And so ends arguably the most popular anime to come out in recent years. Even though I rarely write more than one post in less than a day, after watching the last two Madoka Magica episodes, I just couldn’t keep my fangasms about the ending to myself…
A few minutes after watching episode 12, I couldn’t decide whether I liked the ending or not. I think I was just too stunned to decide since the finale blew my mind and was completely different from anything I expected. But after giving it some thought and reading up on things, I’ve come to the conclusion that I find the ending great.
Madoka Magica is one anime where I feel that just about everything was explained and wrapped up decently. Obviously episode 12 leaves a lot to be debated, but what actually happened was pretty clear. There are several interesting observations about the finale that I’d like to comment on (most of which can be found on The Puella Magi Wiki):
– Madoka as a “Reverse Evangelion”
In Evangelion, all of humanity becomes a perfect being but the protagonists don’t, while in Madoka the protagonist becomes god-like while humanity returns to normal. But I personally think of Madoka as simply “the Evangelion of magical girl anime” because it too transcends expectations for its genre; on the surface, Evangelion may be a mecha anime and Madoka may be a magical girl anime, but by the end they’re all about the internal struggles of the characters, with some becoming gods, some becoming demons, and all leading up to a jaw-dropping post-apocalyptic ending. Madoka is like Evangelion in terms of redefining its genre and giving us way more than “what’s on the cover.”
– Jesus Madoka died for our sins. Our prophet is Homura…
Although I’ve never seen Serial Experiments Lain, I heard that it has a similar ending as far as these Christian metaphors. Madoka is a Jesus figure, Homura is her prophet, and Kyubey is the tempting Devil (the final episode aired on Good Friday too). Whether Shaft created the story with this precise metaphor in mind, I couldn’t say. Looks like the Church of Madoka wants to compete with Haruhiism!
– Madoka’s wish
For a while I was thinking that when Madoka becomes a magical girl, she should wish for Kyubey and his kind to never have existed, which at first seemed like it would solve everything. But in episode 11, we learn that just about all of history’s major events had to do with the relationship between humans and Incubators, and without that, according to Kyubey humans would still be living in caves. So Madoka instead wishes for witches to not exist, forcing her to transcend time and space as she goes back to countless moments in history to appear before soon-to-be-witches magical girls to purify their Soul Gems before they die. This also allows her to have a pleasant farewell with Sayaka before she too disappears. Since witches no longer exist, Mami and Kyouko didn’t die (though only Homura seems to retain memory of Madoka). I guess I couldn’t think of a better wish for Madoka to make. Could you?
– Everyone’s a magical girl
Showing even Cleopatra, Anne Frank, and Joan of Arc as magical girls was a bit over the top, but I did like the fact that we got to see what the witches looked like as magical girls, as well as magical girls through the ages. The very last scene of episode 12 showed our five main girls standing together before showing a bunch of other magical girls (whom we had seen as witches). The scene closes on Madoka’s ribbon and Soul Gem. I couldn’t interpret this more than just reemphasizing her importance to all magical girls. And with that, Madoka Magica is almost like the ancestor of all other magical girl anime. Being a magical girl was at first a hopeless, cruel, and terrifying ordeal, but thanks to Madoka there’s now hope for magical girls since they no longer have to worry about their negative emotions turning them into witches.
– Homura’s fate
There seems to be a few different interpretations of the final sequence of the show in which Homura is fighting “demons” (I think) in a desolate land. Some believe this is taking place in an apocalyptic future while others believe she’s in a barrier similar to the dimensions that the witches were in. Still others believe she’s about to exhaust her powers and die, since she can hear Madoka’s voice as she comes to cleanse Homura’s Soul Gem. I’m partial to yet another theory that part of Madoka’s “spirit” is inside Homura, which is why she can hear her voice and has wings and other cool new powers. I don’t think that where or when she’s having this battle is important – what matters is that she’s continuing to protect the world that Madoka protected, and even if she dies, she’ll get to be with Madoka again rather than become a witch. Or maybe she can use her powers to continually go back in time so she can’t die and can keep on being “Madoka’s prophet.” Or did she lose her time-traveling powers after Madoka changed the world so witches never existed. Ah, still so much to debate…
…which leads me to what I feel is the final message of Madoka Magica. I agree with Scamp that “hope” is the ultimate message the series is offering. Madoka was not able to bring absolute salvation to the world – even though she erased witches, there are still plenty of other curses in the world, with demons being the new ones introduced at the end of the series. Incubators still create magical girls, though now they harvest the defeated demons’ energy rather than witches’ Grief Seeds. Magical girls still must fight and eventually die. But, as Scamp pointed out in his post, the hope Madoka was able to bring to them is that even though they’re still exchanging their lives for a wish, they will die as a human being and not live forever in despair as a witch. I feel that the final message Madoka is offering is that although there will always be negativity and tragedy in this world, even a single act of hope can seem like a miracle.
