Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica Movie 1: Hajimari no Monogatari

A number of things come to mind when thinking of the mahou shoujo genre. Friendship, frilly dresses, cute young girls, and equally cute mascots ... what more could a young female audience ask for?

All of these of these things are prevalent within Madoka★Magica. And yet there's no anime quite like it.

Back in 2011, Madoka★Magica took the anime industry by surprise with a decidedly mature take on an otherwise lighthearted genre. Important characters die in brutal fashion. They struggle with the concept of right-and-wrong, that 'justice' is arbitrary and often fanciful. The villain is driven not by greed or vengeance, but by rational motives, ... occasionally making you wonder if the girls are the ones you should really be rooting for. It was dark and twisted - it took the tropes of the genre and fed them to the ghouls.

And it was a massive financial success. Enough to spawn a movie adaptation only two years later.

Now, let's be honest - the first thought that came to mind when hearing about these movies was that SHAFT was milking the money cow. TV to movie adaptations don't have the greatest reputation, and really, it's hard to be too surprised by that when comparing the bulk of them to the quality of their source material. So where does that leave Madoka★Magica? Somewhere else entirely. A place where a movie adaptation can not only equal the source material, but surpass it, too.

A glimpse at the art is enough to tell the quality of the movies. It is a beautiful anime to look at, befitting of a full-feature movie and far more than just a copypaste of the TV series. A TV series which, mind you, was marred by subpar animation and technical mistakes in its original broadcast (which have sorta-kinda been fixed in the BluRay release). There are next to no technical mistakes in the movie adaptation, and while the characters' faces could use some more work, SHAFT has put the effort into making the animation flow as well as possible. And that's to speak nothing of the art direction and scenery. Even simple locations like a secondary school are given unique designs (in this case, something resembling a cathedral), while the worlds of the witches are illustrated in some weird clay-like design which mixes in several widely different animation styles. Your eyeballs will be treated to one of the best-looking anime out there.

The pacing also sees a significant amount of improvement. A few lighthearted scenes involving the school teacher (rambling on about not being married-- poor lady) are added in to set a more appropriate atmosphere at the beginning of the story. The dream sequence from the beginning of the TV series has also been removed, which tones the foreshadowing down a notch and makes the big 'shock' scene seem all the more crazy.

It's a little bit odd, though, that SHAFT would make all these improvements and yet not keep in a vital scene for one of the characters. Mami receives no character development, no depth. The scene where she explains her past to Madoka is gone. Erased. And why? It was the only thing that made her seem like a human being and not just a mentor for Madoka and Sayaka. In the movies, she's just that - an archetype and a plot device. For a series which stands out for having well-written and developed characters, I can't for the life of me understand why they would remove such an important scene. It's an unnecessary blemish on an otherwise brilliant story.

The music, much like the art, is exceptional. Rather than simply accompany each scene, the music enhances them. Fights feel tense. Emotional scenes make you want to go and grab a blanket. It's a powerful soundtrack, and even listening to the music weeks or months after will be enough to get those same feelings back. The voice acting is stellar as well, with Kitamura Eri providing an especially commendable role for Sayaka's character.

For those looking to get into the series for the first time, both the TV series and the movies serve as equally valid entry points. I would argue that the movie duology is the better of the two, though, as the cinematic experience makes the climax so much more satisfying. Having only one break in the story does wonders for pacing.

Madoka★Magica is just as great as it's always been. There's no need to make significant changes when the existing formula is already so sound. All the little changes (with one notable exception) are enough to improve the story and make it even better than before. Has all the praise the series received over the past few years been exaggerated? I never thought so.

As much as SHAFT is reaching for our wallets, it doesn't change the fact that the Madoka duology is a solid adaptation of an excellent series. More of the same isn't always a bad thing. Sometimes it's more than enough.

The Puella Magi Madoka Magica franchise is a juggernaut. When it first aired in 2011, the series quickly became popular, appealing to fans around the world with its amazing visuals and suspenseful story. Riding on the success of the original series, Shaft decides to expand on the franchise with a movie trilogy.

Yet, was it needed?

Let's set the record straight: the first two movies cover the same story of the original series. However this is not a simple rehash of the original. It's a bit unfair to use the term "recap" simply because most fans know the story; the movie contains the same events, but everything ... in the film has been revamped. Newcomers will be treated with an amazing experience, and fans will be delighted by the subtle changes. Mostly.

After the first few seconds, it becomes quite clear that Shaft had no intention on simply recycling Blu-ray footage: it's even better. The visuals are absolutely stunning -- these changes extend beyond fixing the infamous "meduka meguca" quality drops; the art is much more polished, the animation is more fluid, and backgrounds are incredibly elaborate. The use of the paper-cut-out style returns, bringing an dynamic contrast between the two worlds. Fortunately, these changes are more than simply cosmetic. I have always praised Shaft for having amazing cinematography and this movie is no exception. Familiar scenes have subtle changes: pans, close ups, dynamic angles, head-tilts. When combined with the directing of Shinbo Akiyuki, all these tweaks enhance the tension and suspense.

