Media Blog
Picture by hbieser
The 7 Shapes — Reflected in the Stories We Love
Not only in the magical world of Esperia, but right here on our beautiful planet Earth, we can also find echoes of the 7 Shapes—hidden in plain sight.
While we may not possess the magical powers of the Espers, we carry within us a human equivalent of their StarDust:
our incredible brain.
What if we looked at the world around us with greater awareness?
What if the stories we read, the movies we watch, the anime, manga, and books we cherish…
were more than just entertainment?
Each post below explores the presence of wisdom, balance, willpower, empathy, and more—through the lens of popular culture.
Let’s rediscover what inspires us, one tale at a time.
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Brothers: Reflections on Family, Trauma, and Redemption
Today marks my brother’s birthday—a day that reminds me of the unique bond we share, shaped by family complexities and moments of love, resilience, and reconciliation. Five years my senior, my brother was not only a guide but a model I often followed in childhood. Our family faced its share of challenges, particularly due to
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Detroit Metal City and the Masks We Wear
Watching Detroit Metal City by Kiminori Wakasugi was a surprising and hilarious experience. Though I had no idea how I came across it initially, the anime and movie adaptations were enjoyable, and even my wife, unfamiliar with the world of death metal, found them funny. Through its characters and absurdities, Detroit Metal City gives a
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The Power of Connection and Support: Reflections on Final Fantasy IX
Final Fantasy IX, released by Square Enix in 2000, stands as the ninth opus of this beloved RPG series. This installment not only marked a nostalgic return to a “super-deformed” (SD) character design, reminiscent of earlier games, but also showcased the team’s refined experience on the PlayStation platform. The results were spectacular, delivering a captivating
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Dreams in the Snow: A Reflection on Noi the Albino by Dagur Kári
I watched Noi the Albino on ARTE, a unique French-German channel known for broadcasting lesser-known films and documentaries. This film, set in Iceland, tells the story of Noi, a 17-year-old teenager living in a small, remote fishing village. Noi’s appearance, marked by alopecia totalis (a complete absence of hair), sets him apart visually, but it’s
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Look Back by Tatsuki Fujimoto: Reflections on Art, Loss, and Society
Look Back, Tatsuki Fujimoto’s emotional one-shot manga and recent anime on Prime Video, explores deep themes of friendship, purpose, and loss. When my wife recommended the manga a few years ago, I didn’t expect how much it would resonate. The adaptation, which spans less than an hour, portrays an intense bond between two friends and
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Awakening Through Music: Lessons from One Ok Rock’s “Delusion: All”
The song Delusion: All by One Ok Rock serves as the theme song for KINGDOM: Return of the Great General, the fourth film in the live-action adaptation of Yasuhisa Hara’s Kingdom manga. Known for their high-energy performances and Taka’s unique vocal presence, One Ok Rock often incorporates English lyrics, an unusual trait in Japan’s rock
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Uncovering Truth and Responsibility: Reflections on Spotlight and Societal Change
The 2015 film Spotlight, directed by Tom McCarthy, chronicles the Boston Globe’s “Spotlight” team, the longest-running investigative journalism unit in the U.S., as it exposes a decades-long cover-up of systemic child abuse by priests within the Boston Roman Catholic Archdiocese. I became interested in the movie after watching an interview with actor Mark Ruffalo, who
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Reflections on Orb: On the Movements of the Earth and the Search for Awareness
Recently, my wife and I began watching Orb: On the Movements of the Earth, an anime adaptation of the manga by Uoto. Set in the 15th century, this story brings to life a period when religious authority suppressed free thought, punishing those who dared to question it. This theme of restrictive thinking resonated with me,