This is a static copy of In the Rose Garden, which existed as the center of the western Utena fandom for years. Enjoy. :)

#1 | Back to Top06-14-2012 01:26:10 AM

CausalityStar
Caretaker
From: Idaho
Registered: 09-12-2010
Posts: 215

Puella Magi Madoka Magica

Or Madoka Magica for short. I think we should have a thread to discuss this wonderful anime. There will be spoilers, so if you haven't seen it you should go over to hulu.com or crunchyroll.com where you can watch the entire series for free and legally. I would recommend crunchyroll over hulu so that you don't have to watch a billion ads. Crunchyroll usually only makes you watch one thirty second ad at the beginning of each episode. Also, it's only twelve episodes that are around 22-25 minutes each including the credits, so it won't take too much time to watch it.

If you don't know what this anime is about, it's basically a dark deconstruction of the magical girl genre. The girls in the series become magical girls by making a contract with a creature named Kyubey. He grants them any wish they want and in exchange they become magical girls who fight witches, nightmarish acid-trip monsters that are often responsible for unexplained murders and suicides. This series might throw you off with the cute character designs, but it's anything but a cute series. The magical girls have to deal with things like death, existential crisis and of course, acid-trip monsters.

That's all I can say without seriously spoiling it. I'll just say that something really shocking and dark happens in the third episode, which clues you into the fact that this is not a happy magical girl series.

Offline

 

#2 | Back to Top06-14-2012 01:32:46 AM

Dognog
Friend, Perhaps
From: TN
Registered: 06-06-2011
Posts: 333

Re: Puella Magi Madoka Magica

omg yay, Madoka is my new summertime obsession :3
I watched it last year but I was too into Utena at the time to really pay attention, so I've watched it two more times in the past couple of weeks. I got my sister to stay up all night and watch all of it the other day :>

I dunno what else to say atm except I want plushies to cry on


"DOGNOG: He's got a fiancee, hoes, and freaks with his sister. He is the original PIMP."

Offline

 

#3 | Back to Top06-14-2012 02:05:31 AM

CausalityStar
Caretaker
From: Idaho
Registered: 09-12-2010
Posts: 215

Re: Puella Magi Madoka Magica

I got into the series last fall because my college has an anime club and we watched the first three episodes and after you know what happened I just had the watch the rest. Needless to say, I began to wonder if I should go back on anti-depressants. I did get my mom to watch the fansubbed, TV broadcast version with me last winter. (Because the hulu and crunchyroll DVD/Blu-Ray versions weren't up yet.)

I wish I could convince my dad to watch it with me because he only watched one episode and won't watch the rest. As for my brother, he doesn't like anime because "it's weird".

I would love to buy it on DVD so I could troll the crap out of my dad and my brother while I'm home for the summer, but it's so expensive and I don't have a job. Also, it has an English version and my grandma said she'd watch it with me if I ever bought it on DVD. (She has trouble reading the subtitles because she's old.)

Offline

 

#4 | Back to Top06-14-2012 02:14:49 AM

Dognog
Friend, Perhaps
From: TN
Registered: 06-06-2011
Posts: 333

Re: Puella Magi Madoka Magica

Your parents watch anime with you ;_; I've been trying to get Mom to watch Utena, but nope emot-tongue
I let a friend watch the first ep the other day but he kinda judged it quickly because I think he didn't want to watch it at the moment and said he didn't like it... >_> He agreed a few minutes ago to watch it with me next month after we go to the mini-con.

I want the DVDs, too, but man it's so much. Like..goodness -o- But I wonder how the English will be.




i'm marrying homura


"DOGNOG: He's got a fiancee, hoes, and freaks with his sister. He is the original PIMP."

Offline

 

#5 | Back to Top06-14-2012 08:20:52 AM

gorgeousshutin
Bare Footman
Registered: 04-11-2012
Posts: 1325
Website

Re: Puella Magi Madoka Magica

I've been trying to get Mom to watch Utena

Oh my, that's what I did like 14 yrs ago!  Mom was baffled by how every guy was attracted to Anthy during the first two arcs, whom she said looked like a middle-aged housewife; then she saw the eps where Anthy was revealed to be a sultry long-haired temptress, and she went like whaaa . . .?!emot-rofl


