Episode Rankings: Puella Magi Madoka Magica

Madoka Magica is a perfect show. The pacing is amazing, the characters are all interesting and fleshed-out, the plot twists are all fantastic, the animation is stunning, and the music is godly. It's my favorite anime of all time and I think every episode is great. Here's my ranking:

1. I Won't Rely On Anyone Anymore (S1.10) - And this is where Homura became my favorite character
2. My Very Best Friend (S1.12) - Such a melancholic finale, but hopeful at the same time
3. I Was Stupid... So Stupid (S1.08) - That final scene wrecks me every time
4. This Just Can't Be Right (S1.06) - Best plot twist in the series
5. The Only Thing I Have Left To Guide Me (S1.11)
6. I'm Not Afraid Of Anything Anymore (S1.03) - Mami didn't have her head in the game
7. I'd Never Allow That To Happen (S1.09)
8. Can't You Face Your True Feelings (S1.07) - Probably the most visually-striking episode in the whole show
9. Miracles And Magic Are Real (S1.04)
10. I First Met Her In A Dream... Or Something (S1.01) - One of the best first scenes in any show
11. There's No Way I'll Ever Regret It (S1.05)
12. That Would Be Truly Wonderful (S1.02)

Puella Magi Madoka Magica The Movie 3: Rebellion

Well, the fourth (and probably final) Madoka Magica movie is coming out, and I am hyped. I'm always happy for more of my favorite anime of all time. But before it comes out, I thought I'd finally watch the divisive third film once and for all.

Explaining Madoka Rebellion's story is a bit difficult, because it's a wild ride from start to finish. In the grand scheme of things, it's about Homura and Kyubey both dealing with the events of the show's ending, which had Madoka rewrite reality and pretty much erase herself from existence. Kyubey wants to go back to the old system of how the Incubators got energy, and Homura is struggling not to fall despair and wants Madoka back. That doesn't seem too complex... at least until you actually watch the thing. The first half of Rebellion is more of a mystery, starting with the cast in a distorted version of the show's reality. Somehow, Madoka and Sayaka are alive, Charlotte (the witch who killed Mami) is a good guy, the magical girls are fighting nightmares rather than wraiths, and everything seems a bit too happy. Eventually, Homura starts to realize that this isn't how things are supposed to be and decides to investigate. I quite like this first half for a bunch of reasons. First of all, I'm a big fan of the distorted reality that's not as happy as it seems trope (WandaVision being another great example). It also lets us get to see the type of show we were originally expecting Madoka to be pre-Episode 3, and it was packed with character interactions that we wouldn't have seen otherwise. I also generally liked just how bizarre and weird this half was visually, even if some of the scenes felt a bit overly strange, like that bizarre cake song.

Eventually, Homura discovers that this odd world is a witch's labyrinth, and that she became a witch out of despair. The only reason why Madoka hasn't saved her yet is that Kyubey is trying to use Homura to return to the original system, so the rest of the film is about Madoka, Sayaka, Kyoko, Mami, and Nagisa (Charlotte's magical girl form) uniting to save Homura. The stretch between Homura's initial discovery that she's in a labyrinth and this big finale is easily my favorite part of the film, it's packed with great action, insane visuals, and a really intense tone. While the opening is fun and cute, this segment of Rebellion is the Madoka Magica I know and love. However, the movie doesn't end with Madoka saving Homura. Rather, it ends with Homura rejecting Madoka's Law Of Cycles and rewriting reality herself so that magical girls don't exist and the Incubators face the consequences of their actions. While things seem ideal for everyone now, it's immediately apparent, this new reality seems fake. Not to mention it all comes at the cost of Homura taking a villainous role and going through complete and utter misery. It's a pretty dark and sudden ending, and I don't quite love how open-ended this film is. As someone who likes ambiguous endings, this is quite blatantly a cliffhanger, a hook for a sequel movie that wouldn't come out for nearly a decade. I don't think the ending is bad, it's actually a fascinating development that makes Homura even more fascinating and compelling, but it definitely makes the film feel incomplete, especially upon learning that the original version of this ending was supposed to be far more satisfying.

