Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica – Oh My Effin New Gawd

 

I think I just found my new god… Reviewed with a series summary and final impression.

 

OP:「Connect」by ClariS – Very mahou shoujo. Very typical. Not so boring. Good. Fine. Nothing much to say, but it’s really a fine song. That’s all.

          

Series Summary: (Final impression included and found below. Skip this if you’re only interested in my thoughts. >:)

And to think I could easily put you down to pieces with spoilers in one sentence. This must be one of the contenders that could become the Best Anime of the Year, but kind of too hard on this show to see that there had just been great shows that are starting this season.

The story begins with Kaname Madoka, a 14-year old girl, who, after experiencing a bizzare dream, meets Kyube, a creature that seemingly comes from another planet. Kyube is a persistent creature that keeps on offering Miki Sayaka, Madoka’s best friend, and Madoka to become a Puella Magi, people with magical powers. This goes with a contract: they get one wish, any wish that seems impossible, but will have to risk their lives by fighting against witches, one that results after being an impure Puella Magi. These so-called ‘witches’ are what causes despair in people that makes them do anything evil or even kill themselves. It follows, then, after Mami Tomoe that allies Kyube, who, then, helps these said two girls to make the right contract before they become a Puella Magi. Unusually, a girl turns up to stop Madoka from being a Puella Magi, a girl who is also a Puella Magi, Akemi Homura.

This is what has been going for the first few episodes.  As it goes on, people die, people appear. While Mami makes sure whether they want to become a Puella Magi or not, she shows them how she fights against a witch. Both of them appear in awe, but at the same time worried as this really risks the lives of Mami – all Puella Magi – greatly. Mami hopes for them to take their time in picking their wishes, but at an unexpected event, Mami dies. Seeing as though we couldn’t see her dead body lying around in either world – the real world or the witch’s barrier, this causes us to have doubts. But on the very next episode, Kyube tells them what really happens: you die, and you’re missing if you’re left in the world of the witch.

Not too long, it focuses on Sayaka, her story of her love for Kyousuke Kamijou. Sayaka questions herself a lot on whether she should pick her wish to heal Kamijou’s hands that were disabled ever since the accident. She finally makes up her decision and wishes for Kamijou to be healed.

A veteran Puella Magi appears and goes with a conflict against Sayaka to take claim it as her territory. Somewhere between the lines, they become friends and tells Sayaka her story, her little regret, and everything else, hoping Sayaka wouldn’t make or regret her wish. But sadly, Shizuki Hitomi, a classmate and friend of Sayaka and Madoka, makes her final decision: she will tell her love for Kamijou. This makes Sayaka more confused on everything that’s happening: her friend betraying her and her wish going to a waste. As feeling as she deserves it for doing the miracle, everything becomes crazier. It is revealed by Homura that the Soul Gem is where their Soul is contained. Confused and disgusted more as being inhuman, Sayaka gives up her humanity and wants to be devoted as a Puella Magi. She disregards everything: her friends, help, and grief seeds. This, in turn, results to her in being a witch.

With Madoka as confused as ever to become a Puella Magi or not, she meets Kyouko with the same purpose, save Sayaka. Sayaka has now become a witch and has no recollection of being a human. When they enter her barrier, Sayaka attacks without holding back. They try to make Sayaka listen to them that she can still become a human back. But to their disappointments, this wasn’t the case: emotions didn’t help anything. Her mind was completely taken over as a witch without hope. Kyouko then makes her resolve to kill her, but in return, she had to sacrifice her life. This results in both of them dying, leaving Madoka behind with Homura.

The Walpurgisnacht (Walpurgis Night), the strongest witch that currently exists, is now approaching their hometown. Leaving only Homura in their hometown as the only Puella Magi, she’s the only person that could try to stop the strongest witch. Homura still encourages Madoka to stop being a Puella Magi. Madoka goes to Homura’s place and talks to her. With her concern on whether Homura can handle Walpurgis, she talks to her about it. Homura lies that she can handle it alone. . . This is when Homura reveals her true self, that she’s from another time, trying to save Madoka from dying no matter how many times she tries to revert her time. But before this happened, Kyube explained to Homura how Madoka can be the strongest Puella Magi and Witch of all time – that it’s because of Homura trying to revert time over and over again. Being a powerful Puella Magi depends on how much misfortune you’ll experience on the future, so Kyube assumes that one has to be a queen, a princess, or anyone who, most of the time, only experiences happiness. But this isn’t the case on Madoka. Madoka’s fate has gotten worse and worse as

As the Walpurgis Night appears, all civilians are in evacuation, staying in only one huge building. While the Walpurgis Night starts to appear and destroy the city, Homura starts to do his long-awaited task: to destroy the Walpurgis Night. With so many setups from rockets to a building of bombs, no matter how she does it, the Walpurgis Night never gets defeated. With a sudden change on the event, the Homura gets pushed away by the Walpurgis Night and gets hit into a building. With pain surrounding her, it gets worse and worse as she finds that her leg is now stuck on a fragment of the building. With the hope of trying to turn back time again, she sees that she’s only trying to make Madoka worse and worse. She makes her final decision that she will end everything this way: die.

