Okay, so I personally don't care about spoilers, but other people do, so I didn't post the title of the anime itself as it is a fairly major spoiler that Christianity is involved with this series at all. If you do not want to know the title of the series itself in order to avoid the spoilers, then please feel free to leave.
So to those who stayed I just wanted to let out a little PSA that Samurai Champloo is back on Adult Swim. I absolutely loved this series, but loved it even more once the ending came. Learning that Fuu's father was an underground Christian in a time where they were persecuted in Japan was absolutely fascinating when I first watched this show years ago. I knew next to nothing about what had happened then and did a ton of research to learn the history behind it all.
To those who don't know, several European nations including the Dutch and Portuguese traded with Japan in the 1500s and 1600s. They also brought missionaries with them, one of whom was Francis Xavier. Christianity proved to be popular (both Catholicism and Protestantism) among the common people and even some of the rulers converted as well. However, the nations that had originally sent these missionaries were also intending to control the nation of Japan. (Colonialism and all that jazz.) Naturally, the Japanese weren't too keen on this idea and started to kill the missionaries and their converts, as it was believed that they were involved with this. (To my knowledge the missionaries and converts were not attempting to overthrow the government. Feel free to correct me in the comments). Thus began the persecution of Christians and the isolation of Japan until 1853 when Admiral Perry introduced the American concept of gunboat diplomacy. (This is a highly condensed version of the events. I'd highly encourage you to read more on the subject at your leisure.)
Now, in the show itself, we learn as I stated earlier that the man Fuu is looking for is her father and that he abandoned her to protect her, as he knew the government would kill her for being associated with him. In the show we see two examples of Christianity (that I can recall; it's been a while): One is the introduction of the false descendant of Francis Xavier, who is using Christianity and the underground Christians for his own ends, showing the dangers of false teachers and blind belief. The second is the example shown by Fuu's father and how he has attempted to keep his fellow Christians safe. He is portrayed in a very positive way, excepting of course his abandonment of Fuu, which at least the wisdom of it being done in the first place is discussed.
To my knowledge none of the producers/writers of the show are Christians, which I think makes what they say about it all the more powerful. I find it absolutely fascinating that a form of media from a secular nation (less than 2% are Christians IIRC) had such a positive portrayal of Christianity and also that it tackled a fairly taboo subject in Japan of the role it played in killing Christians.
So to anyone curious about the show it is airing on the Toonami part of Adult Swim on Saturday at 1:30 A.M. I highly recommend it, but to anyone who is squeamish about nudity (blurred out when aired on Cartoon Network, but not if watched on certain anime sites), language, or excessive violence, then I will say that it is not for you. I would not want to be the cause of someone stumbling, so I included that last bit to warn those of you who are more susceptible to such things.
So what do you think? Did I read too much into it? Is there something I don't know about the production that could shed some light on the subject? Discuss.
Edit: Downvotes? Really? What precisely in what I have submitted is worthy of that?
Submitted January 07, 2016 at 12:01PM by Unknown
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