#Magical Circle Guru-Guru

[ridley-was-a-cat]

What I Watched This Week – 2/4 – 2/10

Magical Circle Guru-Guru – I don’t remember adding this 2017 remake of a 90s shounen adventure series to my watchlist, but it looked fun, so I threw it on the other night. The story follows a boy named Nike, whose parents see a sign advertising a cash reward for defeating the big bad and decide he should become a hero, who joins up with a young sorceress named Kukuri to journey across the world and defeat its enemies. I really enjoyed the cute little character designs, the action was zany in a way that made me nostalgic for the cartoons I watched when I was younger, and it tells a complete story in 24 episodes. The pacing felt a little fast at times, which may have been a matter of trying to squish in 16 volumes of content, or it may have just been a rapid fire style of comedy writing. Either way, it was a fun watch with a number of likeable characters. 7/10

The Quintessential Quintuplets S2 – In season one, I complained about fanservice scenes that felt awkwardly shoehorned in. Those thankfully were missing from this season, but they were replaced with an equally annoying element, as this arc made a big deal of the sisters looking so much alike that Fuutarou can’t tell them apart. It really strained my suspension of disbelief as this kid who has spent all this time around these girls with strikingly different personalities, tastes in fashion, hair colors, voices, and so on gets fooled over and over by wigs the girls keep stashed in their purses. I know I’m not supposed to think too hard about this, but that’s not how wigs work, for one, and I struggle to ship him with any of the girls if he can’t notice fairly obvious traits distinguishing them from one another. I’m not having a terrible time, though, and I’ll probably watch the movie this week, despite feeling a little stressed that the “wrong” girl is going to win. I don’t know who I want to win, I’m just worried I’m going to feel sad for whoever doesn’t get picked. 6/10

Roujin Z – Created by the mangaka who did Akira, this 75-minute movie blends a fairly sharp critique of the way society treats elderly people in need of care with sci-fi thriller action centered on runaway technology. In response to the cost of caring for the elderly, the government accepts an offer from a company developing a high-tech hospital bed that provides everything a patient would need, from food to entertainment to hygiene, without needing to pay others to look after them. When the elderly man chosen to be the bed’s trial run contacts the young student nurse who’s been looking after him to free him from the machine, it sets in motion a wild ride involving military contractors, a computer gaining sentience, a roomful of elderly hackers, and a desperate run to see the beach. The tone swings a bit wildly from the serious to the silly at times, and it’s not animated nearly as well as Akira, but it’s a solid piece of sci-fi writing that kept me entertained from start to finish. 7/10

[lostgreekchild]

I doubt many people will recognise this character but I wanted to draw her anyway

[baewan]

[starzoomies]

honestly idk if this show even has a fan base

[nanaeljustice]

Although I wasn't very big into Mahoujin, I really liked Kukuri. There was a lot of choices for outfits, but I ended up chosing the fairy one!

[will80sbyers]

I don't remember almost anything from this anime except that I was obsessed with it when I was little I need to rewatch it

[millennialdemon]

Kind of would have preferred if this was actually true, and the entire adventure was the penultimate case of Kukuri's magic creating entire worlds out of her subconscious desires, as was the case in the city of Alahabica and then again in Lef Island. Kukuri created a Demon King, a goal for her and Nike move towards and a reason for them to be on a wonderful journey together.

But no, this time it wasn't Kukuri, and there actually was a Demon King that they defeated with the literal power of love... hmm. It was kind of lame considering most of the series parodies or subverts fantasy and RPG tropes, and "every character shows up to help the heroes defeat the final boss with the power of love and friendship" is something I actually thought Magical Circle Guru Guru would never do -- not because it isn't at times a very sappy story, but because fundamentally that is like, the biggest opportunity to defy RPG story structure!

And sure, it didn't play it completely straight, but what comedy was thrown in felt like a waste of time because the events overall were exactly that of any other generic fantasy story ending... pretty disappointing. But Magical Circle Guru Guru was a 5/10 for me throughout my viewing experience, because I don't care for the quite dated hyperactive humour that comprises 90% of all of the humour in this series, so I can't say I expected an amazing ending -- just one that made more sense and fell in better with the tone of the rest of the anime.

