43:36 The Flower Field scene is one of the most brilliant and misunderstood scenes in all of anime. Some will argue that, since Madoka doesn't have her memories, her words hold little to no weight, and Homura is simply hearing what she wants to hear. However, the fact that Madoka doesn't have her memories here is the whole point! Homura is already well-aware that if Madoka had her memories, she would sacrifice herself every time which is why immediately afterwards, she assures Madoka that she is indeed "strong enough to make that decision." Homura just wanted to confirm if Madoka would still miss her old life in spite of that, which she confirmed. I've also seen arguments that Homura was somehow influencing Madoka in the labyrinth aside from just not remembering becoming a god, but Shinbou already stated in an interview that this wasn't the case, and that these were Madoka's honest words. And if you're _still_ not convinced, I implore you to read the lyrics of Madoka's character song (sung by her VA Aoi Yuuki) that played as the ep 1-2 ED titled "Mata Ashita". The song is about Madoka post-series lamenting on the life she lost after becoming a god and wishing she could have been more honest about her feelings to Homura in ep 12. This is definitive proof that even *BEFORE* Rebellion, this was confirmed to be Madoka's true feelings.
Of course Madoka would miss her old life if her decision is described to her in that fashion. Homura believes that she should never have let Madoka sacrifice herself because she feels herself weak for allowing it. Yes, Madoka does make the decision to sacrifice herself. She is strong enough to do that. By creating her own labyrinth at the end, Homura spits on Madoka's choices by refusing to accept what Madoka did for *all* magical girls - herself included. She cannot be happy, because she knows that there is at least one witch out there suffering as the result of splitting Madoka in two: Herself. Could Madoka be unhappy in her position as a god? Absolutely. But she would gladly do so if it meant keeping all magical girls from ever suffering Kyuubey's evils again. Madoka's true feelings are that she could never do something that would make Homura cry like this, true... but Homura's solution is *worse.* Homura turns herself into a witch that cannot accept Madoka's decision to save *her.* And there is the tragedy: that Homura is hurting worse than anyone.
@TheWickedWizardOfOz1 As I mentioned before, Madoka missing her old life was established even before Rebellion, so how Homura described it to her in that scene is irrelevant. Homura is definitely hurting as is emphasized by how tired she looks at the end of both Rebellion and the new trailer. As we know, Homura herself called the labyrinth an insult to Madoka's sacrifice, which is part of why she has no qualms about killing herself once she finds out the truth of what was happening. After Homura accepts her "dream" and effectively recreates her labyrinth externally at the end of Rebellion with everyone seemingly happy in Mitakihara, Homura's familiars can be seen berating her, throwing tomatoes at her, and "committing suicide" symbolized by them taking their shoes off and jumping off a ledge. Homura is at the peak of her self-loathing, but she'd still accept that if it meant giving Madoka a "normal" life again.
@@NRobbi42 I don't think it is established in universe that Madoka misses her former life that much, but I agree with you there. The sticking point is the sacrifice. Homura has not undone the effects of the sacrifice for most people, but through her actions has allowed a witch to continue witching out... and that witch is Madoka's best friend. Mata Ashita still applies. Homura is right there, but there is a wall between them because of her actions that keeps them from truly being together.
@TheWickedWizardOfOz1 Yup. I think "established" wasn't the right word, but rather, there was enough existing groundwork that "Madoka still misses her family" doesn't seem like something that just spawned so Rebellion could happen. I mean, one could argue that "middle school girl values her close relationships and would miss never seeing them again" isn't exactly a concept that would need this much groundwork to justify itself, but it's nice that it's there anyway.
Man, I just wanna say how great it is to always run into you when it comes to discussion surrounding this series and especially Rebellion. You've been through so many YT comment sections defending this film and it's always wonderful to see. I'm so glad this masterpiece of a film is looked upon so fondly nowadays with people celebrating the upcoming film. Viva la Madoka Magica!
I like how Charlotte/Bebe progressed from hungry, carnivorous, monster that ripped Mami apart like string cheese, to Mami’s weird dog she found in a trash can.
"I've only had this weird talking doll thing that sometimes turns into a toothed clownapillar for a day and a half, and I can't explain what it is or remember where I found it. But if anything happens to Bebe, I'll [REDACTED TO AVOID VIOLENT CONTENT FILTERS]." "...yeah, she might actually do that. It's happened before."
I always hated that people said the movies "ruined Homura's character." Like it's exactly the opposite. Did they not watch the show? This ending goes EXACTLY with Homura's character. I didn't "like" how it ended in the sense the character's were in a terrible timeline (technically). But I love how the creators committed to the character's and the messed up ideas and endings. To this day, it's still my favorite anime.
I agree. To many people, Homura being an excellent character is only possible if she is also right, good, and likeable. If she made all the right decisions ('Homura did nothing wrong!'). Thinking that by pointing out she is deeply flawed we somehow 'destroy' her is amazingly off base, but such are the hearts of fans.
At first I really disliked the devil Homura reveal on my first watch, but that's just personal salt because I thought the original series ending was perfect. Having rewatched it multiple times I can confidently say that, given Homura's character, it really was a natural choice she would have taken.
i think sayaka has taken on a somewhat mermaid form was also a bit of an hommage to andersen's little mermaid where she gave her voice to be with the prince she loved, where each step she took with her new legs felt like she was stepping on knives, only for the prince to love another, and for her to turn into seafoam
I've heard this interpretation a few times and honestly, I REALLY like it. In fact, I prefer it to the one I presented in the video 😅 But alas, that is whats so mesmerizing about this series. There are so many angles for the audience to take it from. It continues to amaze me how this series still surprises me 10 years later.
And the fact that the little mermaid was given one final chance to get her voice back and save herself, but it would mean turning back on what she had been fighting for this whole time, akin to when sayaka was offered a grief seed to save herself but she refused to accept help from the magical girls she viewed as selfish,
It is also said that mermaids suffer from unrequited love. At the same time, they can also be sinister: sitting on dangerous rocks out at sea and luring sailors to their doom with their hypnotic siren songs.
The thing that many I've seen talk about this don't seem to acknowledge is that Madoka's wish completely undid Homura's wish... this is why in the world with the law of cycles Homura has a bow and not her buckler. Homura's and Madoka's wishes are completely incompatible; Homura's wish requires a Madoka to exist, The Madoka, but Madoka's wish forces her to become a concept, a law of nature, the law of cycles. I foresee the new season to try and balance the two forces in a Yin Yang kind of way... or to find a compromise. Because the future of Madoka Magica will be a god-like witch fighting a god-like magical girl.
I feel like the reason that isn't mentioned is because for the most part, that was kind of the point. The whole reason why their exchange at the very end of the original series is so upsettingly tragic is because Madoka's wish simultaneously makes Homura's work completely fruitful, and completely fruitless. That's the brilliance of Gen Urobuchi's writing style. There is never a real "happy ending", there is only ever bitter-sweetness.
Actually I read a comment with a similar idea to yours that said something that no one thought before... The most likely reason that homura was able to use *love* as a way to transcend and become the Devil, is probably bcs of her wish, the only way she can protect the one she loves, a goddess, is if she has equal or higher power to her. She isn't the Devil only bc of being contrary to madoka's wish, but also bc only the Devil is somewhat equal to God.
So when she uses love as an energy to power up her wish, the universe kinda glitched with the wish, much like madoka wish that made the universe buggy, and in consequence opened up a gap for her to transcend it's confinations. Otherwise the universe most likely would reject and resist giving so much power to the two of them, after all no matter if the world is conscious or not, everything has an inherent resistance to change, if you are a powerfull existence, you wouldn't create two beings that are extremely more powerful that yourself, would you?
I mean, I've been wanting to make a video on Madoka for a long time (my previous video explains that this current video has been in the works for over a month). To be honest, I can't imagine this getting many views but I'm totally content with that. I just wanted to rant and rave about this really cool anime that I've loved for many, MANY years now
What a great video. It's been a long time since anyone filmed Madoka. And recently information appeared that there will be a continuation. This is good news. But I'm afraid that they may fail and the sequel will not reach the quality of the original. How can we not regret that the sequel turned out bad, because the level of the original Madoka is at the level of a masterpiece. Like its sequel Rebellion, unfortunately inaccessible to many to understand. I no longer count on even the old panache. But let's hope for the best. If something like Record comes out, it will be the end. By the way, excellent sound inserts from Fear and Hunger.
I felt that Homira became a devil because she felt that she had to balance Madoka, not replace her. Madoka still exists as the Lsw of Cycles, Homurs metely split the part of her that was still human away so she could live her life with her friends and family. Homura judges herself as selfish because she knows that ultimately all wishes are selfish, but she embraces her love for Madoka instead of trying to justify it as altruism. That's why she knows eventually Madoka will return to her Kami form and Homura will have to be her enemy. She would rather take on the despaor and darkness and become the devil to Homura's goddess than never see her again. I'm very interested to see if the new movie embraces this fate for the two of them, or disrupts their balance in order to remake the universe again.
Rebellion had to happen because Homura's wish never actually came true UNTIL Rebellion. It's the first time she was actually strong enough to save and protect Madoka. She set it up, too - she's the one who told Kyubey about the previous cycle, but without telling him what her wish actually was.
i do think that not talking about sayaka's depersonalization and relationship with self worth is a bit of a shame, considering she chooses not to confess because she thinks she is unworthy of him. She's a teen girl and her struggle with who she is and should be and if she deserves happiness, and she concludes that she doesnt cause she's a fucking middle schooler. People often ignore that as a deconstruction of magical girl shows it is inherently engaging with the standards and struggles of growing up as a young girl. i get not taking time dedicated to unpacking it, the video can only be so long, but theres a whole episode worth of her falling apart which, though it is a part of it, is based in a little deeper and more distressing considering she is literally refusing to save her own life and choosing to work herself to death because she doesn't want to be "selfish" and accept any help or reward for the good things she does. overall solid vid, especially the parts about your own experience and feelings with moments of the show.
Thanks so much for watching! Glad you enjoyed the overall experience and I appreciate your feedback! :) Funny story actually, there was an entire section in the original script for this video that was legitimately about how part of why Sayaka never makes those additional steps in her own life, is due to a lack of self worth (similar to how you have described Sayaka's struggles as a young, highschool girl). However I feared that including that aspect of her character alongside her struggles to come to terms with that "greedy" part of herself, may have been a little too much to digest for casual viewers and I personally didn't like how I worded it in the original write-up. However in hindsight, seeing how you have articulated her journey so concisely and brilliantly, I now realise it totally could have been done in a neat way and makes me wish I kept that aspect in the video 😅
Homura is the personification of damn if you do damn if you dont. She has to save madoka because thats her wish, but she has to repeat timelines of failing. But if she despairs and stops saving madoka, madoka still dies . No one really wins
One of my favorite fun facts and fclear foreshadowing of Madoka and Homura's fate is that their names seem to be almost puns for what they become Madoka "Kaname" essentially becomes Madoka "Kami" or "god" while Homura "Akemi" becomes Homura "Akuma" or devil, similar to how thr western audience have them the nick name Godoka and Homucifer Greay video man! You got a sub from me
This was not intentional in either case, as the particulars of Japanese don't quite capture the similarities as much as it looks like in English. Akemi to Akuma sounds a bit more believable, but as we know Rebellion wasn't in the plans when the original series was finalized, it cannot have been fore-planned. The most you could say is that the term "Akuma" _could have been_ chosen as an alliteration to Akemi when planning Rebellion, but there's no direct evidence of this in any material out there, and the fact it sounds cool is not enough to make definitive claims. I'm not trying to make light of the idea, though. It's a neat coincidence if nothing else.
This is why Madoka Magica will always be my absolute favorite show for all of time😭😭. The way the details flow together and the indirectness of the foreshadowing is truly a masterpiece. Also another thing to add to Sayaka’s witch; it turns into a mermaid as a way to reference the original story of the little mermaid, where she falls in love but her lover leaves her for another and she becomes nothing but sea foam… notice how that sounds familiar?
I love how there are SO MANY WAYS to interpret this! Really like how well thought out each nook and cranny of this series actually is. I don't think I've experienced a more cohesive storyline in fiction than I do with Madoka Magica. Everything serves a purpose, and nothing feels out of pocket. This franchise has NO RIGHT to be this spectacular.
Incredibly based 👏 While I would love to see something affect me this deeply again, the magic that is Madoka Magica is a hard thing to recapture. I firmly believe, it will remain in my top 3 for a long, LONG time still
@@TheMickellPickell “Bocchi The Rock!” is incredibly touching. “Kotaro Lives Alone” hits pretty fucking hard. “Re:ZERO - Loving Life In Another World” is my #1, it’s so so incredibly and beautifully written. It’s the only anime to hit deeper than Madoka Magica. Highly recommend all 3 but re:zero is bloody n brutal kinda on par with attack on titan
@@TheMickellPickell Still doesn't get RE:Zero Is like dragon balls Is nice but doesn't really hold the attention. I'm not saying about meaning of plot or lesson shet. It feels like it lack a cohesion Is it about the otaku or the witch or Emilia They all want to be mc The anime world want to be mc but none really gets enough attention and importance to be the mc. At the very least for dragon ball I know I'm there for muscle brains bashing their heads into plots.
So there's a LOT you can do there, depending on what you're into. Madoka is the queen of the thriller/magical girl Genre, and it's not particularly close. Spy x Family is a great family drama, but won't get the emotions running like Madoka. Family/Comedy. Welcome to Demon School Iruma-kun is the funnest anime ever to be released. School/Comedy Rascal does not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai has some of the most natural conversations in Light Novels-but don't remember the anime. School/Drama/Comedy Made in Abyss is the darkest anime I've ever seen. It's pretty incredible in scope. Adventure/Thriller Toradora is the best Romance anime, just hands down. Romance/School Spice and Wolf is the best Romance/Adventure anime. Romance/Adventure Anohana: The Flower we saw that day is an anime I'd recommend you commit to just watching in one day. Feels. Just fucking Feels. Your Lie in April is another great one. Romance/Feels/School/Music More to com,e if I can think of it. @@TheMickellPickell
I always found Madoka Magica more finding light in the ever-present despair and darkness, making it more bound to the typical magical girl genre than people would think. As a fan of magia record as well, I'm obsessed with their world, kept in-balance from those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Fear and Hunger music noticed. You got amazing taste.
I love the trash taste boys, but they did live up to their name for their rebellion opinion. 😂 also top tier music choices btw. The one two punch of pulse and anxiety followed by the Higurashi theme broke me just a bit.
Madoka Magica was the first anime I ever watched that stated so blatantly that “the power of friendship means nothing”…and if you watch anime regularly that is NEVER what an anime ever tells you lol. 😂
I honestly don't remember my initial thoughts and feelings when watching the show; how I felt or what I predicted would happen. All I remember was that it was so entrancing that I binged the entire series + Rebellion, not going to bed until 3 in the morning. I remember trying to share it with one of my friends at the time and looking up more about it, but otherwise, that's probably where the story would've ended for me... A few years later I was going through some bad mental health problems, and having trouble getting up from my couch, I turned on Netflix to find something to watch... and I saw this show again in the recommendations. That session there, during Sayaka's arc, was the first time I remembered crying in a while. _That_ was when the show become one of my all time favourite pieces of media. The point in this video on Homura's silent scream in the intro had such a sense of _foreboding_ knowing exactly when that would come up again. I actually got chills when it finally came up later with your words appearing on screen. It was so freaking well edited and foreshadowed. Bravo. My only issue is that this video seems to have been uploaded 3 days early.
