Beneath the Tangles Exposed

Within Christianity, there will always be those who compromise their biblical standards upon the altar of pleasure and entertainment. Just as this has been a struggle in the past, it is still a struggle for thousands of Christians worldwide. The creation of anime-supporting "Christian" media just adds fuel to the fire, hastening the destruction of the world under the pretense of "evangelism."

On this note, I recently came across a Christian × anime group named Beneath The Tangles. This group supports anime, claiming one can "see God himself" through anime.¹ Their stated mission is:

"Beneath the Tangles bridges the divide between anime fans and the Christian church by developing anime-related content and discussing anime and Christianity as expressed through anime, manga, and light novels; ministering to and loving Christian anime fans; and demonstrating faith by modeling Christ through interaction with our readers and followers."²

They seek to preach the Gospel to the otaku through the use of anime.¹ They, themselves, acknowledge that many Christians object to anime, due to there being little "intentional overlap between Christianity and anime". Yet, they do not appeal to the Scriptures, but rather reference another fallible human.

"It's true that there's very little intentional overlap between Christianity and anime, and when it does happen, it's not especially meaningful. Thankfully, that's not what our site is all about. When an individual is born-again, she begins to see God's story of redemption everywhere—in nature, in relationships, even in media. Paraphrasing Timothy Keller, for the Christian, every story has two stories—the one the author tells and one that reflects the gospel message in some way. Anime is no different."²

You would think that, if their position was biblical, they would have provided a verse in place of, or at the very least next to, their citing of a mere mortal. "We see anime as a beautiful[,] creative expression that can and often does show the many attributes of God," they say.¹ Shows containing sin and evil are somehow beautiful, creative expressions?

One of their writers, who is listed as "Twwk," wrote an article titled Can Christians Watch Anime? Here's something he said in that article.

"Growing up, I had problems understanding what was okay for me to read and watch. In Sunday school, we read the Bible, studied stories of children tempted by theft and other sins, and watched sanitized cartoons. But I was very aware that[,] like me, my friends were watching R-rated films, collecting comic books featuring scantily-clad heroes, and watching cartoons with no God in [the] shows' worldviews. What was I to make of it all?"³

No wonder Twwk got mixed up on the morality of anime! When you are around sin, you begin to accept it, and it becomes the norm. Therefore, you often find yourself unfazed by what should disgust you. In this article, he references three verses: Philippians 4:8, Romans 3:23, and 1 Corinthians 10:31. The last two are not relevant since one is about how man is sinful, and the other presupposes that anime is not sinful. But with the first one, Philippians 4:8, there is no excuse other than:

"The application seems to be that the extreme left side of that spectrum described above, in which we should only consume 'pure' Christian media, must be right! Right? ... Aside from scripture itself, no piece of media is pure and holy. None. Not one. Not the four page bible lesson you got in Sunday school, not the latest faith-based movie about prayer, not even that awesome episode of Veggietales that you saw as a child. None of it. And the reason is clear: 'For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God' (Romans 3:[23]). We are incapable of making something fully pure and fully holy, because we, as the creators of such media, are sinners. We can create something close, but just as with us, that media is going to be imperfect."³

This argument fails. It assumes that anything is inherently sinful. This is simply not true. Secondly, they turn an appeal for consistency into an argument for why their position is correct. One could say, "If you consider anime to be wrong, you should likewise hold X, Y, and Z to the same standards." I would agree. However, they word it in a way that implies we all know these things (VeggieTales, faith-based movies, etc.) just have to be okay, which does not work against those who seek to be consistent.

His argument for why Philippians 4:8 does not mean what it says is simply that people aren't currently consistent, which is not how one should interpret and apply the Scriptures. Revealing your opponents' inconsistency in living out their beliefs does not disprove the beliefs themselves. People are simply determined to "prove" it is not sinful, so they can watch what they want to watch—they want someone to itch their ears and tell them they aren't sinning.