Most of what I liked about Magical Circle Guru Guru was found when it put aside absurdity for a few episodes, and we got to focus on Kukuri (the actual protagonist, I would say, considering she goes through the most change and faces most of the challenges) going on her own personal adventures, usually alongside a different girl. Episode 3, where she unknowingly uses her magic to create and summon a girl to be her friend, and then later on the island of Lef where she kept herself and her "twin" trapped and reliving the same day over and over because it was such a peaceful and happy time while it lasted. Trapping herself in a tower in a city of her own unwitting creation, finding the ruins of where her tribe of mages once flourished and donning their traditional apparel, becoming a demon for a time because Nike hurt her feelings... Most of the events of the show centered around Kukuri and she carried this entire series on her back by being the only non-comedic, emotional through-line of everything and everyone.

Eventually, whenever the show wasn't completely focused on Kukuri, it become somewhat insufferable to watch. How many times do I have to watch the old man not die, despite myself and everyone else's desire that he finally do? How many times can Gipple interrupt character's speeches and complain about how cheesy they are? How many times do I have to see old men dance and be jokes for existing?

Far, far too many times.

5/10 for a great Kukuri, good art, animation, and character designs, and a pretty damn bad everything else.

[cosmicpuzzle]

Rahu - What is your OBSESSION 😈😈

Rahu in 1st or with 1st lord: Obsession towards fitness, physique, health and personal image.

Rahu in 2nd or with 2nd lord: Obsession towards money, wealth and food.

Rahu in 3rd or with 3rd lord: Obsession towards neighbors, connections, new environments, travel and new circles.

Rahu in 4th or with 4th lord: Obsession towards land, property, cars and luxury.

Rahu in 5th or with 5th lord: Obsession towards lovers, fame, politics, arts, cinema, adopting.

Rahu in 6th or with 6th Lord: Obsession towards health, work, enemies, workplace, drugs, medicines.

Rahu in 7th or with 7th lord: Obsession towards partner, opposite sex, partnerships, business, sex.

Rahu in 8th or with 8th lord: Obsession towards magic, occult, inheritance, death, taboo.

Rahu in 9th or with 9th lord: Obsession towards other cultures, foreign lands, foreigners, gurus, philosophy.

Rahu in 10th or with 10th lord: Obsession towards status, work, politics, corporates, fame, success.

Rahu in 11th or with 11th lord: Obsession towards success, wealth, gains, profits, social media.

Rahu in 12th or with 12th lord: Obsession towards enlightenment, moksha, sex, obe, foreigners, sleep, drugs.

For Readings DM

[breelandwalker]

#30 What do you think is a scam in witchcraft? (Go off!)

Wow, y'all had your priorities in order, didn't you. 😆

There are SO many things in the witchcraft community that I think are scams. Here's a sampling, in no particular order.

The Law of Attraction / Assumption / Lucky Girl Syndrome / "Manifesting" (aka victim blaming, thought policing, and confirmation bias dressed up in buzzwords). The whole Burning Times / Unbroken Line narrative. (In fact, any narrative that paints the victims of witch trials as actual witches as we define the term today just pisses me off, it's so fucking disrespectful.) All the ancient aliens / star people / indigo children / pyramid conspiracy bullshit that gets passed around in pagan circles. The "need" for a bevy of expensive crystals and tools and clothing and accoutrements in order to be a "proper" witch.

The idea that you have to abandon belief in science in order to believe in magic. The essential oils racket (where it overlaps with magical practice). The way that some witchcraft and pagan spaces push homeopathy and naturopathy over modern medicine because Witchy Reasons.

People who offer familiar spirits or astral helpers for sale (especially the ones with the clickbait descriptions). People who market themselves as pagan self-help gurus who can "fix" your mental health or life issues through magic. People who offer ridiculously overpriced classes or courses to "uncover the secrets of the universe / discover your past lives / realize your psychic potential / whatever."

But tbh I think the biggest scam in witchcraft is the idea that there are people out there waiting to curse anyone and everyone that crosses their path, just for shits and giggles, and that they can ruin your life just by knowing the slightest thing about you or your practice. And on the heels of that, I think the idea that being a witch or practicing magic makes you more visible and appetizing to spirits / demons / evil forces and therefore you need SO much protection Or Else is equally scammy. It just rubs me the wrong way when anti-Catholic or anti-witchcraft scaremongering rhetoric gets incorporated into community beliefs.

witchcraft ask game

[atifadhilah]

Akad.

Masya Allaah tabarakallaah, subhanallaah, walhamdulillaah, walaa illaaha ilallaah, allaahu akbar. Kadang, masih ga percaya kalau pada akhirnya Allaah izinkan kami melewati salahsatu step besar dalam hidup, yakni menikah. Bahkan, tak terbesit sebelumnya bahwa dia adalah suami yang akan menemani sebagian besar peristiwa dalam hidup ke depannya.

