Saint☆Oniisan (Movie)

I'm just going to start this review with: I legitimately feel that watching this film has expanded my understanding of my own faith and I encourage others to watch it if they are looking for the same sort of spiritual experience that I had.

This anime shows a very candid look at how people of different faiths can come together and treat each other well without conflict in these turbulent modern times, and will likewise instill good morals upon the viewer regardless of their own religion. By showing how the founders of these religions themselves might act in these situations this anime sets a very good ... example not only for Christians and Buddhists but also for people of other faiths who were simply interested in a funny anime.

The story is simple and fragmented but compelling and very charming- it shows the everyday life of two young men who happen to be revered religious figures as they explore Japanese culture on their vacation. The plot itself is very laid-back and will not get anybody thinking particularly hard, but it serves it's purpose of bringing up interesting ideas that will cause one to ponder their relationship with their own beliefs.

The animation is very pretty, despite the quality being no higher than any other movie. It is stylized just enough to give itself a unique look but not enough to seem complicated or alien to the viewer, invoking the welcoming yet imposing feel of a religious institution. In this way there has actually been a lot more thought and work put into the animation than one might first assume upon glancing at it.

The soundtrack I have to say, while not being disappointing in the least, was not a part I was particularly impressed with. It does well for a slice-of-life anime but fails to inspire as much interest as the rest of the film. I have to say it was really just "there" and was not really memorable, but it did very well match the mood of the scenes and I would not say it was bad at all.

The characters are ones just about everybody in the world are familiar with, and from my knowledge of religious doctrine they seem to be portrayed very well. It is a difficult task to imagine what these individuals from eras long past may have acted like in the modern age but it has been done very well here.

All in all I enjoyed this anime very much and I would highly recommend it to other people regardless of their religious and spiritual background. It teaches some important lessons about life, and even if one is not interested in such this is a very nice slice-of-life anime.

If you can get behind conceptualising Jesus as the type of guy who'd be flattered at a comparison to Johnny Depp, or Buddha as the kind of person who takes too-long showers because he's just a couple more minutes away from enlightenment, then you'll definitely get a kick out Saint Young Men.

Jesus and Buddha -- the actual beings themselves -- decide to take an extended vacation on earth, with their tourist destination being ("Exotic!") Japan. The result is this slice of life comedy that is miraculously charming and inoffensive. The movie doesn't have a clear storyline, but consists of vignettes of their vacation in a ... town where the neighbourhood kids are bratty, the local yakuza can be ridiculous and where the people somehow never catch on that the two "foreigners" in their midst are REALLY foreign.

As a comedy, it does a fine job using observational humour and recurring gags as its base. Some of the best jokes come from contextualising the sacred in modern secularity, though it never actually takes critical jabs. It's not quite satire; it has absolutely no criticism or intellectual examination of the figures represented or the related religions. It's as gentle as a comedy about fictionalising deities can go, but that's not a bad thing. After all, it's hilariously sweet that Jesus, for instance, relates some his miracles as merely a form of personal convenience or plain old accident.

There's no conversation or commentary about faith in this anime, so if you're expecting this to be a hard bash toward or a reaffirmation of any kind of belief, then you're not going to get that. It does well steering clear of that, and the most political it gets is revealing that mortal bureaucracy is bad enough that even the Enlightened One himself isn't allowed to ring a bell in a shrine because he's "not staff".

While it's no laugh-a-minute affair, there are good chuckles to be had and it's a worthwhile hour and a half. It helps a lot that Jesus and Buddha have good chemistry. They make excellent room-mates and are a fine duo. Plus it's nice to see an anime using supportive, gentle comedy instead of insulting or abusive humour to get a smile out of the audience. So what it lacks in hard-hitting comedy, it makes up for with its charming lead characters, both of whom (despite their differences) are kind, accommodating, respectful and attentive to one another. Hey, wait a minute.

I have to say right off the bat: this is one of the few anime that made me laugh out loud. Not "type lol but actually sort of smirk a little" but actually laugh at the comedy, so loud that my neighbors probably think I'm crazy now.

Everything about this anime feels simple, but gives off this warm feeling of awesome. The art, with the two main characters drawn differently from the rest, the story with its small twists and turns through Japanese life, and the way it so casually plays with symbols of two major religions - all of this is simply bound to ... make you smile.

