A Safe Anime List For Born-Again Christians

Hi! I’m Nostalgia. I grew up in the church, but I also grew up watching anime on TV. In middle school, after finding out the media was made in Japan, I took a deep interest in the country and their other forms of entertainment. This blog, Chromatic Dreamers, was created in 2021 when I pursued my childhood band dream and created a rookie Jpop/anime cover band with the same name. We went on to perform at a couple anime conventions and a big Japanese festival! I say all this because around New Years 2023, I finally understood the depths of my sins and the condemnation I deserve. I realized I couldn’t save myself through law-keeping or being good, so only then did I truly accept Jesus as my savior and was born again. Afterwards, I couldn’t look at many things the same way. You can read my testimony over here.

For a long period, I avoided all secular media, and opted to indulge mainly Christian books, sermons, and bible studies. I desired to pursue a deeper relationship with God, and also correct and expose false doctrine through apologetics. As I became more aware of the spiritual battle around me, I wanted to equip myself for the fight. I wasn’t sure what to do with this blog for a while considering it was focused on anime and Japanese music, but I was able to redeem it and help other Christian otakus on their journies. One of my greatest endeavors was digging deep to find Japanese Christian artists as I wanted songs that had the same Jpop progressions and orchestration that I’ve loved for over 15 years, but didn’t want lyrics that promoted depression, pride, or anti-Christ ideas. Honestly, it was hard even finding 5 Japanese Christian artists, but with enough time and perseverance, I found 10, then 25, and my current Ultimate Japanese Christian Music list now has over 100 artists!

Since I was born again, I wouldn’t say that I’ve avoided anime completely, but I’ve definitely been more cautious of the themes I expose myself to. A lot of animes promote pride, especially when the main character has certain powers or abilities, and characters often put their hope and trust into these people. ‘God’ never shows up to help, and is even spoken badly of. As for a personal issue, I’ve struggled with lust and dirty fantasies in years prior. When I was saved, it felt like my mind was wiped clean of those thoughts (perhaps, I was delivered?) and I wanted to keep it that way. My cousin/roommate was eager to show me his favourite show, Meishoku Tensei, and while I was willing to look past the sorcery aspects of the show considering the majority of animes have similar elements, I just had to get up and leave when an explicit scene came on screen. I really didn’t want those kinds of images in my head. So trust me, I understand the struggle.

Back to the topic of magic and sorcery….As a kid, I didn’t think it was real, nor believed that witches had power, so shows like Cardcaptors, Sailormoon, and Mew Mew Power was whatever. There were also countless Western shows with these themes like Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Fairly Odd Parents, and Wizards of Waverly Place, so you really do become numb to it. But now that I understand how much God despises witches and mediums (even calls them an abomination), and that these people are getting their powers and knowledge from demons and unclean spirits, and how new agers and others are trying to manipulate the world or become gods through this sort of power….I didn’t want to entertain or support the idea. Magic is essentially saying you’d rather go to another source and do things your way, than to rely and trust in God with your life. Anime in general teaches us to be independent and fully capable, but the bible desires that we depend on God and wait for Him to provide for us and deliver us.

I’ve written lots of articles on this topic such as Is Anime/Japanese Music Safe For Christians and Anime Tropes That Made Me A Better Christian, but I realized I didn’t make a list like this yet. I probably tried to stay more in my niche (Japanese Music) and let other Christian Otakus handle it, but I took a look recently and was quite disappointed by the recommendations. When I would search Reddit threads, I would see posters asking for safe series, just to be recommended shows like Full Metal Alchemist (mocks ‘god’ and the church, promotes alchemy/sorcery), and be told that ‘there’s nothing wrong with magic’. Honestly, if you asked me 5 years ago, I’d probably be saying the same things as them as I would watch anything that would catch my attention, but I understand what these seekers are looking for now.

I think a good anime can actually be really encouraging and edifying for the soul. We often get to know more about the characters backgrounds, which helps us to be more compassionate and merciful with people we don’t know well. We get to learn a lot about courage and endurance when facing adversity and struggles. We get to learn more about teamwork, unity, and forgiveness as series usually have a group of main characters working towards the same goal, similar to the body of Christ. They can also teach us about the importance of having hope, faith, and patience when we desire a better future. Compare this to Youtube that has brain rot videos, social media that just wastes your time, sitcoms with lots of drama and no real lessons, and movies with the darkest themes possible…….I’ll pick anime over the bunch. But just like any medium, even if the majority seems bad, there can still be some gems that changes your life for the better.

Themes That Would Eliminate A Show On This List

I am quick picky and strict with this list because I know there are many lists that will look past many things if the show was generally positive or had good characters in them, but I got you! Any show that paint God/angels in a bad light and Satan/demons in a good light is off the table (Fullmetal Alchemist, The Devil Is A Part-Timer, D.N.Angel, etc). Promoting magic or partnering with demons while playing the good guy/hero is also disqualified (Sailormoon, Jujitsu Kaisen, Little Witch Academia, Inuyasha, etc). Shows where people are being praised and worshipped like in idol series is also off the table because worship is for God alone (Love Live, Oshi no Ko, Uta no Prince-Sama). We’re also not going to entertain Isekai (different world) genres as they often focus on reincarnation and spiritual guides (Re:Zero, ‘Reincarnated as a….’, Mushoku Tensei). I’ve done my best to avoid shows with fanservice, sexualized imagery, and fornication; however, big-chested women, romance, and relationships are a part of life. I apologize in advance if a short suggestive scene that I’ve forgotten about comes on screen, but I’ve done my best to spare you from shows that are intentionally lustful.

I’ve also avoided countless other shows that appear to be light hearted and fun, or even have some wonderful main characters that we could learn valuable lessons from…but there are elements which I still wouldn’t want to promote or endorse. For example, “SpyXFamily” has a pretend/adopted family comprised of 4 characters who keep their lives secret and lie to another. One is a CIA agent, which is fine, but the rest include an assassin, mind-reader, and a psychic (dog). “HunterxHunter” has a cute premise, a young boy who desires to become stronger and goes on a huge adventure, facing lots of adversity, to one day meet the father he never knew…but the characters all use nen (aura/chi) to gain powers and some use them in dark or perverted ways, to manipulate and even kill others (this show has a ridiculous amount of deaths). “Fruits Basket” would honestly be such a lovely show to recommend as the sweet and pure hearted main character is a girl who sees the good in others and her kindness changes those around her, even healing the hearts of those who were traumatized and ostracized even though she’s faced a lot of trauma herself….but I can’t look past that the series focuses on 13 people in a family who transform into animals of the Chinese zodiac and have certain quirks or abilities due to a curse. Same with shows like “Hitman Reborn” and “Mob Psycho” that start with cowardly, weak, pathetic main characters who train and make efforts to become stronger, more capable, and even more social, and it’s overall heartwarming to see them overcome their fears and insecurities, but of course, they have supernatural powers that others glorify. My ex introduced me to the Ace Attorney video games, and I watched the anime when it came out. If it were just a defense attorney solving mysteries, it would be completely fine….but because his current assistant is a psychic, and the spirit of her late older sister who was his actual partner takes over her body to assist at times, I just can’t add it. That’s how serious I am with analyzing and judging each series.

I’ve seen “Studio Ghibli” pop up on a lot of these threads. I’ll be honest with you, I never got into their movies or music. I tried to watch “Spirited Away” as a teen, but I was so bored and found the imagery kinda weird and creepy. Turns out, the studio as a whole tends to implement a lot of Shintoism or Paganism themes, and I know for a fact they have various characters like demons and witches too. I also haven’t watched nor plan to watch older classic animes like Astroboy, Doraemon, Crayon Shin-chan, Mobile Suit Gundam, Neon Genesis Evangelion etc, so I don’t have an opinion on them.

