Serenity (a christian manga?)

[Psycho Ann]

Well, finally got my copy and read it front to back and dissected it (as it's a relatively short read anyway). Not as bad as I feared, but didn't exceed my expectations either... I'll be doing a full review sometime soon.

[inkhana]

And now were back where we started.

Well if you figure out the answers to any of the questions, let me know

[Kuro-Mizu]

OKay well thanks for trying Inkhana!! hmm maybe there next prject will be better!

[Bobtheduck]

There are some very limited real Japanese christian manga that will never see an american release... Of course, they never get that popular in Japan, either...

I like Amerimanga, like Megatokyo, so I have no problem with this, and this line made me cheer

[quote="Serenity Buzz website"]Anime [annie may]: Japanese animation based on the manga art style. Derived from the English word “animation.â€

[uc pseudonym]

I wonder if anyone has ever made scanlations of Christian manga (which would be ironic to say the least). Actually, I don't wonder: I'm pretty sure they haven't. Still, I am curious if there would be enough interest. Though I'm aware of what actual Christian manga exists, I've never heard anything concrete about it.

...still haven't read Serenity. I will have to content myself with Ann's review.

[Souba]

I got my copy last Thursday, and I liked it. It is nice to see color every once and a while. he he ^^ Not the best manga, but the church really has a lot of catching up to do in many of the entertainment departments. Still I am so glad to see someone putting something out there, and even getting the endorsment of Stan Lee! I mean this could inspire a lot of artists to do the same, like me! God bless realbuzz!
Souba

[uc pseudonym]

I have finally obtained and read a copy. When I need a study break sometime in the next few days I will write an analysis. It will probably be like Ann's review, but about writing instead of art and design.

For now: My worst fears have not been realized. That is rather dubious compliment, I know. I found a few things I thought admirable and less negative aspects than I had expected. We shall see how future volumes progress.

[Kawaiikneko]

hmm I paged through it at my local Christian bookstore and didn't like it very much... Considering the webcomic the artist did, the artwork in it is somewhat disappointing, and the artwork joined with a great storyline is usually what gets a manga for me. Unfortunately, neither of these really jumped out to me as I read through it .__. I'll keep checking back though...

[Mr. SmartyPants]

Hmm...with me, manga means black and white. And judging from the name of the "mangaka," I think it's Korean, so would it be mangwha?

=D yup she is korean

Sooo... i guess its not "manga" but "mahn-ah"?

[mai]

I read the preview and was turned off by it...I have never met any one with a personality like serenity's. Is it common to have a youth group with no one whose parents are divorced? In my bible study out of the 7 or so girls who regularly attend there are two whose parents are or have gotten a divorce.
Also when serenity says that it doesn't bother her, it looks like one of the youth girls is laughing behind her bible.

[Mave]

I read the preview and was turned off by it...I have never met any one with a personality like serenity's.
Also when serenity says that it doesn't bother her, it looks like one of the youth girls is laughing behind her bible.

One of my close friends seems be even more adverse than Serenity so Serenity as a character doesn't bother me too much. I'm more concerned for the other characters especially those who proclaim the Christian faith.

As for the last statement, perhaps the intention is to demonstrate the ugly side of some Christians (emphasize "some Christians," this has nothing to do with Lord Jesus Himself). I hope they demonstrate what Christians are supposed to be pretty soon before readers start assuming the worse.

Is it common to have a youth group with no one whose parents are divorced? In my bible study out of the 7 or so girls who regularly attend there are two whose parents are or have gotten a divorce.

Seems like it's getting more common. Unfortunately.

[mai]

As for the last statement, perhaps the intention is to demonstrate the ugly side of some Christians (emphasize "some Christians," this has nothing to do with Lord Jesus Himself). I hope they demonstrate what Christians are supposed to be pretty soon before readers start assuming the worse.

I hope thats what was ment too.
I'll probibly give it another look or wait till later vollumes have come out...

[uc pseudonym]

My primary issues with the series are all related to that concept. Frankly, I don't think they have the morality planned terribly well. While I would like to think they are demonstrating imperfect Christianity (which is a step better than portraying Christians as perfect), I'm afraid I doubt that.

[Lady Macbeth]

I hope I don't offend anybody by being here; I found this forum through SerenityBuzz.com and thought I'd contribute to the thread.