I don't think anyone can really be offended by this; instead, I think this is a wonderful way to bring people of different faiths together and provoke deep thoughts about one's own beliefs.

First of all, for a film that uses such a controversial hook, I must state my inevitable bias, and that is I am a Christian who is somewhat knowledgeable (I dare not proclaim myself an expert) about my own faith with a bit of understanding of Buddhism and its teachings. Therefore, before you get heated and declare me unhelpful, know where I stand in relation to you on this subject, thus if you are not a person of faith and have no real interest in hearing what I might have to say, then just do us both a favor and skip my review. With ... that said, I am very disappointed in this movie, despite my initial curiosity and desire to enjoy it. The execution did not live up to the concept.

Before I jump to the criticisms, let's talk about the positives first. From the first shot to the very last, Saint Onii-san is a very colorful, eye-catching confection packed full of artistic sensibilities like a sketchy style, DOF shots, slow motion, hyper dynamic perspectives and attention to detail. On the surface, it seems to have captured the style of its source manga and breathed life into these larger than life figures. If nothing else, I thoroughly enjoyed absorbing the energetic visuals of this adaptation. The voice acting is lively and energetic (disregarding the actual interpretation of these figures), and a wide range of vivid emotion is on display in perfect sync with the animation to ensure the viewers will never be bored of listening. All in all, the presentation is almost flawless.

As more of an observation than a criticism, what became apparent to me very quickly is the portrayal of Buddha is a lot more thorough and developed than that of Jesus (and possibly more accurate), which makes sense considering the author and his intended audience are Japanese, hence their exposure and empathy to Buddhism would naturally be a lot higher than towards Christianity. We solely hear Buddha's internal thought process, more than likely positioning him as the protagonist. This I had no problem with, and I understand why it was such.

What I did have problems with, was just about everything else.

Saint Onii-san reminds me heavily of Tentai Senshi Sunred, in that what is often fixed or limited perceptions and interpretations of known figures and characters are subverted and extended beyond the source material for comedic effect. Now, there is nothing inherently wrong with that, provided the author is well-versed in his sources and maximizes what he has chosen to parody or deconstruct. In the case of Tentai Senshi Sunred, it worked well because the source itself, Super Sentai type shows, were often fairly shallow, silly, and populated by two dimensional characters who are flawed anyway -- an easy target that the author took full advantage of through wittily observed writing and situations. Now I understand some non-believers out there find religion to be shallow, silly and populated by two dimensional characters anyway, but the truth is much manpower and resources have been spent in human history, and continues to be spent today, towards the study and understanding of various religions, especially ones so storied and nebulous as Christianity and Buddhism. In other words, it is a sensitive and complex subject for many. Passing references and brief jabs in shows like the Simpsons and Family Guy are mostly innocuous, but when the entire premise is built around the topic and subject, the religious aspects should be handled with wit and subtlety. Unfortunately, Saint Onii-san fails to do this, as much as it sincerely tries to, and often times insults my intellect as an initiated viewer.

What could have been a very stimulating and thought provoking but humorous exercise in theology turned out to be a meandering, wanton, and hackneyed ultimatum of annoyance against my patience. Ancient deities, which the show acknowledges these figures to be off the bat, act like jumpy adolescents or frivolous teens in a manner in which they could be anybody. Perhaps the writer did this to make these usually perceived to be distant and unfathomable figures to be more empathetic and down to earth, but he overdid it. Not a shred of wisdom or wit is to be found in these two vacationing nincompoops, who have trouble dealing with the most minor of issues. It's not that the duo are unlikable -- far from it, because if they were not claimed to be two specific holy men they would be lovable buffoons. They just bear very little resemblance in action and personality to what one envisions of these two figures if knowledgeable beyond a superficial degree about either of their texts. If Jesus and Buddha were barely going retain what their respective texts imply about their personality and intelligence, why bother using them? By painting these two as such incompetent beings, the writer sets a very low bar; Without maximizing their potential, the presence of these two important characters I am watching interact on screen become an empty gimmick.

