Links

Parallels Between Buddhism and ‘Puella Magi Madoka Magica’

I stumbled upon this post from 2011 on Listless Ink, a post entitled “Birth of a Goddess, Madoka’s Path to Nirvana – A Study of Buddhism,” which examined parallels between the hugely successful and highly popular 2011 magical girl anime Puella Magi Madoka Magica and Buddhist doctrine. It’s a thoughtful and convincing essay.

It contains spoilers, of course, for the anime in question.

Let us stretch the parallels one step further. Before nirvana, all consciousness are born, die, and reborn as beings in the six domains of the Desire realm: God realm, Asura realm, Human realm, Animal realm, Preta realm, and Hell realm. This is the wheel of life, the place where Samsāra occurs.

It is surprisingly neat how the characters in Madoka Magica fit into these realms. For example, the deva that occupy the blissful God realm are way more powerful than beings in all other realms. Among their powers include a sort of telepathy and illusion construction. Moreover, one particular class of deva are passionless and sexless. Indeed, this seems a bit reminiscent of Kyubey. [more…]

Cassidy Stone and the ‘Sailor Moon’ Puns

Go over to Geek and Sundry to see fan artist Cassidy Stone make the main characters of Sailor Moon look even goofier than they already did.

The jokes are deliberately lame, but the reactions and facial expressions really sell it.

External Links

This is a list of external sites where Jake and the Dynamo is hosted or extensively discussed. This post will update as needed.

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TVTropes

JAKE AND THE DYNAMO Gets Reviewed

Featured image: “Magical Girl in Osaka” by quackmire.

From Al-1701, a discussion of the first three chapters of Jake and the Dynamo.

Read it here.

The Magical Girl Workout Routine

I don't have the self-confidence to wear this to the gym.
Source: Active Apparel

I stumbled across this and found it amusing.  Someone named Hythe has revealed exactly how magical girls keep their girlish figures by proposing a magical girl workout routine.

The routine consists of several exercises, which a person is supposed to perform while listening to a musical work chosen from a set of mahou shoujo anime.  The musical selections have a sort-of logic to them.  For example, the leg routine comes, appropriately, from Princess Tutu:

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And the “burnout” at the end comes from Revolutionary Girl Utena:

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I think most of her links to the musical numbers aren’t legal, but it’s a pretty good workout. Never mind the music, since I’m out away from home a lot for work, I like to see a good workout routine I can do in a motel room. If I make a habit of this, maybe soon I’ll fit into that dress.

Not that I have a … um, I need to go work out.