Should Christians watch anime? Is anime sinful?
Anime is simply animation that comes from Japan. Like animation that comes from any other country, there are different types of anime created for different age groups and genders. For example, shōnen (also spelled shounen or shonen) anime is created for teen boys, whereas seinen anime is created for adult men, and kodomomuke is for kids (think Pokemon). Shoujo is for teen girls, and josei is for adult women. Shōnen anime, in particular, pops up everywhere in the West (think My Hero Academia, Naruto, Demon Slayer, One Piece, Dragon Ball Z, among other popular series). Anime is too general for a black and white answer.
We have freedom in Christ (John 8:36, 2 Corinthians 3:17) but that doesn’t mean that everything benefits us (1 Corinthians 6:12). We also need to make sure that we avoid sin (“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life” Romans 6:1-4 ESV).
Certain genres are inherently sinful because their purpose is to glorify sin. Examples of problematic genres for Christians include hentai (porn), yuri and yaoi (homosexual), and anime with excessive sexual content, also known as ecchi.
However, other genres, like shounen, shoujo, josei, and seinen are so diverse, and sometimes their genres even overlap. For example, one of my all-time favorite anime/manga, Orange, is considered both a seinen and a shojo. Horimiya, a romance anime, is considered a shounen, yet the story itself feels more shojo. And then we have Death Note, which is a shounen, but deals with very dark topics that, as a Westerner, I could see fitting in with more of an older teen/adult demographic. And kodomomuke is for kids.
So what’s the answer? Let’s turn to Scripture.
Romans 14:2 says, “One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables” (NIV). Some Christians believe that they can eat anything because of their faith, and another person might believe that they can only eat vegetables because of their faith. We aren’t supposed to judge our brother or sister for their choice, but instead do things that do not cause them to stumble (vs 13). It’s important for Christians to do everything in faith and not go against their convictions: “But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin” (vs 23 NIV). Therefore, it’s extremely important to follow the convictions of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes, our Christian friends and family have different convictions than us, and it’s important that we follow our convictions, not theirs. What causes them to stumble might be different than what causes us to stumble, and it’s important for us to focus on our spiritual growth and wellbeing.
So, to sum up: Anime is acceptable for Christians if it doesn’t cause you to sin (so again, hentai is out) and the Holy Spirit is not convicting you against it.
For further reading, check out 1 Corinthians 8 and Romans 14.
Can Christians read manga? Is manga sinful?
The same answer to “Is anime sinful?” and “Can Christians watch anime?” is applicable here, too. Manga is commonly used as source material for anime, so the same genres and Biblical concepts apply.