I waited and waited for more references to Jesus's and Buddha's respective texts, for their personas to exchange conversation intelligently on topics beyond groceries and floor mats, but they never came. When the occasional trickle of reference dropped onto my tongue, it was banal at best and offensive at worst. Some inaccurate interpretations made me shake my head, but I couldn't bring myself to be angry at this show. It was just too dumb to be malicious, too naive to be biting. It was as if someone who only knew these figures through a few children's books and from looking at their statues took a stab at paying tribute or making fun of them. So much inspiration from the New Testament could have been used to flesh out Jesus as a character, for fun or for otherwise, and while I am not anywhere close to being as familiar with Buddhist texts and sutras, I'm sure there's a lot of material there as well -- the author simply chose to flirt lightly with it all in a safe manner, over-humanize the duo in typical anime self-depreciating manner, and fill in the rest of the screen time with non-sequitur comedy. The worse part was the addition of the children, whose gag overstayed its welcome and detracted from the already thin dynamic of the duo. I thought they would somehow learn something about religious tolerance or there'd be there would be some commentary about children and religion, but alas, their story arc went nowhere. They took up so much screen time I felt like the writer ran out of material for the interaction between Jesus and Buddha, which is ridiculous because there is so much potential left unused.

Perhaps I was expecting too much. Perhaps all the creator of this story wanted to express was that people from drastically different backgrounds could get along just fine and his very intent was there wouldn't be any religious discussion to get in the way. But if that were the case he wouldn't have needed an hour and a half movie full of air to do it; a single 4-koma could have done just as well in promoting this well-intended but simplistic message. I don't believe this toothless approach was the only way to make a Jesus-Buddha roommate combo funny. For example, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (the graphic novel) comes to mind, a brilliant story that took liberties with its serious characters to form a grand new tale while remaining true to their personalities. If only the writer of Saint Onii-san made Jesus and Buddha less dull-witted, and delved deeper into their respective lore while maintaining the absurd situations, this movie might have been orders of magnitudes funnier at a higher level. Instead, we have this insipid, unfaithful disappointment of a film. In my opinion, the mistake this movie made was having the guts to give top billing to two of the most respected figures at opposite ends of the religious spectrum in a single movie but not the writing and intellectual humor necessary to back up such an ambitious pairing. Hopefully someone else in the future will attempt this concept again with more respect.

A Brilliant concept with incredible potential. Which just made it that much more disappointing.
Poorly executed. Only a couple good moments in the whole show. A seemingly very limited understanding of both Jesus and Buddha; certainly not a deep enough understanding to actually provoke serious pathos or ethos. Plus.... They squandered almost every opportunity for humor.

I've found a great anime while searching for a seinen-slice of life genre. I never thought about this unique and imaginative story they have created. The two of the most popular and respective religious figure having an anime that didn't follow the historical story about them. I'm glad I gave this a try. I get hooked and enjoy every second of it.

For those religious viewers. Don't worry, there are no scenes that can offend you. I know jesus and buddha are respectable character, but the joke are well used.

story: 10
The story is pretty unique and original. Looks like the author just came up ... with a random idea. Imagine. Jesus and Buddha having a vacation in japan.
Pretty interesting right? Imagine how it turns out that the two powerful being visited the modern day japan and do their everyday life normally (is it normal? well, let's see)
They do their best to live the normal life as a commoner in such place. But they can't control to create miracles every time they express a powerful emotion like happiness and sadness.
Don't worry about the plot because every moment of the anime is worth it.

Art: 8
detailed back ground and traditional style for character designs.
Our main characters are well designed.

Sound: 8
relaxing music. fit for every scenes.

character: 10
well created, pretty funny and likable of course.

enjoyment: 10
I laugh a lot.


Opinion :
I wish this was 12 episodes long in tv series. I already like the show.
I hope for next movie about this. I want to see them on high-school. pretty interesting right? imagine the two so called divine live as a highschooler and do their miracles in school.

Suggestions:
watch the ova first. It has two episodes on it. and it's very enjoyable.

As a believer in Jesus, I decided to watch with bated expectations on how good they would portray him and Buddha. To my surprise, they did a great job of portraying as you expect him to be (if he was vacationing undercover in Japan lol.) There were a couple of inaccurate things, but they were mostly setups to gags that were actually pretty funny. This movie was overall a wholesome, light-hearted romp through Japan that should be taken lightly and with a grain of salt for those who would get mad at not a 100% perfect depiction. It's enjoyable and I think I could show ... this to my religious family for them to also get a smile from. 9/10; would recommend!

