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Madoka Magica: Rebellion US Premiere


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chidori3souske



Joined: 06 Oct 2013
Posts: 3
Location: Philippines
PostPosted: Sat Dec 07, 2013 3:37 am Reply with quote
Man...I envy the people living in the US Anime cry

Now looking forward to Kizumonogatari!!
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Juno016



Joined: 09 Jan 2012
Posts: 2428
PostPosted: Sat Dec 07, 2013 4:35 am Reply with quote
I'm on the fence again. I misunderstood one major part about the ending (or rather, I wasn't sure if I was right or not, but I might have missed the subtitles in the theater, since I was focusing more on listening to the Japanese during many scenes... ironic, huh), so my initial thoughts about the ending were that of a tragedy. But after reading some direct captions from the movie, it became obvious that my assumption/concern was actually wrong, and it seems more "happy" than "tragic."
Still. I am confused about a few lines of dialogue at the end, which seem to contradict what happens not long after it. I would gladly discuss this with someone else who has seen the movie, but let's keep it in spoiler tags:

spoiler[My misunderstanding was about whether Majo (Witches) returned when Homura covered the world in her Akuma (Demon/Devil) barrier or whether there were still Majuu (Magical Beasts/Wraiths) from after Ultimate Madoka's world-alteration. Turns out Homura said "Majuu," so this most likely means Witches are still gone and the souls are still with Ultimate Madoka or Homura is the one carrying on Madoka's wish.
And on that note, adding to the confusion... during the discussion between Homura and Sayaka at the end, Sayaka says that Homura stole a PART (ichibu) of Madoka's power. Homura replies that the only part she took was the part of Madoka before she became a Magical Girl. Before that, too, Homura said something about stealing the power of a kami, referring to Madoka. However... what does this mean about Ultimate Madoka? Does Ultimate Madoka exist separately from the Madoka in Homura's world? Then why did Madoka almost revert back to Ultimate Madoka in the scene not too long afterward? I think the answers might be clearer on an actual second viewing, but for now, I'm confused...]


I have to say, though. A lot of people seemed to be extremely confused about what was going on, causing a lot of people to say it was "convoluted" or too complicated. I think I blame the subtitles for naturally wordy-reading info-dumps, but even so, to me, the story this time was MUCH clearer that the TV series until the very end, where my concerns I pointed out above popped up.

It was a great movie with some spectacular animation (I'd say there was more than twice as much InuCurry animation as what was in the TV show itself... and that's a LOT of InuCurry...). And it definitely seems re-watchable in much the same way the TV series is. I'll definitely be ordering the Blu-Ray and the figma for Nagisa and spoiler[Akuma (Devil/Demon) Homura]! To the despair of my wallet...
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Sylontack



Joined: 09 Apr 2011
Posts: 193
PostPosted: Sat Dec 07, 2013 5:58 am Reply with quote
Quote:
After Rebellion, do you have any plans for the Madoka franchise in the future?

Iwakami: No, we don't have any plans.


Yet Iwakami was one of the two who spoiler[had Urobuchi CHANGE the original ending to a poorer ending (in my opinion) so the franchise could be continued for more money... Just animate The Different Story if you want my money Razz].
Please understand I've been ranting about this everywhere I go to everyone I meet ever since I saw spoiler[the revised ending]. I am irrationally bitter about it.
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HeeroTX



Joined: 15 Jul 2002
Posts: 2046
Location: Austin, TX
PostPosted: Sat Dec 07, 2013 10:50 am Reply with quote
My understanding, is that:
spoiler[Homura ends with her own "pocket" universe (which is why she says that she's surprised that Sayaka got "pulled in"). As part of that, she "took" a piece of Madoka for herself. Because it IS a piece of Madoka, there is still power in it (which is why there is the momentary threat of her becoming kami-Madoka) but it is weaker than "full" Madoka so Homura can control it. I think the MUCH more interesting question is regarding Sayaka. Granted that she has some memories that she isn't "supposed" to have, I find it interesting that in the tv series it was put forth that witches can't be "cured" and even Madoka doesn't "cure" them but instead helps them "move on" so to speak. The two most interesting aspects of the movie are that:
1. Sayaka still IS a witch, in some manner, but is also herself, THAT could lead to some really interesting questions if someone wanted to explore it.
2. Homura CAN apparently suppress Sayaka's witch aspect now, which begs an entirely DIFFERENT set of questions.]
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drumstick00m