"We need to strip away the trappings of culture and look at how actions, lifestyles, and beliefs are presented in anime through a biblical lens. So[, let's] ask the question in that framework: Can we or should we be watching yaoi and yuri? The answer, as is usual, isn't clear-cut, though I do believe it’s clear that we should at least entertain the thought. I’ve heard theologians, and one in particular whom I respect terribly, state that we as Christians probably shouldn't watch any media. I understand his perspective, and in truth, if we were perfect, we would be able to find this immense satisfaction and enjoyment in God alone[,] that wouldn't [be found in] the latest episode of Dr. Stone or The Promised Neverland. But stuck here on earth, we're going to stream video. We're going to watch anime."⁴

Apparently, we should "entertain the thought" of watching homosexual anime?

Instead of going to anime, then comparing it with the Bible as a way to "learn", thus "justifying" your consumption of the medium, you could just start with Scripture and reject everything that disagrees. They say that you, I, and they are "going to watch anime." Even if such were the case, that doesn't make it okay. This is experiential morality, not biblical Christianity. But what anime are we supposedly "going to watch"?

Under the Christianity > Recommendations > Anime section, they list several anime that they support.⁵ While it would not be feasible to list and debunk every single one (they list forty-three), several of them have already been covered on this blog. A few of these anime are:

• My Hero Academia
• Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai
• Sword Art Online
• Death Note
• Girls und Panzer
• Dragon Ball Z
• Snow White with the Red Hair

I will not be going through what exactly is wrong with many of these; the articles are linked for you to read. However, when you look at them, you'll quickly realize the issues with these anime. Beneath the Tangles knows this; listen to what they say.

"We understand that many Christians disavow anime, finding it to be ungodly and immoral. But think of things a little different."¹

"It is still seen as dangerous to many Christians."³

I wonder why Christians are often against anime! Anime is chock-full of evil and wicked content. I refuse to "think of things" differently. Sin is sin, and sin is not something Christians should fill their mind with. As the verse they excused commands:

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." (Philippians 4:8)

This verse absolutely refutes their position, and it's only one verse! Many others could be used, including Psalm 101:3, Isaiah 33:15-16, Ephesians 5:11, 1 Thessalonians 5:22, and more. People simply do not want to accept what the Bible says about anime—it's their idol, they're consumed by it.

"It's the most glorious time of the year again—Annecy time! Since its inauguration in 1960, the Annecy International Animation Film Festival has grown to become the world's largest annual gathering of animators and animation, drawing audiences of around 15,000 from the most far-flung corners of the globe to the lakeside town nestled in the mountains that separate France from Switzerland. There's nothing like it on Earth, and for the past couple of years, it's been my privilege to attend on behalf of BtT."⁶

The Annecy International Animation Film Festival (AIAFF) is the "most glorious time of the year"? What of Easter? What of the time spent with believers? Somehow, an animation festival is better? This is an idol, something this person has put before anything Christ-related.

In the same article, they list "Star Wars: Visions" for Sunday, June 8th. What are they doing at an animation festival instead of church, or at least something Christ-focused? Instead of spending their time with other believers, they decide to spend it at a convention, watching things such as Star Wars (which is deeply involved with Eastern mysticism).

All of this highlights the issues with anime within Christianity. Anime and God do not mix, even if these people have a podcast titled "The Power of God and Anime." There is no scriptural basis upon which someone can watch anime. For my main case against anime, see Against Anime.

Sources:

1. "Our Values and Beliefs." Beneath The Tangles, beneaththetangles.com/our-values-and-beliefs-2. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.

2. "About Us." Beneath The Tangles, beneaththetangles.com/about. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.

3. Twwk. "Can Christians Watch Anime?" Beneath The Tangles, 13 Oct. 2017, beneaththetangles.com/2017/10/13/can-christians-watch-anime. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.

4. Twwk. "Is It Okay for a Christian to Watch Yaoi and Yuri Anime?" Beneath The Tangles, 22 Jan. 2021, beneaththetangles.com/2021/01/22/is-it-okay-for-a-christian-to-watch-yaoi-and-yuri-anime. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.

5. "Anime Recommendations." Beneath The Tangles, beneaththetangles.com/christian-anime-recommendations. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.

6. Claire. "Daily Dispatches from the 2025 Annecy International Animation Film Festival." Beneath The Tangles, 4 Jun. 2025, beneaththetangles.com/2025/06/04/2025-annecy-international-animation-film-festival. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.