So shows that promote witchcraft, demons, or other supernatural powers that make them appear as a god or ‘only hope’ in this world, any sexual imagery, frequent fan service, or fornication, and other shows that promote anti-Christian values (idolatry, reincarnation, murder) are off the table. Thus, most of the list consists of pure romance or rom-coms, slice-of-life series, sports, dramas, mysteries, and other unique stories where characters pursue their dreams or are in unusual circumstances (ie time travel). I personally don’t have an issue with violence as that is a natural part of the world we live in (even the bible has lots of violence and wars); however, if the series promotes violence like “Tokyo Revengers” or characters just enjoy killing people for fun like “Hunter x Hunter”, then I would consider that too much for this list. I also don’t mind shows with musicians (singers, bands), especially as a Jmusic blogger. The lyrics in the shows are generally light hearted, mild, or just the character expressing their true emotions. Every anime has a secular opening, so it would be weird to exclude a show for a secular insert song if the rest of the show otherwise passes the test. And while it’d be nice to avoid shows that feature characters with excessive pride, this list would probably only have a handful of shows to be honest ^^” Pride, confidence, reputation, ego, these things matter a lot if one wants to succeed in the real world, especially in East Asia where there are entrance exams and people will judge you by your family name. Thankfully, the main characters in these shows are usually pretty humble, but they may be surrounded by egotistical characters.

I have given exceptions to shows that include things that are a huge part of Japanese culture and thus is almost unavoidable. If you didn’t know, Japan has always been a monocultural country, and their culture is rooted in Shinto and Buddhist customs. So while slice-of-life shows are some of the safest categories for Christians as they are based in reality, their reality includes things like festivals, shrine visits on New Years, having a small shrine at home for dead relatives, gifting loved ones good luck charms for exams or big events, and so on, but these are usually just customs and habits, and the characters have no real interest or dedication to religion, nor do they interact with any spirits. It is also customary for Japanese people to put their hands together and say “Itadakimasu” before eating a meal. It is a form of gratitude for anything and anyone that went into making it, but know that it is more a habit and sign of respect than a serious spiritual prayer to a god for them. Another big part of Japanese culture is shared baths. It is customary to be completely nude (no clothes or bathing suits allowed) if you are using a public bath house or onsen/hot spring. Characters will often have deep and honest conversations here, but animes will usually make the water cloudy and use certain angles to avoid revealing anything. Another common trope is the summer beach episode…you know what? Let me just share my Culture Shocks article for common things you’ll see in almost every anime.

I’ve divided this list into 3 categories: Pure/Lighthearted, Deep/Thought Provoking, and Heavy/Fictional. I’M ONLY RECOMMENDING ANIMES I’VE PERSONALLY WATCHED AND VETTED. Some I watched ages ago, but I did a quick Google search to ensure it was as clean as I recall it being. If there’s a series you think should be here, leave it in the comments below, along with your reasons why you think it is safe for Christians and worth the watch.

Pure and Lighthearted

This category includes animes that anyone in the family can watch and enjoy. A lot of these are slice-of-life series, which means it’s based in reality and focused on what normal people would do, usually focusing on clubs, bands, and sports, and the odd character who pursues realistic dreams. This category also includes most romance or rom/com series, and they don’t go beyond hand holding or kissing. This is great if you’re new to the genre, or just looking for something light hearted to enjoy after a hard day at work.

Superbook

Theme: Bible Stories | Genre: Christian, Adventure

If there’s any anime that is 100% safe for Christians, it would be Superbook, because it is literally based on the bible. In this series, two young kids who are still young and learning some valuable life lessons get pulled into a bible story, and they get to not only witness the story as it unravels, but also gets to interact with characters and sometimes take part in it. At the end of each episode, they go back to their normal life, but with a new understanding for God and His laws. This show was made for kids, but I enjoyed it as a teen and an adult!

Do note that there is a newer, 3D, Americanized version of the show, but you can watch all of the original anime series for free in this Youtube playlist. There are a few other Christian animes worth checking out, like “My Last Day“ which is 10-minute video about Jesus’s crucifixion, which I’ve watched a couple times already. There are also a few I haven’t watched yet like “The Flying House” which is apparently a sequel of sorts to Superbook, and “In The Beginning: The Bible Stories“ made by Osamu. All of these can be found for free on Youtube!

Haikyuu!!

Theme: Volleyball Club | Genre: Sports, Comedy, Coming-of-Age

I can’t think of a single person who has watched this series and didn’t like it. I personally avoided it for a time as my anime friends were fanboying over characters so I thought it’d be kinda sissy. I didn’t even like volleyball in school, but boy, this series made me want to give it a second chance! The show stars a short kid who desired to be great at volleyball after seeing a game on TV and admiring the ‘little giant’. In middle school, he did his best to train, even joining the girl’s team to practice since there wasn’t a boy’s team. He managed to suck his friends into making a team with him, but they really suck and they lost their first (and only) tournament game. But now he’s in high school and can pursue his dream seriously. Ironically, his mortal enemy from the team that destroyed his at the tournament is also trying out. Don’t worry though, they learn to put their differences aside for the sake of the team. This series is really funny and will have you on the edge of your seat during matches. The show has many loveable characters with different strengths and weaknesses, and it is a great motivational anime too!

Medalist

Theme: Figure Skating | Genre: Sports, Drama

If you like more beautiful and artistic sports, medalist is the series for you. I know there’s a lot of hype recently thanks to Alysa Liu (even I think she’s cool and amazing, really inspiring!), but I took skating lessons as a kid and loved watching the olympics and ice skating movies years prior. But whether you’re a noob at the sport or know a bit, I think anyone would enjoy this series. Medalist is about an elementary school girl who was inspired by her older sister who was competing as an ice skater, but had to quit due to an injury. Because of this, even though she realllllly wanted to learn, her mom forbad her, putting her years behind other ice skaters her age. Regardless, she did what she could to learn in the meantime, even gathering worms to get entry into the rink to watch. On the other side, we have a man who started to learn to ice skate as an adult and was too old to learn things like jumps. Regardless, he focused on ice skating with a partner and still made a name for himself. His partner convinces him to join her in coaching, and by chance, he bumps into the MC. Her mom is still completely against it, but he sees her potential, and they both convince her to at least give her a chance, and she allows her to skate, but only until High School. She has a lot of catching up to do in a short amount of time, but the MC and her coach are driven! I’m sure a lot of people can relate to feeling behind, and there are other characters who struggle with stunts and thus can’t advance, but this show will certainly motivate you to not give up if it’s something you’re passionate about!

K-On!!

Theme: Music Club (Rock Band) | Genre: Music, Slice-of-Life, Comedy

This is literally one of the cutest and sweetest animes out there, while also being really funny and relatable. It features a group of girls in their high school’s music club. Two friends had a dream of being in a band together, and they managed to find a couple others as four is needed to establish a club. The main character is a beginner at guitar, and while she is a bit of an airhead, she somehow picks it up pretty easily. It has lots of light hearted humour, and small moments of growth as they prepare for performances. The songs as well are really light hearted and sweet, one is even called ‘light and fluffy time’ (Fuwa Fuwa Time). Any drama is resolved pretty quickly, and the girls get along really well.

Sound Euphonium

Theme: Music Club (Orchestra) | Genre: Music, Slice-of-Life, Drama

If you love music and big bands, Sound Euphonium may be right up your alley. This show features a girl who plays the Euphonium, which is similar to the tuba. She joins her high school band with hopes of competing and perhaps winning….but the group needs a lot of work. Their school haven’t won a competition in years and some of the kids are just there for fun. Luckily, they also get a new music teacher/director, and while he has a handsome and kind looking face, he’s not here to play games, and he won’t even let them perform at local events if they won’t get their act together. I think this show has more realistic music drama, especially compared to K-On!. In any band, there is bound to be the ones who don’t practice much and hold everyone back, the ones who are super talented and have an ego or are quite cold and independent, there may be competition for leadership, and personalities don’t always mesh. But at the end of the day, anyone who truly cares about the group and wants everyone to succeed will humble themselves, put their feelings aside, and do their best.

