Christian Anime fans are becoming more visible on Antitube and other places online, but I can't help but find it odd how many are leading with Frieren as the natural Anime to lead with.
I like Frieren, it's a good show, I gave season 1 a 9 out of 10 and season 2 an 8 out of 10, I'm expecting to like season 3 more. But when it comes to Anime I would recommend to watch for a Christian reason it's not where near the top of my list.
There is a certain type of Christian who still sees the Platonic Ideal of what Christendom should be as Medieval Western Europe. It doesn't surprise me that some Catholics and Episcopalians are like that, but what's become more visible in online Christianity are people denominationally Low Church who are like that. So these type for purely Aesthetic reasons want their ideal Christian Anime to be a Medieval European style Fantasy story, and Frieren is even by its secular fans praised as the contemporary Fantasy Anime most true to the Tolkienesque roots of the genre and free of modern Isekai and Gamer trends.
But even for that appeal there are better choices then Frieren in my opinion. Maquia, Grimoire of Zero and it's Spin off Dawn of the Witch, various Tales of Anime (sometimes the Fantays Anime the feel like the least Gamey are the direct adaptations of Specific Games). Or watch a real classic like Record of Lodoss War. And for something pretty recent The Witch and The Beast.
Frieren's most actually contentious element has also garnered it Christian apologists for misguided reasons. Set aside what the Demons in Frieren are called. Demons in Freiren are not analogous to any theory about what Demons are Biblically. They aren't fallen Angels or disembodied spirits of "Nephilim" who died in the Flood. They are a species who seem to be the way they are for biologically determined reasons, but regardless of capable of human levels of intelligence. They have Souls based on what that word (both the Greek Psyche and Hebrew Nephesh) objectively means, I don't care if the inuniverse world building ever says they don't.
I like others believe Frieren is eventually going to subvert what it's been doing with the Demons and that's why I'm not letting it bother me for now..
Of all the Fantasy Tropes associated with Tolkien, what the Orcs wound up being is something he regrated, he was himself uncomfortable with the implication, and I can sympathize with someone writing themselves into the corner as they basically help invent a genre. But those following in Tolkien's footsteps should learn from his mistakes. From a Christian perspective, nothing capable of Human intelligence should ever be considered ontologically irreversibly evil from birth, Christians can have different on the theoretical possibility of an individual becoming irredeemable based on their choices.
Now when a story does call a species Demons but depicts them unlike Biblical Demons in similar ways to Frieren's Demons and then does depict them as redeemable or even Good actually, that will be called Anti-Christian at least on the grounds that they shouldn't have labeled these beings Demons. But it makes sense to me that an intelligent species viewed as Evil by their Enemies would be called Demons and maybe even internalize that label over time. There is in my view something very Christian in exploring that, certainly more Christian then just having evil things you can kill without consequence.
The Title of this post promises recommendations, so that's what comes next.
Talking about by why I like these shows as a Christian while trying to be a broadly appealing as possible is a bit tricky. I believe these Anime can have Christian appeal even to Christians who disagree with me on certain things I disagree with other Christians on. In fact a lot of what makes a Christian lens more applicable to them then Frieren is specifically my affinity for a very Evangelical understanding of The Gospel rather then Catholic. But they do also speak to me in ways that connect to those disagreements too. But to be clear none of my disagreements with the majority of American Christians are on anything any major denomination considers an essential doctrine of the faith, I'm Nicene and Trinitarian with a High View of Biblical Inerrancy. Soteriology is my main point of contention with other Christians, especially the ones I'm trying to recommend these Anime too. But I have held other soteriologies in the past, I'm intimately familiar with what should speak to Christians who don't currently agree with me.
Rather then listing these in any order that ranks them on how good they are or now Christian they are, I'm going to try and list them in an order that helps me lay out my logic, almsot a narrative itself.
This should be obvious, but again I'm not suggesting any of these intended be intentionally Christian.
SSSS.Gridman
The reason Gridman works will also be applicable to other shows on the list, but might be more of a spoiler for them. One thing that really helps a Gospel reading of something to me is if one of the Villains is also the person our Heroes specifically want to Save. The Good Shepherd came specifically to find the Lost Sheep. And Gridman is one of the purest examples of that. This isn't applicable to every time villains are redeemed (though that never hurts), it's about when Saving someone in-spite of what a bad person they've become is an explicit part of the heroes' goal.
Robotics;Notes
This show is one of the best expressions of Collectivism in Anime. A Collectivism you don't have to agree with any particular ideology to appreciate. The Robot Research Club is a Body and each member could be considered a different body part. Add to that it's strong sense of optimism and themes it shares with other on this list, and it's one of the shows I most strongly recommend in general, to Christians or Secularists.
The Magical Girl Warrior genre in general has a lot of themes I see as very Christlike.
But some in particular that I have thought along these lines include Peartear which would be one I'd list here if I limited myself to only one, I consider it in general the most underrated and overlooked classic entry in the genre. Wedding Peach for something that more often has a coincidentally Christian Aesthetic going on, certain stand out episodes of Sailor Moon, and Blue Reflection Ray for something more recent then most I've been talking about.
Higurashi When They Cry
Mos specifically the original 2006 Studio Deen Anime adaptation and it's 2007 sequel Kai. It's lore is ultimately built around something I think makes a good analogy for Original Sin.
Steins;Gate
This who works for it's particular approach to the theme of self sacrifice, in ways that are Spoiler but no the potential Spoiler i was talking about with Gridman. It's probably the most uncontroversial Visual Novel adaptation to consider good, I happen to like a lot of them though.
Re:Creators
This forgotten classic of 2017 has a lot going for it.
I should try to mention something more contemporary, that is a major factor in why Frieren gets to be in so many thumbnails, it's the current in thing.
My all time favorite Anime, Noir, I connect to me Faith in ways I don't think I can adequately explain.
Zenshu shows classic Fantasy Vibes can still prevail in when something officially qualifies as Isekai.
Tower of God as a lot going for it.
Shy is a show I've praised mainly in it's context as a Superhero Anime, but it also shares themes with these Anime.
For another show from the same season as Frieren, I'd also recommend Pluto.
A few that are specific episodes more so then the show as whole.
Detective Conan, The Mysterious Passenger, among the episodes currently on Netflix, mainly for one specific plot point.
Detective Conan's 12th movie The Full Score of Fear for it's use of Amazing Grace.
Sailor Moon R episode 24 Battle of The Flames of Love Mars Vs Koan, episode 70 of the show as starting from the original series, and episode 64 of the DiC Dub where it was named Enemies No More.
Sailor Moon episode 26, 22 in the DiC Dub, is also neat.
The first six episodes of Sailor Moon SailorStars also some good material.
Episode 18 of Corrector Yui.
Below shall be examples I recommend in-spite of how they also contain content many Conservative Christians might have trouble tolerating.
And the penultimate and finale episode of Fate/Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya 2wei! Herz! for how potent an analogy one line if.
Future Diary for how it's final Arc plays out.
Daybreak Illusion for how much typology I could map onto it, another Magical Girl show.
Yuki Yuna Is a Hero is a little fanservicy sometimes.
Chaos;HAead and Chaos;Child are in the same universe as Steins;Gate and Robotics;Notes but have more of this at times then they do. Child I consider more of a Gospel analogy over all but HAead is neat for how Ayase seems like a Old Testament Prophetess.
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