Anime Hajime Review: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica

Series Synopsis

In the town of Mitakihara, two friends, Madoka Kaname (voiced by Aoi Yuki) and Sayaka Miki (voiced by Eri Kitamura), blissfully live their lives as average junior high school students. Then one day, a ghostly voice rings through their heads crying for help.

Upon further investigation, the two come across a fleeing white cat-like creature. The strange animal is being pursued by the mysterious new transfer student, Homura Akemi (voiced by Chiwa Saito), who appears to be in control of a large amount of unknown magical energy.

Madoka and Sayaka plea for the creature’s safety. Unfortunately, there efforts prove fruitless and the girl’s request is ignored. Before the cat can be killed, Homura is confronted by Mami Tomoe (voiced by Kaori Mizuhashi). Like Homura, Mami also seems capable of controlling a similar form of magical energy. Choosing to avoid a fight, Homura retreats.

The animal introduces itself as a mystical being Kyubey (voiced by Emiri Kato).  Madoka and Sayaka heard the cries for help because Kyubey wishes to make a deal. In exchange for one wish, the two must agree to become magical girls in order to hunt and destroy horrifying entities known as witches. Both Homura and Mami have already made such a deal, along with another girl, Kyoko Sakura (voiced by Ai Nonaka).

Unsure of what to do, Madoka and Sayaka convince Mami to take them under her wing and show them the world of a magical girl. At first, the job seems to mean being a champion of justice. However, it becomes all too clear that the life of a magical girl is nothing but danger, loneliness, and despair.

Series Positives

What do you imagine when you think of the Magic Girl genre. For me, I see a lot of bright colors, over the top transformations, and a very pleasant, energetic, can-do kind of atmosphere. Everyone is happy and everything is going to work out in the end. Does Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica fall in line with that expectation? No, not even in the slightest.

This series is dark, unsettling, depressing, tragic, and overall, not very nice. If you're expecting sunshine and rainbows, good luck to you.

Beneath the doom and gloom, what do I think off it all? Well I think it’s pretty damn good, and by that I mean the show is absolutely fantastic.

The Story

A twelve episode anime doesn’t have much time to tell an engaging story intertwined with severely heavy themes and undertones. While possible, it’s not easy to do and many series simply can’t pull it off. Often times, stories are rushed, pacing is sloppy, and the end result is sadly unsatisfying. Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica is one of those special instances that makes it work.

The story is nearly perfectly paced, with one or two slower moments. There's focus and everything is moving towards a single goal. The buildup offers the right amount of excitement and the payoff is well worth it. 

The main thing I love about the story is that it's willing to go all the way. I can’t say much more about that without getting into spoiler territory, but the ending, while not tragic, is by no means the happiest. 

The story could have gone down the easy road, it could have given us that relief of everything turning out well, but it doesn’t. The ending is a great mixture of heartbreak and hope. The ending, quite frankly, is the right one.

The Art Style and Visuals

Okay, where to start.

The show's not that old, but the character design and “base art style” has a noticeably retro feel to it. I hate to use the word comforting, but in a series that is filled with such volatility, this is the one thing that is able to keep you grounded. Well at least for the beginning few episodes this is true. When things really start to go bad, the stark contrast between themes and visuals is harmoniously brilliant.

I use the phrase “base art style” because there are two very distinct designs. First you have the world that Madoka, Homura, Sayaka, Mami, and Kyoko inhabit; something familiar and expected. Then you have the realm of the witches.

Yah, these are…these are weird, or should I say a nightmare fueled LSD trip...that’s probably closer. These scenes are numerous, intense, unnerving, slightly terrifying, and completely awesome.

I can’t even begin to adequately describe these moments. Out of all the things that this show does to go against the Magic Girl formula, this is the most severe.

Series Negatives

It hurts me to say this, but there are some things in the show that could be better. While there are few, there are enough. 

When Does This Take Place

I’m going to get this one out of the way rather quickly because I feel this is more of a personal nitpick. While I will praise and adore the art style of this series, it doesn’t do a great job of setting when, or for that matter, where the story takes place. The events of the show occur within a fictional world in a fictional town, but a general idea of when everything is happening would add to perspective. 

Everything seems a little too futuristic. The houses, the school, the entire city has a Tomorrowland feel. Not necessarily a problem, but why not go full future? At best, the world of the story may actually exist within the next few years. If that is the case, why not have it feel a little more contemporary, or at the very least, try not to emphasize how advanced everything is.

Final Boss and Defining Moments

This series is able to tell a rich and engaging story in only twelve episodes and the ending is completely satisfying, no question. However, it does feel a bit rushed.

Throughout the show, the climactic final battle is played up through subtle hints and speculation. By the end, you really want to see this thing go down. Unfortunately, it’s never really explained what or why it’s going to happen; it just sort of happens. Thus when the final events of the show are unfolding, character's motivations and reasoning aren’t fully development.

The logic behind Madoka’s ultimate decision is told to us rather than shown to us (and in a show that rocks its visuals, it’s a bit disappointing). The purposes behind Homura’s actions are seemingly glanced over, which is horribly frustrating because this is a character you really want to understand.

To be fair, the show and the story are in a tough situation. While the length is a little too short, a thirteenth episode would have made the series too long. 

Final Thoughts

I really, really, really like this show. I’m not sure what I expected, but I guarantee it wasn’t what I got. Everything falls snuggly into place and what’s left is an incredible experience; that’s a good word to describe Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica. A dark fantasy, magical girl series is not something I ever thought I would run into, but I did and I am grateful for it.

If you ever decide to watch this show (which you should) be ready for some intense moments. Then once it’s over, really think about what it is you just saw. This is the kind of anime that gets better the more time you sit and ponder over it.

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