreams, saving the world, valuing your friends, and becoming a better you.

So, now you may be thinking that this will be a biased article, right? But it won’t. Not only do I work in a field where I need to analyze and report data without bias, but when I understood the true gospel and became a born again believer last year, the spiritual world became real to me.

I instantly lost interest in Jmusic (and any music really) and preferred silence or educational Christian content. Outside of what I played in my hand, I really haven’t listened to anything new since then. I have also since repented (changed my mind) about various things, such as Christmas/Easter, Yoga, Martial Arts, etc (More about my thoughts on my Christian Journal page).

I share all this so you know I’m not coming from a place of judgement and ignorance. I didn’t just spend 30 minutes doing research to make an article exposing how bad something is like many Youtubers do. I’m not one of those street preachers who pop up at anime conventions telling people they are an abomination and going to hell….I’ve been inside and have performed at conventions. At one point, I even carried the title of Otaku, and was proud of it.

Additionally, I am someone who has heard more J-music than most anime fans have, and have explored many artists that aren’t associated with anime at all. I understand the language and culture enough to really analyze where the lyrics are coming from. I learned lyrics to Japanese songs, made a whole band to cover it, and a blog to write about it. I’ve learned the routines to various Jpop dances, and I can play standard on a DDR machine.

Yet, after 16 years of indulging in Japanese music, and even making money with my products on the topic, I am not only willing to drop it, but to also stand up and speak against it. If it doesn’t align with God or His Word, I don’t care to indulge in it. And because I am blessed to have this platform, I also want to share my discoveries and warn others of it’s dangers and anti-biblical ideas.

So here’s the main points that I plan to cover in this article. Japanese music, as a whole, isn’t suitable for Christians because:

• Japanese Music has dark themes and dwells on frustrating and depressing feelings without providing any real hope or solutions. This contradicts the peace, joy, and hope that comes from a relationship with God. Japan has the 2nd biggest music industry, and yet suicide rates remain one of the highest.
• Japan is deeply rooted in Shinto beliefs which acknowledges various gods, which is something God hates. Japanese culture also promotes a passive and accepting attitude of life, even if they aren’t happy with it. Without a sovereign deity, people feel they are left to save the world and solve their problems on their own. This is contrary to our faith in which God is personal and invasive, protects his people, and gives eternal joy that the world cannot take away. And,
• Like anything else, the art form can become an idol or distraction that pulls us away from God.

J-music is a huge industry, so unless I were to write a novel about it, I will have to look at it as a whole. like I did with anime in my 12 Anime Tropes that Made Me a Better Christian article. Even if these art forms had a positive impact on me, that doesn’t change the fact that it is riddled in countless sinful, demonic, and un-biblical characters, plots, and concepts. If you’re not a fan already, and/or if you struggle with sins such as lust or anger, it’s probably not the best to indulge in from a Christian standpoint.

So, let’s get to it!

What I Loved About Japanese Music

So when I tell you I loved Japanese Music, I do truly mean that. I was so invested, it’s not funny. But here’s the thing: I didn’t know anything about the artists, nor was I attracted to them because I didn’t watch MVs or looked them up. I loved it simply because of what I heard, and what drew me in from the start was their unique and unpredictable chord progressions.

It made my ears perk up and I had to tune in because it’s so unusual from what we’d normally hear on the radio. The song would finish and there was nothing I could really cling to, no hook or catchy lyrics, so I would have to listen to it a few times to understand and remember the flow of the track. As Marty Friedman puts it, it’s like a story, it takes you on a journey.

I certainly couldn’t be attracted to the lyrics because I didn’t understand that. I didn’t start studying the language until 5 years after I got into it. And even then, conversational Japanese is nothing like lyrically or fantasy Japanese, thus why I made the Japanese Lyric Dictionary and Anime/Gaming/J-Music Study Guide. If I didn’t get to read the subtitles during an anime opening, and I wasn’t looking at the translation as I learned the lyrics to the song, I was oblivious for the most part.

BUT, with the title, the chord progressions, the orchestration, the groove, and the emotion from the singer’s voice, you can usually understand what the song is about regardless. There has been many times when I looked up the translation of a song I’ve been listening to for years and was like ‘yup, I had a feeling that was what the lyrics were talking about’.

Here’s a couple songs just so you can understand what I’m talking about (and mind you, growing up many years without the internet, I rarely ever watch MVs. I even used an iPod shuffle for many years so I wouldn’t even know the titles of some songs either XD All I had was my ear, yet, I could still feel and comprehend what the song was about.

All of that was something I couldn’t find, or at least not consistently, in the West. Musicals may be the closest genre in that regard, but when most popular songs usually talk about the same thing, and labels only care to put out what they know will succeed, there’s nothing new or interesting for my ears musically. Thus, all that it had for me was the lyrics, but it was usually shallow, sinful, or just basic.

Japan, however, encourages and embraces all kinds of genres and sounds, techno, math rock, jazz, metal etc, and they would even mix genres in the same song. Kids grow up learning to play instruments and understand music theory. And then anyone can release anything on a platform and top charts! People will actually support small artists and groups at local venues. Music is needed for animes, dramas, video games, commercials etc, so it’s no wonder that they have the 2nd biggest music industry!

However, after I became a true born again Christian last year, I now need to guard my soul and be more cautious of the media I consume. Even if I may be ignorant of the lyrics, that doesn’t mean the song can’t influence me.