P.S. If you start the movie at 10:35:26 on New Years Eve, the countdown for New Years in the movie will line up with New Years IRL. Have fun!

Never heard of this manga but after reading the concept for the movie? I had to watch.

Jesus and Buddha decide to take a vacation together and pick Japan. They wind up sharing a place together in an apartment building run by a senior citizen that's so scary that both quiver in her presence. There's also a trio of bratty kids who want to poke Buddha's third eye and think he's an alien.

There's no plot really in the movie; it's just sketches of everything from a dead-on parody of Disneyland to Buddha trying to teach Jesus to swim(and discovering that Jesus is quite a fraidy ... cat of water) to being in a festival and Buddha trying to pick up a cake for Jesus on Christmas without letting on a clueless Jesus that it's his birthday.

I love the bromance too. Jesus is the more energetic one who's fine living in the current world, while Buddha, to his nature, always looks for the cheapest way to buy something like a grandma, whether it's tissues or daikon radish. The only complaint that I have, is that I felt that there's probably more to this that's in the manga and unless you've read the manga, you'd probably would get the joke.

Otherwise? This needs a series for real. Too bad that no one in the US/West will probably license this for fear that the religious nuts will cry for their heads. However, it's a nice portrayal of both Buddha and Jesus; for the religious, there's absolutely NOTHING offensive.

This show is very hard to watch. The main characters, Jesus and Buddha, simply act like 12-year old immature girls. Even worse than that. And I really mean it. You can see them making girly gestures, screaming in high-pitched voices, overreacting over nothing, getting excited and emotional like a girl. That's not what I expected from seeing the holy figures. They were transformed into beings with the mentality of a middle-school girl.

I actually felt like giving this movie a chance, thinking it would get better over time. But, after 40 minutes, I couldn't watch it anymore. There is almost none story progression. Just a cliched ... piece-of-life featuring immature characters. It actually made me feel irritated, seeing Jesus make body gestures and sounds that could be easily interpreted as being gay. I don't think there's anything else to say. Stay away or watch at your own risk.

This Anime Is exactly what it is advertised as, a silly stupid movie about Jesus and Buddha going on a holiday in japan. There really isn't a plot besides the fact that they go on adventures but thats ok. The dialogue is fun and interesting, the side characters while not super flushed out they become part of what makes this movie so fun to watch just because of their reactions to whatever stupid thing Buddha and Jesus are doing. While this movie is not a Masterpiece it was never intended to be one, I advise you watch it and just appreciate it for what ... it is.

Say, roughly two weeks ago, I was watching some Gigguk videos on YouTube, as I had just recently gotten back into anime, and I had heard about him. He was apparently a really funny dude, and I do agree with the consensus. However, in his video "5 Anime Concepts I'd Like To See," he mentioned a concept so absurd that I simply had to watch it- Jesus and Buddha living together in an apartment in Tokyo. As soon as I heard this, I was instantly interested in seeing whether or not such a concept would be funny or not. I watched the mini-series beforehand, and ... then watched the film. I must say... I thoroughly enjoyed it. This film was quite enjoyable to watch.

Quite possibly my favorite thing about this movie, the animation, was spectacular. Though it is quite different from traditional anime style animation, it is unique in a really good way. Though some of it may appear a bit rough in some parts, it flows well with the story, and it's very lively. Not only that, but the color scheme used throughout many of the scenes in this film were extremely vivid. I liked just about everything concerning the animation. I can't imagine this film being animated differently than it was- it worked perfectly.

Now, the story of the film is a bit rough. Though it is very likable and simple, the main focus in the film is not really on the story from scene to scene, but the characters within it. This can really draw a lot of people out of seeing this film, but let me reassure you- the story knows it's place. It doesn't have to be the main focus of the entire movie for the film itself to be good. It is perfectly fine by itself by focusing on the development of the characters in the film, not the story. However, the arcs that were in the film were a bit bland and basic to my personal taste, making them a bit more boring than expected.

