The Religious Hysteria Against Anime

[@KitsuneAnimeYT]

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[@flaviamartinez3292]

What can I say, it happened in Latin America as well.

[@Mt.Dwezzy]

Not being allowed to watch Pokémon, Digimon, or sailor moon growing up in a black Baptist household is the definition of a good backstory

[@TSN-WVK08]

I’m a Baptist and I enjoy anime very much and I hate when people generalize fiction!!!

[@yuu-kun3461]

When everything is the devil, then nothing is.

[@weedleisopcute3626]

True wisdom

[@BakunauaX2435]

Okay, for me that's doesn't make sense. If everything is the devil, then everything is devil. How you say that "nothing is" , I don't understand. If it is just a joke, then I understand Sorry for my bad English, It's not my first language, just learning

[@yuu-kun3461]

@BakunauaX2435 that is a reference to Syndrome's monologue from the Pixar movie Incredebles 1. Now of course, the movie itself is saying that individual strengths and talents should be celebrated. The quote from this villan is: "when everyone is super, no one will be". This is basically saying that if everybody had super-powers, then the concept of a superhero will no longer exist, as "super" is no longer applicable or descriptive. That quote is a bit controversial because people compare it to Ayn Rand's Objectivist philosophy which basically says that "talended people should not be held back by mediocrity", and |without such people the economy will collapse" (see Atlas Shurgged). My joke is also refering to Pantheism (pronounced PAN thee izm) which is "the belief that God consists of everyone and everything". For example, a tree is God, a rock or mountain is God, the universe is God, all people are God etc. So then anime must be God too, and rock n roll must be God too, and yet christian people feel the need to label things they do not understand as "the devil"... so then if anime == God and anime == Devil then the conclusion is that God == Devil (== means equals in boolean logic). Ok, so the conclusion is wrong, as such the premise is wrong, anime is not the Devil (remember Pantheism, the first premise is assumed to be right). But is not like christian people are particularly concerned about logic or anything.

[@BakunauaX2435]

@@yuu-kun3461 oh, thanks As a Christian and also an gen z, this is jsut my perspective, I have little experience of saying that anime is demonic, I'm Asian and fan of anime. I mean it makes sense when they say that, many anime that I watch and saw, and manga that I read, many very demonic symbolism and sometimes treat Christianity in general evil and it's followers. Also, probably they want to make sure that their children at good path or always at good morals. Many of weebs right now sometimes, feel like they treat anime as in they are real, which I think its bad. Also, I don't think that all of christian have a feel a need to label thinks that that they don't understand, I believe we just don't want to be associated from demonic things and try to avoid it as soon as possible, of course there is a mistake that it should be analyze things first before make a conclusion, everyone makes mistakes, from I watching YT, look likes they trying to correct the mistakes of the past and learn from it.

[@Esther_Cryo]

One dumb thing that back in high school, my aunt who was a missionary from Brazil came into my room when I was listening to a Vocaloid song, "Daughter of Evil" she asked first, I answered her the name but tried to tell her that it's not what it sounds like but my aunt didn't listened, she came to my closet and lectured me that I was opening the door to demons into my heart, probably thinks it's a satanic song when it's nowhere near satanic.

[@BanTakatsuki]

What's interesting about this is that it's not an entirely new phenomenon, the printing press caused a mass panic upon its release to the public, and so did coffee in the Ottoman Empire, heck, it still does occur to this very day! Just look at the sheer backlash Skibidi Toilet and Tik Tok caused over the years! We human beings do very well fear the unknown, it's as fascinating as it is ironic to me. (Can I suggest a topic for future video? Cuz you should totally check the French Manga and Anime industry, they have some interesting and beloved shows and Manfra there like Radiant (manga ver), Wakfu and Last Man, truly great stuff!)

[@117Jorn]

At least with Tik Tok there is a legit reason to be concerned.

[@BanTakatsuki]

@@117Jorn Yeah I get that, I was just giving examples, not exactly defend it. I barely use Tik Tok myself.

[@TocaNicole]

I remember Pokemon getting flack for promoting evolution, which went against God and creationism. I remember hearing more about that than any violence. I also remember Monster Ranchers. Good company here

[@pablocasas5906]

You know, growing up in Latin America it always amazed me to discover how religious the U.S. was compared to other countries. I'm catholic, but my family is not super religious or anything, I even went to a catholic high school but I was taught things like evolution and plenty of other scientific facts and there was very little religion being mentioned. So it always surprised to hear that in some U.S. schools don't teach the theory of evolution, why is that?

