Madoka Magica

[bomaye]

One of those I've been meaning to watch eventually, someone made a trade so that they'll watch reLife and I'll watch this. It's over-the-internet watching though, so I don't think I'll be marathoning it like I do other things

Apparently it's some kind of genre-busting magical girl anime but I don't know much else about it. I'll spam whatever thoughts I have whenever we watch episodes

Anyone else watched or meaning to watch?

[bomaye]

Watched the first three eps

- The music is probably my favourite thing
- The weapon that the one girl uses in the first few episodes is my other favourite thing
- I like the non-weird art, v. beautiful backgrounds.
- The weird art is just there for me. I recognize that artsy people would probably love it but I'm neutral on it

Episode 3

Spoiler:

[Amygdala]

Great little show. Loved it back when it aired. And if you're in after three episodes, the rest should be easy.

I wouldn't really call it "genre-busting," it just has that dark edge constantly running alongside the otherwise cute character designs.

[Prajnaparamita]

See, I actually consider Madoka to be a deconstruction of the magical girl genre, a show where the themes and imagery of the magical girl genre are taken to their logical conclusion and we see the bloody, heartbreaking, soul crushing result. See, something a lot of people don't realize is that there's a ton of fucked up shit in magical girls anime. For example, in Sailor Moon--

Spoiler:

But Sailor Moon isn't seen as a dark edgy show because all of that potentially really heavy stuff is swept aside with sparkles and flowers and the magic power of friendship and all that shit and so none of the psychological ramifications of that are every really explored. And I think that's what makes Madoka unique and beloved among many fans, is that it's like "yeah we will go there, let's really look at what would happen to the psyche of a teenage girl if all that trauma and violence and overwhelming power really did suddenly appear in her life. I mean when you think about it, there's just something deeply fucked up about the idea of magical girls, you know? They're basically inhuman child soldiers, forced to constantly fight and lie to everyone around them.

That being said, that's also why I don't like Madoka very much. In feeling like it's a genre deconstruction, an intellectual exercise about what being a magical girl would really be like I feel it often feels sterile and bland, lots of pretty backgrounds and dramatic moments with no heart. I mean it doesn't help that the characters are basically Generic Pink Hair, Generic Pink Hair's Best Friend, A Character Named Sakura Because it Can't Be an Anime Without A Character Named Sakura (well okay she's the most interesting) and Angsty McAngstpants. It's sorta hard to care I felt about these character's suffering and trauma when they're just so boring and generic... Look, I think it's a good quality show that excels in many ways and a much needed deconstruction of the tropes of the magical girls genre, but I just felt like it lacked heart or anything to really bring me into the narrative.

Also, whatever you do, DO NOT watch the final Madoka movie (Madoka: Rebellion). It just shits all over the cannon for no good reason and makes absolutely no sense and not only just doesn't add anything, cheapens the (admittedly very powerful and moving) ending of the anime.

[bomaye]

A thought after Episode 5

Spoiler:

[bomaye]

Ep 6

Spoiler:

Ep 7

Spoiler:

[bomaye]

Ep 8

Spoiler:

[bomaye]

09

Spoiler:

[bomaye]

Ep 10

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF

Spoiler:

[bomaye]

Ep 11

Spoiler:

[bomaye]

Ep 12

;_;

Spoiler:

[Prajnaparamita]

Dear bomaye:
For your fanboying pleasure, please enjoy this chat transcript of me with a friend fangirling over the final episode of Madoka with a second by second breakdown of some of the scenes, because we're goddamn neeeeeeeeeerds and we know it.

Spoiler:

[bomaye]

Spoiler:

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