However, where the film lacks in plot, it more than makes up for in it's characters. The characters represented in this film are all likable, and some are slowly becoming some of my all-time favorites. The obvious standout characters throughout the film include Jesus and Buddha. I can't separate these two as individuals, as they are a dynamic comedic duo. They are hilarious characters, and if I were ever to represent them in a conversation, I would mention them as equals. I love both of them on an equal basis, to no extent. Not only that, but they slowly develop throughout the movie from just funny, one-note guys, to understanding, complex, and still funny characters. They were easily the best characters in the film. However, the surrounding cast, including their landlady, whose name I forgot. She was hilarious throughout the film, but her role was a bit lacking throughout parts. She was really funny when she was in the film, as well as in the mini-series, where her role as a comedic playoff of Jesus and Buddha was really well done. Finally, another really funny character throughout the film was the Yakuza guy, Ryuuji. For as little as he showed up in the film, he was awesome. He was quite funny, and did have me laughing at quite a few scenes, especially during the firework festival arc.

Though I did really like this film, the biggest issues with this film did deal with some of the characters. The kid that constantly chased after Buddha to annoy him, Daisuke, was kinda annoying. I didn't hate him, but it was a bit vexing throughout the scenes in which he tried to attack Buddha's "button." I also didn't like how some of the characters, such as Ryuuji and the landlady, were sidelined in many parts of the film. I get why they were, but it was a bit annoying that they were shoved away to such an extent. And as I mentioned earlier, some of the elements dealing with the story were quite boring, and did leave me yawning at parts.

However, I did really like this movie, and it was honestly the funniest anime movie I think I have ever seen. (That's not saying much, considering my lack of seeing anime movies.) Personally, I would consider watching it again, despite it's faults throughout.

I'm getting somewhat tired right now, so I'm gonna finish up right about now.

Later!

When I first heard the synopsis of this movie, I was a bit reluctant and dismissed this as another, "oh, these are just the Japanese being weird." but then I just suddenly watched it not knowing what's in store for me. And I'm just glad I did. It's rare for anime to delve into the world of religion and seeing it in a slice of life/comedy aspect was interesting to say the least.

I immediately knew I shouldn't take this too seriously after seeing their lives in Japan. What people don't recognize is that this is slice of life and comedy so the lack of ... plot should have been expected. The animation is stylized, with pastel colors and sketchy borders, but it suited the characters and their personalities. Speaking of the characters, Jesus and Buddha's interactions with the modern world is the driving force of the movie. They have their own set of quirks that was quite unexpected and really gave them a more human feeling. Not to mention the nods towards their respective religions (i.e, Buddha attracting animals and Jesus making bread and wine) went hand in hand with their human-like personalities. I'm a stickler for character interaction/development so it was a treat for me. The sound was passable, with the voice actors portraying emotions very well, but they did add a little girly hint to their voices that I eventually grew on it. Also the soundtrack suited the atmosphere but did nothing to stand out so it slips up a bit in the sound department.

Overall, this really isn't for everyone, especially those who hate slice of life and sensitive towards religion, but if you're willing to have an open mind just give it a go. It's purely made for entertainment and I'd group it with Usagi Drop and GTO as a feel good anime. I give it an 8.43 out of 10.

This movie is great, you'll enjoy it even as an atheist. I was still kinda expecting to hammer the religion in a soft way, but luckily it really wasn't hammered down the throats. Also the art is unique, kinda depends if you like the way that the characters looks like they're paper cut, but it's still doesn't ruin the whole presentation. And the voice acting is great. It's good that you can enjoy it at anytime of the year, always warming you up and putting a smile on your face and brightening up your day. Can't wait to watch the OVA.

this movie was hard to get though, i just kept wanting to turn it off and finish it later, if i felt like it. the art/animation was the only thing keeping me going, that and i wanted to seen the Christmas sense. it was slow and confusing at points. almost felt like it should of been 15 minute episode but the creator pushed it together into an hour and half.

Spoiler free.

Story: 7

This movie is all about the "daily adventure" of Buddha and Jesus, who chose to make a vacation in the modern Japan...and that's enough strange, in a good sense.
We'll going to watch various "chapters" that depict different "daily", or anyhow common, situation, and the original way that the characters have to face them.
Despite the division of the movie in different "chapters" the time dedicated and the time's flow are well balanced and each story result interesting and funny.

Art: 7

As i usually say, the art have primarily to "fit" the kind of work that have to be presented, and in Saint☆Oniisan does it's ... job, not less and not more.
So, not memorable but with some pearl here and there, during change of expression, for example.