Shaft also spent much time reworking the sound design. Compared to the original series, audio plays a more prominent role is establishing the atmosphere. Whispers and footsteps add to the eerie nature of the witch-hunts, while the crashes and explosions add power to the action. Of course, the biggest highlight would have to be the amazing soundtrack. Kajiura Yuki created an amazing score that reflects the magical yet horrific world. And just like the visuals, the movie boasts a few new tracks to please the returning fans.

The most controversial change is the pacing. By switching from a television format (12-episodes, 25 minutes each) to a movie format (120 minutes), the story is definitely accelerated giving a great sense of development and plot progression. The movie covers the first eight episodes of the original. The faster pace works to improve the drama (especially with Sayaka's arc later on) and help give more personality to the characters. However, this change is the Achilles' heel of the movie.

The original series excelled in "shock and awe" tactics. Before airing, there was mysterious nature to the show. The eerie aesthetics and haunting foreshadowing toyed with the audience's expectations in the early episodes, only to dramatically reveal its true nature in a stunning plot twist. By deconstructing the genre and using parallels to Goethe's Faust, it was a roller coaster of madness as the world witnessed the tragedy and downfall of our protagonists. Every week, we were treated with stunning revelations and jaw-dropping cliff-hangers. The pacing was slow yet methodical, only to enhance the suspense and drama. The movie does not have this. The story continuously progresses from scene to scene, granting no time to let it all settle. The audience has no chance to reflect. This isn't to say the movie is incompetent. The experience is all in the story and the directing, but it's clear sacrifices were made. This ultimately boils down to one question: What is the purpose of these movies?

Essentially, these movies are a love-letter to the fans. The enhanced audio and visuals definitely deliver a new experience, though the added benefit is quite minimal. Shaft could have simply reused old footage, but it's clear they chose to make something more. The movie is fantastic as a stand-alone product, but it's hard to critique it without comparing it to the original. Fundamentally, the story is faithful, yet it lacks the same emotional impact of the original. I'm confident that both die-hard fans and newcomers will enjoy this movie. However, for new fans I recommend the anime original instead.

Well, by this time, most avid anime fans probably heard about a series that debuted in 2011 known as Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica (Puella Magi Madoka Magica). It features the traditional theme of magical girls which is nothing new to the anime industry. However, what it presents is something far beyond that after a second look for its presentation of the magical girl theme like never before. It's dark. It's twisted. It's Madoka.

For a movie to be adapted for another run (especially in terms of story retelling), popularity and revenue often comes as one of the reasons. In fact, anime that have been revived in ... recent years for a remake or rerun are not new such as Hunter x Hunter, Gurren Lagann, Berserk, Evangelion, and so on. When that comes to the equation, Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica also becomes part of that formula. Despite being only 12 episodes with the original TV series that ran in 2011, it has achieved tremendous success that resulted in the record breaking sales of its BDs, numerous anime awards being won, and achieved universal praise for its presentation. So obviously, when a TV series of this caliber gets a movie adaptation, I was excited. No, I was more like ecstatic.

The movie covers the first 8 episodes from the original series in recap form. Therefore, don't expect any new plot twists or storytelling alternation in this film. In other words, this isn't a prequel, sequel or side story but rather a recap. This doesn't mean you should skip anything though especially if you want a refreshment of PMMM entertainment. For new viewers, this should be a delightful experience. As for those who have seen the original TV series, the movie should be a reminder of what Madoka really was.

As far as experience goes, the movie itself touches upon what modern technology can do – recreating the style of PMMM to its finest form. In fact, animation itself isn't a term to be used here but rather as a vivid expression of what the movie presents. As for starters, the tone of the movie is lighthearted. There's no change to Madoka's character from the original series as she remains her usual self. Easily recognizable by her round face and pigtail-like ribbons, she is obviously still the star of the movie. Then, there's of course the mysterious Homura who transfers to Madoka's school. As a new student, she's obviously the talk of the class. Her character remains generally the same and fills the void of the show with its mysterious tones such as the question:

“Do you treasure the life you currently live?”

From a magical girl theme stance, the question spells out a darker mood of the realm. It explores aspects of the magical girl genre like never before. Chiwa Saito (Bakemonogatari, Last Exile, Strawberry Panic) plays her role brilliantly as Hormura as she draws not only Madoka towards her character but the viewers as well. Coming from the TV series, the infamous Kyuubeymakes his return. As the familiar of the magical world, he can grant any wish to a certain girl, on the condition that she becomes a Puella Magi and fights against witches. For fans who are already familiar with him, it's nostalgic. But for new viewers, this is an experience to see just how dark his character can be. Other characters makes their reappearances too of course like Mami and Sayaka.