A Place Further Than The Universe

Theme: Trip to Antarctica | Genre: Coming-of-Age, Adventure, Slice-Of-Life

This anime has the same cute and fun vibes as K-ON!, but with a lot of growth and really touching moments as well. Our main character is a girl who lacks any motivation to do anything. She has no dreams or goals, but envies girls who do worthwhile things. She bumps into a girl who is trying so desperately to go to Antarctica (highlighting as some may read the title and think it’s an isekai or spiritual series), and is even hoping to find people to go with her. Her classmates not only mock her dream, but plant seeds of doubt saying it’s impossible or ridiculous. The two end up joining together and taking this dream seriously. While they usually wouldn’t allow kids on an expedition, they make an exception for this group. What makes this show so touching? I don’t want to spoil anything, but the girl’s mother went to antarctica and disappeared, so she is eager to possibly find her and learn more about her mom.

Ore Monogatari (My Love Story)

Genre: Rom-com, Shojo, Slice-of-Life

This is one of the cutest and funniest romcoms out there. The series main character is a beast of a high schooler…like literally, unnaturally huge, strong, and hairy….but he is the biggest sweetheart. He is so eager to help people, but even after helping them, they run and flee in fear. One day on the subway, he helps a girl who was being harassed by others, and the two develop a crush on each other. Welll, he thinks its one sided and that she is more interested in his much hotter best friend, as everyone else is, but she does genuinely like him. She is really shy, but also makes small efforts to get to him. Him being twice her size, and also dealing with others opinions on their relationship, we get the following series of events.

Bocchi The Rock

Theme: All-Girls Rock Band | Genre: Music, Slice-of-Life, Comedy

If you want a musical series that is a bit more serious and has cooler music than K-ON! but is still really funny and chill, check out Bocchi The Rock! Our main character is a super duper shy girl. She was inspired to play guitar because she thinks it would make her popular and she can attract friends. She becomes super talented and starts a faceless YouTube channel, but is too scared to show or share her skills with anyone around her. By chance, a girl from another school was desperately looking for a guitarist for a gig that evening as hers dropped out, and she found Bocchi with her guitar in a park. The series then goes on to show her experience making friends, becoming more comfortable on stage, and even surviving her first customer service job!

Azumanga Daioh

Genre: Slice-of-Life, Comedy

If you’re looking for a light hearted funny show that is truly a slice-of-life with the most random female characters and quirky teachers, one that doesn’t even require you to pay much attention as there is no ongoing storyline, this is your show!

A Sign of Affection

Theme: Dating A Deaf Person | Genre: Romance, Slice-of-Life, Drama

This series is about the romance between a deaf college girl and a mature, well-travelled man. Not being able to communicate with their mouths, they have to rely on sign language, writing, emotions, lip reading, and creativity. As I did some searches to recall the premise, they all confirm it’s a wholesome romance where they take their time getting to know each other and develop in their relationship. The patience and understanding in their scenerio is something we can all learn from.

Hamtaro

Theme: Hamsters POV | Genre: Comedy, Slice-of-Life, Adventure, Children

This was one of my favourite anime series that I grew up with on TV, so I’m throwing it in for the adult anime fan who is trying to find an adorable and positive cartoon for their children. Hamtaro features a hamster named hamtaro and his owner, a young girl. While the girl goes to school and has her own slice-of-life experiences, Hamtaro sneaks out to hang with his hamster friends from around town, and they go on their own adventures. There’s no powers or anything, just hamsters trying to build things or fix a problem.

Kids On The Slope

Theme: Classical Pianist Discovers Jazz | Genre: Coming-of-Age, Slice-of-Life, Music, Romance

This anime is one of the more unique music series I’ve watched, and on my Music Anime list, I gave it a 10/10. It’s realistic, the jazz music is great, and it has an interesting plot and characters. I won’t say much as the music speaks for itself, but the main premise is about a pretty lonely guy who is great at playing the piano with sheet music, but learns how to improvise and just have fun when he starts playing with a jazz band.

Kimi ni Todoke (From Me To You)

Genre: Shojo, Slice-of-Life, Comedy

This is one of the most popular romance animes out there, and for good reason. The main character is a super sweet and shy girl, and it doesn’t help that she looks like a famous Japanese horror character. Like most girls, she falls for the most popular guy in school, but unlike the trope where that guys can be a jerk, this guy is actually very sweet and gets along with everyone. While it is hard for her to socialize, she shares her admiration for him in the first episode, and she is very honest and open about her true feelings to everyone. The series shows her story as she emparks on new experiences and her general positive outlook on things. If you think “Sign of Affection” is a slow-burn romance, this one will test your patience haha. By the end of season 1 (25 episodes), the couple shares their feelings but aren’t officially dating yet, and by the end of season 2, they hug…..yup, not a single kiss. Season 3 apparently came out years after, but I have yet to watch, but I can guarantee you, it is probably one of the most innocent romance animes and shows you may ever watch.

Cells At Work

Theme: Body Cells POV | Genre: Comedy, Action, Educational

This anime is as the title says, ‘cells at work’. It turns the cells of the human body into human-like characters who all have their own tasks to do to keep things running. It’s both funny and educational! I didn’t finish the series, but based on the premise of the show, there’s no romance, and everything is within the realm of science and realty. When a virus comes in, the white blood cells jump into action to take it out and protect the other cells. When the body is wounded, we see the platelets, the cutest bunch of ‘kids’ who can be very very slow, but are united to fixing the problem. If you’ve been out of school for a while, it’s easy to become negligent of all the things going on inside you, but a show like this can certainly help you appreciate the word God has put into creating us and sustaining our bodies.

Plus-Sized Misadventures in Love!

Theme: ‘Ugly’, Depressed Woman Loses Memory And Now Loves Everything! But Who Tried To Kill Her? | Genre: Rom-Com, Mystery, Drama

We’ve had animes and dramas where an ugly, obese teen gets into an accident, and due to fasting or surgery, she becomes very pretty and everyone falls in love with her…but that is not the case in this series. Rather, we start with this working class lady who has a brush of death, wakes up with amnesia, and she instantly loves who she is. She adores her chubby features, finds cute clothes to wear, and is bubbling with confidence. Everyone around her doesn’t recognize her because she was previously super depressed and insecure, but now she thanks God for creating her and truly appreciates every aspect of life. When people still intend evil against her, she sees the good in them and forgives them. When people mock her or others, she’s not afraid to stand up and be bold. She becomes a positive influence on everyone around her. And the guy she had a crush on and used to take pictures of secretly, she now goes up to him and the two become friends……but we find out pretty quickly that the detectives believe her ‘suicide attempt’ was actually attempted murder…but who would want to kill her? The show definitely has some adult themes like marriage and affairs, but it’s all talk, no show.

Free!!

Theme: Boy’s Swimming Club | Genre: Sports, Slice-of-Life, Coming-of-Age

If you’re a girl who fawns over abs, maybe avoid this one, but if you’re normal like the rest of us, I think this show is pretty tame. There’s no nudity beyond what’s expected since they’re swimming. Anyways, I started this show back in high school when only 1 season was out, and recently watched the majority of it, til they graduated. It went a lot deeper than I remembered when it comes to friendships and achievements. The show’s main character is Haru, a guy who just loves to swim ‘freestyle’ (front stroke) just because he loves to swim. He is in a way, a fish out of water, and is naturally a graceful and fast swimmer. He doesn’t talk or express himself much though. He and two characters at his school were part of their local swimming club’s team. Then we got Rin, a guy from another school who was also on that team, but went to Australia to become a great swimmer, got intimidated and kinda gave up on his dream, but when he comes across Haru again, he feels that competitive rush. Rin has big dreams but has to work really hard for it, Haru doesn’t really care about stats, but enjoys swimming with his friends. The other characters all have their role to play, and I was especially fond of Rei this time around, him being the outlier of this childhood group, and also working hard to swim, but still giving his everything passionately. I also find we don’t get to explore male friendship drama as much, but it’s cool to see how distance doesn’t seperate them, and how forgiving and supportive they can be of one another!

