Ash Wednesday is a Christian holiday that marks the beginning of Lent, which is a 40-day period of fasting, reflection, and prayer leading up to Easter. It is observed by many Christian denominations including Catholics, Anglicans, and Lutherans. Ash Wednesday gets its name from the placing of ashes on the foreheads of believers as a sign of repentance and mortality. However, the practice of using ashes as a symbol dates back long before Christianity. In fact, the use of ashes has its roots in pagan rituals and traditions. In ancient cultures, ashes were often associated with mourning, grief, and repentance.
In ancient cultures, ashes were often associated with mourning, grief, and repentance. They were commonly used as a way to express sorrow, seek forgiveness, and cleanse the body or soul. The ancient Romans, for example, used to sprinkle themselves with ashes as a symbolic gesture of purification and renewal.
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When people think of manga writer & artist Masamune Shirow they think of only two things, Ghost in the Shell which has had an overwhelming success and countless re-adaptations over the years, and recently his slippery, slimy (and somewhat unappealing) porno which has become his foundation now for his career. However Shirow has always been an influence on the Cyberpunk Genre in Anime through the 80’s & 90’s, creating some rather decent titles but at the same time managing to showcase a certain level of humour and charm to the stories he tells. One of those stories while sadly not being too memorable falls into the category of Simple entertainment, largely because of it’s short running time but also being able showcase some of the best of what Masamune Shirow does.
Based off the manga by Shirow, Black Magic M-66 is a very straightforward and very simple “Hunt & Kill” story when a malfunctioning android goes after a young girl named Feris, who just so happens to be the granddaughter of the androids creator Professor Matthews. When a Freelance video journalist named Sybil, currently looking for the scoop of the century uncovers this she goes above and beyond to find Feris and protect her from the killer android. What then proceeds to happen is the android going up against the army in their vein attempts to stop her from hunting down and killing Feris.
What this anime is, is a very simple and mindlessly entertaining 45 minute ova that in plot similarity is put right next to James Cameron’s “The Terminator” as well as the 1987 action classic “Predator”. And there’s nothing wrong with that, this anime has no problem with being able to tell the audience that it’s focus isn’t on depth or character development (while some of the characters you are rooting for) and instead is letting people know it’s a dumb and entertaining film that has about as much enjoyment as watching an exploitation B-film.
The characters while none of them are even developed all that well, this manages set them up based on who they are and what they do in the movie. The main character of Sybil is pretty okay as a leading heroine despite protecting the granddaughter from the robot half the time in this; she appears dedicated and concerned for the safety of Feris. Feris however doesn’t have much character outside of being just the girl to protect from the android, but at the same time both characters whilst on the run and even during the end have a pretty good chemistry as well as showing some form of likability during the duration of the ova. Other characters such as Professor Matthews while nothing to help progress the plot forward are funny and enduring to watch worry about her granddaughter and pester the army to do something about the problem, for the most part character isn’t the strongest element in this anime. It sets up who they have and moves through the plot as quick as it possibly could.
Production for this while by today’s standards looks a little dated but for the time it has a huge amount of charm to it, aside from being directed and written by Masamune Shirow this is also co-directed by Hiroyuki Kitakubo (Golden Boy, Roujin Z, Blood: The Last Vampire) and made by Studio AIC (Bubblegum Crisis, Haganai, Silent Möbius: The Motion Picture). One of the enjoyments from watching this is seeing Shirow’s direct control over this, from the character designs to the vehicles this ova manages to capture the Cyberpunk asthetic pretty well. What stands out in the characters is the usual tropes Shirow would use through his manga/anime, such as the typical spiralled spectacle wearer and the women who appear to have little to no clothing on them, little moments like that stand out in the designs of the anime. Watching how the characters interact with each other, how they are surprised as well as seeing them in action makes this all the more entertaining, the action while it’s pretty limited is well set up, seeing the android fight the army and then seeing the army try their best to stop the android really heightens up the tension, much like how the original “Terminator” was able to move in for the kill and mow down whoever/whatever was in its way.
Audio for this movie is satisfying to listen to, the score by Yoshihiro Katayama (Power Dolls & Golden Boy) is very minimal. When it plays during the action scenes it plays very tense and dramatic, when it plays during rather foreboding scenes it comes across as chilling and somewhat atmospheric much like how synth scores were played during exploitation films that would capture that kind of heart pounding level of suspense. The English dub by Animaze is one that shows a fair amount of age, particularly who it uses. Lia Sargent who plays Sybil comes across as stern, but also very supportive as a leading heroine, Melissa Fahn plays Feris as your typical damsel in distress but she’s fun to hear on screen, Steve Blum (in the earliest point in his career) plays Doctor Matthews as your standard overly worried grandparent, but he manages to make whatever scene he’s in stand out because of his eccentric character design. The rest of the voice cast such as Mimi Woods, Tony Pope, Beau Billingslea, Kirk Thornton, Michael Sorich, Gary Dubin, Joe Romersa etc. all play their parts fine for what they are given, while their performances don’t stand out too well in this the majority of the cast would go on to much bigger projects in the years to come, especially considering this anime serves as a meeting point for Melissa Fahn, Steve Blum & Beau Billingslea who would later reunite to take part in the anime Cowboy Bebop.
