Bristles Babbles #1 Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie Part III: Rebellion (2013) (SPOILER REVIEW) New admin here, and I go by the name Bristle. For my first review Im going to do something that was already done here by another reviewer, JW. I felt the need to post this because I had already done a review on Hummingbird (hummingbird.me/users/Bristle), so I thought it would be worth sharing this full review. As many reading this may already know, back in 2011 Madoka Magica made a massive impact when it aired, and it continues to grow and draw in Anime viewers both casual and experienced. Its easily one of the most influential things to come out of Anime in the 21st century. However, with influence things tend to also get backlash, typically irrational and arbitrary backlash thats more about a partially rabid fanbase than the substance of the product. Its difficult for people to generalise the Madoka fanbase because of how broad it is, though, so all in all its still an incredibly well received series. I watched the series for the first time in August of 2012. On my first watch I was partially influenced by some who were cynical about its popularity, not to mention I had already had most of the series spoiled to me. I gave it an 8 on my first watch, and considered it largely overrated, although still a very good series. About a month later I went to a convention and became interested in rewatching the series after a significant number of Madoka cosplayers sparked my interest in it. Rewatching it gave me a much better impression on the series, and I eventually decided to give the series a 10 due to the greater emotional impact it had on me with the rewatch, as well as taking into consideration the impression its creativity and intelligent execution left on me. Once I watched the recap movies, I eventually went so far as to consider it my all-time favourite series. It was challenging, it was emotionally powerful, it was complicated but simplistic in expression, it was visually and sonically brilliant and most importantly of all it had an astounding impact on me. Ive rewatched the ending 5 times now, and every time it takes me several days to simply digest it. I knew the third movie was on its way, and quite frankly I wasnt the least bit sceptical about how well it would turn out. I wasnt going to allow myself to be cynical and to already be put in the mindset that it was going to be inferior to the series. While it was undoubtedly a business-minded decision, SHAFT and Urobuchi are not business-minded people. They are creative-minded people, the same creative-minded people who made the original series, and this movie undoubtedly still has the same aspects that make the Madoka series so influential, and Id be willing to argue that, for the most part, it handles certain aspects even better than the series and has matured. The story is where the growing maturity of the series shows most clearly. The early sequences are as vivid and whimsical as you can get, and right from the get-go its rather unsettling. Even more unsettling is the opening sequence in which the other Magical Girls are excitedly dancing around while blisfully ignorant to Homuras suffering. Thats the first big hint at the fact that something isnt right in where this story starts. Following that sequence, all five Magical Girls unite and get in even more whimsical adventures with some clichéd albeit wondrously expressive and unique transformation sequences. We see a simple battle sequence and then we get an upbeat song. By this point any viewer would be feeling rather delirious. The less mature viewer would have given up by this point and claimed the movie was retroactive in its continuity and utterly incoherently stupid. The sensible viewer would instantly pick up on the fact that this direction is intentional and remain patient, giving enough credit to believe that the creators have an inkling of awareness regarding their own product. While it tries to give off the vibe that everything is fine and dandy, the score and the visuals very subtly give you the idea that it isn’t. This gets more and more obvious as the movie goes on, and through the first half of the movie the idea that something isn’t right gradually creeps in. The exposition of this is flawless. The sequence of events is both dense and meaningful, and the pacing spot on. The world around Homura slowly starts to distort. The visuals become more and more abstract and Kajiura’s score becomes increasingly haunting, digging further and further and never allowing its attention to stray. The score and the visuals are essential in setting the subtle and obvious changes in tone throughout the movie, and succeeds on every level in doing so. We eventually find out that everything really isn’t what it seems. Homura has become a witch due to her soul gem being isolated from the law of cycle by the incubators, and the intense emotions coming from Homura created a separate reality in her soul gem which causes people in Homura’s memories to exist within there. This isn’t a development that comes out of nowhere, as it goes off of Homura explaining the reality prior to the law of cycle to Kyubey in her struggle to comprehend whether it existed. Kyubey gives an explanation of this in significant detail, perhaps the second most divisive part of the movie. I find myself intrigued by Kyubey’s emotionless yet almost diplomatic nature of explanation, and while some may be uninterested in this due to the detail he speaks of this, it’s something that’s carefully simplified while still retaining every fine detail, as it was with the original series. I think it’s worth noting that there are also certain details that are not essential, but merely there to create sensible grounding in its theories. Homura, who has shown herself to be increasingly irrational in her behaviour throughout the movie, tries to transform into a witch. Madoka intervenes with the rest of the gang, and eventually rescues Homura. This act of the movie is where the movie is most interesting in its technical presentation. The visuals and the score have reached their peak of haunting abstraction, and there are many eye-catching scenes in here that are bound to leave an impression. Then, we get to what is most certainly the most divisive scene in the movie. Homura, who has been through significant hope and despair and gone far beyond her emotional peaks due to the circumstances she went through, becomes so powerful in her emotional state that she rivals Madoka in power, taking control of reality and rewriting the laws that Madoka had created. While some may think this is purely selfish and moronic, take into consideration the full scope of actions and consequences. Had the law of cycle remained, Kyubey would perpetually attempt to thwart it and would likely eventually succeed. Homura’s power born purely out of her own emotions was a catalyst, one which made Kyubey realise the full extent of human emotions and the risk it imposed if he were to take control of them. Homura doesnt bring about any significant harm to anyone she cares about either. Homura at this point is essentially an anti-incubator in that while shes implied to be evil like the incubators; her intentions are born from the exact opposite cause, a reaction based solely on emotion compared to a reaction based on a complete and utter lack thereof. Yes, it was fuelled by irrational desire, but it was an irrational desire that clearly existed and developed. Not only does this development make sense, but to top it off it’s also a very powerful continuation. Anyone who considers this final scene in the broader scheme of things will realise that this is more complete in what it expresses compared to the series. The smaller conflicts eventually fell to the larger conflicts, and now we see there’s a balance of both hope and despair. For these reasons I consider this ending to be bittersweet more so than outright bitter. While it may not be quite as emotionally impactful as the series, its hard to criticize it for that when it does so many things better. As a whole, Madoka Rebellion is an astounding progression of the series on almost every front. Its not a movie for the impatient, but at the same it’s certainly not jaded. Regardless of what you think, it’s difficult to deny that this movie is a mindblowing experience worth having. 10/10
Posted on: Mon, 17 Mar 2014 06:56:32 +0000
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