As much as kids may joke around about Ouija boards because they don’t think spirits exist, that doesn’t meant they won’t be haunted once they play around with it. In fact, last year, 28 girls were hospitalized after playing around with a board. Ephesians 6:12 makes it clear, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.“

Are there songs where all the lyrics could align with biblical truth and ideas? For sure! I actually discovered some Japanese Christian artists recently and I have written an article about it. I also don’t doubt that if I dug and searched more, I could probably find secular songs that are not just positive but also align with my beliefs or have no spiritual concepts within it…

But for a country that has been 99%+ Japanese and has had a less than 2% Christian population for the majority of it’s history, it would be unrealistic to expect that they would have a lot of music or shows that are spiritually edifying and fulfilling for Christians.

I recalled watching the original Superbook on TV, so I started watching it online a decade ago….I was both shocked and amazed when I realized it was an anime from Japan because……why would they make it? What audience would they have? You know what I’m saying??? I was surprised, but it certainly gave me hope for the country.

All that to say, I myself have not been negatively influenced by anime and Jmusic, at least not in a noticeable or long-term way. If not for this media, I may not have been so confident about standing out and being different, I wouldn’t have pursued my dreams seriously and be where I am today, and I wouldn’t value my friendships like anime taught me to…

But that doesn’t change the spiritual aspect of Jmusic and that the country as a whole does not acknowledge our God, YHWY. Just cause I have enjoyed it all this time doesn’t mean it gets an automatic pass. My feelings are irrelevant at the end of the day. If the bible says something is sinful, and God is personally affected, annoyed, or hurt by the concepts in this content, I don’t want anything to do with it.

So now, let’s start analyzing the music and why I now feel that it isn’t really any better than other secular music.

Common Themes In Japanese Music

Japan is so varied when it comes to themes and I certainly had my favourites. Compared to Western music that often obvious sinful themes such as lust, pride, violence, and desires for fame and fortune, Japanese music was encouraging, teaching me to be courageous, to stand up for what’s right, to chase my dreams, to be a better friend, to change the world for the better..

But if I had to summarize their themes the way I did just now for Western music, I would say most of their music could fall into these 6 categories: Feelings About Relationships (partners, family, friends), Independence or Standing Out, Saving/Changing The World, Brokenness and Grief, Anger or Rebellion, Chasing Your Dreams, and ‘Cheer Up’ songs.

As you look at the overview of these themes, I think it’s very clear that Japan is a broken place. They may be kind, they may look out for their neighbour, they may have an almost non-existent murder rate….but their levels of loneliness, depression, and suicide is concerningly high. And I’m not the first to say this either. Definitely check out the video below on the topic.

Now, let’s explore some trending songs that came out recently and their lyrics:

Usseewa – Ado

Chicchana koro kara yuutousei, Kizuitara otona ni natteita
Naifu no you na shikoukairo, Mochiawaseru wakemonaku

I’d been a model student since I was little. Before I even noticed, I had become an adult
My train of thought ran like a knife, without any reason to have one on hand

Demo asobi tarinai nanika tarinai
Komacchimau kore wa dareka no sei
Atemonaku tada konran suru eidei

But I haven’t had my fair share of fun, something’s lacking
What’s troubling me has to be someone’s fault
Without any purpose, everyday’s just chaos

Again (Fullmetal Alchemist) – Yui

Tsumi no saigo wa namida janai yo Zutto kurushiku seotteku nda
Deguchi mienai kanjou meiru ni Dare wo matteru no?
Shiroi no-to ni tsuzutta you ni Motto sunao ni hakidashitai yo
Nani kara Nogaretainda … Genjitsu tte yatsu?

Your sins don’t end with tears – you will carry them in suffering forever
Who are you waiting for, in this labyrinth of emotions with no seeable exit?
I want to spit out the words more honestly, like writing in a blank notebook
What are you wanting to escape from… this thing called reality?

“Shinogawa E Wa” – Fujii Kaze

Yubikiri genman hora demo fuitara
Hari demo nandemo nomaseteitadaki Monday
It doesn’t matter if it’s Sunday

Pinky swear, If I do tell a lie
I’m willing to swallow needles or anything on Monday
It doesn’t matter if it’s Sunday

Watashi no saigo wa anata ga ii
Anata to kono mama osaraba suru yori
Shinu no ga ii wa

I want you to be my last
If I had to keep being separated from you like this
I’d rather die~

“Unravel” (Tokyo Ghoul) – TK from Ling Tosite Sigure

yuganda sekai ni dan dan boku wa sukitootte mienaku natte
mitsukenaide boku no koto wo mitsumenaide
dareka ga egaita sekai no naka de anata wo kizutsuketaku wa nai yo
oboeteite boku no koto wo azayaka na mama

In this shaken, twisted world, I gradually become transparent, unable to be seen.
Please don’t bother looking for me; don’t stare at me..
I merely don’t want to hurt you, inside a world, that came out of someone’s imagination.
So please remember me; as vivid as I was.

“D-Techno Life” (Bleach) – UVERworld

owarenai you ni to hanarete iku kimi
mou waraenai nante hito girai nante kotoba sou iwanai de
ima wa by and by mie nakuttatte subete ni imi ga aru kara
kesenai kako mo seoi attekou ikiru koto wo nagedasanai de

So you will not break, you distance yourself from me
Don’t say words like you can’t smile or you hate people
Now it’s by and by, even if you cannot see, there’s a meaning to everything
Shoulder the burden of the past that cannot be erased; don’t throw away your will to live

Many artists have said that their music is an outlet, a chance to be heard and say all they need to say. Being the 2nd biggest music industry in the world, music is clearly precious to them, and it’s great that anyone can release stuff, even a video online, and end up on top charts in the country. For artists, it is an unconventional way (compared to university and a corporate job) to make a living, and to also have purpose and popularity.