I think the reason I recall those experiences so easily, is because of how I went into the show. I again, wasn't the biggest fan of the series jumping in. Its because my expectations were so subverted, and I was presented to what was an objectively harrowing experience instead, that I remember it so clearly. I'm glad to hear that you allowed yourself to become so affected by a piece of media to the point of tears. I feel its become way too common place for people to hold back their feelings, so I really applaud you for letting the art affect you in the way it did :) Aye, I'm glad to hear that moment paid off! Thanks for watching so far in!
@@TheMickellPickell October 3rd is practically a fandom holiday. It's the day that that the project was first began, but it's more well known for being Madoka Kaname's official birthday. I have never seen any other fandom make such a big event out of one of the character's birthdays, but considering what Madoka becomes, it's not completely unjustified. This video was released either September 30th or October 1st, literally 3 days before what I have in my calendar as "Day of Hope."
...you're kidding me...October 3rd is literally my birthday....I had no idea I got to share such an amazing occasion with one of the greatest characters in fiction!
@@TheMickellPickell I honestly wasn't thinking about views either. Just the poetry of a retrospective like this being released so close to such an important date for the series and its fandom. Happy belated birthday by the way! It is always fun having one's birthday correspond with other special dates.
I legit have taken inspiration from the girls in this series and their dynamics… the series is short and yet it works in its favor. No fluff, everything has a meaning… and all the characters are fleshed out enough to be interesting and compelling imo.
Even to this day, I am learning even more things about this series. Not only are the characters and events that occur all strung together perfectly, but even visual details from inside of the labyrinths (like the glyphs and creatures inside of them) themselves have an insatiable amount of detail and meaning. Honestly this show achieves so much in such a short amount of time. Its genuinely flawless
Literally, I talked my best friend into watching it and he was pretty reluctant at first but was actually hooked by episode one due to the visuals alone and all he could say as he kept watching was that it just got better and better with every episode. His favorite character was Homura with funnily enough, Madoka as a very close second. Tbh the funniest part is he’s this big tough macho looking guy. When we were younger and he first watched it, he wished it was longer but now that we’re adults, he thinks the pacing is fine as is. No real fluff, everything has a purpose to the narrative. @@TheMickellPickell
I appreciate that. And while true, I also didn't want to defer from the original series too much for people who are more casual viewers of the series. Don't want to overload people with information, or potentially ruin that inevitable truth for them had they one day chosen to pursue it.
This is the reason why this series has and will forever stays in a special spot in my soul 😭 The tragic, the art, the philosophy, the twist and turns of the plot, the characters! Gosh I love Madoka Magica.
Even to this day I am learning more and more about the original series. It is completely bewildering how much lays in each frame of this series. Honestly never seen anything like it, even to this day! :')
@@TheMickellPickellRight?? Throughout the years, no matter how many time I've watched there's always small little details to be discovered! Then to put those pieces together and have our initial point of view expended again, just felt so freaking amazing. I can't wait for the release of Walpurgisnacht Rising and spiral into more pain and suffering again! 😭🙏
After the trailer for the new movie dropped recently I rewatched the series in all movie form and it's still the anime that gets me consistently more emotional than any other show, especially the Eternal (recap movie 2) and Rebellion movies are peak fiction, and Homura still in my top 10 animanga characters ever, after all these years Personally one of my favorite parts about it that's not about Homura or Madoka herself is the parallels between Sayaka's story and the original tale of the little mermaid (not the disneyfied version, the real one), and the link between her and actual real depiction of what depression does to someone. In the replies I'll also leave a comment about a theory that calculates Madoka's potential as a magical girl and why she was able to make the wish she did that I found years ago in another comment section
This is not my comment, but I like to spread it around ^^ "If you feel interested, here's a little calculation of Madoka's possible potential in the last timeline (the one we've been watching all this time). Madoka's initial potential in Timeline 1 was probably pretty average, but probably not very low -- the first Kyūbē did want turn her into a magical girl, after all, so her initial potential can't have been all that bad -- Kyūbē wants energy, he wouldn't go after a bad target. Now, when Homura reset time for the first time and created Timeline 2, the new Madoka would in principle have the same potential; but since she was now linked to the fate of the first Madoka (who was the only reason why Homura reset the timeline, thus creating Timeline 2 and the new Madoka), then this would double her potential. Now, when Homura created Timeline 3 by resetting time again, she did the same thing: she created a new world with a new Madoka having the same potential as the previous Madoka, and connected them, thus doubling the third Madoka's potential. But the second Madoka's potential had already been doubled when Homura created Timeline 2; so the third Madoka's potential is twice that, or four times the potential of the first Madoka in Timeline 1. In other words, every time Homura resets the timeline, the new Madoka has twice the potential power of the previous Madoka. Now, if you take into account that, according to an answer Gen Urobuchi, the author, gave in an interview once, Homura has reset time some fifty to a hundred times... This means the last Madoka (the one we've been watching all along) has 2x2x2....x2 (fifty to a hundred times) the potential of the original times, i.e. 2 to the fifthieth (or hundredth) power. (Well, technically, 2 to the 49th or 99th power, but since Urobuchi was vague about the number of timelines, I won't be too precise here either.) This is a Really Big Number, something between 1,125 trillion (2 to the fiftieth power) and 1,127 octillion (2 to the hundredth power) times the power of the first Madoka. If you want to see the numbers in their full glory, the last Madoka's potential is between: 2^50 = 1,125,899,906,842,624 and: 2^100 = 1,267,650,600,228,229,401,496,703,205,376 times the potential of the first Madoka. These numbers are pretty astronomical. For comparison, the number of stars in all galaxies of the known universe has been estimated as somewhere between 10^22 and 10^24. Taking the larger estimate in both cases (2^100 and 10^24), we see that 2^100 / 10^24 = 1,267,650.600228..., i.e., 2^100 is more than one million times bigger than 10^24. In other words, if all stars of the known universe became magical girls with the same potential power as the first Madoka and then joined their powers together (the way witches joined their power in Walpurgisnacht)... the last Madoka as a magical girl would still be a million and two hundred thousand times more powerful than them..."
The characters themselves are what make Madoka Magica so incredible. While the story and overall world that the team has created is genuinely very good. Its the way in which their characters interact with that story and world that make it so fascinating. I couldn't agree more with this statement! Also Homura is incredible, totally deserving of all the praise her character receives
God not only is this fascinating from a power-level perspective, but also when tracing back to Urobuchi's words regarding Homura, it makes this tenfold more devastating and even more brilliant. If Homura had re-winded that many times, it only justifies her actions in rebellion even more. Somebody who tries over and over and over again, shouldn't feel content with having to give up on their goal. This just confirms to me that her decision to want Madoka back by ripping her away from her role as the law of cycles is absolutely the right one for her character. Thanks for sharing!
@@TheMickellPickell the constant re-wind desperation/hope conflict reminded me of the game version of Steins;Gate - a story arc that doesn't appear in the anime. There is a scene where a day with most better-known characters do a trip by bike up until a certain point (or two, depending on where you cut it) where Okabe rewinds time. Over and over and over again. In hopes that the outcome changes completely. But it is pretty much always the same. And after a certain amount of times he kinda loses hope, fricks around with parts of the day and his mind even more so. Burned more into my mind than some of the more popular parts of the story people find interesting. Edit: i might add that this fricking around has to do with death- and R* thoughts that come up. Just to make sure why they are so intense
The Madoka Magica fans are eating good this year. Honestly this anime has literally everything I love. Amazing story, characters, visuals, music. It has a core message of hope that we are never alone. It’s got pretty girls doing awesome things. It’s got cool designs and everything is so well thought out. Bro IT HAS SPACE VIBES AND IT FEELS GAY???? I love my tragic magic cosmic sapphics💖💖💖
Honestly so true. This series does so many things perfectly. I cannot stress enough how long this show has stuck with me and clearly with so many others because everything about this franchise is thought-out and done with intention. Nothing about the show feels out of place. It all is all woven together absolutely perfectly. With absolute confidence, this series is a solid 10/10. also the fact that its Yuri makes it an immediate 10/10, no ifs or buts. Yuri is peak.
11:43 the thing that got me about this episode is how happy mami was fighting looking forwards to no longer being alone and looking forwards to celebrating with Madoka .., and then …. After watching this many times it is still a masterpiece with so many twists I love it my favourite anime ever ❤
Gen Urobuchi is a god damn genius. He is such a daring writer who loves breaking his viewers. So much respect to the guy for making me feel so much empathy for Mami in such a short space of time.
Thanks for reminding me of this anime. Immediately told a friend who is into anime apart from the usual shonen or shojo anime. Loves surprising story plots that grow dark but still with compelling character interaction. Thanks me often for introducing him to Made in Abyss and Fullmetal Alchemist(orig/B). His son is a sucker for the stories and merch too.
My theory on why Homura became a demon is that the despair in her soul gem didn’t propel into a witch transformation making therefore Madoka unable to stop it. Using a simple statements to explain why the transformation is different is as such: Magical girl: Hope-despair(minus) They are an existence that sustains itself while hope still remains while clashing internally with despair. Witch: Despair>Hope They are an existence in which despair is all victorious when it fully emerges. Madoka changed the game with a miracle. God: Hope>Despair An existence that had hope reach victorious personifying it. Then what Homura did: Devil: Hope=Despair She is in no way a denial of hope but a middle point most humans couldn’t possibly accept. Her despair of never being able to save Madoka constantly grew to the point where it would be Madoka’s choice to harm herself and the blackest form of Homura’s despair. She’d need to save her against her own wishes. Upon her witch transformation she is slightly aware of what she will become if she remains alive but having been saved she can’t bring herself to selflessly try to remove herself again but reaches to get all she desires. Her hopes became her despair as she will enjoy every moment with Madoka and later realizes she’ll have to fight with all she has to keep her but is fine if her karmic despair may truly ruin it all someday.
Lmao its so freaking good man. Just have SO MUCH to talk about and yet I was only able to talk about this series on a surface level. I would always encourage a re-watch so that people can properly re-experience the magic of this series.
I often reply to that voice calling "you are not alone": "Hey there, here I am!" Thanks, Mickell, for your amazing presentation of a must-have anime (the older sister of MIA)!
It was so long ago and so much happened in my life that I can't remember the exact thoughts I had during my first watch... with one exception. It's about Homura. I remember that instantly after watching her silent cry I understood that Madoka means a lot to her and after witnessing her as a transfer student my instant though was "she's time traveler or something and wants to protect Madoka". I loved her character from the first sight and I never doubted her. She's my number on in the entire franchise and in top of my favourite characters of all time. Homura did nothing wrong! Joking, of course. She did in the Rebellion and she understands it well herself. And that's why I feel a lot of pain for her. She is still suffering and I want a happy ending for her. But knowing Gen Urobuchi... it will never happen. I also want to point out that watching Magia Record might be a good decision to look at the situation from perspective: all that insane shit happened in MagiReco was just ONE of timelines Homura experienced and she witnessed much more messed up shit that that. But in the original series we can't comprehend how enormous her knowledge on magical world is. She just seen it all. People who are shit talking on Homura just can't understand what it actually is to try literally everything for countless times. Just like Steins;Gate but without hope. Also I am in shock after you pointed out Trash Talk's opinion. Rebellion is shit? There are people who actually think that way? Really? Well, Garnt and others are garbage-tier anime lovers so it's understandable. But it seems, from the mentions in comments, that many people disliked it. And it renders me speechless. It was a masterpiece and the bitter ending is actually good even though dirty and disgusting. Just like Fate;Zeros ending - thanks to our beloved Gen Urobuchi.
I love how different people's experience has been with this series. Because not only did you resonate with Homura during that first sequence, unlike myself. But I actually do believe that Homura, genuinely did the right thing. Unfortunately a lot of people didn't vibe with Rebellion. While I can understand the confusing nature of that movie isn't for everyone, the write it off as simply "shit" was upsetting to hear. It really undermines the work of all those who put in the time to create an incredibly visceral and unique experience.
At this point i've seen the new trailer many and i mean many times, still cannot believe that after ten long years it's really happening! 😆😆 First-off, my man the idea of making your own "witches" was REALLY amazing! Loved it!! 💯 Honestly, i can relate to what you've said about "dropping Madoka at first" because i myself dropped the show and only came back to it few years later because of Magia Records. Basically with that i wanna say that you shouldn't feel guilty for dropping it, instead be glad that you've gave it another try... 👌🏻 Also regarding Rebellion: Man, i felt sooo damn confused, but holy shit the slow unraveling was truly godly!!! Hats-off to you Mickell, be proud!!! 🎩 You've truly created a masterclass of a script on this one and also my new favorite video of yours! ♥
So I’m going to say this now because this series is just wow. But I originally saw this series when I was 12 I had just finished watching glitter force/precure and was ready for a new magical girl anime, I had no idea what I was in for. This series has had such an impact on me to the point of madoka’s message of hope being one of my only reasons to continue living when I feel so hopeless, and the fact that a fictional character can dissuade me from giving up? I feel like that really shows how much this anime can do
Thank you for sharing your experience :) Madoka Magica is a really ahead of its time series. Despite how dark and twisted its main-story is, the themes of it are somehow quite positive and endearing. I'm glad it had such a positive and profound impact on you.
Knowing what we know now, if Madoka wished for a cake; she would have turned into a witch before Walpurgisnacht arrived. Nagisa , the Witch that ate Mami, wished for a cheesecake. Upon realizing she wasted the wish, she turned into a Witch bc of the Despair mechanic. Similarly, when revealed that magical girls are no longer human and they’re souls are kept in gems, Madoka would have realized she traded her soul fir a cake and likely would go witch form instantly. Madoka IS also the shining beacon/personification of “hope” so theres a chance I’m wrong but I don’t think even hope would make her feel better at that point.
Its not hard to imagine any of these circumstances coming to fruition in certain, un-seen timelines. When you consider amount of times Homura has gone through time, it doesn't seem too farfetched for the reality your posing to have come true in one of them. This show is just that incredibly genius, its impossible to fully comprehend!
42:46 I saw someone make a point in another video that, since this was Homura’s dream and it was slightly manipulating the people in it, that dream caused Madoka to say what Homura WANTED TO HEAR rather than her true feelings. That changed EVERYTHING for me.
So many incredible little intricacies and subtleties with this series. Years have passed and I'm still learning new things. Incredible analysis on that other person's part. Didn't even consider that possibility.
@@TheMickellPickell I didn’t either! My initial belief was that Madoka said that only because she didn’t know she had already made that choice. But this really reframed the scene for me.
Thanks so much! Also glad to hear you liked the use of the F&H soundtrack. Its so haunting and fits certain aspects of Madoka Magica quite brilliantly.
Fuck I love this show. Seriously, its hard to compare to some of your other videos, but this might honsetly be your best one yet. With the recent news this is exactly what I needed. I´m currently rewatching the show and there really are so many details I missed previously. Like I didn´t know about the whole Käse/cheese thing until watching this video, but its just another little piece to a story with so much passion behind it. Modern Classic. Absolute Masterpiece. Homura is one of the best anime characters of all time. Great Show. Great Movie. Great Video. Thank you so much for this, absolutely made my day
Thanks for watching so far into the video! Glad that little moment demonstrates the guilty and horrified feeling I had when that scene played on screen for the first time :)
Of course! 💕 He will forever be immortalized in the incredible art he continued to create. Its such a shame we lost him so young, his musical genius was only truly beginning to unravel. The world is just a little bit bleaker without him...such a charming and wonderful soul that was gone too soon
I absolutely adore this anime and am so excited for the new movie and the mystery it promises. The incubators ability to give them “magic” is a perfect example of any sufficiently advanced technology being indistinguishable from magic. Love that idea. Also the Faustian bargain too. So good.