When all is said and done however, Black Magic M-66 is a very forgettable anime with a wafer-thin plot that has been copied and pasted onto different films of the same style. However as this is Masamune Shirow’s first (and only) involvement in an anime adaptation this has a huge level of charm to it. It’s stupid, but fun. Short, but entertaining, lacking in depth and some degree of interest, but it manages to pull off something that is watchable. Black Magic M-66 is an enjoyable little anime, the kind that can be watched with the brain switched off, nothing lost and nothing gained. The kind of anime that you can kill some time whilst watching with some beer and pizza, the pursuit of mindless action and getting something out of it which with end result being pure satisfaction.
This is Masamune Shirow at the top of his game, definitely worth the watch.
Sami Sadek is a lifelong Transformers and Anime fan, and can often be found propping up bars or appearing in the background of Auto Assembly vids. He has also talks on Youtube, Tweets on Twitter, doodles on Deviantart and is a regular co-host on this very site's Cyberritz. He has never had a swordfight atop a church whilst a crow watches. Honest.
Sami Sadek is a lifelong Transformers and Anime fan, and can often be found propping up bars or appearing in the background of Auto Assembly vids. He has also talks on Youtube, Tweets on Twitter, doodles on Deviantart and is a regular co-host on this very site's Cyberritz. He has never had a swordfight atop a church whilst a crow watches. Honest.
They believed that the ashes had the power to ward off evil spirits and bring good luck. Similarly, the ancient Greeks would cover themselves in ashes during times of tragedy or loss, as a way to show their grief and seek comfort. The connection between ashes and repentance can also be seen in the Hebrew Bible, or the Old Testament. In several passages, the use of ashes is mentioned as a sign of sorrow, humility, and turning away from sin. For instance, Job, a biblical figure known for his suffering, repented by sitting in ashes and dust. Additionally, the prophet Daniel fasted and prayed while wearing sackcloth and ashes as a sign of mourning and repentance. When Christianity began to emerge, it incorporated many existing customs and traditions into its practices. The use of ashes as a symbol of repentance and mortality was one such adaptation. Early Christians saw the connection between ashes and repentance in the Old Testament and recognized its significance. They adopted the practice of placing a mark of ashes on the foreheads of believers as a way to publicly show their commitment to repentance and their acceptance of mortality. Over time, Ash Wednesday became an integral part of the Christian liturgical calendar, particularly in the Western Church. It is now widely observed by millions of Christians around the world as a solemn day of reflection, fasting, and repentance. While its origins may lie in pagan customs, Ash Wednesday has been transformed into a deeply meaningful Christian tradition, reminding believers of their need for repentance and their dependence on God's mercy and grace..
Reviews for "The Hidden Pagan Origins of Ash Wednesday"
1. John - 1 star
I found "The Pagan Background of Ash Wednesday" to be an unconvincing and poorly-researched piece. The author seemed to rely on speculations and presented them as facts without providing any concrete evidence. The arguments were weak and lacked logical coherence, making it difficult to follow the author's point. Overall, I was disappointed with the lack of depth and scholarly approach in this work.
2. Sarah - 2 stars
"The Pagan Background of Ash Wednesday" is an interesting topic, but the execution of this article was subpar. The author seemed to cherry-pick similarities between ancient pagan practices and Ash Wednesday without considering the historical context. The lack of references and citations also raises doubts about the credibility of the claims made. While the idea of exploring the origins of religious traditions is intriguing, this particular piece failed to live up to expectations.
3. Michael - 1 star
I found "The Pagan Background of Ash Wednesday" to be a misguided attempt at discrediting a religious practice. The author's biased narrative and unfounded claims made it clear that their intention was not to provide an objective analysis but to promote a specific agenda. The arguments presented were based on flimsy connections and failed to acknowledge the historical and cultural context. This article lacked the scholarly rigor required for such a topic and left me disappointed with its lack of substance.
4. Emma - 2 stars
While the concept of exploring the pagan origins of Ash Wednesday is intriguing, "The Pagan Background of Ash Wednesday" fell short of delivering a compelling argument. The author's weak connections and generalizations failed to provide a convincing case. The lack of in-depth research and thorough analysis made this piece feel more like a series of speculative assertions rather than an objective examination of the topic. I was left with unanswered questions and a sense of disappointment after reading this article.