Forum - View topicREVIEW: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Vol. 3 Blu-ray
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Fencedude5609
Posts: 5088 |
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Yeah yeah, I know that this has already been brought up, but since you nailed the understanding of Madoka's wish (and so few people coming in after the fact have managed to do so), its nice to have something else to argue against.
Kyouko's character development suffers the most from the limited amount of time available in the show. Her backstory was fleshed out with the Audio Drama included with volume 5, where we learned about her time with Mami, and the break the two suffered after the deaths of Kyouko's family. At any rate, Kyouko's sacrifice. There are a few aspects of her character to consider for it. For one, she really did come to care for Sayaka, she'd found a kindred spirit, someone in whom she saw her younger, more idealistic self. She wanted to save Sayaka from making the same mistakes she had, though of course she ultimately failed in this. Also, and while this is more debatable, I do think that Kyouko loved Sayaka, even if she herself didn't realize it until the very end. Reading the lyrics of "and I'm Home" (the special ED song for episode 9) is instructive on this (as are the lyrics of "Connect" in regards to Homura and episode 10). Secondly, Kyouko really, REALLY did not want to become a witch. Her family died because her father considered her no better than a demon. She, more than anything else, did not want to become the very thing she spent her life fighting. So when it became clear that Sayaka could not be saved, she sacrificed her Soul Gem to destroy them both. If she could not save Sayaka, at least she could make sure she didn't die alone. Logical? Not particularly, but Kyouko wasn't in a logical mood, she just wanted to make sure her life was not in vain, and that the one person left in the world she cared for didn't go into the afterlife by herself. |
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Mad_Scientist
Subscriber
Moderator Posts: 3011 |
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Well, I don't think it's ageist to point out that teenagers tend to have strong and intense emotions. As for it being girls specifically, and not boys... I guess I could see someone arguing that it's sexist. For myself, I just appreciated the mostly credible explanation as to "why only young girls" for the whole magical girl concept, and it was clear to me there wasn't any sexist intent. |
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dtm42
Posts: 14084 Location: currently stalking my waifu |
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That's a really good explanation about Kyouko, Fencedude5609.
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EmbraceMe
Posts: 2015 Location: Growing old and jaded. |
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This reminds me of the tweet Gen Urobuchi wrote when the show aired. I think it was the last tweet on this site. Iit opens my eyes to see how Gen put his feelings into Madoka Magica.
That's why I enjoyed the ending. It didn't end on a super-duper happy note. The current system maintains just as much despair as the previous. I'm happy with the ending but it if ended more depressing, I would had loved it more. Only because I enjoy them more. I guess I might spend some money on the DVDs/BDs. College alongside anime spending will kill my wallet. [EDIT: Added spoiler tags. - Key] |
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Fencedude5609
Posts: 5088 |
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Oh please, the ending is nothing like Lain's unless you reduce both down to that barest of description. Madoka and Lain's goals, motives, situations, basically everything about them was different. You can do this with all sorts of shows, and it renders criticism meaningless. As for a darker ending, what did you want? Did you want everyone to fail and die? For Homura to give in to despair and become Homulily? Only for Madoka to contract, defeat both her and Walpurgis, and become the Final Witch Kriemhild Gretchen? What in the world would be the point of that? That would be despair for despair's sake. Madoka spoiler[did not make the universe a perfect place. She made it a little better for a very small subset of humanity, she made it so that the girls who give their souls in exchange for a single wish do not live their lives in vain. Their fights have meaning, they are no longer damned to become the very thing they fought against. And in the end, when they fall in battle or at last give in to the despair corrupting their Soul Gems, they are visited by Hope herself, who takes them away to a place where they can be at peace.] [EDIT: Added spoiler tags. - Key] |
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Cecilthedarkknight_234
Posts: 3820 Location: Louisville, KY |
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The thing it ended a bit in a NGE way just on different note with spoiler[creating a world where she doesn't exist so people can live freely compared to everyone dying or becoming one in end of eva then resets in the new movies.] However the similarities are there for both of these series, that have been discussed in countless other threads. I just hope the two madoka movies coming out are not labeled death and re-birth lol |
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Zac
ANN Executive Editor
Posts: 7912 Location: Anime News Network Technodrome |
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One thing is for sure: I will never see the phrase "When you wish upon a star" in the same way ever again thanks to this show.
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Fencedude5609
Posts: 5088 |
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Wishing upon a star is fine. Just don't wish upon a small, white animal with ears coming out its ears. |
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Julia-the-Great
Posts: 328 |
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I like that the dub is there, even if it is "serviceable", just so I can take in all the little details in the animation and not miss anything. (My third time on this merry-go-round and still noticing new things)
There really is nothing like watching the BD on a big screen. So worth the $200+ I spent on it. |
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Cryssoberyl
Posts: 240 |
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I don't agree about Kyouko, but otherwise, well said.
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sailorsarah
Posts: 189 Location: Texas |
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This review explains the show really well. I feel like I understand it even more!
I feel like the ending is like a nice balance between the endings of Evangelion and Sailor Moon, two of my favorites. It is the perfect balance between happy and dark in my opinion. You can really apply the ideas back to your own life if you want. Sure life sucks, but you should always have hope. If it had been happier, it wouldn't be as applicable. If it was darker, that would've just been depressing. |
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Parsifal24
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Good review although I don't think it ends up half as bleak as some would make it out as far asspoiler[Madoka becoming the embodiment of hope] I think it works sure things ar'nt perfect in the end but life isn't perfect.
and Homura is able to carry on also as an aside I'm surprised that supposed Yuri subtext didn't get mentioned. For the record I don't see any Yuri in the show and those that do I think have "issues" but I digress that's probably more of a fandom issue than sereis proper I guess. |
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Cryssoberyl
Posts: 240 |
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It's very much a "there if you want it" type of situation. It would be very easy to define Homura's love for Madoka in those terms - and believe it or not, Kyouko/Sayaka is an even more popular pairing in the yuri fandom, it seems to me - but for somebody who wasn't actually looking for that, it probably wouldn't cross their mind, except maybe during Homura's final meeting with Madoka. That's certainly a compelling scene for us yuri fans, believe me...when I first watched it, I really was almost half-expecting them to kiss, but no such luck. Last edited by Cryssoberyl on Wed Jun 13, 2012 7:51 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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dragon695
Posts: 1377 Location: Clemson, SC |
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I can see why you are saying this. I don't want to get into an extended debate on NGE, much like our friend did with Princess Tutu on the other thread, so I'll just have to leave it at this. I can't say if it is because I am watching this being far older now, but I definitely did not feel the same frustration at the end of PMMM that I did at the end of NGE. Whether it is a case of being two sides of the same coin, I don't know, and granted I haven't watch NGE in a long, long time. Who knows, but I do agree with you wrt the PMMM movies: certainly don't need those kind of titles. |
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Crisha
Moderator
Posts: 4290 |
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I thought the ending to Madoka Magica was perfect. I don't think I could have asked for a better ending. Some of my favorite endings tend to be like Madoka's - where the message is about hope. It acknowledges that the world/universe/rules/life sucks or isn't fair but that working for one's hopes and dreams isn't meaningless. Accepting the good and the bad, but not giving up the fight. I love those kind of messages.
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