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MOVIE DramaPuella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie -Rebellion-
MANGA DramaMahou Shoujo Madoka☆Magica: Walpurgis no Kaiten

REVIEWS

• 

  Shadorai

  80/100
  A Sequel That Can't Escape The 13 Year-Old Shadow of Rebellion, But Still Brings a Lot Worth Viewing to the Screen

  A Sequel That Can't Escape The 13 Year-Old Shadow of Rebellion, But is Still a Great Madoka Movie

  __This will include spoilers since avoiding them completely won't make for a very compelling review, but I won't include them too freely considering most people overseas from Japan likely cannot view it yet.__ 13 years is an awfully long time, and getting a comparatively "normal" Madoka film out of that wait rather than a revolutionary experience that flips anime on its head just can't hold a candle to all the anticipation it's built for the series. Rebellion has a lot going for it on the mystery of the setting and exciting dynamics between the main cast that make it a really enthralling watch, as opposed to Walpurgisnacht Rising being more focused on exposition and reveals about the worldbuilding. But even though those aforementioned elements were exciting about Rebellion, I just know it would have been a real mistake to retread or drag them out here; I can't imagine how bad this movie would actually be if it acted like the main cast hadn't already figured things out between themselves in Rebellion, and tried to rehash them just for the sake of having epic fight scenes, or tried to remix the mystery of the setting. But despite that, lacking these things will ultimately make Walpurgisnacht Rising a lesser viewing experience to many. This leads into inclusion of what is probably the most controversial part of Walpurgisnacht Rising: the 3 new characters who serve as antagonists. Even if their fights aren't as fan-pleasing as something like Homura vs. Mami in Rebellion, it just doesn't work to have something like that here, because we already had Rebellion. Rebellion had the distinct advantage of the dynamics between the main 5 coming to a head in a way that led into some really naturally good fights, but you can't just do that again for no reason without it lessening the impact of Rebellion's arcs. Smashing the main 5 together like action figures when they shouldn't have any reason to fight each other shouldn't be the goal in a series like this, anyway. Even with Selema, who arguably has the least interesting reason to fight, her viewpoint on why she finds worth in being a magical girl feels worth exploring, considering that's more or less what the whole series is about, much more so than whatever meager misunderstanding you could come up with to make the main 5 fight again at this point in the plot. I said this review was not spoiler free in the beginning, and there's a big one that I have to talk about, as I think it had a wider effect on Walpurgisnacht Rising as a standalone film: there's going to be a third film. I think that Walpurgisnacht Rising is, to put it simply, a necessary second entry that connects its revolutionary first entry and its third (and presumably final) film. Even if it's maybe not as "exciting" in a viewership sense to some, the way the world is expanded on with the backstory of Walpurgisnacht and the other witches, as well seeing the eventual failure of Homura's plan from Rebellion and its consequences, feels like a natural progression of the story of Madoka Magica since the original series, so I feel like the plot is not "lost" in any way, but is going in a way that will bring a fuller finale than if they just skipped to what would be the thematic climax of the series. There being some problems, however, that Walpurgisnacht Rising wasn't one of the most fantastic audiovisual experiences in recent memory. The whole film practically feels like a moving painting. Yuki Kajiura's score is still as fantastic as ever, and most of the main visual staff are still the same and working at full power, just as they had before. Despite how long it's been, they managed to not change the feel of Madoka too much, yet it feels so well crafted and clean. If this was what the delays were for, then it was definitely worth it. There might be reasonable issues to have on some facets or other of the film, but this is just not one of them. I waited 13 years for this movie, and I'll do it again for the next one, but considering the cliffhanger compared to Rebellion, I'd really love to not have to.
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• 

  LWHHei

  100/100
  The Madoka era is back. My thoughts after 4 watches. (Spoiler alert)

  Please do not read this if you want to avoid spoilers. While there are already plenty of spoilers online, I think Walpurgisnacht Rising is a movie you should experience for yourself, as there’s so much that words cannot capture. This review is solely based on my own interpretation of the movie, and I may have misunderstood or interpreted certain things differently from others.

  As a longtime Homura fan, I have always wished for Homura’s eternal happiness. She has suffered so much, and watching this movie after 13 years felt like hearing from an old friend again after such a long time. After finishing the movie, I actually felt more relieved than anything. Even though this is not the end yet, I still see a lot of hope and positivity in where the story has left us.