Lovely Complex

Theme: Tall Girl and Short Guy Compete To Find Love, But Should Just Date Each Other | Genre: Rom-Com, Shojo

I watched this series as a teen, and just rewatched the first episode recently. After double checking with Google to confirm there’s no explicit sexual content, I feel it’s safe to add this hilarious romcom to the list. Essentially, we got a girl who’s always been the tallest in her class, and a guy who’s always been the shortest. Since the first day of school, they bumped into each other, and would always argue with each other, giving them the title of the comedic duo. While they appear to hate each other, they are actually decent friends, able to share their insecurities, struggles, and even their crushes with one another. In the first episode, they try to help hook each other up with their crush by planning a triple date of sorts, but in the end of it all, their crushes ended up liking each other. We actually see that these two are quite alike in personalities and interests, and I’m already thinking “Just date already!!!” but naw, they don’t see each other that way. They actually make a bet that they will find a boyfriend or girlfriend before the other does. So if you’re looking for a light hearted funny show, definitely check this one out!

Backflip!!

Theme: Men’s Gymnastics Club | Genre: Sports, Slice-of-Life

This 12 episodes + movie series is about men’s gymnastics. If you’re like me, despite watching the Olympics, figure skating, and other artist sports, I didn’t know it was a thing. And it’s not. It originated in Japan and has yet to expand elsewhere. In this sport, 6 men make a team and they do a routine consisting of flips, handstands, and other artistic moves. And no, they’re not girly guys, they are actually manly men. I ended up binging the series in a day and watched the movie the following day. It was interesting learning about the sport and I actually had to do some research afterwards out of curiosity. I would consider it the male equivalent of K-On!! as the premise is similar (beginner MC joins club that is desperate for members), and the show definitely focuses more on the characters and slice-of-life elements than rehearsal. To be fair, they’re working on the same single routine from beginning to end, so it may be boring trying to add more insight than necessary. Regardless, it was fun getting to know the different characters, seeing what inspired them, and also them working together towards their goal, one of which the coach is also heavily invested in since the club is only a few years old to begin with.

The only warnings I would give is that one character’s family owns a shrine (thus talismans/good luck charms pop up), and another character is obsessed with idols, both are somewhat relevant to the plot, but not so intrusive or influential, if that makes sense. Another character is obsessed with their local delicacy, and one is obsessed with mini plants, for example…it’s mentioned, and they indulge in their free time, but that’s about it. There’s definitely a bit more of that Japanese culture aspect to it, like shared baths, school festivals, and a theory about a ghosts, but if you’ve watched other slice of life series, you’ll know what I mean in that it’s not taken seriously or pushed on to the viewer. And of course, they guys are wearing unitards (non-suggestive), but if you don’t mind those things, you’ll be fine watching this. I think the show as a whole was made mainly to bring awareness to the sport, and share the love and beauty with it to others, so it is very realistic in that sense, especially in the movie.

You And I Are Polar Opposites

Theme: Unexpected Couple And Real Growth | Genre: Rom-Com, Slice-of-Life, Drama

This may be my favourite romance anime of all time. The couple is just so cute, and the series is such a breath of fresh air! The male lead who appears to be the quiet, serious, nerdy guy, he actually pays attention to ques, takes the lead, and makes a move. I’m used to this kind of character being so clueless when girls are interested, and being super awkward sharing their feelings, but this guy is surprisingly bold! The female lead as well, a super bubbly and popular girl who appears to care a lot about what people think, but she couldn’t keep her feelings in and decided to share to her friends that she has a crush on him, and then runs after him to confess, preventing a misunderstanding that would have kept them apart…all of this in episode 1! I was flabbergasted, in a good way! I’m so used to romance series where two characters take 4 episodes just to confess, and another 4 just to hold hands…and it’s not that I have a problem with slow-burn series, but it can be frustrating when they spend so much time in their heads, wondering, second thinking, being super shy, and misunderstanding one another, but this series shows what can happen if people are more open and straightforward with one another. We got over those humps from the getgo, so now we get to explore them just learning about one another and understanding their own feelings as this is their first real relationship.

Additionally, I love that their classmates don’t give a damn that this odd couple are together (unlike High School Musical lol). Her friends are super supportive and immediately make an effort to include her boyfriend into the group. One guy actually does judge and wonder why they are together, and how it doesn’t make sense as he always believed girls date up on the social ladder just to brag about it, but I like that he is self aware to realize this is his own internal problem and that he is projecting, as opposed to creating a scheme to break them up or something (High School Musical ^^”). And same with the main characters, when they feel something off within them, they can calmly express their feelings, and take a moment to understand themselves instead of causing unnecessary drama. I also really like the growth of their relationship. For some reason, hugs are so rare in romance animes. They get super shy about handholding, then it takes forever for them to kiss, and some shows will immediately take it much further, but like….I can’t recall the last anime I watched where lovers just hugged, not because someone was sad and needed comforting, nor as a means to something more intimate, but just cause they liked each other. I know Japan is touch-deprived (thus why people pay to be cuddled by strangers) and against PDA, but I’m so serious when I say romantic hugging is so rare in anime, but it’s so much sweeter than a kiss imo! I’m not even done the season yet, but it just feels so light because of the maturity. And of course, it’s still really funny and interesting seeing these polar opposites date. I usually skip OPs and EDs to save time, but the songs are a bop, and the visuals are so fun and cute!

Deep and Thought Provoking

This list includes more fictional and sci-fi stories, but the main characters are likeable or relatable. The shows may focus or feature darker topics like depression, bullying/abuse or death/grief, but the overall message is positive, even helping us to understand the importance of compassion, forgiveness, loving your enemies, and redemption. The shows may include some supernatural elements like time travel, but the characters themselves don’t have powers and/or the show doesn’t promote and praise powers.

A Silent Voice

Theme: Deaf Girl Was Bullied, Bully Later Seeks Redemption | Genre: Psychological Drama, Slice-of-Life

A silent voice is a movie that has touched many, and I think has a good lesson for young Christians as well. The show starts with the main character, an elementary school boy, and a new girl, who is innocent and sweet, but unfortunately deaf. He starts bullying her, even to the point where he pulls out her hearing aids and throws them out the window (and trust me, hearing aids are expensive!). Despite this, she is kind to him and tries to mind her own business, but he continues to torment her. Eventually, she couldn’t take it anymore and transfers schools. While the other students often laughed along, they now make him the outcast. The boy then goes on to develop immense guilt, and by the time he grows up, he is contemplating suicide, but first, he wants to apologize and make amends with her. The movie goes on to show their once shaky relationship became authentic friendship, and it is really sweet seeing him learn sign just to communicate wit her. A true forgiveness and redemption story.

Orange

Theme: Can Letters To Your Younger Self Save A Life?| Genre: Sci-fi, Romance

This series is really touching and will make you rethink how you handle your friendships. In this anime, we are introduced to an older group of friends who lost someone to suicide ages ago. They reunite every year in remembrance, still living with the guilt of knowing they could have done something. They decide to make a time capsule with letters to their past selves hoping that in another timeline, their friend would live. The show features their younger selves receiving these letters, like a diary entry, telling them what is about to happen and what they should do, and of course it’s a little hard to believe at first, but as things come to pass, they become more diligent in their efforts. I think this show really pushes us to pay more attention to our friends, to invite them, comfort them, and be willing to sacrifice to attend to their needs. Even if your friend blows up and pushes you away, you must never let go, especially if you know they are going through something. We really never know when would be the last day we see someone, and they may be smiling at you just hours before.

