Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie Part 2: Eternal

Madoka movie 2 review (part 2 of the epic trilogy): Well as mentioned previously, this movie is the 2nd part of the trilogy installation from the Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica saga. The movie covers the remaining 4 episodes from the original TV series. While the first movie was titled 'The Beginnings', this is where it it ends from where the TV version left off. This movie is essentially another recap of the TV series and thus, there is no original material in terms of storytelling or plot twists. However, that doesn't mean viewers should pass up a chance to give this a shot though because not only doesit bring refreshment, it also brings that sense of magical feeling you might get once again like never before. Indeed, Madoka is like a magical girl theme series like no one has ever seen before especially to those new to the franchise. The movie starts off from exactly where The Beginnings left off related to Sayaka. The OP song remains the same that is orchestrated by the talented ClariS (Luminous). What the second movie offers though is even more of a darker tone related to the Mahou Shoujo theme. Madoka learns it the hard way from the very beginning from Homura. Both the physical and mental scares remains in Madoka's mind along with Kyouko. They bring out the psychological style of what PMMM was, is, and continues to be. As for the movie itself, Kyuubey still remains the all unforgiving antagonist with his devilish smile and mind games. It's a mind twist itself after all. Like the previous film, this one also boosts talent in terms of voice acting and emotions. Madoka's VA Aoi Yuuki is especially noticeable because her character suffers throughout her experiences with the events in this movie. In fact, she struggles with her current situation and the words from Kyuubey. She knows they are true facts but hard to accept them as reality. Even Kyouko whom originally started as a confident girl is now struggling with her situation and some startling revelations. They are all suffering with the fate and what they must endure. The movie also spells out the new destiny that Madoka must embrace just like she did in the original TV series. Along with the startling revelation made in the beginning, Madoka must make difficult decisions even if it's by herself. In fact, she wrestles with her own feelings and true facts in regards to her best friend, Sakaya. It's painful to watch but it's also the grim reality of how dark the movie is, just like the original TV series. Kyuubey further fuels the darkness with his plan and ambition to make Madoka into a Mahou Shoujo no matter what the cost. Despite this though, fans from the original TV series may also remember a bit of Homura. For newer fans, it is a new insight to her character as we see another side of her, or rather in a different way. We see all the magical girls but then, there's some of things we don't expect..(for newer fans that is). Be ready for another twisted ride. The OST of the movie remains top notch. We can give our thanks to Kajiura Yuki who is able to bring out her talent at its finest. The emotional scenes are played solemnly with the pacing while the action scenes possesses that full throttle feeling of fighting. The artwork takes its majestic style to its own right as well. The way the characters are crafted along with the Witches makes them seem more grim than usual. Of course, the fantasy world also remains surreal with its cutting edge style. Additionally, there's the grey and red coloring backgrounds that almost seems to bleed in with the style of the series. Even though it seems that the movie portrays the TV series for a recap, it is still just as dark in many ways. Thank you Shaft. Overall, this was another great film. Despite being a recap, it still had the tone of the TV series with its great cast of characters, supreme OST, unique artwork, and a grim story of magic. It is a world that the characters live in with darkness. The movie is a good wake-up call for those who still comes back once and awhile to relive the experience of PMMM. It is through these experiences where we realize just how dark some series can be. A magical girl theme series unlike most others, Puella Magi Madoka Magica takes the magical girl idea to a whole new level, a level that is unparalleled to what I've seen in recent years. There's pain. There's sorrow. There's emotion. There's betrayal. There's solitude. Then, there's Eternal.