The story pacing itself is designed to fit within this movie in a span of more than 2 hours. (2 hours and 10 minutes to be exact) In other words, 8 episodes from the original TV series had to be fit into this presentation. It's no easy task especially that means some parts would have to be cut out. Perhaps most imperative of these parts involves Mami and her character. Otherwise, one other particular with a big appetite gets more screen time than I had thought which bought a big smile to my face.

Then, there's the magical transformation from a normal girl into a Puella Magi to fight the witches. The transformation itself is fluid with a strong OST to back it up. Yuki Kajiura's work is recognizable here with her style. The action itself is also colored with fantasy like atmosphere enhanced by the visual direction of this film. Indeed, it looks sharp. Shaft also adapts its style of presentation through its easily recognizable work. With a magical staff, gun, and determination, these girls can do just about anything.

The themes of solitude and despair also remains intact in the film. As mentioned by Kyuubey, the magical girls represents the spread of hope while the witches are the symbols of despair. That part comes with the tears running down on the face of Madoka after a startling revelation. It's amazing how almost every little detail gets captured though in this film. Shaft wastes no time with this adaptation to visually present this at its finest imagery. The voices of the characters captures the mood as well. In the beginning, Madoka has that cheery atmosphere surrounding her. On the other hand, Homura shows more of the darkness of the magical world. Then, there's of course Mami that represents a balance of both in a way. I give praise to the voice actors and actresses in their roles for an outstanding performance.

For character designs, there's that sense of magical girl feeling. The way they are dressed shows they are serious in fighting the witches just like from the original TV series. For new viewers, Kyuubey will be the surprising twist behind that emotionless smile. The city and its magical realm contrasts greatly in designs that shifts between the world of the real and the surreal. In fact, that fantasy world represents a surrealist sense of despair that also conjures emotions. Of course, there's emotions here and there especially since the responsibility of being a Mahou Shoujo is never easy, not once in this film. As for the witches, they are designed to be evil without remorse. Their visual representation seems to be sarcastic with their simple designs. However, make no mistake as they are the harbingers of despair.

Ultimately, this film may have a different impression depending on how you watch it. Obviously, not every single second from the original series will be presented in this work. However, what it has brings refreshment to fans of the PMMM franchise. It takes that magical girl theme and gives it to viewers once again with style. What it might lack though is new additions (such as new material inserted in) since this is a recap..but clearly, this can be supported by the OST, atmosphere, and mood of the movie. The original series had that as well so this is a pleasant refreshment. The production values are probably the strengths along with the powerful soundtrack. (make sure to turn the volume all the way up with headphones!) No random fan service, no forced humor, no stupidity, no still animations, no regrets. It's more than just a recap. It's a magical experience. ／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼

I highly recommend newcomers to Madoka Magica to watch the regular anime series first before watching the movies. (Spoiler-free review)

Okay, now that I've said that let me explain. If you haven't already heard, the first two Madoka Magica movies are mostly recaps of the regular t.v. series with some added/modified scenes. I recently finished the series subbed and re-watched it dubbed. Before watching the 3rd Madoka movie which continues the story, I decided to watch the first 2 movies to avoid missing anything (I know, I'm crazy). The recap movies are great in their own right, but I would argue that it is mainly because ... it adapts an already great series. Other than the upgraded art and animation, I would argue that the t.v. series is superior in every way. The first two movies are great, but the series is just better.

THE BAD
Actually, not that bad. However, some of the changes in the movie make the series a better way to experience Madoka. One unavoidable change is the various cuts that the movie had to make in order to adapt the 12 episode series into 2 movies. A newcomer would be none the wiser, but to me the movie felt a bit rushed. There wasn't enough time for the viewer to soak in the plot twists or emotional moments. The anime series is fairly devoid of anything unnecessary to begin with so some movie cuts actually get rid of good character development and back story. Even when the essence of a scene remain in the movie, cuts make some scenes slightly rushed and lessen its impact.

This brings me to my other main complaint which is the decision to change the soundtrack for parts of the movie. This ruined what I consider one of the most beautiful scenes in the show (a little over half way through episode 7). The perfect syncing of the music to the visuals in the series version can be called nothing less than art. The movie fails considerably in comparison. Such a change was a clear mistake in my opinion.

THE GOOD
Luckily, the bad is overall not that bad but merely bad in comparison to the series. One thing that the recap movies did better was adding detail to the animation. On more than one occasion I consciously noted how pretty the animation was. There was one scene where I felt like the more detailed art actually detracted from the focus of the scene, but overall the movie excelled in the animation. The series isn't bad, but the movies overall did better in this department.