Erased

Theme: Boy Goes Back In Time To Try To Save A Classmate | Genre: Psychological Thriller, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Coming-of-Age

Erased is considered a mystery show, but I think it’s much deeper than that. Similar to Orange above, the main character knew a classmate who was one of many girls murdered in the past. He is given an opportunity to go back to his younger self, but with his present mind and memories. The girl is often alone and is considered weird by the other kids, but knowing what will happen, the main character makes an effort to be her friend and protect her so she wouldn’t be murdered. While suspicious at first, his mom and friends join in his efforts. We find out her mother is also abusive and neglectful, so this is the first time she is treated with kindness and has friends. I won’t spoil the end for you, but it is another show that really makes us think about the loners around us, and how much they need to experience God’s lovingkindness.

Detective Conan

Genre: Mystery, Adventure, Thriller, Romance

If you’re a big fan of shows like Law and Order or Criminal Minds, then this is an episodic murder mystery show for you. You can even play along by keeping track of clues and witness statements and see if you can guess the right culprit before the episode is finished. On top of these mysteries is the biggest mystery that has yet to be resolved. The main character, a popular teenage detective, was poisoned and turned into a little kid. Why? By who? We don’t really know. He still got the smarts and deduction skills, but obviously, no one takes him seriously. His best friend is a girl, and they kinda like each other, but he decides to keep this a secret from her while still trying to protect her. Her dad is also a detective, but a really sucky one that no one hires. In an effort to explore and find a cure for himself, he ends up following this detective and ‘helping’ him solve mysteries in the meantime. The show has over 1000 episodes and is still ongoing. I’ve only watched up to about 200 in my teen days, but besides the whole ‘murder’ concept, it is a pretty PG show.

Gokusen

Theme: Daughter of Yakuza Boss Becomes A Teacher Of Delinquents | Genre: Comedy, Slice-of-Life, Yakuza

There is a drama version of this series which I certainly like more, but the premise is the same. We have a high-spirited female who just achieved her dream of becoming a teacher. To her surprise, she ends up being the homeroom teacher of the dumbest, rudest, most violent, and scariest teens at an all-boys school. Most teachers have ran away and quit due to being threatened or attacked by these students, but not this lady! In fact, despite her cute face and smile, she’s actually much tougher and scarier than them. Her parents died in a car crash when she was young, so she was raised by her grandpa who is the boss of a yakuza/gang, and she learned the ways of the trade. She is the only heir, but she has no intentions of taking over. She only wants to be a teacher like her parents were. The henchman of the home are like family to her, and while they may be considered scary by the public, they never do anything in the show that would make us think they were bad people. In fact, as this teacher learns to handle her students who don’t mind stealing, lying, and ganging up on people, the teacher passes on valuable lessons like forgiveness, playing fair, and being honest, things she learned from her grandpa and those in her home. While everyone else gave up on what would be considered the ‘trash of society’, this teacher who has been around much rougher men, is patient, sees their good sides, and even defends them when the principal is quick to blame anything and everything on them. And eventually, by gaining the trust of her students, they lose their aggression, desire to study and get good jobs, and heal parts of themselves that was broken. As a Christian, it reminds me a lot of God being kind and merciful on us when we were sinful and disgusting, and how that love transforms us with time.

Girls Band Cry

Theme: Angry Girl Runs From Home and Starts an All-Girls Rock Band | Genre: Music, Drama, Coming-of-Age

A lot of band animes have come out in recent years, and I can’t include a few as some have darker or worldly stories, but I think this story is quite safe and interesting. It is about a teenage girl full of angst and anger. After an incident at school where she was outcasted, bullied, and painted as the villain, and then expected by the principal and her parents to apologize, she ran away to live in Tokyo. Over there, she bumps into the guitarist of a band who wrote her favourite song, a song that gave her the will to live. To her surprise, the guitarist was about to retire after leaving her band due to musical differences and drama, but the two end up forming a band. Through the series, they find other girls who are also misfits with their own issues, and they pursue stardom….but it’s not that easy. You can’t learn an instrument over night, people won’t care to see a random new band, and you can’t expect your music video to go viral even if your song is amazing. As a Christian, I think this show does a good job at showing us why holding on to these bitter emotions isn’t good, and teaches us to be more honest with our emotions, crying if we need to, and sharing how we really feel. The resolution of the show is also really sweet as the main character realizes a lot of her anger is based on misunderstandings. She also didn’t realize how much she is truly loved and cared for. I don’t want to spoil too much though!

Skip Beat

Theme: Sweet and Sacrificial Girl Realizes She Was Being Used and Seeks Revenge by Joining Showbiz | Genre: Shojo, Comedy, Drama, Coming-of-Age

I watched this series when I was a teen, and decided to revisit it as I didn’t remember much. The manga is still ongoing, but the anime only had 1 season, 25 episodes. A lot happens in this time, and it’s quite hilarious, but also has a lot of things to ponder about. In premise, the show is about a teenage girl, Kyoko, who followed her childhood friend, Sho, to Tokyo so she could support him as he pursues stardom. She sacrificed a lot, even going to high school to become a caretaker, just to find out he was using her and really doesn’t care about her. Out of revenge, she decides to pursue stardom as well and beat him on his own stage. She stands out at the auditions just cause she’s so unpredictable, and while she was initially rejected for missing what every start needs the most, ‘a desire to be loved’, the CEO sees something special in her and gives her a chance in a newly created department where she could hopefully regain what she lost. While Kyoko can admit her motivations for getting into the industry are impure, we find out in this one season just how broken she is. She never really knew her father, her mother neglected her, girls at school never liked her as she was close to a star, and of course, she gave up a normal high school life to support a guy who disposes of her like trash. She can’t help but have bad vibes as she pursues revenge, but with each act of kindness, and each opportunity, she is able to soften up and rebuild a new identity. While people look down on her because of her basic looks and lack of experience, she’s actually pretty talented! There’s more to this story, and other interesting characters, but I won’t spoil considering how short this series is. There’s no fan service, no magic, or anything like that, just a girl who can teach us all why God doesn’t want us to seek revenge or harbor so much hate in our hearts ^^”.

Assassination Classroom

Theme: Mysterious Untouchable Alien Teaches A Class Of Outcasts Who Are Given A Mission To Kill Him Before It’s Too Late | Genre: Sci-Fi, Action Comedy, Drama, Coming-of-Age, Shonen

Despite the name of this show, no one is actually killing and dying here. I watched this show twice, both before and after being saved, and it is still super funny, and made me cry at the end both times. Here’s the premise. This series takes part at a pretige school, but the focus is on this class which includes the dumbest or the rejects of the school, kids who are not considered good enough to be part of the normal campus, and is instead, hidden far in the woods, away from everyone else. And whenever they do interact with their peers, they are mocked and humiliated. At the start of the series, we are introduced to this classes teacher, a big, yellow squid, looking creature who is pretty much untouchable, both cause of speed, and cause weapons don’t work against him. The CIA has asked this classroom to kill him with these special weapons that would only hurt the teacher (ex rubber knives that won’t stab a human but would make his tentacles snap off if it even touches him). A bit of spoiler just so you won’t think he’s an actual unbeatable alien: he was a regular human being, but was experimented on and is now the unique squid teacher.

Through the episodes, we see a somewhat wholesome dynamic between the class and the teacher, as the teacher greatly cares about their education, trains them in their unique talents, builds up their self-esteem, depends them when the school is clearly against them, and prepares them for adulthood with wisdom and encouragement. And on the other side, having this world-saving mission greatly motivates these kids who felt they had nothing to live for, and they grow in wits and strength too, but eventually, they do come to really love their teacher who has their best interests at heart, and they desire to save him instead. We also get to learn about most of the characters backstories which helps us grow in compassion and understanding, and there are other scenarios that help them learn and grow. So if you’re looking for something more interesting and deeper than a slice-of-life series, but not so dark or heavy as the next category, I think this is a great show to check out.

