Booya! Today is going to be a fun day because I get to talk about an Anime that I think is one of the best Animes ever made, Mahou Shoujo Madoka. Obviously, today’s blog will be some little hints of bias, with good reason because I really, really love this Anime. Let’s get started!
Story: (9/10)
In all its simplicity, Madoka★Magica is a breakdown and reconstruction of the “Mahou Shoujo” genre, in an attempt to make it more realistic and mature. And to be totally honest, they did a fantastic job with this.
The buildup, plot twists and all the emotional moments in this series really come together to make it all a wonderful experience. Now, I’m aware (and have been told by several people) that the start of the series is quite slow, but I really think that adds to the whole “psychological” effect of the anime. This isn’t your standard, fast-paced good vs. evil action series with a dash of romance and comedy (as many “regular” magical girl shows tend to be). No, this series is about following the struggle of a few select girls who can have anything they want, in exchange for everything.
At first, there’ll be a lot of questions raised, many left unanswered until almost the end of the series, but thankfully there doesn’t really exist any gaping plot holes, nor are any questions really left unanswered in the end.
Art: (10/10)
The animation is done by Shaft, and if you’ve seen any of their other works (Monogatari series, Zetsubou sensei etc) then that should be all you need to know. The art is absolutely amazing, which you’ll see from just the first 10 or so seconds of the opening sequence. Aside from the great quality of the art, I really enjoyed the “clean” aesthetics of the environment/backgrounds and the use of light colors for many of the characters.
Character design is well done, but nothing overly amazing, tho it certainly distinguishes all the characters and makes them more memorable in a way. As for fan service, well… There is none. I mean, there’s not a single indication of fan service anywhere… at all…
The animation isn’t anything to scoff at either. Fluid both during fighting scenes and… well, non-fighting scenes, some good animations really help a lot in the portrayal of characters and their feelings.
As for the opening/ending scenes, there isn’t all too much I can say. The opening really shines at portraying that “advertised” feeling of “this is a happy show about cute girls” that the creators wanted to convey. The ending sequence, however, is more or less just a silhouette of the main character walking away to music…
Sound: (10/10)
Let’s talk about the musical score first. The opening theme, “Connect” by ClariS, is quite a happy song, and just like its accompanying opening sequence, it does a great job of portraying that aforementioned “happy” feeling. Now, previously when I talked about the ending sequence, I was more or less referring only to that in which Kalafina’s “Magia” play, as this is the most “prominent” or well known of the 4 ending songs. The other 3 consist of the opening theme, “Connect”, a rather sad song called “Mata Ashita” by Aoi Yuuki, and finally a not so sad, but not really happy song called “And I’m home”, by Ai Nonaka and Eri Kitamura.
“Magia” however, receives quite a bit more credit because not only is it played in 7 of the 12 episodes, but it’s also the most outstanding of the songs. Aside from being the ending theme of the series, it’s also used quite frequently during some of the more “epic” moments of the series, such as fighting scenes, and it really helps bring out the feelings of certain scenes.
Speaking of background music, Madoka★Magica features quite an amazing soundtrack. It’s overall pretty varied, ranging from happy themes such as “Credens Justitiam”, to darker songs such as “Walpurgis Nux”, there’s always a song which fits the situation, and really helps in conveying the feelings which want to be conveyed.
Characters: (9/10)
Madoka★Magica consists of a rather small cast of characters, but interesting ones nonetheless. The characters all felt very real to me, and the amount of character development in this series is just great. It makes the characters feel even more “alive”, and really helps you relate and connect with them. The characters all (mostly) have solid and interesting backstories, however I feel like the reason this part is only a 9, is simply because of the fact that a certain character didn’t have as much backstory or information about her which I felt like she should have (but who knows, maybe that’ll change in the last movie, which I have yet to see).
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5 responses to “Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica | The Best Magic Anime.”
Aaah I’m also in love with this anime!! I’m actually working on a cosplay of my favourite character, Mami, right now!! cx
That’s awesome!
The music in Madoka is amazing. I like the story and characters but it is the visuals and music that really grabs you early on in the series and makes it to memorable.
Is Mami the one with less background info you’re talking about? If so, you’re probably not going to get any more in the last movie. She’s lovely though…
I share your love for the series completely ☺
cri ;-;