Even though I'm Pagan, I read Christian material; this is partly because a lot of Christian beliefs parallel mine, partly because my husband is Christian, and partly because I would really like to understand what drives the Campus Crusade for Christ to constantly harass non-Christians on our local campus.

I was intrigued by the preview sample that was on the series' website; it was good up until the one section that was also one of my peeves about the book - when Pastor Calvin and Kimberly are driving Serenity home, Pastor Calvin remarks, "Many New Age beliefs are Christian ideals diluted of all moral authority." There is so much wrong with that statement that I wouldn't be able to go into all of it without sounding like I'm ranting, so I'll leave it at that.

The fact that the book left the impression that Serenity's mom is a model of typical New Agers also irritated me. The woman, as she's presented in the first volume, is not a model for mothers or women, let alone any other group. Dressing her in the horrid rainbow-colored house dress, the shoulder cape, or the peasant blouse does not make her a "typical New Ager" any more than it makes her a typical mother or typical woman. Pagans, or other New Agers, don't believe in verbal abuse, ill-kept houses or screaming at your kid the second she walks in the door any more than any Christian does.

The scene with the Youth Group discussing divorce also ticked me a bit, but the behavior really is not that far from average teenage behavior. When Serenity declares that her parents are divorced and she's fine, Kimberly looks at the head of the table with a self-satisfied smirk, Derek is coughing to cover some unknown reaction, and Tim is glancing with a smile at Sally, who is clearly hiding a laugh behind her book. That's why Serenity jumped up and screamed "WHAT?" at them.

Otherwise, this book did a fair job of running the gamut of diversity in one volume, and exposing both Serenity and the Prayer Club to enough situations to fill one person's entire year - including the unnecessary bust shot of the red-headed "bad girl" with the leopard-print top and dog collar. I think I'm going to keep reading these to see where they go, but by looking at the summaries on the series website, it seems like it's going to be a very typical "story of redemption" where five volumes is all it takes to turn Serenity's life around make her a "good girl", despite the distressingly bad mother and uncaring school system.

[uc pseudonym]

I hope I don't offend anybody by being here

Not at all. You are significantly more positive than the two people I know who have made in-depth reviews of the first volume (myself included).

I was intrigued by the preview sample that was on the series' website]
Probably wise, depending upon the nature of your rant. I'll note that this line is one of my least favorite as well, though likely for different reasons.

The fact that the book left the impression that Serenity's mom is a model of typical New Agers also irritated me. The woman, as she's presented in the first volume, is not a model for mothers or women, let alone any other group. Dressing her in the horrid rainbow-colored house dress, the shoulder cape, or the peasant blouse does not make her a "typical New Ager" any more than it makes her a typical mother or typical woman. Pagans, or other New Agers, don't believe in verbal abuse, ill-kept houses or screaming at your kid the second she walks in the door any more than any Christian does.

Here I disagree with you. I won't go into detail in case I have misunderstood you, but I do not get this impression in the slightest. Furthermore, from what I know of the authors and how they subtly they handled other elements, I sincerely doubt they intended this.

[Lady Macbeth]

Here I disagree with you. I won't go into detail in case I have misunderstood you, but I do not get this impression in the slightest. Furthermore, from what I know of the authors and how they subtly they handled other elements, I sincerely doubt they intended this.

It's entirely possible that I misinterpreted it because of where I'm coming from - that's why I like to get other view points. My husband also read it and came to the same conclusion I did before I said anything to him, but he is also unfortunately witness to the persecution that I and others in my religious community suffer - so he tends to get over-protective and take huge offense to the tiniest slight made on Pagans.

I think what led me in that direction was her mom's uncanny resemblance to Starhawk, a prominent writer and lecturer in the Pagan community. Probably just one of those eerie coincidences in life, especially considering that I don't like all of what Starhawk espouses either.

And, actually, I'm really hoping that you're the one who's right here - that's why I'm going to keep collecting the books, to see how the whole story plays out. Personally, I think having the Youth Group take her in could be the best thing for Serenity, or any girl like her - where her mother and the school system is failing her, the group isn't, and they're encouraging better life habits while they're at it.

[uc pseudonym]

In retrospect, I've made a significant oversight. During her conversation with Pastor Calvin, Serenity says, "Sounds like Mom's New Age crap." I had skipped that part because I'd already read it in the preview, but your post reminded me.

That aside, this statement makes an association between Serenity's mother and a system of belief. This adds considerable credence to your position. However, I still somewhat doubt they meant anything by the clothing.

