The End of Madoka
WARNING: Here be spoilers
After a month long delay Puella Magi Madoka Magica came to its long anticipated finale, which will no doubt polarize viewers. Going into it, I expected a sorrowful tragedy after a grueling 8 episodes (yeah the first two don't really count) of watching everything go to Hell in a hand basket. Between Sayaka turning into a Witch, to Kyoko's death, to watching Homoura go back time and time again to stop Madoka's untimely death. As a deconstruction series of Magical Girls one could only expect the worse, instead we got a Gainax Ending. Maybe.
In the end Madoka's ending is bittersweet, Madoka transcendens space to become a God so that other Magical Girls won't have to suffer the little bastard QB finds a new energy source, but alas the quest of being Maho Shoujo is not over as new demons take place of the witches. Okay this post may sound negative but in all actuality I really did enjoy Madoka's ending. After marathoning all 10 episodes to prepare for the finale, it started to get a bit soul crushing. Watching Homoura shoot Madoka again, that isn't easy! Good ending and all I did find it a tad funny and half expected the cast to start saying "Congratulations!"
CONGRATULATIONS! Okay sillyness aside while this ending may have bordered on a tad Deus Ex Machina, I'm quite willing and ready to forgive and forget. Madoka sacrificing her self (how appropriate for Good Friday) makes her all the more lovable now, but not as loved as Mami ;) and Homoura became my favorite character of all time! Some might find this a tad anti-climatic I however think it was perfect. We were treated to some badass action in episode 11 as Homoura unleashes a barrage of hard core artillery fire proving she is AWESOME.
Time to die Walpurgis!
Awesome as she is Homura is unable to defeat Walpurgis on her own, and as she prepares to turn back time Madoka comes to make her wish. As the universe erases it self to restart in a new way, Madoka is erased from time and space except for poor Homura. Now she can't get her lesyay.
Eat your heart out Michale Bay
A bitter-sweet ending at its finest without too much of an asspull this series will still remain among my top favorites. One can hope this will get a proper R1 License and not a royal screwing by Aniplex, less I mention $400 Garden of Sinners movie -_-
Post Script: There has been much talk of an alleged sequel or spin-off, if this does happen let us hope we won't get the same mind warping results of End of Evangelion, but all the same stay true to what made Madoka great.
Homura reminds me a lot of Chikane from Kannazuki no Miko. No wonder she's your favorite! ^^ I looked up the character's popularity at MAL and I came up with this:
ReplyDeleteHomura - 556 member favorites
Mami - 192 member favorites
Kyouko - 154 member favorites
Madoka - 127 member favorites
Sayaka - 57 member favorites
You know Mami is my favorite, and she is indeed popular, but it looks like Homura is clearly the fan favorite here! I expect Madoka to become more popular after the ending aswell. No idea why is Kyouko in third place, she's the least interesting character imo, and poor Sayaka is just underrated. :(
As for the ending itself, well... I didn't dislike it. It wasn't as touching or impressive as I was hoping but it was definitely a good ending. The only thing that really bothered me was how easy it actually was to use the wish to corrupt the rules. I find it very unlikely, disturbing, insulting even, that no other girl before Madoka would have thought of that over the millenia. It was too easy a loophole and felt like a bit of a facepalm to me. ^^;