BOTTOM LINE
I enjoyed watching the recap movies and even preferred one scene from the 2nd movie to the original equivalent. However, due to the pacing and music choices, I highly recommend watching the series first and then watching the recaps as either a refresher or if you're a hardcore fan. It's enjoyable enough seeing the better art and other slight changes. However, I didn't notice anything essential that is unique to the recap movies and thus one could very easily go straight from the series to the 3rd movie.

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.

Disclaimer: Have you not seen the series nor movie I heavily advise you not to read this, as even without spoilers it could very well more or less ruin the experience for you.

“Watashi... Honto Baka...” - Miki Sayaka

As the first and second movie pretty much exactly follows the story and events of the original series, (which I’ve already written a review of) this review will more or less consist of comparisons between the series and movie, with some added thoughts.

Story: (9 / 10)
The story of the first movie is basically a “recap” of the first 8 episodes of the series, with some added scenes. Though ... obviously, because this movie is about 40 minutes short of the original screen time, and has new scenes, some other scenes would have to be cut. This results in a slightly faster pace, which of course isn’t necessarily bad. However, in this case the biggest problem is that (as many have said before me) because we lack some of the buildup around the characters, some moments also have less of an emotional impact.
What little is actually added through the two or three completely new scenes, or the reworked scenes from the series is easily counterbalanced by the things which are left out. This basically meant that while they’re not really explaining less stuff, they’re not really giving any additional explanation on things either (not that I personally thought it was necessary, but you know...).

I’d like to say this is the main reason the story does not receive a 10 here, but in the end I’d probably have to say that the first movie can’t live up to the original series’ story, because the later parts of the series is where the story really shines.

Art: (10 / 10)
Now, this is one of the big points of the movies. Instead of simply reusing the old Blu-Ray footage, Shaft decided to reanimate the whole thing, which ultimately lead to the art quality being brought to a whole other level. The animations are as fluid as ever (with the oh so memorable “over-the-shoulder head tilt that seems so iconic from a lot of Shaft series), the backgrounds are even more detailed than before, and the overall art is just fantastic. Granted, unless you really pay attention to it, you probably won’t notice that much of a difference from the original series. There are new scenes, most of which are just scenery at first, but some of them are different angles of old scenes, or completely new locations and whatnot. If you really payed attention to it, you’d also notice that a lot of stuff in the backgrounds have been moved around, or there have been more things added. One of the most prominent examples of this (and something that sort of bugged me a bit) is the fact there are chairs, everywhere.

Seriously, I just can’t comprehend what is up with all these random chairs placed in every bedroom in the entire movie... And especially not while 5 of them are placed in a semi-circle, all facing Sayaka’s bed... It’s just weird to say the least.

In any case, the movie has its own opening sequence, which I quite liked actually. Fans of the original series will surely feel the emotions that wanted to be conveyed with this, while newcomers will probably enjoy it just as much as the original opening sequence, if not more.

Sound: (9 / 10)
It’s not something I’ve confirmed myself, but I would assume that all the dialog (or atleast a lot of it) is re-recorded. However, even with this and the new scenes (which obviously bring new dialog) I can’t really say the voice acting outshines the series, but it’s not really worse either.

What drags it down from a 10 for me though, is the changes made to the soundtrack and background music. First we have the opening theme, “Luminous” by ClariS; I quite liked it, but wouldn’t really say it outshines “Connect”.
The thing you’ll really notice though, is the severe decrease of use of the song “Magia” by Kalafina. In fact, it’s only played once (during the ED, and then it’s the “Quattro” version), except for one time where I THINK there’s some sort of orchestral arrangement of it played instead. I really felt this was too bad, to be honest, as it kinda takes away from the epicness of some of the scenes.

A lot of the OST seems to have stayed the same (again, I don’t really notice bgm unless it’s rather prominent) but the ones I could hear were changed, I’m not sure if I actually liked. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the songs themselves, I’m just not sure if I think it was a good idea to replace the old OST. Sometimes though, they did use both the old, and newer versions of a song. For example, there are two transformation scenes in which “Credens Justitiam” (character theme of Mami) play; in the first one the original song plays, but the second time a slightly different version plays (and I think this one might actually have real japanese lyrics... might be wrong on this one, though). In this case I thought it was fine, and the change in sound isn’t really anything that’ll drag the score down all too much at this point, really, but it’s certainly something you’ll notice.

Characters: (9 / 10)
Characters stay at roughly the same score as the original series, because there isn’t really enough change in the writing to alter any of the characters or their personalities. Obviously there’s also the fact that not all characters have had their backstory told yet (as that comes in later episodes), but I’m pretty sure a certain character had her backstory cut.
As mentioned earlier, there’s also that “lesser emotional impact” which ties in very closely with the fact that a lot of scenes were cut out, and thus you’re not really getting the same chance to relate to, or connect with a character. But still, characters are mostly kept intact, so there’s really not much to say about this.