ReLife

Theme: Adult Who Feels He Messed Up In Life Gets To Go Back To High School, Forreal | Genre: Slice-of-Life, Romance, Drama, Sci-Fi

This show is a little different from Orange and Erased in that, the main character isn’t going back in time to re-do his life, rather, like Detective Conan, he is given a drug and gets to live as a teen again in his present time. The main character was in one of the worst companies, one that exploits and bullies it’s workers. Japan places a lot of weight on loyalty, so most people have the same job their whole lives, but this character decided to quit. Unfortunately, due to his reputation, it was impossible for him to find a job elsewhere, and he ends up at a lower income job, reliant on his parents, unable to find a romantic partner, and on path to become a NEET. He is then approached by a man who offers him an opportunity to go back to high school as part of an experiment, and to learn or relearn what he lost along the way. I think anyone can enjoy the themes and messages of this show, but it definitely hits a little harder if you’re of the working class already!

Blue Lock

Theme: Become The Best Soccer Striker or Say Goodbye To Your Dreams | Genre: Sports, Shonen, Psychological, Drama, Action

After watching Haikyuu and Medalist, I got curious about other sports animes. This one is about soccer, but I definitely wasn’t prepared for where the show could be heading. We start off with the main character as his school’s soccer team loses a match and can’t continue in the league. To his surprise, he gets a letter saying he’s invited to become a certified athlete and inviting him to a soccer camp of sorts. We then get quite a dramatic introduction to Blue Lock, a training school to create the best striker their country has ever seen. Why? Well, Japan has never won the World Cup (true story). The creator of Blue Lock believes this is because of Japan’s community and teamwork mindset. This works great for sports like baseball where each person has a specific role to play, but not for soccer. Additionally, Japan is so easy going that most just want to have fun, take it easy, and make money, perhaps marry a hot girl. Soccer isn’t life or death to them, they don’t need to do well. So this training program is designed to change their mindsets, develop their unique talents/skills, and create a hunger in them to score goals, regardless of their position. We start with 300 players. 1 will be the best and move on to play for Japan, while the rest may as well say goodbye to their dreams. Obviously, this means there is a lot of competition, egos, and even some betrayal. It can feel a little dark considering what’s at stake, but that is their reality. Not everyone will succeed. Not everyone can be the best. People will be eliminated. Thus, are you willing to step up, try, adapt, and push yourself beyond your limits to make your dream come true? Are you going to run away from a challenge or figure out new ways to beat a strong team? Blue Lock is designed to change soccer in Japan forever, and it doesn’t have time for weak players or cowards. So if you can get past that concept, it’s a pretty safe show. Some have their inner demons or monsters, but it’s not literal. No one has supernatural powers. The guys wear unitards (non-suggestive), and the occasional male bootie shot (non-sexual) after a shower, but that’s it. In the 2nd season, one player is a little perverted, but his innuendos can easily go over your head. I can certainly see why ‘certain communities’ may ship certain players, but there is no romantic interest between players. It really is just guys improving their skills, working together, and playing soccer lol

Dr. Stone

Theme: All of Humanity Turns To Stone. Some humans break out thousands of years later and try to rebuild humanity from scratch with Science | Genre: Sci-Fi, Adventure, Post-Apocalyptic, Science

My cousin/roommate really likes this series and has always recommended it to me. Another friend from high school also said it was her favourite show, and she was never that big into anime, so it was on my radar…but I assumed it was based on alchemy like Fullmetal Alchemist so I wasn’t interested in it. But in December 2025, on a ride to get groceries, the opening played in my cousin’s car as he was testing me on openings (I know theme songs for shows I didn’t even watch. I’m a Jmusic blogger afterall haha). He then recommended it again and shared a bit more on what it’s about. I asked if there’s any magic or sorcery, and he assured me it’s just about science, so I started watching it soon after. The last season has yet to come out, but I am really enjoying it so far! It has also given me a greater appreciation for this world God has created for sure!

The premise of the shows is that, one day of the blue, our current world gets petrified. Every single human has been turned to stone and over the next 3000+ years, the world resets to it’s natural habit. No more buildings, no more electricity, no more devices. Just nature. The main character breaks out of his stone, and finds out a natural remedy to help others break out of the stone. He lacks the tools and ingredients right now, but he does plan to restore everyone. There are other stronger or smart characters who wants him dead because they want to create their own utopia where they can be in control of the world, or they don’t want to restore adults who they consider corrupted, but the main character wants to restore everyone, good and bad. He may put all his trust into science, but he does genuinely care about people. There is a hint of spirituality in the show, but in a natural way. For example, characters born after the petrification in this natural world think anything unseen is sorcery, but the main character assures them it’s just science tricks. There is even a moment where they wonder if it was gods will to get rid of humans, and if so, the main character believes he’s going to hell for going against that, but the topic never goes beyond a short discussion. I at least appreciate him having that view instead of believing he is a god or special hero.

As a Christian, I’ve learned seeing how certain things like soap, clothes, batteries, and rubber are made from the raw ingredients of this earth. I’ve definitely grown a greater appreciation for nature. I’ve already dwelt so much on how people thousand of years ago, especially in bible times lived, but this show has definitely given me more insight and even some motivation to learn these classic skills. Additionally, I really love how the show allows us to see the value in various characters. While the main character is certainly a genius, he doesn’t have the same craftman skills as this old guy to make and shape glass. And while he knows the ingredients to make bread, he doesn’t know how to make it nice and fluffy like the professional chef, nor how to make food that would last for a half-year journey on the sea. Speaking of seas, he relies on this rich boy who was fascinated in minature ships and knows how best to make a life-sized one. He also knows how to captain a ship and navigate the seas. Additionally, the main character is not strong in anyway, so his best friend who is great at hard labour can cut down the trees and do the heavy lifting for his projects, and others who are more skilled in fighting can protect him from enemies. I assumed this other girl would just be another useless side character, but she’s great at crafts and small details, she even made their hot air balloon from scratch! It really is a team effort and I love that many people are seen as valuable, as we too should see each other in the body of Christ.

Your Lie In April

Theme: Traumatized Classical Pianist Partners With Free-Spirited Violinist | Genre: Romance Drama, Music, Coming-of-Age

This series was a huge hit with musicians and normies and for good reason. The show explores themes of trauma as the main character a young boy, was pressured by his mom since youth to be the perfect pianist and was even abused. She would mentally manipulate him saying that if he does well, he could heal her terminal disease. At one point, he losses it and after saying some harsh words, she passes away not long after. Being riddled with guilt and trauma, he can’t really hear notes and struggles to play the piano. But one day, he is met by a breath of fresh air, a girl who plays the violin freely. She is certainly talented and expressive, but she doesn’t follow the strict rules placed on her by sheets or judges. She encourages the boy to be her partner, and we see how their dynamic brings new life to him. Despite the name, the show doesn’t promote lying or anything, and rather, is focused on a secret, and that secret is what leads to an end that causes most people to cry.

Ao Haru Ride (Blue Spring Ride)

Genre: Shojo, Comedy, Romance, Slice-of-Life

I’m pretty sure I’ve watched this series twice already, once as a teen, and once before I was saved….but for some reason, I can’t remember much of the storyline. I did do some Google searches to confirm it has no suggestive dialogue or scenes, and the premise would put it in this category, but yeah, I’ll update this when I give it another rewatch and can give a better summary!