But what about the rest of the population who hears this kinda of music regularly? Many people are lonely and depressed, stressed and hateful of their system. They can certainly relate to the music, but it does not solve the mental, emotional, or spiritual issues one has. The lyrics are deep, but they do not provide any real solutions or hope!

It’s great being able to relate to a song, but not if it’s only going to make you dwell on those negative feelings and memories all the time. It’s great to be encouraged to chase your dreams, but not everyone will achieve those goals. Then what? “I guess that’s just how cruel life is” as some lyrics would say. Or maybe they’re just a “Loser”….Kenshi Yonezu wrote a song about that too. Let’s actually check that out:

“Loser” – Kenshi Yonezu

Itsumo doori no toori hitori konna hi ni mohaya korigori
mou dokonimo ikeya shinai noni yume mite oyasumi
itsu demo bokura wa konna fuu ni bon kura na yoru ni aki aki
mata odori odoridasu ashita ni deau tame ni sayounara

Just like always, I’m alone; I’m tired of such days already
I can’t go anywhere anymore and yet I dream, good night
We’re always bored of these stupid nights like this
To go meet tomorrow where we start dancing again, goodbye

Aruki mawatte yatto tsui ta koko wa dou da rakuen ka? Ima to naccha mou wakaranai
shihanseiki no kekka dekita aoi kao no suupaasutaa ga onaka sukashi te wa matteru

I finally reached here after walking around, but is it really a paradise? I don’t know now
The superstar who became so after 4 and a half centuries, is waiting hungry with a blue face

I’m a loser douse dattara tooboe datte ii darou
mou ikkai mou ikkai ikouze bokura no koe
I’m a loser zutto mae kara kikoeteta
itsuka poketto ni kakushita koe ga

I’m a loser; if nothing, howling into the night is alright
Let’s go one more time, one more time, with our voices
I’m a loser; I’ve been hearing it since long ago
The voice I hid in my pocket someday

There Is No Real Source For “Hope”

Some songs encourage you to live, but they don’t tell you about anything worth living for. They say to be happy, but for what? Just because? A perfect example of this would be “Pon Pon Pon” by Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. Only in recent years did I found out the song was released to cheer people up and provide comfort after the huge 2011 earthquake. Music is a source of comfort for them, but music doesn’t change the situation around you, does it?

“Pon Pon Pon” – Kyary Pamyu Pamyu

Western music may be more basic and repetitive lyrically, but at least it’s based more on physical things happening in the present, like sex, parties, breakups, and gang life. Compare that to Japanese music that will dwell on their inner feelings and dialogue about depression, frustration and grief.

Their music may try to encourage one to be positive and have hope for a better future, but with no real action plan on what someone should do. Telling someone to have courage, to have faith, to remember others….it sounds nice, but they only affect our inner thoughts. It still doesn’t provide any real solution besides ‘work harder’ and ‘try your best’ I guess….but what if you try hard (gambarimasu!), and still don’t succeed?

Let’s look at a song that LiSA put out for the trending series “Demon Slayer”. This song is about the loss of a loved one, and while it seems sweet that she feels and sounds so sentimental about it, it makes a statement that this world is crashing down and…..it just is what it is. All she can hold onto is the words and memories of her precious person.

“Homura” – LiSA

Natsukashii omoi ni torawaretari
Zankoku na sekai ni nakisakende
Otona ni naru hodo fuete yuku
Mou nani hitotsu datte ushinaitakunai

Held captive by nostalgic memories
Wailing at the cruelty of this world
There will be even more as I grow older
I never want to lose anything again

Kanashimi ni nomare ochite shimaeba
Itami wo kanjinaku naru keredo
Kimi no kotoba kimi no negai
Boku wa mamorinuku to chikattanda

By succumbing to the grief
I might not feel pain anymore
But your words, your wishes
I swore to protect them to the end

Oto wo tatete kuzureochite yuku
Hitotsu dake no, Kakegae no nai sekai

With a roar, it’s crumbling down
Our one and only, irreplaceable world

Having hope that isn’t rooted on anything is meaningless. It’s the equivalent of a child in an orphanage believing they will get the PS5 for Christmas, yet, they have never gotten a gift, nor has anyone else. The orphanage never had money to spare on gifts in the first place, and they made it clear it’s not happening, but the child is encouraging others to dream and hope.

But actually, I beg to differ that Japanese music is worse than that scenario. For some songs, the artist makes it clear that they don’t really see a point of living and that every day is dark, and that life is meaningless….and yet, they’re still trying to encourage others to live, to dream, to hope. It’s one thing to share your negative feelings and experiences as others can relate and not feel so alone, but to encourage them with no real source of hope is also meaningless.

