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.

Currently Watching: Shingeki no Kyojin (Episode 1-3)

I have a confession to make. I have started watching Attack of Titans before finishing Le Chevalier D’Eon… They are both 20 minutes long a piece but I’ve never been tempted to watch more than two episodes per sitting of the latter. In one sitting I’ve managed to watch six episodes of Attack of Titans avec ma soeur. I guess that means that I'm kinda hooked. So, for now, the Currently Watching series will deal with both Le Chevalier and SNK simultaneously.

I guess it was this year that I realized a serious dichotomy exists in relation to my genre preference. I really enjoy light-hearted, sentimental anime such as Kimi no Todoke (first season only!) but I also love deep dark supernatural series such as this one. Within the first three episodes we meet the Titans, as well as our main characters Eren, Mikasa, and their loser buddy Armin. These Titans are creepy as heck, but I like that they give me real chills. They are so close to human form, balancing on what is a fine line between humans and monsters - it is way too close to comfort. From their small sharp teeth to their beady eyes and an unshapely human form, Hajime Isayama has created a true masterpiece.

Our friends live in a world where the Titans, a human-type monster equipped with insurmountable strength and an insatiable thirst for human meat, terrorize the lives of regular sized homo-sapiens. As a result, the human population have been reduced to a dangerously low number after the invasion of these titans around a century ago. Since then they have protected themselves only by building three layers of walls around human civilization: Wall Maria, Rose and Sina.

Our protagonist and his friends live behind the outermost wall, the Wall Maria, which is 50 meters tall. The three friends meet and start criticizing the ignorance of their fellow peeps. As the three discus the possibility of an invasion at any moment, a Behemoth Titan appears, peering over wall, and swiftly creates a hole in the massive fortitude. Then other smaller (but still gigantic) titans to invade and devour our lovely protagonist’s mother, which fuels the fire to his fiery vengeance.

Rapt with determination, Eren joins the cadets in order to become a soldier, vowing to exterminate the titans who so mercilessly killed his mother. With hard work, he becomes one (obviously), along with his adopted sister/bffl Mikasa, and he is one step closer to his goal.


Until next time! Hasta la Vista.

Currently Watching: Le Chevalier D'Eon (Episode 6-7)

The four are called to meet with the King, and as soon as they arrive they are dismissed from the Secret du Roi, just after they failed to capture Baronsoff. Duke of Broglie tells D’Eon that the alternative is a mission that may cost their lives. They have no choice but to choose the mission and they all separate to do one last thing before they must embark on their mission to track down Baronsoff in Russia. As we see in the next few scenes, these boys have nothing to lose: Tellagory visits his late wife at the cemetery, and Durande, who said he would visit his lover one last time, goes to see Lia in her casket. 

D'Eon in drag, possession

Robin, on the other hand, goes to thank Queen Marie for giving him a place to live and begs her one last audience for D'Eon. Before D’Eon leaves, he insists that he must know what Lia's wandering spirit wants from him. Marie then insists that he must cross-dress in order to really understand what Lia wants from him. So she brings out Lia's dress that she somehow acquired even before D'Eon visited her. He puts on the dress and lo and behold, Lia has surfaced. Marie keeps on asking Lia to who betrayed France and murdered her, but Lia is so hurt and traumatized that she can't bear to say the name. Damnit, Marie! Can't you tell she's in pain? Anyways, Belle finally convinces Marie to back off and D'Eon finds in the mirror in front of him a message Lia left him in something that looks suspiciously like lipstick. It says: "I am with you."

Having finished saying their goodbyes, the four leave for Russia, but unfortunately D'Eon is caught by his fiancé leaving without telling her. He tries to make up excuses and she believes him and lets him go.D’Eon still vows to return to her and she is satisfied. They arrive in Colone, where they are betrayed by the inn keeper and the hunt begins. The Royal Psalms is a book that holds tremendous powers, and when a poet recites its verses, he can use the terrible magic that the verses have. Knowing this, it is probably the Compte who betrayed Lia, got a hold of the book, and bestowed supernatural strength to Caron.

