The finale of the Madoka Magica franchise does not upset, but in a way, leaves more questions than answers.
Story: Inspired by religion and philosophy, the story is told mainly from Homura's point of view. Cryptic messages, symbolism, and heartbreak riddle this thing, and make you question what reality truly is, and what is "good" and "evil." The story inspects Homura's character even further, which I love as she's my favorite character, but in doing so, the other girls are somewhat overlooked. The movie can be somewhat predictable as well, aside from the ending, which feels somewhat of a cop-out - they left it open in case they want to keep milking this cash cow. Gen Urobuchi himself has stated that he wanted this to be the end of the Madoka series, but I feel that he may have given up the reins of his baby for the sake of SHAFT and into the clutches of corporate desire.
Art: Like the series, it's great. Extremely reminiscent of the series, and I don't need to get into that, because I can assume if you're watching/reading this, you've seen the series. The opening sequence is one of the best parts of the film, in my opinion, namely the dancing on the carousel. That contrast is powerful stuff.
Sound: The use of leitmotif is excellent. Original music is excellent again. "Colorful" by ClariS is infectious. Heavy use of Germanic themes in the audio is clever, and a call back to the series, but also reinforces the Nietzschen tones.
Character: Like I stated earlier, the real center of attention is Homura. No one else really gets to see the spotlight often. Mami plays a bit of a more important role in here than in the series, and you can see some of her virtues shine through in a new light, and Kyoko is shown to be more sympathetic, but that's really it. The witch design is great as always.
Enjoyment: I love the cryptic nature of this movie. It boosts the rewatchability, but also gives the viewer something of an easter egg hunt. You can pick up on new things nearly every rewatch, so it makes every view feel new. The ending and post-credit scene gives you plenty to speculate on, yet gives you enough information to draw some concrete conclusions. The fight between two of the girls is so buttery smooth and eye-catching it's YouTube-repeat worthy. Watch this movie in a high definiton.
Overall: A great film with some notable shortcomings, but overall, very good. I sincerely hope they don't make another film or series, but since the concept film was already released, it looks like we very well might get one. Things need to end, and though I consider myself a Madoka fan, the time has come where it needs to end. I don't feel as if the creators care about this project the same way they cared about the series. Sure, they didn't hold back on this film, but I feel as though they're running out of steam, and aren't creating something they themselves love anymore. Being a highly successful series, they're even more prone to fanning flames that don't exist in an attempt to turn a profit. I'd hate to see one of my top animes turned into a ghost of its former self because of greed.
Aug 30, 2018
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