Sound: 7

Good OST, nice insert/ending song and right choice for the voice of the main characters make the sound of the series good.

Character: 7

In Saint☆Oniisan there are only two important characters, so it would be difficult to ruin them!
Far from be deep, they are well characterised and the interaction flow well and it's funny!

Enjoyment: 9

Yes, i've loved that movie, it make me laugh and it's like i've really spent some time with that strange duo. I'm not used to watch movies, they usually make me dizzy, sleepy, but that one really catch me, from the start to the end.

Overall: 8 Good job!

I'm atheist. This movie talk about two saints, but didn't "hurt my sensibility" in any way.
It has concealed meanings or messages? Who am I for ruin your thinking?! Watch it and discover on your own! Have fun :)

Saint Young Men has the kind of premise that you just have to watch no matter what you’re a fan of. Jesus and Buddha are roomies, on vacation in the mystical world of modern Japan, and get into all kind of antics? This could either be really good or really bad.

Thankfully, Saint Young Men is a fun, silly, and in no way painful movie. When you think about Jesus and Buddha starring in a movie together, you instantly think low-brow humor. Religious figures in a comedy film tends to lead to derogatory and easy attacks on the characters, sometimes vitriolic rather than intelligent. Saint Young ... Men is the kind of comedy movie I’d let a four year old watch. The comedy is accessible to everyone, it has humorous but inoffensive takes on Jesus and Buddha, and it winds up having teachable moments.

The comedy itself ranges from person-in-a-strange-place humor to poking fun at certain stories of the duo. The idea that Jesus can’t swim leads to some hilarious references to Biblical events and I found Buddha’s chanting sutras during a scary theme park ride to be one of the highlights of the film. And as our heroes are assimilating to life in Japan, they encounter a variety of entertaining characters. Jesus winds up being mistaken for a Yakuza big wig in my favorite moment, while Buddha is constantly being picked on by a trio of kids who want to poke his forehead.

While this film is good-natured fun, it has a small problem in the fact it isn’t very cohesive. It’s a slice-of-life that doesn’t have a beginning, nor an end, and jumps about. So for those looking for plot, they’ll be let down. Regardless of whether it is glued together well or not, it’s a very small complaint compared to the amount of fun to be had.

The animation is unique and very pretty, giving off the feeling of being a moving manga. The music is also excellent.

What I really enjoyed were the characters of Buddha and Jesus. Both are very silly, caring, and in any other context I’d think they were homosexual considering how blushy and loving they are (which hasn’t stopped people from drawing yaoi of the two). But as caring figureheads of their respective religions, you get a sense of how much they love people and get along with everyone. What’s even cooler is how much you actually can learn from this film. There are actual teachings to be found here on top of giving an overview of different stories of Buddhism and Christianity.

I’m going to give a pretty high score to this film not only because it is fantastic fun, but also because I feel that it handled itself so well and respectfully. I’m not a religious man myself, but I love to see a movie that doesn’t take sides or exclude anyone. It tackles the subject matter with grace and produces one of the funniest anime movies I’ve ever seen.

Saint Oniisan is simply not a very funny comedy. That's what ultimately matters most, and while there were some good moments, overall, this was a dull and unstructured film.

Jesus and Buddha are vacationing in Japan. That's all that really needs to be said about the plot.

Firstly, there were some good jokes and moments. There are some jokes about Buddha's spot, 'parting the seas,' and the bit with the mafia was genuinely really great. I wish the entire story pivoted around these arcs because they were easily the best jokes. I also found that Jesus and Buddha were mostly likable. The art style is good, though ... overly cute at times, with some designs that stuck out as oddly cartoonish and out-of-place like the kids. Overall, the presentation and the first two acts were tolerable to good.

There is quite a lot of negative to unpack. The plot of the film never really begins or ends. Jesus and Buddha are already vacationing at the start, and the concept does carry Saint Oniisan for a good while at the beginning. It does get old over the course of the story. It feels like three episodes, maybe of an OVA, haphazardly put together without much of a point. There's some connecting threads with the kids and mafia characters, but they could easily be placed anywhere. The pacing is nonexistent.

