In this new week of Anime Breakfast we move towards the genre of Mahou Shojo: let’s go back to 2011, let’s go back to Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Do not forget. Always, somewhere, someone is fighting for you. As long as you remember her, you are not alone.
When anime fans, including yours truly, approached the first episode of Puella Magi Madoka Magica in 2011, they would have expected everything except finding themselves in a spiral of pain and deep resignation. Created by the Magica Quartet, production team consisting of Akiyuki Shinbo, Yukihiro Miyamoto, Gen Urobuchi and Ume Aoki, the anime consists of twelve, exhausting and increasingly enthralling episodes. We want to take advantage of Anime Breakfast (after Nadia, Rossana and Evangelion) to tell you about it, twelve years later, because the mark left is indelible. As well as the scars of the soul. Welcome, indeed, welcome back!
Connect | Anime Breakfast | Magi Madokes magical girl
Madoka Magica was born as a reinterpretation of the “magi-girl” (magical girl) genre, whose spearhead still remains Sailor Moon, usually characterized by light, carefree and above all stereotyped narrative compartments. Revisitation in what sense? Literal. During the series all the schemes of the genre are completely destroyed, reformulating a script as dark as it is compelling and which puts the concepts of sacrifice, friendship and destiny on the plate. But let’s start with the basics.
The story follows the story of Madoka Kaname, a very normal and equally banal teenager, and her friend Sayaka Miki. The young girls come into contact with a mysterious (and very cute) creature named Kyubey, who offers them the possibility of becoming Magical Girls, therefore endowed with supernatural powers and who fight against dark creatures that Kyubey calls witches. What is the cost of all this? Fight to the death or turn into a witch. Here, you have understood the attitude of the narration. We don’t want to reveal any more about it because the series is very short and its horizontal plot develops quickly, with several twists and turns and many tragic moments.
To characterize Madoka Magica, in addition to the narrative at times questionable in terms of intensity, the unique artistic style also intervenes whose design is signed by the genius of Ume Aoki, who officially made herself known with this work. The chara design is distinctive, as it puts itself in stark contrast with the darkness of the events narrated, using an extremely “moe” and delicate style for the creation of all the Magical Girls. While, in contrast, the witches that the Puelles fight are represented in a completely abstract and at times psychedelic way, combining bizarre shapes and bright colours.
Luminous | Anime Breakfast | Magi Madokes magical girl
In addition to the series, there are also three Madoka Magica films. The first two, Beginnings ed Eternalare dated 2012 and retrace the first eight episodes of the series, modifying some events. Rebellion, however, dated 2013, is a direct sequel to the events narrated and places a further closing point in Madoka’s story. The success of Puella Magi Madoka Magica allowed the series to become a real new turning point for the magical girl genre, influencing its subsequent developments and proving that stories of this type they don’t necessarily have to be corny and based on stereotyped themesbut they can deal with complex and profound concepts.
The main theme of the series is certainly that of the Sacrifice, placed as absolutely necessary for the protagonists, as well as for all humanity. Young women are called to fulfill right from the start difficult, painful choices that require the sacrifice of one’s own happiness (and potentially their very existence) to protect those they love. Therefore, the concept of morality and the consequences of one’s actions are also placed at the center of the narrative. Good and evil are not so polar opposite concepts, but they mix in a gray reality in which heroes can easily turn into monsters.
Colorful | Anime Breakfast | Magi Madokes magical girl
The relationships between the magi-girls are equally central and the theme of Friendship acts as a pivot for the whole narrative, from beginning to end. The bonds between the young people are put in severe difficulty by events, which can only be effectively addressed by trusting each other and, above all, helping each other. The conflict will not only be external, however: the girls will also find themselves facing their inner demons, in a sort of psychoanalysis that focuses on the very nature of the human beingcomplex and dual in every area of its existence.
In the end: fate. The will to self-determination of Madoka and the other magical girls collides against the wall of Destiny, which seems, at first sight, almost to be inevitable and unchangeable. The ability of the protagonists to seek another path, to find their own path and therefore change the predestination imposed on them will be the key to a truly… magical ending.
Mirai
Here ends our new episode of Anime Breakfast, this time in the company of Puella Magi Madoka Magica. A series that has been able to revolutionize a genre, whether you like it or not, and which has set new standards for Magical Girls who have arrived and will come in the future. Highly recommended for lovers of the genre, but also for those looking for a mature, dark and multifaceted story, with certainly interesting characters and a… unique design.
And that’s all we had to say about Puella Magi Madoka Magica. Let us know if you know the series below in the comments and stay tuned with us at TechGameWorld.com for all the news on the subject of cinema and TV series!
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