An Animated Adoration

Consumers of manga (comics), anime (cartoons), and video games increasingly search for alternative ways to forge a connection with their favorite characters. In Japan, many of the actual places used in such media as models for background scenery have within recent years become popular as tourist destinations.

In an effort to connect with the characters from the action-adventure game Sengoku Basara, female gamers began to gather at a shrine dedicated to Japan’s war dead. At the shrine they choose to express their adoration for the game characters by drawing comic illustrations on votive prayer tablets. Based on a field survey of the votive prayer tablets found on display at the shrine, I argue that through the production of folk art, that is religious icons, fans engage with the game characters in a personal and spiritual manner, while simultaneously creating bonds with other fans.