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fulgur

#WARNING -- THIS REVIEW CONTAINS UNMARKED SPOILERS FOR MAHOU SHOUJO MADOKA MAGICA. DO NOT READ THIS REVIEW IF YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED THE SERIES OR THE TWO MOVIES THAT SUMMARIZE IT. > *"In this irredeemable world, forever repeating its tragedies and hatred, I dreamt that I encountered that familiar smile once again..."* ~~~--Homura Akemi~~~ The sequel to the acclaimed TV anime *[Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica](https://anilist.co/anime/9756)* (English title: *Puella Magi Madoka★Magica*), *Mahou Shoujo Madoka☆Magica Movie 3: Hangyaku no Monogatari* (let's just call it by it's shortened English title of *Rebellion* for simplicity) takes place an unidentified amount of time after the end of the TV anime. *Rebellion* takes more or less the same characters, premise, and zany SHAFT animation and tells a new story from the perspective of one of my favorite characters, Homura. #Art and Animation It's SHAFT. Weird as hell animation and set design, but very high quality. This movie had a big budget, and it shows, particularly in a fight scene ~!between Homura and Mami!~ (see images below, or the linked youtube video if you don't mind spoilers). There are a couple points where things were a bit odd that were probably not intended to be so, such as the soul gem in the opening sequence (stands out a little *too* well). It also uses the same "cardboard cutout" style that it's predecessor used on a few scenes, which I don't care for but feel is a personal preference. Art is more or less consistent (for a SHAFT production anyway), detailed, and animation is smooth. **Art and Animation grade: 97%** img(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/237294722433941506/414248520908931072/unknown.png) img(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/237294722433941506/414251033988956171/unknown.png) ~!img(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/318085319469694978/414248738404433920/unknown.png) img(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/220700560859463680/414249468154871808/unknown.png) img(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/237294722433941506/414249802889691136/unknown.png) img(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/220700560859463680/414250773271281664/unknown.png)!~ #Sound It's not every day a soundtrack makes me stop and go "now *this* is what a film soundtrack is supposed to be." The fact that *Rebellion*'s OST managed to make me do that means you can probably make a decent guess at how I am going to score it. Notable tracks include: 『Aboslute Configuration』, 『Flame of Despair』, 『I was Waiting for This Moment』, 『You are Here』, and 『This is my Despair』. Here is a video containing the entire OST. Be warned however, it's about an hour and 15 minutes long. youtube(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCtN3ra5ALY) SFX could be better on a couple thing like gunfire, but at least there's nothing like "CLANG" going on here. **Sound grade: perfect 100%** #Major Characters *In no particular order* img240(http://images.puella-magi.net/e/ee/Img_homura.png?20130903054848) **Homura Akemi** -- The Protagonist of *Rebellion*. What does leaping through time watching your friends die over and over again for twelve years do to your mental state? **Wish Type: Time-manipulation Weapon: Shield** img(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/237294722433941506/414265910556360704/unknown.png) img240(http://images.puella-magi.net/4/47/Img_madoka.png?20130903051919) **Madoka Kaname** -- Homura's "best friend" (I'll leave the interpretation of potential yuri moments up to the viewers). Should have become a physical god / living concept at the end of the series, but seems normal? **Wish Type: Unknown Weapon: Bow** img(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/237294722433941506/414261301255340032/unknown.png) img240(http://images.puella-magi.net/8/8b/Img_kyoko.png?20130903055015) **Kyoko Sakura** -- Another one of the five magical girls that work together to fight "Nightmares". A rebellious girl, with a big appetite, especially for apples. Seems to be attending school and crashing at Sayaka's place for some reason? **WishType: Strengthening / Enhancement Weapon: Spear** img(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/237294722433941506/414237819989524481/unknown.png) img240(http://images.puella-magi.net/1/13/Img_sayaka.png?20130903054914) **Sayaka Miki** -- Also part of the magical girl quintet. A girl that wished for the healing of a boy's irrecoverable injury. Should have been taken by the Law of Cycles, but exists here... **Wish Type: Healing Weapon: Sword** img240(http://images.puella-magi.net/3/39/Img_mami.png?20130903054937) **Mami Tomoe** -- The oldest (at least physically) of the quintet. A veteran with a big heart who tends to cover up her sadness and stress by acting motherly. Without that stress, just how strong will she become? **Magic Type: Binding Weapon: Musket** ###Overall Comments on Characters The TV anime suffered from an overly heavy cast of characters for how much the plot focused on inner thoughts and emotions. I was kind of hoping that the movie would fix this, but I guess it's too much to expect a sequel to axe a character. Due primarily to this, but also due to focusing even more on a single character, pretty much every character aside from Homura feels very flat, with some ( Kyuubey, Madoka, Sayaka ) being reduced to mere plot devices. Although I still wish they had cut some of the characters, the decision to focus on a single character was probably the thing that saved the movie. At the expense of everyone else becoming flat, the true depth of Homura's character was revealed. Despite being one of my favorite characters in the series, she had virtually no development aside from the sob story that was episode 10. If you didn't like that way that was handled, or if you thought she seemed a little too strong considering some statements about her from the creators, (she apparently watched her friends die in front of her or turn to witches "almost 100 times", leaping through time for about 12 years,) *Rebellion* patches that right up. I still think things could have been handled much better, but the fact the creators cared enough to make an entire movie to fix certain flaws of the previous season earns points for me. **Character grade: 52%** #Plot img(https://i.imgur.com/o7b1RT4.jpg) People in communities tend to divide the movie into two parts when discussing it. However, I didn't notice a sudden change as much as a sliding gradient, more akin to the 5 stages of grief. Although some may disagree with me, I'd say the plot quality starts off poor and gets gradually better as the movie progresses. It also proceeds in a more or less logical fashion, not requiring characters to be suddenly smarter or dumber for the plot (with a single possible exception, which can be forgiven due to lack of knowledge). It kept me riveted with its twists and turns, without having me get lost or stunned by obvious deus ex machina / diablos ex machina. Even the most shocking twist of the film is very well foreshadowed, just like the shocking events in the original series. img(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/237294722433941506/414269468961669120/unknown.png) I won't go into detail about why to keep the review more or less spoiler free, but *Rebellion* 's plot was rather base-breaking for the Madoka community, dividing the community into those who thought the movie was a logical continuation to the series and those who thought the movie was to set the franchise up to be a cash cow. I personally am in the former camp, but at least for a while the split was very real. I wonder if the lack of a sequel has stilled those fears somewhat, but I think the true reason for the fans dismay is due to (1) the fan-trolling that happens in the earlier 45 minutes or so of the movie and (2) an image of a character or characters was irrevocably changed by the movie. When you change a character's image, especially in the case of a popular character, you invite backlash. If you make a *major* change to a character's image, even if it's arguably logical, you almost guarantee backlash from that character's fans. **Plot grade: 85%** #Closing Thoughts img(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/237294722433941506/414239210262757377/unknown.png) All in all, I would say *Rebellion* is a worthy addition to the MSMM franchise, similar to the TV anime as the tail of a coin is to its head. If you ever wanted more of the Madoka world but were disappointed by the subpar manga spinoffs, consider giving this film a watch. **Overall quality grade (four star scale): ★★★ Overall quality grade (Percentage scale): 84%**

GiantR

~~~Madoka Magica – Rebellion a short review. ~~~ Madoka Magica as story was more or less done in the series, most of the conflict was “resolved”, in a way where nothing ultimately changed, but everything was still better. Better for everyone, but one person Homura. While the original show wasn’t about Madoka, Rebellion is distinctly about Homura, her choices, her personality and her relation with everyone she knows. The show starts with probably the most ideal situation, everyone is friends with one another, they fight together, they live together and they overall have a lot of fun clearing the world from Nightmares. This illusionary world of Homura’s own making is more or less perfect, and it’s a perfect mirror of her abilities, time has more or less stopped there, but it’s too sweet for Homura to take for too long. She seems where the seams are, she knows that it’s too good to be true and as she always does, she goes to fix everything herself. Her first instinct as always is to try and shoulder the burden of everyone, and with pure power of will persevere, because she is the most competent, powerful and reasonable of all. But that fails time and time again, both here and in the show. Homura just isn’t as strong as she thinks she is. Or rather she isn’t as strong as she believes she should be. She does everything for “Madoka”, but the Madoka in her Labyrinth is the naïve, girl she first met, she’s regressed to what she was before she knew what the world actually is, and that she could make it better. Homura doesn’t really care about Madoka as a person, she cares about her as an object of desire. She thinks of her as someone that didn’t really understand what she was getting into. She doesn’t respect the choices Madoka makes, and is forcefully trying to change everything to fulfill her selfish needs. Her arrogance will in time be her undoing, because even though she puts a strong front, she is still a weak girl that just wants friends, and wants to be useful. Homura is an agent of stagnation. As Sayaka said, every time something new comes to light her first instinct is to escape in her world of frozen time, where she alone can operate. And yet she would break any norms, rules and conditions if she could do things her way because she knows best. Who else has suffered as much as she? Who else knows what it’s like to fail and fail and fail, without having the goal nowhere near her sight? She believes herself unique, her suffering unending and that no one could ever understand her, no one but "Madoka". Everything we started to know about Homura’s character culminates in the movie. The ending is tragic, but in the end it was something Homura, would always do given the chance. Break the rules one last time, and put things together in her own way. The issue being that Homura is not a good person, nor is she that competent all things considered, she underestimated the situation again, and we see the cracks showing even at the start, she can’t control Madoka, she can’t save the universe alone, her treatment of Kyubei shows that she doesn’t really care about the Universe in the first place, as long as she can keep Madoka content for as long as possible the universe might as well crumble for all she cares. And the Rebelion will end like most do, in disaster having accomplished nothing in the end. Some side notes, the Mami vs Homura fight was wonderful, the music is as always great, Other than Homura pretty much everyone goes to the wayside and we don’t really understand anything new about them, but that’s fine after all, the Movie is all about Homura. Overall great movie and a fitting continuation of the story **9.5/10**, can’t wait for the movie

planetJane

