Magical Girls and the Deconstruction of the Mahou Shoujo Genre (Puella Magi Madoka Magica Critique part 1)

Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica is not for the faint of heart. Yes, the main characters are a white, fluffy creature, loli middle-schoolers, and colorful monsters that seem to have escaped from Alice’s Wonderland; and yes, this anime is about mahou shoujo (literally “magic girls”); but no, this anime is not for children.

Don't let their appearance deceive you... They can kick some serious butt. And they're probably more mature than your average young adult.

This unusual combination of the genre itself, the cute and sweet-looking characters (even the monsters they hunt, called witches and familiars, look harmless) and mature themes like death, the value of life, and human suffering is something that has never been done in the mahou shoujo, which, as a genre, is known for cute girls, fan service, and a shallow plot (think “Sailor Moon”). While certainly not a first in anime (there is a myriad of dark anime out there), it is one of the first to break free from the mold (some cite Uta Kata and Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha as mahou shoujo shows that also broke free from the genre’s stereotypes). In a concise and insightful blog post I stumbled upon while looking up Madoka reviews and critiques, it was discussed how Madoka is like the “Evangelion” of the mahou shoujo genre. I couldn’t agree more. Like Evangelion, which deconstructed the mecha genre, Madoka takes both the mahou shoujo genre and the art of anime itself and deconstruct them just to reconstruct again to enhance what seem to work well, and alter or even remove things that deter the literary excellence of an anime. (I wanted to say “depth”, but not all literature is meant to be “deep”.)

Take the length of the entire series, for example, and the masterful story-telling– with 12 episodes, the conflict, characters, and even the “laws” of the mahou shoujo are introduced; a series of unexpected twists are catapulted to the audience; and the conflict is resolved as the story seamlessly enters the denouement before the conclusion of the story… All in 12 episodes. This is in stark contrast to the average mahou shoujo anime or manga, which are riddled with independent side-stories (which are, in turn, riddled with fan-service) that contribute little to character and/or plot development.

The tone of this anime is also worth noting. In traditional mahou shoujo anime and manga, the tone is usually bright, sexy, and cheery; in Madoka, however, it’s the opposite. This is where the technical aspects of the anime shine. While the character designs are nothing spectacular, one will notice the beautiful abstract art drawn to portray an alternate reality (which usually serve as their battlefield for fighting witches). Perhaps it would be better to just show you a picture:

Purty colors...

And this is a snapshot of a familiar, a spawn of a witch:

Harmless? WRONG!

There is also the music, which is one of the highlights of this anime– instead of catchy, upbeat pop music, the Madoka soundtrack consists of  lingering instrumental music occasionally laden with haunting vocals that play in the background, contributing to the distinctly dark tone of Madoka. This is one of the Madoka soundtracks:

Puella Magi Madoka Magica is currently being labelled by the anime-watching community (at least those who can see and appreciate the beauty of this anime) as one of the anime that redefined the mahou shoujo genre (if not the anime that redefined the genre). With superior story-telling, a charming set of characters (along with some loathsome ones), and a distinctly dark tone set by haunting music and creepy abstract art, Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica sets a new standard in the art of anime. If you’re like me who hold cliches and stereotypes in distaste, then you will love this show; Puella Magi Madoka Magica takes the mahou shoujo genre (and a chunk of modern anime), destroys it while dancing on its grave, and reconstructs it. The guys at SHAFT (the studio behind this masterpiece) are geniuses– this show will go down in anime history.

A lot of people think that this anime is over-rated. Obviously, I do not agree. How about you, dear reader? How did you find this anime?