Forum - View topicSaint Cecilia and Pastor Lawrence (TV).
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Tony K.
 SubscriberModerator  Posts: 11446 Location: Frisco, TX |
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Saint Cecilia and Pastor Lawrence (TV) Source: Manga (ongoing @ 13 volumes, written by Hazano Kazutake) Demographic: Shounen Animation Studio: Doga Kobo Genres: comedy, fantasy, romance Themes: Plot Summary: Saint Cecilia is beloved by the townspeople—not only is she elegant and composed, she benevolently shares her wisdom with all who seek it. That is, until the last person has left—at which point she becomes totally hopeless. Only Pastor Lawrence, is keeping the Saint put together enough to do her duties...and though she may test him, it's all in a day's work. Air Date & Platform: July 12, 2023 (Wednesday) Available on: Crunchyroll Episode Count / Runtime: 12 episodes ---------------------------------- Might eventually give this a try for Kaito Ishikawa. He seems to be in a lot of popular titles, these days. Could also be interesting to see how they treat the possible religious elements in this. Last edited by Tony K. on Wed Apr 03, 2024 12:28 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2969 |
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#1
Religion might be the crutch for the masses, but what happens when the manifestation of that crutch isn't able to fend for herself? The adaptation's solution is to pair her with a pastor who is utterly dedicated to waiting on her hand and foot and is oblivious to her approaches. Plenty of supernatural offerings this season, but this season's religious offering is purely for light-hearted entertainment where viewers can park their brain at the door for the whole episode and simply forget about the world while watching the show. There's a few questions posed by the show which I do hope are answered at some point, even if it isn't the type of show that supposed to jog the brain cells of viewers. 1. How did Lawren know at first glance who Cecilia really was? No miracles, he just instinctively realised who she was and took her in without question. 2. Why is Cecilia randomly found at a roadside of a backwater village? Lawren himself claims she's venerated in much larger cities than his own village, so the village simply counts itself lucky and treats her as part of the holy package. Otherwise, it's sugary entertainment designed to give viewers a chuckle and relieve real-world stress. The key to hold viewers will be the interpersonal relationships, since there's not much plot to be had otherwise. |
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Spastic Minnow
 Bargain HunterExempt from Grammar Rules  Posts: 4630 Location: Gainesville, FL |
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Japanese takes on western religion are usually very odd and fun. They certainly know of the concepts of a monk's celibacy but rarely apply that to priests. Sure, it's easy to say that he's not a "priest" - he's a "pastor" which usually denotes a Protestant or at least Episcopalian... And I guess Episcopalians have a reverence for saints, but it's nothing compared to Catholics.
I think my favorite depiction of a "nun" is the supporting character in School Rumble... basically treating her like a miko who's a daughter in a shrine... except she's a "nun" Then there's all of the obsession with occultist Catholicism... Exorcists and divine blessings or curses, sacred objects. Half the silly fun of the A Certain Magical/Scientific shows. So, a general bit of advice, just take it easy on this one... They're not likely to get much right with this one, and that's fine. |
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smurky turkey
Posts: 2674 |
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Yeah, it is best to just take it as a charming/cute romance anime and not expect it to be some deep and complex piece on religion. The first episode was fun and cute enough to make me want more. The mc's are fun and it seems like a very kind town to be located in.
I suspect the saint was wandering because she was tired of being saintly all the time, which I imagine can be annoying. |
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Spastic Minnow
Bargain Hunter Exempt from Grammar Rules Posts: 4630 Location: Gainesville, FL |
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Episode 2
A slight surprise to me. I was thinking that it was only going to be a straight-up doki-doki cute couple thing, but they went ahead and added a nice layer to our pastor and his world. It also moves it more out of a real-world "church" setting. Demons and angels and fairies, a need to constantly protect Lawren from the good and bad that can hurt him. They probably should have hinted at that a little more in the first episode, about the only thing they did that connects to the convo here was when Cecilia was shaking the "angels" away from Lawren. There was no hint that there was something unnatural about it. It came off as "he's a nice guy, angelic spirits like him." Not "He attracts spirits that may just want to suck his tasty life force."- or whatever. I still expect most of it to be doki doki cuteness, but it's nice that there's a little more to it. |
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Edjwald
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Welp, as you mentioned before and after this comment, anime is full of examples of nuns, but I don't know that I've seen a single one that was accurate theologically. I think my favorite was the older sister nun in Haganai. who was seen drinking soda and reacting as if it were beer (or drinking beer and pretending it was soda), letting one rip, or making prank obscene phone calls, with no explanation or apology as to why this was appropriate or inappropriate. Anyway, I was tired when I tried to watch this show last week and fell asleep halfway through episode 1, so watched both episodes today and thought it was a cool little show. As others have mentioned, it's an easy breezy one with some interesting mythological flourishes. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2969 |
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#2
