Christianity Today July 6, 2026 8 min signal 2026-07-06

How an anime trend points toward our 'true country'

Archived text mirror, captured for personal reading when the Signal ran. Formatting is approximate — read the original at the source.

Christianity Today

July 6, 2026

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Illustration by Elizabeth Kaye / Source Images: Unsplash, WikiMedia Commons

Have you noticed an uptick in the cultural prevalence of Japanese media? I know I have. Just the other day, I was surprised to learn that my local library stocked manga (Japanese comic books and visual novels) and anime (Japanese animation, which is often adapted from manga).

For most of the 21st century, anime has been a niche medium in the West, limited to specialized streaming services like Crunchyroll. Today, however, anime can be found on almost all major streaming platforms, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO Max, and Hulu. You may have even noticed it getting premiere billing on those platforms’ home pages. If that surprises you, it might surprise you even more to learn that more than half of Netflix’s 300 million paid subscribers watch anime.

Whether it’s your thing or not, people all around us are being impacted by the storytelling of these popular Japanese media.

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I suggest that followers of Jesus ought to analyze culture. In Everyday Theology: How to Read Cultural Texts and Interpret Trends, theologian Kevin J. Vanhoozer sets forth the need for “everyday theology” and cultural hermeneutics: that is, a method for interpreting culture. We can then use what we learn to better witness to culture; after all, it’s a lot easier to invite someone into a conversation if you already speak their language.

The reasons people are so drawn to anime are as multifaceted as the reasons people love TV shows or books. It’s a vast genre with a wide array of offerings. So we need to narrow the question. Asking why people like movies probably won’t help you better understand culture—but you might learn something interesting from considering why superhero movies in particular took over the box office last decade.

In the same way, one subgenre of anime—known as isekai—has grown rapidly in popularity. In fact, isekai anime has become so widespread that the word isekai was added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2024: “A Japanese genre of science or fantasy fiction featuring a protagonist who is transported to or reincarnated in a different, strange, or unfamiliar world.” Popular award-winning anime in this subgenre include Re:Zero—Starting Life in Another World, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!, and The Rising of the Shield Hero.

While each show is different, you’ll find two elements in every isekai anime. I believe these two themes reflect fundamental longings of the human soul—for which Scripture offers a solution.

First and foremost, isekai anime is characterized by a protagonist’s entry into a different world. This transportation to a different dimension happens in various ways: getting “stuck” in a virtual reality of a video game, being summoned into a different world, going through a portal, or being reincarnated. The new realm is often a fantastic world with magic and mythological creatures. The protagonist either seeks to return to their former life or accepts and enjoys the new life in the new world.

For example, in The Rising of the Shield Hero, a Japanese college student named Naofumi Iwatani is summoned to a fantasy world as a hero specializing in using the shield. However, he is falsely accused of a crime and then ostracized. The story tells of how he grows more powerful, gains loyal companions, and rebuilds his reputation as he protects others from threats. Although Naofumi initially wants to return to Earth, after he forms new bonds with his party members, he decides to stay in his new world.

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As consumers often watch stories that they relate to, I believe many choose isekai anime because it resonates with an innate desire for a better world. Whether they recognize it or not, viewers yearn to see the transformation of our fallen earth.

C. S. Lewis in Mere Christianity points out that people desire things that cannot be had in this world. He identifies that this unquenchable desire is for what he calls the “true country,” and that Christians ought to respond to this desire by making the main objective of our life “to press on to that other country and to help others do the same.”

The Bible teaches us that a life with Christ fulfills the human desire for the renewal of our fallen world. Jesus teaches that the kingdom of heaven has been ushered in (Matt. 4:17; 12:28)—meaning, in a neat inversion of the isekai formula, that the other world has come to us. And while isekai protagonists must vanquish evil themselves, we learn in Scripture that evil has been defeated by the work of Jesus (Col. 2:13–15; Heb. 2:14–15; 1 John 3:8).

Moreover, Revelation points us to the ultimate realization of the Christian hope for a transformed world: “‘a new heaven and a new earth,’ for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away” (21:1). In this vision, God consigns the evil to punishment (v. 8), promises an end to mourning, pain, and death (v. 4), and declares “I am making everything new!” (v. 5). What a promise to the weary of this world, desperate for change.

Christ fulfills the fundamental human desire to see renewal in this world by ushering in the kingdom of God, with followers of Jesus as citizens of this new world.

The second key characteristic of isekai anime is the transformation of the main character. The protagonists often are “reborn” in the new world with a completely new identity. They may still be themselves but endowed with supernatural powers. They may possess a new body with a different appearance and name. They may even become a different species entirely!

In That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, a Japanese bachelor named Satoru Mikami worked as a salaryman (office worker) and led an ordinary yet boring, lonely life. However, when he was stabbed to death protecting his junior colleague, he was reborn as a slime creature with great abilities. The story follows his growth as he befriends many species and becomes a powerful leader seeking to build a peaceful nation. This transformation is often from a mundane life into life as an extraordinary hero or heroine.

The Bible shows that such transformations and new beginnings are possible in Christ. The lives of the disciples exemplify this. When Simon decides to follow Jesus, he is given a new name, Peter, to reflect his new identity (Matt. 16:17–18). Simon and Andrew also gave up their former life as fishermen after they followed Jesus, and they received a new role as “fishers of men” (Mark 1:17, ESV). The disciples even received supernatural power when the Holy Spirit came on them on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:4).

That transformation is not restricted to the disciples; it’s available to every follower of Christ. Paul teaches, “If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Cor. 5:17).

Moreover, just as some isekai centers on the concept of rebirth following death, the Bible also promises we will be resurrected and experience a physical transformation of our own: a new, heavenly body (1 Cor. 15:42–44; 2 Cor. 5:2–4).

I don’t suggest that every part of isekai has deep parallels to the Christian life. But I think we would be foolish to overlook the ways this growing cultural trend speaks to viewers’ human longing for change—both of themselves and of the world they live in.

Many people watch movies and shows to escape from their troubles and cope with everyday stress. But while escapism has certain merits, it will ultimately never satisfy the groaning of one’s soul. It may even exacerbate it; while shows may provide a temporary relief, studies have linked binge-watching with increased levels of anxiety and loneliness. People watch shows like isekai that offer a temporary escape from their troubles, but this can’t offer a true solution.

Scripture teaches us that Christ alone can meet this need. He offers a fresh start to our lives. He offers transformation. He offers hope for the future. And he promises that one day we will live in a new kingdom.

I’d encourage even the most anime-skeptical reader not to overlook this phenomenon as merely odd or empty escapism. Instead, think of it as an opportunity to start a conversation with your anime-watching neighbor or family member. In this way, the growing popularity of isekai provides us with a unique opportunity to share the hope we have in Jesus Christ.

Kaz Hayashi is an associate professor of Old Testament at Bethel University and a fellow with Every Voice.

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