Circle-circle yang ternyata banyak beririsan tak membuat kami kenal lebih awal, mungkin begitulah cara Allaah menjaga kami melalui do'a yang sering kami pintakan. Jauh-jauh dirinya menimba ilmu di negeri matahari, ternyata jodohnya adalah murid ibunya sendiri, haha, ya, mertuaku adalah guru SMAku dulu.

Sungguh, rasanya tidak degdegan atau tegang sama sekali, bahkan menjelang akad, alhamdulillaah Allaah beri ketenangan sampai aku tidak sadar bila sudah sah menjadi istrinya, Allahu akbar. Begitu pun dirinya. Sometimes I wonder, how can one magic sentence changed the whole of someone's life, changed the rules from forbidden to be allowed.

dan, ya ini jadi awal mula perjalanan panjang kami insya Allaah. Semoga Allaah senantiasa meridhoi, meringankan langkah-langkah kami dalam kebaikan dan kebermanfaatan, menguatkan pundak-pundak kami saat menghadapi ujian-ujian yang menanti.

Bizdnillaah!

[rockyroadsmith]

What other animes do you know besides the Monster Rancher Anime Series?

Thank you for the ask!! ^_^

Oh man, I’ve watched a ton of anime in my life since I was quite the otaku back in my middle school and high school days. I grew up in the 90’s so I have a soft spot for the anime that was on anime-butchering channels like 4Kids though. Some of my favorite anime growing up (besides Monster Rancher, of course!) were Pokemon, Digimon, Cardcaptor Sakura, Sailor Moon, Dragonball, Yu-Gi-Oh, Inu-Yasha, Magical Circle Guru Guru, and Akazukin Cha Cha.

I’m currently trying to watch more new age anime so I can actually contribute to conversations about anime since my coworkers always make fun of me for being so old school, so I’ve recently been watching Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen and Solo Leveling. They’re definitely fun, but I still love my childhood anime best! ^_^

[vienecash300]

FUCK DARREN CHAMBERS!!!!…this phrase while entirely meaningless to the vast majority of you, it has remained a raucous inside joke in my fluctuating circle going on 3 years. As I’m told the two MCs behind the 27 September release “Float Trip” were on…well…a float trip when a one of them in a state of vicious hangover noticed a sign advertising a local political hopeful by that name. When one read the sign out loud, the other drunkenly exclaimed through sun-burned lips “Man, FUCK DARREN CHAMBERS”

CornBread217 has been a fixture in the Springfield music scene for over 20 years not only as an artist and beat-maker, but resident hip hop guru and mentor to the fledgling. A1Muzik has been on the scene less time, but not for lack of trying. Both artist have distinctive voices that break the monotony of modern rap and deliver vocal magic carpet to float over while they move through bars flawlessly.

The juxtaposition of the artists two very different deliveries is not a random occurrence. The two voices serve to compliment each other with great aplomb. The majority of the tracks see Bread starting the lyrical acrobatics with a smooth baritone the will flood your girls basement. His voice and style bring each of the tracks he begins to a place of near climax while A1 comes in releasing an angry, yet somehow smooth lyrical clit rub that gets the sonic G spot squirting.

It is worth noting that as an artist I have EPs with both artists, both released in 2020. WeirdMarc300 and CornBread217 released “Welcome to the Zu” 11 Nov 2020 on Records L’Estrange.

Later that year, despite delays A1Muzik and WeirdMarc300 released “A Very Pandemic Christmas” Dec 4, 2020.

“AVPC” went on to stream an astonishing 167,000 times on its first day before being pulled by Spotify for suspicious activity.

“Float Trip” is a simple concept. Two rappers embark on a float trip. For those unaware of the concept, a float trip is an orchestrated traversing of a river via flotation device. The participants historically imbibe alcohol , marijuana and often LSD in a typically successful attempt to heighten the merriment.

Bread’s production is obvious from the first few seconds of the opening track, “On Tha Way”. Bread taught himself to play piano while locked away during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. His dreamy keyboard and synth is sexily complimented by steady bass drum and rapid-fire hi hat. The track throughly references Midwest favorite vacation spot Merrimac Caverns and the eponymous river. A1 starts the track as the two step-by-step the trip to the trip. Which typically involves the “roll up”.

At 5 minutes and 4 seconds “Shenanigans” the tapes second track follows the dreaminess of the first and gives us out much awaited sample of Bread’s distinctive crooning. “We havin’ a night/ the drinks, and the dab, and the white” raps A1 in the first verse utilizing his zero-chill delivery he has become known for. The sung hook is an earworm that you won’t soon forget.