~~~All of my reviews contain __spoilers __for the reviewed material. This is your only warning. ~~~ ---- img880(https://i.imgur.com/Z8xgJMv.png) ----- I told myself when I watched it that I wouldn’t review *Rebellion*. It’s a dense, dark, intimidating thing from any critical perspective. Both a tweak and coda of the series that spawned it, a look into the minds of its creators, sure, but something that somehow feels bigger than any of that. This is a film that gets compared to *End of Evangelion* a lot for a reason; they don’t just fulfill similar roles in their respective franchises, they’re about as hard to come up with anything new to say about. Yet, here’s a thought. What if I simply didn’t? img880(https://i.imgur.com/8wHMIUv.png) ------ Call this a thought-knot. Observations and musings and stray ideas. Critique as poem or the other way around. Call it half-coherent rambling. Call it pretense, if you’re so inclined. Writing a core thesis about *Rebellion* is an impossibility, at least it is for yours truly. Yet the form demands structure. Let us begin. It feels pedestrian to talk about *Rebellion*’s plot. Parallels to *Paradise Lost* and its knotty worlds-within-worlds setup have been discussed to death. Thematically, trying to untangle the twine ball that is whatever the hell this film is trying to *say* feels like a lost cause. Many, many, *many* factors went into *Rebellion*’s writing, from the deliberate to the incidental, from the deeply profound to the shamelessly practicalist. Allegedly, the film’s big twist in its final act came about at least in part simply because there were aspirations to make another film after it, and well, you can’t rightly have something end in a happily ever after if you’re going to follow it up, can you? To talk about *Rebellion* is to destroy it. This is what “deconstruction” used to mean, in another time. Or at least close to it, the man who coined the term was clear that it was “not an analysis or a technique”. Yet, here we are. img880(https://i.imgur.com/2Ch4AXe.png) *Here ever we are ever.* ---- It has been about a week since I finished *Rebellion*. The day I saw it, I thought the film might be good except for its finale. The day after, I thought maybe the finale was one of the most genuinely shocking I’d ever seen. Today, I think the entire thing might be brilliant, but not the sort of auteur brilliance that is generally associated with the sort of admittedly “lowbrow” anime criticism I usually traffic in. There is something sort of wickedly sublime about *Rebellion*. The way its paper-shapes are arranged all wrong, the light that leaks from every source that emits it. It’s well documented that the film’s first third is a pastiche (some might say parody, others, less inclined to give Urobuchi and company the benefit of a doubt, may say skewering) of a magical warrior-style mahou shoujo series. The symbolism even in this part of the film has been analyzed front-to-back for most of the last decade. Even taken on a base level, it gives us some of the downright *coolest* henshin sequences the genre’s ever seen. A thought I certainly have about the film is that an entire series done in this style would be absolutely flooring. The currently-airing *Magia Record* is great in part because it occasionally is that. img880(https://i.imgur.com/Kf62fVc.png) *Forever is a long time.* ------- In part I think what *Rebellion* unintentionally reflects is the difficulty of grappling with *Madoka Magica*’s own legacy. The series itself has grown, witchlike, into a long and crooked shadow. Every magical girl anime after *Madoka* has that shadow cast upon it. I’ve made this point before, but it’s worth reiterating here because *Rebellion* in some ways feels like one of the first “post-Madoka” entries into the genre. Despite being a part of that same franchise in terms of characters and the like, it’s not unreasonable to read the entire film as a thesis on what you even *do* when you’ve made something like Madoka. Rejecting it all and burning it to the ground is certainly one option. It’s the option many of *Madoka*’s absolute worst imitators have taken, but if we take what happens here to be that, it’s put to different ends. Spare a thought and a tear for the character of Homura, a personage so skewered by the tragic narrative she finds herself in that her self-destructive tendencies bring the whole universe down around her. Spare two prayers too for Madoka herself, probably the least interesting character in the main series, here, her character is given a subtle glow that actually *does* make her feel like the ur-mahou that the original series’ finale tried to paint her as. It’s a subtle, subtle difference, but it’s there. img880(https://i.imgur.com/1tn5H48.png) *Cure.* ------ Of course, what even **is** a magical girl? That’s a shockingly tough question. People both far more and far less qualified than myself have weighed in, and there is no consensus. The history of the *genre* (beginning with Himetsu no Akko-chan, it’s generally agreed) is well-documented, but as for what a magical girl *herself* should be. What qualities she should have, what kind of femininity she should embody--if “she” even needs to be a girl at all--what abilities, what demographic is the work she’s in aimed at, all of this is the subject of ongoing, sometimes fierce, debate, in all forums of art discussion among people who care about anime as an artform. *Rebellion* feels like an earnest engagement with the genre--moreso I’d argue than its parent series--by virtue of offering no definitive single statement on the subject. img880(https://i.imgur.com/EGahVbB.png) *”If an answer is given, offer no question. Let no one else define who you are.”* --- Madoka, the omnibenevolent goddess, is as much a magical girl as her counterpart Homura, the selfish devil. They act with the abilities they have to their own goals--diametrically opposed as they are. Certainly so are the other Puella Magi (this movie marks the first time the term is used in-universe). The *mahou-ness* is a hard quality to quantify, as hard to hold as water. Magical Girls are known when they are recognized. This is what sets *Madoka Magica* apart its least imitators; series that create no earnest engagement with the archetype, instead content to simply play dress-up. What else is there to say? Well, on a pure craft level, the film is basically untouchable. Gekidan Inu Curry and Akiyubi Shinbou are masters of their medium(s) and *Rebellion* is an arguable peak of all their powers. The film is bowl-you-over gorgeous. img880(https://i.imgur.com/0xgNXkn.png) img880(https://i.imgur.com/8oFvSLr.png) img880(https://i.imgur.com/YpIBFNf.png) Specific sequences need no mention beyond brief descriptors. There’s the gunfight. Sayaka summoning Oktavia. Homura breaking out of her prison. All of this a haunted choir. One thing to be said in the concrete: *Rebellion* is a film whose reputation has changed over time. It will not, I think, ever truly settle. That long crooked shadow has only recently begun to be broken up by new lights. By series who have taken this film’s *tone*, one of the least ambiguous things about it, as something of a challenge. By series also, who seek to build on what it has accomplished. Art begets art. Influence begets influence. Madoka has a thousand and one daughters, **[some of whom](https://anilist.co/review/5208)** have daughters of their own. I call it like I see it, and I see brilliance. Who, really, is dreaming? ------ And if you liked this review, [why not check out some of my others here on Anilist?](https://anilist.co/user/planetJane/reviews)

