The Penn State Nittany Lions are known for their distinct colors and mascot. The primary colors associated with Penn State are blue and white. These colors can be seen throughout the university's campus and in their athletic teams' uniforms. The blue color symbolizes trust and loyalty, while the white color represents purity and innocence. These colors have become iconic for the Penn State community and bring a sense of unity among its members. In addition to their colors, the Penn State Nittany Lions are represented by their beloved mascot, the Nittany Lion.
In addition to their colors, the Penn State Nittany Lions are represented by their beloved mascot, the Nittany Lion. The Nittany Lion is a symbol of strength, pride, and a relentless spirit. The mascot can be seen at various sporting events, leading cheers and rallying the crowd.
Anti-Magic Academy
Anti-Magic Academy: The 35th Test Platoon spends its first moments fooling you into thinking that it’ll be a gritty military drama. There’s a flashforward to a terrible battle. There are ruined city buildings, a wounded youth in a school uniform facing death, and a little witch-girl intoning “Congratulations” with flat menace.
And then we’re in the story proper, and the youth, Takeru, is walking into a classroom in time to see… a buxom girl classmate in a bunny suit, who’s being forced to pose sexily for her malicious woman senior. Yes, we’ve found the show’s goofball side already, with lashings of fanservice. Anti-Magic Academy slides between the action/goofball poles for pretty much the whole series.
I should say there’s lots of fanservice, but it never gets as all-enveloping as, say, High School DxD, so don’t expect that kind of anime. I’ll also say Anti-Magic operates pretty much on harem principles, with Takeru as the only boy in a battle team full of girls. But he’s much cooler than many harem protagonists. Takeru’s already a strong warrior when we meet him, and he’s voiced in Japanese by Yoshimasa Hosoya, who enjoyed a fascinating character journey as another soldier, Reiner, in Attack on Titan.
Takeru is also a very upstanding guy – he’s very protective of girls, for deep personal reasons. But misunderstandings will happen, and his female colleagues have a tendency to let their hair down in front of him. That, or take their clothes off.
Based on a “light novel” series, Anti-Magic Academy throws viewers into a soup of familiar anime staples, making it instant light viewing. The set-up is that this is a modern world where magic powers are real and the forces of order – including Takeru and his girl allies in their title Test Platoon – must fight them continually. The baddies use forbidden spells and artefacts, sometimes using warriors from legend to fight their battles (shades of the Fate franchise). Later stories have more of an SF flavour, with cruel experiments in genetic engineering and a young child cursed with Akira powers.
Naturally there’s a lot of fighting, and this fighting is a real mishmash. Takeru himself prefers to use swords – the clue’s in his family name, Kusanagi. In mythology, Kusanagi is Japan’s answer to Excalibur, which is presumably why Motoko in Ghost in the Shell chose that name too. But as well as swords, there’s heavy artillery and robot mecha, and heroic transformations linked to the little witch-girl in the opening scene.
Each of the main storylines centres on a different character in Takeru’s team, and it turns out they all have extremely dark and tragic backstories, often involving family members, in whiplash contrast to the frequent goofing. But of course the characters have the collective strength of their team family; they can bicker about boob sizes and fight for each other’s lives at the same time.
The show’s animated by the Silver Link studio, who you may know for such series as Baka & Test: Summon the Beasts and Fate/kaelid liner Prisma Ilya (a magical-girl take on the Fate franchise). Anti-Magic Academy also has broad parallels with a series that Silver Link made around the same time, called Armed Girl’s Machiavellism, which had a similar mix of frequent fights and harem comedy with a cool hero.
Andrew Osmond is the author of 100 Animated Feature Films. Anti-Magic Academy: The 35th Test Platoon is released in the UK by Anime Limited.
Anti-Magic Academy: The 35th Test Platoon spends its first moments fooling you into thinking that it’ll be a gritty military drama. There’s a flashforward to a terrible battle. There are ruined city buildings, a wounded youth in a school uniform facing death, and a little witch-girl intoning “Congratulations” with flat menace.
It has become a symbol of unity and school spirit for the Penn State community. The Nittany Lion brings excitement and pride to both students and fans, instilling a sense of belonging among the community. Overall, the Penn State Nittany Lions' colors and mascot play a significant role in representing the university's values and creating a sense of pride and community among its members. The blue and white colors symbolize trust, loyalty, purity, and innocence, while the Nittany Lion mascot embodies strength, pride, and a relentless spirit. Together, these elements contribute to the identity and tradition of Penn State University..
Reviews for "From the Blue Ridge to Happy Valley: The Natural Inspiration for Penn State Nittany Lions Colors"
1. John - 1/5 stars
The Penn State Nittany Lions colors and mascot were severely disappointing to me. The colors, navy blue and white, are generic and lack any creativity or uniqueness. The mascot, a lion, is also overused and lacks any distinctive features that would make it stand out from other mascots. Overall, I found the colors and mascot to be bland and unimpressive.
2. Sarah - 2/5 stars
I have to say, I was not a fan of the Penn State Nittany Lions colors and mascot. The navy blue and white color scheme is just too plain and lacks personality. It feels like a missed opportunity to showcase the school's identity. And while a lion may be a traditional choice for a mascot, it also seems unimaginative. I was hoping for something more original and representative of the school's spirit. Overall, I was underwhelmed by the colors and mascot choice of the Penn State Nittany Lions.
3. Mark - 2/5 stars
As a fan of college sports, I was really excited to see what the Penn State Nittany Lions had to offer in terms of their colors and mascot. I have to say, I was quite disappointed. The navy blue and white colors are dull and lack vibrancy. It doesn't make me feel energized or excited to support the team. Additionally, the lion mascot is unoriginal and doesn't have any distinguishing features. It feels like a missed opportunity to have a mascot that truly represents the school's spirit and traditions. Overall, I was not impressed with the colors and mascot of the Penn State Nittany Lions.
4. Emily - 3/5 stars
While the Penn State Nittany Lions colors and mascot were not my favorite, I can appreciate that they have a classic and timeless appeal. The navy blue and white color combination is simple and clean, but it also lacks a sense of excitement and originality. The lion mascot is a traditional choice, but it doesn't have any distinctive characteristics that would make it stand out from other lion mascots. Overall, I think the colors and mascot of the Penn State Nittany Lions could benefit from a little more creativity and uniqueness to truly capture the spirit of the university.