Joined: 09 Jan 2013
Posts: 3
Location: United States
PostPosted: Sat Dec 07, 2013 11:30 am Reply with quote
Do not see Puella Magi Madoka Magica: a New Story, the Rebellion Story, or any Puella Magi or Studio Shaft productions, for the sake of seeing the film until direct sequels to this movie are announced and have release dates slated.
(Spoilers in the link): https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0iyjXg7Js9iMmY3al9HTlN6dVE/edit?usp=sharing
#Otaku4IntersectionalJustice
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Fencedude5609



Joined: 09 Nov 2006
Posts: 5088
PostPosted: Sat Dec 07, 2013 11:56 am Reply with quote
Blatant sequel bait.

Good movie though. But yeah, there is going to be either another movie or a new TV series.
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amagee



Joined: 08 Nov 2010
Posts: 333
Location: Orlando, FL
PostPosted: Sat Dec 07, 2013 12:44 pm Reply with quote
Sylontack wrote:

Yet Iwakami was one of the two who spoiler[had Urobuchi CHANGE the original ending to a poorer ending (in my opinion) so the franchise could be continued for more money... Just animate The Different Story if you want my money Razz].
Please understand I've been ranting about this everywhere I go to everyone I meet ever since I saw spoiler[the revised ending]. I am irrationally bitter about it.


Where can I read that the spoiler[ending was revised]? I'm not familiar with this story.

On another note, any idea what they got in those goody bags? Down in Florida, we just got those little autograph board copies.
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Cptn_Taylor



Joined: 08 Nov 2013
Posts: 925
PostPosted: Sat Dec 07, 2013 1:24 pm Reply with quote
Sylontack wrote:
Quote:
After Rebellion, do you have any plans for the Madoka franchise in the future?

Iwakami: No, we don't have any plans.


Yet Iwakami was one of the two who spoiler[had Urobuchi CHANGE the original ending to a poorer ending (in my opinion) so the franchise could be continued for more money... Just animate The Different Story if you want my money Razz].
Please understand I've been ranting about this everywhere I go to everyone I meet ever since I saw spoiler[the revised ending]. I am irrationally bitter about it.



Think of it this way, Madoka Magica ended with the tv series. Everything is is just crap designed to carry on a story which had correctly ended with no problems whatsoever.
As long as people are so easily conned, well Urobochi & co will continue producing crap. Just say no. But fans being fans you'll get a better chance of taking a drug addict off this drugs than a Madoka Magica fan renounce even a crap sequel ova or tv series.
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Juno016



Joined: 09 Jan 2012
Posts: 2428
PostPosted: Sat Dec 07, 2013 1:35 pm Reply with quote
HeeroTX wrote:
My understanding, is that:
spoiler[Homura ends with her own "pocket" universe (which is why she says that she's surprised that Sayaka got "pulled in"). As part of that, she "took" a piece of Madoka for herself. Because it IS a piece of Madoka, there is still power in it (which is why there is the momentary threat of her becoming kami-Madoka) but it is weaker than "full" Madoka so Homura can control it. I think the MUCH more interesting question is regarding Sayaka. Granted that she has some memories that she isn't "supposed" to have, I find it interesting that in the tv series it was put forth that witches can't be "cured" and even Madoka doesn't "cure" them but instead helps them "move on" so to speak. The two most interesting aspects of the movie are that:
1. Sayaka still IS a witch, in some manner, but is also herself, THAT could lead to some really interesting questions if someone wanted to explore it.
2. Homura CAN apparently suppress Sayaka's witch aspect now, which begs an entirely DIFFERENT set of questions.]