Killua69100

__Homura:__ A time traveler who went to the past thousands of time to save Madoka from dying. However, she ends up giving her a fate way worse than dying. She has to eternally watch over this world as a God devoid of emotion, alone, in a world where no one aside from Homura remembers her. In such a world, Homura is so suicidal and at her wit's end that she starts to doubt her sanity, and she eventually becomes a witch just to meet Madoka again. __Kyouko:__ A young girl who wished for nothing but her family's happiness, but ended up leading her dad to commit a forced suicide, killing all her family. From there on, the immense pain and regret she shouldered made her decide not to ever use her powers for someone's sake. If she used it only for her own sake, no one other than her would suffer, and she wouldn't repeat her past mistake. __Sayaka:__ In exchange for her healing her first love's hand, she obtained a dead body that can't reciprocate love and affection. Put under that crashing reality, she came to the conclusion that she was already "dead" as a human, and that the only thing remaining for her was to fight till her soul is destroyed. Trying to cling to the "ally of justice" moral, she pushed herself to her limits and became a witch. Amidst all that, you have Kyouko, who went through something similar, and who knows what it feels like to be in Sayaka's position. However, unable to convince her, she was forced to watch her friend descend into madness and eventually destroy herself. Regretting her mistake of not saving her friend who walked the same path she once did, she decided to offer her life in exchange for exorcising the witch her friend turned into, all so that Sayaka wouldn't be "alone", because she knew that she was a coward at her core, and that her "ally of justice" facade was just to hide that. And then you get ending song: img800(https://i.imgur.com/411sa4a.jpg) __(Sayaka):__ _When the bluff of false courage in my voice began to falter, the dream began to end Holding my knees, when my vision fades, I know I'll quickly collapse_. __(Duet):__ _I’ll call out your name again and again Even if the future is uncertain My heart aches at just thinking about someone who I can’t let go I’m here I’m here The place you’ll come home to is here, okay?_ Even though we know that Kyouko can't swim, she doesn't show it. Instead, with a peaceful look on her face, she just accepts her fate and hugs her friend so they never get separated again... However, what we get to know in Rebellion is that not only Kyouko thought dearly of Sayaka, but Sayaka also regretted leaving Kyouko alone, after she went out of her way to save her from Homura (yes we're talking about Kyouko, the girl who doesn't use her power for others). And then you have this wonderful scene : img800(https://i.imgur.com/3qNlSl6.jpg) _I thought I didn't have any regrets when I died. But the reason I ended up taking this assignement and coming back is that I actually had one regret: Leaving you behind, Kyoko._ And then from Homura's side, you have the flowers field scene with Madoka. There, Homura gets to hear Madoka's real feelings, and she realizes that she didn't really want to become a God, and her fears are confirmed: "__Letting Madoka shoulder all the responsibility was a mistake__". In Madoka's character song, she says: _Saying, "See you later," I wave my hand Cracking a smile, yet I'm feeling lonely The truth is, I still have more to talk about But with the words "See you later" I say we'll meet again, but it's a lie and with my usual smile, I say "See you tomorrow"_ ******* _I'm pretending that I'm used to being alone But I'm not really that strong_ ******* _Instead of "See you later" I should've said, "I'll stay for a little longer" I wanted and hoped that you would realize it But with the words "See you later" I lie to myself again And hide my true feelings beneath my usual smile_ This leads us directly to the last twist of the story. Where Madoka finally reaches out for Homura to purify her soul gem, but Homura pulls her hand instead of grabbing it, and decides to undo her mistake, or at least to save her the only way she could. She splits God Madoka in half, and rewrites the universe in a way so that Madoka, the average schoolgirl can exist, separated from the God Madoka. If anything, she was able to save that Madoka from her fate. However, in exchange for that, Homura has to shoulder an equal, or even greater amount of curses to what Madoka was dealing with, and so she becomes the Demon of this world. In the last scene, Homura represses Madoka's memories, but Madoka declares that she treasures this world over her own desires, which means that eventually, she would have to stand against Homura, and that it's only a matter of time before that happens. Having understood that, Homura gives her back her ribbon, and sinks even deeper into darkness, realizing that her only wish is truly an impossible one to grant, even for a Demon who gained power equal to a God: __ _Madoka cannot be saved_ __ An end where everything was sacrificed and no one was saved, that's PMMM's conclusion... And well, the end result aside, the whole thing was a lost cause from the very beginning. The girls' struggles were all in vein, and had no chance of saving anyone to begin with. If that's not the most depressing story I've ever read, I honestly don't know what is. Part of Urobochi's genius lies in the fact that he was able to create a masterpiece out of a completely hopeless situation, all the while keeping the audience at the edge of their seats, and even giving them false glimmers of hope at times. For toying with my emotions in such a brilliant way, and for everything I said earlier, I'll rate this movie a 100/100.

llAshell

As a continuation of the previous installments it lives up to them with flying colors Spoilers! Spoilers! -Every scene was relevant to the story in in some way and by that i mean talking was not dragged out or idle chit chat that fell flat but each used to give incite of either the mind set of Homura or the themes being presented in that moment. Everything from how the world works that was established in the last and again in this movie stay fluid till the end. When shit gets real the music picks up to give the situation exactly the feelings those scenes needed to get across. - combat is both calculated and fluid not just from an animation stand point, but from character gained experience for instance Homura whom had been the weakest at one point to matching Mami whom is said to be the strongest/smartest combat wise of the group outside of things like godoka doppels and the like. Which sets up for those same things for Magia record. In godoka's case how this character came to be,and insight to godoka's purpose other than to create magical girls in the game and so on. - Supporting cast while not all having as much screen time as Homura filled their respective purposes. Madoka whom takes a more accepting and loving approach this time around gives Homura just the push she needs to stay focused on her goal. Sakura in getting development towards her goals pertaining to Sayaka and supporting Homura. Sayaka one could say became the guardian or big sis of the group. Mami has always been the one to take command in battle and she continues to be that leading figure here as well. Bebe(New Character) becoming more than just a cute adorable mascot like creature and having a big role in the plot. Things like this that are either consistent or have gotten somewhere plot wise. (Instead of being stagnant or not fulfilling previous plot points that had been set up in the series.) -This can happen to anyone as seen in other anime such as in Re:zero S1 Subaru almost going insane for the sake of his love or Yuno Gasai from Mirai Nikki and her Yandere tendencies. Suburu had a build up to his turning points much like Homura. ( Minus the time bending on par with her, magical girls etc...) The portrayal of these points above this comment and below make this movie a damn good one. - After over a decade of hopelessness, of death, and of powerlessness our lead almost fully loses her humanity. The internal struggle of being the anti hero choosing to kill those close to you for the sake of the one you love or to keep them alive to attain her goal and because these are also her friends. but in the end still reset it all and simply be right back in that same situation she was in before. Unlike Subaru or Levi whom have yet to fully lose all of their humanity, Homura even though like Subaru has a reset button like him she knows death all to well she fell from grace and might not have another chance to reset/be saved. - 12 years of rewinding time to reach this goal of saving Madoka but to (fail) each and every time, she indeed lived long enough to see herself become the villain and she herself understands that. There is a small amount of anime characters whom have tried hard enough at their life goal, their dream, their reason to live to the point of mentally and physically breaking. Having went from a shy timid girl then on to a worried to Kuudere trying her absolute hardest to save Madoka from her fate. With all this power and experience she realizes she is still very much powerless even after all this time. in this moment all life, family, school any and everything cease to matter but the one thing that kept her going for 12 years without rest. upon sinking into the ever consuming darkness and despair she sees a chance to achieve her goal and takes it consequences be damned. she manages to separate Madoka from her non-existent deity form and reset the rules of the universe. Now ruler of the universe twisted beyond repair we see a Homura who is beyond saving and has become the embodiment of Yandere with one of two possible endings for the next installment(s).

TheAnimeBingeWatcher

In my eyes, Madoka Magica is a story about balance. Every wish is mirrored by an equivalent curse, but all despair must similarly stand against hope. The world isn’t perfect, but it isn’t doomed either, and the only way forward is to acknowledge those ambiguities as you strive to keep that balance both within yourself and the world around you. And the show itself was similarly balanced, sliding slowly into the darkness at its core and rending apart with despair without ever losing sight of the hope that made its world and characters worth fighting for. There’s a reason that Gen Urobuchi’s stories remain so beloved despite the pain he puts us through; as dark as he gets, he never forgets to keep the lights on as well. And I would have been perfectly satisfied if the story had ended with the show, if the twelve TV episodes of Madoka Magica had been all the Madoka Magica we ever got. It accomplished everything I wanted it to and kept that balance wonderfully all the way. So when I went into the sequel film Rebellion, even though I was aware of the big infamous ending twist (which I won’t spoil here for your sake, so don’t worry), I genuinely wasn’t sure what to expect. And now that I’ve come out of it… I might be even less sure than before. Yeah, my thoughts on Rebellion are kind of all over the place, and I’m still trying to piece them together even as I’m writing them up. But the one thing I am certain of is that this movie is lacking that critical component that made Madoka so special to me. In other words, it lacks balance. And with that guiding principle gone, it’s no surprise this film ended up as divisive as it did. This film is a fucking _mess,_ sometimes in good ways, sometimes in frustrating ways, sometimes in ways that leave you unsure how to take it. I can’t say I hated it, or even disliked it; in fact, I’m pretty sure it’s overall a success. But if Madoka Magica was a perfect 2K sprint over the finish line, then Rebellion crosses the finish line stumbling over its own two feet and keeling from side to side every other second. It’s surprising and evocative and keeps you on your toes, but it also leaves you concerned and confused, caught between cheering it on and wanting someone to head over and make sure it’s doing okay. I give it credit for its audacity, if nothing else, but compared to how expertly the show proper was able to grip my head and heart, I can’t deny that I came out of Rebellion feeling kind of hollow. And that’s one emotion Urobuchi has never left me with before. Perhaps a brief plot summary will help put my thoughts in focus. Following the TV show’s ending, Rebellion immediately lets you know something foul’s afoot by establishing a status quo that’s nothing like the one we were left with. All five girls are still alive, Homura is once again her pre-angst pigtail self, they’re all happilly fighting as magical girls, and their enemies are Nightmares instead of Witches or Wraiths. Also, Kyubey suddenly can’t talk and the witch who killed Mami is suddenly acting as her familiar. The message is clear: despite how idyllic it all looks, something is very wrong. I won’t spoil what’s really going on, but suffice to say, the plot involves Homura slowly waking up to the true nature of the mysterious situation and piecing together how we got from the end of the show to here. No points for guessing that the answers are all tragic, the vice is tightened on everyone like never before, and a huge swath of the drama revolves around Homura’s unresolved feelings about Madoka leaving her to become a god and watch over humanity. Make no mistake, this film is entirely Homura’s story, with the rest of the girls mostly static side characters who exist for her to bounce off of. More specifically, it’s the story of the choices Homura made, the choices she has yet to make, and the decision she ultimately reaches in regards to her and Madoka’s place in the universe. It’s really fascinating what all these answers end up being, and I can’t say any of them were unjustified. Madoka has always been willing to let its characters make imperfect, even painful choices, and Rebellion lets Homura lean on that tension for all it’s worth. But that’s also all these choices did: fascinate me. Whereas in the show proper, when the characters screwed up or fell on their own swords, I was gripped from the depths of my soul. Rebellion’s problem isn’t that it’s needlessly bleak, or goes in bad directions, or fundamentally ruins any character. The problem is that it fails to justify its harsh turns with the same emotional balance as the show. It fails to capture the delicate dance of light and dark that made Madoka so powerful to me; instead, it’s a film of nothing but extremes. Extreme happiness and extreme sorrow, extreme kindness and extreme fury. Rebellion doesn’t weave these complex, human strands of feeling together in the same way the show does; it just lets them explode out and hit you without giving much thought to how they work together. And ironically enough, that just makes them have all the less impact. The best way I can describe this is by saying that Rebellion essentially has two modes; extreme excessive fluffy Madoka fanservice or extreme gut-wrenching inescapable despair. The first third, while the “fake” world is active and stable, is essentially a chance to give the audience a taste of what a “traditional” magical version of Madoka would be like, where the characters are all living relatively normal lives and are all one big happy family (hence why Kyubey’s demoted to a monosyllabic mascot character as well). But Madoka to me just isn’t _interesting_ as a normal magical girl show. It needs the darkness of its plot to give its characters and their struggles meaning, and without that darkness, frankly, none of the girls remain that interesting. I’m still not the biggest fan of the early episodes of the show before the darker elements start creeping in, and this movie only reinforces that sentiment. Later, as Homura figures out what’s really going on, the emotional journey she undergoes is almost infernal in its level of despair and helplessness. But it doesn’t land nearly as hard as it should without the gradual descent into the pits of darkness that the show managed so spectacularly. Then we get a massive final battle that’s yet more fanservice without a scrap of that previous pain, and when that final nasty twist comes, it hits right at the apex of the franchise’s most unapologetically sappy and sentimental stretch yet. It’s whiplash upon whiplash, either all easy answers or no answers at all, and neither of those extremes works nearly as well as both of them together. I say again, Madoka Magica just doesn’t work without balance, and by giving into excess, Rebellion proves how important that balance truly was. It’s a good thing, then, that at least some of that excess remains entertaining in its own right. Despite my relative disinterest in a “normal” magical girl version of this show, I can’t deny it was great to see all five girls finally together in the same place and bouncing off each other. Kyoko and Sayaka especially are gangbusters together, and turning their bitter grudge into a friendly rivalry left a real damn big smile on my face. But it’s the visuals that really carry the weight here, because good fucking god, this movie is an animation _feast._ The show was already beautiful enough, but now that they’ve got a film budget to swing around, Shaft is able to blow the whole thing up into a kaleidoscopic supernova. The character animation is seamless, every frame is packed with a million moving pieces, the world feels more fleshed out and detailed than ever before, the imagery is so mind-bogglingly surreal you’d swear you were on acid, the action is somehow even more gobsmacking than the show, and all of it is animated with a gorgeous, almost pornographic level of polish that makes you feel like you’re swimming in an ocean of Salvadore Dali’s most vibrant daydreams and nightmares. There’s a fight between Mami and Homura near the movie’s midpoint that utilizes Homura’s time-freezing powers to stop and start absurdly massive volleys of gunshots, and the level of detail in the chaos left my jaw on the goddamn floor. That might genuinely be the best fight scene in the entire franchise; even after the movie was over, it took a long time before I stopped reeling from how goddamn cool it was. So on the whole, I can’t call Rebellion a failure. It’s big and messy and it goes in a million different directions, but there’s no denying it sets off some truly astounding fireworks in the process. Still, the more I think about it, the more crushed I become that it wasn’t better. To me, Madoka Magica’s final episode was the end of the story, and this big unwieldy sequel is just a intriguing “what if” to consider. Maybe the next movie in the series will finally come out at some point and bring this roller coaster to a fulfilling stop. But until then, Rebellion remains a fascinating, flawed, ambitious, and achingly unsatisfying reminder of just how important balance was to this show’s success.

