Magical girl friendship squad is a concept that has gained popularity in recent years in the realm of anime and manga. It revolves around a group of young girls who possess magical powers and band together to fight against evil forces threatening their world. What sets magical girl friendship squad apart from other magical girl stories is the emphasis on the strength and power of friendship. In these narratives, the girls come from different backgrounds, have diverse personalities, and each possess a unique magical ability. Despite their differences, they are brought together by a common goal – to protect their loved ones and bring peace to their world. Their friendship becomes a source of support and strength, and often acts as a catalyst for their magical abilities to become even stronger.
Do you believe in magic?
I’m not sure exactly when or where I learned it. Was it overt, clearly stated in some book or class? Or did I more intuit it, sniff it out?
Magic is a bad theological term. Avoid it whenever possible.
I suspect this has to do with our Reformational roots. Magic was associated with the dark arts, the occult, paganism. And maybe just as much, it brought to mind hocus pocus, Catholic sacramentalism. Besides, we are humanists, learned people, gatherers of knowledge. None of this “eye-of-newt”* stuff for us.
Increasingly, however, I am drawn to the term magic.
I want to believe in magic. In our current context, I notice that “magical” is a favored, sacred adjective. Is that the power of Disney? Friends return from a European riverboat cruise and describe it as magical. A ceremony honoring an injured veteran or a retiring teacher. A dog reunited with its owner. A descant in the closing hymn of worship.
Magical! All of it. Joy, beauty, thrill, power, amazement. Something ineffable. Something apparently unquantifiable. Something holy, or nigh unto it.
We might conjecture that our attraction to magic is pushback on our coldly technological world. Magic consoles us, telling us that there are things beyond measure and analysis. With AI, for example, we want to hold on to the idea there is something essentially, mysteriously human that no computer will ever be able to learn. But we fear that perhaps we are simply neural networks all the way down. Can baseball be fully understood with sabermetrics or are there intangibles and magic X factors?
Is magic just a fizzier, funner (yes, I know that’s not a recognized word, but I’m on a campaign to make it one) term for what we used to call “god of the gaps”? It covers those inexplicable gaps until science is able to explain them?
+ + Magical Thinkers + +
In all honesty, it was writers and names who appear with some frequency here on the Reformed Journal that caused me to ponder magic and notice how I use and live the term.
In Tom Boogaart’s writings, I often hear him lamenting that we now live in a disenchanted universe — desecrated by our own doing. Glory, the holy, God — each has been deemed ancillary or unnecessary. Of course this has major repercussions for the way we live with and care for non-human creation. But the implications go much beyond that.
Interestingly, if I’m hearing Tom, he lays this disenchantment less at the feet of science and more at our barren understanding of the sacraments. How can we live in an enchanted world where God’s glory is among us if there is nothing enchanting in our sacraments? (As Daniel Meeter has observed, for modern, American Protestants miracles can happen everywhere except in church. “Uncle Lou’s leg grew longer. I found my car keys. My neighbor beat cancer.” But, the Lord’s Supper is merely a memorial, an object lesson!)
Jacques Ellul1912-1994
Then recently Jason Lief brought Jacques Ellul into the conversation on The Reformational, Jason’s substack newsletter. If I’m reading Ellul-through-Lief accurately, our world hasn’t been demythologized at all. The intensity of our conflicts and the vehemence of our rhetoric display that we are fighting about “holy” things, no matter how “secular” the issue might appear. All of our wars are still “wars of religion.”
For Ellul, then, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a message of freedom from all these religions — an iconoclastic smashing of the idols that claim to be magical. As followers of Jesus, we don’t have to win the latest wars of religion, but instead trust that Jesus has already undone all the empty magic of the world.
Boogaart, and many others, want to bring back magic — or at least re-sacralize the world. Ellul and friends say that Christ has released us from all the false magic around us. I’m not convinced they’re as much at odds as it might appear. Is Ellul possibly calling upon us to trust in Narnia’s deep magic? I don’t know.