It really is a culmination of so many different themes and ideas. Without question one of the most complex but accessible stories out there. So much time and effort has gone into the concepts present in this franchise and I can't wait to see what they choose to explore in the film!
There are so many things I want to say after watching your analysis, but I don't have the time for everything, so a few things, mostly cool tidbits to correct a few potential misunderstandings, either in the video or the fandom as a whole: 1) Charlotte's witch transformation, later adapted into Magia Record, was first revealed within these things called "witch cards" during the official first airing of the show. These cards explained the nature of each witch that appeared, as well as their "official" names, which were descriptive names like "The Stage Witch" and such. Names like "Charlotte" and "Gertrude" could only be discovered in the on-screen runes, but no witch's hidden name has ever been acknowledged in official media. There were also cards for each familiar of the witch (though they missed a couple for some reason). After episode 8 aired, every card was then updated to explain briefly the story of each magical girl who became the witch. We didn't know her name or what she looked like, but this was where the story of Nagisa originated. Importantly, Madoka Magica had become such a force of nature in Japan that newspapers were writing articles explaining lore and pointing to the official website for information. Charlotte, of course, became the most memorable of the witches, and combined with all the Headless Mami memes, there was nary a soul who didn't know Charlotte's obsession with cheese, despite the fact that cheese itself never showed up in her labyrinth (the compilation film added the "Where Is The Cheese?" song later, per Kajiura Yuki-san's now-intended design). Charlotte fanfare is practically the only reason Bebe/Nagisa even showed up in the film (Shinbo-san begged for it lol), and possibly the inspiration behind why magical girls taken by the Law of Cycles can transform into/summon their witch forms in the first place (because they wanted Nagisa to be recognized as Charlotte and hidden in plain sight). Of course, that doesn't cheapen the effect. They certainly made great use of her existence, even if she's technically the most bland member of the cast (her tragic story doesn't really affect her personality or choices in the story and she's used more as a device than a character with agency). Still, it's nice that after fans paired MadokaxHomura and SayakaxKyouko together, Mami gets a companion to be friends with, too. ...Please don't ship. Nagisa is a child, you pervs. *ahem* 2) Slight aside, I appreciate that you keep the movie's lore within the movie. There is a side story manga called "Wraith Arc" written and illustrated by Hanokage (brilliant writer and illustratorーI have their Fire Emblem Awakening doujinshi, too) that _technically_ explains the reason why Homura almost forgot Madoka and why Kyubey justified the movie's experiment in the first place (Homura erased her own memories and Kyubey secretly traveled with Homura back in time once, thus confirming her story from episode 12), but I do want to emphasize that this manga was written long after the movie was released, when these justifications did not exist. I think the idea that Homura doubted Madoka's existence is perfectly justifiable without magic and Kyubey experimenting with a single magical girl does not need a whole time-travel confirmation to justify either. Take that as you will, but until the manga's events are confirmed in the actual main animated material, you can choose to ignore it if you like. That said, it's still a fun read, and regardless of plot canon, the nature of wraiths is explained and that information alone is based on Gekidan InuCurry's (who originally designed the wraiths) own notes to Hanokage, meaning it can be considered canon (as the creators likely do). 3) For what it's worth, Rebellion was not planned to exist until just before the original series' initial broadcast in Japan, meaning events in Rebellion do not have explicit, intended foreshadowing in the original series. The original series can be watched on its own merits. Likewise, as weird as this sounds, the new film was also only planned a while after Rebellion played in theaters in Japan, and Urobuchi-san in both instances thought the series was over. At least by his own pen. Lol Of course, the upcoming movie was still scripted back in 2014 or so, but again, nothing in Rebellion deliberately foreshadows the new film. The newer content builds on the older content anew. Based on where I think the new film is going, I think that'll be apparent in the story, but I figured I should preface this to avoid easy misunderstandings I see a lot online about how this movie was somehow an intended "part 2" to Rebellion and Rebellion was somehow unfinished. 4) lol I know you misspoke, but "shoujo ai" is pronounced as "ai", as in "eye", not "A.I."ーFun tidbit: It means "Girls' Love" and has morphed into a genre actually called "Girls' Love" ("GL" for short) in Japan, referring to girlxgirl romantic literature/art. You know, the same "ai" from Homura's famous "AI YO" line. =P Notably, GL encompasses both exploitative lesbian porn written by and for men and more sensual romance written by and for lesbians. As you might suspect, "shounen ai" is the "Boy's Love" ("BL" for short) equivalent. Both genres are so popular that they have labeled sections dedicated to them in some Japanese bookstores. Madoka Magica has ambiguous lesbianism in it, but it would not be labeled "shoujo ai/GL" or found in that section of said bookstores. Madoka Magica doujinshi, on the other hand... lol
A really concise and well written comment here, thank you for all the fun tidbits and corrections. This is actually the first time I have heard of Wraith Arc and that sounds like an incredibly interesting read! I genuinely had no idea that behind the scenes, there was an actual explanation behind why Homura was having these doubts. As you said, the film doesn't need to explain that simply because the audience knows the story and characters well enough to have their own explanation behind her thoughts. I'll have to give it a read! Really curious now :) I'm unfortunately aware that I got those two mixed up in the script 😅 Whilst editing it, I didn't want to re-record those lines in fear of audio-mismatches, which is why I left little sticky notes throughout the video, correcting those mistakes. But pronunciation tips are appreciated! I know very little japanese so that's always helpful. I hope you were able to enjoy the video regardless~!
@@TheMickellPickell - I was~ I wouldn't call Wraith Arc's explanations "behind the scenes". These were ideas made up by the manga author, Hanokage, post-film and then given approval by someone in Magica Quartet (the official team's collective name). Director Shinbo also said the story takes place between the original show and rebellion, but it's ambiguous if this means he considers it canon to the films. It has some weird contradictions with the anime canon that _can_ be explained away with some clarification, but these holes lead some (including myself) to treat it as Tier II or lower canon until a future anime confirms it outright. That said, Hanokage's other Madoka Magica manga works are great, too, and don't create canon conflicts, but get really creative sometimes! In release order: 1) They did the original manga adaption, which actually released _while_ the anime was first airing. Hanokage themself didn't even know the later twists, which led hilariously to early Kyubey being insanely cute and later Kyubey going full insane creepy. Lol Also, they interpreted Sayaka as having killed those two sexist guys on the train, which even shocked writer Urobuchi, as that wasn't his intention. But what's even cooler? Hanokage was only just starting out as a manga artist at the time, so the art wasn't really honed well... but for Madoka's 10 year anniversary, they recently _redrew the entire manga from scratch,_ essentially written the same as before, but fixing the inconsistencies and improving the art in ways that I think do the show's visual splendor so much justice. I've never seen someone literally redraw an entire manga over from start to finish before. 2) They wrote and drew another manga side story called "The Different Story", which might be one of my favorite side stories ever written for the series. It is powerful and series writer Urobuchi said he personally thinks it's worthy of canon (to him). It is all about Mami and Kyouko, first detailing their friendly-turned-rocky past together (based directly on a canon audio drama CD called "Farewell Story") and then returning to the "present" in a past Homura timeline where Mami survived and reconciled with Kyouko again. I recommend this one over any other side story, honestly. Hanokage's art was still early, but they made huge strides in quality and started honing in their visual storytelling skills at this point, which eventually leads to... 3) ...their adaption of the Rebellion film, which is nothing short of an artistic masterpiece worthy of the franchise name. Just like how the movie played with its visual library in abstract, 4th-wall breaking ways, this manga treats every page like a canvas as it tells the story. There are panel frames they bleed eerily into each other, nightmares and witches that are drawn to feel out of place like they do in the anime, and cool 4th-wall panel breaks like Homura cutting the page to try and tear herself apart. The dialogue is all copied from the movie, so it's a really neat visual interpretation of the film. At this point, Hanokage's art hit its peak. You can see these same art techniques present in the original manga redraw I mentioned earlier, too. They also have a few comedy one shots, like a what-if route where Homura reveals to Kyouko her past and tries creating a virtual simulator to find the best route to save Madoka and Sayaka both. They end up cooped up for so long that by the time they succeed in the simulator, witch Sayaka and witch Madoka crash through the walls of Homura's home, making Homura think "Oh crap" and reset her shield again, leaving Kyouko behind. Lol Anyway, enough rambling from me. There's a LOT of side stories that exist out there, including a whole bi-monthly magazine that published several ongoing manga side stories (mostly non-canon, slice-of-life spinoffs), as well as video games (HomuLilly, Homura's witch, debuted in a PSP game before Rebellion came out, and she looked drastically differentーMami and Kyouko's witches appeared for the first time, too, as well as witches whose familiars showed up in the anime) and even the original anime script that includes cut content in book form. I highly recommend diving into some of these. Not all are good, but they are interesting, and several are referenced in Magia Record as special events.
I cannot even begin to express how happy I am to see a video like yours! Madoka Magica has withstood the test of time and remained one of my favorite series all these years and I'm so happy to see someone acknowledge all that it has done and the nuances of the work. I'm really hoping the new film introduces more people to it :]
Thank you so much for saying that! I really adore this franchise like many of you do, so it means a lot to me that you're all so willingly to listen to me rave about its brilliance for basically an hour 😅 Madoka Magica really is something special. Even to this day, I'm learning more and more secrets hidden out in the open about this series. I've yet to encounter a piece of media quite as transformative as Madoka Magica. It truly is one of a kind and I'm glad you can agree! Really looking forward to the movie! Hopefully it does shine a well-deserved spotlight on this series once again!
Yea, I just don't think people truly understood Rebellion, including myself. It's got a lot of philosophy, as well as references to things like The Nut Cracker, as well as Faust apparently. I haven't seen either of those, but when I learned about those connection, as well as the Clara Dolls, Part 3 became a lot more artistic, and something to respect instead of revile. part 4 is coming next year. That's exciting. Unfortunately, it was moved to 2025, but that's only a year away, and I think that this 4th part will be the closure for this story. It would make sense thematically as well to have it end on the next part. The twist all along was that Homura was always the main character of the story. This show has always been about subversion.
Golly can I just say how much I loved the intro to this video? It’s sets the tone perfectly using visuals similar to Madoka magica and uses just as much symbolism. So awesome 😭
Its so hard to experience anything compleatly blind with current anime, but im glad to have experianced madoka with no prior knowlage. Truly a great show
This is the only channel where I can watch my favorite anime being reviewed while listening to my favorite anime's soundtrack. You're truly my favorite anime channel because of our love of Madoka and MiA
You're too kind!~ So glad that our tastes are so similar 🙏 They really are two incredible shows with a real unforgettable uniqueness. Makes me so proud to be an anime-youtuber when I get to cover topics like these! Thank you for watching~
thank you for this absolutely comprehensive summary of madoka. i watched this series ages ago and i jsut randomly remembered it again today and im still blown away by the story. truly a story that caught me off guard from the cutesy magical girl art to the actual plot and message. i will have to watch rebellion myself and the rest of the things in the series to see the rest of the plot unfold
My absolute pleasure :) Thanks for watching! Totally recommend rebellion, it was the sequel movie we as fans didn't realise we needed until it came out.
I hope so, though Gen Urobuchi has a track-record of bittersweet endings as opposed to fully happy ones. From Psycho-Pass, Aldnoah Zero, Godzilla The Planet Eater, etc.
Its a brilliantly tragic dichotomy. The fact that neither person is fighting for themselves but for the other makes their inevitable fight all the more painful.
The fact you even took the time to watch and let me just rant about a series that you personally don't love is actually such a kind sentiment. I really appreciate you giving me the floor to speak about the things I'm passionate about 😊 So glad you enjoyed this video!
Man idk what I’m gonna do with my life, over 10 years and both AOT and Madoka Magica are coming to an end. Two of my absolute favourite manga/anime’s…..
The future is always uncertain, but in that uncertainty there may lay another series out there that will have that influential power. There are still plenty of stories that are yet to be told! I hope you're able to find more anime-gems in the future :)
a lot of detail in this video and i love it! you earned a sub. some other details coming from a Madoka Magica veteran Misterioso means "Misterious" in english. fits the general idea. The 49:12 scene of madoka making her "little" steps watching the battlefield has a ton of meaning if you know the anime very well. The "black"-cat witch that appears while she does these steps is the same one that Mami Killed AT THE START of EP3. Also, is ironically that appears with her. becouse the sole reason she transformed into a magical girl in the 1st timeline was to rescued a run-over BLACK cat. (this is confirmed both my writers-the novel and the mobile game.) i didnt say "first steps" all out random. i think you can figure out that. is like the first time. but so far away. amazing. the cake song, maybe you already noticed it, in rebellion, has a ton of meaning, and don´t forget the witch runes, they have actual translations in both English and german. you can search that in "Madoka magica runes wikia" that does a deep dive into the runes. they have basically tons of information and spoilers in them, in plane sight. but you dont understand the runes.. until you search for them.
Aye thanks so much! Glad I could provide an in-depth delve into this already incredible series 👏 All of these facts are just incredibly fascinating! I actually had no idea that the runs of witches could actually be translated! I'll have to give it a real looking and on my inevitable, next re-watch, even try and decipher some of their code! God this series just continues to amaze me. I cannot fathom how this franchise continues to surprise me, even 10 years later...insane.
Slight correction and fun trivia about the black cat Madoka made her first wish on: When the animators at SHAFT were asked to animate the opening, they were actually given very little information about the show itselfーno more than to emphasize so-and-so, or director Shinbo-san's personal and sole request to have a "duplicate Madoka send off another Madoka", which he was deliberately foreshadowing Ultimate Madoka with, per his own recalling. However, the deliberate lack of direction led the animators to put in more risque visuals due to the show's original age rating (ie. Madoka in a sexy outfit, or the second Madoka being naked and pressing her chest against the first Madoka) and insert more randomness that was not part of the show (the weird monsters). In addition to this, they drew Madoka holding a random black cat, which... led Shinbo-san and crew to comment, "Why does she have a cat?" Lol This cat inspired so much speculation in the fandom, with people making wild theories that it was another Kyubey, or that it was Homura's true form (I mean, Homura did seem to know Madoka a little too much). In reality, it had no meaning... for a while, at least. After the series ended, the team were asked to write 3 audio drama CDs based on some extra scripts that were cut or that Urobuchi-san had notes for with information that didn't make it into the show itself. Originally, episode 10 was the only episode that, for runtime sake, had to cut several minutes of content for its final broadcast. This cut content was adapted into the first audio drama CD called "Memories of You" and released alongside the first blu ray disc in Japan. Urobuchi-san, of course, never told anyone what Madoka's first wish was (he might not have thought of one), so somehow, this black cat was inserted into the audio drama's story and named "Amy". This is the actual origin of the black cat, long before the story was retold elsewhere. If you haven't listened to the audio dramas, our sub group subtitled them into videos long ago, if you can find them online (we lost the files). Two are canon stories and two are cute non-canon comedy spin-offs. 1) Memories of You (Homura's first timeline, released with blu ray #1ーcanon) 2) Sunny Day Life (what if everyone became friends and magical girl life was fun, released with blu ray #3ーnon-canon) 3) Farewell Story (how Kyouko met Mami and Kyouko's tragic downfall, released with blu ray#5ーcanon) 4) Summer Magical Girl Training Camp (another what if with beach fun for everyone!, released as a convention bonus much laterーnon-canon)
you definetely could do a series of videos analisis from the witch runes. as i said search in the page "madoka magica runes" and the first result is mostly the page. the one result that says "Deciphering the runes" is the correct link. enjoy the deep dive on the runes and all of the appearances! @@TheMickellPickell
Thank you so much for giving me the time to talk to you about this fantastic series! Same boat homie, cannot wait to see what SHAFT have been cooking behind the scenes!
