Ranked #33

Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica Movie 2: Eien no Monogatari

The TV anime Puella Magi Madoka Magica took the anime world by storm when it came out last year. What was supposed to be a vapid, plotless “healing magical girl anime” turned out to be a storytelling masterpiece. Much to the delight of fans like me, this year, Shaft adapted the TV series into two new movies. But being film adaptations, are the movies actually of any value?

First, let’s be clear, the two Madoka movies do not tell any new stories different from the original TV anime. However, that doesn’t mean the two movies have no value, for they are by no means mere recaps of the original series. Except for the plot, everything – visuals, music, voice acting, directing, etc. – everything you can name has been extensively revamped.

Take the visuals for example. Most, if not all, of the scenes have been redrawn and reanimated – the backgrounds grander and more dynamic, the movements smoother, and all the drawing imperfections and animation mistakes fixed. The results are breathtaking. Time and time again, I found myself inadvertently silenced by the beauty and vividness on the screen.

The movies also boast a good number of new tracks by Kajiura Yuki, some of which are remixes/rearrangements of tracks from the original anime, and a few are new compositions entirely. If you know anything about Kajiura Yuki, I probably don’t have to tell you how amazing the new soundtrack is. At the same time, the new tracks also set a different feel for the anime.

Even the lines have been re-recorded. I cannot compare how the voice acting is done in the movie to how it is done in the original series, but I can tell you that in every scene of the movie, the voice acting is always real and compelling. I myself was definitely pulled deeper into the story thanks to the voice actors’/actresses’ part.

Of course, not every change made for a stronger story presentation. Transitions are not always the best, and some important scenes from the TV anime had to be cut out. The added grandeur and drama in the cinematography also sometimes end up working against the story instead. Still there are some changes that neither strengthen nor detract from the story presentation. Nevertheless, the stunning visuals, the soul-hauntingly beautiful music, the emotional grit of the voice acting, and clever editing all come together nicely, sustaining the flow and impact of the story.

When all’s said and done, the differences between the movies and the original series really aren’t that great. But for returning fans, hardcore or not, even these tiny, subtle changes make the movies worth watching. Through such changes in pacing, in cinematography, in animation and music, and in a small number of tiny additional scenes, Shaft has masterfully presented us with a slightly but meaningfully different perspective and feel of the Madoka story. So while it is not essential to watch the two movies to enjoy Madoka Magica – the original anime is still the core production – do try watching the movies if you ever want to revisit that fantastical and cruel world which came to your doorsteps over a year ago, in the form of a cute, white, cuddly animal.
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Note: This is a review for both part one and two.

Airing in the Winter 2010 Season (Starting in January of 2011), Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica was met with critical acclaim and gained a lot of popularity in the west and Japan due to its ambitious and thought provoking storyline hidden behind its frilly pink dresses. Shaft were a very popular studio before hand with hits like Bakemonogatari and Hidamari Sketch. But Madoka Magica's popularity exceeded even them. Because of it's success, Shaft decided to expand upon it by creating a trilogy of movies based on the series. The first two movies (Which I'm reviewing) are a recap of the series with new animation, re recorded dialogue and some new scenes. I've already reviewed the series so this review will be about the differences between both versions.

The basic story remains the same between the two versions. Madoka Kaname and Sayaka Miki meet Mami Tomoe, a magical girl. Along with her is a cat like companion named Kyubey. Kyubey says that he wants them to make contracts to become magical girls. As the story progresses, it becomes very clear that there is something different about Madoka Magica. And then the tone drastically changes turning it from slice of life with a little bit of supernatural into psychological horror with a very unique take on supernatural powers.

