Mar 7, 2012
Ah, Madoka. A short anime, yet one that seems to have affected many people within such a short time span. I doubt we've seen a magical girl series this talked-about since Sailor Moon. As a magical girl fan since childhood, I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into the ever-popular Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica.
Story
If you want an anime that sticks firmly to your plot, then Madoka should be right up your alley. It rarely strays from the task at hand, and is always focused on what is happening. There are many plot twists and interesting notes that keep the viewers guessing, and can even
...
keep you the edge of your seat. There were some plot twists I admit I guessed already, but you'd be hard pressed to guess them all in this series.
I must also praise Madoka for its pacing. Somehow, everything seems to tie in at the right moments in the series, and it even wraps up nicely in the end. I don't think I've ever seen an anime with every scene so carefully placed then this one.
Art
I have to admit, I was initially attracted to the moe designs. They were really cute, and I was expecting such nice cuteness to develop in the series.
No dice.
Not to say that that's a negative, because that is actually a plus. Expect a very dark series that uses strange abstract backgrounds to make a scene really pop out at you or even scare you. The "witches" are one of the most beautifully detailed parts in the series, as they are where this abstract animation appears. Their worlds are unique to each and every one of them, and it's always interesting to see what trouble they will sprout for the characters next. The animation itself is also fluid and nice. Again, everything seems to be taken care of nicely, thus the studio did a nice job on this front as well.
Sound
I have to say that even as I praise what is above, nothing is better than the music in Madoka. From the opening song of the entire anime (which later becomes the ending), "Magia", to the emotional opening "Connect," this anime has an amazing soundtrack. There are a lot of pieces that add to the emotional turmoil of the scene, and make a scene like a transformation all the more...."magical," for lack of a better word. If you are on the fence with Madoka, I heavily suggest at least trying it out for its OST.
Character
And with that, the praise train abruptly wrecks, because we are at, in my opinion, what Madoka did the most poorly out of everything in the show. It really is a shame, because I was expecting much more out of the characters, but in the end, they seemed extremely shallow to me and unlikable. And, worst of all, in the center of that is Madoka, herself, who is probably one of the most irritating protagonists I've ever had the treat to watch, and by far the worst character in the show. It's not that her character becomes irritating; in fact, I liked Madoka in the beginning. But I was surprised by how much her character DIDN'T change throughout the series. Until around the second to last episode of the series, she was still "hunky dory happy sunshine fun times." Which I don't usually mind, but this is a series that isn't "hunky dory happy sunshine fun times." Bad things happen to these girls. Often. And you'd expect Madoka's character to harden, and become stronger as a result? No. Instead, she cries and cries in just about every episode after three. Sometimes, MULTIPLE times within an episode. And continues to insist that everyone should have "peace, love and happiness." Yeah okay Madoka.
It doesn't help it that the rest of the cast is at the same level of unlikeable. All the characters are pretty much cut board cut outs of tropes, but even when they grow past that, it is much too late. I can honestly say I never cared about Sayaka, the reckless hyperactive friend of Madoka, or her storyline; and Homura, the quiet assistant of Madoka, can be irritating in her own ways. I personally felt like her episode to explain her past came by much too late in the series, as I was already beyond caring. It didn't help that I found her countless "interruptions" in fights or important scenes annoying as well (regardless of her powers). The only likable character isn't around long enough for you to develop an attachment to her either.
Enjoyment
And I must say that the characters really dragged down my enjoyment of the series as well, because this show LOVES to take these cutesy characters and do horrible things to them. Thus, when bad things happened, I was pretty indifferent, and didn't really care about it at all. I found myself rushing to the end as well, because I was really ready to be done with this show. This was very disappointing, because the music and story are all well done.
Overall
To throw all these points together, Madoka is a decent show that tries some great new things, but is also in need of improvement. Is it a good show? Definitely. Is it a great show? Er....that one's up for debate.
Final Scores
Story: 8/10
Art: 8/10
Sound: 10/10
Character: 3/10
Enjoyment: 4/10
OVERALL: Madoka's a 6 out of 10 in my book. Good show, but has flaws that took over the enjoyment of the anime.
Thank you very much for taking your time to read my review.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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