[@coltonwilliams4153]

Most of my parents’ arguments were against cartoons and how I needed to grow up. Meanwhile, my stepdad watched the most boring sports, and my mom was addicted to Days of Our Lives, which I’m pretty sure can be classified as a war crime level weapon because of how much brain rot it induces.

[@pinkalicefreak]

I'm glad I grew up watching anime like pokemon, DBZ etc., especially because I don't live in America. The only time I heard someone refer to pokemon as evil was when I visited my (very catholic) grandparents in Poland. My grandma said there is a preacher on that catholic radio channel, who said pokemon is bad therefor I should not play with it. I was just confused by her saying it at that time.

[@eggballo4490]

I'm pretty sure God and Jesus would say that it was a good thing that you and your brother bonded over Yu-Gi-Oh instead of fighting all time.

[@pinkfoxboi1331]

Not to mention it's blatantly Jewish Christian religion coded Fr the mcs so their extremely dumb

[@BanTakatsuki]

It's 2024, and only in the past few years that Anime got backlash from some Islamic Movements in the Arabic world, help T_T

[@Anas-oo4ro]

What was the backlash?

[@BanTakatsuki]

@Anas-oo4ro *Sigh* it's a big mess, but to put it simply: they're trying to frame it as being Haram, arguing that it both is filled with Fan-service (Ecchi moments specifically in Shonen) and is trying to promote polytheism and Atheism (Buddism, Hinduism, and Shinto are the basis for these arguments) And they even think that Anime and Manga often makes fun of Islam, Allah and the Prophet PBUH (Yeah, pretty wild and mind-numbing accusations right there). There're even some people being ridiculed for liking Anime and Manga. It's not as huge as the Pokémon Mass Panic in both the Arabic world and in the US back in the day, but it IS significant in that everyone, no matter how barely knowledgeable in Anime Culture or in Islamic teachings they are, keeps shouting and screaming that it'll make you lose faith and waste your time. Y-yeah, I'll just stop here, I really hate when talking about these sorts of things.

[@Anas-oo4ro]

@@BanTakatsuki I mean there are anime that have a lot of fanservice / ecchi scenes Also there are some anime that promote polytheism and atheism So I think it is justified but I don't think anyone says anime as a whole is haram it's that there are some anime that are and I think it makes sense I am a Muslim and I watch anime A LOT and I like it but I avoid ecchi anime because other than it being haram I just really don't like it and a lot of non muslims agree too

[@Anas-oo4ro]

Also I have a lot of Muslim friends that watch anime and love it Recently I found out that my teacher who teaches Islam watches anime which I find funny but yeah

[@BanTakatsuki]

@Anas-oo4ro I see where you're coming from, and I think some of the points they mentioned are valid. However, my issue is that they tend to overgeneralize, lumping accusations against what seems to be most, if not all, anime out there-or they're just bad at presenting their arguments. For example, if you understand Arabic, there’s a channel called "Al-Sabil Channel | قناة السبيل" that goes as far as criticizing novels-mostly Western ones. Honestly, I find that pretty extreme. On the topic of polytheism, I once heard a scholar say that it’s permissible to read books from any religion, provided you’re studying your own faith (Islam). They also mentioned that if you encounter doubts or questions, you should consult your Imam or scholar. That really blew my mind when I learned it! It made every anime critic out there seem like they have an almost irrational fear of shirk (polytheism) or blasphemy. That said, their point about ecchi scenes is valid. But to be fair, there are ways to skip or avoid them most of the time. Anyway, thanks for sharing your opinion!

[@sugarsmile7852]

It's funny that in the middle-east they got access to anime way before America

[@BanTakatsuki]

I didn't know that WTF!?

[@justinarzola4584]

Latin America too, that's why Mexico loves DBZ so much.

[@bennitogamez6319]

Let's be honest they saw kids having fun and fun takes away time and interest from the church so they did what they do best fear monger

[@Christislord23]

I’m a Christian, and I LOVE anime.

[@Mid_Individual]

Same here.

[@cupcakechan2]

Same

[@kirablackstar6130]

This isn't necessarily about Christianity, but rather about how organized religion cheapened Christianity for many due to ridiculous situations like this or their stance on really any popular pastime after a certain point in time.

[@Christislord23]

@kirablackstar6130 I understand what you mean. The only way Pokémon could be satanic, would be if it became an idol over god or if it were to make you sin. People back then didn’t understand that, which is why the religious hysteria against anime existed.