  On my first watch, I was honestly stunned by the animation and soundtrack. There was so much nostalgia throughout the movie, with rearrangements of the original soundtrack, parallel scenes, and familiar lines from the original series. If you have watched Madoka enough times, you can instantly recognise so many of them. With storyboard artist Tomohiro Furukawa involved, it was refreshing to feel some Revue Starlight vibes in certain parts of the movie. Being able to experience all of that in a cinema was also a real treat for me, as someone who had never experienced Madoka in a cinema before.

  I was always curious about what happened to the world after Rebellion, so I really enjoyed seeing how the Silver Garden operated and seeing “cool Homura” as the ruler of the world she created.

  Even though three new side characters were introduced, they didn’t feel forced to me. Selema was inspired by a witch from the Madoka Portable PSP game, which I thought was a really nice reference for longtime fans. I’m still unclear about DingXiang’s wish, but she was voiced by Shion Wakayama, who gave an excellent performance in this movie (Takina fans, plz look forward to it). Wasu’s connection to Walpurgisnacht was also pretty obviously hinted at. I really enjoyed her involvement at the beginning, especially with the fun “Homura’s rival” dynamic. I also loved the lore surrounding Walpurgisnacht and the way her wish contrasts with Madoka’s wish.

  Bebe and Sayaka also had much bigger roles this time, and I found myself liking both of them a lot more. Kyouko was cute as always. I still don’t have much attachment to Mami, but seeing her doing the Trio Finale Combo with Bebe made me smile. More than anything, I was happy to see Homura’s interactions with the other magical girls.

  After Rebellion, I had the impression that Homura would isolate herself and simply watch Madoka from afar. But after Walpurgisnacht Rising, I feel much more positive about the fact that Homura is not alone anymore, and that more people seem to understand her.

  I really loved seeing the change in attitude from the other magical girls after they got to know Kaname Madoka as a human rather than simply knowing her as the Law of Cycles. Having the Law of Cycles as a system cannot fully save magical girls from despair. The human part of Madoka Kaname was important, as that was where her kindness and sympathy came from. Through interacting with Human Madoka, everyone ultimately stood by Homura in trying to retain Human Madoka rather than letting her return to the Law of Cycles.

  Homura seemingly giving up has sparked some controversy, but considering everything that happened, it made sense to me. The Law of Cycles had deteriorated and looked almost inhuman, and Homura believed it was her fault. Madoka almost became a witch again, with even more suffering, and Madoka herself decided to return to the Law of Cycles to save everyone else. Madoka (controlled by the Law of Cycles, in my opinion) also shot an arrow towards Homura. I can imagine how helpless Homura must have felt at that moment. She had reached the point where she believed she had already made everything worse and had no choice but to let Madoka go.

  “Only you can’t call Madoka the Law of Cycles. You are the only person in the universe who can remember Madoka.” Sayaka yelled at Homura at this critical moment. “If Madoka can’t get happiness, you wouldn’t accept it no matter how many people get saved.” Everyone else then started encouraging Homura. Homura then made up her mind and went on to rescue Kaname Madoka from the Law of Cycles.

  That scene genuinely made me tear up. Not only because it was a beautiful and touching scene that referenced the anime and Rebellion, but because Homura has spent so long carrying everything by herself. Seeing everyone encourage her and tell her not to give up felt like a huge change.

  After Homura took Kaname Madoka back from the Law of Cycles, we got a beautiful scene of Homura sleeping on Madoka’s lap. Madoka asked Homura if she valued her own life, and if she valued her friends and family. I see that as Madoka telling Homura that she wants her to live happily and learn to value herself. Homura has always been powered by her love for Madoka, but at the same time, she has almost no self-love. (She doesn’t even seem to look at herself in the mirror!) She would do anything for Madoka, even if it meant sacrificing herself.

  I was really glad that Madoka accepted and acknowledged what Homura had done, even though Homura had gone against her. In the same way, I was also happy to see the mutual respect from Homura, who was able to let go of Madoka for the sake of Madoka and the world. (Though I am even happier that Homura didn’t let Madoka go in the end!)

  We then got the big twist, with a flashback to Homura being defeated by the Law of Cycles. Human Madoka held Akuma Homura as if she was shielding her from the Law of Cycles. Madoka said something to the Law of Cycles, shed a tear, and the Law of Cycles left them alone.