I mentioned Angel Beats in my intro, so here’s some lyrics from their ED song:

“My Song” – Angel Beats

Original / Romaji Lyrics English Translation
iradachi o doko ni butsukeru ka sagashiteru aida ni owaru hi
sora wa haiiro o shite sono saki wa nanimo mienai
joushiki butteru yatsu ga waratteru tsugi wa donna uso o iu?
sore de erareta mono daiji ni kazatteokeru no?
demo asu e to susumanakya naranai
dakara kou utau yo

My days end as I’m trying to find where to vent my irritation
The sky is gray, I can’t see anything beyond
People who act like they have common sense are laughing;
What kind of lie will they tell next?
How can they treasure what they obtain with those lies?
But we’ve got to move ahead, toward tomorrow
So I’m going to sing like this

naiteru kimi koso kodoku na kimi koso
tadashii yo ningenrashii yo
otoshita namida ga kou iu yo
konna ni mo utsukushii uso ja nai hontou no bokura o arigatou

You may be crying, you may be lonely
But that’s perfect–that’s what human is
The tears you shed say
Thank you for giving life to us–beautiful, honest, and real

kanaetai yume ya todokanai yume ga aru koto
sore jitai ga yume ni nari kibou ni nari hito wa ikiteikeru ndaro
tobira wa aru soko de matteiru
dakara te o nobasu yo

Having dreams you want to fulfill and dreams you can’t reach
Is dream and hope in itself. That’s enough for us humans to live on
There’s a door, it’s waiting there
So I will reach out my hand

kujiketa kimi ni wa mou ichido tatakaeru tsuyosa to jishin to kono uta o
otoshita namida ga kou iu yo
konna ni mo yogorete minikui sekai de deaeta kiseki ni arigatou

For you who have stumbled,
I give you this song and the courage to fight once more
The tears you shed say
Thank you for the miracle of allowing us to meet in this sullied, ugly world

From an ignorant standpoint, when I hear the words “Yuuki” (courage) and “Yume” (dreams) in songs, I tend to assume it’s an enlightening, encouraging song. I mean, who would use those words in a negative way all the time? But now as I look into more lyrics and take the song as a whole, you can see a lot of these songs aren’t very encouraging at all.

She’s telling us that she ‘can’t see tomorrow, the sky is grey….but she must keep walking’. For what reason though? I don’t know. She tells us ‘we may cry” Is there a solution? Nope! ‘that just means you’re human’. She tells us that she’s ‘giving us her hand and this song so we’d have the courage to fight once more’, but she also made it clear ‘this is a dark, ugly world’, so why fight? Where is the hope???? Where is the silver lining???????

Here’s another example. I came across Frederic’s “Oddloop” randomly on Youtube years ago. It’s one of my go-to MVs if I just wanna watch something silly and/or I’m not in the best of moods. The upbeat tempo, he funky riffs, the silly visuals, it is quite enjoyable to tune into.

But now as I’m paying deeper attention to the lyrics and it’s meaning, he’s essentially saying ‘while life can be hard, despite the circumstances, we need to dance!’. I thought the girls being serious was some kind of inside joke as they are also serious in “Owarase Night”, but turns out that song has a similar message. The characters aren’t happy and don’t really have a reason to smile, but they are told they should dance anyways.

If you didn’t know, Japan has a phrase “Gambatte/Gambarimasu” which means “to work hard/try your best/good luck”, and it is used quite frequently. Giving each other encouragement is normal. Even if you both don’t think you’ll do well on an exam, you’ll say the phrase to each other. And that applies too if you’re both suffering or being bullied, you tell each other ‘let’s keep working hard!’

There’s no guaranteed light at the end of the tunnel, but they keep pushing forward. That is the Japanese mindset that seeps into their music.

A Note on Japanese Idol Culture

In real life, we don’t have bright, spunky, optimistic anime characters who can always successfully achieve what they go after…but the closest thing to that may very well be Jpop Idols. These are usually girls that are under 20 years old who would sing and dance to very cute songs, and it’s their goal to not just entertain fans, but to make them smile and encourage them.

While Kpop may seem big now, Idol groups actually originated in Japan, and groups like AKB48 has the 2nd highest number of album sales in Japan’s history. You can find many small groups and individuals performing on street corners, in maid cafes, and other events. The girls will often say this is their dream to be an amazing idol and to earn the support of their fans.

And on the other side, many fans will claim that these idols and groups bring them great happiness, and they themselves feel like they have purpose in supporting these idols through chants, purchasing merch, and sending positive messages. Some idols have mega fans who spend countless dollars to attend every concert and event, front row of course, and to meet and talk to the idols afterwards.

We may see the word “idols” and think it’s just another name for “stars”, but no…these individuals are literally being idolized and worshipped by their fans. If the idol says “jump” they jump. If the idol says “buy my album” they will buy it. And for other girls, these idols are someone who they look up to and strive to be, as they are seen as pretty, perfect, and pure. And thus, when an idol gets caught in a scandal or retires, it is actually very devastating to their fans.

Without a loving sovereign God in the average Japanese person’s life, they can only find hope, purpose, and joy in their careers, their talents, or other people like idols. And those things are only temporary. They aren’t a solid foundation that someone can trust in and be comforted by…but that’s all they have.

I could certainly talk for ages about what I’ve seen and heard, and there are certainly some really dark stuff out there, especially on the Vocaloid side of things. Vocaloid is a program with pre-set voices, so you can write songs and use their voices, perfect for writing messed up songs and staying completely anonymous, but Hatsune Miku who is the most popular voice has become an idol in her own sense, enough to have her own games and VR concerts. Definitely check out my article where I talk all about Vocaloid, Hatsune Miku, and the Producers behind the scenes.

I may not have understood the lyrics on a deeper level (and thus, could ignorantly dance to a song like “Running Through The Night”, but Japanese people do. Others may also watch more music videos which make them more suspectable to the dark and hopeless influence the music may portray. If Japan has one of the biggest music industries, but also has one of the highest suicide rates….I’m not implying anything…I’m just saying……the music industry clearly isn’t helping them.

Shinto & Buddhist Influences

So, I covered their themes and why they aren’t exactly themes or concepts that a Christian should be exposing themselves to and dwelling on, but now, let’s dig into the spiritual aspect of the music and the beliefs of the artists.

