***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica: Beginnings and Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica: Eternal. Reader discretion is advised.***
Film Synopsis
Madoka Kaname’s (voiced by Aoi Yuki) world is turning dark. With every passing day, her once happy life is being replaced with immense suffering. This is not what she envisioned the life of a magical girl would be. But this is the price for all those who make a contract with the creature Kyubey (voiced by Emiri Kato).
And now, Madoka’s best friend Sayaka (voiced by Eri Kitamura) has met the sad fate of all magical girls. Overcome with overwhelming despair, Sayaka has transformed into a witch. The very entity she swore to defeat.
Madoka cannot bear to see her friend in such immense pain. Yet, seeing the true nature of a magical girl may have been necessary.
Since appearing, Homura Akemi (voiced by Chiwa Saito) has warned Madoka against making a contract. Yet, her reasons for doing so have been shrouded in mystery. Yet truth behind her actions reveals a much lonelier reality.
The fights will only become more dangerous. The purpose behind witches and the magical girls who hunt them will soon come to light. Madoka will have to make a decision. And whatever it is, it will determine the fate of everything.
Film Positives
Hot off the heels of Beginnings, Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica: Eternal had to keep the momentum. Not only was it following a volatile closing, Eternal also had to conclude this series recap. Beginnings had already done much of the work. It managed to cram eight episodes worth of story into two hours. Eternal had a challenge before it. Yet it also had some great opportunities.
Among those, Eternal’s run time was about twenty minutes longer than its source material. It had the room to give this series a fitting end.
When comparing the two films, I have to give my preference to Beginnings. The scope of what it managed to do was beyond impressive. That and I happened to enjoy it more. But Eternal didn’t come up short.
This film was every bit as amazing as its predecessor. The quality and scale were on par with the first. The visuals and animation were as breathtaking as Beginnings'. On a few occasions, since this was a recap of the series’ finale, Eternal was even more beautiful and epic.I now feel it fair to tackle that all-important question. Which did the Madoka Magica story better? The anime or the films?
Before I answer, allow me to say this. Either choice is the right choice. They both managed to get the job done. The anime was something so unique. It took many of the standard magical girl tropes and turned them on their head. On the surface, the show was bright, colorful, and cutesy. Yet its core was a dark and heavy beast. The anime was an amazing watch. Beginnings showed that the movies could be as good as the original series.But it was Eternal that solidified the films as the superior.
Better paced, less fluff, and grander in execution. Beginnings and Eternal took what made the anime great and made them stronger.Homura’s Story
Like in Beginnings, I’m not a hundred percent where all the updated scenes were in Eternal. Unlike Beginnings, there were a lot more scenes I recognized. Considering how long this movie was, it’s a safe bet to say more got added to Eternal. Yet where they were I can’t say with confidence.
Except I have a pretty damn good idea.
Maybe it was because it’s been two years since I’ve seen the anime. Maybe I’ve forgotten exactly how the show handled this. Maybe it’s a combination of many factors. But for the life of me, I don’t remember Homura’s backstory being this awesome and well told.
From the series, I've always recognized how tragic Sayaka’s story was. Both show and movie did an amazing job of illustrating her fall. Almost to the point where any other character felt like an afterthought. That was until Eternal.
Eternal dove deep into why Homura did what she did. Never before did I understand how far she was willing to go to accomplish her goal. Her entire situation was much grimmer. When this film talked about hope and despair, Homura personified that.
Seeing her grow into the character she became was fascinating. No other element of this series drove home that feeling of dread. And this series did a pretty f@#$ing good job at this already.
The scene where we saw Homura first turn into a magical girl was so powerful. So much so, I’m almost positive it wasn’t in the anime. Or at least not to this degree. I knew full well why Homura made her wish. The reason behind it was strong on its own. But it wasn’t until this moment did I, at last, grasp the full gravity. It wasn’t until this moment did I realize what her wish actually meant. It wasn’t until this moment did I understand how important Homura and Madoka were to each other.
This gave the rest of the film, and the series as a whole, a lot more meaning. It also opened the door for more.
Before, I was indifferent about Homura. To me, she served her role well. But she was never a highlight of Madoka Magica. That’s not the case anymore. Eternal made Homura one of my favorite elements of this entire series.
The Ending
From the anime, the ending was the weakest part of the Madoka Magica story. It wasn’t bad by any means. But when compared to the rest of the series, it was lacking in punch.
Though I still have a few things I want to say about the ending, Eternal made it a lot more satisfying.
This had everything to do with Homura’s improved story arc. Not only did this add to Homura’s character, it added to Madoka’s as well. By the end of Eternal, it was clearer why Madoka was the key to everything.
I’m not saying the anime didn’t do this. What I am saying is the film did it in a more memorable, more meaningful way.
Madoka’s immense potential as a magical girl made a lot more sense. Her resolve had a much stronger backing to it. And her final decision was much more hopeful. The show had the same intention. The movie did a better job explaining it.
Film Negatives
Looking at Eternal as a film, the way it started was kind of weak.
Beginnings ended on such low, as in depressing, note. In terms of storytelling and filmmaking, it was the perfect place to end that movie. Sayaka succumbing to her despair and turning into a witch was heavy stuff. It was something you want to know the ending to.If you were coming from the anime, you already knew Sayaka’s fate. Thus, the film’s handling of that moment made sense. You already knew where the story had to go. But if you’re coming at this fresh, that’s where the problem is.
What happened to Sayaka was kind of just dealt with. It got resolved without much flair. This was something I know the anime did better. And what happened in Eternal didn’t warrant such an intense ending from Beginnings.
That said, the actual close to Sayaka’s story is a highlight of the entire series. Both in anime and film form.
Madoka’s Role
The one thing this series never seemed to smooth out was Madoka’s part in all this. Yes, her name is in the title. She is the main character. Her importance to the story got explained. But not to the level of everything else.
This was Madoka’s story. So then why was it she always felt second? In Beginnings, Madoka came after Sayaka. In Eternal she came after Homura. While she was a common thread in both of these stories, Madoka was never the focus of these stories.
That wouldn’t be such a problem if it wasn’t for the ending. Like I said, Eternal did the ending better. But it didn’t solve the core problem.
Madoka’s importance skyrocketed. Well beyond what the story could justify up to that point. This series spent a lot of time getting to know all the other magical girls. But it didn’t spend enough time getting to know the main one.
This is an issue that has been with me since I watched the anime. But even from the anime, it hasn’t bothered me that much. The rest of this series is that good. And with the films, it bothers me even less. Not because the films were better, even though that has a lot to do with it. There’s another reason.
The anime has finished. The films have not. We still have one more to go. And unlike Beginnings and Eternal, I have no idea what’s about to happen. Trust me, I cannot be more excited.
Final Thoughts
As entertainment value, Beginnings trumps Eternal. But as a story as a whole, Eternal was a perfect closer. Together, these two films take an already amazing thing and make it even better.
Along with its amazing artwork and animation, Eternal adds so much more detail to this series. It made everything mean more. It made everything stronger. It took the best and ignored the unnecessary.
And now, we're left with the possibility of something even greater.
Anniversary Week will conclude Friday, February 24, 2017, with Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica: Rebellion.
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