02.06
What I expected.
In the not-too-distant future, there lives a girl named Madoka Kaname who wishes that she could overcome her submissiveness and be something in this world. And luckily for her, this world is full of magical girls who earn their worth by killing monstrous beings known as witches. With the help of her animal companion, Kyubey, Madoka must make her wish and become the strongest magical girl to–
–OH MY GOD, THAT GIRL JUST GOT HER HEAD BIT OFF.
What I got.
You remember how Narutaru started out just like any other Pokemon knockoff? Or how Now and Then, Here and There’s first episode was the same as those of the endless hordes of shonen series? Well, this trend continues with Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Shaft’s demolition and exploration of the magical girl genre. And if you know so much as a single detail about how deconstructions work, chances are you can tell where things are going to go for poor Madoka.
Directed by the guy who developed Nanoha, designed by the creator of Hidamari Sketch, and—what most defines this show—written by the man who did Fate/Zero, Madoka Magica is a conundrum of a concoction. Initially starting out as saccharine as your average episode of Barney and Friends, it instantly shifts into almost Lovecraftian territory before you least expect it, with the monster-of-the-week style quickly losing its linear format in favor of becoming something akin to Evangelion (with the origins of the witches possibly being even grimmer than those of the Angels). The very concept of the magical girl gets shoved through a woodchipper as we see every single one of their tropes completely turned on its head.
And don’t worry. It’s not ultraviolent or exploitative like Elfen Lied. While it’s dark, it handles those themes with subtlety instead of going “LOL WE’RE BEING MATURE!” Though death and tragedy definitely go hand-in-hand with this series, it’s only played for shock once before being portrayed in a finer manner.
What sets this show apart is the utter intricacy that went through it. It’s stuffed with so much subtle foreshadowing and symbolism that going back and watching the early episodes feels like a completely different experience altogether. Originally unremarkable and vague scenes gradually gain more weight as each episode passes. With each arc, we get hit right in the face with plot points that in retrospect turn out to be thickly rooted into the show’s mythos all this time. The scripting is done with such concise care, having very few moments that feel like filler. In fact, it occasionally leaves itself little time to breathe. It’s one of those shows you have to watch all at once and then some in order to get the full effect.
The direction for this show is utterly insane. Ignore the fact that the character design makes the cast from K-ON! look realistically proportioned, it’s everything else that gives this series its distinction. Shinbo fills the scenery with allusions to works such as Goethe’s Faust, Guernica, Mephisto, The Little Mermaid, and even other deconstructionist shows such as Bokurano and Revolutionary Girl Utena. Each and every one of the battles shift the style from standard moe into oblique and avant-garde, with the witches resembling something out of Henry Selick’s sketchbook. To see such basic character art combine with the otherworldly nature of the witches makes for an absolutely nice contrast. As for the animation, it varies. Sometimes, such as the last two episodes, it is glorious to watch. But on other moments…
Alas, for such an intriguing plot, it’s not complemented well by quite a bland cast of characters. Despite the fact that it’s in her role to be as such, Madoka’s too pure for my taste. She just feels like a slightly more self-adjusted Shinji Ikari. Sayaka, while a bit more rounded, ends up being more like a satellite for other characters than someone who could stand by herself. Other cast members get more evident personalities, but plot reasons mean that they get little time to express them. Really, out of all the Puella Magi, Homura was the only one who struck me as sympathetic. To elaborate would be a massive spoiler, so I’ll just say she serves as the epitome of what this show’s aiming for.
Instead of the protagonists, most of my interest lies within the supposedly adorable albino weasel thingy, Kyubey. And it’s precisely because of how our basic morals simply don’t make sense to him. He’s a completely inhuman being that simply cannot understand the concept of empathy. And yet, the series makes it clear that just because he’s a Faustian dealer doesn’t necessarily make him evil. It just makes him amoral, a completely neutral being that views its relationship with the Puella Magi as farmers do with cattle. And the show does a superb job characterizing him as such.
That’s not to say the characters are bad by any means. The show does a good effort in analyzing some of what makes them tick. It’s just that they don’t have much depth to them, which could probably be chalked to the series’ brevity than to the fault of the writer’s ability.
The voicing gives you a well-done grasp as to how much desperation the characters are going through. It helps that they got an actual teenager to play the titular character, as well as a large case of averting typecasting here, such as one of the cast originally known for playing Fuuko playing a grisly antihero here. My only complaint would be that Kyubey’s actress could have changed her tone a bit. And if you’ve seen .Hack//Sign, you’ll have a pretty good idea as to what the soundtrack’s like.
Overall, Puella Magi Madoka Magica is a refreshing shift from the usual. While the ending’s a tad polarizing, and the drama does become rather excessive, it’s certainly something I’d recommend.
Rating: 8/10
Originally posted on Tuesday, April 26, 2011.