By now the tempo of the EP expectedly picks up as we find ourselves in the midzees of the album. A groovy ass guitar sings in the background lovingly to well-programmed snares and bass. Bread flexes his lyrical muscle with the expected ease, at one point purposely slaughtering Cardi Bs iconic phrase “Okurt” for both ill punctuation and comedic effect.

Bellowing bass drum accompanies quick snare and some tightly controlled bells for “Just Got Service”. The track is an homage of sort to the fact that finding cell service in the rural areas typically associated with rivers can be tough. The synthesizers bells greatly mimic a cell phone alert. It’s genius and this track is my favorite. Just short of the 1:30 mark A1 jumps in with a stellar verse referencing both international anti-terror operative Jack Bauer and “The guilty conscience of a cheating whore” in less than 15 seconds. The abrupt ending leaves the listener wanting to replay it and in the streaming world of modern music, that’s where the money is made.

The final track samples a chorus of children and mixes in some violin and properly dispersed 808 bass in order to bring the record full circle with the all to catchy phrase we talked about earlier. “FUCK DARREN CHAMBERS”. The track gives us the EPs only feature a verse from Springfield Rap mainstay Deezy The Paperboy. Entitled “The Ballad of Billy Bubble”, it punctuates the album perfectly showing Bread’s uncanny ability to to pick track position to perfection. Known as much for his singing as his rapping DTPB assimilates into the CornBread/A1 fold perfectly. His voice is vaguely reminiscent of 2000s era NYC rappers…think A-Mafia of Dipset. He delivers bar after bar changing the tempo twice effortlessly.

At just over 18 minutes the “Float Trip EP” does not desire to take up your time. It gets to the point yet somehow makes a clear and undeniable concept without smacking one over the face with a concept like WeirdMarc300s first EP, “Halloween on Latte Street” a 4 track dedication to Pumpkin Pie Spice and Serial Murder, heavy on the former. Bread and A1 really did it. After 2 years of hilarity and purposely bad-edited memes starring the 2 as, among other characters, Doc Brown and Marty McFly, we have a project. Available only on Bandcamp as of this publication “Float Trip” , gets my seal of approval. That is not 1, not 2, but all 3 (100 emojis) 💯💯💯. The brevity of the tape only contributes to its listenability. The CornBread217 production rivals one of my faves Earl Sweatshirt as Random Black Guy. I hope people spin this diamond of record around the world. It has the potential to tickle the fancy of all hip hop and many lovers of other music. The tape is stellar. Great attention was paid to never abandoning the concept making Bread, in my humble opinion a major force in the development of concept albums. Them niggas snapped. PERIOD. Go cop it.

Deezy Da Paperboy in January 2023

https://cornbread217.bandcamp.com/album/float-trip-e-p

[lingshanhermit]

Ling Shan Hermit: Can a Holy Land Cleanse One's Soul?

As a Buddhist, a question that I often get asked is whether visiting places rich in Buddhist culture, such as Tibet, Nepal, and Bhutan, truly purifies the soul. Well, if you're traveling for pleasure, these destinations offer a great experience. You can enjoy your time, absorb the unique local atmosphere, and witness life under different cultures. But if you believe that staying in these places for some time can cleanse your soul, you might end up disappointed.

Many practitioners around me dedicate a large portion of their day to spiritual practices. They have stayed with me for many years, with the Buddhist teachings washing over them daily. Yet, many of them have just begun to grasp the concept of practice. So, those who believe that circling around Bodh Gaya or Mount Kailash will elevate their souls are seen as outsiders by true practitioners. I do not believe that any place possesses the power to cleanse the soul. (Of course, some holy sites provide blessings, but these blessings are clearly not enough to cause a dramatic transformation.)

If a place truly possessed such magical powers, then its inhabitants would have already achieved enlightenment—given that they receive this 'baptism' daily. In reality, most of them are just like you, having human weaknesses and exhibiting greed, anger, and ignorance, possessing various scheming thoughts, and playing all sorts of games. However, most people are deceived by the facade. Many go to Nepal, Bhutan, or Bodh Gaya. They spend only a brief time there. They do not understand the local language, and the locals do not understand theirs. But the locals know that these visitors have something they desire. To get what they want, they will put on the appearance that the visitors expect to see. Thus, you see plenty of devout appearances, but not the calculation and strife hidden beneath this devout exterior.