(SKU/MPD) Seinen Kakumei Utena (Completed as of May 12, 2018) / (PSOH/SKU) Revolutionary Human Leon (Updated to Part 4 as of Oct 31, 2017) / (NGE) The End of Hedgehog_s Dilemma (Updated to Part II Chapter 6 as of May 17, 2016) / (BananaFish) Medusa (Updated to Chapter 3 as of Mar 1, 2016)
http://archiveofourown.org/users/gorgeousshutin/works or https://www.fanfiction.net/u/3978886/

Offline

 

#6 | Back to Top06-14-2012 01:22:24 PM

CausalityStar
Caretaker
From: Idaho
Registered: 09-12-2010
Posts: 215

Re: Puella Magi Madoka Magica

If you guys want to know more about the English dub, you can watch the English-language trailer and voice actress cast videos from Aniplex on youtube. Here's a link: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL … ature=plcp

I probably will always like the subbed version more, but it seems like the people they got for the English dub aren't half bad. And it's also fun to watch them answer questions like "Would you ever be a magical girl?" without spoiling the whole series.

My mom is mainly the one who will watch anime with me when she's not working. It's harder to get my dad to watch it. I probably can't get him to watch the rest of Madoka Magica unless I get on DVD and beg him to watch it with me. We have a 1980's TV and a good DVD player with a fancy speaker system, so maybe I can get him to watch the English dub. (He has problems reading the subtitles because they usually aren't big enough because we don't have a widescreen TV.)

I did watch Devil May Cry one time and my dad ended up watching a few episodes, even though he'll never, ever admit he liked it. (Even though he made a lot of different jokes about the evil demonic mask that grants wishes.) So, the tl;dr version is that getting my dad to watch anime with me is complicated.

Offline

 

#7 | Back to Top06-14-2012 03:38:05 PM

purplepolecat
Atlantean Singer
From: Vancouver, B.C.
Registered: 03-26-2007
Posts: 570

Re: Puella Magi Madoka Magica

Madoka takes you for quite a ride.

The first few episodes draw you in with an interesting art style and cute characters. There is some foreshadowing that things are not quite as they seem.

When you find out a little more about the whole magical girl setup, you say "Aha! I new there was something wrong here! Kubey is trying to trick them!"

And then the horrifying revelations keep coming.


Magical girls are basically Liches!
The world is a cosmic generator fueled by the suffering of children!
Happiness is actually impossible! It's a zero-sum game!
Helping people? Also impossible! The more powerful a MG you are, the worse of a witch you'll become!


The Homura back-story episode was particularly heart-wrenching, and made me want to give her a big hug. She is by far my favorite character.

By the last episode my jaw was on the floor.

I usually love an unhappy ending, but in this case I felt so bad for the cast that I was mightily relieved when everything was resolved.

I'm confident that in future years, Madoka will be remembered alongside Evangelion and Utena as an example of how a mind-screw anime should be executed.

EDIT: hid the most egregious spoilers.

Last edited by purplepolecat (06-14-2012 05:26:04 PM)


We're here, we're queer, we don't want any more bears!
Honorary Hat Mafia Member
Now Playing: Bear Supply - "I Maul Out Of Love"

Offline

 

#8 | Back to Top06-14-2012 03:56:42 PM

CausalityStar
Caretaker
From: Idaho
Registered: 09-12-2010
Posts: 215

Re: Puella Magi Madoka Magica

@puplepolecat

I was glad the ending was a least somewhat happy because the whole series was so depressing up until that point. It was still pretty bittersweet, considering what happened to Madoka, but I did like the ending. Oh, and according to http://wiki.puella-magi.net/ there are going to be three movies for this series. The first two are basically re-telling of the 12-episode anime and the third one takes place right after the very end of the anime where Homura is fighting those demons. By the way, that wikia is awesome and has a lot of information that you might have missed watching the show, such as what the runes mean. Obviously contains major spoilers.

I agree that Madoka is an epic mind screw, although it is a little easier to understand than Utena is. I think I need to watch Evangelion since a lot of people keep recommending it.

I was wondering how everyone felt about how the series dealt with the whole "Be careful what you wish for" concepts in the show. I liked that Kyubey wasn't exactly a trickster genie, but that in a lot of cases people end up not wishing for what they really want. (I'm looking at you Sayaka.)

Offline

 

#9 | Back to Top06-14-2012 04:34:57 PM

Riri-kins
World's End
From: Cloud Nine
Registered: 09-22-2008
Posts: 2354

Re: Puella Magi Madoka Magica

I'm on episode five so far and I can honestly say that I was hooked by the third even after you-know-what happened. The director was seriously depressed when he was making it, right? That's what I've heard.