+ + Magical Thinking + +
Still, I am thinking about magic — and noticing the magic I live with and hope for.
1. A few summers ago, we encouraged the children in our congregation to look for the “Green Man”** and even had a reproduction gargoyle. Some people worried we were preaching paganism. Our aim wasn’t to bring back pixies and sprites, but instead to cause the kids to watch for and enjoy the wonder of creation.
2. Like Abraham, I sometimes bargain with God in my prayers. On the news I’ll hear that food and supplies for 20,000 are headed to some crisis where 50,000 are in dire need. I’ll pray, “God, what if those supplies stretched to aid 40,000? Who’d be the wiser? Seems like you’ve done this sort of work before. Well, okay, how about at least 30,000?” Or I’ll pray, “God, what if all the bullets manufactured today would have an undetected defect that would cause them to miss their target? Or if all the missiles launched today would be duds? Okay, what if you’d make only 25% defective or duds? I’ll even take five percent!” Does it work? I don’t know, but sometimes I still pray like that.
3. I’m relatively convinced that partaking of the Lord’s Supper actually makes me a better person. A long term study has proven difficult. But short term, its impact appears to last until about Tuesday afternoon, sometimes even into Wednesday.
4. I’ve written about how I wonder if the large stone or metal crosses found in the town square of almost every French village aren’t merely cultural artifacts from days gone by, but somehow silently radiate the love of God. The teeny sign of the cross I discreetly thumb on my grandchildren’s foreheads at farewells. The minister’s raised hands at the benediction. All of these things “do something.”
Do I truly believe this?
Yes, kind of, more or less, depending on the day. It’s magical thinking, no doubt. I’m not claiming it proves anything or could ever be proven. But to disprove it is difficult, too. I’m simply saying I want to believe in magic.
* I was today years old when I learned that “eye of newt” is not a bodily part of an amphibian, but another name for mustard seed. So perhaps Christians do go in for eye of newt.
** It’s only conjecture, possibly even magical thinking, but was King Charles III inspired by our children’s times in worship to adorn the bottom of his coronation invitations with the Green Man. We’ll never know for sure.
The Power of Magic
Magic has always been part of the human story: Magic is part of the rituals of shamans; the ancient Egyptian priesthood; Moses worked magic before Pharaoh’s court; magic is weaved into to the cosmic chess game of Greek mythology. Magic reconnects us to the experience of wonder.
Magic is a part of everyday life; we just miss it because we have our blinders on. As we age, we start to label things, build boxes for every idea, and ultimately we lose that sense of wonder. The laws and categories we develop determine what we can think: we are enclosed. But when something amazes us, and we see magic, we recover the original state of bliss.
Their friendship becomes a source of support and strength, and often acts as a catalyst for their magical abilities to become even stronger. Throughout their adventures, the magical girl friendship squad faces many challenges and obstacles. They encounter formidable enemies, deal with personal struggles, and are often forced to make difficult decisions.
What is magic?
“Magic is a way of living, ” wrote Carl Jung.
Swiss Psychologist Carl Jung explored magic via his inner work, what he called active imagination. This process allowed Jung to connect with his unconscious and observe the wisdom of the body in the form of natural images. In the Red Book, Jung wrote two essays on magic. The first was “The Gift of Magic.” In it, he enters into a dialogue with his soul:
Jung: “What should I do with magic?”
Soul: “Magic will do a lot for you.”
In the second essay “The Magician,” his inner search brings him to the doors of the Self.
Jung writes, “After a long search I found the small house in the country fronted by a large bed of tulips. This is where Philemon, the magician, lives with his wife, Baucis.”
Jung: “Philemon, old magician, how are you?”
Philemon: “My boy, you have learned something about magic?”
Jung: “I must admit that this is somewhat surprising. I had imagined magic as being somewhat different.”
Philemon: “Well, this shows you how little you understand about magic and how incorrect your notion of it is.”