cringeylazy

___THIS REVIEW IS SPOILER FREE___ _Intro:_ Before you read this review know that this anime is my one of my favourite anime so i will be giving it praise or essentially fangirling and just why this is my favourite anime to give you an idea of what you're getting into. If you're looking for a more balence/critical review this might not be the one to read. _The Perfect Fanservice:_ Madoka Magica Rebellion is a perfect fanservice for Madoka Magica (the original series) and Homura Akemi fans alike. If you're a fan of Mami and wanted more screentime and action this movie delivers,if you wanted to see more of Mami and Madoka together this movie has it, if you're a fan of Sayaka and Kyoko and their relationship this movies got it for you, if you love Madoka and her kindness toward everyone this movie has that. To top it off if you love Homura and her dedication to protecting and caring for her best friend this film has it for you. If you want a movie as gripping/emotional as the original series with the same characters you loved making a return this has it all. The movies main focus is Homura and just how strong her feelings are or just how much she cares about Madoka. _The Big Fear:_ The big worry for all of us watching this movie was 'the ending finished so perfectly how can they top it?' but this movie smashes the original in every aspect in my opinion. I will reccomend not jumping to your own conclusions to quickly about the ending of the movie. I did this originally and I hated it. But after some consideration I realised just what had happened and it's clearly a superior more satisfying ending than the original series. _Art:_ The animation throughout the film is loyal to the original but also vastly superior due to being newer + more budget and the circumstances in the movie. Throughout the film there are subtle metaphors and foreshadowing that don't feel forced or out of place they're used as pillow shots (shots to give the audiece a chance to breath) but they actually all have meaning toward the characters and plot. _Conclusion:_ This movie blew me away in every aspect possible. I have nothing but praise for this movie for delivering the best experience I've ever seen on screen.I do hope however I haven't made the standards too high though but I want to give credit where I believe it's due. I can't express enough how beautiful this film is and how much I reccomend this to any fan of the original Madoka Magica series. __Unrelated thoughts on the upcomming sequel:__ Now we sit in wait for the sequel for this movie. While I do have concerns about how it will continue, finish and if it ends up being a disappointment I mostly am just hyped because if the writers can pull off a show that tops the original series that felt untouchable in the first place I feel confident and have faith they can pull off a satisfying sequel. That's if it is a sequel and not extra added lore on walpursgisnacht.