[@MasterEiji]

Im from the "old guard"... I started watching anime in the late 1970s (Like "Battle of the Planets" and "Star Blazers").. thing is.. anime is different because of one thing -- it was created by a majorly different culture with a significantly different set of social values.. and it seems a lot of ppl fail to realize that any art form will tend to reflect the culture that created it.. could you imagine what anime would be like if it got started somewhere other than Japan?? (like Brazil, South Africa, Australia, or even the Soviet Union??)

[@Revanchist-l2k]

Gee the Karens who said Pokemon really wont like Blade of the Immortals or Vampire Hunter Bloodlust

[@ssj4jason737]

Or Eva

[@mitchellmillimaki01]

I have a friend that legit thinks everything is satanic. He told me Gear 5 Luffy was demonic because Luffy’s eyes were red, mind you they’re not even red in the anime. 😭

[@joshuaokoro-sokoh2993]

Ju-Jitsu Kaisen would give people heart attacks in the early 2000s

[@Shadowclancaat]

5:55 imagine this guy's reaction to the owl house 💀

[@Fullmetal_Alchemist11]

I always find it funny when people freak out about a show promoting violence and Satanism, only for said show to end up being My Little Pony or something. I bet that if those people watched either version of Fullmetal Alchemist or an episode of Jojo’s they might have a heart attack.

[@Anas-oo4ro]

I don't know about America but i do know about Saudi Arabia because i live in it I think spacetoon ( the most popular channel that brought anime and dubbed them in arabic ) did a great job because my parents and even my grandparents know about anime and it was a part of there childhood I know a lot of people hate censorship but spacetoon did a good job because a lot of the time the main story and the good parts are intact but the not so great things were removed like for example naruto and his harem jutsu that was removed , now i think that was a good thing because that part was really unnecessary Overall most fanservice was removed which i think is good because most of the time it just ruins a story rather than making it better Spacetoon is still regarded as one the best channels and it raised 3 entire generations and i really like it I am certain that without it i would have never known about anime the first anime i watched was from it (Detective conan ) BTW why isn't it popular in the west it is such a great show Anyways I do believe that anime is great and i love it but also that it has some parts that aren't that great and i would like to see less of ( mostly the unnecessary amounts of fanservice)

[@RobertWWD]

It’s odd we are still living in the Salem Witch Trial era.

[@JorgeSanchez-zk6zw]

10:02 This scenario was plausible in the 80/90's, you have Devilman from the 70's, imagine if it was dubbed straight to TV during that era.

[@117Jorn]

When I was a kid, all I wanted was yugioh cards - but I needed to get them myself. However after a surgical procedure, my parents were nice to me and bought me a Yugi structure deck. I was stoked to finally have my own Yugioh cards. However my mom saw one card - Soul Exchange - and lost her fucking mind over it, and threw the whole deck away. Pretty much telling me that I could only get Yugioh cards when I turned 16 years old - operating under the assumption I'd loose interest by then. 12 years later? I got a Yusei structure deck with my own damn money, and to this day I've managed to maintain a nice collection of cards. Showed her lol

[@martimsousa2601]

1990 and 2000 sure was something

[@VKostk]

5:33 I do! It aired way back in the day on RTL channel. In German. I didn't speak German then. And I still don't speak it now. But I had a *decent* idea what was going on. 😶‍🌫 (Fun fact, they also aired Pokémon one episode ahead of the Czech TV, so I could brag in school about what was going to happen)

[@StanleyTeriaca]

Want to blow the mind of the religious right? Show one an episode of the original Superbook, then tell them what they saw was created in Japan, and this Anime.

[@ofree3090]

i'm sorry for your trauma over the card i can relate

[@zigmantasbajoras]

Although I remember having a card, I wasn't interested in Yu-Gi-Oh. Yet, hearing this story still hurts.

[@SonOfLaughter07]

6:14 why did they use jigglypuff!?🤣

[@carlthebigman]

I feel like racism had something to do with it too

[@argy7526]

wdym

[@TheRopiak]

MMMMMonster Rancher. Loved this show! me and my cousin played the game all the time and watched the show. Made me get rollerblades lol

[@whimsicalVanilla]

Not the Blue Eyes!! But in all seriousness, my parents are Catholic but thought pokemon was harmless. My Aunt, on the other hand, wouldn't let me watch it when I visited her because she thought it was "too violent." She also thought that Sailor Moon was inappropriate because the girls wore mini skirts! As if women and teenage girls don't wear mini skirts in real life....?

[@kanchomerocks12]

I'm glad I grew up in Spain. The satanic panic wasn't a thing here. I don't know what it is about America and freaking out about everything

[@joshuaokoro-sokoh2993]

In other words, the satanic panic was stupid, destructive and embarrassing. This is why certain preachers are not taken seriously anymore.

