Magia Record: Mahou Shoujo Madoka☆Magica Gaiden Final Season - Asaki Yume no Akatsuki

The final season of Magia Record was an emotional roller coaster that made a conclusion far more satisfying than the ending of the original Madoka Magica series. While the character development might not have been as good, Magia Record had an improved setting that expanded on more of the Puella Magi universe. While keeping most of the original darkness of Madoka Magica, it also incorporates many themes and feelings present in “original” magical girl series, such as friendship and hope.


It’s honestly crazy how one anime girl’s quest to find her sister led to a surreal rabbit hole of teamwork, chasing hope, meeting the original cast, ... and leading to an amazing, emotional battle against despair and a terrifying deathmoth (which somehow becomes even scarier).


Making the last four episodes into a single season might be irritating to some, but releasing them like this allowed the animators to fill these four episodes with astonishing and fluid animation which surpasses that of the previous seasons. The final battle is amazingly deep, as iconic characters experience and overcome past and present drama as they fight against a potential apocalypse.


Magia Record featured both losses and lessons that led to a bittersweet ending that somehow ends on a happier note. While we won’t spoil what happens, we can say that this story is better made then the original series (excluding Rebellion, which is still a masterpiece).


Watch the ultimate conclusion of the suffering of megucas. (At least until Walpurgis Rising)

I want to start this review off with that I believe that Record gets an unfair wrap, as if it should be AS good as the og Madoka series. But because it's not, it's deemed bad as a result. Which is very unfair on the product itself. If you expected Record to be a standout, like how you would view Madoka, and because it's not, it's deemed as a failure in your eyes, that's not on Record, that's on you. While I'm not saying Record isn't flawed, there are many flaws. Even I who enjoyed it at first, have gotten somewhat tired of it's ... plot, and how it's progressed. But even then, it's not a bad show as one makes it out to be.

Story and characters: 6-5.
This can really be a it or miss. While there are some interesting and fun characters throughout the story, with complex backstories, that really push it. There are also blank pieces of paper, that just become overbearingly boring by the end of it. Which can be said about the same with it's on going plot. It reminds me of GT in a sense. Instead of getting to a point, it'll drag on, and on, and on, when really, they could've cut out certain things, and it would've made for a better viewing experience. It's not beyond bad, but could've been way better.

Art and sound: 7
Most likely the main highlight. You know what you are getting when it comes to te Magica series. Visuals will look stunning, crazy, weird, all of the above. Along with a fitting track that makes, or tries to make things seem tense. There is a lot to appreciate about it, and love. If any detail that deserves praise about it, it's these two parts right here. Cannot fault the product for that.

Record was an interesting series, that'll sadly get unwanted hate because of it not being on par with Madoka. Wich is unfair for so many reasons. Wile Record has dragged on by the end, it doesn't deserve the bad press it gets, while it's fine to criticize it, but if one expected it to be super amazing like the og, then thats on them. Record can still be a good watcoverall, so you should watch it.

Do you enjoy:

- Shallow characters?
- Convoluted plots?
- Inconsistent animation?
- Deus ex machinas?

No? Then steer clear of Magia Record.

I’ll admit I had very, very low expectations for this final season. I moved forward, however, willing to be proven wrong. Unfortunately, I was not.
...
Basically everything I wrote in my review for the disastrous 2nd season holds true for this finale; the direction is jarring, the pacing is way too fast, etc. All of these issues persist in the remaining 4 episodes.

I will say, though, that I wasn’t expecting to laugh so much. There are a few moments, especially in the last 2 episodes, that are genuinely hilarious for all the wrong reasons. Some really absurd scenes are played completely seriously; shoutout to the giant magical rocketship, and that part where Iroha tackles two children through the air at mach speeds.

As long as Magia Record isn’t made canon in the 4th Madoka movie, we can all just pretend this was a bad dream. Love that.