Forum - View topic
NEWS: Madoka Magica -Walpurgisnacht: Rising- Anime Film's Full Trailer Unveils FictionJunction




Note: this is the discussion thread for this article

Anime News Network Forum Index -> Site-related -> Talkback
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
lucio542



Joined: 11 Apr 2015
Posts: 347
Location: Brazil
PostPosted: Sun Jun 28, 2026 11:39 am Reply with quote
I CAN'T DESCRIBE THE HYPE THAT I AM FEELING.
This better be 2 and half hours atleast, but holy sh*t man this looks fantastic.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
TsukasaElkKite



Joined: 22 Nov 2005
Posts: 4199
PostPosted: Sun Jun 28, 2026 11:52 am Reply with quote
I’m HYPED
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message My Anime My Manga
Kougeru



Joined: 13 May 2008
Posts: 5811
PostPosted: Sun Jun 28, 2026 12:31 pm Reply with quote
fwiw "FictionJunction" is one word with the F and J capitalized.

There's SO much in this trailer to start making theories about but I really don't find any purpose to that so I'll just repeat the previous comment: I'm HYPED beyond words. Bring hope back, Madoka!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message AIM Address My Anime My Manga
vanfanel



Joined: 26 Dec 2008
Posts: 1306
PostPosted: Sun Jun 28, 2026 2:08 pm Reply with quote
I think it was a mistake to try to continue this series beyond the TV/second film's magnificent ending. I saw Rebellion once when it first came out; ever since, it has been one of those sequels like "Alien 3" and "The Last Jedi", that I simply refuse to acknowledge. What this new film will need to do in order to change my mind is pull off a finale that is so good that it justifies having undone the original ending. I don't think they can do that.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Juno016



Joined: 09 Jan 2012
Posts: 2587
PostPosted: Sun Jun 28, 2026 2:32 pm Reply with quote
vanfanel wrote:
I think it was a mistake to try to continue this series beyond the TV/second film's magnificent ending. I saw Rebellion once when it first came out; ever since, it has been one of those sequels like "Alien 3" and "The Last Jedi", that I simply refuse to acknowledge. What this new film will need to do in order to change my mind is pull off a finale that is so good that it justifies having undone the original ending. I don't think they can do that.


"having undone the original ending"
I get why people came to this conclusion when it first came out. I was under the same impression then, when it wasn't on disc yet and I only had one theater viewing to parse what happened in the ending. In the years since, though, it's rare to find anyone who thinks this is what happened. Rebellion went to some pretty extensive lengths to make it clear that Madoka's wish is still active and the Law of Cycles (Ultimate Madoka) is still out there doing her thing. The main difference is that the human Madoka is on earth and Homura is pulling strings to make sure that witches can't exist in this specific world (that Ultimate Madoka is locked out of) either, and that curses don't overwhelm humanity. The new trailer even hints at how she might be doing this.

Rebellion was a character study of Homura, but it also was a critique of Madoka's wish. Specifically, a 14-year-old girl working to save all magical girls across history is a huge undertaking. She succeeds in giving hope, but happiness... is another thing. You need people you care about to help you. I'm of the personal opinion that the new movie is going to focus on both Madoka and Homura's mutual self-sacrificial nature and lack of self-worth. Madoka wasn't wrong to make her wish, but she was wrong to hurt herself to make it come true. Homura wasn't wrong to want Madoka's happiness, but now she's putting a massive burden on herself to hold together her new world and you can tell she's not happy herself. This new movie might put them both in a position where they become partners to fulfill both their wishes, and relieve the heaviest burdens from each other. They're both worth saving and deserve happiness, and Rebellion created Akuma Homura so she may do exactly that as Madoka's equal. That's my hope, at least. Obviously, the ending of the new movie could be another crazy twist (headache if so), but Rebellion's twist ending didn't contradict the message in its main conclusion, and if they do it again, WR doesn't have to contradict the movie's thematic conclusion either.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
TarsTarkas



