Luce and Friends
The Vatican and the Anime Hype
Have you seen Luce & Friends?
Honestly, I was reminded of the Hogwart Houses, just Chibi Style.
Who expected the Vatican to release an official Kawaii anime character mascot for Jubilee Year 2025?
In their official statement, partially translated here, “Light” and her friends were “designed with the intention of reflecting pop culture, popular among young people, and brings with it a message of hope and welcome.”
I am not Catholic. As implied, it seemed a little odd but after looking a little closer it made more sense.
Using anime to reach the younger generations may seem an unusual way to go about things but let’s take a look at a few points.
The Holy See Expo 2025 will be held from April 13 to October 13, 2025 in Osaka, Japan, themed ‘Designing the future society for our lives.’
During this same time the Catholic Church will celebrate a Jubilee Year, aka "Holy Year", a great popular event during which pilgrims will be invited to immerse themselves in the endless mercy of God.
In a recent poll Vox Media poll 4,275 participants were asked how “frequently they watch anime. The results show significant increases by generation. Just 3% of boomers watch anime weekly, whereas 42% of Gen Z participants do.”
When asked how areas of life were influenced by anime, “more than half of Gen Z anime fans say it affects their habits across the board, with the highest marks coming in how they see their identity and social understanding.”
I realize many may not be familiar with anime, so I’ve included a couple definitions for reference:
Chibi : Small ( Adorable )
Kawaii : Cuteness ( across all aspects )
What do you think about this attempt to reach a younger, or maybe just Japanese, audience?
Nikki 💜
Very interesting! I have a couple different Manga Bibles by artist Sika that are pretty neat.