Heavy and Fictional

This category includes animes with a variety of characters who aren’t exactly good or pure, but they are relatable or realistic. They explore more complex stories and circumstances, and give us insight into the minds of even the most wicked or evil people. They may also feature heavier themes like war and crime, but we get to see how these things affect humans and how their trauma can change them. The show may not directly teach positive values and morals, however, the story will help you understand why God commands certain things in His word (ie, love and forgive instead of seeking revenge). Supernatural powers or magic may be involved, but the show reveals why these things are negative or toxic, as opposed to praising them.

My Hero Academia

Theme: In A World Where Most People Have Powers, This Boy Who Wants To Be A Hero Doesn’t. The #1 Hero Recognizes Him, Passes on His Powers, and Now He Must Learn To Control His ‘Quirk’ While Villains Are Out To Destroy Everything | Genre: Shonen, Comedy, Drama, Action-Adventure, Coming-of-Age, Science Fantasy

This series takes place in a world where everyone has powers and unique abilities, except a small minority, including the main character, Deku. Despite his weakness, he desires to be a hero, and always jumps in to help people, even his classmate who bullied him. He was noticed by the greatest hero at the time and he passed his power onto Deku. We then follow the main character as he goes to hero school and learns to control his new powers, while also overcoming his insecurities. Additionally, we are introduced to many criminals and villains who want to destroy this class, the city, or the world. We get to hear about their backgrounds and trauma, and while some characters have compassion on them and desire to save them, the show never paints evil as good, and justice is still pursued despite hearing their stories. There is no witchcraft or anything like that, just superpowers. And there is some fan service, but it is mild and not frequent.

Attack On Titan

Theme: The Last Human Civilization Is At Threat By Huge Man-Eating ‘Titans’. They Must Fight If They Want To Live. Where Did They Come From Anyways? Watch And Find Out… | Genre: Action, Dark Fantasy, Mystery, War, Post-Apocalptic/Political Thriller, Tragedy

If you want a show with action, suspense, an amazing storyline, relateable and amazing characters and so much more, this is the show to watch. There’s so much to say, but I really don’t want to spoil anything for anyone who chooses to check it out. It’s one of those shows where, even when you’re finally catching up and understanding what is going on, another twist or piece of the puzzle comes in, and you have to keep watching. Unfortunately, while I prefer to watch finished series, one of my cousins who doesn’t normally watch anime checked this one out on Netflix and had to show me the first episode to get my reaction…and since, then, I’ve been hooked. Since it’s been such a long wait between seasons, I would rewatch the first season and see all the hints and foreshadowing that I didn’t notice the first time. I’m someone who can only keep track of 5 or so main characters if there is a crowd, so I didn’t even notice someone until they became relevant, so the rewatch value is great as I could start paying attention to what they said or did earlier in the show.

So what is this story about? Well, to put it simply, our main characters live inside of these walls. They are the last of humanity, and there are 30 FEET TALL MAN-EATING GIANTS (aka titans) outside the walls. In episode one, an even bigger titan kicks down the wall, causing other titans to come in and they cause a lot of destruction in the main character’s hometown, one even eating his mother. That leads him to joining the military where he learns how to fight and kill these titans. But as the story goes on, a small spoiler for the first season, we find out these titans were once humans, and some can turn into them at their will and utilize their powers. But knowing that only creates a lot more questions, for you and the characters in the show. And trust me, it’s not easy. Unlike other shows where characters are excited to fight, everyone here is a normal human, terrified, frozen at times, but they have to face their fears if they want to save humanity. Sadly, many end up getting eaten by them in the process.

I consider this anime safe for Christians because there’s no suggestive content or fan service (At most, I guess *technically* the titans are naked, but they’re so ugly and dumb that you would never look at them in that way), there’s no magic or spirituality (only a supernatural thing due to genetics. I have to wonder if titans are an equivalent to the Nephilim in Noah’s time), and no one is trying to play or be god. (The topic comes up, but even when someone is told they could be like god, they reject it and acknowledge they are just human). The only individual in the show who could somewhat be considered a ‘god’ is simply a girl with a tragic backstory. She lived a life of misery and oppression, both before and after gaining titan powers. And even after her death, she continues to serve others, never considering her own wants or desires. If anything, I appreciate this show for saying there’s nothing wrong with being normal, with not being anything special, as many animes focus on power, and they fight or compete to be the best and be praised as such, or to be a king of sorts.

This show also allows you to dwell on a lot of real life topics and questions, the biggest being war: Who is right or wrong? Who has the right to decide who lives or dies? Along with how innocent people get caught up in these conflicts, causing more pain, anger, and war for generations to come. It also showcases persecution, and how people who reject the regime, who can’t be controlled, or who others are scared of are treated less than human. It talks about propaganda and brainwashing, and makes you wonder if people can be blamed for their actions if that’s all they’ve been taught from their youth. Along with various other topics like betrayal, resentment, forgiveness, guilt, growth, redemption, self-sacrifice, and the value of human life regardless of our race. Additionally, how our beliefs shape and drive us, and how important it is for people to have dreams or hope for the future.

While it is certainly gorey with lots of death and bloodshed, if you’re an anime fan already, it’s not unbearable in anyway. They don’t fantasize bloodshed and they actually show how tragic and heartbreaking it is. These people fight not because they enjoy it but because they want the killing and war to end. And even if you’re not an anime fan, war and death is a part of life. The Israelites fought in countless wars, and bloodshed is what Jesus had to suffer on the cross. It’s not a topic to be avoided, nor should we turn our eyes away and be ignorant of how many people are killed around the world daily. We should always be mindful and pray for our Christian brethren who are being persecuted and killed around the world too.

It’s easy to take our simple, free, and comfortable lives for granted, but as i rewatched the last 2 seasons recently, it made me want to enjoy God’s beautiful and vibrant world more, to pray more for those who are facing wars and persecution, and to have even more compassion on people as we really don’t know their backstories or the burdens they are carrying. As I heard in an audiobook recently, sometimes the most evil people just weren’t loved enough. In this show, you’ll get to see the various reasons why people fight. Sometimes it’s for revenge, sometimes they just think it’s best, some want to die a hero, some are told it will change things for the better, others are pressured due to their governments or families, and some really didn’t have a choice. Peace truly is a blessing, and this show will make you really greateful you don’t have to live through the hell others face everyday.

Death Note

Theme: Top Student Discoveres Notebook That Could Kill Anyone Who’s Name Is Written In It. Top Detective Knows He’s The Killer, But Can’t Prove It | Genre: Psychological Thriller, Supernatural Thriller, Mystery, Drama

This show is a mystery-based thriller where the greatest detective tries to take down the greatest mass murderer of all time, and both individuals think they are on the side of justice. The premise of this show is that a high school student who is the smartest of his class and well liked by peers (and girls) finds a notebook, and it claims that ‘whosoevers name you write in it will die’. He didn’t believe it at first, but after trying it out and seeing it work, he freaks out. And more so when the shinigami (death god/reaper) reveals himself. Most people would stop here, riddled with fear and guilt, but he chooses to believe he was divinely chosen to rid the world of evil doers, and goes on a spree, killing any and every criminal. The greatest detective notices this anomaly and is quickly able to deduce he is likely the culprit…he just can’t prove it with evidence. It doesn’t help that the murderer’s dad is a detective on the same case and greatly defends his son as well. In an effort for the murderer to ‘prove his innocence’, he joins the investigative team as well…and the detective doesn’t mind as he would rather keep him near to surveil him and hopefully get a confession.

I decided to recommend this anime for a variety of reasons. One is the concept of justice, as humans like to follow their own heart and believe they are doing what’s right, but it is clearly very wrong in God’s eyes. Two is cause the show paints evil and darkness the way it should be painted, in a wicked and disgusting way. We see what was initially a ‘good kid’ turn into a corrupt, prideful, and mentally insane character due to power. He even goes on to manipulate others to do his will, and would kill innocent detectives or witnesses to save his own butt. Additionally, anyone who is acquainted with a shinigami is essentially on the dark side, even if they seem innocent or cute or whatever on the outside. We really don’t know who may be partnering with demons in our world unless we have discernment. We should be sober and vigilent (1 Peter 5:8). And three is because we get to see how the world’s view can change when they see evil taking over. In the beginning, many condemned the murderer and was rooting for the police, but after years of seeing criminals drop dead, many start to align and support the murderer, whether out of fear or adoration. Others just accept the new reality or remained ignorant. But ultimately, at the end of it all, true justice and morality wins.

