Anime Fide: Smoke 'em if you got 'em

...Not that I'm advocating smoking, just to be clear. I have always enjoyed this saying; there's something in me that can really understand the advice to take a moment to enjoy something as one never knows when either the moment will depart or the source of one's enjoyment run out. It calls to mind the virtue of being fully engaged in living. This is a virtue extolled in anime; let's look at two examples.
In Zombie Loan the character Michiru Kita begins the series in a state of limbo. She is not engaged in her life, neither enjoying herself nor suffering. Each day leads to the next because that is the way the planet spins, not because she has any particular impetus to continue living. She is forced to reexamine how she goes about living after meeting two very willful guys from school. They each have their reasons for valuing living so very much, but what they impart to Kita is a lesson about getting the most out of life. She opens the door on a new period in her life, accompanied but friend-like people, willing to embrace a philosophy of "nothing ventured nothing gained."
Amatsuki, a show I just began watching, features the adventures of lackadaisical high school student Tokidoki Rikugō. His poor performance in school and easy going nature are both drawn from the distance he feels between himself and his life; he feels like an observer of his life rather than as the participant. When he finds himself thrown into a world he knows little about he is at first nonplussed because it has about as much to do with him as his life before did. Only when confronted by the swordswoman who saved his life does he resolve to become engaged promising to do what he can. He finds himself happier in his new life than he had been in his old, even though he experiences more conflict.
This feeling of the meaninglessness of everyday life with which each of these characters begin was well known to the author of Ecclesiastes. This unknown teacher or preacher begins the book certain that there is nothing in human activity but ephemera and shadow. Human industry, human acquisition -- all of this pales in the face of human mortality. Therefore, he concludes at the end of chapter 2, rather than engage in meaningless toil it is better for humans to find pleasure in their work, in relationship with others, in the things that make for joy. This is a gift from God, indeed the ability to find pleasure in one's life is a sign that a person has grasped a small bit of divine wisdom.
Go, therefore, brothers and sisters working for peace and joy for yourself and for those around you. Take pleasure in this life that you are living and live it to its fullest.

Be Afraid

This weekend there was an Irish cultural festival downtown at the riverside. Originally the plan had been for Mom and Dad to attend as well, but their car self-destructed on the way up so they ended up towing it home and missing out. Which might have been just as well, the weather turned out to be extremely muggy and down right hot from time to time. So Carson and I decided to limit our festing to just two acts. One of which was a group in which on of Carson's co-workers plays and the other was the exhibition by one of the local step dancing schools. Both of these events took place in the tent adjacent to the pitch so I could watch the field of play as well. I was a happy if sweating camper.
About halfway through the band's set the first of the step dancers began to appear. The one who wear wigs already had them on (here is a good example of the wigs I'm talking about), but in deference to the heat and sun the only bits of the outfits many of them had on were the knee socks. Rounding out their appearance, heavy make up, dark sunglasses, jutting lower jaws, and whatever it is that teens are wearing these days. As I gazed upon their unsmiling face I was stuck with the impression that I had wandered upon some new kind of gang and that I really really didn't want to meet any of these girls in a dark alley. Carson said maybe the heat was getting to me.
Now, to be clear: I'm sure these girls are all very nice and wholesome. They certainly are good dancers. The show was good this year as it was in previous years. We will watch them again next year. Still watch out for hooligan step dancers, and remember that I warned you first.

Anime Fide: Hajimemashoo

As was mentioned in my last post, I am beginning a new series here on Wry Juxtaposition. In the interest of full disclosure I must confess that on some small level I will be using this article series as an excuse to continue to watch hours upon hours of anime each week. It's something that I really would do anyway, but now I can call it "research".
Since this is the first in the series I want to take a little bit of time to talk about purposes and methodology. Anime is really too broad a field to pretend any sort of mastery; its large sub-categories based on target demographics and multitudinous genre designations describe work of such sweepingly varied natures and qualities that no one person could hope to cover them all. As I sampled here and there I began to realize that just as there was a visual language that many of these shows shared there were also ideas and themes that crop up in shows that would otherwise have very little to do with one another. Many of these themes are ones that also appear with regularity in Christian theology and ethics.
Unlike DMing the Bible which takes the Bible as its source and moves from there to talk about pop culture, Anime Fide will be starting with a topic and moving from there back into faith fields. Each article will begin with an introduction to the topic laying out the parameters of the discussion. Next I will discuss the topic as it appears in anime programs; I will be limiting myself to three such instances. Finally, the topic will be examined through the lenses of Christian thought.
Hopefully then you all will continue the discussion. You can argue with my interpretation of the topic, the shows, the theology. You can suggest other shows that contain the topic.
Before I conclude, a brief word about cultural sensitivity: Anime is an art form that grew out of a culture. Its aesthetics and narrative form, its symbolism and archetypes grow out of the heart of Japan and her people. Western thought and culture are, at times, incredibly different from the culture given voice in anime. I will always endeavor to treat the works I am examining with the utmost respect; which means that though I will be discussing theology and ethics from a Western point of view I hope to never diminish or mar the unique vision and culture expressed in these shows.
So, hopefully I haven't bored you all to tears. Start looking for new articles in this series beginning next week.