Even though Japanese people, for the most part, will deny being religious, their culture, customs, and traditions are built on Shintoism and Buddhism regardless. The countless shrines and temples you’ll see across the island, praying to ancestors for protection, buying good luck charms for exams, matsuri festivals, are all spiritual in nature. They believe kami (spirits/gods) are all around us and in everything, especially in nature, and should be respected.

Shintosim Is Everywhere In Anime

So before I talk about Japanese music, I want to show you how these themes are presented in anime first. More recently, I watched Suzume and rewatched Kimi No Na Wa with my cousin. Both had some kind of kami who interacted with the characters, leading them or assisting them on this short story.

In Kimi No Na Wa (SPOILER ALERT) the main characters, a young guy and girl, would consistently swap bodies, but one day it stopped. The male lead decided to visit her town to meet her, just to find out the city was destroyed by a meteor…3 years ago, and the died back then. He ends up finding a small family shrine, drank the ‘spit sake’ that the girl made and prayed that the gods would give him a chance to go back in time and save the town.

In Suzume, (SPOILER ALERTTTTT), the main female lead bumped into a guy who had the responsibility of closing these doors, a portal that, if left open for too long, a huge spirit of sorts will come out and cause havoc, usually in the form of an earthquake, to the surrounding town.

A cat statue, which is actually a spiritual guardian called Daijin, was released and freed by Suzume, and the cat placed a curse on the guy, turning him into a chair that can move now, but will become an inanimate object and replace the cat as the guardian. The rest of the story is them closing doors together and trying to catch the cat to reverse the curse placed on him.

And while I haven’t really watched any of the very famous Miyazaki films (started watching Spirited Away years ago, but dozed off and didn’t bother with it), all his films are very spiritual in nature as you can see in the clips below. He doesn’t claim to be spiritual nor is he trying to promote shintoism according to his own words, but it is a clear influence in the show regardless.

In anime, many of them incorporate magic, spirits, demons, or gods (especially ‘shinigami’ which are death gods, like the grim reaper) in some way shape or form. They also seem to love the concept of mythical monsters/beasts with powers, as you’ll see in Digimon, Pokemon, Beyblade, Yokai Watch, and Yu-gi-oh, but let’s stick to spirits for today.

Magical girls like Sailormoon and Cardcaptors were always super popular. These were everyday girls who suddenly got the ability to transform and now had magical powers. They always had a magical creature of sorts to help them on their quests. You got Dragonball Z which mixes martial arts and spirituality in the form of chi to an extreme level. There’s also countless series where people call on and get to talk to ancestors or dead predecessors for wisdom or help, like in My Hero Academia.

In mainstream series, you got characters who are demons like Inuyasha, become demons like Nezuko (Demon Slayer) and Ichigo (Bleach), or are possessed by demons like Naruto and Yuji (Jujutsu Kaisen)…and they’re all liked/loved by the way. I feel like I’ve heard more about demons in anime than any other form of media honestly, and these demons are meant to be likeable, cool, or funny characters.

Heck, compared to the demon talk, I’m struggling to recall shows where characters turned into angels and were actually loved. Digimon is one of few shows where they actually drew a very clear line between good and evil. The main characters had to portray biblical traits (love, kindness, reliability, knowledge, hope, light) for their Digimon to evolve. Angemon and Angewomon, who were angel-Digimon, were certainly loved and represented all things good.

But, then we got shows like D.N.Angel where the main character Daisuke, inherits Dark, a phantom thief who has the appearance of a dark or fallen angel. The antagonist is Krad (the opposite of “Dark”) who appears like a real angel is on a mission to kill him/them. The watchers are groomed to like the ‘cool and hot’ Dark (like Daisuke’s crush did), but the serious angel character is seen as the bad guy.

And in Angel Beats, we follow a group of youth who are in the afterlife and they don’t really know what they have to do there. They believe ‘Angel’, a quiet, white haired girl who sometimes has wings and is seemingly indestructable, is the enemy and must be destroyed. Turns out, SPOILER ALERT (though she repeatedly said it), she is just another girl like them. They all needed closure about something before they could move on from the afterlife and be reincarnated.

So you can already see samples of where the page is flipped so the bad guys are seen as good, and the angelic characters are often seen as the enemy, or at least as unlikeable characters. And this becomes even more blatant in shows like “The Devil is a Part-Timer” where we meet lovable and hardworking Satan who works at a bootleg McDonalds, and we all get annoyed when an angel fights to get rid of him.

There’s also the series “Seven Deadly Sins” which I haven’t watched, but the main characters are those sins who have the ‘mark of the beast’, and the antagonist is, wait for it…….the 10 Commandments. How much more blatant and blasphemous can a series be? I’m always amazed when bible references are made in shows, but rarely ever in a good light (ie corrupted priests in Fullmetal Alchemist).

As you see, anime has a lot of spiritual aspects in it. They always have ‘gods’, spirits, or demons that work alongside humans (like Light and Ryuk did in Death Note). Humans can live how they want, and the spirits are usually just as selfish and sinful as the average being, just with more powers and abilities. There’s really nothing about morality and living a righteous life, it’s just about survival and helping others. These ideas are from Buddhism and Shintoism.

You’ll also notice that there is never one big sovereign God, the Creator, in these shows. And if characters believed in the concept of a big god, it was usually in the form of the universe, something or someone who is impersonal and doesn’t interact with them. The ‘big guy in charge’ never steps in, so it’s humanity’s job, with the help of power or spirits, to save the world ourselves.