Enjoyment: (9 / 10)
I liked the movie quite a bit, but I’m not sure how I’d compare it to the series. Comparing it to the entire series, it obviously wouldn’t be as good, but even just comparing to the first 8 episodes (on which it is based), I still think the movie did somewhat of a better job. Now, I’m certainly not saying the movie is bad (in fact, I felt a lot like rewatching Madoka Magica, and I think the movie has done a good job in satisfying my needs so far), and I certainly think the faster pace will be of benefit to a lot of people, since the original beginning is quite slow. However, there’s still the problem with some of the cut scenes and whatnot.

I quite liked how cutting out the opening sequence of the series, and some of the other changes early in the movie leads to a more well done approach to leading the viewer to believe it’s just another “cute” anime.

Conclusion:
The art and sound quality sure have gotten an improvement, but I think this is too subtle of a change to actually have a big impact on your viewing experience if you’ve already seen the original series. Again, I think the slightly faster pace of the movie might be better for a lot of people who thought the series was too slow, but overall I still prefer the series, and would recommend it to most people.

Pros:
+ Improved art quality.
+ New and remade scenes.
+ Slightly improved sound quality & VA.
+ Slightly faster pace (if you had a problem with the slow beginning of the series).
+ Better at portraying the “cute” part of the show, raising shock factor.
-----------------------
Cons:
- Most changes are a bit too subtle to have a big impact.
- Lots of cut scenes lead to less of an impact during some moments.
- Even with the new scenes, it doesn’t really expand on anything.
- Changed the soundtrack (this is obviously the most subjective one, but in my opinion I didn’t like it all too much).

I had already seen the original 13 episode anime series for Madoka Magica. It was pretty good (I'd give it an 8) and was expecting to see pretty much a re cap of the series for the movie. The movie blew me away! The main reason why the movie was so good was because of the art style. The artistic rendition of the witches' labyrinths were amazing! You could tell that the animators really put a lot of work into the remake of this series. They really upped the art to a really fantastic level! As well, I feel like the movie built up some ... of the characters more then the anime did. You were able to see a additional scenes that were not in the anime that gave some of the characters, such as Akemi, some more screen time. The music was great. The music was great in the anime, but it was well utilized and was put in to accent situations very well. All in all, whether you have watched the full series or not this movie is definitely worth your time. It brings the story to a new dimension and is a visual masterpiece.

I don't think that I'm lying when I say that Puella Magi Madoka Magica is one of the most prolific series to have premiered in the 2010's, and here in compilation form it doesn't disappoint. With the third movie (and true sequel) coming out in 2013, I figured that it was high time to watch these.

(Much like every other review here, I'll put up a disclaimer: I'm going to avoid spoilers, but take into account that if you're reading this, you have enough familiarity with the original anime to know exactly what you're getting into. And since I really don't want to rehash how ... I feel about the TV show, I'm just going to put down my impressions from the movie itself.)

Story (9/10): It's amazing that they were able to cram 8 very detailed episodes into this movie. Honestly, it doesn't feel like anything has been left out, yet they made the entire plot move smoothly throughout. While there's some stuff cut out here and there (primarily they cut out the dream that Madoka has at the beginning of episode 1, which is a big slice of forshadowing), there are little bits added, so as not to feel completely the same.

While it's hard to go into any kind of discussion about the plot, since the minute you hit the 50 or so minute mark (or episode 3), I can say that if you've never seen the show itself, you can't do any better than catching the whole story here.

Art (9/10): Shaft bumped up the production values on the series and it's just gorgeous. All of the action scenes are great, the characters look pretty, all of the witches barriers (and other certain scenes) are even creepier, and it's just all around great.

I will say, though, that Shaft needs to chill out on the architecture porn. (I mean really, look at that roof fencing! XD)

Sound (9/10): While we get snippets of the main theme of the series, Connect, there was a new theme at the beginning called Luminous that was pretty good. The background music was just as effective in all of it's scenes and helped carry the weight of the movie along. There's also the Magica theme at the end, so fans of that ending song can enjoy it too.

Character (9/10): Much like the story section, it's hard to go into full detail about any of the characters here. I still love this cast for being so complex, and it almost sounds like they had the seiyuu come in and record new lines for the characters, since they sound even more emotional now than before. And that's a huge bonus since it puts so much more into the story.

But like I said, it's hard to discuss here without total spoilers. ;) And we've only seen 8 episodes worth, so it's that last 4 that will really draw you in...

Enjoyment (9/10): I love this series, so this movie was a great way to catch up again. I was drawn in again to what was happening on screen and was hooked the whole way through. If there's one problem that the movie has, it's that it's a tad bit too long. I almost wish that it had ended it at where episode 6 ended, but I do realize why they didn't. It's just the one nitpick that I had total, so all in all it was a good movie.

Plus it ends on one of the most Wham-tastic lines of the whole show. You gotta love that.