Personally, I think having the Youth Group take her in could be the best thing for Serenity, or any girl like her - where her mother and the school system is failing her, the group isn't, and they're encouraging better life habits while they're at it.

I hope they take her in, because right now it seems more like they're taking her on. This is one of my issues with the execution of the first volume: the Christians don't seem to want to know her as a person, they seem solely interested in "correcting" her bad behavior. They even go so far as to call her their project (and the likely subconscious implications of that idea worry me).

[Token Asian]

Found two volumes on sale today for $8.00 each. I took a leap of faith (no pun intended) and bought both.

So far, it doesn't seem to be all that bad, but I went into this without any real expectations.

[A_KOJI_FREAK]

Hmmm... interesting! ^^

[uc pseudonym]

Found two volumes on sale today for $8.00 each. I took a leap of faith (no pun intended) and bought both.

Do you mean by this that the second volume is available? If I recall, it was supposed to be out in January, but I believe that Barnes and Nobles received the first volume significantly before the supposed arrival date.

[Lady Macbeth]

Do you mean by this that the second volume is available? If I recall, it was supposed to be out in January, but I believe that Barnes and Nobles received the first volume significantly before the supposed arrival date.

Borders also often gets manga early and puts it out before the release date - I got every volume of Saiyuki before its release date that way. I'll have to check around and see if I can find the second volume myself.

[Token Asian]

Do you mean by this that the second volume is available? If I recall, it was supposed to be out in January, but I believe that Barnes and Nobles received the first volume significantly before the supposed arrival date.

Well, the local Christian bookstore got it...

[jessie88]

AWESOME! I read the preview and it seems cool! i have to get used to the way it's drawn, the color and the the way i have to read it but i'm fine with it....what other Christian Mangas are there??????!!!!....it's weird i only reas 2 manga and i'm used to reading things backwards, actually i think it's easier to read comics backwards, too bad Serenity isn't

[Token Asian]

Is it just me or does Serenity look a little (okay, a lot) like Kana from Full Metal Panic?

[uc pseudonym]

Hm, I didn't make the connection. Then again, I've only seen Full Metal Panic, I'm not a fan of it.

what other Christian Mangas are there??????!!!!

If you mean professionally created graphic novels, for the moment no others exist. However, there are quite a few artists that place their work online. I think the easiest list to use is probably Mave's:
http://www.kcome.net/otherwebmanga.html

[jessie88]

Ohhh, ok, Thanx!

[uc pseudonym]

Well, as of this point I have read the second volume. Many of my full-review comments will apply with a bit of extrapolation, so I won't spend time doing that and instead make comments regarding which elements have changed. They will be relatively limited given the small size of the volume.

Characters are developed and they definitely leave the possibility for more development. This is good.

Not so good are the "moral lessons" in this volume. Let me be clear that I approve of flawed characters and would strongly disapprove if all the Christians were perfect and everyone else villainized. But outside of this, certain actions are more or less endorsed by the text, and I have more problems with these than I did in the first volume.

[Sweet Mercury]

I was looking through a christian book ordering magazine and I saw this book called Serenity. Its apparently a christian Manga and Ive never heard of it before. Could it possibly be that a christian Manga has finnally arived or is this just an imitation by an American artists? Has anyone ever herd of this one before?

First, for the sake of clarity, I think I should point out that as is says in the title, I consider myself to be non-Christian. The obvious question would be, "why do you own a Christian manga, and why are you reviewing it on a Christian Anime Websight?" Well, as has been pointed out by a couple others in this thread, many people who aren't Christian have an interest in Christian literature. My interests run the gamut from movies, to books, and now apparently to manga. (Although from your comments on this board, it seems that this is actually the first published manga?) The reasons behind my interests are philosophical, sociological, psychological, theological, ethical, etc.