EXistential

~~~__THIS REVIEW CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE ENTIRELY OF THE PUELLA MAGI MADOKA MAGICA ANIME STORY. IT DOES NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE MANGA PRE-SEQUEL.__~~~ Being a meguca fan really must've been suffering. But like a god coming down to lead her devoted follower to salvation, Madoka Partners and Shaft have finally blessed fans with the announcement of Walpurgisnacht -Rising-. Wait, how'd we get to this point again? Something about overthrowing God? Right? ~~~ __PREMISE__~~~ _Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica: Rebellion_ follows Magical Girl Homura Akemi. She, alongside her friends, are recruited by a being calling itself Kyubey to fight Nightma- Wait, something's definitely wrong with the way things are. Magical Girls don't fight Nightmares. They've fought Wraiths ever since the Law of Cycles herself begun saving Magical Girls from a fate worse than death; witchhood. This realm of Nightmares and old friends is but a facade. ~~~__IN-DEPTH OVERVIEW__~~~ The strengths of the TV Anime Series are back in full force, save one little part at the beginning. Back when I mentioned in my TV series review that I don't enjoy the tropes that defined the Magical Girls of a time long past, one of those tropes were overly-long transformation sequences that just feel like padding. _Rebellion_ has FIVE OF THESE. BACK TO BACK. It's a nitpick, I know, but I have to mention it. The beginning is pulling the Madoka Magica beginning section tradition of trying to sell a facade. Despite the same idea, the form of the facade is moreso that some time after Madoka just ditched Homura to go be God, what's being shown is just the new norm for Magical Girls. Truly a happy alternative to the whole becoming a monster that other girls have to put down and cope with the fact they'll become one. Of course, someone's sticking out like a sore thumb. Now, let's take that and make this shit get real. img440(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/496844005523456000/943790298734149642/vlcsnap-2022-02-17-02h45m07s324.png) img440(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/496844005523456000/943791147803869224/vlcsnap-2022-02-17-02h47m08s678.png) img440(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/496844005523456000/943791148483371008/vlcsnap-2022-02-17-02h47m43s936.png) Homura vs. Mami is definitely a huge step up from the fights of the TV anime. Most witch fights and even Sayaka vs. Kyoko or Mami vs. Charlotte were, despite being used effectively for story-telling purposes, didn't last that long and lacked the punch and spectacle that is on full display in Homura vs. Mami. The character movements are fluid and have a sense of weight to each and every one. The visual of the tracers in stopped time and subsequent clashing of both magical and cartridge-based ammunition perfectly portrays the competence of both combatants in a awe-inspiring way. The expressiveness in certain shots still displays the obvious fact that these two friends don't want to fight each other, despite having to (only to further be solidified by Homura's attempt to end the fight with a non-fatal injury). Debatably the best fight scene of the franchise, even if Magia Record anime might have a horse in the race from a visual standpoint. And on top of all of that, the comparison to Mami vs. Charlotte becomes more apparent upon realization that this is the first Point of No Return heel-turn type scene in the movie. One of two, actually. The second coming upon getting an earful from a literal angel, Homura getting a nice huff of copium off of Madoka, and some creative abuse of soul separation. img440(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/496844005523456000/943798914849587240/vlcsnap-2022-02-17-03h15m12s013.png) img440(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/496844005523456000/943798915281604608/vlcsnap-2022-02-17-03h16m51s990.png) img440(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/496844005523456000/943798915847843851/vlcsnap-2022-02-17-03h17m49s640.png) img440(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/496844005523456000/943798916208549909/vlcsnap-2022-02-17-03h17m58s910.png) It ALWAYS comes back to Kyubey. I'm not gonna be surprised if in Movie 4, we end up seeing Kyubey ride in on the titular Witch to End All Witches. Back to Homura's reaction to news of the Incubators attempting to control Ultimate Madoka, though. While other witches in the series conveyed an unsettling aura with the sorrow bleeding through via context, Homulilly wears that sense of sorrow on her sleeves. What comes of its existence is an expansion of a concept dabbled with near the middle of the TV series, an interesting setpiece of the horde fight between Homulilly and Oktavia von Seckendorff's Familiars, and the true introduction of one Nagisa Momoe. My main gripe with this section is Nagisa. Due to the amount of time she spends in the movie as the unintelligible Bebe, she doesn't get the time to actually have much of a character aside from "cheese". What's her background? Why did Madoka choose her to accompany her and Sayaka? Why'd she take the appearance of First Form Charlotte, something that could (and did) make for an easily avoided misunderstanding? If this review was written before the announcement of Walpurgisnacht -Rising-, Nagisa would definitely be more of a problem than she is now. And with this section ending in Homura achieving the highest K/D in the franchise with Madoka's help, now comes the ending and the debate Madoka Magica has left to the fans since 2013. ~~~__ULTIMATE HOMURA AND "EVIL"__~~~ "Is Homura evil or has Homura done nothing wrong?" I'm going to be blunt. img440(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/496844005523456000/943807851149803520/vlcsnap-2022-02-17-03h50m31s075.png) img440(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/496844005523456000/943807851502129152/vlcsnap-2022-02-17-03h52m19s005.png) Homura fucking overthrows God. DISCLAIMER: This is where we're gonna get into my personal viewpoint. You may disagree, and that's okay. I'm just voicing how I see things here. Sayaka, in Homura's new reality where Madoka can finally be safe from her sacrificial fate (For real this time, becoming God still constitutes as "sacrifice"), refers to Ultimate Homura as a "devil". Now, let's be real. The entire situation is a grey area of Madoka continually throwing herself in fate's line of fire and Homura trying to course correct for Madoka's sake. While her obsessive love harbored throughout repeating a month over and over is a catalyst for Homura having something to gain from splitting Madoka from the Law of Cycles, this is just Homura repeating her cycle of trying to make things the best for Madoka. It's for her, but Homura's love makes her unable to see that being Ultimate Madoka is what Madoka wanted. It's a mistake, but not evil. Homura is a "devil" in the sense that her end goal is the opposite of God. Homura did nothing wrong.

shellhnk

When I first started writing this review, I had an entirely different structure in mind. I was going to write an entire text dissecting this franchise as a whole, explaining it's roots and describing my favorite aspects about it. Whoever, it didn't feel write. It was as if I was unintentionally turning a blind eye into a greater aspect of this work; it's very essence. It's "soul", you can say. What that soul is, is entirely up to each person's interpretations. As the movie kept replaying on the back of my mind, I ended up reaching an agreement with myself on what that said "soul" was. Ever since it's release, Madoka Magica has been known for being the deconstruction of the magical-girl genre. While other entires that came before were whimsical, adorable adventures, Madoka masked itself as such and took an incredibly dark turn. Playing with the visuals and the character's psyche in a very gruesome manner, it left it's mark as something very unique and disturbing. That was what I thought too after finishing the original series. A despairing reality, filled with nightmares and tragedies. But that wasn't everything. What really caught my attention was how this dire situation was used to explore the character's minds in ways that couldn't conventionally be done. Your surroundings change you, and this show was the best example of that. How your actions, the places you frequent and the people you share bonds with change you, or how they ultimately make you who you are. It isn't so much the deconstruction of a genre, more the deconstruction of everything inside of it. This movie was exactly the same: creepy backgrounds, eerie soundtrack, tragic characters, grief, betrayal; As it went on, however, I realized there was something else: greed. People are very greedy, be it in the thirst for money, pleasure, or a search for meaning. It's an endless hunger we possess. The search for love is a very common type of hunger. That hunger might exist without the person even knowing. It's in all of us, we can't function alone. When that hunger is too great, whoever, and the person finds someone to love, problems may arise. This is exactly what this movie is about, and it made me realize this entire series has the same "soul". The more I thought about it, the more I realized just how many aspects and actions exist solely because of love, the hunger it derives from and it's exploitation. The wish Kyuubey provides to help the girls achieve something they love. Mami finally founding reason to fight by the love the others gave her. Sayaka turning into a magical girl so she can protect the ones she loves. Kyoko using her wish to help her father. Madoka considering literally selling her soul so that she can help others (which she does in a way). Homura's entire arc. It's all because of their desire to keep the things they love. But nothing ever lasts forever. Bringing forth the next topic is exactly that: time. This entire story wouldn't even have happened if not for the Incubators wanting to prolong the universe's time. Letting go of things is something extremely hard to do, specially when whatever the thing that is departing is dear to you. However, it's a fate everyone must face in order to mature. Nothing lasts, and you can't prolong their stay. The fear of saying goodbye can "corrupt" love, as the person becomes obsessed with finding a way to saving the thing they love no matter what must be done. An obsession is formed when you can't control your mind's desire, and subsequently, your body. It's a feeling of alienation. It makes you despise your actions and who you are. Homura goes through a path similar to that. She tortures herself (and others in a way) so she can save Madoka. Yet every time, at the end, she realizes everything has to be the way it's meant to be, even if she doesn't want to. Just like love, the obsession that derives from it might be unnoticed for a long time. So much that sometimes, it must take others to point them out. They will manifest as self-hate, depression and sometimes, violence. Homura doesn't understand that Madoka needs to always be next to herself so that she can love her. It's only when Homura finally tells Madoka about her fear of losing her, that she finally realizes her actions. In her fake dimension, Homura created barely a shell of Madoka, the idea of her, in which she was obsessed by. But when Madoka's warm words reached her, she remembered not the idea she was obsessed with, but with the person she loved. Homura's own fear of departing from that which was dear to her ended up distorting herself and everything around her. It doesn't matter if she suffers, as long as what she wishes for to be safe is indeed safe, it's fine. That is a line that is incredibly hurtful to pass, and incredibly difficult to leave. __"Being able to talk to you like this and feel your kindness one more time makes me so happy."__ Rebellion is the manifestation of this story's core. The hardships of the path to maturity, the blindness of love and how ultimately flawed humans are. It's never afraid to hold back on it's messages, and it always hits you at full force. It's disturbing, it's special effects create an atmosphere of creepiness, it's soundtrack make a feeling of witchery, uncertainty and imagination. Even so, underneath it's disturbing exterior, inside is a warm message and warning. Nothing is infinite. Nothing we desperately try to do will ever change that. Saying goodbye to things might be hurtful, but understanding that is the very first step towards maturing an towards becoming someone new. I hope that if you have not yet watched this, when you do, that this show resonates with you as much as it has with me.

SpiritChaser

Going into Rebellion blind, I felt anticipation and excitement to see the continuation of Homura's struggle. That's because I wanted to see the best for her and Madoka. Then I remembered what exactly it is that I am watching, the reputation it has, and decided that as much as I would like a happy ending, there is a really good chance that this is not going to give me that. I at least felt hope by the end of the television series with Madoka, but this film crushed it. It gave me what I wanted, though it twisted it into something so evil that I no longer desired it. This film destroyed everything I found beautiful about Madoka Magica, and that was the point. In the end, I don't mean that in a bad way. I gave up during this film. I decided that to really appreciate this, I have to embrace the approach of the staff. I decided to be open minded about the bleakness of Madoka Magica, and accepted it, that this is going to terrify me, and it did. I already thought Sayaka suffered enough, and this film decided to push the harshness even more. Seeing Mami again was great, though through a misunderstanding, she had to get involved in needless conflict that frustrated me. Homura's character became so horrifying that I was shocked just how far the writing pushed it. Yes, she loves Madoka, though with this, I almost wished she didn't by the end. Understandably, not everything needs a happy ending. I wanted to give this a perfect score, and I made a mistake rating this right after watching it. I have to let the high of the first time experience wear off first, in order to look at this more rationally. I did have some issues with this. This film does not reward you for thinking; it punishes you. I made many faces, paused several times, and felt my sanity slipping away in trying to understand what was happening. Still, you don't need all the answers in a story. That's what makes our interpretations, such as fan theories possible, and fun to read, as it nurtures our imaginations. Regardless, the plot in this film is so convoluted, that I can barely explain it. I can feel what it wants to tell me at times, I just can't explain it properly at this time. As I watched this, it just felt too happy at first. I kept wondering what Urobuchi is going to do to torment me this time. The production value of this film is amazing, as I thought it would be. There's a full cast character transformation scene that left me breathless, bizarre scenes that looked very good, and the charm of it's beautiful background art and surreal artwork throughout. The music once again did wonders for me, and took me to places I didn't necessarily want to go to during the absurd moments. There was a point I wanted this film to stop. The feelings of hope I had were irreversibly destroyed. The precious moments all felt fake now. After the credits, My jaw dropped one more time because the damage to my psyche was still not finished. Even now, hours later, I feel empty. And yet, this is fine. I can appreciate a story like this; it's bold. It's hard to explain, but the feeling this film left me with reminds me of how the magical girls here learn to want the darker side of emotions. I don't like how this film made me feel, but I felt a sense of satisfaction overall from the execution of it. With the new movie coming. I know I'll have to brace myself. The hopeful me that found inspiration in the TV series is gone, and we will all be at the mercy of the new movie, once it's finally out, to intensify our already barely bearable trauma.

apokos7

