YMMV / Saint Young Men

• Alternate Character Interpretation: Minor one that's Played for Laughs. All of Jesus water based miracles? They happened because he's afraid of water.
• Angel/Devil Shipping: Many fans on pixiv draw Lucifer with Michael. They may or may not have missed the memo about the two of them being brothers.
• Harsher in Hindsight: One chapter set in a music store has Buddha say that, whenever a famous musician dies before their time, it's because Sarasvati is scouting for her personal band and music festival. Come 2016 and a shockingly high number of deaths among high-profile musicians, from David Bowie to George Michael... that would've been the best music festival ever (the manga began in 2006).
• Ho Yay: On one occasion, the pair are walking through the city when a girl, giving out pamphlets in the street, asks Buddha if he's a Christian. He then remarks to Jesus (at least in the French translation), "I believe in you/I have faith in you, does that count?" This makes Jesus blush. A lot. He replies something along the lines of "Don't say that in public, what will people think?" Possibly a Call-Back to the time Jesus prays to Buddha at the shrine for New Year's (and Buddha prays to himself, which basically works like a cosmic fridge note), but as per Rule of Funny it's basically treated like an excessive public display of affection.
• Periphery Demographic:
  • Although the series' depiction of Jesus may be considered by some Christians and Muslims as blasphemous, most Christians find it hilariously accurate, as the core concept of Christian faith states that Jesus incarnated himself as a human in order to feel human pain and weakness, as a preparation for his great sacrifice. Jesus is also portrayed in an endearing and positive light, even despite his Cloud Cuckoo Lander tendencies (or maybe even because of), and never once does the series try to preach any religious messages to the audience, instead focusing on Jesus and Buddha doing regular, everyday things like buying groceries, visiting theme parks, and trying not to be the centre of attention.
  • The series' use of Jesus Was Way Cool tropes tends to underscore this; he's a laid-back, Occidental Otaku, Johnny Depp lookalike while the rare Christians who appear in the series tend to be The Fundamentalist. Overall it's really more of an Affectionate Parody than a Take That! towards anyone, and besides Christians are one half of the series.
• Signature Scene: Most readers are introduced to the manga or anime through the memetic scene of Jesus befriending a Yakuza.
• Viewer Gender Confusion: The archangels are all male, but only Uriel looks obviously masculine; Michael, Gabriel and Raphiel could easily mistaken for women.

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