Forum - View topicThe Ultimate Madoka Recap and Homura's Lost Paradise
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Issac Sarrowtail
Posts: 101 |
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After several years, I wonder if the new movie will simply have a conclusion. It seems to be the thing that I rage against the most, in that the story is clearly left hanging.
That said, I also expect a fight between two gods and man that sounds like fun with Puella Magi world as the backdrop. |
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TsukasaElkKite
 Posts: 4032 |
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I really should rewatch it.
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catterbu
 SubscriberPosts: 8 |
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Great work by ZeroReq011! Not just a strong recap, but some interesting thoughts on agency. My one nit to pick is regarding the statement that Homura being cast as Lucifer, the fallen angel, implies her actions are evil by definition. While some do define evil as actions associated with the devil, the more widely accepted definition is associates evil with immorality. Morality is associated with distinctions between right and wrong. Based on the arguments from the rest of the piece, we might characterize Homura's actions as wrong (and evil), but this only follows from what she does, not who she is.
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yeehaw
 Posts: 598 |
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Why didn't Madoke just wish for magical girls to not die?
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ssjokg
Posts: 56 |
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Homura steals Madoka's agency but hers was stolen as well. She couldnt do anything at the end of ep12 and had to deal with it, as the article points out.
And the new world isnt even a trophy for herself at the end. She is the only one that is alone, self ostracized from the very start(the visuals of her interactions with the other 3 main girls, breaking a tea cup for Mami, letting food go to waste for Kyoko and suicidal imagery and self ridicule with Sayaka) and probably suicidal. Both characters ignore other's wishes for what they think is best, both characters sacrifice themselves for others, both created a new world. Only reason one is seen as evil and one as good is the imagery. The BAD thing about Homura's world is how obviously unstable it is and we will finally see what happens in Rising.
Because then you would end up with every magical girl becoming a witch internally like Homura did. |
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Ryuu14
Posts: 17 |
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many people say that Homura's decision to become the "devil" was out of character, an opinion that I always denied, yet I was never able to properly explain why I think that way. This article put all my thoughts into words and I love it.
One thing I want to add: I believe that the foundation for Homura's desire to "control" Madoka was ironically laid by Madoka herself - in timeline #3. She probably didn't think that through too much, seeing how close she was to becoming a witch, but at the end of that timeline she wished for Homura to save Madoka from falling for Kyubey's trap, to stop her from becoming a magical girl, which, in a twisted way, could be interpreted as telling Homura to control Madoka's "life". Then she told Homura that she doesn't want to become a witch, and asked Homura to kill her, effectively telling her to control Madoka's "death". Combine those two and the result is that Homura was basically told to control the entity known as "Madoka". Obviously Madoka didn't intend for Homura to take it that way and I'm pretty sure that at first, Homura didn't. But the seed was planted and by repeating the same month for over a 100 times it could've fully grown into Homura's subconsciousness. |
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blooperboy
 Posts: 138 |
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Where does 'Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story' fall in all of this?
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Issac Sarrowtail
Posts: 101 |
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It is a side universe, that that the Goddess doesn't have full control of. |
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Villain-chan
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Juno016
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Madoka's wish doesn't just erase witches, but she very explicitely states the erasing of witches "by [her] own hands" ("kono te de"), which allows her to have near full control over every aspect of witch erasure. Magical girls' wishes often seem to go wrong by design, so giving herself this power and control allows her to be the agent of her own wish's success. While I couldn't tell you what a world with undying magical girls would look like, something tells me that without that agent of success, things could go drastically wrong. For instance, do magical girls "die" when they become witches? Would that just make witches immortal? Even if that didn't happen, surely magical girls still have lives to live, so immortality could become a major stress point for them outside their witch-fighting duties, potentially leading them to despair anyway. Madoka's wish is focused not on survival, but on rejecting despairーshe did not want these girls' wishes to go to waste, but for their lives to have been worth living for. Besides, it sounds like Madoka's soul gem paradise technically allows their souls to "live forever" anyway. - As for the next movie, based on all existing evidence, I suspect Ultimate Madoka (the version of Madoka trapped outside Homura's barrier) has sent the "fairies" (magical girls) in the combined form of Walpurgisnacht, led by Ribbon Homura (possibly a good-future/alt Homura?) to try and fight Devil Homura in order to bring her around to good again. Maybe that's too obvious, but the series likes to red-herring its trailers a lot while spoiling a ton, so I'm trying to read between the lines this time. |
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TarsTarkas
 Posts: 5959 Location: Virginia, United States |
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While that is a bad thing, it is not the BAD thing. Which is what Homura did to Sayaka and the other magical girls. Really don't want to get into the Homura argument again. So I will just say, there is a divide in the fandom concerning Homura's out of character status and this recap didn't change my mind. |
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ssjokg
Posts: 56 |
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What did she do that was bad? What did she do that was any different from what she did to Madoka? Only Sayaka is in any way aware and that changed fast. And no she isnt out of character. And honestly I have no idea what people mean with that. Is she ooc for manipulating their memories? Is she ooc for saving them? Did people NOT watch the show? Homura tries to save them and Homura also tries to kill them if they are too far gone. Oh dear heavens, she gave them another chance at living happily. So bad. |
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TarsTarkas
Posts: 5959 Location: Virginia, United States |
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If a terrorist organization kidnapped you and spent several months brainwashing you, so that you would forget the last couple of years of your life/memories/experiences and do what they want; wouldn't you consider that a BAD thing.
The scene with Sayaka and Homura at the end of Rebellion, should have shown that this was a bad thing. Come on, would any of you like to have your mind wiped, to forget your spouse, love, and children, so that you could be forcefully reverted to your high school self and life. Madoka's wish, left everyone with their agency and choices. That is why Sayaka remained dead. Homura's didn't. Nothing in the the original TV series made me believe that Homura was some broken person. In fact, the second arc of the Rebellion movie showed us Homura's strength. For me, there is a significant disconnect between the second arc and final arc of the Rebellion movie. My opinion of Homura and her actions, are just my opinion. Everyone can have their own opinions. But to say what Homura did to our Magical Girls was not bad, is not logical. If it was done to you, you certainly would not like it. |
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ssjokg
Posts: 56 |
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Is it okay if the terrorist organization calls itself God and is a pink hared girl? Madoka did the same exact thing but somehow that is okay. Her friends forgot about her, her parents forgot about her...except that one broken girl that tortured herself for like 10 years trying to save her and was forced to not be able to. Yeah that wasnt bad. That was benevolent af/s So you ignore tv Homura trying to save the other girls as well and also changing gears and trying to kill them when they were too far gone to help her against Walpurgis. You are correct, I wouldnt like to forget the existence of my daughter because she decided to beat a space rat's "logical thinking". I honestly dont know how you see Madoka's and Homura's actions so different when they are not. |
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TarsTarkas
Posts: 5959 Location: Virginia, United States |
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Madoka's wish allowed the other magical girl's agency and choices to remain valid.
Homura's broken wish did not. Again, I will refer to Sayaka's and Homura's last meeting in the final arc of Rebellion. Sayaka definitely didn't want or needed to be saved by Homura. It was done by force, and against Sayaka's will. The other magical girls, were given no choice in the matter, nor consent, either. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Would you personally want other people forcing this on you, ignoring your wishes, making you forget your memories and experiences. Which ultimately effect who you truly are. |
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