North Bureau Chief
This is a theme explored in the anime “Puella Magi Madoka Magica,” a short series that takes the magical girl genre in a whole new direction.
It starts off like a usual shojo anime and has a bit of a slice of life touch to it, as it introduces the main character, eighth grader Madoka Kaname, and her friends. They go through their daily routines and deal with school, boys, and the usual things that girls experience at that age. The anime continues on this vein for most of the first episode, during which we are introduced to the character of Homura Akemi, an aloof transfer student who leaves Madoka vague threats about remaining the same and keeping her life as it is.
The fantasy element comes in later in the show when Madoka finds a creature called Kyubey, who offers her and her friend Sayaka a contract. The contract grants any wish, but in exchange the girls obtain powers and must become Puella Magica (Magical Girls) and defeat witches, evil creatures who create mayhem and chaos.
Kyubey explains that “If magical girls are born from wishes, witches are born from curses,” and further explains that it is a magical girl’s job to protect innocent people from the evil of witches.
Joining the cast are also Mami Tomoe and Kyoko Sakura, both veteran magical girls who react to Madoka and Sayaka making a contract in different ways.
This leaves the anime set up with the usual formula for a magic girl series—an ensemble of different girls who must use their magic powers for the good of all and defend their city from the evil witches. Seems simple enough. Sounds like a good time, a feel-good happy anime that you might watch with your younger siblings or friends on a lazy summer afternoon.
It’s exactly in that deception that lies the brilliance of Madoka.
Although it presents itself for the first few episodes as a feel-good series, it isn’t long before the death and horror hiding behind the pink bows and happy school days tone starts showing through. The first death of the series leaves you staring at the screen with a dreadful realization of what you’re in store for.
The setting of the death, as well as the buildup, work masterfully to fill the viewer with that well-known, warm fuzzy feeling that comes from a feel-good series before ripping it all away with a swift decapitation scene. That’s just the beginning.
The characters are put through even more trials and traumas as they learn the hidden horror of what Kyubey’s contract entails and what being a magical girl is really about. As the story progresses, Madoka finds out that Kyubey has been using her and all of the magical girls for his own means. He has also been keeping secret from them the fact that after being used by him, all magical girls become the very witches that they fight. In exchange for their wishes Madoka and the other magical girls have handed over their souls and doomed themselves to die and be reborn as monsters.
While this anime may sound depressing, it is actually quite brilliant. Madoka Magica does exactly what it sets out to do—to completely deconstruct the Magic Girl genre. It brilliantly succeeds by putting in twists and making it the exact opposite of what you would expect from an anime like it.
As a shojo, this anime looks and feels like something reminiscent of Card Captor Sakura, while the transformation sequences makes you think of childhood days watching Sailor Moon. It also has a very girly ambience, with one of the characters agonizing over a high school crush.The cutesy art style not only serves to accentuate the innocent, but also the horrific elements of the anime.
While on the subject of the art style, the fighting scenes deserve special mention. The animation for the scenes has touches of surrealism that appear whenever a witch’s labyrinth is present.
Although it might not make the witches that scary, at least not to the older audiences, the animation sequences are really incredible and give the scenes with the witches an eerie feel that helps the episodes stand out.
Although only 12 episodes long, the anime manages to deliver its story at a good pace and wraps it up with a final battle and bittersweet conclusion that keeps to both the fantasy and tragic tones of the series.
In its 12 episodes, we also get to know the characters fairly well as their backstories are revealed and they are fleshed out through the episodes. Such an example is Homura, who starts off as the antagonist. Throughout the series, Homura goes from being the most distant character to being one of the most empathic characters in the anime. The big reveal of her past and the reason behind her actions is one of the most heartbreaking moments in the series.
The anime was directed by Akiyuki Shinbo and written by Gen Urobuchi, with original character designs by Ume Aoki.
Overall, “Puella Magi Madoka Magica” is a good watch. It follows the usual paths of a shojo with some plot-twists incorporated into it, that help make it into an anime that truly sticks with you.
It starts off like a usual shojo anime and has a bit of a slice of life touch to it, as it introduces the main character, eighth grader Madoka Kaname, and her friends. They go through their daily routines and deal with school, boys, and the usual things that girls experience at that age. The anime continues on this vein for most of the first episode, during which we are introduced to the character of Homura Akemi, an aloof transfer student who leaves Madoka vague threats about remaining the same and keeping her life as it is.
The fantasy element comes in later in the show when Madoka finds a creature called Kyubey, who offers her and her friend Sayaka a contract. The contract grants any wish, but in exchange the girls obtain powers and must become Puella Magica (Magical Girls) and defeat witches, evil creatures who create mayhem and chaos.
Kyubey explains that “If magical girls are born from wishes, witches are born from curses,” and further explains that it is a magical girl’s job to protect innocent people from the evil of witches.
Joining the cast are also Mami Tomoe and Kyoko Sakura, both veteran magical girls who react to Madoka and Sayaka making a contract in different ways.
This leaves the anime set up with the usual formula for a magic girl series—an ensemble of different girls who must use their magic powers for the good of all and defend their city from the evil witches. Seems simple enough. Sounds like a good time, a feel-good happy anime that you might watch with your younger siblings or friends on a lazy summer afternoon.
It’s exactly in that deception that lies the brilliance of Madoka.
The characters are put through even more trials and traumas as they learn the hidden horror of what Kyubey’s contract entails and what being a magical girl is really about. As the story progresses, Madoka finds out that Kyubey has been using her and all of the magical girls for his own means. He has also been keeping secret from them the fact that after being used by him, all magical girls become the very witches that they fight. In exchange for their wishes Madoka and the other magical girls have handed over their souls and doomed themselves to die and be reborn as monsters.
While this anime may sound depressing, it is actually quite brilliant. Madoka Magica does exactly what it sets out to do—to completely deconstruct the Magic Girl genre. It brilliantly succeeds by putting in twists and making it the exact opposite of what you would expect from an anime like it.
While on the subject of the art style, the fighting scenes deserve special mention. The animation for the scenes has touches of surrealism that appear whenever a witch’s labyrinth is present.
Although it might not make the witches that scary, at least not to the older audiences, the animation sequences are really incredible and give the scenes with the witches an eerie feel that helps the episodes stand out.
Although only 12 episodes long, the anime manages to deliver its story at a good pace and wraps it up with a final battle and bittersweet conclusion that keeps to both the fantasy and tragic tones of the series.
In its 12 episodes, we also get to know the characters fairly well as their backstories are revealed and they are fleshed out through the episodes. Such an example is Homura, who starts off as the antagonist. Throughout the series, Homura goes from being the most distant character to being one of the most empathic characters in the anime. The big reveal of her past and the reason behind her actions is one of the most heartbreaking moments in the series.
The anime was directed by Akiyuki Shinbo and written by Gen Urobuchi, with original character designs by Ume Aoki.
Overall, “Puella Magi Madoka Magica” is a good watch. It follows the usual paths of a shojo with some plot-twists incorporated into it, that help make it into an anime that truly sticks with you.
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