Anime that depict characters becoming gods (open discussion)

[TheOrphy]

With my pseudo-intellectual leanings combined with a degree in religion/philosophy, I'm starting to get ansy to start a project. What I want to explore are the paths character in anime take to become gods, the varied meanings of the word "God" in context, as well as the necessary sacrifices the incumbent deity must make.

Anyone who has seen these anime is valuable. What are your thoughts on these narratives? For instance:  is it strange that women and men are equally accepted as Gods (as far as I've seen)? How about the emphasis on children-as-Gods? What sorts of critique usually follow from these stories? Any little bit will do.

Assuming anyone bites, this thread should be full of spoilers, so be warned. What do you think, my good people? And should this bear fruit, I will of course credit you for the contribution.

[jaybug]

First off, all persons that become gods are by definition of the Shinto religion, no? I don't think Buddhism allows for this. But I could be wrong.
Kami-Chuu and what was the name of that recent one with the guy who did Jiraiya's voice play her lolicon brother! Seems they both become gods at the whim of other gods. This also occurred in Kamisama Hajimemashita.

[Bob2004]

Indeed, you should probably read up a bit on the way Shinto works. If you do so, you'll see that the word 'god' usually used in English translations is, despite being arguably the closest word in the English language, not really entirely accurate. If you want to have a discussion on this, you need to first decide what the word god actually means. Although if you accept the standard definition (the definition of 神 [kami]), you'll find that most of your examples (women and children becoming gods etc), are hardly that strange. Technically, everybody becomes a god when they die anyway.

But yeah. Start by looking up the terms 神 [かみ, kami] and 八百万の神 [やおよろずのかみ, yaoyorozu no kami], and getting a good understanding of what they mean. That'll help your understanding immensely.

Playing Touhou might also give you an interesting pop-culture perspective on the matter of Shinto gods in general. Sort of. Maybe. And I also second the suggestions of Kami-chuu and Kami-sama Hajimemashita as good examples of this kind of anime.

[jaybug]

I was thinking on how from the film Akira, we have anime characters who develop powers that would classify as those of a god. Certainly they are more than mortal. While we as an audience do not think of them as gods, more like freaks of nature, it certainly expands this topic to include more anime.

And then there is Astro Boy.

Goku of DBZ, Naruto and all the other inhumanly powered ninja, vampires, whatever. However these are not called gods, but do have god-like powers. They also take after the Buddhist traditions of Japan rather than the Shinto.

[Mcgreag]

While the word Kami is more analog to spirit than god there is also Kami-sama which is often used when a more christian like god (almighty) is being implied.
As for series depicting people becoming gods I would suggest Serial Experiments Lain. It includes many of the questions you are asking.

[TheOrphy]

Indeed, you should probably read up a bit on the way Shinto works. If you do so, you'll see that the word 'god' usually used in English translations is, despite being arguably the closest word in the English language, not really entirely accurate. If you want to have a discussion on this, you need to first decide what the word god actually means. Although if you accept the standard definition (the definition of 神 [kami]), you'll find that most of your examples (women and children becoming gods etc), are hardly that strange. Technically, everybody becomes a god when they die anyway.

But yeah. Start by looking up the terms 神 [かみ, kami] and 八百万の神 [やおよろずのかみ, yaoyorozu no kami], and getting a good understanding of what they mean. That'll help your understanding immensely.

Playing Touhou might also give you an interesting pop-culture perspective on the matter of Shinto gods in general. Sort of. Maybe. And I also second the suggestions of Kami-chuu and Kami-sama Hajimemashita as good examples of this kind of anime.

I've been poking about. The variety of uses of "kami" are not inconsistent with the early Greco-Roman ideas of deities and/or the Judeo-Christian God (kami now includes the latter). I've yet to see an anime which deals with ancestral worship aspect, which is where the "everyone becomes kami" idea is fixed. Remixed: even if kami is possible for everyone, that doesn't negate the significance of having girl-gods in a notably patriarchal culture, nor the emphasis on pubescent children.

Regardless, the use of "kami" in the anime I've seen so far doesn't appear to be a particularly Shinto concept. In a series like Lain or Eva, kami is demonstrably Judeo-Christian. In Madoka, kami-sama simply represents overwhelming power, which could fall under any bracket. Akira is about power as well. The kami of Mirai-Nikki has a little bit of everything.

These are the kind of kami or gods I'm examining - individuals that transcend space-time, can alter the fundamental rules established in the anime thus far, and have achieved a state where they can no longer live on earth or its equivalent (Sorry, Naruto and Goku). If they can "reset" or completely re-imagine the world, that too is an indicator.

Thoughts?

I'll take a look at the series recommended so far, thanks!

[Xycolian2332]

Would Alucard be considered a god at the end of Hellsing Ultimate?

[megido-rev.M]

Would Alucard be considered a god at the end of Hellsing Ultimate?

I think the topic is mostly concerned with non-undead characters.

[jaybug]

That isn't god-like powers Orphy, that is closer to Supreme Being kind of powers. We need to go to Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. ( I can't wait until you experience the Endless Eight! bwa ha ha ha ha)

[Bob2004]

Indeed, you should probably read up a bit on the way Shinto works. If you do so, you'll see that the word 'god' usually used in English translations is, despite being arguably the closest word in the English language, not really entirely accurate. If you want to have a discussion on this, you need to first decide what the word god actually means. Although if you accept the standard definition (the definition of 神 [kami]), you'll find that most of your examples (women and children becoming gods etc), are hardly that strange. Technically, everybody becomes a god when they die anyway.

But yeah. Start by looking up the terms 神 [かみ, kami] and 八百万の神 [やおよろずのかみ, yaoyorozu no kami], and getting a good understanding of what they mean. That'll help your understanding immensely.

Playing Touhou might also give you an interesting pop-culture perspective on the matter of Shinto gods in general. Sort of. Maybe. And I also second the suggestions of Kami-chuu and Kami-sama Hajimemashita as good examples of this kind of anime.

I've been poking about. The variety of uses of "kami" are not inconsistent with the early Greco-Roman ideas of deities and/or the Judeo-Christian God (kami now includes the latter). I've yet to see an anime which deals with ancestral worship aspect, which is where the "everyone becomes kami" idea is fixed. Remixed: even if kami is possible for everyone, that doesn't negate the significance of having girl-gods in a notably patriarchal culture, nor the emphasis on pubescent children.

Regardless, the use of "kami" in the anime I've seen so far doesn't appear to be a particularly Shinto concept. In a series like Lain or Eva, kami is demonstrably Judeo-Christian. In Madoka, kami-sama simply represents overwhelming power, which could fall under any bracket. Akira is about power as well. The kami of Mirai-Nikki has a little bit of everything.

These are the kind of kami or gods I'm examining - individuals that transcend space-time, can alter the fundamental rules established in the anime thus far, and have achieved a state where they can no longer live on earth or its equivalent (Sorry, Naruto and Goku). If they can "reset" or completely re-imagine the world, that too is an indicator.

Thoughts?

I'll take a look at the series recommended so far, thanks!

Well, not having a word for god, the Japanese just used kami-sama to refer to the Christian god as well, even though it's a different concept. That's why the word kami is still used to refer to gods of a more western religious bent. I haven't seen Lain or Madoka, but Eva is without a doubt very much based on Christian concepts rather than anything much native Japanese.

But yeah, if that's the kind of god you're interested in, then I can't offer much of an opinion really. I only really have an interest in the Japanese Shinto-Buddhism.