Madoka Magica
last updated: 28.07.2025
a piece of my soul
I first got into Madoka when I was around the age of the characters... and circa a decade later I've grown a lot and the characters have stayed at the same age. It's weird, isn't it? How you have grown and changed into a different being, while these characters remain static, forever in their puberty. A state of limbo, never being granted the possibility to mature.
Also 16 years later we might be able to finally get a continuation to this story finally!!!!
If you have taken a peek at my gallery, you might have noticed a decent amount of art around Madoka Magica. That is because Madoka has carved itself into my soul, when I was a very impressionable teen. It influenced my way of doing art, how I perceive beauty and much more.
What do I like about Madoka Magica? For one, it's a magical girl series; I used to watch Sailor Moon religiously, and I also read through Shugo Chara (I also wanted to watch Cardcaptor Sakura back then, but the "website" I used to watch Anime on only had the first episode, sadly). Feminine strength is very endearing to me. Madoka was also pretty dark, which of course was also hella compelling to me as an edgy kid (Sailor Moon too but I'm not going on a tangent here).
However, this isn't the reason Madoka stuck; it's not merely shock-factor or darkness for darkness sake. "Wow, this is soo messed up" in a piece of fiction isn't something that makes me think about it again after a decade.
To confess, there was of course a lot of stuff in the series that flew above my head when I first watched it. "Why is Madoka not doing anything?"" and "Woah, Sayaka is so mean to her best friend. She's awful." were thoughts I had. Probably because I thought that drama was dumb. That having normal people problems was dumb (I was very shonen-brained then). Well, I love drama now, so that changes everything!!!
Puella Magi Madoka Magica is a girl drama in which the girls cannot afford to have drama or else they will pay with their lives or even the fate of the world.
Madoka shouldn't have to shoulder the weight of the world, Sayaka should be able to regret and move on from her heartbreak. I mean none of these girls should be subjected to the permanent modification of their souls that makes them unable to live like normal people ever again. But once turned magical girl, this isn't a luxury that these little girls can afford. They cannot allow themselves to linger in sadness, regret, shame or any "bad" emotion, or else it will irrevocably corrupt their soul. The pure magical girl maturing into the shell of her former self: only the worst impulses and endless suffering remain.
Still, despite all this awful stuff, I think the series has one of the most hopeful, beautiful bittersweet endings that I've ever witnessed. Just thinking about the finale makes me want to tear up.
I may have already told you the major narrative beats of Madoka. However, I have kept it
purposefully vague, so that you can experience this series for yourself, without it being fully
spoiled for you.
We tell ourselves the same stories about life, death and rebirth after all. Struggle against a
seemingly predetermined fate is nothing new. But each time do it again, within our current
incarnation, it's as though a facet of our soul has been revealed to ourselves that we had long
forgotten.
Bonus: Spoilers!!! (Kinda? Idk)
I've recently bought the manga of the wraith arc and the Kyoko and Mami side story and have reread it. I'm not writing a review, just sharing my silly impressions.
Wraith arc manga
Rebellion tends to be the main choice of canon media where people say that Homura acts the most gay.
I'm not saying they're wrong. But there is an another contender that I've not heard much about. Most
likely because it's more of an imagining of what might've happened between the initial series and
Rebellion and not really a required read.
The wraith arc bring forth a Homura who doubts, which is quite compelling. But it also shows us the
externalized feelings Homura has for Madoka via wraiths, aka fake Madoka. And what they do with each
other has been dutifully scribbled by yours truly:
I think this cements that Homura is gayer than the Madohomu ship itself (lol)
Within this sequence, we can feel a wrongness in the way "Madoka" acts. Madoka can be touchy and clingy, sure. But the fact that this version of "Madoka" exclusively lingers around Homura makes it feel more like an absent-minded fantasy of Homura. Homura for sure notices that, she knows that it's wrong. However Homura is still letting it happen, indulging herself in this deception, which is sooo gay of her omg-
Another Story manga
This one's for the peeps that think that Tomoe Mami character has been cut short in the initial series because of her untimely end and thus feels kinda lacking. I think this manga expands on her characters beautifully and it still fits within the main series like a glove.
it's tragic to see that even if Mami was still there, she couldn't have solved any of the big crises; In fact she might have amplified the stress and burden on Sayaka, to be this knight of justice, because she wasn't willing to show her vulnerability, until it was too late; The mentor/Hero-status was a way for Mami to cling to the inexperienced Sayaka and to let Sayaka cling onto her ideal Image. So it's devastating to see Sayaka distancing herself from Mami, because Sayaka cannot bear associating with this "perfect Hero" that Mami represents, while she almost let her friend die because of her lingering resentment.
It also shows us the relationship between Mami and Kyoko which wasn't there at all in the main series, but I think it has been executed thematically well, so I'm giving it a pass ^^
Completly forgot to mention Kyosaya whoops-
links
Some Madoka essays I've liked (all from the same person, lol)
I Contain Multitudes: Homulilly and Her Familiars
Wounded Children and Shadow Selves: A Depth Psychology Reading of Madoka Magica
The Bodies at the Borders of the Possible: Madoka Magica and Monster Theory
Not an Essay but a media guide of the same person (atamascolily) if you havent left the page yet:
A Field Guide to the Madoka Magica Multiverse