Now, I love anime, but I don't ever take the time to read manga. For some reason, while anime fascinates me, the idea of reading manga always seemed boring to me. However, I recently discovered that there is a Christian book store near my favorite local pizzeria, and while I was waiting for a delicious eggplant parm sub, decided to take the time to see exactly what sort of store this was. Meaning, is this a going to be a varied diverse store with books ranging from children's books, Christian living, theological examinations, Biblical study, and evangelism? Or would I be walking into the topsy-turvy world of Jack Chick, where all Catholics, Masons, Muslims, etc are conspiring to hand the world over to dark forces? Well, I was pleasantly relieved. After meandering for a few minutes, picking out books on Rapture prophecy and college advice, I was browsing the C.S. Lewis section, located conveniently next to the young reader section as to incorporate his fantasy novels. This is where I saw Serenity. I do not fit the stereotypical anti-Christian mold of a person who buys Christian literature simply for the purpose of mockery, but I must confess, when I saw the covers for the first two volumes, I was struck with a case of, "Now this I gotta see!" (I had a similar reaction to the schizotypal ramblings I found at Chick.com, and have since ordered several tracks in an attempt to delve deeper into that particular world of paranoia.)

So, onto what I thought of Serenity. I can honestly say that I was more than pleasantly surprised. Surprised enough, in fact, to not only visit the official websight, and follow the link to these forums. Not that there weren't a few large faults, but I think one thing on which we can all agree is that perfection is an asymptotic goal—]
[*]Artwork. Not necessarily the best, but I must concede that this is obviously not the most important part of the series. I tend to watch more extravagant anime like Kai Doh Maru, Blood: The Last Vampire, Ghost in the Shell, Paranoia Agent, Elfen Lied, etc, so art quality is a big thing for me. However, the obvious goal of this series is to convey a message, and the target audience is obviously people in their younger teens who appreciate the more cartoonish style. (Not that I don't, I also love InuYasha and Trigun.)
[*]Some of the opening language. "Scope," "that's not deck," "put the smack down on ya," "dawgs, we been dissed," etc. Nothing, and I mean nothing spells condescension like people in any sort of authority trying to be "hip." In my life, I personally have known only a few people who spoke that way outside the world of professional wrestling; the few who did were being ironic; and even those who weren't anyone can recognize that any type of "hip" vernacular loses all sense of cool once it's written down and exposed for the idiocy that it is. I have to say that, the first few pages, all of my worst expectations were being met. However, it is important to point out that once the "coolness" of the characters was established early on, this type of crap all but disappeared, making the entire thing much more readable.
[*]Negative stereotyping. Some of the side-characterization was over simplified to say the least. In particular, Ms. Baxter (and the subsequent "uh-oh" reaction by female members of the prayer club upon hearing that Serenity has been talking to her). I've seen the representation a lot; the secular-humanist, militantly feminist atheist who is the architect of modern Christian persecution. (Another, more ridiculous example...) Now, as I am not sure of the intended religious demographic—meaning, is this meant to be sold to Christian children to help reinforce a belief system, or as a way of introducing non-Christians to the fold by way of parable? If it is the latter, then such a blatantly one dimensional characterization of the antagonist in the story will only garnish spite; people who know that this is an unrealistic representation will laugh it off and not take the story seriously. If it is the former, then there are two possibilities: that this aspect of American culture is grossly misunderstood, and the risk being taken is that children reading this will, upon growing older and realizing that there is more depth to such people, resent being misinformed and perhaps even reject other aspects of the intended Christian teachings as well; or, this is merely an inside joke, an understood satire meant to give a knowing wink to those in on the joke. If that's the case, I say good! Everyone who announces their political or religious opinions in the public forum opens themselves up to satire, the secular-humanist-intellectual is no exception. I must admit, however, that the one true statement made by Ms. Baxter is her use of "Judeo-Christian" as a pejorative. This type of language is all to common, and idiotic in the sense that who's to say that simply because something has Judeo-Christian roots, it necessarily follows that it is an anachronism?
[*]New Age beliefs... There is one conversational exchange which particularly irked me:
"God just wants your full potential."
"Sounds like Mom's New Age crap."
"Many New Age beliefs are Christian ideals diluted of all moral authority."
I understand completely that, regardless of the target audience, the ultimate goal of Serenity is to promote Christianity, and in an age of increasing diversity, Christianity as superior to other religions. However, I'm certain there are better ways to do that then to simply write off others beliefs with a wave of the hand. Space is limited, I know, but spare some room for elaboration on your main point! And it's especially lazy to make this point using a blanket statement that, quite simply, is not true. New Age beliefs aren't "stripped of moral authority," they are just absent the single, authoritarian figure of God. The fact is, once examined, all philosophies/religions submit to some form of moral authority; this includes New Age beliefs like Wicca, Neo-Paganism, etc, but also—in direct contradiction to the above conversation—religions that predate Christianity like Buddhism, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, or Taoism. (Interestingly enough, many modern interpretations of Buddhism and other Eastern religions are considered New Age.) An in depth discussion of this is not pertinent now, but there is moral authority everywhere. The only place it gets "diluted" is in the warped, self justifying minds of individuals.
[/list]

Well, enough cons for one day. Apparently, there is a limit to post length, so I will wait a moment and post the pros.