The show isn't purely about giving viewers a weekly glucose overdose; there's a lot more at play in the background than meets the eye. Lawrence (Cecilia calls him Lawren, a discrepancy which didn't hit me until this episode) is a magnet for the supernatural, which is what his grandfather hinted at in episode one and again this week. For some reason, his grandfather never briefed him in full about what this meant, so it falls on his seminary mate Abel to keep watch over him now that his grandfather is no longer around. Having been fortunate enough to find his own Saint who is more than happy to be his literal Guardian Angel, Lawrence has to date avoided trouble despite his innate condition. Angels in the church being drawn to him is one thing when they're benign, but attracting the opposite end of the spectrum who have anything but benign intentions might prove to be the main plotline binding the series together. For all his devoted attentions, if he cannot see what intends harm to him and has no defence against it, then Cecilia's presence might well be the difference despite her own shortcomings. Abel also raised an interesting point: one can indeed have too much of a good thing. Abel's hypothesis isn't completely proven, but it appears he's onto something about the excessive holy protection actually being a burden on Lawrence than the blessing it's supposed to be. So Lawrence needs just enough to stop the supernatural from being drawn to him like moths to a flame, especially during the new moon. Another thing Abel said was Saints being in demand from all quarters and not just the general populace. The issue about "nobles" learning about Cecilia and wanting to use her for their own ends suggests not everything about this series is about the benevolent and generous. The townsfolk are grateful for Cecilia, but they and Lawrence venerate her and don't really see her as a person the way Abel does (to date no one in this series calls her by her given name). Probably better than what ambitious nobles might have in store for her, especially as these Saints appear to be in short supply and pop up randomly to be venerated as beacons of protection. The influence from Japan's homemade religions is evident here; I do not remember the Christian Saints being venerated because they generate a localised area of holy protection for their believers in return for respect and veneration. For Shinto and its power spots, this is something which is easier to associate with the manner in which Cecilia is treated. That's the third of the main four characters seen in the OP, so my guess is next week introduces the fourth character. Perhaps someone associated with the Church and by the looks of it is already acquainted with Abel and Lawrence before the series starts. The series is still fluffy entertainment for viewers to enjoy, but there are serious themes below the surface which may or may not determine just how intense the sugar rush is. |
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smurky turkey
Posts: 2674 |
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I agree that a bit of seriousness is welcome to balance out the fluff and sugar. Series that only have sugar on offer tend to become a bit boring/repetitive over time. I have some serious doubts about whether not telling Lawren about his condition is a good thing. The grandfather did not tell Lawren about it and he was lucky to meet Abel who was willing to take on that protector role, but that was purely by chance. Meeting the saint is once again a stroke of luck. If things had gone any differently than Lawren would be dead by now.
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Edjwald
Posts: 1589 |
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Sometimes I can overdose on one episode. I'm fine with comfort or healing anime, but when they cross the line into pandering or cloying, or too cutesy, I start to gag. Of course, some people draw that line in different places. It's a tricky balance. This show's doing pretty well IMHO. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2969 |
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#3
Most of the show is focused on giving its audience diabetes, which is mostly the point for shows like these. Still, it does try its best to add in something to even out the weekly glucose amount served. Most notable points being more of Lawrence's background (I think the audience would have guessed he didn't have parents as his grandfather features so prominently in flashbacks) and Cecilia's (yes we know she was found lost on the street, but her admission she was alone for some time raises its own questions). As expected, the rest of the village treats the Saint as their mascot and love nothing more than to dress her up in the finest clothes and ogle the finished product. Putting payment aside, Cecilia surprisingly doesn't put on her "public aura" when this goes on and more or less behaves like a person her age when she's being showered with attention. The fortune teller like everyone else in the village does her part to try and egg the two of them along, but as always it falls flat with Abel looking on. Him getting drenched by a passing stagecoach is entirely in keeping with the theme of the show, as are his attempts to do something for the main pairing. The final cast member makes an introduction, but she hasn't introduced herself formally. She's credited, so cross-referencing the name with episode one's credits will be enough for me to identify her. No hurry though, since she's featured so prominently in both the OP and ED that she'll certainly meet up with the main characters next week. Looking forward to the reaction she has when the Saint she's so eagerly looking to meet is the same klutz she saved from falling down the stairs. Cecilia's reaction to the new visitor should be predictable enough, but the two of them look like they get along well in the OP and ED so it won't be a warzone. |
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smurky turkey
Posts: 2674 |
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Yeah, I imagine that she is expecting quite a different person/type when it comes to a saint. I also wonder how she knows that there is a saint in the village, since they are trying to keep things lowkey. She is from a different village, which would indicate that the surrounding villages may already know about the saint and thus it is only a matter of time until you have the nobility pop up. As for the rest, the village seems like a lovely place to live.