Even being as infamous as it is, PMMM: The Beginning Story is a good cover of the first 2/3rds of the show. It's damn pretty and the story is just as good as it was when watching the original 12 episodes. Take the time out of your day to give this a watch and I'll see you all over in The Eternal Story for more.

Madoka was one of my early reviews. And it's a series I still have a great fondness for. That being said, I never watched the films because they seemed like retreads of the series. But it's been long enough since I last saw it that I might as well delve in. Plus I'm watching something fairly long for the last review of January so I need something shorter.

Story:

Kaname Madoka is an ordinary enough girl. She hangs out with her best friends, Sayaka & Hitomi. She goes to school, has chats with her family and just has a bogstandard normal life. That is until her school ... gets a new transfer student, Akemi Homura. Homura gives Madoka a vague warning about not changing and, shortly afterwards, Madoka encounters Kyuubey. This strangely creepy looking "cute" character offers contracts to both her and Sayaka. Become magical girls and get a wish granted. 

Honestly, this film is a retread for the first two thirds of the Madoka series. There are some differences but the big plot points are the same. Including the stuff with Mami, Kyouko and Sayaka's arc. The film actually ends when she's undergoing her second transformation and Kyuubey gives his ominous line about the nature of magical girls. 

Honestly, this is a bit of a problem for me. I get that the Madoka series is very dense and getting through the meat of all twelve episodes in one two hour film isn't plausible. But I also think that the stopping point comes across as far too sequel-baity. It's one thing to let the audience know there's more to come. It's quite another to end on a really sinister note. It also does have the same issue as that Nanoha film where it doesn't really offer anything new. Although, given how much ground it covers, the second two films pretty much have to. So, that's good to know. And the story-telling is really strong with subversive elements that are very cleverly handled. 

Characters:

This is one of those franchises where the characters are just excellently written. With the major ones having strong back stories that help flesh them out and the supporting characters having enough to them to have verisimilitude. For example, there's a really strong scene where Madoka just has a heart to heart with her mum and a lesser, but still good scene where Sayaka and Hitomi sit down for a somewhat serious discussion. 

I also do appreciate the way the film hints at Homura's true motivations. I suspect the next film will actually showcase them, but the foreshadowing is really damn good. 

Art:

I'm still not fond of the way the human characters are drawn in this franchise. I can appreciate Kyuubey's creep eyes. I also really like the witch battles. The landscapes they come up with for them are inventive and have a strong sense of the surreal. As do the witches themselves. This franchise is very good at using its art to convey specific moods and when it wants to show you something unsettling or creepy, it does it very well. 

Sound:

You can't fault the cast. Saito Chiwa, Yuuki Aoi, Nonaka Ai, Kitamura Eri, Mizuhashi Kaori & Katou Emiri are all superb. The music is very atmospheric and powerfully put together. Kajiura Yuki deserves a lot of credit. 

Ho-yay:

The early MadoHomu stuff is already pretty damn blatant. I can also tell why so many people are fans of Kyouko with Sayaka, since they do have interactions that could easily lead to that. 

Areas of Improvement:

Don't end on that big of a cliffhanger. Will it get people to see the sequel? yes. Is it a classy move? Not remotely. 
More detailed character design. This franchise as a whole would benefit from that. 
Let us spend a bit more time with Mami. It would make a certain event more impactful. 

Final Thoughts:

Is this film worth watching if you've already seen the franchise? Not really. It doesn't offer anything new. Most likely the two sequels do diverge and may or may not be worth getting into. But this is more a retread to establish the important events from the series for people who haven't seen the series proper or for those who just want to sit down and watch a film trilogy. It's still a great film with the strengths of the franchise intact. As such, I'll give it an 8/10. 

Foreward
I started watching anime religiously three years ago. Upon entering the world of anime, I was introduced to Puella Magi Madoka Magica, an unassuming magical girl anime that gradually loses all the fun and cuddliness of typical shows of the genre, opting instead for vast quantities of depression, sadness, and depravity. At the time, I thought it was the best fucking thing I’d ever seen. It combined cute girls with a horribly dark story and setting thaI rated as damn near perfect.

As the years have gone by, I’ve tried desperately to repress my love for the series as I see more and more wrong with ... it and try to avoid it if only because I hate being sad. Other reasons may include the fact the series doesn’t have the same impact the second time around, the characters being kind of lame compared to what they are in Different Story, and other assorted bullshit.

Okay, I’ll admit it, I’m a Madoka fanboy. I own figures. I own the series on DVD. I fucking love Madoka Magica.

Why did I avoid the movies then?

It’s partly because I heard the name “Homucifer”, laughed my ass off, and brushed the third film aside. It’s partly because I didn’t want to get caught up in the depressing story again. And it’s partly because I don’t understand my feelings for this series.

I love it.

No I think it’s good but I don’t want to fanboy.

