Puella Magi Madoka Magica review

Madoka Magica is a twisted-dark version of powerful, magic-using, transforming girl superhero anime. It incorporated all of the elements of such a show with the addition of creepy imagery and haunting music. While at first I wasn't really sure if I enjoyed all of these aspects that made it creepy, I genuinely appreciated the uneasy tension, the music composed by the genius Yuki Kajiura
and the atmosphere which I can only describe as heavy, slow, and lingering... like humidity.

oh snap!

The series don't only look sombre, but it's also laden with some heavy themes. Throughout the series we have pairings of friends who ultimately show us that although friendship is fragile (Sayaka) and imperfect (Hitomi), it can also be surprising (Kyoko). Although people die and people fade, some friendships are eternal (Madoka + Homura. Also, Hitomi is a whorish bitch who thinly veils her selfishness with "respect". 

My favourite part in the anime: when it was revealed how Homura would turn into a witch. It was kind of endearing that the moment she let go of all her efforts in trying to save Madoka, the very trauma of it would consume her heart. *shudders*

My favourite character? Probably Kyoko. If you read back to my "watch with me" posts, you'll know that I sensed an discomfort within her. I feel like she was the most interesting and dynamic character, or at least the most surprising. Yes, Sayaka is the naive stupid girl. Madoka was always selfless and kind. But Kyoko, despite "giving up" on living for others, still stood up for probably the most intolerable character in this series (next to Hitomi) just because in the end she decided that she was her friend. The reason why Kyoko was so uncomfortable with her new values is while ultimately she knew that she was being smart and practical, her conscience disagreed with it. When your conscience is constantly battling your actions and behaviour, obviously it is going to cause some sort of imbalance in your psyche, which is why I think she has such an obsession with food.

I'm not a fan of cookie-cutter endings, and I had to give props for this one. While nauseatingly selfless and heroic, it's still not the "perfect" ending; sacrifices had to be made for the sake of mankind. I also thought it was clever how Homura's time traveling was a double-edged sword. On one hand, it made Madoka a potentially invulnerable witch who would have destroyed the world upon her transformation. However, it also gave her god-like potential for power which allowed her to become a god who travels through time keeping girls from turning into witches.

Overall, I give the series a 3.8/5 thumbs up. While it wasn't my cup of sweet tea I was still impressed, which says a lot.