Jung’s exploration of magic continues as he reflects on the difficulty to understand magic. Jung writes, “One cannot understand magic. One can only understand what accords with reason. Magic accords with unreason…everything that works magically is incomprehensible, and the incomprehensible often works magically.”
Defining “magic” is impossible because magic exists in the now; it elicits wonder and brings us to the experience of bliss.
The word “magic” points to all-ness. “As above, so below” could be called one of the oldest magic concepts. It hints at the idea that the universe is in sympathy with everything else. That all things, by the mere fact of their belonging to the same system, are one.
When technology gets closer to magic or the experience of wonder, that’s when we know we are looking at something that will transform us. As Arthur C. Clarke famously wrote, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” Magic hints at the quantum potential of things. A wave of possibility.
Alan Moore, comic book writer and magician, says, “ I believe that magic is art and that art, whether that be music, writing, sculpture, or any other form, is magic. Art is, like magic, the science of manipulating symbols, words or images, to achieve changes in consciousness…Indeed to cast a spell is simply to spell, to manipulate words, to change people’s consciousness, and this is why I believe that an artist or writer is the closest thing in the contemporary world to a shaman.”
However, they never face these trials alone. Their friendship allows them to overcome these hurdles together, using their combined powers and unwavering support to prevail. Another key aspect of magical girl friendship squad is the theme of personal growth and self-discovery. As the girls go through their adventures, they not only strengthen their bonds of friendship, but also learn more about themselves and their individual strengths. They learn to embrace their unique qualities, overcome their weaknesses, and become stronger both as individuals and as a team. Furthermore, magical girl friendship squad often explores themes of love, courage, and sacrifice. The girls are not just fighting for the sake of their world, but also for the people they care about. They demonstrate immense bravery and selflessness in their quest to protect their loved ones, even if it means putting themselves in harm's way. In conclusion, magical girl friendship squad is a captivating concept that combines magical abilities, friendship, and the power of unity. It offers an inspiring and heartfelt narrative that resonates with audiences of all ages. Through their adventures, these girls teach us the importance of friendship, self-discovery, and the strength that can be found in unity..
Reviews for "The Magic of Togetherness: A Closer Look at the Magical Girl Friendxhip Squad"
1. John - 1/5 stars - This show was a complete waste of time. The storyline was confusing and the characters were poorly developed. The animation style was also very generic and lacked any creativity. I was hoping for a fun and engaging magical girl series, but instead, I got a boring and predictable mess.
2. Sarah - 2/5 stars - I really wanted to like this show, but it just didn't live up to my expectations. The concept was interesting, but the execution fell flat. The pacing was slow, and the dialogue felt forced and unnatural. The character motivations were unclear, making it difficult to connect with any of them. Overall, I was disappointed with "Magical Girl Friendship Squad" and wouldn't recommend it to others.
3. Alex - 2.5/5 stars - While there were some enjoyable moments in this show, they were overshadowed by its flaws. The humor often missed the mark and felt forced, and the plot lacked depth. The animation was also lacking, with stiff and awkward character movements. Additionally, the show relied too heavily on clichés, making it feel unoriginal. Overall, "Magical Girl Friendship Squad" failed to capture my interest or leave a lasting impression.
4. Emily - 3/5 stars - I found "Magical Girl Friendship Squad" to be just okay. The concept had potential, but the execution was lacking. The characters were a bit one-dimensional, and the plot was predictable. However, there were some funny moments and the voice acting was solid. It just didn't stand out from other magical girl shows and didn't leave a lasting impact on me.
5. Michael - 2/5 stars - I was looking forward to watching "Magical Girl Friendship Squad," but unfortunately, it fell short for me. The humor was hit or miss, and the animation felt cheap and rushed. The pacing was also off, with some episodes dragging on while others felt rushed. The overall storyline lacked depth and failed to keep my attention. I wouldn't recommend this show unless you're a die-hard fan of the genre.