This was a joy to watch. Madoka Magica is still my all time favorite piece of media. I've spent waaaay too many hours watching video essays like this on it. Many rewatches, in various states of sobriety, since I first saw it in 2012. Thanks for this love letter! Can't wait to see Walpurgis!
Incredibly based take 🙏 Appreciate your support for both myself and Madoka as a series. It really is something special that I'm so glad is still so beloved by fans :)
This video is actually so good I love madoka magica and I was still a little confused after watching the series and movie but this absolutely cleared everything up
Had to rewatch madoka before I jumped into your passion filled analysis. Yup still hurts. Haha. Love this kind of video mickell. Really, anything your passionate about always makes such good genuine content bro.🤘
Aye appreciate you Jake! Good to see you brother! Thank you again for taking on this recommendation despite how it may have looked! Made me really happy knowing that you gave this series a shot based on the sheer fact that I was so passionate about it. So glad you got to witness the Madoka Magica journey without any prior-knowledge of the series, which enabled you the true experience and brilliance of this series. Also thank you! It means a lot to me to hear that I can just talk about my passions for extended periods of time like this and have people like yourself engage with it :)
I just realized that the title of Rebellion's main score, Not Yet, is actually a sign that the confrontation is not gonna happen yet... But it will be in the next movie 😂 I was surprised to have a 4th film but really it was just obvious that it couldn't end here! By the way you put words on that weird thing I felt while watching the very end of Rebellion. Kyubey is afraid. I never truly realized that. Brilliant. And well deserved for that sneaky rat.
Glad this video was relatable! This series means a lot to me and so many people so I genuinely appreciate being able to talk about it in a video of this length ♥♥ I'm sure the movie is going to be exceptional!
I am loving this review. It is clear you love this story at a comparable level to my own. I had to stop watching when you started Rebellion, since I have yet to find time to watch the apparent masterpiece which has brought forth this series’ resurgence. I look forward to coming back when I have seen the movie. Thank you for pouring your heart out to us.
I love this series, and I appreciate your essay on it, it brings out the reasons to why I fell in love with this series, and you brought forth what made me fall in love with it in the first place. Also, Homura Best Girl and did Nothing Wrong.
There is exactly one piece from every medium of entertainment I would consider 100% flawless. For movies, it’s The Tale of the Princess Kaguya. For books, it’s The Trials of Apollo. And for TV shows, it’s Madoka Magica. It is without a doubt my favorite piece of fiction ever made. In 12 episodes, it conveys more emotion, artistry, and magic than other anime can portray in hundreds. Every character feels so three-dimensional and maturely written. Every piece of animation is so unique and wild in its execution. The score so perfectly encapsulates the emotion of any given scene. The overarching theme of hope in the face of overwhelming despair is so uplifting because of how honest it feels. The pacing reminds me a lot of Andor, starting out slowly to establish a status quo, before taking everything it’s taught the viewer, and injecting it all into a godlike climax. The villain (or whatever you want to call that overgrown rat kitten) is the one villain out of any piece of media that I can say I genuinely despise everything about, and I imagine most would agree with that. And finally, Homura Akemi is my single favorite character from any story I have ever experienced by a long shot (now, a bit of that is for personal reasons I can’t go into, but my point still stands). I could go on for hours about this show, but you did that already (quite masterfully, I must add). Bottom line is, Madoka Magica is essentially a perfect show, and Rebellion is not far behind. I adore everything about this series, and I sincerely hope that the writers of the new movie remember what made the show so special. Also, your video was very good. You’ve earned yourself a new sub.
Fantastic and passionate, these are my favourite kinds of comments to read. I am so happy to hear that Madoka Magica had such a profound and strong impact on you. It really is a series that is unlike any other. With various small threads all conjoined together to create a masterful 12 episode experience, and a sequel movie we didn't think we needed, until it arrived. So much respect to Gen Urobuchi for his masterful writing and world-building. As well as everyone in Studio SHAFT who brought this behemoth of a project to life. Also Homura stands as one of the greatest character writing examples I think I have ever seen. In every sequence they are in, not once do they betray their own character writing and not once make it so easy to guess what their next course of action will be. To keep people guessing is her ultimate strength as a character, which makes her journey so much fun and despairing to watch. Its just brilliant! Thank you for watching my video, I really appreciated your time and support :)
Sayaka has phenomenal writing. She is such a big part of why this show is absolutely fantastic. Insane character depth over the course of just a few episodes!
ngl i love madoka magica, a lot more than i probably ever should xD and i absolutely don't get the hate the rebellion movie always got people saying homura was ooc at the end hello? we have a character that relived this same month over and over AND OVER again just to save one person, I don't see how this is OOC she watched madoka do what she (madoka) thought was best and it never was 'the best for madoka' so i absolutely see how she'd try to handle madokas happiness for her xD all in all i just think the madoka magica universe is just SO interesting, not to mention all the spin off manga, look at them THEY'RE SO GOOD there's so much potential for anything really xD well, clearly I am more than excited for the next movie, I'm probably gonna love it
It does amaze me how some Madoka fans watched the entire original series, saw how much Homura had suffered and the type of character she is, and somehow argue that Rebellion "betrays her character writing"....like what!? - Homura tries many times over and over again to stop her friend from becoming a magical girl - Goal isn't fully realised - Finally the chances arises to make that dream a reality - Takes that opportunity *It just makes so much sense in the context of her character*
My favourite piece of media, too! There is just one thing I thought would have made it better. When I got to episode 10 originally, I noted the gear motif at the base of Walpurgisnacht, as well as its cool colours. I was convinced that Walpurgisnacht was Homura herself and that she was fighting her witch form from her future, which is why she could never defeat it. Not the case, though. Edit - I just looked into it. Apparently this was a pretty popular theory back in the day. And here I was thinking I was special.
Thats a fair take! Also just because that theory may have been popular back in the day, doesn't discredit your originality 👌 Its the first time at least I've heard this theory and I personally like it. Though if Homura fought her own witch form in the original series, that wouldn't have given room to the events inside Rebellion so part of me is really glad that wasn't the case. 😅
yeah. as an aussie kid that once while watching cartoons on ABC 3 (the kids channel focused on the more pre teen/young teen cartoons) late one night seeing what was i think episode 6 and 7 of madoka magica seeing Sayaka fight Elsa Maria it spooked me a little bit and then fast forwarding a few years i had the memory flash back to me and went and watched through madoka magica and was no disappointed whatsoever with how amazing the series is. i have since gotten multiple of my friends to go into madoka magica completely blind so they can have a perfect watch through of the series
If anyone can go into this blind and be willing to give it a proper shot, I really think they will have the greatest time they could with it. My experience was quite similar to yours. With random episodes playing on the ABC without any context as to what was going on. It wasn't until a bit later when I decided to delve deeper and I don't regret that decision in the slightest.
@@TheMickellPickell yeah. though streaming it to a friend with him being completely in the dark about the show being able to hear his thoughts on what's happening with you knowing what's happening is also an amazing experience, also the whole arc of, "aww why hurt kyubey", to, "i wanna hurt kyubey" is pure gold
I went into watching it knowing it was gonna be a bit dark, my friend recommended it to me and gave me a small warning about it. But it was so much more than just that and it genuinely left me empty after binging it in one night. I can formally say this is one of my absolute FAVORITE animes ever and my top favorites are really well written. (I now own a madoka cosplay and I love her sm this anime hurt so bad but its oddly my comfort)
I'm so glad this series had such a profound impact on you! It really is such a fantastic series with so many elements that make it such an unforgettable and endearing experience. Its an anime that provides a weird level of comfort despite being so existential.
I think she didn't stole Madoka's power. Just like how Madoka accumulated power strong enough to be a god after all those timelines that Homura went through, she too accumulated enough in her soul gem. So when Homura turned into a witch, that power was so strong that it rivaled Madokami and enabled her to seperate Madoka from her god form.
It was what Kyubey said. A phenomena need to be observed first. Observable phenomena can be intervened. Intervention can escalate into controlling. Madoka is visible to a magical girl on the verge of being a witch, the condition Homura is in that time. She just apply that theory immediately
Also be aware that Homura's wish could not be completed. Homura's wish was to be able to protect Madoka... but she can't really do that if Madoka is a metaphysical god, can she? Her whole Demon stunt is an extent of her wish, likely empowered by the same karmic weight which affected Madoka's wish.
I watch Madoka when i was very young and loved it. I didn't even realize that mami dead and waiting for her to come back but then I realize half way through the series that she isn't coming back. I love the ending of rebellion
This video is quite frankly beautifully orchestrated. I love your analysis of the series and agree with the sentiment in which you shared about the ending of the show initially. The visual design, the emotions and everything that is portrayed in the series is something I'd personally regard as masterful, and it is also the only show that has deliberately made me wish for it to end, not because it was unenjoyable, but because of the feelings that you were made to experience were quite frankly daunting, depressing, and tragic. Your choice of music was excellent, and I like how you combined both the track from the original series, which also happends to be masterpieces, together with what seemed like fear and hunger, something which is fitting. I have yet to watch the entire video, seeing as I do actually have to watch rebellion, something I haven't already, though I wanted to comment because I thought you did an amazing job this far in regard to making this video. Your subscriber count genuienly surprised me, because the sheer quality would be equivalent to someone much larger to be completely honest. You have my sub in any case, and I look forward to see other videos in the future, great job!
What an incredibly kind comment! Thank you so much! It makes me really happy to hear that you vibed with the video. As a huge Madoka fan, I'm glad that my passion for the series was articulated in this edit. I love this series and I know it means a lot to people so I would hate to misrepresent it. I hope you enjoy Rebellion! It is honestly my personal favourite part of Madoka Magica despite its devise nature. Thanks for subscribing! I hope to make some more stuff like this in the future :)
God its so brilliant when you suddenly begin to grasp how the system works. The dopamine and fear you begin to feel when things start piecing together in your brain is truly magical. It reminds me a lot of Naoki Urasawa's work.
This show is fucking brilliant. This story is so well written and has so many different things to interpret from it, and I find new meaning every time I examine it.
43:36 The Flower Field scene is one of the most brilliant and misunderstood scenes in all of anime.
Some will argue that, since Madoka doesn't have her memories, her words hold little to no weight, and Homura is simply hearing what she wants to hear. However, the fact that Madoka doesn't have her memories here is the whole point! Homura is already well-aware that if Madoka had her memories, she would sacrifice herself every time which is why immediately afterwards, she assures Madoka that she is indeed "strong enough to make that decision." Homura just wanted to confirm if Madoka would still miss her old life in spite of that, which she confirmed.
I've also seen arguments that Homura was somehow influencing Madoka in the labyrinth aside from just not remembering becoming a god, but Shinbou already stated in an interview that this wasn't the case, and that these were Madoka's honest words.
And if you're _still_ not convinced, I implore you to read the lyrics of Madoka's character song (sung by her VA Aoi Yuuki) that played as the ep 1-2 ED titled "Mata Ashita". The song is about Madoka post-series lamenting on the life she lost after becoming a god and wishing she could have been more honest about her feelings to Homura in ep 12. This is definitive proof that even *BEFORE* Rebellion, this was confirmed to be Madoka's true feelings.
Of course Madoka would miss her old life if her decision is described to her in that fashion. Homura believes that she should never have let Madoka sacrifice herself because she feels herself weak for allowing it. Yes, Madoka does make the decision to sacrifice herself. She is strong enough to do that. By creating her own labyrinth at the end, Homura spits on Madoka's choices by refusing to accept what Madoka did for *all* magical girls - herself included. She cannot be happy, because she knows that there is at least one witch out there suffering as the result of splitting Madoka in two: Herself.
Could Madoka be unhappy in her position as a god? Absolutely. But she would gladly do so if it meant keeping all magical girls from ever suffering Kyuubey's evils again. Madoka's true feelings are that she could never do something that would make Homura cry like this, true... but Homura's solution is *worse.* Homura turns herself into a witch that cannot accept Madoka's decision to save *her.* And there is the tragedy: that Homura is hurting worse than anyone.
@TheWickedWizardOfOz1 As I mentioned before, Madoka missing her old life was established even before Rebellion, so how Homura described it to her in that scene is irrelevant.
Homura is definitely hurting as is emphasized by how tired she looks at the end of both Rebellion and the new trailer. As we know, Homura herself called the labyrinth an insult to Madoka's sacrifice, which is part of why she has no qualms about killing herself once she finds out the truth of what was happening.
After Homura accepts her "dream" and effectively recreates her labyrinth externally at the end of Rebellion with everyone seemingly happy in Mitakihara, Homura's familiars can be seen berating her, throwing tomatoes at her, and "committing suicide" symbolized by them taking their shoes off and jumping off a ledge. Homura is at the peak of her self-loathing, but she'd still accept that if it meant giving Madoka a "normal" life again.
@@NRobbi42 I don't think it is established in universe that Madoka misses her former life that much, but I agree with you there. The sticking point is the sacrifice. Homura has not undone the effects of the sacrifice for most people, but through her actions has allowed a witch to continue witching out... and that witch is Madoka's best friend. Mata Ashita still applies. Homura is right there, but there is a wall between them because of her actions that keeps them from truly being together.
@TheWickedWizardOfOz1 Yup. I think "established" wasn't the right word, but rather, there was enough existing groundwork that "Madoka still misses her family" doesn't seem like something that just spawned so Rebellion could happen. I mean, one could argue that "middle school girl values her close relationships and would miss never seeing them again" isn't exactly a concept that would need this much groundwork to justify itself, but it's nice that it's there anyway.
Man, I just wanna say how great it is to always run into you when it comes to discussion surrounding this series and especially Rebellion. You've been through so many YT comment sections defending this film and it's always wonderful to see. I'm so glad this masterpiece of a film is looked upon so fondly nowadays with people celebrating the upcoming film. Viva la Madoka Magica!
I like how Charlotte/Bebe progressed from hungry, carnivorous, monster that ripped Mami apart like string cheese, to Mami’s weird dog she found in a trash can.
"Weird dog she found in a trash can" is the perfect summary lmao
"I've only had this weird talking doll thing that sometimes turns into a toothed clownapillar for a day and a half, and I can't explain what it is or remember where I found it. But if anything happens to Bebe, I'll [REDACTED TO AVOID VIOLENT CONTENT FILTERS]."
"...yeah, she might actually do that. It's happened before."
0.0．０
I always hated that people said the movies "ruined Homura's character." Like it's exactly the opposite. Did they not watch the show? This ending goes EXACTLY with Homura's character. I didn't "like" how it ended in the sense the character's were in a terrible timeline (technically). But I love how the creators committed to the character's and the messed up ideas and endings. To this day, it's still my favorite anime.