My First Con

Carson and I are newly returned from our first GenCon. There was much fun had by all. There are some things I will do differently when we return. I have decided that pre-registry of our events would have been a really really great idea. Maybe someday GenCon's web site and online registration will improve. I found the whole process very very frustrating.My single biggest complaint is the fact that one can't buy two passes, two tickets for an event, any of that at the same time. Yeah I know they feel they have a good reason, I would just argue they did their cast/benefit analysis wrong.
We met some really great people and played some really fun games. We bought dice and shopped and stared a costumed people. We attended workshops and panels and hopefully come out the other side better DMs and players. (as a side note the guys at critical hits took one of the worst pictures of me that I have ever ever seen).
Next time I will register to play more and wander about less. I will remember sun screen (it was an inside event, you say? though it seemed that way I still am sporting a pretty nice facial burn) (this contributed to a mild level crankiness by Sunday afternoon).
I still have not been introduced to 4e. This is a little par for the course though because I was a very late adopter for 3rd. Maybe some point in the next couple of months I'll make the move.

Sabbatical is now concluded

I've been away for a while, I know. At first I was just being lazy, but in the last month and a half or so I've been gearing up for a new series for this blog and preparing for some pretty big changes here at Wry Juxtaposition. Here is a short list:

• DMing the Bible: This series will pick back up where it left off in the middle of Genesis, but it will be doing so on the RPG blog Stupid Ranger. My dear friends who run and write for Stupid Ranger have graciously invited DMing the Bible to make their site its home. Look forward to episodes to appear late in the week, and while you're waiting read the really neat things that get posted there.


• Anime Fide: Yes, it's true that one series is moving away, but in return I am announcing the launch of a new one. Fide is latin for "faith" but we'll be taking a rather broad look at a variety of topics (moral, ethical, etc) as it is shown in anime for both children and adults.


• More Content, Frequent Posts: In addition to the new series there will be posts that will include from time to time things like original fiction, sermons, and movie reviews.

Everyone has been very nice about understanding the long absence of Wry Juxtaposition, and I thank you all. Hopefully, the post-sabbatical incarnation will be worth the wait.

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DMing the Bible: Geography Matters

Introduction
Genesis' basic structure revolves around telling the stories of an extended family group whose tales frame the identity of the People of God. The story begins with Abram, called Israel's archetypal ancestor. He is introduced in a genealogy in chapter eleven, but his tale truly gets underway in chapter twelve. Today we'll set the stage for the various episodes of Abram's life told in Genesis. We'll take a brief glance at the promise made Abram by God (y'all don't worry you're totally going to hear lots about it by the time we get done with Joesph). On the game side, as the title suggests, we'll talk about geography and "grounding" your campaign.
Text
We're looking at Genesis 11:31-12:9. From time to time it's good to follow the family trees. Remember: part of the underlying logic of Genesis is that it matters a great deal who your family is. Abram (which is what we'll be calling him until he gets a name change later on) is the son of Terah. Terah, Abram, Sarai, and Lot (Abram's nephew) leave Ur where their family was to move to Canaan. Ur was situated in Mesopotamia. They settle down before getting there in Haran which in northeast of Canaan; in today's geography this would be a region near the Syrian and Turkish border. So far this is not that unusual; large family groups, particularly herders, would have to split apart to avoid over taxing the land.
What happens next is a bit unusual. God gets in touch with Abram and tells him to pack up, leave his family group, and head to lands unknown. Abram's movement is part of the fulfilling of a promise God makes to Abram and Abram's as yet nonexistent descendants. This promise has three major elements: 1)Land, 2) Numerous Descendants, 3)Abundant Blessing. It's worth stopping and taking a closer look at verse 3 in the Hebrew the verb in the clause that closes the verse can be carry either a passive or a reflexive sense. Now, this is the kind of thing that gets Hebrew scholars jazzed up, but the rest of you ...you sighed didn't you? It makes a difference for the translation, though. The NRSV ran with the passive sense, "in you all the families of the world will be blessed," and indicates the whole world receive blessings through Abram. The reflexive sense is rendered, "by you all the earth shall bless themselves;" meaning that all the people of the world will hope for themselves a blessing such as Abram received. Christian translators prefer the passive translation which conforms with Galatians 3, but it's fun to play back and forth with the different senses.
Abram moves from Haran into Canaan moving through the country past Shechen to the Oak of Moreh. This tree was known as "the oak that instructs" or "the teaching oak" it was a place to receive oracles or visits from the divine (this week's vocab. word: theophany= divine visitation). Here God says, "this is the land I have set aside for you." Abram sets up tents for a while in the hill country between Ai and Bethel (the "house of God"). Then moves in stages toward the Negeb, which is an arid wilderness between Asia Minor and Egypt.
This narrative, written probably during the height of the monarchy, sets up the theme of migratory verses settled (most of the Canaanites are farmers, Abram et al are herders), but also explains and under-girds the reason for Israel while at the same time reminding all that the successes enjoyed this nation are divine rather human.
The Game
Games happen somewhere. Your campaign occurs in a particular location even if that location is a whole continent. I love getting grounded in the geography, I love maps, and maybe I love maps too much. I use maps to create characters, I love planning the route a party will take from one place to another. As a DM I spend a lot of time on maps; I like knowing about all the places the PC's may wander. Abrams' route in the passage above takes him through urban and rural places and includes one interesting geographical phenomena. It keeps it varied. Here are two suggestions about the land and your campaign:

• The Oak of Moreh: This was a place that was known for a particular thing. Such locations in RPGs almost cry out to be plot devices. Even if your characters arrive at a place known for being a theophany rich zone and nothing happens it can be meaningful to the action that follows. Boundaries, stone circles, crossroads can be interesting places with which to play.


• Be a Brontë: I've only read a little of the sisters' work, but what I have I recall as being steeped in geographic atmosphere. The land became another character. It breathed, had moods, presented challenges, and exuded malevolence. It's no coincidence that one of the three kinds of conflict is person v. nature.