Dude! Bravo! While you said this isn't technically a review of the series, its still an excellent video! I've watched the series 3 times now and with each new viewing I find new things to like about it. Everything you listed I 100% agree with on why I love it as well. I'll admit, the first time I watched it, I found myself crying for the characters after each episode because of the true realization to everything. This is such a deep and incredibly effective anime. It's in my Top 5 favorite anime series of all time. I go back and forth on who's my favorite because all of the characters are so amazingly three dimensional. Before I watched it, I thought it was going to be this cutesy magical girl show that has them team up and build friendships along the way. Boy I was wrong but I'm glad I was. One of the most powerful stories about despair, love, hope, and consequences.
Thanks, man! That means a lot! The show's certainly an emotional roller coaster, but it's a deep and ultimately optimistic emotional roller coaster. I do wish I went in totally blind like so many others, without knowing Urobutcher was behind it. Despite this not being a review, that 10/10 is indeed real. One of the best. Thanks again for watching!
@@MechBladeStudios You're welcome man! It is indeed optimistic and so emotional. Our hearts aches every time we rewatch it because we as an audience know what's bound to happen. The one scene where I absolutely can't hold back the tears is the last scene with Madoka and Homura. The music doesn't help making that scene so much more heartbreaking but yet uplifting as well because Madoka is totally fine with being a concept and the fact she literally becomes the embodiment of hope is incredible. And yes a 10/10 for sure!
@@jor-zilla8965 I also think the ending is optimistic, but the concept thing doesn't really reassure anyone. Who wants to be a concept? More appropriately she is god, the god who created heaven (and maybe not the earth in this case but who knows). That's the truly optimistic part, everybody will be with her in heaven. Because without heaven there would never be ultimate justice for magical girls.
How many time did you watch the show? For me it's like 6-7 times, and I agree on almost everything with you here (it's my favorite anime). I have few questions for you 1)What do you think of people disliking Madoka as a character? For me I have to rate Homura on the same level as Madoka. Because they're in an extraordinary way, both the heroes of the story. Homura is cynical, but not as cynical as people think. If you pay attention she never really lets the other girls die, she actively tries to save them even, except for Sayaka in the end. And then we have Madoka, who transcends that cynicism. And to transcend cynicism is not something to be scoffed at which makes her a great character. 2)How do you see Christianity play a role in this? Personally I think it's interesting how in a story like this, where they live in the coldest universe possible, it still ends up with a living monotheistic god. Is the conception of god the only solution to transcend cynicism? 3)I forgot my third question... Hopefully it comes back to me. But I want to say this is a great video. I've been searching for years for a Madoka video like this one. And now that I finally found it I'm happy
The prepping for this review was my fifth watch of the series. Probably the most out of any series. On Madoka: While I disagree with a lot of people actively disliking her, I can understand why people wouldn't rank her as their favorite (she's not mine). At a glance, Madoka comes across as an audience POV character, reacting to everyone else dying and such, or a plot device for Homura. Honestly, it was only this last rewatch that I finally understood why so much emphasis was placed on her mother. It added to Madoka's arc of why she would want to be a Magical Girl. She is far more active of a character than people give her credit for. She went from wanting to be special to becoming hope incarnate, the antithesis to all cynicism. On Homura: Given the number of timelines that apparently took place offscreen, I imagine she tried a lot harder to save the others in the earlier attempts, but after a certain point, she didn't put as much effort into saving anyone else besides Madoka. Her cynicism likely built up slowly over time. An argument can be made that she could have wished for general time travel powers to try to travel back to before Mami and Kyoko even got contracted, but her wish was made in the middle of extreme emotional anguish over Madoka's death, so I can understand why that didn't happen. Christianity: In hindsight, I probably could have stuck in a more complete remark about that. Kyubey's the devil or even the Snake from Adam & Eve, Witches and their labyrinths coincide with their mistakes, regrets, and sins like Dante's Inferno, Madoka becomes a forgiving God that saves Magical Girls from eternal suffering. That said, Godoka only appears to those who fall into despair, originally a condition that led to becoming a witch. Mami was a Magical Girl for a while and never completely broke down (she never got a chance to, but still). Kyoko was similar to Mami, but less out of keeping a happy face and more not caring about anything besides her own survival. Sayaka lasted a week or so. While the monotheistic God is definitely present, another interpretation of both the Witch Cycle and the Godoka cycle is to keep your head high and push onward through suffering, not to let it overcome you. Even if a Magical Girl's transformation/disappearance is inevitable, it can be delayed. Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed it!
@@MechBladeStudios If Dante's Inferno had any say in Madoka, Kyubey would be cast into the 9th circle! Interesting how you equate him to the devil. I don't explicitly label him like this because of his self proclaimed alien origin, but he actually might be Satan, and an effective one. Even real people think he is being "rational and not evil" in the anime. Rational? Maybe, evil? Definitely. Yes I agree that one of Madoka's interpretations is "The meaning of life is that the individual is stronger than the greatest challenge that can be put before him or her." If you look at the end state, things did change for the better. But not spectacularly much you might say. Apart from the fact she created heaven. Wow 5 times, that's a lot!