Couldn't have worded this better if I tried! Honestly perfectly encapsulates my feelings towards Homura's entire character arc.
She was never caring about that madoka helped others. All she wated to protect madoka and give her happiness. And that's exactly what she did.
I agree. To many people, Homura being an excellent character is only possible if she is also right, good, and likeable. If she made all the right decisions ('Homura did nothing wrong!'). Thinking that by pointing out she is deeply flawed we somehow 'destroy' her is amazingly off base, but such are the hearts of fans.
At first I really disliked the devil Homura reveal on my first watch, but that's just personal salt because I thought the original series ending was perfect. Having rewatched it multiple times I can confidently say that, given Homura's character, it really was a natural choice she would have taken.
To each their own, but I didn't like the movie.
i think sayaka has taken on a somewhat mermaid form was also a bit of an hommage to andersen's little mermaid
where she gave her voice to be with the prince she loved, where each step she took with her new legs felt like she was stepping on knives, only for the prince to love another, and for her to turn into seafoam
I've heard this interpretation a few times and honestly, I REALLY like it. In fact, I prefer it to the one I presented in the video 😅
But alas, that is whats so mesmerizing about this series. There are so many angles for the audience to take it from. It continues to amaze me how this series still surprises me 10 years later.
And the fact that the little mermaid was given one final chance to get her voice back and save herself, but it would mean turning back on what she had been fighting for this whole time, akin to when sayaka was offered a grief seed to save herself but she refused to accept help from the magical girls she viewed as selfish,
It is also said that mermaids suffer from unrequited love. At the same time, they can also be sinister: sitting on dangerous rocks out at sea and luring sailors to their doom with their hypnotic siren songs.
The thing that many I've seen talk about this don't seem to acknowledge is that Madoka's wish completely undid Homura's wish... this is why in the world with the law of cycles Homura has a bow and not her buckler.
Homura's and Madoka's wishes are completely incompatible; Homura's wish requires a Madoka to exist, The Madoka, but Madoka's wish forces her to become a concept, a law of nature, the law of cycles.
I foresee the new season to try and balance the two forces in a Yin Yang kind of way... or to find a compromise. Because the future of Madoka Magica will be a god-like witch fighting a god-like magical girl.
I feel like the reason that isn't mentioned is because for the most part, that was kind of the point. The whole reason why their exchange at the very end of the original series is so upsettingly tragic is because Madoka's wish simultaneously makes Homura's work completely fruitful, and completely fruitless. That's the brilliance of Gen Urobuchi's writing style. There is never a real "happy ending", there is only ever bitter-sweetness.
Actually I read a comment with a similar idea to yours that said something that no one thought before...
The most likely reason that homura was able to use *love* as a way to transcend and become the Devil, is probably bcs of her wish, the only way she can protect the one she loves, a goddess, is if she has equal or higher power to her. She isn't the Devil only bc of being contrary to madoka's wish, but also bc only the Devil is somewhat equal to God.
So when she uses love as an energy to power up her wish, the universe kinda glitched with the wish, much like madoka wish that made the universe buggy, and in consequence opened up a gap for her to transcend it's confinations. Otherwise the universe most likely would reject and resist giving so much power to the two of them, after all no matter if the world is conscious or not, everything has an inherent resistance to change, if you are a powerfull existence, you wouldn't create two beings that are extremely more powerful that yourself, would you?
It seems that all the bloggers came to life when they found out that Madoka would get a sequel. Well this promises a lot of views :)
I mean, I've been wanting to make a video on Madoka for a long time (my previous video explains that this current video has been in the works for over a month). To be honest, I can't imagine this getting many views but I'm totally content with that. I just wanted to rant and rave about this really cool anime that I've loved for many, MANY years now
What a great video. It's been a long time since anyone filmed Madoka. And recently information appeared that there will be a continuation.
This is good news. But I'm afraid that they may fail and the sequel will not reach the quality of the original.
How can we not regret that the sequel turned out bad, because the level of the original Madoka is at the level of a masterpiece. Like its sequel Rebellion, unfortunately inaccessible to many to understand.
I no longer count on even the old panache.
But let's hope for the best. If something like Record comes out, it will be the end.
By the way, excellent sound inserts from Fear and Hunger.
@delandel5496 I understand Rebellion.
I felt that Homira became a devil because she felt that she had to balance Madoka, not replace her. Madoka still exists as the Lsw of Cycles, Homurs metely split the part of her that was still human away so she could live her life with her friends and family. Homura judges herself as selfish because she knows that ultimately all wishes are selfish, but she embraces her love for Madoka instead of trying to justify it as altruism.
That's why she knows eventually Madoka will return to her Kami form and Homura will have to be her enemy. She would rather take on the despaor and darkness and become the devil to Homura's goddess than never see her again.
I'm very interested to see if the new movie embraces this fate for the two of them, or disrupts their balance in order to remake the universe again.
Madoka fans, we arise
LOUDER FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK!
@@TheMickellPickell
WE ARISE AND THIS TALE WILL WIN ALL OF YOUR HEARTS!!!!!!!!
**RISES UP**
It came out years ago. Get over it. Move on and talk about something else
@@Gordonfreeman551 why u here if u dont like madoka 😭
Rebellion had to happen because Homura's wish never actually came true UNTIL Rebellion. It's the first time she was actually strong enough to save and protect Madoka. She set it up, too - she's the one who told Kyubey about the previous cycle, but without telling him what her wish actually was.
Its fantastic. It really gives the line "I've been waiting for this moment" even more power when Homura finally delivers it.
i do think that not talking about sayaka's depersonalization and relationship with self worth is a bit of a shame, considering she chooses not to confess because she thinks she is unworthy of him. She's a teen girl and her struggle with who she is and should be and if she deserves happiness, and she concludes that she doesnt cause she's a fucking middle schooler. People often ignore that as a deconstruction of magical girl shows it is inherently engaging with the standards and struggles of growing up as a young girl. i get not taking time dedicated to unpacking it, the video can only be so long, but theres a whole episode worth of her falling apart which, though it is a part of it, is based in a little deeper and more distressing considering she is literally refusing to save her own life and choosing to work herself to death because she doesn't want to be "selfish" and accept any help or reward for the good things she does.
overall solid vid, especially the parts about your own experience and feelings with moments of the show.
Thanks so much for watching! Glad you enjoyed the overall experience and I appreciate your feedback! :)
Funny story actually, there was an entire section in the original script for this video that was legitimately about how part of why Sayaka never makes those additional steps in her own life, is due to a lack of self worth (similar to how you have described Sayaka's struggles as a young, highschool girl).
However I feared that including that aspect of her character alongside her struggles to come to terms with that "greedy" part of herself, may have been a little too much to digest for casual viewers and I personally didn't like how I worded it in the original write-up.
However in hindsight, seeing how you have articulated her journey so concisely and brilliantly, I now realise it totally could have been done in a neat way and makes me wish I kept that aspect in the video 😅
I've always been a fan of "Cute thing becomes creepy or scary" trope, and Madoka delivered, for sure.
I was very lucky to go in blind.
Couldn't agree more. Expectations being subverted is one of my favourite story-telling techniques.
Homura is the personification of damn if you do damn if you dont. She has to save madoka because thats her wish, but she has to repeat timelines of failing. But if she despairs and stops saving madoka, madoka still dies . No one really wins
Summed up brilliantly 🙏
One of my favorite fun facts and fclear foreshadowing of Madoka and Homura's fate is that their names seem to be almost puns for what they become Madoka "Kaname" essentially becomes Madoka "Kami" or "god" while Homura "Akemi" becomes Homura "Akuma" or devil, similar to how thr western audience have them the nick name Godoka and Homucifer
Greay video man! You got a sub from me
Oh my god I never made that distinction. That is subtly brilliant! Nice pick up 👏
Thanks so much! Good to have you here :')
This was not intentional in either case, as the particulars of Japanese don't quite capture the similarities as much as it looks like in English. Akemi to Akuma sounds a bit more believable, but as we know Rebellion wasn't in the plans when the original series was finalized, it cannot have been fore-planned. The most you could say is that the term "Akuma" _could have been_ chosen as an alliteration to Akemi when planning Rebellion, but there's no direct evidence of this in any material out there, and the fact it sounds cool is not enough to make definitive claims.
I'm not trying to make light of the idea, though. It's a neat coincidence if nothing else.
This is why Madoka Magica will always be my absolute favorite show for all of time😭😭. The way the details flow together and the indirectness of the foreshadowing is truly a masterpiece. Also another thing to add to Sayaka’s witch; it turns into a mermaid as a way to reference the original story of the little mermaid, where she falls in love but her lover leaves her for another and she becomes nothing but sea foam… notice how that sounds familiar?
I love how there are SO MANY WAYS to interpret this! Really like how well thought out each nook and cranny of this series actually is. I don't think I've experienced a more cohesive storyline in fiction than I do with Madoka Magica. Everything serves a purpose, and nothing feels out of pocket.
This franchise has NO RIGHT to be this spectacular.
Nobody cares
Madoka Magica will forever remain a top 5 regardless of how wonderful and amazing new anime get.
Sooo excited for the new movie
Incredibly based 👏
While I would love to see something affect me this deeply again, the magic that is Madoka Magica is a hard thing to recapture. I firmly believe, it will remain in my top 3 for a long, LONG time still
@@TheMickellPickell “Bocchi The Rock!” is incredibly touching.
“Kotaro Lives Alone” hits pretty fucking hard.
“Re:ZERO - Loving Life In Another World” is my #1, it’s so so incredibly and beautifully written. It’s the only anime to hit deeper than Madoka Magica.
Highly recommend all 3 but re:zero is bloody n brutal kinda on par with attack on titan
Seen Bocchi and Re:Zero and BOTH of them are exceptional
@@TheMickellPickell
Still doesn't get RE:Zero
Is like dragon balls
Is nice but doesn't really hold the attention.
I'm not saying about meaning of plot or lesson shet.
It feels like it lack a cohesion
Is it about the otaku or the witch or Emilia
They all want to be mc
The anime world want to be mc but none really gets enough attention and importance to be the mc.
At the very least for dragon ball I know I'm there for muscle brains bashing their heads into plots.
So there's a LOT you can do there, depending on what you're into. Madoka is the queen of the thriller/magical girl Genre, and it's not particularly close.
Spy x Family is a great family drama, but won't get the emotions running like Madoka. Family/Comedy.
Welcome to Demon School Iruma-kun is the funnest anime ever to be released. School/Comedy
Rascal does not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai has some of the most natural conversations in Light Novels-but don't remember the anime. School/Drama/Comedy
Made in Abyss is the darkest anime I've ever seen. It's pretty incredible in scope. Adventure/Thriller
Toradora is the best Romance anime, just hands down. Romance/School
Spice and Wolf is the best Romance/Adventure anime. Romance/Adventure
Anohana: The Flower we saw that day is an anime I'd recommend you commit to just watching in one day. Feels. Just fucking Feels.
Your Lie in April is another great one. Romance/Feels/School/Music
More to com,e if I can think of it. @@TheMickellPickell
Madoka Magica definitely changed how I see storytelling
It really stands to this day, as a masterclass in the medium.
I always found Madoka Magica more finding light in the ever-present despair and darkness, making it more bound to the typical magical girl genre than people would think.
As a fan of magia record as well, I'm obsessed with their world, kept in-balance from those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Fear and Hunger music noticed. You got amazing taste.
It really is something special. You have a wonderful takeaway from the series.
Aye glad you liked that 🙏
Lol fear and hunger
I love the trash taste boys, but they did live up to their name for their rebellion opinion. 😂 also top tier music choices btw. The one two punch of pulse and anxiety followed by the Higurashi theme broke me just a bit.
LMAO! At least their name isn't fully clickbait~
Glad you liked the use of the various soundtracks :)
Madoka Magica was the first anime I ever watched that stated so blatantly that “the power of friendship means nothing”…and if you watch anime regularly that is NEVER what an anime ever tells you lol. 😂
It really is the anime that reinvented the medium. It truly is something incredible.
Madoka magica was the first ever anime i watched when i was like 13
ever since then, even know at 18, i am still obsessed with it
especially homura
It really is a masterpiece. Such an incredible work of fiction
I honestly don't remember my initial thoughts and feelings when watching the show; how I felt or what I predicted would happen. All I remember was that it was so entrancing that I binged the entire series + Rebellion, not going to bed until 3 in the morning. I remember trying to share it with one of my friends at the time and looking up more about it, but otherwise, that's probably where the story would've ended for me...
A few years later I was going through some bad mental health problems, and having trouble getting up from my couch, I turned on Netflix to find something to watch... and I saw this show again in the recommendations. That session there, during Sayaka's arc, was the first time I remembered crying in a while. _That_ was when the show become one of my all time favourite pieces of media.
The point in this video on Homura's silent scream in the intro had such a sense of _foreboding_ knowing exactly when that would come up again. I actually got chills when it finally came up later with your words appearing on screen. It was so freaking well edited and foreshadowed. Bravo.
My only issue is that this video seems to have been uploaded 3 days early.
I think the reason I recall those experiences so easily, is because of how I went into the show. I again, wasn't the biggest fan of the series jumping in. Its because my expectations were so subverted, and I was presented to what was an objectively harrowing experience instead, that I remember it so clearly.
I'm glad to hear that you allowed yourself to become so affected by a piece of media to the point of tears. I feel its become way too common place for people to hold back their feelings, so I really applaud you for letting the art affect you in the way it did :)
Aye, I'm glad to hear that moment paid off! Thanks for watching so far in!
@@TheMickellPickell October 3rd is practically a fandom holiday. It's the day that that the project was first began, but it's more well known for being Madoka Kaname's official birthday. I have never seen any other fandom make such a big event out of one of the character's birthdays, but considering what Madoka becomes, it's not completely unjustified.
This video was released either September 30th or October 1st, literally 3 days before what I have in my calendar as "Day of Hope."
...you're kidding me...October 3rd is literally my birthday....I had no idea I got to share such an amazing occasion with one of the greatest characters in fiction!
@@TheMickellPickell I honestly wasn't thinking about views either. Just the poetry of a retrospective like this being released so close to such an important date for the series and its fandom.
Happy belated birthday by the way! It is always fun having one's birthday correspond with other special dates.
I legit have taken inspiration from the girls in this series and their dynamics… the series is short and yet it works in its favor. No fluff, everything has a meaning… and all the characters are fleshed out enough to be interesting and compelling imo.
Even to this day, I am learning even more things about this series. Not only are the characters and events that occur all strung together perfectly, but even visual details from inside of the labyrinths (like the glyphs and creatures inside of them) themselves have an insatiable amount of detail and meaning.
Honestly this show achieves so much in such a short amount of time. Its genuinely flawless
Literally, I talked my best friend into watching it and he was pretty reluctant at first but was actually hooked by episode one due to the visuals alone and all he could say as he kept watching was that it just got better and better with every episode. His favorite character was Homura with funnily enough, Madoka as a very close second. Tbh the funniest part is he’s this big tough macho looking guy. When we were younger and he first watched it, he wished it was longer but now that we’re adults, he thinks the pacing is fine as is. No real fluff, everything has a purpose to the narrative. @@TheMickellPickell
25:15 To your credit, Nagisa's backstory was established before Magia Record. The game just expanded on it in a VN-like format.