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Edjwald
Posts: 1589 |
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The show reminds me a little bit of Otaku Elf in this aspect, For me, this show has gone from mildly enjoyable to flat out enjoyable in just a few episodes. I think having worldlier, wiser people to play off of helps a lot with the pastor and the saint’s dynamic, and it looks like the mysterious female visitor is going to make as good a foil as Abel. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2969 |
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#4
It's been hinted at in previous episodes, but this week's episode gives a short glimpse into the dark side of Saints embedded with ordinary townsfolk. Lawrence, his grandfather and the townsfolk of Cecilia's residence embody more or less the best aspects of people fortunate enough to have a resident Saint, whereas Hazelita has lived and experienced the exact opposite. Unsurprisingly, her outlook is coloured by her previous experience and memories, which if Cecilia is correct is something Abel is trying to change after learning about Lawrence's situation (and seizing the chance to skive off tutor duty). The revelation that Saints are mortal isn't much of a surprise (after all most Saints in real life are only recognised as such posthumously), but veneration takes on differing forms depending on the people. Lawrence does venerate Cecilia by placing her on a pedestal and treating her as a precious roommate, whereas the townfolk in Hazelita's town treated their Saint as a relic and not as a human. Unsurprisingly, Saints don't last very long if they're not recognised as human to begin with and with the same needs which humans require to survive. Bringing Hazelita into the main group changes the dynamic, especially as Abel now has more stress to deal with Hazelita breathing down his neck while Cecilia now has someone her age (?) to talk to who isn't Lawrence nor Abel. Hazelita herself admits she's starved of company her age, so considering it wasn't long for her to see Cecilia's lazy side when she's not performing her public duties shows how much trust Cecilia has in her new companion. So Lawrence isn't just dense, his other flaw is his absolutely abysmal sense of taste. I don't know if the show is making a connection between his affinity for supernatural things and his awful artistic sense, but it would be amusing to think the possibility is there. Hazelita might have her own issues with Abel, but they're definitely in the same camp (together with the rest of the village) when it comes to Cecilia and Lawrence's current relationship. It's amusing to think they potentially consider abysmal artistic sense to be contagious, even if they would like to somehow correct that particular flaw without catching it themselves. If there is going to be an overarching story arc to this series, it most likely centres on the Great Saint ensconced in her island and Cecilia's current situation which idyllic as it is does not look like it can last forever. It would not surprise me if Cecilia's vision this week was of the departed Saint, which would spice things up as it would give Cecilia more dimensions compared to her current naivete. |
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smurky turkey
Posts: 2674 |
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I like the balance between the sweet/cute slice of life moments and the not so sweet moments that are also to be found in their world. Treating a saint like she is a relic and needs to overwork herself to death to serve god is just cruel. Especially since some nobles are probably making lots of money due to it. It is no surprise that Hazelita harbors suspicions towards anyone affiliated with a saint. In the end it all comes down to how the people view their saint. In a way a saint showing she is far from perfect and thus very human is necessary to avoid a bad outcome.
I do wonder how that saint dying in the past has effected their community though. Or maybe they just brush it over by saying it was god's will, which is a pet peeve of mine since it is used to sweep all sorts of bullshit out of the way. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2969 |
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#5
Two parts to an episode; only the first part deals with what should be the main plot for this franchise. Lawrence natural attraction to the supernatural takes centre stage again, and for once Cecilia actually shows she can perform what she's meant to do instead of being Lawrence's live-in tenant. I'm not sure if her knowledge of dealing with the supernatural is divinely inspired or acquired through knowledge (self-taught? formal teaching?), but her usage of iron is not new as other franchises like the recent Ancient Magus' Bride also highlight the aversion towards iron felt by fairies (Celtic influence). Lawrence's grandfather actually has a name, although we're not told explicitly if it's his first and family name. Probably his given name, since Corrinne calls him Lawrence and we know that's clearly not his family name. A more traditional pastor who has a role much closer to the Shinto Temple's Priest than a pastor, since he is called in to deal with supernatural entities making mischief much the same way Shinto Priests are occasionally commissioned to do exorcisms and blessings. Lawrence unlike his grandfather has no sight, so he cannot be a like-for-like replacement and finally learns he can actually ask others to help him out when he's not capable of performing his duties when required. Cecilia helps him out massively here, as Abel is only a visitor and he cannot be relied upon to perform at the same level as Cecilia if forced. Talking late into the night to keep the fairies happy wasn't expected, but Cecilia being who she is accepts it as part of the solution to Corrine's problems. Something else I noticed about this episode: it's not medieval fantasy. I was very surprised to see a camera in Hazelita's possession, so that moves the setting forward to the Victorian or early modern era with magic still playing a prominent role in the form of Saints' blessings. Cameras here are the old fashioned analogue types, so it's still surprising the fairies can interfere with their normal operation. The Valentine segment is another reason to showcase Lawrence's emotional denseness and the comedy that ensues when Cecilia actually takes the initiative to do something about it. Abel had the right idea, although I'm not sure it really changed anything as far as the relationship dynamic is concerned. Hazelita was really close to blowing her top and telling Lawrence to his face what this was really about, but Abel closed her off. I suppose if she did a lot of the comedy for the remaining episodes would be lost, so probably for the best. The show is still geared towards giving its audience a diabetic high, so keeping things as they are is crucial for delivering this part of the experience. Nearly halfway through, and I'm wondering if the series can keep up its entertainment value without growing stale. So far it's working, but they can't keep the main joke going on forever and something different like this week's first part has to be portrayed to keep anime-only viewers interested. |
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