Beneath the Tangles

Here are our prayer items for the week:

8 - Pray that as Beneath the Tangles staff members interact with followers, they participate in the work of raising disciples.

9 - Pray for the evangelistic mission of BtT—that our team members have opportunities to witness and share the gospel to the otaku community and that these conversations open doors for the Holy Spirit to convict hearts.

10 - Pray for our artists and content creators: for Whitney as draws art, Marg as she creates graphics, and Luke as he makes films shorts. May they engage people in the digital space and lead them one step closer to godly community and ultimately, you.

11 - Please pray that our Facebook account (http://facebook.com/beneaththetangles) will help our audience connect more deeply with Christ and continue our work of building God-centered community, and for WacOtaku as he leads the efforts.

12 - Pray that the Beneath the Tangles Tumblr (http://beneaththetangles.tumblr.com) will grow in followers and be a place where Christians and non-Christians alike will read and be impacted by our articles, and for @thathilomgirl as she leads it.

13 - Pray for our Instagram account (http://instagram.com/beneaththetangles) and for Twwk and Joseph as they lead it. May it be used as a tool to draw followers nearer to God.

14 - Our small group meets on Sundays. Pray that our members draw nearer to God, that those who aren’t saved do meet Christ and accept him as Lord and Savior, and that our members all find good local Christian communities to join.

Prayer Warriors: @moezy-chan​ @bearypangolinelephants​ @gasexplosionatthescalpelfactory @christian-otaku @tomodachi-to-koibito @wondergirl-34127 @villainouscloaksarecool

If you’re interested in participating, please do the following:

For the second episode of season two, I had the pleasure of sitting down with voice actor and ADR assistant director, Ben Stegmair (Daemons of the Shadow Realm, Kaiju No. 8).

What immediately stood out to me about Ben’s story wasn’t just the work he’s doing today—it was how intentional his journey has been from the beginning. While many actors discover voice acting later in their careers, Ben set his sights on the medium early, pursuing theater and performance with a clear goal in mind.

In our conversation, we discuss the voice actors who inspired him, including Eric Vale, and the mentors who helped shape his career, particularly Caitlin Glass and Shawn Gann. Ben speaks candidly about the opportunities they’ve provided, the lessons they’ve taught him, and the importance of having people who believe in you along the way.

We also dive into his role as Yuru in Daemons of the Shadow Realm, his behind-the-scenes work as an ADR assistant director, as well as his growing desire not only to perform stories, but to create them. Whether discussing anime, manga, directing, or his hopes of developing original comics in the future, Ben’s passion for storytelling comes through clearly. I even got the chance to ask for his Mt. Rushmore of manga!

More than anything, though, this episode is about gratitude, perseverance, and the value of mentorship. None of us reaches our goals alone, and Ben’s willingness to acknowledge the people who helped him along the way made for a thoughtful and encouraging conversation.

“My goal is to create the American Shonen Jump.”

Honestly, that’s a pretty awesome dream, Ben!