I appreciate that. And while true, I also didn't want to defer from the original series too much for people who are more casual viewers of the series. Don't want to overload people with information, or potentially ruin that inevitable truth for them had they one day chosen to pursue it.
God episode 9 always breaks my heart. And I’m Home is such a beautiful song.
Couldn't agree more. I couldn't hold back my amazement and my tears when I first watched this series
This is the reason why this series has and will forever stays in a special spot in my soul 😭 The tragic, the art, the philosophy, the twist and turns of the plot, the characters!
Gosh I love Madoka Magica.
Even to this day I am learning more and more about the original series. It is completely bewildering how much lays in each frame of this series. Honestly never seen anything like it, even to this day! :')
@@TheMickellPickellRight?? Throughout the years, no matter how many time I've watched there's always small little details to be discovered! Then to put those pieces together and have our initial point of view expended again, just felt so freaking amazing.
I can't wait for the release of Walpurgisnacht Rising and spiral into more pain and suffering again! 😭🙏
After the trailer for the new movie dropped recently I rewatched the series in all movie form and it's still the anime that gets me consistently more emotional than any other show, especially the Eternal (recap movie 2) and Rebellion movies are peak fiction, and Homura still in my top 10 animanga characters ever, after all these years
Personally one of my favorite parts about it that's not about Homura or Madoka herself is the parallels between Sayaka's story and the original tale of the little mermaid (not the disneyfied version, the real one), and the link between her and actual real depiction of what depression does to someone.
In the replies I'll also leave a comment about a theory that calculates Madoka's potential as a magical girl and why she was able to make the wish she did that I found years ago in another comment section
This is not my comment, but I like to spread it around ^^
"If you feel interested, here's a little calculation of Madoka's possible potential in the last timeline (the one we've been watching all this time).
Madoka's initial potential in Timeline 1 was probably pretty average, but probably not very low -- the first Kyūbē did want turn her into a magical girl, after all, so her initial potential can't have been all that bad -- Kyūbē wants energy, he wouldn't go after a bad target. Now, when Homura reset time for the first time and created Timeline 2, the new Madoka would in principle have the same potential; but since she was now linked to the fate of the first Madoka (who was the only reason why Homura reset the timeline, thus creating Timeline 2 and the new Madoka), then this would double her potential. Now, when Homura created Timeline 3 by resetting time again, she did the same thing: she created a new world with a new Madoka having the same potential as the previous Madoka, and connected them, thus doubling the third Madoka's potential. But the second Madoka's potential had already been doubled when Homura created Timeline 2; so the third Madoka's potential is twice that, or four times the potential of the first Madoka in Timeline 1.
In other words, every time Homura resets the timeline, the new Madoka has twice the potential power of the previous Madoka.
Now, if you take into account that, according to an answer Gen Urobuchi, the author, gave in an interview once, Homura has reset time some fifty to a hundred times... This means the last Madoka (the one we've been watching all along) has 2x2x2....x2 (fifty to a hundred times) the potential of the original times, i.e. 2 to the fifthieth (or hundredth) power. (Well, technically, 2 to the 49th or 99th power, but since Urobuchi was vague about the number of timelines, I won't be too precise here either.) This is a Really Big Number, something between 1,125 trillion (2 to the fiftieth power) and 1,127 octillion (2 to the hundredth power) times the power of the first Madoka.
If you want to see the numbers in their full glory, the last Madoka's potential is between:
2^50 = 1,125,899,906,842,624
and:
2^100 = 1,267,650,600,228,229,401,496,703,205,376
times the potential of the first Madoka.
These numbers are pretty astronomical. For comparison, the number of stars in all galaxies of the known universe has been estimated as somewhere between 10^22 and 10^24. Taking the larger estimate in both cases (2^100 and 10^24), we see that 2^100 / 10^24 = 1,267,650.600228..., i.e., 2^100 is more than one million times bigger than 10^24.
In other words, if all stars of the known universe became magical girls with the same potential power as the first Madoka and then joined their powers together (the way witches joined their power in Walpurgisnacht)... the last Madoka as a magical girl would still be a million and two hundred thousand times more powerful than them..."
The characters themselves are what make Madoka Magica so incredible. While the story and overall world that the team has created is genuinely very good. Its the way in which their characters interact with that story and world that make it so fascinating. I couldn't agree more with this statement!
Also Homura is incredible, totally deserving of all the praise her character receives
God not only is this fascinating from a power-level perspective, but also when tracing back to Urobuchi's words regarding Homura, it makes this tenfold more devastating and even more brilliant.
If Homura had re-winded that many times, it only justifies her actions in rebellion even more. Somebody who tries over and over and over again, shouldn't feel content with having to give up on their goal. This just confirms to me that her decision to want Madoka back by ripping her away from her role as the law of cycles is absolutely the right one for her character.
Thanks for sharing!
@@TheMickellPickell the constant re-wind desperation/hope conflict reminded me of the game version of Steins;Gate - a story arc that doesn't appear in the anime. There is a scene where a day with most better-known characters do a trip by bike up until a certain point (or two, depending on where you cut it) where Okabe rewinds time. Over and over and over again. In hopes that the outcome changes completely. But it is pretty much always the same. And after a certain amount of times he kinda loses hope, fricks around with parts of the day and his mind even more so. Burned more into my mind than some of the more popular parts of the story people find interesting.
Edit: i might add that this fricking around has to do with death- and R* thoughts that come up. Just to make sure why they are so intense
The Madoka Magica fans are eating good this year. Honestly this anime has literally everything I love. Amazing story, characters, visuals, music. It has a core message of hope that we are never alone. It’s got pretty girls doing awesome things. It’s got cool designs and everything is so well thought out. Bro IT HAS SPACE VIBES AND IT FEELS GAY????
I love my tragic magic cosmic sapphics💖💖💖
Honestly so true. This series does so many things perfectly. I cannot stress enough how long this show has stuck with me and clearly with so many others because everything about this franchise is thought-out and done with intention. Nothing about the show feels out of place. It all is all woven together absolutely perfectly. With absolute confidence, this series is a solid 10/10.
also the fact that its Yuri makes it an immediate 10/10, no ifs or buts. Yuri is peak.
You have fine taste: Madoka and Made in Abyss are my two favourite anime. They just resonate with me in such a deep, incredible way.
Is that immaculate taste I see? 🙏
Trash Taste living up to their name frfr
shaking and crying rn because of connor frfr
Connor always have the shittiest opinion. lols He literally just spit anything from his mouth.
11:43 the thing that got me about this episode is how happy mami was fighting looking forwards to no longer being alone and looking forwards to celebrating with Madoka .., and then …. After watching this many times it is still a masterpiece with so many twists I love it my favourite anime ever ❤
Gen Urobuchi is a god damn genius. He is such a daring writer who loves breaking his viewers. So much respect to the guy for making me feel so much empathy for Mami in such a short space of time.
@@TheMickellPickell yeah I agree
Thanks for reminding me of this anime. Immediately told a friend who is into anime apart from the usual shonen or shojo anime. Loves surprising story plots that grow dark but still with compelling character interaction. Thanks me often for introducing him to Made in Abyss and Fullmetal Alchemist(orig/B). His son is a sucker for the stories and merch too.
If those are your friends tastes, then they will have a fantastic time with Madoka Magica
My theory on why Homura became a demon is that the despair in her soul gem didn’t propel into a witch transformation making therefore Madoka unable to stop it.
Using a simple statements to explain why the transformation is different is as such:
Magical girl: Hope-despair(minus)
They are an existence that sustains itself while hope still remains while clashing internally with despair.
Witch: Despair>Hope
They are an existence in which despair is all victorious when it fully emerges.
Madoka changed the game with a miracle.
God: Hope>Despair
An existence that had hope reach victorious personifying it.
Then what Homura did:
Devil: Hope=Despair
She is in no way a denial of hope but a middle point most humans couldn’t possibly accept. Her despair of never being able to save Madoka constantly grew to the point where it would be Madoka’s choice to harm herself and the blackest form of Homura’s despair. She’d need to save her against her own wishes. Upon her witch transformation she is slightly aware of what she will become if she remains alive but having been saved she can’t bring herself to selflessly try to remove herself again but reaches to get all she desires. Her hopes became her despair as she will enjoy every moment with Madoka and later realizes she’ll have to fight with all she has to keep her but is fine if her karmic despair may truly ruin it all someday.
now i understand why u were telling sp many people to rewatch it
Lmao its so freaking good man. Just have SO MUCH to talk about and yet I was only able to talk about this series on a surface level. I would always encourage a re-watch so that people can properly re-experience the magic of this series.
I often reply to that voice calling "you are not alone": "Hey there, here I am!"
Thanks, Mickell, for your amazing presentation of a must-have anime (the older sister of MIA)!
Good to see you Joe
It was so long ago and so much happened in my life that I can't remember the exact thoughts I had during my first watch... with one exception. It's about Homura. I remember that instantly after watching her silent cry I understood that Madoka means a lot to her and after witnessing her as a transfer student my instant though was "she's time traveler or something and wants to protect Madoka". I loved her character from the first sight and I never doubted her. She's my number on in the entire franchise and in top of my favourite characters of all time. Homura did nothing wrong! Joking, of course. She did in the Rebellion and she understands it well herself. And that's why I feel a lot of pain for her. She is still suffering and I want a happy ending for her. But knowing Gen Urobuchi... it will never happen.
I also want to point out that watching Magia Record might be a good decision to look at the situation from perspective: all that insane shit happened in MagiReco was just ONE of timelines Homura experienced and she witnessed much more messed up shit that that. But in the original series we can't comprehend how enormous her knowledge on magical world is. She just seen it all. People who are shit talking on Homura just can't understand what it actually is to try literally everything for countless times. Just like Steins;Gate but without hope.
Also I am in shock after you pointed out Trash Talk's opinion. Rebellion is shit? There are people who actually think that way? Really? Well, Garnt and others are garbage-tier anime lovers so it's understandable. But it seems, from the mentions in comments, that many people disliked it. And it renders me speechless. It was a masterpiece and the bitter ending is actually good even though dirty and disgusting. Just like Fate;Zeros ending - thanks to our beloved Gen Urobuchi.
I love how different people's experience has been with this series. Because not only did you resonate with Homura during that first sequence, unlike myself. But I actually do believe that Homura, genuinely did the right thing.
Unfortunately a lot of people didn't vibe with Rebellion. While I can understand the confusing nature of that movie isn't for everyone, the write it off as simply "shit" was upsetting to hear. It really undermines the work of all those who put in the time to create an incredibly visceral and unique experience.
I'm so excited for walpurgisnaiught rising. I love the way they turned magical girls into something so dark.
Very keen to see where this incredible story goes from here!
1:34 i absolutely love the sequence here, it caught me off guard and left me impressed. The music you chose was also great!!
Glad you liked that opener! Been wanting to use a Son Lux song for a while now so glad I could use it there ✌
@@TheMickellPickelli know it’s been 5 months, but what song is it? lol
At this point i've seen the new trailer many and i mean many times, still cannot believe that after ten long years it's really happening! 😆😆
First-off, my man the idea of making your own "witches" was REALLY amazing! Loved it!! 💯
Honestly, i can relate to what you've said about "dropping Madoka at first" because i myself dropped the show and only came back to it few years later because of Magia Records. Basically with that i wanna say that you shouldn't feel guilty for dropping it, instead be glad that you've gave it another try... 👌🏻
Also regarding Rebellion: Man, i felt sooo damn confused, but holy shit the slow unraveling was truly godly!!!
Hats-off to you Mickell, be proud!!! 🎩
You've truly created a masterclass of a script on this one and also my new favorite video of yours! ♥
I appreciate that so much! Thank you brother
Always a joy to listen to you, see the editing skills and even the jokes about yourself sprinkled in there =)
Appreciate the kind words friend :')
So I’m going to say this now because this series is just wow. But I originally saw this series when I was 12 I had just finished watching glitter force/precure and was ready for a new magical girl anime, I had no idea what I was in for.
This series has had such an impact on me to the point of madoka’s message of hope being one of my only reasons to continue living when I feel so hopeless, and the fact that a fictional character can dissuade me from giving up? I feel like that really shows how much this anime can do
Thank you for sharing your experience :)
Madoka Magica is a really ahead of its time series. Despite how dark and twisted its main-story is, the themes of it are somehow quite positive and endearing. I'm glad it had such a positive and profound impact on you.
The Game Persona 5 Royal did the same for me I’m glad you are still here
i never knew how much i needed funger audio over mami's death tbh
Pulse and Anxiety is a track that honestly encapsulates the dread I felt when watching that scene unfold lol
Knowing what we know now, if Madoka wished for a cake; she would have turned into a witch before Walpurgisnacht arrived.
Nagisa , the Witch that ate Mami, wished for a cheesecake. Upon realizing she wasted the wish, she turned into a Witch bc of the Despair mechanic.
Similarly, when revealed that magical girls are no longer human and they’re souls are kept in gems, Madoka would have realized she traded her soul fir a cake and likely would go witch form instantly.
Madoka IS also the shining beacon/personification of “hope” so theres a chance I’m wrong but I don’t think even hope would make her feel better at that point.
Its not hard to imagine any of these circumstances coming to fruition in certain, un-seen timelines. When you consider amount of times Homura has gone through time, it doesn't seem too farfetched for the reality your posing to have come true in one of them.
This show is just that incredibly genius, its impossible to fully comprehend!
Ayo I was not expecting the Fear & Hunger music. Very good 🤘
Cannot go wrong with that immaculate OST ❤️
42:46 I saw someone make a point in another video that, since this was Homura’s dream and it was slightly manipulating the people in it, that dream caused Madoka to say what Homura WANTED TO HEAR rather than her true feelings. That changed EVERYTHING for me.
So many incredible little intricacies and subtleties with this series. Years have passed and I'm still learning new things. Incredible analysis on that other person's part. Didn't even consider that possibility.
@@TheMickellPickell I didn’t either! My initial belief was that Madoka said that only because she didn’t know she had already made that choice. But this really reframed the scene for me.
This is an amazing video essay and the use of the Fear and Hunger OST
Thanks so much! Also glad to hear you liked the use of the F&H soundtrack. Its so haunting and fits certain aspects of Madoka Magica quite brilliantly.
Fuck I love this show. Seriously, its hard to compare to some of your other videos, but this might honsetly be your best one yet. With the recent news this is exactly what I needed. I´m currently rewatching the show and there really are so many details I missed previously. Like I didn´t know about the whole Käse/cheese thing until watching this video, but its just another little piece to a story with so much passion behind it. Modern Classic. Absolute Masterpiece. Homura is one of the best anime characters of all time. Great Show. Great Movie. Great Video. Thank you so much for this, absolutely made my day
Damn dude, I REALLY appreciate that
Your editing is impressive. The part that really got me was around 31:14. That was clever, and honestly, a little chilling.
Thanks for watching so far into the video! Glad that little moment demonstrates the guilty and horrified feeling I had when that scene played on screen for the first time :)
56:15 Really made me realize that there will always be someone who will be cheering you on, they may not show it but they are there for you.
Glad that you could leave this video with a positive reminder :') Thank you so much for watching all the way through!
fresh madoka content omg, cant wait to watch and thank you for the efforts in making a quality video💫
My absolute pleasure! Thank you for giving me some time out of your day to let me rant and rave about this absolutely fantastic series 🙏
I love these types of videos. Please make more obscure anime/manga videos like these
I hope this channel blows up one day so underrated.