All in all, Madoka Magica is an incredible series with a mind-blowing ending that will forever be debated amongst fans. I believe it deserves all the praise and popularity it’s getting and it’s certainly found a spot among my top 20 favorite anime (top 10 maybe though I’d have to rewatch it). A creative, suspenseful story, sympathetic characters, and an ending that’s intense but still stays true to the elements of its plot. It’s definitely a must-see for anyone interested in an anime that’s both a good series and an unforgettable defining point of its generation and genre.
I felt exactly the same way as I watched the ending. I think this line of Madoka’s sums it up: If someone tells me that it’s wrong to hope, I will tell them they’re wrong every time.
It was very moving.
Yes, that line has certainly become a memorable anime quote for me and sums up the overall theme of the ending ^_^
Just like you, I’m not sure whether I liked it or not. I’m just trying to gather my thoughts before writing on it.
I know, it’s one of those endings where you’re just too stunned to figure out if you liked it or not immediately after viewing it. I had to think on it for the next day in order to decide that I liked it =)
It was a great ending that didn’t magically revive everyone; some people (like Sayaka) would still die. Chances are Homura’s time-travelling powers have been stripped or changed into something else. I suspect Walpurgis is the witch-form of Homura, since Walpurgis keeps appearing in every timeline and so must have some form of time- or dimension-traveling power as well. Madoka’s witch-destroying wish probably reset Homura’s powers too. And notice how Kyubey is no longer with Homura in the post-credit wasteland sequence? I also loved how this makes Madoka the precursor to all the magical girls we know in anime — without Madoka, there would be no Sakura Kinomoto, no Pretty Cures, no Sailor Moons, etc. More than a world reset, this was in some ways a genre reset, and a pretty brilliant one at that.
Yeah, it wouldn’t make sense for Homura to still have her time-traveling powers, since she only wished for those powers in order to prevent Madoka from becoming a witch. Apparently Madoka doesn’t exist in this new timeline other than as a “spirit of hope” for other magical girls, so Homura wouldn’t have wished to travel back in time to save her.
I’m not sure about the Walpurgis being Homura’s witch form since Homura would only become a witch when she realizes she’s unable to save Madoka from becoming one (in which, case she would just go back in time again before that happens). A little more background on exactly what the Walpurgis is would have been nice.
A little late perhaps, so you may not see it. But it makes perfect sense that Homura’s wish would remain the same, if she wished for anything at all.
Her wish was to “redo” her meeting with Madoka. Likely, since she remembers Madoka at all, this wish would remain the same. However, as I said, she might not have made a wish at all.
Homura remembers Madoka. It’s perfectly plausible that Homura came from the other universe and never made a wish in this universe.
I’m still piecing together a theory… this could take a while. lol
So after marathoning the series today, I can safely say that despite a premise I don’t care for, characters that I couldn’t become attached to, plots that were halfway spoiled for me, and the ones that weren’t happened to be slightly obvious beforehand, it was an enjoyable show. The show succeeds in spite of weak episodes to begin with (1,2,4,5) and yet if it had ended at episode 10, it would’ve been a good show in my opinion.
While I say an episode is weak, it’s not wasted at all. Each episode added something to the overall story regardless of how it turned out. Sadly only episode 10 went free of any jokes (mostly at Shaft’s expense or lack thereof) but I think it’s safe to say that it will likely hold up as one of the “must see” shows if you are an anime fan.
It took courage not to have Madoka make her appearance as a magical girl until the tenth episode despite promotional art, opening animation, and overall fandom on pins and needles for the actual costume in-show. I greatly enjoyed that wait as the payoff became tremendously more impactful for Homura’s actions.
Most importantly, it felt as though this was a show that only Shaft could make. Despite my irritation at the character models, I’ll say that the show is incredibly well animated and even moreso in the witches’ barrier lairs. “Shaftvision” is a great contrast to what we think about when the term “magical girls” is mentioned and is well used throughout the series.
I’ll likely make my own post sometime soon to flesh out the rest of my feelings, but I will say that I’m glad I gave this a chance. This was likely the only way I’d watch the show and I don’t regret the time spent. It’s well worth watching for anyone over the age of 13, which coming from myself is a huge compliment.
May the power of Shaft propel you!