Fanboying is the worst thing you can do. Don’t do it.

My biggest problem with the series is the fact that Different Story came out and…it was sort of better than the series. It developed characters better, it explained character motivations much better. It was an all-around excellent addition that surpasses the original.

Which, consequently, scared me for the movies, especially the third one. The series has a lot to live up to in my mind and I felt that the original was perfect as it was. It wasn’t a perfect anime by any stretch, but it did its job of being the Evangelion of magical girl anime.

Three years later I’m a better critic, I’m a lot older, a lot more cynical, and I think that this first movie will allow me to get some more critical thoughts about the series out there then what I’ve previously released.

This is Madoka Magica I: Beginnings.

A Deconstruction
This first film covers the first eight episodes of the series. It moves at a pretty good clip, though I didn’t feel like the emotional impact of the series was there (and once again, I’ve seen the series so that could well be the reason why).

Madoka Kaname is a regular fourteen year old girl. She has a family, goes to school, eats toast as she runs to school, and is as boring as they come. The mysterious transfer student, Homura Akemi, swoops into the story and before we know it, Madoka is being spoken to by a strange creature that Homura has a grudge with. Turns out the creature, Kyubey, grants wishes in exchange for girls becoming “magical girls”. Homura is a magical girl and so is Mami Tomoe, who takes Madoka and her best friend Sayaka under her wing, guiding them to join her crusade against the evil, malicious witches.

The series has a decent enough story that combines all the elements of a magical girl anime with all the elements of a depression inducing psychological drama. It works well in the beginning as a typical magical girl anime and, as the film continues, it goes down a hill, focusing on mature themes and characters rather than action and cutesy antics.

Characters
The biggest problem that the film version of the series faces is what to cut and what to keep. And that’s where the film fucks up. Where was Mami’s background? As a character, she isn’t around enough to really care about. She’s more the catalyst for what’s to come rather than a person. What made her more of a person in the series than in the film is the fact we learn her parents died in a car accident, which she was part of, and she selfishly wished for herself to live. The regret she feels for doing that and the loneliness that is filled by Sayaka and Madoka isn’t felt at all in the film. She’s very cardboard because of that. The question then becomes, why keep Kyoko’s background in then? If we don’t care about Mami’s, why worry about Kyoko’s?

Madoka is boring. Very boring. But I believe that’s what the character is meant to be. Everything is going on around her. Rather than have a main character in the thick of things, we follow a character who’s watching her world fall apart at the seams. Many people complain about her being dull and uninteresting, but I like that we’re forced to follow a third-party who doesn’t involve herself too much. She’s watching everyone else do the work.

Sayaka is, and always will be, my most hated character in the series. Despite the fact she is developed a lot more than most of the characters, she’s still annoying, her intentions and motivations make no sense, and the way her character slowly degrades into a raving madwoman makes no sense to me. So because of the fact your soul is in a gem…you can’t be happy because you can’t kiss a boy…with the body you inhabit…and can’t feel the kiss when you can feel pain…

I don’t get it. Really, I don’t. Didn’t get it three years ago. Don’t get it today.

Kyoko is one of my favorite characters. She’s cute and she’s badass. She’s a great counter to Sayaka’s character.

And Homura. I’ll talk about her in my review for the second movie. In this film she’s badass and definitely provides great comedy when she pops up unannounced during major events.

A Flawed but Fun Film
The film doesn’t open with the Walpurgisnacht fight of the television series. It doesn’t give us Mami’s past. It misses some facets of the series that should not have been cast aside, but at the same time, it’s a really good run through the first eight episodes. Those new to the series will have fun catching up and getting caught up in the characters, and those who’ve seen the series will enjoy the upgraded animation and the familiar, beautiful scores. That being said, the focus is on Sayaka for much of the film (just like the series) and I think that takes some points from it. But, as a recap film, it’s damn good, lots of fun, and enjoyable.

You don't need my review to tell you the story. I just want to tell you about my few gripes. Madoka Magica is my single favorite anime of all time. I believe it is perfect. I love the characters, I love the story, everything. It's my favorite media franchise, even outside anime. However, this movie removes TWO scenes that I think are incredibly important to character development, and thus, I believe you'll get a better experience of watching the series until episode 8, then switching to the second movie for the latter half of the series.

The two scenes take place fairly early on. One ... scene is in episode two, when Mami warns Sayaka to question whether or not she's making her wish truly because she wants to help the person, or if she wants it for their returned gratitude. After this, Madoka asks Mami what she wished for, and we learn a bit of Mami's backstory, being in an accident and having no time to think of her wish before making such a life altering decision, in order to save her own life. The second scene takes place during episode 7 when Kyoko asks Sayaka to talk. The movie skips their walk to the church, in which they talk a bit beforehand about Kyoko's view on the previous revelation, and in turn, I believe gives Sayaka time to reflect on what Kyoko said before the end of the conversation that plays out in the church.

these scenes are incredibly important to the characters, and I don't understand why they'd remove two scenes that add only 2 minutes of screentime at most, especially a moment that includes Mami, considering how little screentime she gets at all. Don't get me wrong, the movie is still great, it's incredibly beautiful, but cutting scenes like this make no sense, and if I'm showing the series to anyone, I generally show them the first 8 episodes, then pop in the second movie, as the second movie doesn't cut out anything at all, and is gorgeous.