So there's a lot of debate around Homura's actions and whether or not it ruins her character by turning her into a villain. Personally, I don't think that's the case at all, if anything it's another flawed decision that is far more nuanced than good or bad. Homura's hatred for the Incubators and her desire to keep Madoka safe were always established, both of which are noble motivations. However, while a world with these traits might be ideal in theory, that's not quite the case, and Homura knows it. If anything, even with everything Homura did, she's still probably the least happy of the cast. So while I don't think Homura "did nothing wrong" (this was obviously a bad decision and some better communication goes a long way), I also don't think she's a truly bad person either, especially since she's mostly harming herself. I'd also like to point out the similarities between Homura and Madoka, they both rewrote reality in their own attempts at stopping the Incubators, sacrificing themselves for others in the process, driven by their own individual self-esteem issues, with Madoka having low self-confidence and Homura having some serious self-hatred. It lends this interesting question that if neither of their realities are the solution, then what is? Ideally, it might have to be one where neither Madoka nor Homura get the chance for sacrifice. There's really so much more to unpack here, but I don't want this review to take forever. So even if the ending was a bit cheap, it's also far more thought-provoking than the original finale was, and I think that's really cool.

If there's one thing that is unambiguously great about Rebellion, though, it's definitely the presentation. I mean, it's Madoka, of course it's gonna look and sound great. If anything, the fact that this is a movie means that it may look even better than the original series. The visuals are still incredibly inventive, especially the mixed media used for the witch labyrinths. The main cast is still super expressive, and that sketchy look I loved so much in the original series is still here. But the biggest improvement in Madoka Rebellion is easily the action, which is so much more dynamic and visually stunning. I especially loved the fight between Mama and Homura which boasts some of the slickest gun kata I've ever seen. The voice acting, just like the original series, is also really good. Homura's voice actress, Chiwa Saito, is especially great. The music, once again by Yuki Kajiura, is also really great, especially in that aforementioned fight scene. A lot of it is also entirely new, so it never feels like it's just borrowing from the original series. 

Overall, I really enjoyed Rebellion, even if I wouldn't call it as perfect as the original series. It's great to see the characters again, the plot is inventive and thought-provoking, the visuals and music are still great, the focus on Homura is welcome, and some of its best moments are the best in the series. However, it's also really confusing at first, and the open ending makes the movie feel a bit incomplete compared to the original series.

4/5 Stars

Puella Magi Madoka Magica

This is going to be one of my longest reviews yet, but Madoka Magica is one of the best anime I have seen so far. It absolutely blew me away with its stunning plot twists, creative action, unique visual style, and especially it's brilliantly executed drama. From start to finish, Madoka Magica left me completely and utterly hooked. 

Madoka Magica is a "magical girl" anime that takes a much darker and edgier tone from what you'd expect. Whether or not it deconstructs the tropes of the genre is up for debate, but there's no denying that it plays everything for a surprising amount of seriousness. Madoka Magica uses its genre-awareness to craft a unique and fleshed-out world that adds a terrifying twist to most of the tropes you may recognize. The witches that these magical girls fight are distorted and terrifying, pretty much anyone can die at anytime, the characters' emotional states can completely ruin their chances at survival, and the contract to becoming a magical girl comes with a lot of caveats. The characters suffer in this show, a lot, but it does a great job of making you care about everyone regardless in spite of how grim things end up getting, and the latter half of the anime is ridiculously grim. The story is dark and twisty, packed with shocking and devastating twists from Mami's death to Homura's backstory, but it remains compelling from start to finish due to the nice balance of lore reveals and genuine character drama. Even more, despite how dark things get, Madoka Magica makes sure to have an ending that feels satisfying, rewarding, and surprisingly hopeful, while still feeling earned at the same time.