Digimon

Theme: Bunch of Kids Sucked Into The Digital World. They and Their Digimon Partners Must Fight The Villains And Restore Peace To Return Back Home | Genre: Action-Adventure, Science Fantasy, Monster Taming, Coming-of-Age

This is one of my favourite animes as it was my true introduction to Japan and Jmusic, taught me many valuable lessons, and inspired me to pursue my true childhood dream job. And when it comes to Christianity and morality, it actually encouraged me to be more of a light to those around me. Unlike Pokemon where their world has replaced regular animals with Pokemon, this show takes place in a world just like ours, but there are ‘Digital Monsters’ who live in the Digital World. And because the digital world is very connected to ours through phones, laptops, and the internet, when things are a mess over there, it can cause problems in our world as well. If anything, you can very well think of it as the spiritual world having an effect on our world, even if most people are blind the war going on.

Every season features a different group of kids and different circumstnaces or rules, but I’ll focus on just the first two as everyone should start there. We start off with a group of chosen children or ‘Digidestined’ who get sucked into the digital world, and they are quickly joined by their Digimon partners who have been waiting for them. It’s not long before random wild Digimon start to attack them, and we learn that these cute baby Digimon can evolve into much stronger Digimon temporarily, often through the lovely traits these children show such as love, friendship, kindness, sincerity, courage, hope, and light. In fact, later in the series, they each have a crest with these names, and can reach higher evolutions if the fight with these traits. We even see a single dark evolution when a kid, feeling prideful and trying to force his Digimon to evolve with anger and impatince, causes a dark evolution where the Digimon is both ugly and uncontrollable. When the Digimon reverts back, the kid learns his lesson and never wants to risk that happening again. Now, these kids don’t want to fight, they actually want to go home to their mommies and sleep comfortably in their beds, but it becomes clear that they can’t go back until their mission, which is to stop the most evil Digimon causing havoc in the digital world, and eventually the real world, is dealt with.

The show doesn’t promote Darwin’s evolution theory or anything, the root word “Shinka” can refer to any transformation or change…and considering they are ‘digital’ monsters, that makes sense. What I also find a cute quirk of the show is that ‘Digimon don’t die, they are reformatted’ which is true for real data. However, the show definitely has some spiritual influences and themes as the Digimon themselves can be based on anything, from animals and bugs, to plants and random objects (poop, garbage cans), to angels and demons, to other mythical ideas like vampires, ghosts, and witches, even characters based on bible characters like beelzebub, leviathan, and lucifer, along with other religions like the Jewish Kabbalah, or the Chinese Zodiac. But what I like is that, if the Digimon is based on an evil or scary thing, like demons, vampires, ghosts, and witches, they are defaulted as a virus Digimon and enemy. In Season 4, Lucimon (based on lucifer) comes on looking like an angel of light and gets the trust and hope of all the Digimon in an area to win an election, but once he gets into power, he reveals his true evil, manipulative, and destructive side. The humans in this show never have their own power, and are probably some of the most realistic kids you would ever watch. They also grow immensely throughout the season, growing in bravery, humility, and learning to work together despite their differences.

One feature I find especially intreresting as a Christian is the concept of dark gears and chains. Some evil Digimon created these tools that would cling or inject into other regular Digimon and make them act crazy or do evil things. The chosen children understand that these Digimon are victims and not the real enemy, so instead of trying to destroy them, they actually try to save them and turn them back to normal (similar to demon possession, eh? We wrestle not against flesh and blood…). Some enemies are sane, but were manipulated or forced into working for the villains, but thanks to the compassionate touch and hope of these kids, they end up changing sides, and some even sacrificed themselves to help them. And as for the real enemies of the show, they are destroyed without any remorse. Justice is served for all the pain they’ve caused, and light is restored to the their worlds.

Apothecary Diaries

Theme: Young Apothecary (Medical Professional in Drugs and Medicine) In 16th/17th Century China | Genre: Shojo, Historical Mystery, Medical Drama, Romance

I’m currently watching this. I may remove if it gets too spicy and dicey since the disclaimer includes sexual imagery and suggestive dialogue, but it is 14+ and doesn’t list nudity, so I’m hoping it doesn’t go beyond what I’ve seen so far, which is lots of cleavage, but not in a fan service kinda way. It is relevant to the story as it is written in a time when women really had no rights and freedoms, so most were simply servants, but those with ‘assets’ (aka beauty and a big chest) may help them be chosen or noticed to serve higher officials or to even marry royalty. It is labeled as a shojo (show for girls), but guys, including my cousin, are a big fan of it for the story.

The story is based on historical reality, which is why I was initially going to put it in the above category, but I do think some themes are definitely more heavy and meant for a more mature audience, so I’m putting it here just to be safe. To be more specific, it is focused on princesses, concubines, female servants or slaves, courtesans, and prostitutes. These women don’t really have a say in their life or career. They were either born into it, chosen, bought out, and even kidnapped and sold. Thankfully, the show doesn’t focus on their sex lives, but it is mentioned or implied what they do (ie a brothel worker). If this was strictly a fictional show in some random world, I wouldn’t include it on this list, but this is the reality of many women in the past, and perhaps still in some regions of the world. In the bible, we’re told Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines, and I’m sure many of us wonder ‘how? why?’ because we’re so accustomed to monogamy. Same with Esther who went through a beautifying period and was part of a harem. All the girls ‘spent the night’ with the King before he chose who would be his new queen, and that does mean they all slept with him. The girls who didn’t become queen would have been one of his concubines, never to see the king again. The bible also has laws informing Israel that when they take women and children captive, they are free to marry whom they choose, and this was likely the norm in other countries too. Servants, masters, Lords, it can be hard to comprehend, but this was the norm in the past. Jesus even talks about the kinds of Eunuchs in Matthew 19:12. Additionally, in this show, we get to see how much weight is put on things like clothes, makeup, and accessories when it comes to someone’s status, and why Paul had to talk about it in 1 Timothy 2:9. So that’s why I think this anime is interesting to watch as it could really give us insight to what life could have been like back then, when life was more fragile as there wasn’t many doctors and scientists, and compassion for women who didn’t have the same rights and freedoms we have today. Boy, we are so blessed and privileged!

So as for this story, the main character is an apothecary. These are individuals who specialize in medicine and poison, able to sense if a dish has been poisoned, and also nurse someone back to health. She’s a little crazy though, as she likes the taste of poison and would do experiments on herself. One day, she was kidnapped and brought to another city. What amazes me is just her acceptance of the situation and her new role, but this was a time before phones and police, so she probably knew the chances of going back was little to none. She tried to blend in with the other girls, but after hearing rumours of a princess and a concubine, along with their babies getting sick, she secretly tells them why (their face powder was poisonous). The concubine listened and her and her child was spared, the princess didn’t and her baby died. The male lead of this show, a eunuch who gets a lot of attention, knew it was her and she got moved up as an apothecary for the concubine. The eunuch is hoping she’ll fall for him as a safety precaution, but she thinks he’s a creep and has no interest at all. After she settles in to her new role, it seems to take on a bit more of a detective vibe where someone will be poisoned and she provides an antidote and investigates. But yeah, I wouldn’t hesitate to remove this if it gets a little too graphic or dark, but it’s hard finding other genres with unique stories that don’t cross into magical, isekai, demonic, or super violent/sexual territory, so I hope this will stay in a reasonable territory considering the story and the time.