spoiler[It showed Homura's Majo/Akuma barrier encompassing the entirety of Madoka's universe, thus giving her control of some of the general laws of the world. Notice her familiars are dancing around and sitting in the trees and people treat them as normal.]

spoiler[And Sayaka never turned into a Witch. Madoka purified her soul and took it up to her "paradise" with her until they decided to infiltrate Homura's Soul Gem. Then, when they were all back on Earth, about to save Homura from her fate, Homura grabbed Madoka and basically trapped anyone who was down there, including Sayaka and Nagisa, on top of whatever "part" of Madoka she took (which Sayaka claimed is the piece of the Law of Cycles that was the salvation power of the hope of Magical Girls, but that Homura said was only the piece that was Madoka before she "stopped being herself"--the records of her as a human). So which is it?]

spoiler[Though, yes. It seems Homura can willingly suppress/rewrite the memories of everyone within her barrier, much like she did in her Witch barrier inside her Soul Gem, which looks to be what she did to Sayaka and Madoka, along with everyone else.]

Cptn_Taylor wrote:
Sylontack wrote:
Quote:
After Rebellion, do you have any plans for the Madoka franchise in the future?

Iwakami: No, we don't have any plans.


Yet Iwakami was one of the two who spoiler[had Urobuchi CHANGE the original ending to a poorer ending (in my opinion) so the franchise could be continued for more money... Just animate The Different Story if you want my money Razz].
Please understand I've been ranting about this everywhere I go to everyone I meet ever since I saw spoiler[the revised ending]. I am irrationally bitter about it.



Think of it this way, Madoka Magica ended with the tv series. Everything is is just crap designed to carry on a story which had correctly ended with no problems whatsoever.
As long as people are so easily conned, well Urobochi & co will continue producing crap. Just say no. But fans being fans you'll get a better chance of taking a drug addict off this drugs than a Madoka Magica fan renounce even a crap sequel ova or tv series.


1) Where in the world did you see that Iwakami spoiler[revised the original ending?]

2) Have you watched the movie yourself? Your opinion is your opinion, and OBVIOUSLY Madoka's sequel movie was made in anticipation of its popularity and reaction, after the original story had been planned to end, but that is almost ALWAYS separate from the quality of the product made. If you had such an aversion to money-making, then why be in entertainment at all? You want art in everything and nothing else? Then artists are going to starve.
The whole "milking" argument is almost always true in the marketing aspect, but it also carries a connotation of the quality of the story going down over time. I'm not sure about what you thought of the movie (assuming you watched it), but I certainly did NOT see a drop in quality, in any manner, from the television series.
If anything, some people are just bitter that the sequel spoiler[potentially destroys a part of the message from the original series.] Even so, though, it still creates its own and will definitely be a piece to remember.
Visually, you could say it's even more artistic than the original series. So much... InuCurry... Anime hyper


Last edited by Juno016 on Sat Dec 07, 2013 1:47 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Chagen46



Joined: 27 Jun 2010
Posts: 4377
PostPosted: Sat Dec 07, 2013 3:11 pm Reply with quote
I haven't seen the movie, but I've read endless spoilers on /a/, and from what I've read Gen basically ruined the series with endless pandering and sequel-baiting. Along with destroying nearly everyone's character. Ugh.
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Juno016



Joined: 09 Jan 2012
Posts: 2428
PostPosted: Sat Dec 07, 2013 5:31 pm Reply with quote
Chagen46 wrote:
I haven't seen the movie, but I've read endless spoilers on /a/, and from what I've read Gen basically ruined the series with endless pandering and sequel-baiting. Along with destroying nearly everyone's character. Ugh.