~~~__Before the Introduction__~~~ For everyone reading a review of mine for the first time, the Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica series was the first anime I decided to write a full analysis on, and I wished to continue with the series' third movie, Hangyaku no Monogatari, shortly after. Instead of a few days, as initially intended, it took me four months to sit down and write this piece, partly because of real life obligations, but mostly because I found the movie extremely difficult to properly and fully break down, in the way I always approach my reviews, and make it justice. I mean, I did manage to find the time to compose a couple of things in between, but still needed time to properly face this one. Even as I am currently typing, I do not think I will ever consider many anime or manga that I want to express my thoughts on, as demanding as Madoka's third movie. Be that as it may, it is finally time to re-examine the world of magical girls, Witches, deceivingly cute creatures and fancy ribbons. I would suggest you read my piece on the anime series first, before tackling this one. In any case, wish your way through the ride. ~~~ img220(https://i.imgur.com/vmPcOq0.gif) ~~~ ~~~__Introduction__~~~ After the Madoka series' great success, the story was re-released in the format of two recap movies with minor adjustments and what followed was a sequel movie, the franchise's third one, Hangyaku no Monogatari, effectively continuing the original story. But did Madoka really need a sequel? The anime series had a clear plot, thematic and conflict, all of which was properly explored, presented and in the end resolved. The story seemed to reach its natural conclusion and not having a further continuation would have been a perfectly valid choice. However, the ending did leave a single part hinted as an open thread. Despite the establishment of the Law of the Cycle and the magical girls' fight having found salvation at the embrace of the forever forgotten Goddess Madoka, there is a single existence that remembers and longs for her smile as she keeps fighting against tragedy and hatred. The series did end with the Wraiths as the new adversary after all. And thus, Homura dreams. ~~~ img220(https://i.imgur.com/kzGa1HK.gif) ~~~ ~~~__Welcome to Cinema__~~~ Through an artistically flowing action sequence, a distinctive trait of studio Shaft's high quality works, we get acquainted with a weirdly childish adversary which is called Nightmare and resembles nothing of the Wraiths that should now be the main opponent replacing Witches. And the one fighting it is magical girl Madoka. Yes, Madoka, alongside Sayaka, Kyouko and Mami accompanied by a new oddly familiar mascot character tied to the blond magical girl's known fate. Right after that we have Madoka waking up, greeting an adorably sleeping Kyuubey that does not speak and having a peaceful morning with her family. Everything totally contradicts how we previously left the story and leaves the viewer in confusion. The spotlight is passed to our familiar teacher who is just a little too ominously out there, Saotome sensei, introducing a braided, black haired girl wearing glasses, with a shy and reserved personality, magical girl Akemi Homura. We can now somewhat expect a certain link to the series and feel a sense of comfort for the first time as we witness the plot's progression. With Homura joining the rest of the girls they form the Puella Magi Holy Quintet and fight Nightmares for a month, their origins lying in ill-intended wishes in the form of malicious dreams. Expressively fluid transformation scenes that fully utilize a movie budget and long awaited team-ups give fans a satisfactory vision of a fairytale like, overpowering image of what could have been all along. All of the above, excluding the cheese-loving Bebe that brings bad memories and discomfort while creating a mixed, ominous feeling regarding the viewing experience. ~~~ img220(https://i.imgur.com/GZsiGH3.gif) ~~~ ~~~__Homura's Unease and Quest for Truth__~~~ Everything seems almost perfect. Clear victories, peaceful times, not a shred of tragedy. Despite that, Homura experiences discomfort and other than the main cast, everyone seems foreign and out of place to her. Their reality feels artificial and unreal, and she first discusses the source of her worries with Kyouko, the one whose presence seems most out of place to her. Through a series of questions, gaps in Kyouko's memories and sequence of events are brought to the surface and the duo of black and red decide to visit Kyouko's city of origin, Kazamino City. The trip is not meant to properly conclude. The girls try to take a bus with the above city as its destination, yet twice they return to their starting point. They even try to reach their goal on foot. Instead, we get atmospheric backgrounds, beautiful sequences, partly cartoonish, with a steadily escalating eerie side to them. The sequences are almost illusionary and serve to further evoke a sense of confusion. The deduction to be made is that the girls are trapped inside Mitakihara City and for a grand revelation Homura's soliloquy reveals it to be the work of a Witch's labyrith. We are now in tune with previous knowledge, that Homura also seems to be aware of. ~~~ img220(https://i.imgur.com/3fc2K4r.gif) ~~~ ~~~__Possible Suspects and Rise to Conflict__~~~ Homura has awakened to her memories and searches for possible connections to the Witches. Bebe is first on her list, a logical approach from our point of view as well, and she tries to dispose of it. However, as an existence precious to the current Mami, it is also the recipient of her protection. Yellow and black are pitted against each other in a no holds barred conflict and exchange of attacks that is simply awe inducing and largely catastrophical. The psychological aspect of the conflict is of equal interest, as they are both aware of their opponent's strengths and weaknesses, are shown reluctant to go all out against their temporary adversary and refuse to deal with the situation decisively. The conflict ends with interference from a third party, a nut symbol in the sky and Bebe revealing its human form. The one who interrupted Mami and Homura was Sayaka. Now blue and black discuss their current predicament, the Witch's trap and the problem they are facing. Except, Sayaka suggests that their current situation is not particularly problematic, since they mostly live a dreamlike routine where everyone is happy. Contradictions between Mami's remembrance of Wraiths and Sayaka's knowledge of Witches as well as her very own existence, paint her in shady colors and direct Homura's suspicions towards her. ~~~ img220(https://i.imgur.com/117LYnB.gif) ~~~ ~~~__The Arrow of Light's Reverse Effect__~~~ With Homura trying to put her thoughts in order and figure out her feelings, she strongly self-affirms her seemingly immovable belief in Madoka, her sacrifice and the role she has bestowed upon magical girls, vowing to end the farce that is the current labyrinth they are trapped in. What follows is one of the most important exchanges in the entire story, in my opinion. She meets with Madoka herself, they have a conversation, and the pink haired magical girl declares her weakness of character, her strong attachment to her friends and family, her lack of inherent qualities that would have her detached from human pathos. Homura's entire image of Madoka shatters instantly as she realizes that the persona she idolizes is merely human, a girl that wishes to protect her beloved ones and chose to ascend to Godhood not out of firm purity of character and lack of self interest, but because of the circumstances at the time. ~~~ img220(https://i.imgur.com/cJZiWIZ.gif) ~~~ ~~~__Magical Girl and Witch__~~~ There are few revelations in anime that are as intricately woven, intriguingly explored and masterfully revealed as the one that follows. Having grasped the full picture, Homura distances herself from her Soul Gem without losing her bodily functions and is now facing the truth that she has become the very Witch she was searching for. And for the cherry on top Kyuubey takes the main stage and starts explaining how we got to this point. A story born out of curiosity. Homura's previous recounting of the concept of Witches after Madoka's reality altering wish had the Incubators conduct an experiment in order to study the Law of the Cycle, a concept they should no longer be familiar with. They created an isolation field around Homura's Soul Gem to prevent outside interference to observe what would happen to a magical girl whose Soul Gem's capacity has maxed out. The entire movie took place inside a false Mitakihara City located inside Homura's Soul Gem and invitations to it were issued so that the karmic force that we know as Madoka rematerializes in it and leads Homura to the end of her journey. Madoka herself displayed none of her divine authority because of the labyrinth's power that rewrote its guests' memories. ~~~ img220(https://i.imgur.com/XXmpesr.gif) ~~~ ~~~__Nutcracker__~~~ The purpose of the Incubators was to observe the Law of the Cycle phenomenon through Homura's isolated Soul Gem and eventually manage to control it in order to restore the concept of the Witches believing the cycle of hope and despair to be the prime energy source for the universe's longevity. At the sound of their true endgame, Homura defies their expectations and raises a curse unable to be purified which completes her transformation to the Nutcracker Witch. She would even destroy herself without the option of salvation if it meant protecting the pink haired Goddess from Kyuubey's threat. The rest of the magical girls are forced to fight against their black haired partner. Revelations regarding the identity of Sayaka and the cheese appreciator Momoe Nagisa, formerly known as Bebe, are being made as well as their role as the keepers of Madoka's memories. Following the triumph against both the Witch and Kyuubey, Madoka is now ready to lead Homura to her natural end and conclude the story on a high note. It was indeed an interesting character study of Homura, the one thing that was set up as open ended at the end of the series and the movie made it justice. ~~~ img220(https://i.imgur.com/7lmQpLH.gif) ~~~ ~~~__Beyond Salvation__~~~ Beyond the salvation of oblivion lies obsession. At the moment the story is about to conclude, the unthinkable happens. Homura's ultimate goal is revealed as she manages to separate Madoka from her divine state never to let her go. Beyond desire, despair, or everything sought out by the Incubators. A feeling exclusively for Madoka, births a new principle into the universe, rewriting it once more. A deeper emotion than those previously explored, a twisted love, an unending and unconditional obsession, elevates the black haired Witch to the status of a Demon, an existence capable of taking down a Goddess. Even the Incubators are seen genuinely scared, clearly trembling as they express emotion for the first time and try to run away yet the Demon will not let them. The story ends in a seemingly peaceful reality but one that actually plays out according to the wishes of its creator. Homura will keep meddling with people's memories in order to secure her creation's stability. A transfer student is introduced by Saotome sensei. A pink haired timid girl returning to Mitakihara City from abroad. Wearing not so flashy ribbons and feeling oddly nostalgic about the life she is now experiencing. Except there is something missing. Her role should be something beyond. Returning the flashy ribbons to their rightful owner the Demon keeps the Goddess in check once more, but the imminent conflict between order and stability against desire is seen as inevitable. ~~~ img220(https://i.imgur.com/rlGW36h.gif) ~~~ ~~~__Is This Series Perfect?__~~~ Nothing ever is. Hangyaku no Monogatari not only has to be seen as an excellent story on its own, but also needs to prove itself worthy as a successful sequel to an already masterful series. And the movie not only succeeds but even manages to go beyond. It intelligently builds upon some threads that begged to be further explored, it also adds new elements and mashes them extremely well with everything that came before. The viewing experience is one that plays with your understanding of the universe and the characters, confuses you purposefully, constantly has you thinking as you try to solve the problem and when the revelations start happening it is a constant unstoppable climax that goes well above what would constitute a satisfying ending. For the most part the movie serves the role of a character study for Akemi Homura, how the numerous timeloops affected her psyche and what Madoka's sacrifice meant for her as she was left behind. Other characters and dynamics also benefited from the story's structure and its first part, where they had the time to be given extra layers and depth. The movie's main thematic was explored in a mesmerising manner and was pushed to its limits. A technical masterclass, both the art department and the use of sound were used in such a way that it enhanced the viewing experience and offered a level of immersion unique to the franchise. ~~~ img220(https://i.imgur.com/ZnBA3QO.gif) ~~~ ~~~__Closing Thoughts__~~~ There have been a few years since I first watched the Madoka franchise and even then it was one to remain in my thoughts for a long time. Having properly rewatched it with a better understanding of storytelling and my consuming tendencies and inclinations, I can confidently say that it is an unforgetable one no matter what one's sensitivities might be. There is now a new sequel, a fourth movie, in the works. For a long time I used to think that even if we never got a new installment I would be content with Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica as is. The idea of ending the saga on a tragic note with Homura finding comfort in her place as the antithesis to Madoka's divinity seemed intriguing to my younger self. My current opinion is that the sequel is, of course, more than welcome as the characters still have lots of room for growth both as individuals and in terms of their inbetween communication. Therefore I will be delighted to view it when it is released hoping for yet another immersive experience. I appreciate everyone reading my analysis on the Hangyaku no Monogatari movie and I hope you found it interesting and worth your time. You may freely visit my profile for more about my anime and manga preferences and for a first look on how I view the industry as a whole. I would be more than happy to hear your thoughts. My next set of reviews will probably be centered around yet another beloved franchise of mine, so I am pretty excited to share my thoughts in text format with everyone. Until next time.