So please, this isn't much a review, but if it's your first time watching the show, at least watch the series til episode 8, then put on movie 2. Only watch this one if you've seen the series before. The stuff it cuts out is far too important.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Beginnings is a great alternative to watching the original TV series. This film version fixes any wonky animation errors that existed in the original, while also generally enhancing the art. The new character transformations are a highlight. Being an integral trope of the Mahou Shoujo genre, it was an excellent decision to amp up the dynamic movement and creativity in these sequences. Another noticeable improvement with the animation is the gorgeous backgrounds and establishing stills of Mitakihara City's skyline. The amount of detail, dynamic lighting and shading added here is a much welcome addition. There are many, many other small improvements ... and changes in the animation throughout the film that greatly increase the artistic quality of the original series, so Beginnings is overall superior in this regard.

The music has also been redone in this movie adaptation. Although I personally prefer the original OP song, and the original soundtrack too for the most part, there's nothing to fault with the changes made. In some places, the new soundtrack actually enhanced the experience. For example, during Mami's second transformation, or the scene featuring Charlotte the witch. In other places, I felt indifferent to the changes made, though I appreciated hearing a fresh take on an already great soundtrack.

My only issue with this adaptation is that due to runtime restrictions, a few scenes have been cut that are greatly missed. Being a movie, it was inevitable that some content would be excluded. Although most of these scenes are not essential to understanding the story, one in particular has an important piece of exposition that may cause confusion for the viewer later on in the film because of its removal (the scene is about witches and their lesser forms, familiars). The other cut scenes are not necessary for following the plot, but they do add a decent amount of extra depth to certain characters and their relationships, which is now missing in Beginnings. It's worth noting that without these cuts, the pacing of the film may have suffered.

In summary, I greatly appreciate this version of Madoka Magica's first few acts. When I re-watch this series or introduce it to friends, I tend to go for this movie adaptation because of the superior animation and single watch session runtime. If my friends really enjoy the movies, I then recommend they check out the original series the next time around to catch those extra scenes, as I feel the original series is a more 'complete' version of the story.

Shaft always really does well with their art and sound, and it shines through in this movie. Music is between great and phenomenal, and it absolutely complements the themes of the show well. The art is very creative, and I haven't seen anything like it in any other anime. My only gripe is that some of the earlier labyrinth's art styles don't really mesh well with the art of the rest of the show. I'm glad to say that as the show progressed, the art styles melded a lot better.

The story itself was good as well, with it starting off as a cliche "cute ... girl" anime show with some magical elements. The movie eventually evolved to have much darker themes and motifs, and it was really enjoyable to watch this transition. Although, the cliche "cute girl" part did get a little insufferable at times.

The characters are fine, I would have like to see more character development throughout the movie, but I'm not sure if I can dock too many points since this is very much a plot-driven movie. The characters are stuck into an unfolding plot rather than the plot happening because of the characters. So I suppose development doesn't matter AS MUCH as it would in a character-driven show.

Overall, the movie sets up the plot elements well in order for them to be twisted and used to their full potential for the next movie, and it does this fairly well. 7/10

Mahou Shoujo anime have always been cheerful, bright and positive. In Sailor Moon, no matter how much sadness and grief Usagi goes through, she always make it in the end. Cardcaptor Sakura has no such principles and philosophy, being more of a TV series made for people to have fun and cherish.

Madoka Magica, however, is groundbreaking in the genre. If Sailor Moon changed dynamics in the genre by introducing a team of girls who fight together towards the same goal, Puella Magi Madoka Magica introduced these girls to real life suffering. It's not that the previous ones didn't suffer, they did, but here we're faced ... not only with ultimate grief and sadness, but also with values that make us rethink what we think it's right and wrong.

And we can also identify with these girls and how they "mature" throughout the series. When we are kids we have simple world views of what's right and wrong, good and bad, moral and immoral, a lot of these constructions were built by our parents. We go live and we grow up while life shatters these naive ideas one by one. In Madoka, is no different: a girl makes a hopeful wish, that wish turns against herself, she faces serious consequences and the cycle repeats itself.

The first movie of the trilogy, Beginnings, work as a recap to what happened in the original series along with the second film. Both lead to Rebellion, the third and currently the last movie from the trilogy, and also a sequel to all these events. The animation is on point here too since it was redone—which means no more Meguka.