Proud Saionji and Mikage fangirl
My Utena fanfiction: http://www.fanfiction.net/u/2000115/Riri-kins

Offline

 

#10 | Back to Top06-14-2012 04:43:22 PM

gorgeousshutin
Bare Footman
Registered: 04-11-2012
Posts: 1325
Website

Re: Puella Magi Madoka Magica

I think I need to watch Evangelion since a lot of people keep recommending it.

The characters in Evangelion are, IMHO, less well-fleshed out than Utena, with the supposed deep emotions coming off flat/contrived at times.  What makes Eva an everlasting classic, however, are the stunning array of well-animated Angel types, along with the dramatic music and spectacular action scenes.


(SKU/MPD) Seinen Kakumei Utena (Completed as of May 12, 2018) / (PSOH/SKU) Revolutionary Human Leon (Updated to Part 4 as of Oct 31, 2017) / (NGE) The End of Hedgehog_s Dilemma (Updated to Part II Chapter 6 as of May 17, 2016) / (BananaFish) Medusa (Updated to Chapter 3 as of Mar 1, 2016)
http://archiveofourown.org/users/gorgeousshutin/works or https://www.fanfiction.net/u/3978886/

Offline

 

#11 | Back to Top06-14-2012 04:45:23 PM

Overlord Morgus
Banned
Registered: 02-22-2011
Posts: 314

Re: Puella Magi Madoka Magica

That show seriously has the best mahou shoujo designs I have ever seen.

Last edited by Overlord Morgus (06-14-2012 04:46:46 PM)

Offline

 

#12 | Back to Top06-14-2012 05:10:14 PM

Calamity
High Tripper
Registered: 06-13-2010
Posts: 244

Re: Puella Magi Madoka Magica

I'm firm in the belief that IRG has never steered me wrong as far as anime that twist the Magical Girl genre is concerned and PMMM has been on my radar for a bit so I'm probably going to have to finally check it out. emot-smile

Offline

 

#13 | Back to Top06-15-2012 12:45:02 AM

CausalityStar
Caretaker
From: Idaho
Registered: 09-12-2010
Posts: 215

Re: Puella Magi Madoka Magica

Riri-kins wrote:

I'm on episode five so far and I can honestly say that I was hooked by the third even after you-know-what happened. The director was seriously depressed when he was making it, right? That's what I've heard.

According to the Madoka Magica wikia page, being Gen Urobuchi is suffering. Apparently when he was 24 he was seriously ill for several months, which influenced his outlook on life and lead to him writing dark stories. So, I would not be surprised if he was depressed while making Madoka Magica. Oh, and that page on http://wiki.puella-magi.net about him has a section entitled: Gen Urobuchi's trail of tears.

By the way, are you guys familiar with Meduka Meguca. There is a youtube version of it now, but it had spoilers and makes more sense if you watch the entire series first: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNGr-KKzYaQ

Offline

 

#14 | Back to Top06-15-2012 02:34:42 AM

Dognog
Friend, Perhaps
From: TN
Registered: 06-06-2011
Posts: 333

Re: Puella Magi Madoka Magica

what is it Coobie? emot-rofl

I wish I hadn't known what was coming on episode 3 before I watched it the first time. It would've been more terrible (fun). I watched it in a youtube video I saw on fb some months before I watched the actual show, so it was my first impression of it! emot-tongue


"DOGNOG: He's got a fiancee, hoes, and freaks with his sister. He is the original PIMP."

Offline

 

#15 | Back to Top06-16-2012 04:34:09 PM

CausalityStar
Caretaker
From: Idaho
Registered: 09-12-2010
Posts: 215

Re: Puella Magi Madoka Magica

Dognog wrote:

what is it Coobie? emot-rofl

I wish I hadn't known what was coming on episode 3 before I watched it the first time. It would've been more terrible (fun). I watched it in a youtube video I saw on fb some months before I watched the actual show, so it was my first impression of it! emot-tongue

Become meguca!

I didn't get any spoilers for the series before I watched it. We watched the first three episodes in anime club, which I thought was weird because we usually only watch the first two episodes of a given anime. Needless to say, everyone was very surprised by episode three and I remember the vice-president saying, "Yes, she's dead and it's permanent!"

Offline

 

#16 | Back to Top09-25-2012 08:45:29 PM

CausalityStar
Caretaker
From: Idaho
Registered: 09-12-2010
Posts: 215

Re: Puella Magi Madoka Magica

So I watched the English dub of the whole series on the internet and too summarize:

No. Just No.

