I like my tea and cake anime, but I like my high brow drama anime too. Too bad the latter require some major spoilerage to get flushed out. Thus, warning, spoilers, let there be.
It is the oddest sort of connected thoughts, but when Quebey discussed the nature of magical girls in Madoka’s universe (episode 6), it spelled out much like a more logically constructed D&D-style lich. In other words, QB makes them into liches.
And once I made that connection, there is nothing really shocking about it. I understood why it is a dramatic moment, that it broke even Kyoko’s poker face, but it wasn’t a big deal. It’s much like how Homura just went and got it, what’s the big deal?
When Urobuchi’s magical girls polish off their soul gems-slash-phylactery with magical grief seeds, what is really happening? What is QB doing with them in his magical container sort of thing? I guess souls are delicious.
February 11th, 2011 at 2:13 am
Tabletop roleplaying tends to spoil discussions about the body and soul a bit. ;)
February 11th, 2011 at 2:46 am
Man, Kyubey is such a magnificent bastard.
But still, as cool as it sounds to be immortal, the 100m limit is a real problem.
February 11th, 2011 at 7:57 am
@2DT
There is a anime called “Is This a Zombie?” So I didn’t even need to drag dnd in if I had to. That said, maybe this lich idea seems almost too close a fit.
February 11th, 2011 at 5:13 pm
The other major source for the concept of a character taking his soul and putting it into an item in exchange for power I can think of is Sauron and the One Ring in Lord of the Rings. Interesting that these examples are evil.
February 12th, 2011 at 12:25 am
…also “horcrux” in the Harry Potter universe. Voldemort hides his soul (putting bits into seven of them) to keep it safe.
February 12th, 2011 at 8:49 am
difference is that Sauron and Voldemort willed to transfer their souls. Kyubei did not disclose his tasks to his…wards.
February 12th, 2011 at 4:28 pm
It almost feels like a cross between a super robot and a Lich, except the Pilder can’t move of its own will, and the person is apparently unawares whilst out of control range.
Now, if the soul gem were able to expend energy and recreate the entire body around the soul gem after X time…
Either way though, Liches would laugh at and be appalled by a pittance range of 100m on the phylactery. How would they be able to do anything? Heh.
I also never really got the jokes about necromancers not being able to wear plate armor. Don’t clerics (evil ones in this case) classically wear full plate almost all the time? After all, only arcane spells roll for arcane spell failure chance.
February 12th, 2011 at 7:07 pm
There’s no reason why anyone who is physically capable couldn’t don armor as long as they know how and possibly have assistance. I’m sure Eucli is no exception. But the anime skips out on the technical details.
>> Kyubei did not disclose his tasks to his…wards.
Fair trade in the sense that merely lich-dom confers very little in comparison of QB’s Make a Wish powers.