Watch with me! Madoka Magica (Ep 5)

Conversations with Homura always reveal the most honest forms of everything. In the fifth episode, Madoka approaches Homura to ask her to protect her friend. Homura assures that the moment Sayaka made the contract, her fate was sealed. Makes me wonder if what I thought before was right. Homura is mad foreshadowing the end of Sayaka’s days, amirite or amiwrong?

Sayaka making a contract

Disheartened by that magical girls must give up on their lives for a single wish, Madoka goes to protect Sayaka herself by accompanying her. She’s pretty much ready at this point to make a contract if anything goes wrong. The girls find a familiar and Sayaka starts fighting it, only to be interrupted by the newcomer Kyoko. She starts reprimanding Sayaka for trying to kill the familiar before it’s taken a few more victims and finally turning into a witch. Kyoko then tries to crush Sayaka and Madoka’s disillusionment of the honourable and proud life of a magical girl. Magical girls are people who are trying to survive to protect their wish. So instead of “good” being codependent with “evil”, there is no such thing as good at all, just a hierarchy of power. Those who are at the top prey on those who are weaker. This theme is kind of cliché, but definitely not for anime. Most anime are focused on friendship and good vs. evil where a lot of the time there is a clear cut boundary between the two. In this one, there is no such thing, or at least, there are no definite sides or boundaries. It’s more like, everyone has to fend for themselves and they are alone in the process of it all. This episode is sombre. 

Watch with me! Madoka Magica (Ep 4)

So Mami’s death is being actualized, not remembrance or mourning, but by other things that I will reveal later.

Madoka is haunted by the image of Mami’s death, and she decides to back out of the deal. Homura tells Madoka that once magical girls die inside a labyrinth, she will forever remain a missing person, with no one to mourn for them. Madoka is horrified by this, and Homura also makes it clear that magical girls don’t fight to protect others, they fight to protect their wishes.

Sayaka, on the other hand, is struggling to open up Kyosuke’s heart, who is starting to become angry because the doctor confirmed that his fingers will never heal. He is heartbroken because he must give up playing the violin. Overcome with sadness, he crushes the CD that Sayaka brought him, cutting up his hand in the process.

the strange labyrinth

 Desperate to make him happy again, Sayaka tells Kyosuke that magic and miracles exist. At that precise moment Kyubey flashes before her eyes. And we know there this ends up. I’m not sure if Kyosuke will ever find out that the miracle was Sayaka's doing, and I’m not sure if Sayaka realizes what she’s sacrificed for the prepubescent boy who doesn’t seem appreciative of her at all.

Madoka realizes what her friend has done when she spots their third friend Hitomi walking to a warehouse with a witch stamp on her neck. When Madoka and Hitomi arrive to the warehouse there is a congregation of the witch’s victims who have gathered to kill themselves, and Madoka ends up getting caught in the labyrinth. Sayaka comes to the rescue, and a girl named Kyoko comes to claim Mami’s former territory, only to hear that Sayaka has claimed it, to her dismay. And that concludes this episode.

I don't have an analysis for this episode, but I just know it's not really going to end well for Sayaka I can feel it. She's the typical mess up character who meets a tragic ending because of her foolish actions. I really do pity her though...

Watch with me: Madoka Magica (Ep 3)

The plot takes a great twist on the third episode, as we lose Mami the benevolent guide. This episode is teeming with references and hints as to why becoming a magical girl is a terrible fate one can choose for themselves. 

 

Sayaka has been visiting this boy at the hospital, who we can only assume is her love interest, and she even inquires if it is possible to use the wish on someone else. Mami then explains that her sentiments are only naïve, the first subtle hint in this episode that implies the horrible empty fate of becoming a magical girl. The second hint is dropped is when Mami reveals that her ultimate wish is to make sure everyone who has a choice to become a magical girl has the chance to really think about it. While her job gives her power, it is an empty road that she must journey on...alone.

The next day, Sayaka goes to visit her friend again at the hospital with Madoka, only to find the seed of a witch. Sayaka enters the labyrinth first with Kyubei and Madoka goes to find Mami and enters with her after. Once they’re alone Mami starts telling Madoka how lonely she is and how terrible it is to be alone. Once Madoka ensures her that she will stay with Mami forever, Mami rejoices and radiates with happiness. However, this is when she lets down her guard and she is eaten by the witch.

