Ever since it first premièred back in 2011, "Madoka Magica" has been notorious for changing the way we view the magical girl genre forever, adding a very dark twist that, at the time, was practically unheard of. As someone who was unable to enjoy the likes of "Sailor Moon" or "Cardcaptor Sakura", I consider this series a big breath of life into a genre that was previously known for being childish and monotonous, even if it is definitely not easy on the feels.
Story (8/10):
The story opens with our heroine Madoka Kaname having a mysterious dream about a black-haired girl fighting strange creatures. Even more mysteriously, that same dark-haired girl (named Houmra Akemi) comes to Madoka's school the next day as a transfer student and seems to know her very well, despite Madoka having no memory of her. Not long after this, Madoka and her friend Sayaka Miki encounter a strange creature called Kyubey, who wishes to form a contract with them. Simply put, they become Magical Girls and fight mysterious creatures called witches and he in turn will grant them one wish, whatever it may be.
Sounds simple enough on paper, but the reality is actually a lot more complicated. We've all heard the saying "Be careful what you wish for", right? Well, never has that had a stronger meaning than it does here, as soon enough the girls discover the consequences of their wishes and how empty and nihilistic the life of a Magical Girl really is. Further complicating matters is the fact that Kyubey isn't what he appears to be and is prone to withdrawing important information. And, needless to say, the amount of pain the girls go through over the series' twelve episodes is downright heartbreaking to watch.
The dark twists are plentiful, which is expected since the writer is none other than Gen Urobuchi. The creators even went through the trouble of having a really cute ending theme for the first two episodes, just to make the sudden change in tone in the third episode as shocking as possible. There isn't a whole lot I can say as nearly everything is a major spoiler, so I'll just say that while not an awful lot happens, the story manages to hold itself together all the way up to a rewarding conclusion.
Art & Animation (8/10):
The art, for a lack of a better word, is strange. The girls all look pretty cutesy, appearing to be ten when they're actually teenagers. This feels out of place when the story starts to fall into dark territory, as the character models look very ill-fitting for such a dark series. Thankfully, this is made up for by the witch labyrinths, which, to be perfectly honest, made me think drugs were involved when they were designing the series. Seriously, the visuals when they're in a labyrinth are absolutely insane, with everything besides the characters themselves becoming a wild collage of symbols and strange creatures that symbolize the Witch and her obsessions. They are downright disturbing and look very unique.
Sound & Dialogue (9/10):
The soundtrack is fantastic, as expected from Yuki Kajiura. It's best described as orchestral with a few electric tracks here and there. As I mentioned before, the ending theme abruptly changes when the show reveals its true colours, and the new ending theme, 'Magia', sums up everything about the series perfectly. Other tracks that deserve mentions include 'A Duel with a Witch', 'You Should be a Magical Girl' and 'Decision', though that is definitely just to name a few. The voice acting and dialogue aren't bad either, with Christina Vee and Christine Marie Cabanos delivering great performances as Homura and Madoka, although Sarah Williams, Lauren Landa and Carrie Keranen are all very good as well. All in all, the absolute highlight of the series.
Characters (8/10):
We'll start with Madoka. While the series is known for being a deconstruction, Madoka herself is a deconstruction as well. Specifically, she's a deconstruction of the typical magical girl protagonist. Her personality is actually quite common for the genre, but what's uncommon is the fact that these traits are handled in a much more realistic fashion. Magical Girls don't just fight witches. They also fight each other sometimes, and Madoka is horrified by this as she considers it to be senseless. While this certainly isn't a bad thing, the others unfortunately either don't care or view it as a cold, hard fact of life. So, for once, the one who wants everyone to co-operate is also the one who nobody listens to. She also clearly has self-esteem issues, as she wants to become a Magical Girl because she views herself as otherwise weak and unremarkable. The poor girl just wants everyone to be happy, but trying to do anything to help would also mean having to throw her life away.
But let's be honest, the real stand-out character here has got to be Homura, who is, in many ways, Madoka's opposite. She has been a Magical Girl for, well, a very long time and so has seen it all. This has caused her to develop a very cynical personality, which is best summed up with this quote:
"A person becomes naïve if they're too kind. Careless if they're too bold. And no matter how hard you try to protect others, there's no gratitude. Those who can't comprehend such things aren't fit to be Magical Girls."
Basically, she knows the horrors of being a Magical Girl but since there's no going back for her, she just accepts it. And you really cannot blame her considering what she's been through. She starts off seemingly emotionless, but then we suddenly see her crying out of frustration in episode 8, having had enough of Madoka acting like she doesn't matter. Then we see her backstory in episode 10 and suddenly it all makes sense. I usually prefer really nice characters like Madoka, so for me Houmra is living proof that sometimes the anti-hero is simply the better character.
The other girls are all very likeable as well, and all are forced to endure a huge amount of suffering. Sayaka deserves a special mention. She really wants to become a Magical Girl who helps others, as she views others as selfish people who only use their power for themselves. Unfortunately, no matter what she tries, she can't seem to accomplish anything and the wish she makes ultimately ends up being for nothing. Eventually, the pressure gets far too much for her and... well, we won't get into that.
Enjoyment (7.5/10):
The torment the characters go through can get pretty excessive at times. Gen Urobuchi has never been known for being fair with your feelings and that is shown to the fullest extent here. I've seen quite a few people who just got sick of the whole thing, as at times the world seems to exist just to psychologically torture its characters until they break. That being said, if you can get past that, you will find a very emotional ride, with a few really epic fight scenes.
Overall:
"Madoka Magica" has brought a stale genre straight out of its shell. If you didn't like typical magical girl series, then this is one you should definitely give a go, especially if you're a big fan of female characters like I am. Just make sure you'll be able to handle it, or at least have a box of tissues nearby. All in all, Gen Urobuchi delivers as usual. For more on "Madoka Magica", check out my review for the sequel movie, "Rebellion".
Score:
8+8+9+8+7.5=40.5/50=8.1/10