[Sweet Mercury]

There are many redeeming qualities; if there weren't I wouldn’t have bothered to write this! The pros:

• Slow Characterization. One poster in this thread suggested from reading the previews that Serenity would be saved by the end of the first issue, but I am actually glad to see this is not the case. It would have been horribly predictable and unrealistic for this to happen, as human change takes a long period of time and inner reflection, which is what I think we will see with Serenity over the major portion of the series. This stands in sharp contrast with some of the more ridiculous religious cartoons I have seen, where the unsaved are completely ignorant of all things Christian, often displaying such ignorance as, "What? Who's this Jesus person you are talkin' about?" As if to imply that anyone in the English speaking world has not even heard of Jesus or Christianity.
• Good side-characterization. The people attempting to help Serenity are actually shown to have some depth of emotion. They are not perfect, and that is clearly demonstrated. From some of the all too quick judgments made by the prayer club, to Kimberly's declaration of war on Serenity for the affections of Derek, to Derek being in a 12 step program (although the age seems a bit unrealistic), to the family argument of Kimberly and her father, the Pastor. It's good to see an attempt being made not to paint the picture of the Christians involved as perfect people, but as real people with real faults doing their best to live up to their ideals.
• Serenity's failed seduction. This surprised me with its realism and understanding of the typical psychology behind the actions of a young woman in Serenity's situation. She is clearly telling herself that she is some sort of predatory seductress, powerful and in control. However, her true colors are revealed after Derek's flat out rejection; she is lonely, scared, and desperate for affection, something that is the norm among exceptionally young women who are eager to have sex with any and everybody. Plus, I liked that they showed Derek taking an ice cold shower, it helps to further humanize him.
• Brightly Colored Sugar Junk. I thought this was terrific. People who don’t have any love for themselves often show no respect for their bodies, and this includes what they put into their bodies. Americans constantly eat garbage and call it food, and we owe it to our children to get better eating habits for ourselves, and to steer them towards a healthier lifestyle as well.
• Serenity’s continued “hardness.” When I bought this, I never expected to be making comparisons to Jean Valjean and the incident with Petit-Gervais, but I am. I suppose that it’s a universal theme: life has been difficult to Serenity, for most of her time in it. As a result, a reactionary type of hardness builds up, one that summarily rejects all charity with unbridled cynicism. We are already seeing the gradual softening of the character, which is no doubt important to her finding happiness.

There are more pros and cons I could consider, but I’ve already had to divide this into two posts…;) Two issues of contention I saw in this thread seem to be the divorce and how it’s portrayed in this manga, and the concept of making another person your “pet project.”

As for divorce, I don’t know if anyone disagrees with this, but the sudden dissolution of the nuclear family is harmful to all involved, but especially to children. Studies show that divorce is psychologically harmful to children, and some even show that this harm follows people well into adulthood. I think it was good for the story to acknowledge this, and I hope the concept gets explored further. I also don’t think that the other children were mocking or laughing, but in fact looking away in order to deal with the awkwardness of someone openly denying an obvious problem.

As for the “pet project” concept, well that is just hopelessly unrealistic. The idea of a group of people surrounding you, and telling you that their new hobby is going to be changing you according to their image, is more than insulting or condescending, it’s just plain hurtful and disrespectful, even if the intentions are good-hearted. I suppose the true leap of faith involved in reading this is that they would have confronted her in this way (the better option would have been to simply put the plan in action), or that she, the rebellious teen, didn’t simply laugh it off.

All in all, a bit hokey, but interesting enough at least to appeal to its target audience I’m sure. Despite its flaws, it successfully pulls on the heartstrings through the development of the main character, and if the series continues along this path it should convey its message successfully.

[Soukoru]

In my opinion, it is a good stab at a well written/well drawn Christian manga. There are two things that do bother me though:

1) It seems that while trying to imply some of the Christian morals, it also has a few small moments where they are slightly forced into the main character.

2) The drawing looks like a cross between the old American comics and current Japanese manga. Again, points for trying, but the way that Serenity is drawn, it doesn't blend too well.