By the way, before all this happened, Akemi Homura had been warning all three of them of several things such as: the powerful witch that Mami will not be able to kill, and everything the girls are willing to sacrifice if they become a magical girl.

Apparently, Madoka has the potential to becoming something amazing, and Homura is especially adamant on preventing Madoka from making that contract. It’s still a mystery as to why, but… I guess we’ll find out when the series comes to a close. 

So far my favourite is Homura, because she looks like the badass chick who knows everything and will eventually save everyone. More next time!

Watch with me: Madoka Magica (Ep 2)

The second episode unravels more of the mystery that is the contract, and the duty of these so called magic girls. 

So Mami (blond pigtails who saves Madoka and her friend from Homura) has started acting as a guardian to the girls. After the girls witnessed a witch attack, Mami explained to them that in exchange for any wish, they have to become witch-hunters and risk their lives to fight for greater good.

I have a feeling though that there is more to it than what Mami explains. Homura’s strong intention to keep Madoka from making a contract speaks for itself - there must be something dark and terrible that you cannot compensate for with any wish. The two girls ponder whether they have a wish strong enough to risk their lives for, and Sayaka realizes that they’re basically ignorant fools who’ve never experienced real suffering because they don't need anything.  We also follow Mami along on a witch hunt, in which she displays some of her impressive powers. Honestly though I felt as if I was watching an abstract artistic video. One of those WTF ones where you must wonder if the director was on acid or something. 

Mami enjoying a cup of tea seconds after her conquest

After Mami kills her prey they find a seed which Mami uses to clean her own magic seed (which is the source of the power that is born once she makes a contract). It’s funny how she needs the seed to suck out the darkness from her own. It’s almost as if good and evil are codependent!? Or is that just the English major in me trying to analyze the shit out of everything. That or Hot Thing’s evil glare from halfway across the world telling me I must analyze the shit out of everything. 

So far I don't know who is good and who is "evil". Maybe there is no such thing here, just a wish for survival. One thing is for sure though, both Sayaka and Madoka want to become magical girls, despite not having anything to wish for. The prospects of being powerful is probably a very attractive for the girls, but for sure Mami is against making the decision based off of their pursuit of a "meaningful life". More next time!

Watch with me: Puella Magi Madoka Magica (Ep 1)

So Hot Thing has been bugging me to watch this anime for the longest time ever, especially because the movie came out an a game is going to come out soon? (or it already has, I'm not sure). So in celebration of the end of first term, I decided I would give it a go! 

 

Creepy, amirite?

Right off the bat I could tell that Madoka Magica is involved with darker, more serious themes. Now, I'm really into the whole supernatural thing, but I'm also into the whole light airy slice of life kind of vibe, so you can only imagine I was a bit skeptical. I know what I said in my last post about liking dark animes, but this is kind of different. This is eerily-dark. Like, give me nightmares dark. Also, I’m not sure what it reminds me of, but it reminds me of something for sure....maybe it's a mix of lots of things.

 First things first though: I am not really used to the art. The characters look somewhat like sketches or drafts, but it’s not so much that it takes away from the story. Actually, I kind of like it.

The opening features Madoka in her dream witnessing a girl fighting, while a cute little bunny/cat like creature by the name of Kyubei is cajoling her to make a contract with him. Later, we find out that this contract is to be a “magic girl” which I have no idea what that means or entails, but nevertheless, I’m guessing that it is something that will happen sooner or later. Madoka goes to school upon awakening to find out that this girl from her dream has enrolled in her class, and by the sounds of it she does not want Madoka to make a contract with the cute rabbit. Also by the looks of it, this new girl Homura is a magic girl, but she is not on board with Kyubei because she is trying to kill him. Then this strange girl in blond pigtails “saves” them all from Homura’s wrath as well as a witch attack.

Kyubei

 

 I honestly don’t really know what to make of this whole thing. It’s admittedly peculiar but also intriguing. So far there is one word I can use to describe this anime: eerie. Everything from the strange imagery to the background music and the strange mellow tension (it’s a paradox, I know) in the air. Anyways, I'm excited to watch the next episode, and I also hope that Hot Thing doesn't kill me because she thinks this review is half-assed. Goodnight.