As someone who has seen the movie, I can totally see how you and many others who just read the PLOT spoilers might think this, but the movie was a LOT more in depth with characters than even the TV series and it FURTHERED development. Whether it destroys the characters or not (only one character changed on her own terms--the others spoiler[were changed much in the same way they were at the end of the series itself]) might be up to your personal view and/or experience, but it still gives us a reason to believe in the change and understand why it happened. I, myself, didn't see a single thing out of character in the entire movie.

(though I really wish they had given spoiler[Nagisa/Bebe] more development... She was literally the one part of the movie that seemed like trailer fodder than anything else...)

This is why I hate it when people look up spoilers without considering the execution and story as a whole and how these elements work together to make the plot points work. Back when the TV series finished and the hype was at max, I came across a lot of people who read spoilers and decided NOT to watch the movie because they thought it was complete pandering to yuri or that the story was ridiculous and "trying too hard to be dark" or whatever. If you've seen the TV series, you [probably] agree that it's a TON more than that. And the same applies to this movie. There's a lot more to work with than just a few plot points given out by a bunch of fans who all have differing opinions and/or experiences with the movie. At the very least, stop caring about what OTHER people think and go watch it yourself (when you get the chance, of course). Then you can say whether or not it felt contrived, or whether or not the movie destroyed all meaning of what came before it.
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Fencedude5609



Joined: 09 Nov 2006
Posts: 5088
PostPosted: Sat Dec 07, 2013 5:51 pm Reply with quote
Yeah.

I mean, if this is it, I'd be pretty annoyed...but its obvious this is not going to be it.

This is the middle part of a trilogy (despite being the third part, if you know what I mean)
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bglassbrook



Joined: 29 Aug 2006
Posts: 1243
Location: Gaithersburg, MD
PostPosted: Sat Dec 07, 2013 5:55 pm Reply with quote
Juno016 wrote:
that the story was ridiculous and "trying too hard to be dark" or whatever.

Oh, how I wish it had been. Aside from not liking the new transformation routines, the first half was rather infuriating, in that it just didn't seem to match up with a continuation of the series/movies. Loved the second half though, it was a much better movie once it turned dark and finally started paying off for sitting through the setup.

spoiler[Even if Homura being the witch was a pretty obvious outcome.

It was kinda annoying how the wraiths never appeared in the movie outside of being mentioned in passing as what they should be up to. Coming off the end of the series, we think, "oh goody, a new universal enemy to watch them fight"... instead, straight into Nightmares and then straight out to Homura the witch then demon. *grrrr*

My take on Syaka & Nagisa being brought into Homura's universe is that they became part of the Cycle, and thus when the Madoka-part is drawn-in they got dragged along for the ride. Them retaining their witch powers was just because it was useful in their original role. Not sure if she is the last witch or not, as it seemed open-ended about how Homura was planning to have Evil expressed in her universe, but my guess is she would leave them off the table to preserve Madoka's wish.]


I felt the second half was a good way to retcon enough points to allow for resumption of the series.
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TarsTarkas



Joined: 20 Dec 2007
Posts: 5936
Location: Virginia, United States
PostPosted: Sat Dec 07, 2013 6:18 pm Reply with quote
I will probably wait for the BD before watching it. Sounds like the visuals got high marks.

Bamboo, did you go personally to watch the premiere? Everything looks nice in the pictures, but was it so in person.
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vanfanel



Joined: 26 Dec 2008
Posts: 1261
PostPosted: Sat Dec 07, 2013 6:38 pm Reply with quote
I saw it in the theater in Japan, and while it is artistically spectacular, it left me cold as a film. Enjoyed the early parts well enough, but the latter half was exhausting and unsatisfying for me. spoiler[After being jerked one way and then another so many times, I reached a point where I just didn't care anymore, and wanted them to just pick a reality and be done with it.] There was no need to take a baseball bat to the TV ending -- one of the best endings in recent memory -- for something like this. Not everything needs to be an endless franchise.
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