Ask John: Is Anime Satanic?

Question:
I don’t like Japanese anime. I think they are brim-filled with satanic symbols and practices. The Naruto symbol is one. Then Yu-Gi-Oh is scary, offering sacrifices to questionable, scary gods. I’ve watched Naruto once, and it gives me the shivers when they summon the spirits and the dead to life. Can you explain such practices? What do you think about this?

Answer:
You’re not the first person I’ve encountered who considers Japanese manga and animation satanic or evil. While I’m always saddened to face this opinion, I respect every individual’s right to have this opinion. I’m also grateful that you’re reasonable enough to investigate your bias without dogmatically asserting its absolute correctness. I will readily admit that I’m biased in favor of anime, but I won’t try to change your mind or aggressively debunk your belief. Rather, I’ll simply try to answer your question.

Since you’ve used the adjective “satanic” I presume that you’re either Christian or Jew. Japan is predominantly neither. Judaism is virtually unknown in Japan, and practicing Christianity is said to account for less than one percent of Japan’s native population. Just to be comprehensive, I haven’t been able to find any statistics on Satanism in Japan, but I don’t believe Satanism is a common or influential religion in Japan either. The common religions of Japan are Buddhism, which is a non-theistic belief system, and Shintoism, a poly-theistic religion. So Japan has a fundamentally different spiritual foundation than the Judeo-Christian world. Religion is not a significant influence in the daily life of the average Japanese citizen. (Note that I’m making a distinction between morality and religion.) Practitioners of Judeo-Christian religions may take offense to certain characteristics found in Japanese manga and anime by interpreting them in relation to their own belief systems, or because the characteristics are conscious references to Judeo-Christianity. But Japanese animators and native Japanese citizens don’t think of these characteristics as having religious significance. For Japanese citizens, these symbols are merely literary references.

I agree that Yu-Gi-Oh employs frightening gods. Anime is full of demons, blasphemy, immorality and evil. But these things aren’t intended to be spiritually blasphemous; they’re just intended to create affective fiction. I’ve encountered religious zealots who staunchly believe that anime is blasphemous because it constitutes a false god. Since fans become obsessive over anime, anime draws attention away from God; therefore it’s evil. But for these believers, it’s not specifically anime that’s evil; it’s anything that obstructs single-minded devotion to God. I firmly believe that anime and Japanese animators don’t intend to undermine anyone’s religious faith or erode the solidity of any established religion. While I do know of anime that exist as religious propaganda, I’m not aware of any anime that intentionally encourages Satanism, or any anime that’s consciously and intentionally antagonistic toward any religion.

As a variety of fiction, anime may include references to demonism, Satanism, and other wickedness. Anime may contain references and symbols that some viewers find offensive, godless, or blasphemous. And certain viewers may consider the very existence of anime an affront to God. But I firmly believe that specific religious themes in anime are merely fictional constructs not meant to carry serious spiritual significance, and the opposition to the art of anime itself is a product of individual interpretation. I don’t believe that anime is satanic because I don’t believe that most anime has any religious intent, positive or negative. The use of religious symbols and themes doesn’t necessarily mean that the anime itself is religious. I don’t mean to belittle anyone’s beliefs, but I think that viewers who are upset by religious content in anime are taking these references too seriously. I respect any and every person’s right to dislike anime for any reason. I don’t consider anime satanic. In fact, with the exception of a handful of anime films, such as those created as promotional tools for the Soka Gakkai (International Value-Creation Society) religion (Prince of Snow Country [1985], Fairground in the Stars [1989], Rainbow Across the Pacific [1992]) and the Kofuku no Kagaku (Institute for Research in Human Happiness) religion (Hermes: Winds of Love [1997], Laws of the Sun [2000], Laws of Gold [2003], and Laws of Eternity [2006]), I don’t believe that most anime is directly related to any specific religion, nor opposed to any specific religion. Anime is a secular art that sometimes adopts symbols and themes of various religions for artistic effect.

Article revised November 13, 2006 with assistance from John C. Watson.