You'll often hear Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica (henceforth referred to as simply "Madoka") described as completely revolutionising the Mahou Shoujo - or magical girl - genre of anime. You'll hear people say it "deconstructs" the Mahou Shoujo genre. But just how accurate are these statements?
Madoka is different from other Mahou Shoujo. That much is made evident around a quarter of the way in. It isn't all sunshine and rainbows in the Madoka universe - oh no. The true nature of the universe is revealed to us - quite suddenly - as one in which death is a very real possibility; one in which we can
...
expect the heroines of the show to die.
But does all this mean that Madoka is a deconstruction of the genre? Heavens no. Sure, we are presented with a universe that is far from the norm of Mahou Shoujo, but it is in no way a deconstruction of the genre. The "deconstruction" trope refers to taking apart something (hence the deconstruction) in order to better understand its meaning and relevance to us in reality. Madoka does not deconstruct - merely because there is death does not make it a deconstruction. It does not mean elements of the genre have been laid bare to the rigours of reality. Madoka simply looks at the genre through a different scope.
The perspective that Madoka is viewed from is, as I have mentioned above, completely different from most Mahou Shoujo. It is darker and there is death. There is quite a heavy focus on the suffering on the heroines. It paints quite a bleak picture. But are these elements enough to warrant praise? Does it make the series revolutionary? Does being different really make it good?
Of course not.
Madoka is so often touted as being brilliant because it deconstructs the genre, because it shows the world of Mahou Shoujo from a different scope, or simply because of the twists. Simply put, many see Madoka as being good because it is different - because it subverts cliches and has heroines far different from the norm who have to deal with issues that usually are never explored in the genre. It would be foolish to dismiss the setting as being irrelevant entirely, but the truth is Madoka isn't good because of the fact it's dark. It is good because of how well it was executed.
Remember how I mentioned that the fact Madoka was different from other Mahou Shoujo was mentioned around a quarter of the way in? That's important. The dark universe of Madoka is not made immediately obvious to the audience. It completely takes the viewer by surprise, but it's a good kind of surprise - one that was foreshadowed subtly, albeit in a twisted fashion. It doesn't feel cheap. The brilliance of the execution that removed the façade of innocence from Madoka is twofold - not only does it completely take the viewer by surprise, but the event itself is not an irrelevant one. It serves as a catalyst for much to come in the series.
No event in Madoka is irrelevant; everything is interrelated, and every event seems to have significance. Nothing seems out of place - it's one concise story that flows well. The audience is kept on their feet; desperate to find out what happens next; desperate to find out how it all ties together. However, this is a double edged sword. This focused and fast-paced storytelling coupled with the fact it is only 12 episodes in length means that some developments are unfortunately rushed - for example, some plot twists come without warning and some characters seem to suffer due to these constraints (notably one of the original trio who seems to have just been cast aside).
The characters are however, for most part, very relevant to the plot, with their problems all tying together. The characters themselves are played quite well, with performances that really do add depth and life to their characters. However, I did not find the characters themselves very interesting - sure, their role in the plot was good, and I liked how their conflicts all seemed to converge, but (to use an example) could the character of Kaname Madoka really be seen as an interesting one? The personalities of certain characters in Madoka could only be described as generic and at times bland. This isn't that big of an issue though, considering the brilliance of Madoka once again lies with how the characters are used. It is their conflicts and their experiences which really adds life to this series.
The production value of Madoka is for most part quite high. The animation is usually fluid and of a high quality, with fighting scenes and transformation scenes being of a very high quality. There are slight mishaps, but it isn't a big issue. The art style of Madoka can only be described as unique - the faces are really, really wide. I was really impartial to this decision, but I can see how people might dislike this art style. However, even if you dislike the wide faces initially, by the end of the series you probably won't mind them. It really becomes trivial in the grand scheme of things and won't adversely affect your enjoyment of the series at all.
Another interesting facet of the art style employed in Madoka was the change in environment to a bizzare, surreal world whenever one of our heroines entered the realm of a Witch (which, if you don't know, are the antagonists of the series). The designs of witches themselves can only be described as bizzare. This is not to say this is a bad thing. The art style allows the viewers to see the contrast between the "real world" and the "Witches' Realm" - the difference between reality and this seemingly fantasy world; this world that is completely separate from the reality they knew of before - the world where they can get killed.