Okay in seriousness the English dub voice actresses weren't that bad for the most part. None of them had particularly obnoxious or grating voices and while I think Homura's Japanese VA will always be the best Homura, the woman who voiced Homura in the English dub was pretty good.

So then, the problem with the English dub lies in the way they decided to re-write the dialogue. I get that translating Japanese into English is complicated. Some of the dialogue in PMMM would sound oddly stiff and formal if someone said it verbatim in English. I don't have a problem with changing the sentence structure a little bit but still keeping the meaning of the dialogue.

However, the dub doesn't just change a few of the more formal sounding pieces of dialogue. Instead, it dumbs down a lot of the dialogue and adds in chatspeak. That's right, chatspeak. Sayaka uses the phrase "For Realz" several times and it just sounds stupid and out of place. Kyoko uses the term "BFFs" at one point.

As for dumbing down the dialogue, Kyoko's speech about how hope and despair balance out to zero got reduced to "good and bad kinda balance each other out". Really, the target audience for this show is people age 13+ according to the rating on the DVDs; I think they can wrap their minds around concepts like "hope" and "despair". We also have God!Madoka saying that she has "nothing to worry about" if all the witches are destroyed instead of "having no reason to feel despair".

Needless to say, I was really disappointed with this dub. While I do prefer to watch shows and movies in their original language, it is always nice to have some decently dubbed anime to share with aging relatives who can't read the subtitles fast enough.

Not to mention, PMMM did have a decent voice cast, so if only they had hired a better script writer, this could have been a decent dub.

Offline

 

#17 | Back to Top09-25-2012 09:21:29 PM

OnlyInThisLight
KING OF ALL DUCKS
Registered: 01-15-2008
Posts: 4412

Re: Puella Magi Madoka Magica

I think that what makes MM stand out is that all the "dark deconstruction of magical girl anime" stuff is only the setting for the characters and the plot, it's not the actual draw or meat of the series.  Hence why there is next to no pretense in it and the thematic shift occurs early on (and even before that, there were liberal amounts of foreshadowing).  That's how you utilize a genre.

Offline

 

#18 | Back to Top09-26-2012 11:34:23 AM

Dazmi
Miki Molester
From: Winnipeg, MB
Registered: 08-09-2012
Posts: 30
Website

Re: Puella Magi Madoka Magica

Madoka Magica? What can I say about it...

Normally if you do want to cry and see a sad story, these stories can be escapist. Soapy stories where people randomly die because it's OMG SAD, but it's also easy, cheap writing. The point I'm trying to make is that the world is filled with great, modern uplifters. But, what about a downer? That is a rare breed. It's not dark or disturbing for its own sake, it's not manipulative and schlocky to jerk tears at the expense of brain cells.

If you're at all curious, I say give it a try. 10/10

Last edited by Dazmi (09-26-2012 11:38:12 AM)

Offline

 

#19 | Back to Top09-26-2012 02:05:46 PM

Lurv
Pained Growlithe
Registered: 05-25-2012
Posts: 520

Re: Puella Magi Madoka Magica

This show is great. I got into it because I liked the recap thread about Utena someone linked to, and the guy doing that one is also doing one for Madoka. (Spoilers, obviously.) I wasn't a big fan of the art style (for the human characters, anyway), but gave it a try anyway. At least the witches and their barriers look interesting.

The story is really interesting too. Being only 12 episodes, it doesn't take long to pull you in, and it can be pretty intense at times. Sure, there's not much gore, but it's still pretty dark and creepy. And I can always appreciate a story that doesn't rely much on gore to be dark.

As far as the characters go, I liked Homura and Kyouko. QB is a love to hate type of character. emot-tongue

It also has some really nice music.

Offline

 

#20 | Back to Top09-26-2012 08:09:45 PM

OnlyInThisLight
KING OF ALL DUCKS
Registered: 01-15-2008
Posts: 4412

Re: Puella Magi Madoka Magica

I also think that Madoka works on two entertainment levels.  If you are not familiar with magical girl anime or don't give a flip about the more, err, I guess you could say "symbolic and intellectual" aspects of the series, you'll still enjoy yourself, because it has amazing action sequences, animation and music, and the plot is twisty and well paced even if you don't care about the meaning behind any of it.  In regards to Magical Girl stuff, you can have your cake (TRANSFORMATION, COLORS, HAIR, MAGICAL ACCESSORIES, ACTION AND CUTE MASCOT) and eat it to (subversion of all of the above!)  That fact that those elements are being subverted or explored in an unfamiliar way does not make them any less, well, totally cool.