Joined: 20 Dec 2007
Posts: 6226
Location: Virginia, United States
PostPosted: Sun Jun 28, 2026 6:12 pm Reply with quote
Juno016 wrote:

"having undone the original ending"
I get why people came to this conclusion when it first came out. I was under the same impression then, when it wasn't on disc yet and I only had one theater viewing to parse what happened in the ending. In the years since, though, it's rare to find anyone who thinks this is what happened. Rebellion went to some pretty extensive lengths to make it clear that Madoka's wish is still active and the Law of Cycles (Ultimate Madoka) is still out there doing her thing. The main difference is that the human Madoka is on earth and Homura is pulling strings to make sure that witches can't exist in this specific world (that Ultimate Madoka is locked out of) either, and that curses don't overwhelm humanity. The new trailer even hints at how she might be doing this.

Rebellion was a character study of Homura, but it also was a critique of Madoka's wish. Specifically, a 14-year-old girl working to save all magical girls across history is a huge undertaking. She succeeds in giving hope, but happiness... is another thing. You need people you care about to help you. I'm of the personal opinion that the new movie is going to focus on both Madoka and Homura's mutual self-sacrificial nature and lack of self-worth. Madoka wasn't wrong to make her wish, but she was wrong to hurt herself to make it come true. Homura wasn't wrong to want Madoka's happiness, but now she's putting a massive burden on herself to hold together her new world and you can tell she's not happy herself. This new movie might put them both in a position where they become partners to fulfill both their wishes, and relieve the heaviest burdens from each other. They're both worth saving and deserve happiness, and Rebellion created Akuma Homura so she may do exactly that as Madoka's equal. That's my hope, at least. Obviously, the ending of the new movie could be another crazy twist (headache if so), but Rebellion's twist ending didn't contradict the message in its main conclusion, and if they do it again, WR doesn't have to contradict the movie's thematic conclusion either.


What Homura did at the end was truly evil, lets not forget what happened to the other magical girls, especially Sayaka. Her new world, is falling apart at the seams. Personally, I believe the writers broke Homura's character for the plot.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
EmeraldSaucer



Joined: 31 Jan 2025
Posts: 959
PostPosted: Sun Jun 28, 2026 6:52 pm Reply with quote
TarsTarkas wrote:
What Homura did at the end was truly evil, lets not forget what happened to the other magical girls, especially Sayaka. Her new world, is falling apart at the seams. Personally, I believe the writers broke Homura's character for the plot.


Based on the analysis they posted (which is more convincing than you just typing "nuh uh") I would say that they didn't break Homura's character at all and in fact Rebellion was incredibly in-character

In the show Homura creates a cycle that causes others to suffer because she's unable to accept Madoka's self-sacrificial nature in saving the world from Walpurgisnacht at the cost of her life, in Rebellion Homura creates a cycle that causes others to suffer because she's unable to accept Madoka's self-sacrificial nature in becoming Madokami. How you take these two things to be disparate and the latter a sign of "breaking" a character, I would love to hear
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Florete



Joined: 21 Jan 2018
Posts: 464
PostPosted: Sun Jun 28, 2026 10:22 pm Reply with quote
I pray we can get this movie at least within a month of the Japanese release.

And yes, Rebellion was completely in-character for Homura. Madoka is Homura's #1 priority and everything follows from that.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Gilarack



Joined: 05 Oct 2015
Posts: 93
PostPosted: Mon Jun 29, 2026 3:04 am Reply with quote
pLeAsE gIvE uS a QuIcK gLoBaL ReLeAsE!1! 13 yEaRs Of WaItiNg HaVe BeEn EnOuGh1!1
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
vanfanel