And I’ll even take that step further by saying, the only time I recall a creator God not only existing but actually interacting with his creation is in a series called Shin Megumi Tensei (“Rebirth/Reincarnation of the goddess”). I didn’t actually play or know about the game myself, but one Christian channel was covering the dark sides of anime and they showed bits in an episode.

One series is literally subtitled “Devil Children”, and you as the protagonist are one of them. In this game, YHWY/YHVY…yes, the name of the God of the bible, ends up being the final boss that needed to be defeated. To defeat him, they reject God’s demands to repent and seek his salvation, and instead say they hate his way of doing things and would rather live their own lives.

My heart really broke when I saw the depths of how much people hate God…and not just any god, MY God, the one who suffered and died to cover our sins and have a relationship with us.

Shinto Influences In Japanese Music

So, back to music, if these ideas and influences are everywhere in anime (yes, even slice of life since they would visit shrines, buy charms, and attend festivals since that’s why regular Japanese people do), what makes you think music could somehow be void of it? The same people are the ones creating both.

Our beliefs, our culture, our traditions will naturally find a way into any projects we work on because our ideas are rooted on what we know and see in our daily lives. Even if Japanese people don’t call themselves religious or practice religion seriously, it doesn’t change the fact that their whole country was built on religious ideas, customs, and rituals.

And for you, my dear friends, I do really think you should look into what Buddism and Shintoism is about so you can see just how deep these influences are. Once you realize the traits of other religions, I think that helps a lot when realizing that even if Japan promotes things like humbleness and gratitude, their hearts and reasons for doing so is far off from what the bible says.

Spiritualism In Lyrics

So enough about background, let’s explore some lyrics from popular songs so you can see how their spiritual concepts have been incorporated into their music:

“Brave Heart” – Digimon

Shiranai pawaa ga yadoru haato ni hi ga tsuitara
Donna negai mo uso ja nai, Kitto kanau kara

Unknown power dwells in your heart, when its fire is lit
Any wish, it’s true, will surely be granted

“The Hero” – One Punch Man

kami yodoru kobushi kakagete ore wa tsukisusumu dake sa
HERO itsuka haiboku ni odei nameru made tatakau HERO
kodoku na HERO

Brandishing my fist, within which the gods dwell, I keep pushing forth.
Hero! Until the day I taste the dirt of defeat, I’ll remain a fighting hero!
A lone hero!

“Astericks” – Bleach

kaze ni omoi wo tsuki ni negai wo
chikara aru kagiri ikiteikunda kyou mo
miageta yozora no hoshitachi no hikari
inishie no omoi negai ga jidai wo koe

A wish carried on the wind, a request from the moon
to live as fully as possible, day by day
Rays of light from the stars in the night sky above
send a plea from across the ages

kono sora wa hitotsu dokomade mo hiroku sou umi no mukou
ima umareru ibuki tatareru inochi hoshi wa terasu megami no gotoku

This sky is the only one there is; it spreads over all. And beyond the sea,
right now, new life takes breath, and life is cut off, while stars shine on, like goddesses

“Departure” – Hunter x Hunter

Oozora kakenukete unabara koeteyuke
Tenshi no nage kissu tsukamaete! (YOU CAN TRY!)
Mada daremo mita koto nai sekai he
Tobidasou ashita

Dash through the heavens and cross the oceans.
Catch the angel’s air kiss! (You can try!)
Tomorrow, let’s fly out to a world
That nobody has seen yet.

“Shinzo wo Sasageyo” – Attack on Titan

Sasage yo! Sasage yo! Shinzou wo sasage yo!
Subete no gisei wa ima kono toki no tame ni
Sasage yo! Sasage yo! Shinzou wo sasage yo!
Susumu beki mirai wo sono te de kirihirake…

Devote! Devote! Devote your hearts!
All our sacrifices were for this very moment
Devote! Devote! Devote your hearts!
Clear a path with your own hands, to the future we need tread..

Nani wo manabeba akuma wo mo hofureru?
Gijutsu demo…  senjutsu demo…  subete muda ni nado shinai..

What must we learn so that we can slay even demons?
Be it our skills… or our tactics… we will waste nothing..

Independence Isn’t Always Good

As I said in other posts, anime made me feel very independent, like I could reach my goals by myself with my own power like the main characters did. They had confidence, worked hard, and never gave up! I followed that same mindset, and I managed to achieve all my dreams and goals with no mentors or assistance. I had to learn everything on my own and go places on my own…

….But would I be where I am now if God didn’t give me this capable body, curious mind, and driven personality? What if I didn’t grow up with his commands and principals (since I grew up in the church)? What if he didn’t keep me safe? What if I was born in another country, or even born into slavery?

There are so many things that are out of my hands, so many blessings and privileges. I also had the support of my parents, and teachers who taught me through school, and countless other people that I learn from online. And then the many bosses who gave me a chance and hired me, allowing me the income to do what I desire. My own efforts may only make up about 10% of my successes in life.

Looking at the lyrics for “Shinzo wo Sasageyo” which is meant to be a battle cry as they face man-eating titans and a world who hates their race, the characters didn’t have a sovereign God who they can call out to for help. They were alone and had to fight for themselves if they wanted to survive and live peacefully.

But even in real life Japan, since they don’t believe in a present and reliable God like ours, they feel they have to face their struggles and battles on their own. And in turn, they really only have 3 options: find the power within to stand up and demand change (which never really happens), be passive because ‘life is what it is’….or just end it all.

A lot of Japan’s mentality surrounds hard work, acceptance, and making the most of life. It’s not the worst mindset, but what if that doesn’t work for you? What if you’re actually suffering and in pain? What if you can’t find a job and have no talents? What if you’re lonely and depressed? What if you’re dealing with bullying at school or in the workplace? What if you have a disability that doesn’t allow you to live normally?