The sound was great, with the opening and ending songs providing an interesting contrast between jovial and dark. The use of sound in the series was generally done well - most of the music used was appropriate for the situation.
I found Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica to be an enjoyable ride. Sure, it isn't as revolutionary as many would have you believe, nor does it deconstruct the Mahou Shoujo genre, but it was enjoyable nevertheless. The show is littered with a myriad of symbolism and cryptic messages written in runes, factors that only seem to encourage you to rewatch it. It's definitely a series that I'd recommen and, despite its flaws, is still a brilliantly written series. A must watch.
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Jul 28, 2012
Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica
(Anime)
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You'll often hear Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica (henceforth referred to as simply "Madoka") described as completely revolutionising the Mahou Shoujo - or magical girl - genre of anime. You'll hear people say it "deconstructs" the Mahou Shoujo genre. But just how accurate are these statements?
Madoka is different from other Mahou Shoujo. That much is made evident around a quarter of the way in. It isn't all sunshine and rainbows in the Madoka universe - oh no. The true nature of the universe is revealed to us - quite suddenly - as one in which death is a very real possibility; one in which we can ... 
Nov 13, 2011
Guilty Crown
(Anime)
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This really isn't much of a review, more of a first impression from watching the first quarter or so of the series. I may or may not update this in the future.
From the outset, I feel like I'm watching a Code Geass clone. It's quite a generic series. The ability of the main character (which allows him to draw out "Voids" from people) is even named the "king's power" (I recall the Geass being referred to as "the power of the kings") and it even has mechas!. The story, from what I've gathered so far, is about your typical shounen main character who has a ... 
Oct 1, 2011
Onanie Master Kurosawa
(Manga)
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Onani Master Kurosawa literally translates to Masturbation Master Kurosawa. As hard as it may be to believe, this manga is brilliantly written and yes, it does relate to masturbation but no, it is in no way pornographical in content, nor is it an ecchi series. It is very much a story of hope and change.
The main character in this story is Kurosawa, a 14 year old male in middle school who could be described as somewhat of an introvert. He doesn't have many friends, nor does he want them. He's never been in love, nor does he want to. He doesn't seem to have any ... 
Sep 29, 2011
BTOOOM! is a story about Sakamoto Ryuuta, a 22 year old unemployed person who lives with his mother and plays video games online everyday. Although nothing special in real life, he is a world ranked player of the video game BTOOOM! One day however, he awakes in a tropical island with a case containing what appears to be bombs with no memory of how he got there. .He realises that he is in a real life version of the video game BTOOOM! and he must survive long enough in the Battle Royale-esque battle.
That's a basic summary of the plot. Our main character, Sakamoto, isn't your ... 
Sep 28, 2011
Fairy Tail
(Manga)
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Fairy Tail. It's very similar to One Piece, with "nakama" and some of the character designs looking quite similar (in fact, one could say some designs are plagiarised *cough*Gildartz*cough*) to One Piece and therefore is often compared to it. However, it's nowhere near as good as One Piece; don't get me wrong, it's a somewhat okay series, but it is let down by its story.
The art in this manga is good with excessive amounts of fanservice which I am not personally too fond of but I'm sure it'll appeal to a lot of its target audience (presumably heterosexual males). Still, it ranks only as "good" ... 
Jul 7, 2011
One Piece. I love this series and you should too. I admit, when I first decided to try reading the series I was put off by the horrible 4kids One Piece dub, thinking the manga would be utter crap, aimed at pre-pubescent kids. But when I actually started reading it and got into it, I realised it was an interesting and worthwhile read.
I'll keep it simple with a few key points as to why you should read it: it's characters are interesting, the battles are usually satisfying and the manga isn't the typical one-dimensional stuff you usually find in shounen - while it may simply ... 
Jul 5, 2011
Naruto: Shippuuden
(Anime)
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Naruto: Shippuden - what can I say? I used to love this shit. Back in 2007 I would wait for the episodes, coming back from school every Friday to excitedly check whether or not the latest episode had been uploaded and subbed. Unfortunately I no longer find the series nearly as enjoyable as before.
STORY I know this might anger all you angry Naruto fanboys out there, but come on guys, where is the story in Naruto: Shippuden? All it's about is our title character, Naruto, trying to bring Sasuke back from the dark side. I admit that Kishimoto isn't as bad as Kubo in ... |