I actually only found the first two episodes to be somewhat weak and predictable, but every other episode left me in suspense. Of course, it could be because I watched the series as it aired and thus didn’t get spoiled at all like you may have been ;)
I agree that Madoka is one of those anime where no episode or even scene is “filler.” And strangely, the only episode I could joke about is episode 10 and its similarities to Endless Eight XD I also think it could have ended at that episode though it would be mean to leave poor Homura in that never-ending cycle of despair without any closure.
And lastly, having the main heroine become a magical girl only in the finale despite the opening and promo art was certainly a big contributor to the suspense and excitement factor of the series.
I am adding this here, as I think it is the most appropriate place to put this particular set of thoughts
Madoka is one of those shows that has definitely grown on me in the last few days since I marathoned it with Ultimatemegax. I will say my initial impressions and my “final thoughts” are similar but different. I also want to point out that going into this I had not looked at any art, or read any reviews… I took this purely cold
First, a side thought. Shaft is actually one of my favorite studios (fanboy alert). I enjoy the weird and a lot of times gritty things that they can produce. “Shaft Vision,” as Ultimatemegax put it, is always an interesting experience (even if you can make cracks about how they do things sometimes)
I want to actually start my thoughts on Madoka with the comment that you made about Lain. If you haven’t seen Lain, I would recommend it. I definitely can see how people would compare them. I don’t want to make this a post about the similarities and contrasts between Lain and Madoka, but I think the overarching themes of reality, hope, the price of power, and sacrifice permeates both. I will go on record her e and say that even though I like Lain better, Madoka pulls off the ending a whole lot better. I don’t want to get into the Christ figure territory, but I think that label is too easy to place, and is more a mark of our culture than anything else (as many cultures have a sacrificial savior type story). I sincerely think that elements of it were intentional, but to make Madoka a literal “Christ” may not have been the intention at all.
First I want to start with the things that I did not like. While I think it fits the story, It was quite irritating to not see Madoka in her Magic persona. Another thing was that I had a very hard time finding things that I actually liked about the characters (though this does not prevent me from enjoying something outright). These are really minor complaints in the grand scheme of things, as the plot actually does enough for me to not worry about character attachments.
As for the things that I liked, I really loved the concept of how one becomes a magical girl, and how the powers manifest. I thought it was nice to see that the powers come with a price that is as high as the power itself. It really does become about what you are willing to trade your soul for in exchange for a miracle.
I do think that all of the wishes (even Madoka’s, though she made the best wish) were all selfish. That is not to say that selfishness is inherently wrong (for I believe it is how you use it), but that is for another discussion. I just thought it was an interesting theme throughout the series, and how people’s good intentions can ultimately turn against them.
I loved that each of the powers was representative of the wish made. Based on the powers, you could almost determine what each of the girl’s wish was.
I also must say that I liked the fact that Madoka did not wish for despair to disappear, as some would suggest that she should have. It is a balance thing. In order to have hope, one must suffer or have some form of despair. To have courage, one must experience fear. To love, one must also feel hate and indifference. That is the nature of balance, which I consider to be one of the more subtle themes that it has (even though we are kind of slapped with it at the end). Madoka is smart enough (or Buddhist enough if you want to force that label on her) to know the effect that her wish can have.
I think the ending was well done, but I could have been satisfied with the ending in ep 10. I feel like it truly captures the essence of balance and the cycle of suffering that Homura must endure (and has continued to endure) and pinned on the hope that she can change it all and save her true friend. I think it makes her character one of the more compelling and sympathetic characters in the entire series.
I also wanted to say that I don’t think Kyubey is actually evil, though it is not a likeable character by any means. It acts like I would expect a species without any emotions would, and a lot of the points that he makes are entirely valid (in regards to negotiations, and becoming a Puella Magi)
And so, I think I will actually end my thoughts here, as I have wrote way more than I originally planned. I do want to end by saying that I think this quote (which you and others have put up) really does sum up the whole series (when paired with Morning Rescue of course!)
“If someone tells me that it’s wrong to hope, I will tell them they’re wrong every time. I could tell them that countless times”
On the final Homura scene. Remember what witch Madoka’s ability is? What if…
Sorry, not sure what you mean…
Well Madoka’s witch form’s details
“Witch of salvation. Her nature is mercy. She absorbs any life on the planet into her newly created heaven–her barrier. The only way to defeat this witch is to make the world free of misfortune. If there’s no grief in this world, she will believe this world is already a heaven. ”
So given that homura’s final scene had witch dimension wings, what if everything had been encapsulated by witch Madoka instead of what most people presumed to be?
I like the thought and idea (as it is very compelling and a interesting interpretation), but I don’t really think it is necessary to the story, nor is there any strong evidence to support this.
