Put Off The Shoes From Thy Feet
For the place whereon thou standest, is holy ground
Anime, K-Drama, K-Fantasy Fusion Sageuk, Pop Music, Choral Backed Hippy Anthem, and Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence
Theological Armory (GLOB)—I propose to present Theophany across some diffuse genres. Theophany? Theophany.
The narrow technical definition of theophany is God appearing to man in a perceptible way, from theos (God) + phainein (to reveal/show). The Biblical example most might be familiar with is The Burning Bush from which I pulled the title of this article. Yes, I plagiarized God.
But I guess since I quoted my source, I am forgiven.
The burning bush was the Old Testament reading (Ex 3:1-8, 13-15) from the Third Sunday of Lent. I was thinking about theophany and whether or not we have any experience of that today. Clearly we don’t have a burning bush. But does Grace break through into our daily lives? I think one can find it almost everywhere if one is looking and open.
Everywhere?
I offer bits of art that moved me in specific ways, and the way they are connected. My premise is that while not specifically examples of God manifesting himself, they are examples of grace breaking through in some tangible way which we can feel, and which is open to intellectual affirmation of the source of the feelings.
ANIME
Isn’t Anime just a time-suck for adults with questionable tropes and things like “fan service” and essentially an immature indulgence? Well, yeah, that argument is easy to make. But I would like you to consider:
Your Lie In April.
Yes, this has all the staples of the genre, exaggerated emotional reactions, changes in drawing style to emphasize different scenes, etc. But, this explores a relationship between a gifted female violin player and a tortured piano prodigy who has lost the ability to play. I do not want to give away plot points in case you decide to watch this, but it is a complex psychological drama of an abused youth and what true love and healing can look like. And when I say true love, I mean true, all encompassing, deep, sacrificial love. This anime is a poetic meditation on grief, trauma, artistry, and the fragile beauty of connection. It’s ultimately beautiful.
It made me cry.
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
I have not yet finished this offering. But, it is a fascinating look at what happens after the adventure is over and the battle won. It literally starts at the end of some epic 10 year war against the Demon King. Frieren is an elf who while she can be killed is otherwise is immortal. The four heroes arrive in the capital city in time for a meteor shower that happens once every 50 years. She leaves her band of brothers, so to speak, a hero, a priest, and a dwarf, promising to return for the next meteor shower. On her return, they have all aged, and during her visit, Himmel the Hero dies a peaceful happy death of old age, a life well-lived.
This shocks her and she is suddenly confronted with the fact that she barely knows these people with whom she has shared such a pivotal adventure. From here, the story follows what might seem like an obvious arc, essentially telling the tale from her memories and her ongoing interactions with new companions. But, really, it is an exploration of friendships lost and honored, of growth and change, and a desire for connection. Importantly, she is a mage who helped defeat the Demon King, but she is a mage made for a time of peace.
The story moves from quiet reflection to pitched battle, from silliness to gravity, from the sublime to the ridiculous and back again.
Through it all, the anime asks, “What happens after the major battle and the war is won?” It is a good question and one that any Christian may also ask of themselves in this day and time. What does a good Christian do after The Resurrection? One answer to this question can be found in this quiet reflection on living a complete life. You may well ask, “What can some pagan cartoon possibly tell me about how I should live my life?”
Indeed.
The Extraordinary Attorney Woo
This is a live action Korean drama about an attorney who is a high functioning autistic. But instead of tired tropes of courtroom dominance, this offering is suffused with genuine wonder.
She has graduated from a prestigious university with the highest marks. But no law firm will hire her, until a past school mate of her father brings her on to her firm. There is quite the backstory going on and she is something of a pawn in other people’s chess games. But.
Like any show that genuinely connects with an audience, this show is about relationships. Father, daughter, friends at work, friends outside of work, bosses and subordinates, jealousy and growth. It is a story of perseverance, duty, and honor. But most of all Wonder.
She’s a walking paradox; intellectually brilliant, socially awkward, emotionally earnest, and profoundly human. The show doesn’t use her autism as a plot gimmick or tragic flaw. Instead, it invites us to see the world through her eyes, where every whale, every case, and every awkward interaction is filled with underlying meaning.
It’s refreshingly non-cynical, which is rare. Yet, it’s not naive. It faces real issues such as disability stigma, workplace politics, family wounds, and class divides, with a clear eye and a warm heart. I am trying and failing to think of a Western show that manages this without substituting snarky insults and the forced cheap laugh or dramatic eruption. Much of today’s western TV is unsatisfying, to me at least, due to lack of depth of writing for fear that the stupid audience will miss the point.
Something approaching magical happens in the company’s cafeteria. Please watch the clip.
Watch her friend, on the left. Watch her face. She is truly moved by this revelation of what Attorney Woo thinks of her.
This show, if you will let it, gives life to quiet feelings that you may have had, but have had trouble expressing. It’s about connection, its about the possibility of communion.
The Alchemy of Souls
On the surface, it looks like a fantasy epic with flashy martial arts, political intrigue, and enough magic to choke a dragon. All the things that make The Puppycat (my wife) sigh and leave the room.
But beneath all the spellcasting and body-swapping, it’s about something far deeper: identity, memory, and what makes love endure when the person you love is no longer quite the same.
It asks questions like:
If your soul is trapped in another body, are you still “you”?
Can love survive when even memory gets rewritten?
And what does it mean to choose someone, and remain constant in that choice no matter what. Quite literally, no matter what.
There’s real heartbreak in this show. Not just from the usual tragic backstories, but from the existential dislocation the characters face. It’s romantic, yes, but it’s also metaphysical. It dares to ask what parts of the self are essential, and what can be let go. The love story is woven with sacrifice, restraint, and a constant battle between desire and duty.
But what got me was the constancy.
Next week, Part 2.
