I would like to preface my critique by stating that I am new to watching anime and to reviewing any series as a whole. I enjoy fast-paced action dramas the most, especially those featuring leads with strong personalities. And I have had no experience watching magical girls anime in the past. With that being said, I had heard that Puella Magi Madoka Magica transcends its genre, so I decided to give it a shot.
[Plot]
I went into Puella Magi Madoka Magica hopeful. I desperately wanted to love it, and I was expecting it to really pick up after episode 3 or 4.
...
Yet there was something about the blend of pastel riddled innocence and trippy, Burton-esque darkness that didn’t settle well with me. Admittedly, there was a slight turn for the better, but not enough to instill in me a strong desire to keep watching. Nevertheless, I stuck it out and continued the show, if only because of its huge reputation. To be frank, I didn’t find many of the earlier plot twists very shocking, and I didn’t feel personally invested in the characters.
My perception of this show soon began to change, around episode 8 or 9. Here I was beginning to get frustrated. I found Kyubey’s course of action to be predictable, and almost cheating on the part of the show’s writers. There were so many plot holes, and the science used to explain some of these plot holes was just plain wrong (from a physics, biology, and medical standpoint). Plus, the show presented so many unanswered “what if’s” for me that I was becoming more and more skeptical.
Episode ten was bittersweet. I was impressed with the direction that the show had taken, and was excited to finally get answers to some of my questions. But the further I progressed into this episode, somehow, the more disappointed I got. Without getting into the physics, the events that took place in this episode completely nullify the explanation that Kyubey had given in the previous episode. And what’s more – I had seen this type of plot before. While it might be a revolutionary idea in the magical girls genre, it certainly wasn’t my first time seeing these sorts of events play out. There was nothing I could distinctly say I had never seen before.
Overall, I would classify the story as fairly entertaining, but not high quality. Those willing to overlook gaping issues in the show’s logic will likely find more enjoyment in it than I did.
[Characters]
Here is where I believe Puella Magi Madoka Magica is most lacking. Madoka is a flat, and to be honest, boring character that did absolutely nothing for me. She is not interesting, and the fact that this show is so Madoka-centric was a little off-putting.
The other characters start off in a very stereotypical fashion and don’t really get that much more interesting. Though it might be argued that they change perspectives throughout the story, I found the character development to be either too predictable or too unrealistic. There seemed to be no happy medium. Call me heartless, but I had a very hard time connecting to any of the characters personally. They were all likeable enough, but there was no motivation for strong attachment. Of all the girls, I would have to say that Homura is probably the most exciting, given the sacrifices she makes. I could sympathize with her the most, even if her actions seemed a little unreasonable.
And while many people seem to like Kyubey, I have a few issues with him as well. First and foremost, I could not (and still cannot) fully see him as a villain, probably because he reminds me too much of a rejected Pokémon to be seen as that formidable of a threat. Plus, his lack of true malice and total indifference as a facilitator doesn’t make him seem like a true “villain.” But what really bothers me most are Kyubey’s monologues. If you’re going to have a character centered on logic rather than emotion, make damn sure that the character’s dialogue is, in fact, logical.
[Art/Sound]
The art and sound of Puella Magi Madoka Magica were probably its best features. The contrast between the animation style of the witches and that of the magical girls is outstanding as a means of symbolizing dark vs. light. Although it was definitely unsettling for me at first, it was something I grew to appreciate as an art form the more I watched the series. I do wish the characters were more unique in their designs. While I can understand that certain animators have their own individual styles, I would have liked to see more variety. Most of the characters were only distinguishable by their hairstyles and eye color, since they all wore the same school uniform when not in their transformed states. (With that being said, the costume design for each magical girl and the transformation animation were both on par).
The soundtrack certainly complimented the visuals, though the opening and ending themes weren’t anything to write home about.
Conclusion:
Puella Magi Madoka Magica was far from the masterpiece that it is claimed to be. Though it certainly breaks away from the magical girls mold, it did not live up to the raving reviews that praised its name. Yet even with all of my criticism it definitely wasn’t a total waste of time. I would not classify Puella Magi Madoka Magica as a favorite, but it’s certainly well worth a watch.
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Jul 28, 2014
Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica
(Anime)
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I would like to preface my critique by stating that I am new to watching anime and to reviewing any series as a whole. I enjoy fast-paced action dramas the most, especially those featuring leads with strong personalities. And I have had no experience watching magical girls anime in the past. With that being said, I had heard that Puella Magi Madoka Magica transcends its genre, so I decided to give it a shot.
[Plot] I went into Puella Magi Madoka Magica hopeful. I desperately wanted to love it, and I was expecting it to really pick up after episode 3 or 4. ... |