The movie does suffer a little plot wise compared to the TV version. The pacing doesn't work quite as well with the movie format. Some scenes move too quickly and some move too slowly. Although I have to give Shaft credit for not removing any major plot details. The reason this movie works as an alternative to watching the show is because it makes perfect sense on its own. Not many recap movies can do that. Death Note's recap movies tried to condense 37 episodes into 2 movies. Needles to say, they cut out a lot of important plot details and it made no sense on its own. 'Death and Rebirth of Evangelion' fairs even worse with 24 episodes condensed into just an hour. Even with the show that movie made no sense. Madoka on the other hand is a perfect alternative to the show. While the pacing is better in the show, everything is covered in the movie. If you have limited time or you just don't feel like watching the show, you won't lose too much if watch the movies first.

Now onto the art. Ume Aoki's Hidamari Sketch esque art style helps to hide its dark side in the early parts while not being entirely ill fitting when it becomes darker in the later parts. The animation has also had a big step up in quality to fit the higher budget for the movies. You won't find any 'Meduka' animation or extra fingers in this. This movie's art and animation is absolutely flawless. Yes that's right. I just called the animation in a Shaft production flawless. The character models in general also have some extra detail put into them. Sayaka's hair pins have had some minor changes but it's nothing to write home about. There are also some minor changes in the design of the city and the witches Labyrinths. A few scenes also have some minor cosmetic changes but once again, it's nothing to write home about. But the new transformation sequences need to be mentioned. Visually, they were already stunning in the show. But the movie turns in up a notch with some very elaborate sequences. Mami's in particular was jaw dropping. The new animation is one of the biggest draws and rightfully so. While it's not the best I've seen with a movie budget, it still looks amazing. Easily the best looking Shaft animation has ever looked.

Another one of the big draws is the new soundtrack. Madoka Magica is what I consider to be Yuki Kajiura's best work. It's mix of choirs singing gibberish, ominous strings, hard rock, Jpop and classical music worked perfectly in every scene. The movies improve on the soundtrack by using more fitting music in some scenes and adding new music into parts that were previously silent. Hearing the score booming through the cinema speakers is a thrilling experience to say the least. The opening is 'Luminous' by the Jpop duo ClariS who also performed the opening for the show. This has to be the only time I've ever gotten goosebumps by just watching the opening sequence. Hell, I got goosebumps again at the start of the second movie when they played it again. Also scattered throughout the two movies are new songs from the group Kalafina who performed the show's ending theme. A remix of Credens Justitiam (Or 'Mami's theme) with Japanese lyrics, A remix of 'Magia' with some added instrumentation as the ending them for the first movie and 'Hikari Furu' the ending theme for Movie 2. Overall an amazing soundtrack that improves even further on the already superb score for the show.

Since I've already discussed it in my actual review, there's not much point in talking about the characters since there aren't many differences. However, the movies have some flaws compared to the TV show. Mami's backstory has been removed completely. Her importance in the show was questionable as it was but the removal of her backstory highlights this flaw even more. The reason this is a flaw is because it became even more apparent that she didn't matter all that much in the grand scheme of things. Sure, she triggers the change in tone but the fact that she's so insignificant in the movies is problem. Overall, the characters are the same as the show. However, the change in pacing means that some characters are focussed upon a bit more than in the show. I felt a bit more attached to Madoka than in the show. The characters in the show are great and they remain mostly the same in the movies. Not much else needs to be said.

Overall, these movies are a solid retelling of one of the best anime series in the past few years. If you liked the show, watch it. The new animation and music are a real treat and not just a gimmick. If you haven't seen the show, watch the show then watch the movies. Or you could just watch one or the other. What you take from this movie boils down to personal preference. Maybe you prefer the quicker pace of the movies. Or, like me, you could prefer the slower pacing of the show. While I think the movie is slightly inferior to the TV series, it's a great recap of one of my all time favourites with some interesting improvements which make it stick out from the TV show. If you like Madoka, watch it. If you don't like it, don't watch it. If you like the series (Or haven't seen it yet) and you're lucky enough for this movie to be screened in your neck of the woods, I highly recommend you go see it. read more