Certainly, you can go to India, Bhutan, or any Buddhist holy land. You can travel, but don't expect that simply being there will change you in any way. Soul cleansing is a time-consuming and strenuous process. The daily practices of spiritual practitioners equate to soul cleansing. If you genuinely intend to undertake this task, it demands a lot of time, energy, and endurance of great suffering. You will also need to abandon many things you hold dear—like dignity and face. Furthermore, you must have a genuine teacher who takes responsibility for guiding you.

As humans, we have incredibly strong habits. The Diamond Sutra states that only a weapon like a vajra, or diamond, can shatter our robust and rigid habits. Therefore, only through long-term practice under the guidance of a true teacher can you possibly effect any changes. You cannot expect that a single trip to a holy land will eradicate all your clinging, nor can you expect to attain enlightenment simply by having a guru lay a hand on your head. (In history, only a very few great masters have had such experiences. But such occurrences are unlikely to happen to ordinary people.) If it were so simple, then the whole set of practice methods Buddhism has prepared to counteract our dichotomous habits would be a complete waste of time.

Of course, going to any new place, seeing new things, and meeting new people theoretically can bring about some improvements in mood. If you label this as soul cleansing, then I agree that visiting these places can cleanse the soul. But this type of cleansing can be achieved equally well by going to the Alps or Hangzhou.

Written by Ling Shan Hermit on January 17, 2020. First published on July 13, 2023.

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灵山居士：去圣地可以洗涤心灵吗？

[loutalksanime]

The Death of Ani-Twitter | A Brief Pre-Mortem

The sun is setting on the quasi-toxic anime community that has, for better or worse, served as a centralized hub for anime discourse. Surprisingly enough, it wasn’t our fault. Known Tokyo Ghoul enthusiast, Elon Musk, has compromised to a permanent end the platform that our niche, little community called home. Anime Twitter wasn’t all that bad mind you. Many of us forged bonds with people from around the world over our shared love/hatred of Japanese cartoons. I’ve attended Ani-Twitter weddings, have been to world premieres for shows with friends I have made on the platform, and have seen new generations of otakus discover a medium that has been a major part of my life for well over 3 decades. Despite recognizing it as a hell-site, it was a huge part of my life that I wouldn’t trade for anything. Maybe Twitter gets the last second bullshit shounen power-up and survives this death blow, but I’m not counting on it.

I believe that in its final hours credit should be given to the content creators on that platform that brought us together. While anime brought us to the dance, they were the liquor in the punch bowl that got us all to talk to each other. From journalist like the folks that work for ANN, to anime youtubers, to independent ani-bloggers, many of us can trace our initial thought to create an account and send a sternly worded tweet to an individual person on the platform. To those people who depended on the platform to monetize their content and earn a living, I’m sorry that this is happening and wish you all the luck in the world. Hopefully I will see you all again somewhere down the road.

To wrap things up before I get all emotional, I want to thank you all for getting me to give a chance to shows I wouldn’t have given a second look like Magical Circle Guru Guru and Odd Taxi. Thank you for posting sakuga clips and memes. Thanks for being there when my life was falling apart. You all saved me, and I’m sure I’m not the only one.

[puninyan-wibwob]

Haiii. Who are your fave blorbos and why? I don't think i have any so I wanna see why other people choose characters to be their blorbos

I don't know how to define a blorbo tbh, although I do have some characters I really enjoy (not in any particular order)

1 Skyla -pokemon(gen 5):

she's the girl on my profile picture!! she is a flying type gym leader, she is peppy and really an excitable person!!

2 Miss sticker - yokai watch 3:

she doesn't have much personality, but I find her really cute!!

Planano 2.0 from mahoujin guru guru /magical circle guru guru:

an headstong plant spirit that doesn't let anyone bods her around, except for people who raised her, she is 2.0 because her original form got killed and she had to regenerate, when regerating she was reduced to a small child, and then got raised by the protagonists (who both are kids too)

4 junior from yokai watch shadowside:

a sweet little wisp that wants other people to be happy, he can transform into other things by blowing up like a balloon.

5 senko san:

she is my inspiration for how I act, this fox spirit can lift anyone's spirits at a touch of a tail, she is sweet and motherly, honestly the best

here's a special feature of a pathetic dude

MYCCHY FROM YOKAI WATCH

despite his burly looks and strong stature, he is pathetic, not being to fight most other yokai without getting knocked away. and for more salt in that wound, he is an simp!!

[millennialdemon]

REIDOOOO