Just because becoming a magical girl has horrific consequences doesn't mean they aren't fun to watch fight.  >.>

Last edited by OnlyInThisLight (09-28-2012 09:55:54 PM)

Offline

 

#21 | Back to Top09-28-2012 08:53:25 PM

CausalityStar
Caretaker
From: Idaho
Registered: 09-12-2010
Posts: 215

Re: Puella Magi Madoka Magica

I really liked the fight scenes in this show too! They had good animation and they were dynamic and action-filled.

I agree that there was foreshadowing even before the you-know-what happened in episode three that PMMM wouldn't be that happy of a show. Those witches are some seriously scary acid trip creatures.

I like that this show is essentially a beautiful tragedy. When someone dies, it's not for cheap drama and you actually feel sad about it.

Last edited by CausalityStar (09-28-2012 08:54:17 PM)

Offline

 

#22 | Back to Top09-29-2012 04:42:45 AM

Lurv
Pained Growlithe
Registered: 05-25-2012
Posts: 520

Re: Puella Magi Madoka Magica

CausalityStar wrote:

I agree that there was foreshadowing even before the you-know-what happened in episode three that PMMM wouldn't be that happy of a show. Those witches are some seriously scary acid trip creatures.

And Madoka's nightmare at the very beginning of the series was a pretty big clue as well.

Offline

 

#23 | Back to Top09-29-2012 01:18:59 PM

gorgeousshutin
Bare Footman
Registered: 04-11-2012
Posts: 1325
Website

Re: Puella Magi Madoka Magica

I remember how I was initially put off by Utena's flamboyantly shoujo art style and costumes, to the point that I almost missed out on what turned out to be THE best anime series of all times.

That being said, PMMM, with its super cutsy-looking female characters, is really, really giving me the eye strain.  Even knowing of its reportedly rich/dark story, I remain skeptical as to whether such fluffy-looking characters (and the voice actresses behind them) can truly convey the drama at hand (i.e. will the show end up being flawed by flat, uncharismatic characters just like Mawaru-Penguindrum?).  For now, I'll wait for the feature film to debut before again considering whether I'd give this a try.


(SKU/MPD) Seinen Kakumei Utena (Completed as of May 12, 2018) / (PSOH/SKU) Revolutionary Human Leon (Updated to Part 4 as of Oct 31, 2017) / (NGE) The End of Hedgehog_s Dilemma (Updated to Part II Chapter 6 as of May 17, 2016) / (BananaFish) Medusa (Updated to Chapter 3 as of Mar 1, 2016)
http://archiveofourown.org/users/gorgeousshutin/works or https://www.fanfiction.net/u/3978886/

Offline

 

#24 | Back to Top09-29-2012 02:02:20 PM

Atropos
Atropos Turretslayer
From: Hampden College
Registered: 10-22-2011
Posts: 907

Re: Puella Magi Madoka Magica

gorgeousshutin wrote:

(i.e. will the show end up being flawed by flat, uncharismatic characters just like Mawaru-Penguindrum?)

The PMMM characters felt to me like blank slates, as though their entire lives began with Episode 1. Beyond that, I thought they were well characterized.

Offline

 

#25 | Back to Top09-29-2012 03:36:24 PM

gorgeousshutin
Bare Footman
Registered: 04-11-2012
Posts: 1325
Website

Re: Puella Magi Madoka Magica

The PMMM characters felt to me like blank slates, as though their entire lives began with Episode 1.

I see . . .  thanks, Atropos!


(SKU/MPD) Seinen Kakumei Utena (Completed as of May 12, 2018) / (PSOH/SKU) Revolutionary Human Leon (Updated to Part 4 as of Oct 31, 2017) / (NGE) The End of Hedgehog_s Dilemma (Updated to Part II Chapter 6 as of May 17, 2016) / (BananaFish) Medusa (Updated to Chapter 3 as of Mar 1, 2016)
http://archiveofourown.org/users/gorgeousshutin/works or https://www.fanfiction.net/u/3978886/

Offline

 

Board footer

Powered by PunBB 1.2.23
© Copyright 2002–2008 PunBB
Forum styled and maintained by Giovanna and Yasha
Return to Empty Movement