You're too kind
OMG THAT NOD TO WOWAKA THANK YOU SO MUCH
Of course! 💕
He will forever be immortalized in the incredible art he continued to create. Its such a shame we lost him so young, his musical genius was only truly beginning to unravel. The world is just a little bit bleaker without him...such a charming and wonderful soul that was gone too soon
Nothing to add to this discussion but wanted to drive up engagement. Before Made in Abyss, this was probably my favorite series, or easily top 3/5.
Dude is rocking the Godzilla profile picture and commenting to try and help this channel grow
I absolutely adore this anime and am so excited for the new movie and the mystery it promises. The incubators ability to give them “magic” is a perfect example of any sufficiently advanced technology being indistinguishable from magic. Love that idea. Also the Faustian bargain too. So good.
It really is a culmination of so many different themes and ideas. Without question one of the most complex but accessible stories out there. So much time and effort has gone into the concepts present in this franchise and I can't wait to see what they choose to explore in the film!
There are so many things I want to say after watching your analysis, but I don't have the time for everything, so a few things, mostly cool tidbits to correct a few potential misunderstandings, either in the video or the fandom as a whole:
1) Charlotte's witch transformation, later adapted into Magia Record, was first revealed within these things called "witch cards" during the official first airing of the show. These cards explained the nature of each witch that appeared, as well as their "official" names, which were descriptive names like "The Stage Witch" and such. Names like "Charlotte" and "Gertrude" could only be discovered in the on-screen runes, but no witch's hidden name has ever been acknowledged in official media. There were also cards for each familiar of the witch (though they missed a couple for some reason). After episode 8 aired, every card was then updated to explain briefly the story of each magical girl who became the witch. We didn't know her name or what she looked like, but this was where the story of Nagisa originated. Importantly, Madoka Magica had become such a force of nature in Japan that newspapers were writing articles explaining lore and pointing to the official website for information. Charlotte, of course, became the most memorable of the witches, and combined with all the Headless Mami memes, there was nary a soul who didn't know Charlotte's obsession with cheese, despite the fact that cheese itself never showed up in her labyrinth (the compilation film added the "Where Is The Cheese?" song later, per Kajiura Yuki-san's now-intended design). Charlotte fanfare is practically the only reason Bebe/Nagisa even showed up in the film (Shinbo-san begged for it lol), and possibly the inspiration behind why magical girls taken by the Law of Cycles can transform into/summon their witch forms in the first place (because they wanted Nagisa to be recognized as Charlotte and hidden in plain sight). Of course, that doesn't cheapen the effect. They certainly made great use of her existence, even if she's technically the most bland member of the cast (her tragic story doesn't really affect her personality or choices in the story and she's used more as a device than a character with agency). Still, it's nice that after fans paired MadokaxHomura and SayakaxKyouko together, Mami gets a companion to be friends with, too.
...Please don't ship. Nagisa is a child, you pervs.
*ahem*
2) Slight aside, I appreciate that you keep the movie's lore within the movie. There is a side story manga called "Wraith Arc" written and illustrated by Hanokage (brilliant writer and illustratorーI have their Fire Emblem Awakening doujinshi, too) that _technically_ explains the reason why Homura almost forgot Madoka and why Kyubey justified the movie's experiment in the first place (Homura erased her own memories and Kyubey secretly traveled with Homura back in time once, thus confirming her story from episode 12), but I do want to emphasize that this manga was written long after the movie was released, when these justifications did not exist. I think the idea that Homura doubted Madoka's existence is perfectly justifiable without magic and Kyubey experimenting with a single magical girl does not need a whole time-travel confirmation to justify either. Take that as you will, but until the manga's events are confirmed in the actual main animated material, you can choose to ignore it if you like. That said, it's still a fun read, and regardless of plot canon, the nature of wraiths is explained and that information alone is based on Gekidan InuCurry's (who originally designed the wraiths) own notes to Hanokage, meaning it can be considered canon (as the creators likely do).
3) For what it's worth, Rebellion was not planned to exist until just before the original series' initial broadcast in Japan, meaning events in Rebellion do not have explicit, intended foreshadowing in the original series. The original series can be watched on its own merits. Likewise, as weird as this sounds, the new film was also only planned a while after Rebellion played in theaters in Japan, and Urobuchi-san in both instances thought the series was over. At least by his own pen. Lol Of course, the upcoming movie was still scripted back in 2014 or so, but again, nothing in Rebellion deliberately foreshadows the new film. The newer content builds on the older content anew. Based on where I think the new film is going, I think that'll be apparent in the story, but I figured I should preface this to avoid easy misunderstandings I see a lot online about how this movie was somehow an intended "part 2" to Rebellion and Rebellion was somehow unfinished.
4) lol I know you misspoke, but "shoujo ai" is pronounced as "ai", as in "eye", not "A.I."ーFun tidbit: It means "Girls' Love" and has morphed into a genre actually called "Girls' Love" ("GL" for short) in Japan, referring to girlxgirl romantic literature/art. You know, the same "ai" from Homura's famous "AI YO" line. =P Notably, GL encompasses both exploitative lesbian porn written by and for men and more sensual romance written by and for lesbians. As you might suspect, "shounen ai" is the "Boy's Love" ("BL" for short) equivalent. Both genres are so popular that they have labeled sections dedicated to them in some Japanese bookstores.
Madoka Magica has ambiguous lesbianism in it, but it would not be labeled "shoujo ai/GL" or found in that section of said bookstores. Madoka Magica doujinshi, on the other hand... lol
A really concise and well written comment here, thank you for all the fun tidbits and corrections.
This is actually the first time I have heard of Wraith Arc and that sounds like an incredibly interesting read! I genuinely had no idea that behind the scenes, there was an actual explanation behind why Homura was having these doubts. As you said, the film doesn't need to explain that simply because the audience knows the story and characters well enough to have their own explanation behind her thoughts. I'll have to give it a read! Really curious now :)
I'm unfortunately aware that I got those two mixed up in the script 😅 Whilst editing it, I didn't want to re-record those lines in fear of audio-mismatches, which is why I left little sticky notes throughout the video, correcting those mistakes. But pronunciation tips are appreciated! I know very little japanese so that's always helpful.
I hope you were able to enjoy the video regardless~!
@@TheMickellPickell - I was~
I wouldn't call Wraith Arc's explanations "behind the scenes". These were ideas made up by the manga author, Hanokage, post-film and then given approval by someone in Magica Quartet (the official team's collective name). Director Shinbo also said the story takes place between the original show and rebellion, but it's ambiguous if this means he considers it canon to the films. It has some weird contradictions with the anime canon that _can_ be explained away with some clarification, but these holes lead some (including myself) to treat it as Tier II or lower canon until a future anime confirms it outright.
That said, Hanokage's other Madoka Magica manga works are great, too, and don't create canon conflicts, but get really creative sometimes! In release order:
1) They did the original manga adaption, which actually released _while_ the anime was first airing. Hanokage themself didn't even know the later twists, which led hilariously to early Kyubey being insanely cute and later Kyubey going full insane creepy. Lol Also, they interpreted Sayaka as having killed those two sexist guys on the train, which even shocked writer Urobuchi, as that wasn't his intention. But what's even cooler? Hanokage was only just starting out as a manga artist at the time, so the art wasn't really honed well... but for Madoka's 10 year anniversary, they recently _redrew the entire manga from scratch,_ essentially written the same as before, but fixing the inconsistencies and improving the art in ways that I think do the show's visual splendor so much justice. I've never seen someone literally redraw an entire manga over from start to finish before.
2) They wrote and drew another manga side story called "The Different Story", which might be one of my favorite side stories ever written for the series. It is powerful and series writer Urobuchi said he personally thinks it's worthy of canon (to him). It is all about Mami and Kyouko, first detailing their friendly-turned-rocky past together (based directly on a canon audio drama CD called "Farewell Story") and then returning to the "present" in a past Homura timeline where Mami survived and reconciled with Kyouko again. I recommend this one over any other side story, honestly. Hanokage's art was still early, but they made huge strides in quality and started honing in their visual storytelling skills at this point, which eventually leads to...
3) ...their adaption of the Rebellion film, which is nothing short of an artistic masterpiece worthy of the franchise name. Just like how the movie played with its visual library in abstract, 4th-wall breaking ways, this manga treats every page like a canvas as it tells the story. There are panel frames they bleed eerily into each other, nightmares and witches that are drawn to feel out of place like they do in the anime, and cool 4th-wall panel breaks like Homura cutting the page to try and tear herself apart. The dialogue is all copied from the movie, so it's a really neat visual interpretation of the film. At this point, Hanokage's art hit its peak. You can see these same art techniques present in the original manga redraw I mentioned earlier, too.
They also have a few comedy one shots, like a what-if route where Homura reveals to Kyouko her past and tries creating a virtual simulator to find the best route to save Madoka and Sayaka both. They end up cooped up for so long that by the time they succeed in the simulator, witch Sayaka and witch Madoka crash through the walls of Homura's home, making Homura think "Oh crap" and reset her shield again, leaving Kyouko behind. Lol
Anyway, enough rambling from me. There's a LOT of side stories that exist out there, including a whole bi-monthly magazine that published several ongoing manga side stories (mostly non-canon, slice-of-life spinoffs), as well as video games (HomuLilly, Homura's witch, debuted in a PSP game before Rebellion came out, and she looked drastically differentーMami and Kyouko's witches appeared for the first time, too, as well as witches whose familiars showed up in the anime) and even the original anime script that includes cut content in book form. I highly recommend diving into some of these. Not all are good, but they are interesting, and several are referenced in Magia Record as special events.
I cannot even begin to express how happy I am to see a video like yours! Madoka Magica has withstood the test of time and remained one of my favorite series all these years and I'm so happy to see someone acknowledge all that it has done and the nuances of the work. I'm really hoping the new film introduces more people to it :]
Thank you so much for saying that! I really adore this franchise like many of you do, so it means a lot to me that you're all so willingly to listen to me rave about its brilliance for basically an hour 😅
Madoka Magica really is something special. Even to this day, I'm learning more and more secrets hidden out in the open about this series. I've yet to encounter a piece of media quite as transformative as Madoka Magica. It truly is one of a kind and I'm glad you can agree!
Really looking forward to the movie! Hopefully it does shine a well-deserved spotlight on this series once again!
It’s an iconic timeless classic cultural reset are you kidding meeee, it flipped the whole magical girl script on its head
Yea, I just don't think people truly understood Rebellion, including myself. It's got a lot of philosophy, as well as references to things like The Nut Cracker, as well as Faust apparently. I haven't seen either of those, but when I learned about those connection, as well as the Clara Dolls, Part 3 became a lot more artistic, and something to respect instead of revile.
part 4 is coming next year. That's exciting. Unfortunately, it was moved to 2025, but that's only a year away, and I think that this 4th part will be the closure for this story. It would make sense thematically as well to have it end on the next part.
The twist all along was that Homura was always the main character of the story.
This show has always been about subversion.
Some say Rebellion is like End of Evangelion.
I see Homura's story as a cautionary tale of how love can turn into an obsession that drives you crazy.
@@dieterdelange9488 See, I think that the 4th movie is going to subvert us again. I don't think it's that cut and dry.
Golly can I just say how much I loved the intro to this video? It’s sets the tone perfectly using visuals similar to Madoka magica and uses just as much symbolism. So awesome 😭
Thank you so much! I enjoyed getting a little more creative in the presentation of this video, so I'm glad that it has that kind of effect~
Its so hard to experience anything compleatly blind with current anime, but im glad to have experianced madoka with no prior knowlage. Truly a great show
It really is a masterpiece with so many incredible feats to its name 🙏
This is the only channel where I can watch my favorite anime being reviewed while listening to my favorite anime's soundtrack. You're truly my favorite anime channel because of our love of Madoka and MiA
You're too kind!~ So glad that our tastes are so similar 🙏
They really are two incredible shows with a real unforgettable uniqueness. Makes me so proud to be an anime-youtuber when I get to cover topics like these! Thank you for watching~
@@TheMickellPickell with you to the final layer Friend ❤
thank you for this absolutely comprehensive summary of madoka. i watched this series ages ago and i jsut randomly remembered it again today and im still blown away by the story. truly a story that caught me off guard from the cutesy magical girl art to the actual plot and message. i will have to watch rebellion myself and the rest of the things in the series to see the rest of the plot unfold
My absolute pleasure :) Thanks for watching!
Totally recommend rebellion, it was the sequel movie we as fans didn't realise we needed until it came out.
@@TheMickellPickell do you think homura and madoka will ever get their happy ending
I hope so, though Gen Urobuchi has a track-record of bittersweet endings as opposed to fully happy ones. From Psycho-Pass, Aldnoah Zero, Godzilla The Planet Eater, etc.
Hasn't even reach 5 min and I already love the tone... Also the video edition at the beginning! Thanks for all your work.
So glad to hear it! Thank you for letting me rant and rave about this series like this :')
madoka being the one person who'd rather help anyone than herself but also being the one person homura wants to save. what a doomed pair
Its a brilliantly tragic dichotomy. The fact that neither person is fighting for themselves but for the other makes their inevitable fight all the more painful.
DUDE, this video and edit is SO GOOD.
Thanks so much! Appreciate it! :)
Phenomenal analysis! Really enjoyed this video. I didn't personally enjoy PMMM, but I think I might rewatch after this!
The fact you even took the time to watch and let me just rant about a series that you personally don't love is actually such a kind sentiment. I really appreciate you giving me the floor to speak about the things I'm passionate about 😊
So glad you enjoyed this video!
Man idk what I’m gonna do with my life, over 10 years and both AOT and Madoka Magica are coming to an end. Two of my absolute favourite manga/anime’s…..
The future is always uncertain, but in that uncertainty there may lay another series out there that will have that influential power. There are still plenty of stories that are yet to be told! I hope you're able to find more anime-gems in the future :)
a lot of detail in this video and i love it! you earned a sub. some other details coming from a Madoka Magica veteran
Misterioso means "Misterious" in english. fits the general idea.
The 49:12 scene of madoka making her "little" steps watching the battlefield has a ton of meaning if you know the anime very well.
The "black"-cat witch that appears while she does these steps is the same one that Mami Killed AT THE START of EP3.
Also, is ironically that appears with her. becouse the sole reason she transformed into a magical girl in the 1st timeline was to rescued a run-over BLACK cat. (this is confirmed both my writers-the novel and the mobile game.)
i didnt say "first steps" all out random. i think you can figure out that. is like the first time. but so far away. amazing.
the cake song, maybe you already noticed it, in rebellion, has a ton of meaning, and don´t forget the witch runes, they have actual translations in both English and german. you can search that in "Madoka magica runes wikia" that does a deep dive into the runes. they have basically tons of information and spoilers in them, in plane sight. but you dont understand the runes.. until you search for them.
Aye thanks so much! Glad I could provide an in-depth delve into this already incredible series 👏
All of these facts are just incredibly fascinating! I actually had no idea that the runs of witches could actually be translated! I'll have to give it a real looking and on my inevitable, next re-watch, even try and decipher some of their code! God this series just continues to amaze me. I cannot fathom how this franchise continues to surprise me, even 10 years later...insane.