The film starts to overstay its welcome hard in the final act. There are much fewer jokes nearer the end for some reason. It really peaks with a moment where Buddha interacts with the kids one final time. That is a good segment, but it comes a good ten or twenty minutes before the end. I would probably give this a point or two higher if not for how much the ending sucks. It becomes almost unbearable and ruins what goodwill it had built up with the solid jokes it was telling.

Another significant issue is tone. No one reacts to Jesus and Buddha, even to comment on their bizarre behaviour. It's just odd, and while it contributes to some jokes alright, it's a strangely dry approach that only makes the film harder to stomach when it does start missing with the jokes or outright not trying. The ending especially tries to be semi-serious with some of the flattest material when it is not really earned, and the film has had almost no development for any characters.

Overall, this film was a letdown and just isn't funny enough or structured well for a film. It feels like a montage of jokes or events put together as a "movie." I cannot say I recommend it, and you are better off just seeing the few funny scenes or moments because they aren't used effectively in the overall story.

This anime covers the story of Jesus and Buddha who come to Earth on a vacation. It's filled with all kinds of mischief and fun. If you're looking for something to cheer you up, look no further than this.

The story is just that, they're here for vacation. It might sound boring to some, but it's the funniest anime I've seen in a while.

It's filled with religious jokes and their roles and abilities as Gods are used in a clever and funny way. The sound is pretty good as well, there is quite a lot of "in mind" dialogue which is great as the dialogue itself.

The ... art is outstanding, with a lot of detail in characters and background. The faces that Jesus and Buddha pull are portrayed beautifully.

The characters, apart from Jesus and Buddha are great as well. They complement the main characters really well and create hilarious scenes themselves.

I would recommend this to everyone who is looking for a good laugh

Who knew 2 religious figures could be so wholesome and entertaining. From the art to the jokes to the characters themselves, everything is light and refreshing. This movie translates well regardless of where you're from. The interpretations of Jesus and Buddha are as accurate as one could get. My only gripe is that the plot jumps around all over the place for such a short film. I personally could watch this for hours and not get bored.

Jesus said, "Come forth and receive eternal life." Sadly, we came fifth and received only 2 great OVAs and this wonderful film. Still, it's better than a toaster if ... you ask me.

I really wanted to like Saint Young Men, and sure, when placed on a spectrum of overall enjoyment it would lean towards a generally positive side, but considering how the premise is that Jesus and Buddha have a vacation in a shitty Japanese apartment I can’t help but feel disappointed. The potential for comedy that this set-up promised was astounding, yet there is a clear lack of jokes in this film. Japanese comedy relies heavily on the straight man, which is fine, it’s a tried and true formula that can definitely be funny. Sometimes the reaction is funnier than the action itself. The issue with ... Saint Young men is that everyone is a straight man (something that the real Jesus probably would have liked).

The main characters are supposed to be virtuous people, so obviously they can’t be the same group of goofballs that you find in other anime comedies, and everyone else is the straight man to the unintentional shenanigans they accidently create. Funny events happen because our characters are there, but they’re personalities are never the cause of it. I can’t help but picture a series like Prison School, where once again, everyone is the straight man, except here, because everyone is perverted and stupid, the scenarios they’re taking seriously is whether or not tits or ass is better. In Saint Young Men, Buddha is throwing a surprise birthday party for Jesus.

If that premise amuses you currently, try picturing the exact same scenario except the deities are replaced with generic weeb shit? Do you care? No. Not really. And that’s kind of the problem. Jesus and Buddha could have easily been replaced by any random foreigner and the serious would probably function the same for the most part. The religious figures inclusion is entirely for shock value and nothing else and once that shock wears off it’s a kind of ok unfunny comedy that you watch to the end cause why not. It’s not bad, just entirely forgettable.

That’s not to say that there isn’t the occasional funny scenario, the conversation that Jesus had with the Yakuza drawing parallels to both of their lives is a genuinely great moment for both characters involved, that wouldn’t have been if it wasn’t specifically Jesus talking to him. These moments simply happened way too rarely to justify an hour and a half long film.

If they adjusted the release so that there was more OVA’s instead of the one movie than I think it would lead to a much better end result.

6/10

This Review is actually the script to this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CJCZOFX__c

Check that out and subscribe to the channel if you want to see more reviews like it.