Joined: 26 Dec 2008
Posts: 1306
PostPosted: Mon Jun 29, 2026 2:32 pm Reply with quote
EmeraldSaucer wrote:
In the show Homura creates a cycle that causes others to suffer because she's unable to accept Madoka's self-sacrificial nature in saving the world from Walpurgisnacht at the cost of her life, in Rebellion Homura creates a cycle that causes others to suffer because she's unable to accept Madoka's self-sacrificial nature in becoming Madokami. How you take these two things to be disparate and the latter a sign of "breaking" a character, I would love to hear


Homura created a cycle of trying a whole bunch of different tactics because Walpurgisnacht kept winning. Through these many cycles, Madoka didn't have the power to save the world any more than the rest of them did. It was only through the repetition of that cycle that the energy surrounding Madoka was increased to the level that allowed her to finally make that wish and have it granted.

In both of the second film's epilogues, Homura seems to be at peace with Madoka's decision. In the first, her exchange with Madoka's mother doesn't show any sign of dangerous obsession. And in the second, when she's finally reached the end of her own rope, she's able to charge into battle one last time because she knows that Madoka will be with her and not allow her to become a witch.

So yes, the ending is undone, and Homura's character is warped in order to make it happen.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
EmeraldSaucer



Joined: 31 Jan 2025
Posts: 959
PostPosted: Mon Jun 29, 2026 2:48 pm Reply with quote
vanfanel wrote:

Homura created a cycle of trying a whole bunch of different tactics because Walpurgisnacht kept winning. Through these many cycles, Madoka didn't have the power to save the world any more than the rest of them did. It was only through the repetition of that cycle that the energy surrounding Madoka was increased to the level that allowed her to finally make that wish and have it granted.


There was no reason to create a cycle in the first place because Walpurgisnacht was defeated, we see that in episode 10 by the fact that Walupurgisnacht isn't looming in the background destroying everything and how Homura talks about Madoka "saving someone like her". It was only because Homura couldn't accept Madoka's choice to sacrifice herself to accomplish that feat that Homura became a magical girl and caused everybody around her to suffer through those cycles. Because, as others have pointed out, she is driven by her love for Madoka even if that means costing everybody else (including herself ultimately), including Madoka whom she deprives of power and autonomy in the name of protecting Madoka instead of Madoka being able to protect her. This is one of the core pieces for why her wish was selfish, because everybody's wish throughout the show is selfish until we reach Madoka's decision at the end (which, I guess I have to point this out, has no bearing on Homura's decisions; her choices leading to the buildup of energy is entirely incidental to her own goals and state of mind)

If you think that Homura is at peace at the end, that's fine. You'd be wrong, because that's not who Homura is as a character, but that's fine to believe (so long as you don't try to extend that to a complaint about Rebellion not fitting with your headcanon)

Also just thought of this, but if you think Homura was at peace, "I'm going to walk into these wraiths until I die" is a very strange idea of peace. Certainly no way that kind of mentality could lead Homura down further dark paths that mirror actions she's already taken before when faced with the loss of Madoka
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
TarsTarkas



Joined: 20 Dec 2007
Posts: 6226
Location: Virginia, United States
PostPosted: Mon Jun 29, 2026 4:16 pm Reply with quote
This is one of those agree to disagree things. It has been argued 'ad infinitum' here in the forums anytime Madoka Magica Rebellion is brought up. At this time, no amount of discussion will cause anyone to change their mind at this late date.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
EmeraldSaucer



Joined: 31 Jan 2025
Posts: 959
PostPosted: Mon Jun 29, 2026 7:12 pm Reply with quote
TarsTarkas wrote:
This is one of those agree to disagree things. It has been argued 'ad infinitum' here in the forums anytime Madoka Magica Rebellion is brought up. At this time, no amount of discussion will cause anyone to change their mind at this late date.


That's a lot of words to go "I can't actually defend my stance on this, despite being the one to engage with disagreement in the first place"
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Reply to topic    Anime News Network Forum Index -> Site-related -> Talkback All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Page 1 of 1

 


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group