“It’s your own life. Do not trouble or burden others with your problems.” With this mentality, many people never share their real feelings, let alone their struggles, with those around them…and no one is going to ask or step in automatically either. “The nail that sticks out gets hammered down”, so people won’t want to stand out by getting involved. You need to solve your problems on your own or just put up with them.

If everyone believes the same thing, and everyone is pressured to conform, they can’t even explore other religions or mindsets that may bring them peace, hope or meaning. And on top of that, they are surrounded by shows with characters who are more intelligent, talented, and capable than them, and songs that constantly remind them of how depressing and hopeless life is. It’s a very dangerous combination.

WE NEED GOD, the one true God, the creator who runs the universe and deeply cares about each and every one of us. While you may hear the word ‘kami’ in songs and think they are referring to the God we know and trust, their idea of gods doesn’t come from the bible, and thus their views of who gods are and how the operate will be completely different than ours.

To end this section, I’ll quote another song from famous artist Yui that actually mentions kami, and actually uses ‘Kami-sama’ which is used to refer to a ‘higher up god’ or the ultimate god…but look at what she has to say about him or her.

“How Crazy” – Yui

yuugure no konbini no chuushajou
asu o shiranai kodomo ga chiisaku atashi ni te o futteiru

The parking lot at the convenience store at night
An unfamiliar kid holds my hand in the next morning

chie o tsukenasai shourai makenai you ni
settoku shitai noni umaku hanasenai
sonnan ja dame nattoku mo dekinai

Don’t tell me what to do; I’ll take care of my future
I want to talk it over but you just can’t understand
I can’t convince you like this

oh kamisama chotto fukouhei da tte omou yo

Oh, I think God is a little unfair

The Bible Gets The Last Word

As you grow spiritually and start to truly adopt all the truths in the bible, you will gain more discernment. And with more discernment, you can’t compromise, indulge in, or let things slide the same way you used to. If a verse says that something is a sin, it is a sin. And with that knowledge, you would drop it immediately, or ask God to help you with that temptation.

The Christian heart should be focused on God, aiming to please Him and to be a good representative of Him to the rest of the world. We are to be light and salt after all. But what happens when you let ungodly ideas and unbiblical concepts from media into your heart, and you start to love it more than God or His commandments?

As much as I could say about the evils within anime or Jmusic, if you love it so much that you’re going to walk away from this article and not feel concerned or convicted in the slightest, something is wrong with your heart and spirit. And trust me, I know it can be hard to give up things you’ve loved, especially if it has brought you through tough times and has been a source of comfort for years….

But our God, while loving, gentle, and forgiving….He is a jealous God. He revealed His anger and sadness when the Israelites would participate in the customs of the neighbouring nations and worship their gods, especially when He was the one who delivered them from slavery in Egypt and made them everything they are. I wouldn’t want to intentionally or unintentionally provoke Him by participating in or celebrating anything that could be pagan in nature.

If Easter is from Ishtar, a pagan goddess of fertility (thus the eggs and bunnies)….and Christmas is dated on the winter solstice when many other pagan gods were supposedly born…and the idea of decking a tree with pretty things and nailing it inside your home is pagan in nature (Jeremiah **) and God already said he hates that in Jeremiah 10-1-5….why would I continue to mess with that?

This year, I was happy to see other Christians call Easter “Resurrection Sunday”, and I will be using that from now on. I love celebrating and remembering what Jesus did on the cross (and it’s something we should remember everyday), but I don’t want it to be associated with other gods and easter bunnies. The bible also tells us to remember and celebrate Passover (when he died), as opposed to his resurrection….and he was killed on a Thursday, not Friday, mind you. Friday to Sunday is not 3 days.

As for Christmas? I don’t really care about it anymore. God never told us Jesus’s birthday nor tells us to celebrate it. God is very detailed and precise when it matters, like when giving instructions on how to build the ark, how to conduct sacrifices, and when to celebrate their sabbaths and feasts. I may visit my family for dinner, but I won’t get swept up in the music and emotions of the season. I used to set up trees alone at home and at work, but that was out of ignorance. I have repented (changed my mind), and will avoid it from now on.

Do you love your interests more than God?

I can educate you as much as possible, but sometimes, internal reflection is more beneficial. I really want you to examine your heart and your intentions when it comes to not just anime, but anything else we love, enjoy, obsess, and indulge in on this planet:

Are you willing and/or ready to give up Jmusic and Anime if God asked you to?

If you are a born again Christian with a heart for God, it really shouldn’t be a hard question to answer. God is the Lord of your life and His Word is the light to your path. But if there’s something in your life that you are unwilling to give up so you can submit to God, then that thing is an idol or stronghold in your life and it needs to go.

If for whatever reason, you just can’t seem to see what the big deal is when it comes to anime and Japanese music despite other articles, videos, and all my evidence above, think about this:

If God says He is the only God (Isaiah 45:5-6), but anime and Jmusic promotes the concept of many…

If God says not to partake in the ways of the pagan nations (Jeremiah 10:2, Ephesians 4:17, Deuteronomy 12:30-31 ), but Japan is built on pagan beliefs and it is an influence in all it’s culture, seen in their many shrines and temples…

If God says not to practice divination, consult in mediums/psychics, or tolerate a sorceress (Deuteronomy 18:10-14, Leviticus 19:26, Exodus 22:17), but you enjoy shows that promote magic, that displays people speaking to and working with spirits, where humans get possessed and gain power…..

