On all the discussions about Kaoru encountering Christianity....
Historically R. Cath. was the earliest of the Christian churches to preach in Japan. But it also contributed to Europeans in general (except the Dutch on a once a year basis) from setting foot on Japan for over 200 years. Ever since Europeans were kicked out of Japan several centuries back in the minds of most Japanese Christianity in general is associated with R. Cath. and as something that is "European"; i.e. that is not naturally ... erm ... organic to Japanese culture and people, etc.
Many Japanese retain the basic (sometimes unspoken) belief system they grew up, which is kinda synchrotistic in the sense that they kinda "absorb" aspects of Christianity and take it to themselves while making it "their own" (i.e. in contrast with the paradigm change most of us are familiar with Christianity expecting from one).
A lot of that is reflected in Enzo's earlier post:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo
I've seen nothing indicating that Watanabe is anything but the "Born Shinto, die Buddhist" combination that's predominant in Japan - including no mention by him in an interview he did with the mangaka, Kodama Yuki, where her religion was discussed.
During that interview, incidentally, Kodama-sensei said that she's not a Christian, but attended a Christian school as a young girl and fell in love with Jesus because she thought he was hot...
|
Therefore, with all that being said it is absolutely true that "American Black Gospel hymns" would have been rarer over in Japan than Hen's teeth at this time, as BBOven Guy rightly pointed out. The main exposure to music that had origins in similar roots as the Black Gospel hymns sung in some American churches would definitely be in Jazz and any other musical "blossomings" from the stream that produced Jazz later on.
It is also true what TJR pointed out - many Protestants nowadays do regard R. Cath., East. Orthod., etc. as deviations from what they consider to be Christianity, and in Japan today there are a fair number of "sects" (some with Christian roots, some not) that have intense followings - picture the hard core otaku spirit immersed in religion ... only the most extreme generally "make the news" in the English speaking world.
Anyway, all these only further add to the confusion in how to regard Christianity, any variation thereof, or religious things from the European/American continents to begin with. But one thing many people still hold to somewhere inside is that "all that sort of thing" is something "non Japanese".
So Kaoru's reaction to the Church as only "Christian" and not as specific as English speaking audience's might have identified is hardly surprising to me.
Still ... all that being said I must admit I was quite surprised to see Christianity pop up (and in a semi normal light?) in ep 2. Lets face it - most (perhaps not all) of the time when Christianity does pop up in contemporary anime series it is R. Cath. in an all girl's school with yuri undertones....
Oh yes - one more thing: SeijiSensei is totally correct - Ri-chan's head covering was very "standard" in the R. Cath. churches at the time. Even after Vatican II (I think the anime is supposed to take place in 1966?) the changes were introduced slowly in some places, and some parts of Catholicism even deliberately kept the older practices.