The main story is about Madoka and Sayaka, at least at first, who meet a magical girl named Mami and get a chance to become magical girls as well, to stop these depression-inducing witches. However, there's another magical girl named Homura who doesn't want Madoka to do this, and as the show progresses, Madoka and Sayaka quickly realize that becoming a magical girl can lead to unbelievable misery (to put it simply, being meduca is suffering). I actually really like that Madoka takes so long to actually become a magical girl, it's a neat spin on the genre. All of the characters are really well-written, though, having their own motivations and problems that they need to work through. Homura is a particular highlight, as the realization that she's been one of the show's main protagonists the whole time is one of the best moments of the series. Even the "villain" is great, as Kyubey's neutral and unbiased attitude allows the show to deal with themes like utilitarianism and consent, which I totally didn't expect at first. I also admire that every major story beat has an effect on the characters, with Madoka and Sayaka needing pretty much an entire episode to grieve over Mami's death. Despite this, the pacing is great through, rarely feeling rushed or too slow outside of some necessary expository scenes near the beginning. 

While the story is great and well-paced, it's the presentation that really steals the show here. The first episode hooks you in with this ominous scene with twisted backgrounds and a bleak operatic score, and keeps this high level of quality for the whole show. The action is creative and exciting, from Mami's many guns to Homura's fast-paced teleporting. The visuals are great too, the colors are bold, the simplistic sketchbook look to all of the characters is well-executed, and the labyrinths have these stunningly bizarre Monty Python-esque backgrounds that are terrifying in how much they clash with the characters. The silhouette sequence at the end of episode 7 is especially striking. The soundtrack is also absolutely phenomenal, from the background music by Yuki Kajiura, to the OP and ending themes. And even the voice acting is spectacular, especially for Homura in the last few episodes. There's one scene in Episode 10 that managed to completely stick in my memory just through the performances alone. Madoka Magica's presentation elevates an already well-executed story to something truly amazing.

It's hard not to list all 12 episodes and why I like them, but these are the most notable of the bunch:

I'm Not Afraid Of Anything Anymore: Yeah, yeah, I know, Mami dies in this episode, and it's a brilliant and devastating scene that finally pays off the ominous vibes of these first three episodes. But even outside of that, the action is spectacular, the added depth for Sayaka is welcome, and they do an amazing job of fleshing out Mami as much as possible in spite of her limited screentime. 

This Just Can't Be Right: The big confrontation on the bridge this episode nearly gave me a heart attack like 20 times over, and the reveal of what truly happened to Sayaka and all of the magical girls is still one of the most chilling scenes in the series.

I Was Stupid... So Stupid: It's stunning how much happens in this episode, especially the last few minutes where we learn Kyubey has clones, Homura is a time-traveler, and magical girls become witches. But even with all that, the episode still focuses on Sayaka's quick and devastating fall in despair, culminating in one of the most iconic and devastating scenes in the series.

I'd Never Allow That To Happen: Kyoko slowly becomes more and more likable throughout the course of her appearances, but she's excellent in this episode, through her desperate struggle to save Sayaka, at least until her sacrifice at the end. We also learn more about Kyubey's motivations.

I Won't Rely On Anyone Anymore: Easily the best episode of the series, Homura's backstory is phenomenal and runs the full gamet of emotions. It's heartwarming, tearjerking, action-packed, thought-provoking, and even funny at parts. It's fascinating to see all of the unique alternate timelines, and it lends a new perspective on Homura's previously mysterious characterization.

The Only Thing I Have Left To Guide Me: Homura is amazing in this episode. The big battle between her and Walpurgisnacht is probably the best and craziest action setpiece in the whole series, her breakdown in front of Madoka is devastating, and the last few minutes of the episode are especially an emotional rollercoaster.

My Very Best Friend: An emotional rollercoaster of a finale that feels rewarding in an optimistic way without fully coming at odds with the dark tone of most of the show. Madoka's wish is creative, and I think it's interesting to see the world rewritten into what seems like the magical girl world you were expecting from the show's start. It's a bit confusing at times, but eventually you realize that everyone gets the satisfying ending they deserve.

Overall, you can tell from the size of this behemoth that I adored Madoka Magica. The characters, visuals, music, plot twists, and pacing were pretty much perfect, it felt like every episode was packed with new information, the ending was rewarding, and everything felt so well thought-out. Weeks later, I've still been thinking about Madoka Magica. It's probably my favorite anime of all time, at least along with K-On, and it's up there with some of my favorite TV series ever made.

5/5 Stars

Favorite Episode: I Won't Rely On Anyone Anymore