If God says to guard your heart (Proverbs 4:23) and put no evil or worthless things before your eyes (Psalms 101:3, Psalm 119:37), but you are listening to depressing songs and watching shows that always have sexual, evil, and immoral things in front of you…

If God says to seek Him and His wisdom (James 1:5, Proverbs 9:10), but you are more concerned with all the characters and fine details of a series or memorizing every little thing about a card game…and you don’t even have 3 bible verses memorized……

If God says to be holy as He is holy (Leviticus 19:2, 1 Peter 1:15-16), but you would rather cross-dress, fornicate or watch porn/hentai, rebel against your parents, swear all the time, fight amongst other fans…

If God says to love him with all your heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37), but your mind is too obsessed with anime, gaming, music, movies, social media, celebrities and idols….

Do you really love God and put him first? Rest on that question seriously.

What Living and Submitting To Christ Means

Once I was born again, nothing else in this life or on this plant mattered. If it wasn’t related to God, I didn’t really care about it, and it felt like a waste of time to hear or learn about it. I started to really care about God’s heart and His feelings. As forgiving as He is, I didn’t want to upset him or make him mad with things he explicitly said he hates, like false gods and idolatry.

My desire for holiness also greatly increased. While I struggled with some sins, I wasn’t going to risk being left behind or being sent to hell for anything or anyone. Not my prized possessions, not my hobbies or interests, not my job or career, not the guy who gives me butterflies…they’re all futile and temporary. I prayed hard against those temptations with real sincerity, knowing He would change me as it aligns with His heart and will.

As I said in my 12 Anime Tropes That Made Me A Better Christian article, I was amazed at the loyalty, passion, and eagerness that some anime characters had towards their boss, king, or master. Everything is ‘yes maam/sir’ and they do things well without questioning or arguing. And yet…we have the God of the universe on our side, and we call Jesus “king” and “lord”….but we don’t really mean it. At least, we certainly don’t live or act like we truly feel that way.

The hardest thing I had to learn to let go of was this blog. I put so much energy and heart into this blog, 1000s of hours, 100s of dollars, and have written over 200 articles by that time. I was the only one writing about Japanese Music Theory and it was finally bringing in some passive income. But as I got closer to God, the idols in my life became more apparent, and this blog was one of them.

I knew I had to consecrate all I had in my life if I truly wanted to surrender my life to God, but I feared that ‘if I gave it to God, He may take it away from me’. As hard as it was, the thought of His peace and eternal promises was worth it, so I let him have it. Thankfully, He has allowed me to keep it (as you can clearly see), but I’m more inclined to use it for His glory. This blog doesn’t mean nearly as much as it used to to me, and I wouldn’t get depressed if I were to ever lose it.

This is how Christians should feel about everything, be it your house, your bank account, your children, your business, your reputation, etc. If there’s any aspect of it that God wouldn’t like, we need to let go of it. And even if it isn’t a bad thing in nature, like family or animals, if it becomes an idol in our life, we need to fix our hearts and put God in His rightful place.

Conclusion

All this to say, there are very few truly innocent things in this world.

I don’t mean to pick on anime, but who better to expose it’s unbiblical connotations then someone who has been watching and defending it for most of their life? I will also expose the dark and demonic sides of anything, including holidays and yoga like I mentioned earlier. I think it’s important that we all research and learn the origins of many things we take part in to avoid offending God.

I’m not going to comfort you with lies, because I care more for your soul. Others may also have a hard time letting it go or admitting something is bad, similar to how many ‘Christians’ try to defend fornication/homosexuality because they struggle with it too and don’t want to feel convicted about it. We all need to repent about how we view these things, and pray that God changes us from the inside out.

As I told my seeker friend, anything that is super popular probably isn’t biblical. The fact that people, even non-Christians looooove Christmas, yet hate Christ makes no sense. The world has always hated Jesus, so there’s no way they would be celebrating his birth wholeheartedly. And it’s sad to think that the same Christians who will defend Christmas probably wouldn’t defend Jesus Christ with the same passion and favor.

We as a ‘religion’ have compromised so much, even allowing secular things and sins into our church so we can appeal to the world and be ‘seeker sensitive’, but the new testament speaks against that. We don’t even really know what’s good anymore, and the ones who are called ‘to be holy as God is holy’, blends in with the rest of the world. Our divorce rate is just as bad as everyone else. We curse, party, and drink just as much as everyone else does.

The Christian light is fading and the great falling away has already been in the works. Many past Christians have fallen for the evolution lie or would rather support a certain community than stand up for what the bible has to say. So many churches are run by money-hungry, prideful, or corrupted pastors that people don’t want to take a chance finding another building, in case they are the same.

But not all hope is lost. We are not like the Japanese people. We have a God who is still active and we have his word that can lead us to all truth. We can still be lights in the world, burning brightly, and bringing people back to God. I’m not going to compromise, and neither should you. When we do, all we do is confuse people, and God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33).

As the end draws near, this is not the time to be playing around, always being entertained and distracted. This life is not a game. You don’t get multiple chances to figure it out. God has appointed man once to die and then the judgement (Hebrews 9:27).

You can’t serve two masters, you will naturally love one and hate the other (Matthew 6:24). We’re also warned that whoever is a friend to the world has enmity (is an enemy) with God (James 4:4), so choose this day whom you will serve (Joshua 24:14-15).

If you truly love God, if you truly desire to please him, even if that desire is very small right now, all I can hope is that this article would have opened your eyes, educated your mind, and compelled your heart to spend more time with our Father instead of investing in mediums that don’t glorify Him at all.

Sincerely, Nostalgia~<3