  That moment with Madoka’s tears made me wonder whether Madoka is truly happy. Madoka made her wish and saved everyone, but there has always been an element of regret, as seen in the lyrics of “Mata Ashita” in the TV series. Kaname Madoka wanted the best for the world, but she had no choice but to sacrifice herself and leave her loved ones behind. She also seemed to be sad to see Homura suffer.

  At the same time, it reassured me that Homura’s love is not one-sided. Madoka told Homura that she was her best friend once again, and I think that is really important. (In the Madoka LN, it was highlighted what “best friend” means to Madoka. Don’t underestimate this statement!)

  The relationship between Madoka and Homura also feels very different from Rebellion now. In Rebellion, they were presented more like enemies, but now I see them much more as allies who are on the same page. They may not always agree with each other, but they understand and accept each other.

  In the end, Madoka disappeared, with Homura sleeping alone on the bench. “I’ll always be by your side,” Madoka said to her as Homura slept with a peaceful smile.

  That might have been the happiest we have ever seen her. I also want to make my stance clear that, even though Madoka disappeared, it is suggested that she was still with Homura, so I don’t see this ending as a sad one. “I’ll always be by your side” was also repeatedly mentioned in the ending, “Kanata.” Listening to the songs and reading the lyrics have given me so much hope.

  So, what now? Is Homura living inside a dream created by Madoka this time? We won’t know until the next movie.

  I think that also brings us to another major theme of the movie: what is happiness? Is Madoka happy? Is Homura happy?

  In the TV series, Madoka saved magical girls from becoming witches, which was a happy ending for everyone other than Homura, who couldn’t be saved because that would go against her wish for Madoka. In Rebellion, Homura decided that happiness for Madoka was to let her enjoy life with her friends and family as a human being. In the 2015 concept movie, the question “What is happiness?” was raised once again. In this movie, Bebe remembered everything and knew that the world Homura created was not reality, but she chose to ignore that and enjoyed her life anyway. At the end of the movie, the peaceful smile Homura made suggested that she was happy, but it was also suggested that the current situation wasn’t what she would have wished for.

  I don’t think the movie gives us a simple answer regarding this, and I have kept thinking about it since the end of the movie.

  It might be another 13 years until the next movie. One day I will be that old lady asking her grandchildren if the new Madoka movie has come out yet. While it is frustrating that we might have to wait another decade for the next movie, I am ready to wait and let Magica Quartet take their time to tell us the full story. I’m genuinely curious about what comes next and intrigued by where they can take the story from here (Plz just announce a sequel already and let MadoHomu be happy together...).

  I watched this movie four times over two days. Every rewatch made me notice something new. I love how much symbolism and detail there is in Madoka, and being able to sit there and rewatch it while picking apart all these little things made me think, “This is the real Madoka Magica.”

  I am ready for the next chapter. I look forward to reading and hearing different analysis and interpretations of the movie. The Madoka era is back!

  P.S. Please bring back the ClariS OP.

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• 

  Ayauh

  100/100
  Flawless execution, divisive idea

  Spoiler warning: This review will contain heavy spoilers for the movie
  Before I start, some background context: I am really biased for this review as i love the mahou shojo genre and madoka is my favorite anime of all time, i tried watching with a clear mind but i cant promise this prejudice will slip into my review
  I also want to say this is my first review and my first impressions of the movie, i just finished watching it, i should probably let the movie soak a little more in my mind, but i wanted to get my thoughts out asap
  with that out of the way lets start

  I went to this movie not knowing what to expect, and worried about it for the same reason, the 13 year legacy Rebellion left behind is heavy, and its noticeable, however i don't think it dissapoined me, first thing and probably what will be more praised about this movie is the art, the visual, art and animation are 10/10 its the prettiest movie ive ever seen, likewise the soundtrack and sound direction are top notch, I believe it is not as impactful as rebellion in the OST regard but that is not to say its not filled with beautiful and some masterpiece level tracks

  The main plot of Walpurgis no Kaiten revolves around the new world Homura has created to protect Madoka, it reminds a lot of the witch labyrinth that homura created during rebellion, the weird and kinda unsettling atmosphere, the oneiric sentiment that plagues all the scenes, and similar to homuras rol in Rebellion, now its sayaka who will start to realize that the world built around her and the other magical girls is an illusion, later it will be revealed that nagisa also knew the world was fake from the start; originally i had problems with this decision, why would the assistant of madokami, the law of cycles allow this?, wouldnt her rol be that of waking up madoka or at least sayaka? the explanation the movie gives us is the portrayal of nagisa as an almost hedonistic and irresponsible character, but i think its fair to say shes still a kid, one who fell in despair in the past, one who wished for connection, and one who finally got that wish granted in the form of the new girls and mami inside the new world, so i think that i understand that even if her actions seemed to simply allow the plot to move, it was in the end a good decision and gives more depth into nagisas character;she will also redeem herself in the final battle and give sayaka some encouragement for it too.

