Welcome to a new series of threads, <X> Recommends!
The rules are simple. The OP (Me in this case) will write a recommendation on something that you absolutely, positively must watch in your lifetime and more importantly, why it must be watched without spoiling the plot or by judicious usage of spoiler tags as demonstrated below:
Spoiler: show
At the end of the month the OP selects an active poster that has participated in the thread to post their own recommendation. Said person will then post a <||Name Here|| Recommends!> with their own selected item along with a review. If you get selected but don't wish to participate, you can of course refuse and the OP can select someone new. In case the OP is unavailable for an extended period, I'll happily take on the mantle and post a new recommendation (Razor Recommends 2.0!) to get the ball rolling once again.
Let's put that in point form for simplicities sake.
- OP Writes Recommendation on something they like to watch
- Avoid spoilers where possible, use spoiler tags if you can't
- People read the thread, check out the recommended item
- Post thoughts about the recommended item, what they liked, what they didn't, where they think the OP faltered in their recommendation, etc.
- OP will select an active participant from the thread to recommend something they liked
- New Poster (NP) will post their own recommendation on something they liked and the cycle begins again
Because of the date this is being posted on and the relative newness this kind of thread entails, I'll be selecting someone to post their recommendation at the end of March rather than the end of February. This gives people a bit of time to get settled with the concept.
Also, spoilers will be enforced for this thread. If something gets posted up that's a potential spoiler, I will edit it so that it falls within spoiler tags.
Also also, I'll be writing up a more informal spoilery review that will be entirely enclosed by spoiler tags. It will be posted in the reserved post below.
So, now that introductions are out of the way, let's move on to the main topic at hand!
RAZOR RECOMMENDS
Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Alternatively known as Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica, or simply Madoka Magica, or even more simply, Madoka.
Have a relatively spoiler free trailer!
On to the review!
I seldom talk about anime I like. I know that not everyone on Earth likes anime and generally speaking the ones I like are odd, niche, or not for the general public. This is a rare exception.
If you haven't heard of Madoka Magica yet or are as yet unspoiled as to its plot and ending... I STRONGLY suggest watching this before looking it up on the internet. Seriously. While being spoiled won't necessarily detract from your enjoyment of the show, it is one where not being spoiled increases the impact.
Stop blathering Razor, start telling us why we should watch this already!
Ouch! Okay! Okay!
Let's all start with something we're all familiar with. Do we all remember Code of Hero? Do we recall the cinematography, tight script, excellent storyline, the crushing despair and the uplifting hope?
Good. That level of writing and involvement is present in Madoka Magica from Episode 1 to Episode 12.
Let's establish the basic premise.
The basic premise of Madoka Magica is the "Mahou Shojou" or "Magical Girl" genre. If you've ever seen Sailor Moon, you've pretty much got the premise of the show down in a nutshell.
Hold the phone Razor, this doesn't sound badass at all!
I'm getting to that!
Anyone who knows me knows I hate shows like Sailor Moon. Madoka Magica, whilst belonging to the same genre, is completely unlike Sailor Moon. You'll see why when you start watching it
The script is tightly written and the characters all have their roles and personalities well fleshed out.
Let's do a basic rundown of characters. This section has been spoilered to conserve the length of this post. There are no spoilers in this section.
Spoiler: show
After experiencing a strange dream, Kaname Madoka and Miki Sayaka encounter a strange being called Kyubei who offers them the chance to realise one wish and gain magical powers in exchange for becoming magical girls and fighting invisible but malevolent beings called Witches. An Ally of Kyubei, Mami Tomoe, show them the life of a magical girl and all that it entails, but another magical girl, Akemi Homura, is determined to stop them from becoming magical girls for some unknown reason.
The art is... phenomenal to say the least. There is more artistic creativity in these twelve episodes of anime than I've seen in some museums, and I've been to quite a few of those!
Let's let the art speak for itself though. This section has been spoilered both to conserve post length and image loading.
Spoiler: show
The character designs in contrast are actually quite plain and bland... but I think that it's a style that works. The blandness tends to be restricted to the characters ordinary clothing, whilst their Magical Girl outfits tend to be unique and interesting and each prominent character has their own colour coding.
One thing that really stood out for me was the usage, or complete and total lack thereof, of stock footage. You read that right. One of my pet peeves when watching animation of any kind is the usage and over usage of stock footage that does little but showcase a transformation sequence with little to no advancement of the plot. Madoka Magica does have transformation sequences... and not a single one of them is stock footage. They're all unique. Every. Last. One. No footage is recycled. Ever.
One particular thing to note is that Shaft, the animation studio, went back and redid some scenes as well as fix up a few animation mistakes they made the first time... which is very rare if my understanding is correct. It also introduces a conundrum. Some of the visual style before the fixes went into place were actually quite important... how a particular room was furnished for instance, changed between the original broadcast and the re-airing. While this might seem unimportant, it conveyed a certain sense to the viewer about that particular characters room.
Even so, the animation, art style, and execution is lovely.
And then comes the music.
I've linked the music for Madoka Magica a few times over in the music thread in the past. I'd like to take this opportunity to rehash some of those selection in the spoiler below.
Spoiler: show
When you combine the music, the story, the artistic genius and animation style, you get a truly phenomenal piece of work. This show has so much atmosphere you'll need a chainsaw to cut through it. I heartily and absolutely recommend that you do yourself a favour and watch all twelve episodes at least once.
I'm going to further recommend that you need to watch this at least three or four times to pick up on some of the nuances and hidden references to future events in some of the early episodes.
If this review has convinced you I'm full of slag... I'm going to say that you should at least give it until episode 3 at the bare minimum. If you still hate it at the end of that episode, feel free to slap me upside the head
My Ratings*
*Note: All ratings are arbitrary.
Story: 10 / 10. It moved me where many a story fails to do so.
Animation and Art: 9 / 10. Almost perfect. The characters were a bit too plain at times though. The rest was... flawless.
Music: 10 / 10. Not just great music, but flawlessly woven into each scene to add to the emotion and impact.
Impact: 10 / 10. If you feel nothing after watching this, you're not human.
