Madoka Magica - "Rebellion" - Series Review C

(NOTE: Major Spoiler Warning Applies)


The third Madoka film, known as "Rebellion," was rather phenomenal.

For those who aren't aware, the two prior Madoka Magica movies were simply series reboots but the third... the third was another kettle of fish entirely. Set in a timeline where all of the major characters are together, it appeared to have taken place prior to the making of Madoka's wish. However, a variety of inconsistencies soon showed up.

• Witches did not exist, but then again, neither did Wraiths. The magical girls were fighting Nightmares instead.
• The witch Charlotte appeared to be alive, and even stranger, was Mami Tomoe's assistant. Remember, Charlotte was the witch who killed Mami Tomoe in one of the timelines. She seemed to be going under the alias "Bebe."
• Any attempts to leave the city failed.

It soon became apparent that this wasn't an old timeline or even a timeline at all. It was actually a world created in the mind of one of the girls. This magical girl goes on to become a witch (the first witch, in a sense), and her overwhelming despair eventually turns her into a Demon. As a demon, she is able to launch a Third-Impact-like rewrite of the universe, which she does to great effect.

Once the dust settles, all of the magical girls return to this new timeline. While the "heroes" vow to end the dystopia brought on by their demon friend, the new - perhaps true - villain claims that such an endeavor is pointless, and that the universe shall remain this way until the end of time. This is how the Madoka Magica "Rebellion" film ends.

This film has been incredibly controversial from a continuity perspective. Critics argue that the ending may have been an improper resolution to the Madoka series. It hints at a possible fourth movie, but if a fourth movie never materializes, then this is all we've got left to work with. The question then becomes, "Can this ending be satisfying enough?"

Madoka Magica - Episodes 11 &12 - Series Review B

(Note: Major Spoiler Warning Applies.)

The final two episodes of Puella Magi Madoka Magica return us to the dystopic conclusion of Episode 9. Madoka and Homura are mourning the deaths of their friends while debating how they are going to defeat the legendary witch Walpurgisnacht. Ultimately, Homura insists on fighting it herself, which results in her being defeated completely and utterly.

In what is considered the true ending, Madoka makes the wish that will turn her into a Magical Girl. Her wish is for witches not to exist in the past, present, or future; such a wish can only be achieved by rewriting all of humanity, which is exactly what happens. In the new universe, Magical Girls who have reached their limit simply vanish, and witches have been replaced by wraiths. This world is far more optimistic, and the story concludes with Homura giving a brief monologue before the scene fades with her battling an army of the demonic figures.

Madoka Magica - Episode 10 - On the "Many Worlds Interpretation"

(Note: This article contains major spoilers. Reader discretion is advised.)

The last three episodes of Puella Magi Madoka Magica are pretty much a complete unit in their own right, answering all of the questions of episodes 1-9 while introducing a plot which is almost completely standalone. Homura Akemi, having spent the last six months in the hospital, transfers into Mitakihara Middle School in what appears to be an alternate universe. We learn that this is a timeline which predates the first nine episodes, which Homura overwrote after making her own contract with Kyubey.

Homura is, in fact, the first to figure out Kyubey was growing magical girls to turn them into witches. Worse, Homura gets to watch her friends die again and again, as she fails to save her friends in every time loop she lives through. Finally, it gets to a point where Homura goes on an all-out assault, both on the witches, and on Kyubey, which culminates into the very scene we were shown at the start of the anime's first episode. What happens next is something truly unexpected.

Madoka Magica - Episodes 7-9 - Series Review A

(Note: This article contains major spoilers. Reader discretion is advised.)

Following the realization that the magical girls have separated their souls from their physical forms, time is spent trying to rationalize the events which have transpired. Sayaka and Kyoko have a little heart-to-heart in which they try to determine how they would like to use up the rest of their existence.

However, the two of them cannot seem to agree. Sayaka begins to close herself off more and more, even distancing herself from Homura and Madoka. As Sayaka's despair grows, her attitude toward humanity continues to wane, and her soul gem begins to turn into a grief seed. Eventually, she becomes a full-fledged witch.

Madoka Magica - Episodes 4-6 - On "Incubation" Ethics

(Note: This article may contain spoilers. Reader discretion is advised.)

Following the tragedy of the first arc, both Madoka and Sayaka are very torn about the idea of becoming a magical girl. But when Madoka finds herself being attacked by a powerful which, it is discovered that Sayaka did invoke the contract. Her reason for doing so was to return a dream to someone she loved.

In addition, a new girl by the name of Kyoko Sakura enters the city with her own set of goals and ambitions. The crueler methods of this new girl anger both Sayaka and Homura, and multiple fights break out over the course of episodes four through six. In the sixth episode, we are given some rather crucial details of information, though: first, that a powerful witch will arrive in the the near future, and second, that the soul gems are the true manifestation of one's souls. Again, Madoka is on the fence about making a contract of her own.

Madoka Magica - Episodes 1-3 - On Wishes and Desires

(Note: This article may contain spoilers. Reader Discretion is Advised.)

Puella Magi Madoka Magica is a deconstruction of the Magical Girl archetype, and considered one of the greatest anime of the early 21st century (2011). In a dream, Madoka Kaname has a vision of a dystopic analogue to reality. She sees a fellow teenager fighting a great evil and losing. In this vision, a creature known as Kyubey tells Madoka that she alone has the power to change the results of the fight, the dystopia and countless other ills that plague reality.

The next morning, Madoka goes to school like normal, only to see this other teenager (Homura Akemi) has transferred into her class. Strange supernatural occurrences begin to unfold and Madoka is made privy to the existence of magic and witches. Kyubey then offers her a contract: in exchange for becoming a magical girl and fighting witches, she will be given one wish, and it can be anything in the world. Madoka's friend Sayaka Miki is also given this opportunity.