  About the new characters... Selema, Zi ding xiang and the unknown girl who has taken homuras face (i wont keep the suspense, shes marguerite, walpurgis night and the first magical girl) i do not think they were a wrong decision, all got a very strong character arc that nutried more other perspectives and lore about the magical girls in the franchise, if i had to pick a weakest it would probably be zi ding xiang who has barely any relevance past the midpoint of the movie, its understandable due to the runtime, i just wished she had more moments beyond a fight with kyouko, maybe it could have benefited if it was a witch we already knew, that is not the case with her or selema; selema and marguerite have impressive character arcs, lets start with marguerite.

  She was the first magical girl who wished to save every magical girl, she purified soul gems for a while but sooner than later fell into despair, with all the names of the magical girls she had saved up upon that point she harbored a great ammount of curses and became the walpurgis night, thus her wish twisted she gave birth to the wtich naming system, before her, witches lacked individuality, similar to the wraiths, but her wish would change that, "saving them", giving them a name and a place in a space bubble outside of the universe homura had created, at the end madoka reaches out to her and saves her, reminding her original name, as a magical girl: Marguerite. I cant say enough how i loved this arc and this antagonist, she helps explore more about the universe the magical girls used to live, gives us perspective how beyond the holy quintent theres countless of magical girls who fought, who prayed for hope only to be met with despair at the end of the road, yes it reminds a lot of the scene in chapter 12 where we see multiple magical girls throught the history being saved by madoka but this time in a more focused time period and taking the time to explore more in depth about them and their struggles, besides how this process gave birth to one of the most iconic witches in the franchise

  Selema is a girl who wishes to be useful, to be a ray of hope that will make people happy that shes around, because she will solve their problems, this as you can guess, quickly twisted, or maybe it was twisted from the start, whatever the case, this mindset led her to live a life as a magical girl guided by the utilitarism that kyuubey also follows, aka, making her believe that changing the fates of the magical girls to that of giving birth to witches will save the universe; i really appreciate this perspective selema gives us, its a unique idea for a magical girl and makes sense in her backstory.

  The end of the movie: I think this will be the most divisive part of the movie and of this review, thus the summary of the later, the movie ends with an open ending, the final scenes show us how homura, decided to let go of madoka as the law of cycles is encouraged by everyone to chase her, that shes a demon and must not forget the name madoka, we see them in a bench, homura laying in the lap of madoka, madoka dissapears while homura smiles and says she will be with her forever, its unclear if she returned to the law of cycles or not, but i think it shows us 2 important points that gave us this movie, and that without her as a set up it would be impossible to carry on the (possible) ending on the next movie. First of all, madoka is subyugated to the law of cycles, she seems in trance almost hypnotized every time she remembers something about it, I used to believe that madoka was all in all at least in peace with her wish, the lily flower scene on rebellion shows us that, that is not the case, and i believed she was not alone due to having nagisa and sayaka nearby, but thats probably not the case either, she made a sacrifice, a sacrifice of herself, and, encouraged by everyone is now up to homura to save her from herself, to protect her but maybe this time, with a more sane appproach rather than the bird in a cage one. This leads me to the second point, the tonal shift in homuras goal, during the end of rebellion she shows something almost resembling devotion for madoka, something beyond hope, beyond curses: love, however this love was not directioned the right way, and maybe now, even as a demon with the help of the other magical girls homura will be able to save madoka in a more sane way, i believe this tonal shift is what matters the most for this movie, a lot of people will claim it gave us nothing, that it didn't progress the plot, but i believe that is not the case, I believe that homura, although in appearance a demon, she will try to save madoka in the right way, that is at least the atmosphere of the ending transmited to me.That is to say i believe homura went through a character arc, and that the plot of the series went a step forward. PMMM has been filled with the themes of hope since the start and i think this movie embodies that, not only for the new magical girls, but for homura and madoka too.

  I loved the movie, i love this franchise, and even though i rather not wait another 10+ years i will if i have to i just hope we dont have to go through it again, ill look forward for the next entry with hopes in my heart, and i hope you all too.

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