PasleyPark

_In this review I assume that whoever reads it has seen the movie._ I want to write this to put the thoughts I have after seeing what I have seen, before watching the movie more times or listening to other opinions. Until the very last moment there was life in the animation, even in 'The End' which was shown in different languages and various effects just before the end. I have never seen such vivid, colorful and varied animation in a single story. Even in the "info-dumping" phase in the middle of the movie, I didn't look away for a single moment because of how they represented everything they were saying visually. And the transformation sequence of the girls, uh, if Sailor Moon wasn't such an overly episodic anime it could have gotten a similar treatment. (Don't get me wrong I like Sailor Moon but its animation has some mistakes). Now, Homura. I didn't know how they could make a sort of sequel to a small, self-conclusive, solid story. I thought they could only do something like that would end up as something average or passable. Nothing in the movie contradicts or ruins the original story, but rather expands it for the better in the almost 2 hours of the movie. The only real "negative" point is that I have seen many people who took Madoka Magica as a story of hope and optimism, and this movie is not, well, not so much. Could it be called the Homura twist a realist thing? I don't know if it's confirmed but someone says that she spent 6 years traveling back in time for Madoka, spending a lot of time doing the same thing just for her. At least I see it realistic, that was all going to culminate badly in my opinion. The movie is very mature, it represents Homura and all her conflict in a concise and clear way, it's normal that everyone understands Homura and for many people she is the best character because of her complexity. It gives a lot of things for thought, like "What would I have done in Homura's position?" or "Could it be considered good and bad? or completely evil?", Rebellion takes the whole magical girl system of Madoka's world and uses it to its fullest to present one of the most fascinating dilemmas in a fictional story that made me think about it... Well, personally I think Homura went crazy and has no salvation, but that's just my opinion. I don't want to assume things, but I think the team behind Madoka Magica and the movie had a pretty good time with this work. There is no element to appreciate in every scene or shot of the movie, every dialogue fits well, every moment of the movie and every role of the characters. Nothing feels overdone, everything feels like it's where it needs to be to make it all work. Personally though, even though it has its reason to exist, Bebe is very 'meh' to me, but only that. The flashy, detailed and choreographed action of the movie is great. The feelings, expressions and dilemmas of the characters is great. The art and animation is great. I didn't get attached to Madoka Magica (TV) like everyone else but I always thought it was one of the most solid stories I've ever seen. This movie is that too, but it got me to love it more than the original story.

FormerlyExisting

Background. ___ So i got into Madoka Magica a couple of months ago, i was expecting it to be similar to how people reacted to Shadow the Hedgehog, where people were super flabbergasted by the extreme gloom this show provides, and that can be a good thing for some people. I still liked it, regardless, and i think the anime wrapped up things nicely, so when i saw this new sequel movie, i was a little bit skeptical, as i found it to be quite pointless, and i thought they would milk the franchise, because "It's the anime that started the trend of Gloomy Majo Shojo." img1000(https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/1065849474712346646/1175283425301762168/image.png?ex=656aaafc&is=655835fc&hm=e1f0b613249c1564a6180b891a86ee8ed52b6fa4a0b2995bb92d567a6c9043d4&=) ___ Animation: img20(https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/590864642000027666/1088068232302313482/image.png) ___ I watched the [Quints Special](https://anilist.co/anime/163327/Gotoubun-no-Hanayome/) before this (another show made by the same studio), and i must say, it's actually pretty good, and it's quite unique as well, the entire setting of the show just oozes uniqueness and i quite like the direction and especially action scenes in this show. img700(https://i.redd.it/6591xk5vz70a1.gif) ___ Characters: img20( https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/590864642000027666/1088066555260182558/image.png) img20(https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/590864642000027666/1147783115427807232/image.png) ___ The title is a tad bit misleading (not the poster, for some reason?), this is more of a Homura story than it is a Madoka one, but nevertheless, i like what they did with Homura as a whole. Homura is the main focus of this entire movie, and it dives very deep into the subject of her characterization that was not touched on much in the show, this is (mostly) NOT the case in the beginning though, and i don't understand why personally. The script really made Homura go through these rollercoaster of emotions and conflict, especially with Mami right in the middle of the film, and it's exhilarating every moment. img700(https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/880876318127168252/1BC7C2ED02FD65515E9F48581353A2CFA471C05D/?imw=5000&imh=5000&ima=fit&impolicy=Letterbox&imcolor=%23000000&letterbox=false) it's not just Homura that got some focus, as mentioned before, there is also Mami, (who, for some reason is revived here?), she still charismatic and has some motivations in preserving Bebe (Charlotte) who actually revealed her human form in this movie. Kyubey at the end of the movie is the "villain" before Homura herself, the latter battles with their sanity against the former, and it's even more intense than the conflict Homura had with Mami. ___ Story: img20( https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/590864642000027666/1088066555260182558/image.png) ___ The script had a little rocky start, and was quite all over the place in my opinion, it's only when like in the 50 minute mark where the movie just turns into the greatness that it truly is. the pacing is a stark contrast when compared to the original show, since it's a movie, it's quite slow. All and all, i don't like the first half NEARLY as much as the second, it just felt a bit too out of place for my eyes and some things in this movie are unresolved. (how the fuck did Mami/Madoka revive?, how did they team up so easily?) ___ Overall thoughts ___ It's a little bit better than the original, though it is NOT inherently mandatory to watch it, however, [if you're like me, and excited for the upcoming 4th movie](https://anilist.co/anime/133007/Puella-Magi-Madoka-Magica-the-Movie-Walpurgisnacht-Rising/), then consider watching this one.

