23 replies to this topic

[AbatedDust]

Ingredients:
1 part magical girls,
1/2 parts fuzzy mascot,
2 parts evil eldritch abominations,
2 parts horrible continuous mind rape,
1 1/2 parts not what it seems,
3 parts gruesome deaths,
and there you have it, the ingredients for one of the most popular shows to air this spring.
The plot centers around a band of five young girls, all tasked with forming a contract with the fuzzy mascot in order to defeat witches. This is by no means a lighthearted anime though, as horrible event after horrible event befall the main characters either as a consequence or making deals with strangers and having to fight monsters. The mental and physical strain is deconstructed to the point that the reactions are more what you'd expect from a real person that's been thrust into the situation they're in. As these girls teeter on the edge of insanity and death, fate reveals the true form of the ugly hand that has been dealt to them.
This anime is a deconstruction of the mahou shoujo genre. It takes everything you've grown to know and love about it, and then shoves in your face everything that's wrong with it. What happens when your enemies are not bumbling idiots, when you don't have friends that will be there to save you in the end, when those magical powers all of a sudden don't look so magical anymore.
The series was initially scheduled to have twelve episodes. It is currently on the tenth episode, but has been postponed indefinitely due to the graphic nature of the series.

The following are a few clips from the show. Be warned though, as everything past the second episode is considered major spoiler material.

The first scene.


This first major fight.


Not the first major breakdown. (Spoilers)


The bastard everyone loves to hate.

[MikuMiku]

postponed, but from what i understand, they promised they'll get the last two episodes done soon

[Chat Noir]

I'm so stoked. I've been drawing QB/Kyuubei nonstop for the last four days.

[Nekasu]

KYUUBEE

[AbatedDust]

The company said that they'll be releasing the DVD box set on May 1st.
That may not seem unusual in and of itself, but in the show, the Walprugis Night comes on the midnight of April 30th.
Amazing coincidence or brilliant marketing strategy?

Also, has anyone ever seen a character that is annoying as Kyubey?
He's like the Navi of anime.
"Hey, make a contract with me."
"You can save everyone if you make a contract."
"Make a contract with me and I'll grant your wish."
"Madoka, you have great potential, make a contract with me."

[Ghost of Autumn]

Oh yeah... this reminds me, I really need to resume my anime watching.
Meh, it can wait. Gotta catch up with Tegami Bachi.

I've only watched a couple of episodes so far, but this is the best Magical Girl show I've seen.
Which isn't saying much, since I only watched some of Nanoha before.

[Nekasu]

Girl got ate.

[Trio]

I most certainly hope it continues.

[AbatedDust]

I did hear that they were planning on doing a second season that would be in more of a slice-of-life fashion, but then it would just be like another Hidamari Sketch.

[Chat Noir]

AbatedDust, on 08 April 2011 - 03:09 PM, said:

I did hear that they were planning on doing a second season that would be in more of a slice-of-life fashion, but then it would just be like another Hidamari Sketch.

http://www.sankakuco...-slice-of-life/

Quote

There wasn’t much in the way of smiling faces, and there was much in the way of sad scenes, so if possible I’d like to do ‘Madoka 2′ as an extra story [bangaihen - i.e. a spin-off like Railgun vs Index].

[...]

With the strong characters we developed, it seems a waste to have to lose them like this, so I think we could make a slice-of-life story with them. I’d like to see an ordinary slice-of-life with them.

Not necessarily planning, but a desire to do so was expressed.

[Nekasu]

Because he always tells the truth. Uh-huh.

[Chat Noir]

2Smart4U, on 09 April 2011 - 05:53 PM, said:

Because he always tells the truth. Uh-huh.

Um... he said he wanted to. It doesn't me that they actually are.

[Nekasu]

He's also been known to lie through his teeth.

[Dannyboy]

AbatedDust, on 06 April 2011 - 04:21 PM, said:

"Hey, make a contract with me."
"You can save everyone if you make a contract."
"Make a contract with me and I'll grant your wish."
"Madoka, you have great potential, make a contract with me."

[Nekasu]

[Chat Noir]

2Smart4U, on 09 April 2011 - 06:48 PM, said:

He's also been known to lie through his teeth.

How is saying "It would be nice to do this..." a lie? They never said they would do it. There is no promise. Therefore if it doesn't happen, it is not a lie. That was my whole point. There was a note of interest, it could be random musing. Not any actual planning was mentioned.

[Nekasu]

Chat Noir, on 10 April 2011 - 04:47 AM, said:

How is saying "It would be nice to do this..." a lie? They never said they would do it. There is no promise. Therefore if it doesn't happen, it is not a lie. That was my whole point. There was a note of interest, it could be random musing. Not any actual planning was mentioned.

Yes, you've made your point. Perhaps you noticed the word "also" in my post? I am well aware of his vague words.

[AbatedDust]

Instead of arguing over what was said, not said, implied, and not implied, lets just all hope that whatever the result, it ends up being good. On a topic-related note, despite all the depression and death in the series, fanartists have this inexplicable way of making the most serious scenes into something you wouldn't want to look at while drinking milk.

Spoiler

But then it comes right back around to being depressing.

Spoiler

Strange how that works.

[Nekasu]

My two favorite characters are Mami (gun katas ftw) and Kyubey.

[Cross Clown]

meh, madoka is so-so.

The time-travel magic I knew about since Homerun-chan killed Charlotte, and ever since Mami got *munch**munch*, I knew it'd be like watching an anime version of Goethe's Faust.