Slight correction and fun trivia about the black cat Madoka made her first wish on:
When the animators at SHAFT were asked to animate the opening, they were actually given very little information about the show itselfーno more than to emphasize so-and-so, or director Shinbo-san's personal and sole request to have a "duplicate Madoka send off another Madoka", which he was deliberately foreshadowing Ultimate Madoka with, per his own recalling. However, the deliberate lack of direction led the animators to put in more risque visuals due to the show's original age rating (ie. Madoka in a sexy outfit, or the second Madoka being naked and pressing her chest against the first Madoka) and insert more randomness that was not part of the show (the weird monsters). In addition to this, they drew Madoka holding a random black cat, which... led Shinbo-san and crew to comment, "Why does she have a cat?" Lol
This cat inspired so much speculation in the fandom, with people making wild theories that it was another Kyubey, or that it was Homura's true form (I mean, Homura did seem to know Madoka a little too much). In reality, it had no meaning... for a while, at least.
After the series ended, the team were asked to write 3 audio drama CDs based on some extra scripts that were cut or that Urobuchi-san had notes for with information that didn't make it into the show itself. Originally, episode 10 was the only episode that, for runtime sake, had to cut several minutes of content for its final broadcast. This cut content was adapted into the first audio drama CD called "Memories of You" and released alongside the first blu ray disc in Japan. Urobuchi-san, of course, never told anyone what Madoka's first wish was (he might not have thought of one), so somehow, this black cat was inserted into the audio drama's story and named "Amy". This is the actual origin of the black cat, long before the story was retold elsewhere.
If you haven't listened to the audio dramas, our sub group subtitled them into videos long ago, if you can find them online (we lost the files). Two are canon stories and two are cute non-canon comedy spin-offs.
1) Memories of You (Homura's first timeline, released with blu ray #1ーcanon)
2) Sunny Day Life (what if everyone became friends and magical girl life was fun, released with blu ray #3ーnon-canon)
3) Farewell Story (how Kyouko met Mami and Kyouko's tragic downfall, released with blu ray#5ーcanon)
4) Summer Magical Girl Training Camp (another what if with beach fun for everyone!, released as a convention bonus much laterーnon-canon)
you definetely could do a series of videos analisis from the witch runes. as i said search in the page "madoka magica runes" and the first result is mostly the page. the one result that says "Deciphering the runes" is the correct link. enjoy the deep dive on the runes and all of the appearances! @@TheMickellPickell
Fan of the series, can not wait for the new movie. Have to say good job on this as you kept me for the whole hour of run time.
Thank you so much for giving me the time to talk to you about this fantastic series!
Same boat homie, cannot wait to see what SHAFT have been cooking behind the scenes!
This was a joy to watch. Madoka Magica is still my all time favorite piece of media. I've spent waaaay too many hours watching video essays like this on it. Many rewatches, in various states of sobriety, since I first saw it in 2012.
Thanks for this love letter! Can't wait to see Walpurgis!
Incredibly based take 🙏 Appreciate your support for both myself and Madoka as a series. It really is something special that I'm so glad is still so beloved by fans :)
hearing the fear and hunger song at the mami part gave me CHILLS
Glad it was able to give you some goosebumps 😎 Its proof as an editor, I have done my job correctly~! Thanks for watching
Thank you for making this video! I always get so happy when I see others appriciating the genius!
My absolute pleasure! Thank you for giving me the time to talk about this absolutely masterful series :)
This video is actually so good I love madoka magica and I was still a little confused after watching the series and movie but this absolutely cleared everything up
Wow thanks so much! I'm so glad this video helped to clear things up a bit :) Appreciate your viewership 🙏
I'm absolutely obsessed with Madoka Magica! It's my favorite anime!
Totally understandable. It really is something special
Had to rewatch madoka before I jumped into your passion filled analysis. Yup still hurts. Haha.
Love this kind of video mickell. Really, anything your passionate about always makes such good genuine content bro.🤘
Aye appreciate you Jake! Good to see you brother!
Thank you again for taking on this recommendation despite how it may have looked! Made me really happy knowing that you gave this series a shot based on the sheer fact that I was so passionate about it.
So glad you got to witness the Madoka Magica journey without any prior-knowledge of the series, which enabled you the true experience and brilliance of this series.
Also thank you! It means a lot to me to hear that I can just talk about my passions for extended periods of time like this and have people like yourself engage with it :)
You deserve wayyy more than 50k views on this my dude! Incredible work.
You're far too kind
Yo one Hour long video about Madoka Magica??
LET’S GOOOOOO ❤
Good to see you here Rebecca!
I’d like the thank madoka magica for 1:introducing me to horror anime and 2: the amazing band that is Kalafina
Solid reasons to thank this series for 👏👏
I just realized that the title of Rebellion's main score, Not Yet, is actually a sign that the confrontation is not gonna happen yet... But it will be in the next movie 😂 I was surprised to have a 4th film but really it was just obvious that it couldn't end here!
By the way you put words on that weird thing I felt while watching the very end of Rebellion. Kyubey is afraid. I never truly realized that. Brilliant. And well deserved for that sneaky rat.
LMAO! Kyubey deserves everything AND I MEAN EVERYTHING they get going forward. That little conniving weasel has earned the despair its receiving~
Thank you for the video! You literally express what I feel throughout the series 😭😭
Hope the new movie live up the hype 🔥🔥
Glad this video was relatable! This series means a lot to me and so many people so I genuinely appreciate being able to talk about it in a video of this length ♥♥
I'm sure the movie is going to be exceptional!
I am loving this review. It is clear you love this story at a comparable level to my own. I had to stop watching when you started Rebellion, since I have yet to find time to watch the apparent masterpiece which has brought forth this series’ resurgence. I look forward to coming back when I have seen the movie. Thank you for pouring your heart out to us.
I love this series, and I appreciate your essay on it, it brings out the reasons to why I fell in love with this series, and you brought forth what made me fall in love with it in the first place.
Also, Homura Best Girl and did Nothing Wrong.
Glad I could help you re-live some of those incredible moments :)
*ALSO SO TRUE! HOMURA DID NOTHING WRONG*
There is exactly one piece from every medium of entertainment I would consider 100% flawless. For movies, it’s The Tale of the Princess Kaguya. For books, it’s The Trials of Apollo. And for TV shows, it’s Madoka Magica.
It is without a doubt my favorite piece of fiction ever made. In 12 episodes, it conveys more emotion, artistry, and magic than other anime can portray in hundreds. Every character feels so three-dimensional and maturely written. Every piece of animation is so unique and wild in its execution. The score so perfectly encapsulates the emotion of any given scene. The overarching theme of hope in the face of overwhelming despair is so uplifting because of how honest it feels. The pacing reminds me a lot of Andor, starting out slowly to establish a status quo, before taking everything it’s taught the viewer, and injecting it all into a godlike climax. The villain (or whatever you want to call that overgrown rat kitten) is the one villain out of any piece of media that I can say I genuinely despise everything about, and I imagine most would agree with that. And finally, Homura Akemi is my single favorite character from any story I have ever experienced by a long shot (now, a bit of that is for personal reasons I can’t go into, but my point still stands).
I could go on for hours about this show, but you did that already (quite masterfully, I must add). Bottom line is, Madoka Magica is essentially a perfect show, and Rebellion is not far behind. I adore everything about this series, and I sincerely hope that the writers of the new movie remember what made the show so special.
Also, your video was very good. You’ve earned yourself a new sub.
Fantastic and passionate, these are my favourite kinds of comments to read.
I am so happy to hear that Madoka Magica had such a profound and strong impact on you. It really is a series that is unlike any other. With various small threads all conjoined together to create a masterful 12 episode experience, and a sequel movie we didn't think we needed, until it arrived.
So much respect to Gen Urobuchi for his masterful writing and world-building. As well as everyone in Studio SHAFT who brought this behemoth of a project to life. Also Homura stands as one of the greatest character writing examples I think I have ever seen. In every sequence they are in, not once do they betray their own character writing and not once make it so easy to guess what their next course of action will be. To keep people guessing is her ultimate strength as a character, which makes her journey so much fun and despairing to watch. Its just brilliant!
Thank you for watching my video, I really appreciated your time and support :)
I love when long comments are countered with more long comments.
Like how Stand users attract other Stand users. Passionate people attract Passionate people 💪
bebe thought mami was cheese because of her yellow hair + charlotte wished for a cheese cake when she was a magical girl
Really adore these little interconnections. God this series is a masterpiece~
@@TheMickellPickell i honestly binge madoka Magica every once in awhile because it’s so good
Thank you so so much for such an incredible work!
Thank you so so much for giving me the time to talk about this amazing series! :)
FINALLY SOMEONE ELSE WHO THINKS SAYAKA IS BEST GIRL
maan, like i get liking mami or homura, but sayaka was just always my favorite
Sayaka has phenomenal writing. She is such a big part of why this show is absolutely fantastic. Insane character depth over the course of just a few episodes!
Rebellion is literally THE ending. Nothing more can top it
ngl
i love madoka magica, a lot more than i probably ever should xD and i absolutely don't get the hate the rebellion movie always got
people saying homura was ooc at the end
hello? we have a character that relived this same month over and over AND OVER again just to save one person, I don't see how this is OOC
she watched madoka do what she (madoka) thought was best and it never was 'the best for madoka' so i absolutely see how she'd try to handle madokas happiness for her xD
all in all i just think the madoka magica universe is just SO interesting, not to mention all the spin off manga, look at them
THEY'RE SO GOOD
there's so much potential for anything really xD
well, clearly I am more than excited for the next movie, I'm probably gonna love it
It does amaze me how some Madoka fans watched the entire original series, saw how much Homura had suffered and the type of character she is, and somehow argue that Rebellion "betrays her character writing"....like what!?
- Homura tries many times over and over again to stop her friend from becoming a magical girl
- Goal isn't fully realised
- Finally the chances arises to make that dream a reality
- Takes that opportunity
*It just makes so much sense in the context of her character*
I did NOT expecting the fear and hunger music😭😭 gave me ptsd😭
We never truly escaped the dungeons of fear and hunger
My favourite piece of media, too! There is just one thing I thought would have made it better. When I got to episode 10 originally, I noted the gear motif at the base of Walpurgisnacht, as well as its cool colours. I was convinced that Walpurgisnacht was Homura herself and that she was fighting her witch form from her future, which is why she could never defeat it. Not the case, though.
Edit - I just looked into it. Apparently this was a pretty popular theory back in the day. And here I was thinking I was special.
Thats a fair take! Also just because that theory may have been popular back in the day, doesn't discredit your originality 👌 Its the first time at least I've heard this theory and I personally like it.
Though if Homura fought her own witch form in the original series, that wouldn't have given room to the events inside Rebellion so part of me is really glad that wasn't the case. 😅
My best friend told me about it,no spoilers or anything. I trust her 1000% so I watched it super blind,MAN it was such a masterpiece frfr
Glad you took the plunge into this wonderfully wicked and twisted series
yeah. as an aussie kid that once while watching cartoons on ABC 3 (the kids channel focused on the more pre teen/young teen cartoons) late one night seeing what was i think episode 6 and 7 of madoka magica seeing Sayaka fight Elsa Maria it spooked me a little bit and then fast forwarding a few years i had the memory flash back to me and went and watched through madoka magica and was no disappointed whatsoever with how amazing the series is. i have since gotten multiple of my friends to go into madoka magica completely blind so they can have a perfect watch through of the series
If anyone can go into this blind and be willing to give it a proper shot, I really think they will have the greatest time they could with it. My experience was quite similar to yours. With random episodes playing on the ABC without any context as to what was going on. It wasn't until a bit later when I decided to delve deeper and I don't regret that decision in the slightest.
@@TheMickellPickell yeah. though streaming it to a friend with him being completely in the dark about the show being able to hear his thoughts on what's happening with you knowing what's happening is also an amazing experience, also the whole arc of, "aww why hurt kyubey", to, "i wanna hurt kyubey" is pure gold
I needed this
Thank you for watching :')
I went into watching it knowing it was gonna be a bit dark, my friend recommended it to me and gave me a small warning about it. But it was so much more than just that and it genuinely left me empty after binging it in one night. I can formally say this is one of my absolute FAVORITE animes ever and my top favorites are really well written. (I now own a madoka cosplay and I love her sm this anime hurt so bad but its oddly my comfort)
I'm so glad this series had such a profound impact on you!
It really is such a fantastic series with so many elements that make it such an unforgettable and endearing experience.
Its an anime that provides a weird level of comfort despite being so existential.
Still don't understand how Homura stole Madoka's power since she already chose to be able to rewind time?
I think she didn't stole Madoka's power. Just like how Madoka accumulated power strong enough to be a god after all those timelines that Homura went through, she too accumulated enough in her soul gem. So when Homura turned into a witch, that power was so strong that it rivaled Madokami and enabled her to seperate Madoka from her god form.
It was what Kyubey said. A phenomena need to be observed first. Observable phenomena can be intervened. Intervention can escalate into controlling.
Madoka is visible to a magical girl on the verge of being a witch, the condition Homura is in that time. She just apply that theory immediately
Also be aware that Homura's wish could not be completed. Homura's wish was to be able to protect Madoka... but she can't really do that if Madoka is a metaphysical god, can she? Her whole Demon stunt is an extent of her wish, likely empowered by the same karmic weight which affected Madoka's wish.
I watch Madoka when i was very young and loved it. I didn't even realize that mami dead and waiting for her to come back but then I realize half way through the series that she isn't coming back. I love the ending of rebellion
Its such a brilliant subversion of expectation. Its still one of the greatest moments in anime's history for me personally
I needed this video because I was so confused during rebellion
I'm hopeful this video could help make it a bit easier to digest 😊
Dude. . . I remember vividly the moment mami died. Slacked jawed in aw, in fear. Fucking messed me up
A normal and honest reaction lmao. It was a brilliant moment in the anime-sphere at the time.
This video is quite frankly beautifully orchestrated. I love your analysis of the series and agree with the sentiment in which you shared about the ending of the show initially. The visual design, the emotions and everything that is portrayed in the series is something I'd personally regard as masterful, and it is also the only show that has deliberately made me wish for it to end, not because it was unenjoyable, but because of the feelings that you were made to experience were quite frankly daunting, depressing, and tragic. Your choice of music was excellent, and I like how you combined both the track from the original series, which also happends to be masterpieces, together with what seemed like fear and hunger, something which is fitting. I have yet to watch the entire video, seeing as I do actually have to watch rebellion, something I haven't already, though I wanted to comment because I thought you did an amazing job this far in regard to making this video. Your subscriber count genuienly surprised me, because the sheer quality would be equivalent to someone much larger to be completely honest. You have my sub in any case, and I look forward to see other videos in the future, great job!
What an incredibly kind comment! Thank you so much! It makes me really happy to hear that you vibed with the video. As a huge Madoka fan, I'm glad that my passion for the series was articulated in this edit. I love this series and I know it means a lot to people so I would hate to misrepresent it.
I hope you enjoy Rebellion! It is honestly my personal favourite part of Madoka Magica despite its devise nature.
Thanks for subscribing! I hope to make some more stuff like this in the future :)
Few things terrified me in any anime ever quite like the reveal about the true nature of witches. I definitely relate to the feeling you had.
God its so brilliant when you suddenly begin to grasp how the system works. The dopamine and fear you begin to feel when things start piecing together in your brain is truly magical. It reminds me a lot of Naoki Urasawa's work.
This show is fucking brilliant. This story is so well written and has so many different things to interpret from it, and I find new meaning every time I examine it.
Even after this video, I'm still learning so many cool and new things about the series. It really is a gift that never truly stops giving!