There are two revolutionists who can also recite and use the power of the Book of Psalms. The couple can also communicate with the Compte who writes back to his “revolutionary brethren” ordering them to search and hunt down D’Eon + company.

D'Eon and company are then hunted by these zombified/possessed dogs, and Lia comes to the rescue of frail D’Eon once again while everyone else is able to hold their own, even Robin. She just flashes some light at the dogs and the zombies disintegrate. I’m starting to wonder how she is so powerful – it’s quite suspicious, actually. From the way that she is able to counter magic so easily to the strange words that appears on D’Eon’s sword. Perhaps she got a hold of the magic as well? Anyways, that is a mystery. I leave you with the four amigos, ready for the danger that lies ahead.


PS:

Lia or D'Eon?

Currently Watchin: Le Chevalier D'Eon (Episode 4-5)

Meet King Henry XV. Now, this isn’t at all what I expected since when I think of French kings. I guess I presume that they always look fat and pompous with rosy cheeks and red lips...but I digress. He shows up with his trusty sidekick Duc d'Broglie to confront D’Eon about the papers that were delivered to him with the list of high ranking Russian officials, and reprimand him for not handing them over sooner. The King finally explains to D’Eon that his sister was a part of Le Secret du Roi, which is a secret organization that he has scattered all over the world to act as spies. Lia happened to be stationed in Russia, and I think that we can therefore assume that the letter sent to D'Eon was from his sister. The King then offers D’Eon an opportunity to follow in Lia’s path by joining Le Secret du Roi, which D'Eon accepts.

Later we somehow find out that the Duc d'Orléans was associated with Lia by acting as a conduit (meaning he passed information to and from her). In my humble opinion, before I pass top secret information along, I would try to make damn sure that my accomplice is trustworthy. But I guess if they were half as sensible as I was they wouldn't have an interesting plot line...hehehehe I joke. We also get a closer look at the Marquise de Pompadour who made a very short cameo in the first episode. She is the King’s mistress, and in this episode she is touting a radical speech in the palace courts. That slutty traitor! If you're going to sleep with the king, you probably shouldn't commit treason...or I guess it gives you the perfect opportunity. In any case, I don't really know how I feel about her. She is the enemy after all.

D’Eon and his comrades continue their search for the Russian, who is aided by the Duc d'Orléans and his trusty advisor Compte de Saint-Germain who looks like a creepy eunuch. Our foolish protagonist fiercely refuses to allow Lia to possess him because he believes that his sister would never kill so mercilessly - and because he won't let her take over, he is about to be killed by Caron who has now received even greater power by the Compte. Caron, then instead of killing D'Eon, wastes precious time to give a grand speech. Personally, if the victim's going to die anyway, I would kill first and then give the speech. But I actually liked Caron speech, and it did affect D'Eon, because he says something quite poignant and relevant to everyone in any society. He ridicules our hero, scoffing at his laughable knightly status, mocking him as he is at the mercy of his sword. He asks D’Eon how it feels to be beaten by a commoner who scrapes to get by day by day, the scum of society whom D’Eon and his noble peers turn their powdery cheeks from, living in ignorant bliss. Well, something like that but only much more poetic and eloquent. But of course, Lia steps in and kills Caron for good this time.

The King has by now realized that his uncle, Duc d'Orléans has been plotting against him. The King then comes all the way to Paris to deliver a few lines to the Duke and pretty much kick his arse. Unfortunately for the "good guys" the Duke and Count are successful in aiding Baronsoff the Russian out of France. As Baronsoff leaves France, he is accompanied by a dashing young blond Parisian, quoting a few lines Dante's Inferno.

I find our enigmatic newcomer quite intriguing. I think he's evil, but he's probably a likeable antagonist. Right?


*Duc d'Broglie will also be referred to as Duke of Broglie or Broglie
*Marquise de Pompadour will also be referred to as Pompadour
*Comte de Saint-Germain will also be referred to as Count Saint-Germain