OVA
Description
Saint Young Men presents Jesus Christ as one half of an unusual pair of roommates sharing a small apartment in the Tokyo suburb of Tachikawa. After ascending to heaven, he and his friend Buddha decided to take a vacation on Earth, experiencing the simple pleasures of modern life in Japan while trying to keep their true identities a secret. Despite being over two thousand years old, Jesus has the appearance and demeanor of an enthusiastic young man in his mid-twenties, typically dressed in casual modern clothes such as white t-shirts with printed designs, blue jeans, and white sneakers, all while wearing his distinctive crown of thorns atop his head.
The personality of this version of Jesus is strikingly laid-back and good-natured. He is portrayed as being full of an all-encompassing love for everyone and everything, which makes him endlessly curious, friendly, and supportive of those around him. This same boundless enthusiasm, however, often manifests as impulsiveness and a carefree attitude that contrasts sharply with his more level-headed and thrifty roommate. Jesus is easily amused by the wonders of the contemporary world and has a particular fascination with Japanese culture, from historical costumes to modern television dramas. One of his most consistent and endearing flaws is a terrible habit of spending money frivolously on things he thinks are cool, such as samurai armor or new laptops, often earning him gentle scoldings from the frugal Buddha.
His role in the story is primarily to be a source of gentle comedy as he navigates ordinary situations with extraordinary reactions. Whether he is at an amusement park, a public pool, or a street market, his divine nature and ancient background cause him to misunderstand or overreact to mundane events. For instance, his fear of swimming is explained as the reason he originally learned to walk on water. His crown of thorns reacts to his emotional state, blooming when he is happy and bleeding when he is frustrated or trying to suppress a strong desire, such as his wish to watch a parade. He also maintains a personal blog where he writes about the many television dramas he follows, revealing a somewhat nerdy side.
Jesus's most important relationship is undoubtedly with Buddha, who acts as the responsible straight man to his impulsive comedian. Buddha often has to rein in Jesus's spending and correct his mistakes, creating a dynamic that is both funny and deeply affectionate. While Jesus often causes trouble with his carelessness, his sincerity and kindness are never in doubt. He also has memorable interactions with other characters, such as a group of yakuza who misinterpret his talk of crucifixion and resurrection as stories of a powerful jailbreak, leading them to believe he is the son of a formidable crime boss. High school girls who see him on the street have also compared his looks to those of Johnny Depp, a comparison that delights him.
Throughout the narrative, Jesus shows a surprising lack of control over his miraculous powers when in a good mood, causing them to manifest randomly. He might turn the clay he is sculpting into a loaf of bread or accidentally transform the water in a public bath into wine. He is aware of these limitations and is cautious about using his healing abilities on other holy entities like Buddha, for fear of accidentally turning him into bread. Despite these occasional divine slip-ups, his development is more about small moments of friendship and learning to live a normal, peaceful life. He remains a figure of pure, cheerful, and slightly irresponsible joy, representing a humorous and humanized take on the Messiah as a kind-hearted but flawed young man simply trying to enjoy his day off.
The personality of this version of Jesus is strikingly laid-back and good-natured. He is portrayed as being full of an all-encompassing love for everyone and everything, which makes him endlessly curious, friendly, and supportive of those around him. This same boundless enthusiasm, however, often manifests as impulsiveness and a carefree attitude that contrasts sharply with his more level-headed and thrifty roommate. Jesus is easily amused by the wonders of the contemporary world and has a particular fascination with Japanese culture, from historical costumes to modern television dramas. One of his most consistent and endearing flaws is a terrible habit of spending money frivolously on things he thinks are cool, such as samurai armor or new laptops, often earning him gentle scoldings from the frugal Buddha.
His role in the story is primarily to be a source of gentle comedy as he navigates ordinary situations with extraordinary reactions. Whether he is at an amusement park, a public pool, or a street market, his divine nature and ancient background cause him to misunderstand or overreact to mundane events. For instance, his fear of swimming is explained as the reason he originally learned to walk on water. His crown of thorns reacts to his emotional state, blooming when he is happy and bleeding when he is frustrated or trying to suppress a strong desire, such as his wish to watch a parade. He also maintains a personal blog where he writes about the many television dramas he follows, revealing a somewhat nerdy side.
Jesus's most important relationship is undoubtedly with Buddha, who acts as the responsible straight man to his impulsive comedian. Buddha often has to rein in Jesus's spending and correct his mistakes, creating a dynamic that is both funny and deeply affectionate. While Jesus often causes trouble with his carelessness, his sincerity and kindness are never in doubt. He also has memorable interactions with other characters, such as a group of yakuza who misinterpret his talk of crucifixion and resurrection as stories of a powerful jailbreak, leading them to believe he is the son of a formidable crime boss. High school girls who see him on the street have also compared his looks to those of Johnny Depp, a comparison that delights him.
Throughout the narrative, Jesus shows a surprising lack of control over his miraculous powers when in a good mood, causing them to manifest randomly. He might turn the clay he is sculpting into a loaf of bread or accidentally transform the water in a public bath into wine. He is aware of these limitations and is cautious about using his healing abilities on other holy entities like Buddha, for fear of accidentally turning him into bread. Despite these occasional divine slip-ups, his development is more about small moments of friendship and learning to live a normal, peaceful life. He remains a figure of pure, cheerful, and slightly irresponsible joy, representing a humorous and humanized take on the Messiah as a kind-hearted but flawed young man simply trying to enjoy his day off.