But Madoka appears and becomes a Puella Magi. But the wish, she finally makes her wish: to stop all witches from the past to the future. A wish that seemingly can’t be made possible, but was only made, thanks to some sort of a vast power she has. As she makes the transformation, Mami and Kyouko appear to meet her and talk with her about her big decision. To become a Puella Magi that’s almost like a god, this is more than space-time wish. She then spreads herself throughout the world through space and time to stop the Puella Magi from becoming a witch, but just disappear. The Soul Gem, unusually huge, creates a giant mass of despair, but she manages to retain it with all the hope she has. With this, she results into becoming an omniscient being with no proof of anything that she existed in earth from feelings to memories. Madoka tells her everything, her feelings with having a great friend, for having a best friend. She tells Homura goodbye, but leaves her, her ribbons so she would continue to remember everything about her.

Homura, then, returns to her world where Madoka doesn’t exist, the world where Mami, Kyouko, and Homura continue to fight. But inevitably, there’s a different kind of enemy, from which are born from curses. With full of hope, Homura continues to live to protect the world Madoka love, and the world were Madoka left to take away all the despair.

                  

Final Impression:

Story (9) – Art (8.5) – Sound (7) – Character (8.5) – Enjoyment (9.5) – OVERALL (8.5)

Story: 9/10 – Twists make you go boom!

What really took this show to its highest limit was its story. I thought that watching a mahou shoujo anime would actually give me a bit of fun or something so jolly, but I’m pretty sure not all mahou shoujo would be too girly, so yeah, I thought it was fine if I’d watch this show to just kill time or something. But the first few first episodes told me that this isn’t the case. Little girls (almost like mahou shoujo) are made of sugar, spice, and everything nice. But no, it is made of diligence, despair, and hope. But for Kyube, it’s diligence burden, despair, and hope deceit. The story is kind of familiar, making it a bit cliché, but it’s pretty rare to actually find an anime like this. Short yet, contorting story to make the end mind exploding. This really has passed through my expectations of just for a kill time to the best way to kill time.

Art: 8.5/10

Nothing to complain about. Still frames? Yes, there may be times. But what I like about the camera angles and the chit-chat scenes is how they try to be interactive at the same time. It keeps on changing almost like Bakemonogatari, but Bakemonogatari is done too often for being too much on a talking show. Let’s say this is like the mini-version of its direction. The action is also satisfying. You could actually ask for more, but I can only see that it’s done positively well.

Sound: 7/10

(Refer to the top and below of this post. Serves as also my opening and ending of this post. (: The opening and ending video sequences will be posted in another blog post.)

Character: 8.5/10 – Typical characters. But great delivery from story to character development.

For a character like Madoka, for a girl like Madoka, pretty typical for me. She’s really made up of sugar, and everything nice, but little spice. Really fine character. And a best friend? Sayaka is good, too. Nothing worth complaining about. Sayaka is apparently the best one I like among everyone though in terms of being realistic. Sayaka is confused (like any person would be), Sayaka is going mad (at least I would), Sayaka is disgusted by self being inhuman (who wouldn’t?), and Sayaka dies the worst way of dying, leaving nothing behind but pain. Then there’s also Homura. A mysterious girl, and a black, long hair. Pretty much, my type. I, most of the time, like the badass the most, and it’s Homura, pretty much. Kyube’s kind of a badass for being emotionless (same with Homura), and there’s also the weird, blunt, tomboyish Kyouko – but Homura all the way! Mysterious? Check. Actually a person with a heart? Check. Has a black, and a very long hair? Check. She’s just my type! There’s also Mami. And . . . Hmmm . . . Think she’s only useful for fan service. I mean, just look at her! Too much on the goody, two shoes side that she’s actually a person with less perception, compared to Homura.

Enjoyment: 9.5/10

I really enjoyed this show! Well, it’s pretty typical to actually say that when you’re actually enjoying it or actually pretending to be, but would I say that I really took my time to make the summary? I mean, that’s a thousand words! I barely do these kinds of things. But, ha, what really is worth mentioning is how they rip you into pieces when you see the ending. It’s like they’re trying to see if you’re mind is going to explode or twist into a screw. But, sad to say, there were times when it was taking too much of its time that kidn of disappoints me, still, you can’t deny the fact that you enjoyed it as well as I did.

 

ED:「Magia」by Kalafina – I’ve been starting to like rock songs these days, and definitely, I fell in love with this song the moment they put it in show. Although I have to say, it is quite unusual to be in a mahou shoujo. The animation is pretty fine, but kind of unique. I like it in a way.