Anime Discussion Thread - Page 1022

To me, Madoka isn't too much of a cop out. I don't see why killing Homura/Madoka does anything for the show. To me, death needs to be an impactful experience.

Mami's death showed that the life of a puella magi can be quick and morbid.

Sayaka's death showed that even those closest to Madoka were bound to leave her. Also some shit about corruption too...

And Kyouko's death taught us that there are those who can change and still believe in friendship in the face of adversity.

Their deaths meant something to us, and for those who wanted a dark, everyone dead ending....that doesn't make too much sense to me.

What would Homura's death prove? That all pursuits in life are meaningless?

And what would Madoka's death demonstrate? I'll tell you...absolutely nothing.

Here's what I felt at the end:

Madoka's sacrifice isn't just the idea that she transcends and becomes hope/god/actionjesus. It's the idea that Madoka has gone full circle. Pay attention to episode 10 and the first Madoka we meet is so confident in what she does, willing to die for the goodness of others.

As she moves on, Madoka grows weaker, cowarding in despair, only to show confidence in saving her friend (and even then, begs Homura to change her).

Madoka's refusal to become a puella magi and then her acceptance to kill EVERY witch at the end is a huge character change and a full circle back to who Madoka used to be: not the pussy who watched her friends die but the confident girl who is willing to do anything to save others. To me, that feels like the best sort of change.

Then there's Homura. Again, her death would've done nothing to advance what the show is about. But what we did get is Homura's realization that there was absolutely nothing that she could do. The scene where she's about to turn into a witch IS the climax of the show; the part where all hope seems lost.

So why doesn't SHAFT pull the trigger and turn Homura into a witch? Is it because they took pity? Or that Homura's too badass? Or maybe because they wanted a happier ending?

To me, it felt like none of those. Homura's suffering at this point is beyond death. She could become a witch or whatever, but she has already suffered more to become a witch a hundred times over. Her transformation is unnecessary. It proves nothing. It gets the show nowhere and in all honesty, becomes fan service to those who want a dark and depressing ending.

Instead, SHAFT does a great job of bringing Homura from the brink. It showed us that FINALLY, a puella magi who has despaired can come back.

And that's what Homura's story is about: a girl who hopes even in the midst of despair. Unlike others who became witches as they suffered until there was nothing left, Homura's story tells of someone who fought so hard for the person she loved more and hoped until there was nothing left to hope for.

Her salvation proves to us that there is a way to combat all the cruelness and suffering in the world.

And while some people might say SHAFT beats friendship on the top of our heads...it's not just friendship.

More or less, it's hope and goals. Those who survived had goals in their heads. What did Sayaka have? She had friends, but no hope/dreams/aspirations. Same with the others.

Madoka and Homura live on through their dreams and aspirations of saving each other, seeing each other again, preserving the world, etc.

So in conclusion....this rant....is just saying..

That Madoka is pretty god Madoka damn brilliant.

There's a difference between foreshadowing and being predictable. Soul gems turning into grief seeds was good foreshadowing. Homura being a timetraveler was good foreshadowing. The wish fixing everything was not. The former plot points were hinted at briefly throughout the story, and they were vague enough that numerous alternatives existed. For the wish however, there was literally no other path for the story to take. After episode 10, we come to the realization that everybody's died numerous times. Homura's obviously tried everything she can think of to stop Madoka's death and Walpurgis, and nothing has worked. Therefore, the solution must be the only unaccounted plot point, Madoka's wish.

To me, the most entertaining aspect of Madoka was the story. In addition to being very open for speculation (and consequently, discussion) at the start, the various plot twists they threw at us were very well executed. Episode 3. Episode 10. Those are the two episodes that immediately come to mind when I think of Madoka. Episode 3 featured a wham moment where someone who we thought was a major character got killed off. Episode 10 answered a lot of questions regarding the plot, and showed us that everything we had watched was merely another iteration of the timeline. Both episodes had unexpected elements, and were interesting for that reason. Compare that with episode 12, where the conclusion is practically foregone.

Finally, episode 12 was the culmination of 11 episodes of hype. The plot was slowly built up, piece by piece, and it all came together in episode 10. Homura has to defeat Walpurgis to save Madoka and stop the timeline from repeating, a feat which she has never accomplished. And how do they address this in the final episode? With literal deus ex machina. This is the same shit that ruined the ending of Mirai Nikki.

Also, you're misunderstanding something. It's not like killing off Madoka and Homura is the only other way to end the story. All I'm asking for is something more clever.

And since when was Madoka not Shirou a self-sacrificing moralfag? She died as a magical girl in every single fucking timeline. Hell, even in this timeline, she would have contracted with Kyubey on that park bench if Homura hadn't shot up his body. The only reason she was so wishy-washy about it for so long was because Homura was actively stopping her.

I still don't understand why everyone is so quick to say deus ex machina. It's been stated from the get-go that Madoka had the unique ability to grant such a wish. Kyuubey specifically mentions her being able to have god-like power. In addition, why she has this power is also, I felt, well explained in ep11.