However, that is not to say you are right or wrong. I can think of a few places and phrases by Kyubey that would actually support your thoughts a little, even if I feel like you could possibly be reading way to much into it all.
But I am intrigued and would like to hear more about this
That…ending…was…EPIC!
It was different from what I was expecting (well, I honestly did expect Madoka to make some really incredible wish at least), but I still enjoyed the whole series overal nonetheless. I really loved the cast, the writing and pacing was perfect, and they managed to wrap everything up nicely to boot. A very excellent, well crafted series overal. This this series will definitely become a classic, and just might reshape the Magical Girl genre, much like how Sailor Moon did during its time.
What baffles me is how alot of people say about how they didn’t get the ending and want a sequel to explain it all. Why? I ask. Everything was explained just fine, and I don’t think a sequel is nessicary. (If anything a prequel or an alternate universe-type story.)
Then i’ll also agree that the ending was very Evangelion-like, which I thought all while I was watching it. Then it also donned on me that Sailor Moon had something similar as well (in the manga, not the anime). Where Usagi ends up becoming the ultimate Sailor senshi of the whole galaxy (“Sailor Cosmos”) and sacrifices herself to save everyone, then is later reborn….something like that, haven’t read it in years, and I don’t own that particular volume to double check my memory *grumbles*. It was still similar to what Madoka pulled off, only Madoka reached a higher level of god-hood.
All that said, this series has definitely become a new favorite of mine. A perfect 10 in my book….now I want the dammed soundtrack.
Oh and speaking of. With it being Good Friday, and hours after I saw the final episodes, some folks from church where going door to door (trying to get me to convert, obviously). I almost told them that Madoka was my god for lolz. XD
I’m usually not very good at understanding mind-boggling, debatable anime endings such as this one, but I had a relatively easy time following the Madoka ending and I agree a sequel wouldn’t be necessary to explain anything. An alternate universe would be the only new Madoka anime I would want.
I loved the ending, loved the series. The ending was like opening pandoras box. All these terrible things came out, but also hope.
The ending is a very sad ending. Tragic even. Madoka ceased to exist as a human being, and became an omnipresent being throughout time and space. However, she’s one of a kind and destined to be alone for all eternity. For she cannot die, or undo what she has become. Only Homura vaguely remembers her, and once Homura is gone, she would be truly alone.
She made the ultimate sacrifice, in order to break a vicious circle that could otherwise not be broken.
I just think the ending was simply awesome :) They closed the story well, and while it leaves a lot of details to debate about, it was clear Madoka wished correctly showing she was the best among all the magical girls.
Pandora’s box is an excellent comparison since so many terrible things happened during the series with hope appearing only at the end, just like hope was the last thing in Pandora’s box.
The way you explained Madoka’s fate does make it pretty tragic, doesn’t it? But even when Homura dies, Madoka will live on forever as hope for all magical girls even if they don’t know it.
Don’t have too much to say as you pretty much said it all.
I felt the ending Homura scene was to show that she will continue to fight the demons and that Madoka is always there with her.
I would’ve liked to know more about Incubators, Walprugis and a few other things, but it doesn’t really matter.
/my review is up too
Yes, I’ve been meaning to read your new posts but it’s just been a hectic week >.< I also interpreted the ending as Homura continuing to fight demons while Madoka's spirit resides in her (which is why she has new powers). I agree, more background on the Incubators and Walpurgis would have been nice but not completely necessary.
It’s no problem! ^^
(I also noticed a couple of similarities between Madoka and Utena’s ending. I”m probably gonna write a post about it sometime soon, haha)
I would have wish that despair would never, and had never accumulate in the soul gems. That would have yielded all the results Madoka wished for, plus more. That would make a much less epic ending, but for Madoka it might had been a better wish.
I could have explained more, but I just wrote a lot of that at Sekijitsu…
That sounds plausible though I’d have to think on it more. One idea I had was make it so that joy and happiness would be what brings energy to the Incubators rather than despair.
Sounds cool. I’m glad it had a good ending though. Well, bye.
bye.
–End–
Similarly to the other comments, when I first saw the ending I was quite disappointed and I guess the agony of waiting for so long influenced my mild resentment. But after, cooling my head and re-watching it again, I felt that I don’t love it anymore the way I used to, but over all as a series I really like it.
And indeed, this is such an incredible series.
I hope this “deconstruction” thing doesn’t become a trend in future maho shoujo shows because it could get really old really fast.
I’m definitely going with your theory. This is the best explanation I found thus far coz I too was quite confused on the ending.