[@TSN-WVK08]

What is wrong with fantasy role play?

[@pinkfoxboi1331]

Nothing but if u grew up Christian as I did u were bread to be terrified of d and d told it's demonic, playing with devil and that their r quote demons in the game and a pentagram, summoning demons into urself house and ya summon demons into urself and get possessed playing it and likey to kill others or become a loyal servant to the devil or that it's worshipping the devil to play d and d or honoring him and that you'll go/burn in hell if u play d and d ect. With all of that I spent most of my life scared asf of d and d and only in like this year able to hear about it most of the time without hiding for it and even then sometimes avoid it anyways....

[@StanleyTeriaca]

The "problem" with anime for the religious extreme is that none of the anime being sent was about Big G, "cartoons are for children", and nobody who makes them are Christian. Which begs the question have anyone actually herd of Superbook?

[@weedleisopcute3626]

I've been summoned

[@pinkfoxboi1331]

Yeah I spent most of my life until a few months ago destroyed by religious panic making me scared of basically everything and crippling my enjoyment of anime or anything. So I can attest religion is horrible don't do it. I'm entirely cleansed fr regious propaganda/fear mongering and washed my hands of religion entirely. However I sometimes have to remind myself it's ok don't be paranoid this content isn't evil ur not going to be tricked into enjoying the occult and going to and burning in hell ur over thinking it.

[@coltonwilliams4153]

To be fair, religion isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Humans are inherently weak. That’s why we need to try so hard to be good. Religion, no matter what faith, helps with that. It helps us find peace and center ourselves. It’s when we try to use religion to hurt others that it becomes bad. Those people who were preaching against this or that saw themselves as having power, and somehow felt threatened by what they preached against. That’s all it really comes down to with these people, power, and how they can use people’s faith to get more of it. It’s why I left Christianity even though I grew up in a Christian household. I could only see the ugly side of the church.

[@DenshaOtoko2]

Except for The Catholic Church now.

[@usoppdaman7269]

The Catholic Church defended Pokèmon back in the day and one leader even did a blessing for Pokèmon fans. Catholic Church also had Osamu Tezuka make a Bible anime back in the day. Catholic Church been weebing out for years.

[@valutaatoaofunknownelement197]

​@@usoppdaman7269Is the anime you're talking about Superbook?

[@breadeater5187]

peak

[@gregalston-cu3cl]

Recommend the best fantasy anime next please I'm bored

[@XxJohnEgbertxX]

Just the reason why is what the japanese believe like yokai and such if you know what I mean, I'm also a pokemon fan but anime like pokemon are inspired by japanese folklore creatures, some are just inspired by a thing, concept, animal, person, or mythology, folklore, and religion. Even though the american christians freaked out due to some of the nature, they weren't experienced in japanese culture, like one yu-gi-oh card that had a samuri with a oni mask that made one catholic latino dude call it a guy in a demon mask, i get why they called it satanic, but they didn't know that much about japanese religion, besides they are polytheistic and believe different things than them so. The creator of pokemon made the game because of his hobby of insect collecting since the creator was little. If you know the reasons that christians hate pokemon besides about what they know about, I want people who would express about the mythos and inspiration of japanese culture or other cultures that pokemon used for inspiration, this does not include animals, people, or concepts.

[@pinkfoxboi1331]

If u grew up Christian as i did ur fellow church goers epuld act scared of u when u mentioned anime and activity aviod u as if u called urself the devil ready to steal their soul or as if talking to u would drag them to hell or like u were some sinful "pagen" lol 💀. The lvl of religious brainrot i had to suffer and overcome to not be constantly trapped in fear of basically everything was completely insane....

[@SleepyRulu]

as anime fan I draw notice this weird hateful over drawings.

[@Thomas-v9n8k]

Repent or British

[@Pssybart]

I didn't grow up in a religious household, and The Netherlands is not nearly as crazy a country as the US, where religion has a big influence over everyday life. Still, we did get some of that Pokémon panic. There was an anti-Pokémon website, teachers would ban Pokémon cards from school and in the news we'd get headlines like: "Children are driven crazy by Pokémon". I remember hearing about Pokémon getting banned in Turkey because it allegedly drove children to jump off a building because they thought they had super powers. And I remember thinking: "What!? Pokémon doesn't teach children that humans can fly! One of the victims whas a 7-year old? What a dumb kid!". Bottom line, Pokémon was huge in the late 90's. And whenever something becomes a hype, adults don't know how to deal with it, and an irrational backlash follows. My generation may have been guilty of it when Twillight and Justin Bieber became popular. Young men couldn't understand how girls could like that, so inevitably we hated those things.