Venucurius

~~~__[!]THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR NOT ONLY REBELLION BUT POSSIBLY ALSO THE TV SHOW[!] __ It’s probably not so rare at this rate to encounter a sequel that runs as relatively frictionless as a previous installment until… THAT TWIST shows up. The kind of complex tone shift that looks like it could add variety to the story in tandem with being a great payoff, only for it to screw everything up anyways due to lack of context and/or taking itself too literally, basically being pretentious. For personal reference, Madoka’s movie sequel, Rebellion, falls under this category. When I first watched it, I was like “Oh boy! This will be a great conclusion to the original series!” But as I took a better look, it utterly aged like milk for me. Now before I get to kneecap this movie’s favorite time-travelling devil, I’ll re-cap my disclaimers: All of these are 100% opinion-based. What you’ll see is very subjective and therefore, shouldn’t be taken seriously. I have no problems with anyone liking the series. If you’re a fan of the series, feel free to share why you think it’s better than what I said. Alright, onto my thoughts. --- If you’re unfamiliar with Madoka as a whole, it’s about a girl named ‘Madoka’ who gets unparalleled nightmares, encounters a mysterious girl, and a cat alien named ‘Kyubey’ gives her a contract to turn her into a magical girl. The next day, the mysterious girl Madoka encounters in her dream is a transfer student in the same school Madoka studies in and she goes by the name of ‘Homura’. Both Madoka and Homura made more friends while fighting nightmares around in their magical girl journey. If you’ve watched the TV show but not the movie sequel just yet, you’ll be aware that Rebellion is quite different from the original. This time, it’s about Homura exploring the expanded chaos after Madoka’s sacrifice. Remember how Madoka has huge feelings for Homura in the TV show? Yeah, Homura decides to do the same after what happened. Now on the surface, this doesn’t give more heart to the series at all. I mean, Madoka threw away her life just so she could save her friends, and Homura wetting herself hard for her after said sacrifice would be embarrassing, and I WILL talk about that. But for how it brings to the table, it’s actually the golden reunion of Madoka and Homura. Because both main leads have a relatively strong impact on each other, we can see why this is the case. Both Madoka and Homura have a fun yet very tragic and twisted journey throughout their lives. Their chemistry with one another is complicated yet adds up to their characterization. While Rebellion differs in its story from the TV show’s it adds a lot more variety to both the duo of Madoka and Homura and the psychological storytelling of the whole series. This might be Rebellion’s high point as far as overall writing quality goes, being able to give heart despite having major differences as long as the coherent context is added until… there isn’t… The one thing the original TV show succeeds at is how it creates quite an endearing build-up and how it’s cautious with it. How delivers its personalized message in a figurative fashion is straight to the point. It could be a chore to watch though, considering how over-the-top it is with its philosophies but for the vast majority of its runtime, it does show what colorful creations look like. As for Rebellion, it may look like it would make for a great pay-off given the amount of complexity it holds. But as it turns out, it might be one of, if not, Madoka’s most contrived installations. Now I do believe that Rebellion doesn’t have a problem being extremely complex. It has a problem with trying to find an insightful elaboration. Sure, it DOES try to conclude the psychological elements of the plot and the duo of Madoka and Homura but those methods are jampacked by nonsensical information that I don’t know if the movie has the capacity to show heart. For the philosophies involved, I just can’t get myself to resonate with them. I get that they’re one of the most complex things in fiction but realistically speaking, Madoka as a whole doesn’t have a literal meaning, to begin with. It follows a figurative pattern that attempts to make you emphasize with any of its cast, whether they’re a cinnamon roll or a piece of human garbage. The TV show nails that. The movie, not so much. It takes all of with way too literally that it ends up being either boring or deceptively funny. As for the chemistry between Madoka and Homura, turning the tables to differ from the show’s portrayal is, again, not a problem. It shows how Homura wants to change things after the events. The big problem is that the movie treats that story element as a goddamn popcorn entertainment of a gimmick rather than an actual presentation of one of the movie’s main story elements. --- Now, the characters. We already know who the cast is but just in case you forgot who they are, we have Madoka the central angel, Mami the one magical girl whose head is food for the monsters, Sayaka the swords-playing magical girl, Kyouko the fiery magical girl, Kyuubey the alien grim reaper, and Homura the enigmatic time traveler. The cast was handled decently in the TV show. They aren’t the greatest but they have their moments that truly add to their characterization. This is all thanks to their combination of story contribution and character chemistry, a feat that the movie will sadly never be able to accomplish. And it’s embarrassing to think about because the build-up of the characterization in the show is a solid reservation for the movie’s payoff. Because Homura is the most iconic character in the series, I feel like she deserves a subcategory of her own. Meanwhile, I want to focus on the rest of the characters first. Starting with Madoka, whose character is really lacking. She wasn’t that great of a character, to begin with, especially as a protagonist. In the TV show, she does get the job done but that’s mostly about it. She’s decent but she could be a lot more compelling. Sadly, the movie didn’t do her justice. Instead, it turned her into a flying plot device to excuse the entire story. The same standards apply to Mami, Sayaka, and Kyouko. Their contribution to the story is admittedly present, sure, but it felt executed poorly thus, making them fodders for choreography that is otherwise very fun to watch. I’m sad about how wasted Sayaka is. She may be my favorite character in the show but she couldn’t save the movie on her own. Didn’t care for Kyuubey whatsoever. He’s known for being a love-it-or-hate-it kind of character but in my opinion, he’s just yet another living plot device. Though, no one is as stagnant and juvenile as Homura, who is just goddamn preposterous. Rebellion manages to turn her from a decent addition to arguably Madoka’s worst character. For the first half, she’s like the rest of the cast. She’s a living plot device to excuse the story. Not horrible but not good either. But once she obtains her demon form, this signifies the most idiotic case of character conclusion. Yes, it’s stated that she wants to see Madoka again and change the world after the chaos in the original show. But again, the big problem here is that there’s just minimal context to that, and yet, she overblows the objective so hard that it’s downright laughable. Despite her screentime, she has very little time to add anything to her character or the story and somehow, she manages to rush her way to a payoff that takes time to be constructed. All that buildup and all that chemistry just to make her a riddance mess of a character… Thanks, Homura, you depressed piece of cow manure… --- While the story content in this movie falls really short, I can at least give credit to the production and sound. The character designs are well-made. Not only do they look really nice but they also fit well with both the characters’ personalities and powers. The animation is once again very solid. Barely any BS PowerPoint slideshows are involved and the production remains to be smooth. And speaking of smoothness, the choreography is over-the-top and brilliantly executed in both the motion and the atmosphere. The OST is once again great. Yuki Kajiura will always be my favorite anime composer barring Hiroyuki Sawano and Kevin Penkin. Both the Japanese and English voice-acting are great, especially for the JP with Chiwa Saito as Homura. But man, Cristina Vee’s performance is just too good to ignore. Not only was her delivery straight to the point but it’s also damn intense. --- Madoka Rebellion isn’t horrible, but it’s a forced and pretentious movie that doesn’t know how the nature of Madoka as a whole works, despite its elements being a great contrast. It has certain moments that would have been compelling. Shame that it’s destroyed by stupid use of drama, monotone direction, and poor character writing, especially with Homura. Now again, I don’t have a problem with anyone liking this movie. If you have a chance of enjoying it, go ahead. No one’s stopping you. I just personally think it’s a contrived movie that ends up being a bad conclusion. Thanks for reading.~~~

Dinizo

Acho que eu nunca tinha me deparado com um encerramento de trilogia que me irritasse tanto quanto esse. Da primeira vez que assisti, fiquei tão atônito com a sequência de acontecimentos que sinceramente abstraí. Mas desde aquela época, cada vez que pensava nesse filme, ele ia ganhando novos e piores contornos pra mim e seu gosto ruim crescia no final da minha língua. A necessidade de rever crescia. Até que chegou a hora. Como eu lembrava muito pouco do que acontecia, fui me surpreendendo e até me rendendo ao início do filme, que sinceramente é ótimo. Sempre serei um defensor ferrenho da músiquinha do bolo, mesmo sendo o mais descarado dos fanservices. Até mesmo a metade do filme, antes mais nebulosa na minha mente, foi me conquistando e eu fui começando a me animar com a possibilidade de fechar o arquivo até passando a gostar do filme. Queria isso. Mas a realidade é sempre cruel. Honestamente não consigo compreender o passo lógico que faz a Homura sair de uma anti-heroína trágica a uma vilã excessivamente vil e conspurcada pelo desejo. Na verdade, considerando o ciclo cármico que se abateu sobre ela justamente por conta do desejo que ela fez ao Kyubey por tudo isso, talvez seja um passo natural querer manter a Madoka sob sua guarda para sempre e desafiar as leis do Universo não era exatamente algo novo para a Homura. Por esse prisma pode até tentar-se achar uma explicação, mas por outro lado, NADA justifica essa mudança súbita de personalidade da Homura. A Homura e a Madoka nunca foram compatíveis por diferenças ou qualquer coisa que as coloque na prateleira dos "opostos se atraem" justamente por estarem em uma dinâmica inversa, uma espécie de "semelhantes se repelem". Ambas se amavam tanto que iriam sempre priorizar a outra em prol de si mesma. Era um relacionamento impossível estruturado no amor mútuo das duas. Com o desenrolar deste filme, a Homura se coloca como uma oposição, uma antítese ao conceito da pessoa que ama, numa tentativa já desesperada e desprovida de toda esperança que alguém que passou pela situação dela deveria estar. Creio que assim, ela acredite que possa manter consigo a pessoa que ama, mesmo que de forma forçada, que também é uma forma de se pensar uma outra possibilidade ao relacionamento entre as duas. E aí assim a Homura possa, assim como a Madoka fez, tornar possível o impossível e criar uma realidade em que ela possa por fim subverter a única lei do universo que não conseguiu quebrar: ficar com a Madoka. Mas representado desta forma, esse filme só parece agir em oposição ao segundo filme, como se o negasse. Como se fosse uma tentativa de superar as discussões do segundo filme, tornando este o passo seguinte e "definitivo" do ciclo. Até por que "Rebellion" é a automática destruição do que era "Eternal" previamente. Transformar a Homura numa vilã edgy apática e enlouquecida pelo desejo obsessivo anula a belíssima história de sacrifício e amor pela qual ela se sujeitou, por mais que tenha sido impotente perante a tais eventos. Não é um complemento, é uma reedição, feito inclusive por ela própria, o que torna o final da personagem ainda mais melancólico e triste para mim. Vai se fuder quem teve a ideia esse filme.

Mahou Shoujo Madoka☆Magica: Hangyaku no Monogatari

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