Dude! Bravo! While you said this isn't technically a review of the series, its still an excellent video! I've watched the series 3 times now and with each new viewing I find new things to like about it. Everything you listed I 100% agree with on why I love it as well. I'll admit, the first time I watched it, I found myself crying for the characters after each episode because of the true realization to everything. This is such a deep and incredibly effective anime. It's in my Top 5 favorite anime series of all time. I go back and forth on who's my favorite because all of the characters are so amazingly three dimensional. Before I watched it, I thought it was going to be this cutesy magical girl show that has them team up and build friendships along the way. Boy I was wrong but I'm glad I was. One of the most powerful stories about despair, love, hope, and consequences.
Thanks, man! That means a lot! The show's certainly an emotional roller coaster, but it's a deep and ultimately optimistic emotional roller coaster. I do wish I went in totally blind like so many others, without knowing Urobutcher was behind it. Despite this not being a review, that 10/10 is indeed real. One of the best. Thanks again for watching!
@@MechBladeStudios You're welcome man! It is indeed optimistic and so emotional. Our hearts aches every time we rewatch it because we as an audience know what's bound to happen. The one scene where I absolutely can't hold back the tears is the last scene with Madoka and Homura. The music doesn't help making that scene so much more heartbreaking but yet uplifting as well because Madoka is totally fine with being a concept and the fact she literally becomes the embodiment of hope is incredible. And yes a 10/10 for sure!
@@jor-zilla8965 I also think the ending is optimistic, but the concept thing doesn't really reassure anyone. Who wants to be a concept? More appropriately she is god, the god who created heaven (and maybe not the earth in this case but who knows). That's the truly optimistic part, everybody will be with her in heaven. Because without heaven there would never be ultimate justice for magical girls.
I agree. Homura Best Girl
#HomuraDidNothingWrong
The best user of save states around!
How many time did you watch the show? For me it's like 6-7 times, and I agree on almost everything with you here (it's my favorite anime). I have few questions for you 1)What do you think of people disliking Madoka as a character? For me I have to rate Homura on the same level as Madoka. Because they're in an extraordinary way, both the heroes of the story. Homura is cynical, but not as cynical as people think. If you pay attention she never really lets the other girls die, she actively tries to save them even, except for Sayaka in the end. And then we have Madoka, who transcends that cynicism. And to transcend cynicism is not something to be scoffed at which makes her a great character.
2)How do you see Christianity play a role in this? Personally I think it's interesting how in a story like this, where they live in the coldest universe possible, it still ends up with a living monotheistic god. Is the conception of god the only solution to transcend cynicism? 3)I forgot my third question... Hopefully it comes back to me. But I want to say this is a great video. I've been searching for years for a Madoka video like this one. And now that I finally found it I'm happy
The prepping for this review was my fifth watch of the series. Probably the most out of any series.
On Madoka: While I disagree with a lot of people actively disliking her, I can understand why people wouldn't rank her as their favorite (she's not mine). At a glance, Madoka comes across as an audience POV character, reacting to everyone else dying and such, or a plot device for Homura. Honestly, it was only this last rewatch that I finally understood why so much emphasis was placed on her mother. It added to Madoka's arc of why she would want to be a Magical Girl. She is far more active of a character than people give her credit for. She went from wanting to be special to becoming hope incarnate, the antithesis to all cynicism.
On Homura: Given the number of timelines that apparently took place offscreen, I imagine she tried a lot harder to save the others in the earlier attempts, but after a certain point, she didn't put as much effort into saving anyone else besides Madoka. Her cynicism likely built up slowly over time. An argument can be made that she could have wished for general time travel powers to try to travel back to before Mami and Kyoko even got contracted, but her wish was made in the middle of extreme emotional anguish over Madoka's death, so I can understand why that didn't happen.
Christianity: In hindsight, I probably could have stuck in a more complete remark about that. Kyubey's the devil or even the Snake from Adam & Eve, Witches and their labyrinths coincide with their mistakes, regrets, and sins like Dante's Inferno, Madoka becomes a forgiving God that saves Magical Girls from eternal suffering.
That said, Godoka only appears to those who fall into despair, originally a condition that led to becoming a witch. Mami was a Magical Girl for a while and never completely broke down (she never got a chance to, but still). Kyoko was similar to Mami, but less out of keeping a happy face and more not caring about anything besides her own survival. Sayaka lasted a week or so. While the monotheistic God is definitely present, another interpretation of both the Witch Cycle and the Godoka cycle is to keep your head high and push onward through suffering, not to let it overcome you. Even if a Magical Girl's transformation/disappearance is inevitable, it can be delayed.
Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed it!
@@MechBladeStudios If Dante's Inferno had any say in Madoka, Kyubey would be cast into the 9th circle! Interesting how you equate him to the devil. I don't explicitly label him like this because of his self proclaimed alien origin, but he actually might be Satan, and an effective one. Even real people think he is being "rational and not evil" in the anime. Rational? Maybe, evil? Definitely.
Yes I agree that one of Madoka's interpretations is "The meaning of life is that the individual is stronger than the greatest challenge that can be put before him or her."
If you look at the end state, things did change for the better. But not spectacularly much you might say. Apart from the fact she created heaven.
Wow 5 times, that's a lot!