Reviews

What are the consequences of wishes, when should commitment become sacrifice, and when does the end truly begin? Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica focuses on the dark side of a reality where miracles may be fulfilled through mystical contracts. Throughout the story, the protagonists struggle with friendship, the pursuit of happiness, commitment, and sacrifice as they face the dark side of their ambitions. The main characters are well constructed; each possessing unique personalities and differing values. Each protagonist displays signs of development (for better and worse) as the story progresses, although these changes are largely offset by the pacing; which, is relatively slow until the later arcs, where most of the plot occurs. Basically, too much time is spent introducing characters and establishing setting with an imbalanced amount dedicated to key events.

The plot is consistent overall, although there are several key instances in which the protagonists’ actions are questionable. Granted that erratic behavior is common in stressful situations, several of the protagonists’ key decisions are simply inconsistent with their personalities. The challenges of the protagonists are easy to relate, making the story consistently thought provoking. In life, there is rarely an end: a semblance of resolution is often buried in suffocating despair; with happiness remains uncertainty; we as sentient beings are rarely fulfilled because these decisions are our existence. Certain audiences may enjoy the translation of these realistic undertones into the story. In my case, I felt unfulfilled; as a number of the protagonists’ mistakes seemed to serve little purpose beyond setting atmosphere.

Story (50%)
-Premise: Positive (3)
-Depth: Positive (3)
-Logical: Neutral (2)
-Pacing: Negative (1)
-Entertainment: Neutral (2)
11/15= 36.66 Points

Characters (35%)
-Depth: Positive (3)
-Development: Neutral (2)
-Unique: Positive (3)
-Interactions- Neutral (2)
10/12: 29.16 Points

Production (15%)
-Art: Positive (3)
-Music: Positive (3)
-Effects: Positive (3)
9/9: 15 Points

Total Score: 81/100