The TV anime Puella Magi Madoka Magica took the anime world by storm when it came out last year. What was supposed to be a vapid, plotless “healing magical girl anime” turned out to be a storytelling masterpiece. Much to the delight of fans like me, this year, Shaft adapted the TV series into two new movies. But being film adaptations, are the movies actually of any value? First, let’s be clear, the two Madoka movies do not tell any new stories different from the original TV anime. However, that doesn’t mean the two movies have no value, for they are by no means mere recapsof the original series. Except for the plot, everything – visuals, music, voice acting, directing, etc. – everything you can name has been extensively revamped. Take the visuals for example. Most, if not all, of the scenes have been redrawn and reanimated – the backgrounds grander and more dynamic, the movements smoother, and all the drawing imperfections and animation mistakes fixed. The results are breathtaking. Time and time again, I found myself inadvertently silenced by the beauty and vividness on the screen. The movies also boast a good number of new tracks by Kajiura Yuki, some of which are remixes/rearrangements of tracks from the original anime, and a few are new compositions entirely. If you know anything about Kajiura Yuki, I probably don’t have to tell you how amazing the new soundtrack is. At the same time, the new tracks also set a different feel for the anime. Even the lines have been re-recorded. I cannot compare how the voice acting is done in the movie to how it is done in the original series, but I can tell you that in every scene of the movie, the voice acting is always real and compelling. I myself was definitely pulled deeper into the story thanks to the voice actors’/actresses’ part. Of course, not every change made for a stronger story presentation. Transitions are not always the best, and some important scenes from the TV anime had to be cut out. The added grandeur and drama in the cinematography also sometimes end up working against the story instead. Still there are some changes that neither strengthen nor detract from the story presentation. Nevertheless, the stunning visuals, the soul-hauntingly beautiful music, the emotional grit of the voice acting, and clever editing all come together nicely, sustaining the flow and impact of the story. When all’s said and done, the differences between the movies and the original series really aren’t that great. But for returning fans, hardcore or not, even these tiny, subtle changes make the movies worth watching. Through such changes in pacing, in cinematography, in animation and music, and in a small number of tiny additional scenes, Shaft has masterfully presented us with a slightly but meaningfully different perspective and feel of the Madoka story. So while it is not essential to watch the two movies to enjoy Madoka Magica – the original anime is still the core production – do try watching the movies if you ever want to revisit that fantastical and cruel world which came to your doorsteps over a year ago, in the form of a cute, white, cuddly animal.

Recaps are usually episodes/movies that re-tell a story that has already been told, but in a shorter and more compact way. It tells you valid points and informative parts in a story without all the unnecessary bits. Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica Movie 2: Eien no Monogatari is a recap of the last four episodes in the original series; Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica but squeezed into a 2 hour long action-packed thrilling movie. When I first finished the original series of Madoka Magica I felt like I didn't watch it to my full potential (being distracted or not focusing at some points of the show.) That being, Idecided to watch the recap movies, and I have no regret in doing so! If I didn't watch these movies, I believe my liking towards the Madoka Franchise/Series wouldn't be where it is right now. Having finished these two movies, this whole series has become one of my favorite anime! If you aren't too sure whether you should attempt to watch the movies, I recommend watching this no doubt! And with no hesitation! Here is my review for Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica Movie 2: Eien no Monogatari! Enjoy! STORY - 10/10 This movie mainly revolves around Homura and Madoka because it is a recap of the last 4 episodes from the original series, which involves the back story to Homura "Magical Girl" journey. A plot that gets twisted a lot makes this movie very psychological and keeps your eyes glued to the screen. It plays with the 'Magical Girl' genre a bit and creates something beyond what a normal series of this genre would do. This is simply genius in my opinion! The story telling in this anime is just too beautiful to explain! The originality and creativity that goes into this is what makes this anime for me. A simple plot, with a bunch of twists and turns throughout keeps you intrigued almost through the whole thing. Even though this movie is a recap of the original series (last 4 episodes) it still has extra scenes thrown in to it, with better animation and re-dub of the voices. The story is really intense and confusing at sometimes, so in the end you might need to research a bit and find some explanations etc. But that's Madoka Magica for you! Overall this story has no MAJOR flaws and I cannot come to point out any cons in the plot, all in all a very solid story. Shaft never disappoints! ART - 10/10 The art. Well what can I say... One word... BEAUTIFUL!!!! The animation in this film was simply amazing. The movie's animation compared to the original series was a hell of a lot better and it shows in various scenes throughout. In this movie the background scenery and fighting scenes are much more detailed. Having the animation blow me away! There were also some extra scenes put in to express the darkness and depression of some scenes. Overall the art was a big step up from the series. Plain beautiful! SOUND - 10/10 Madoka magica has always been one of my favorites when it comes to the OST. Yukia Kajiura defintley did not disappoint! Unlike the series, there were more scores in this movie, making it more alive and detailed. They kept the old ones in with a few new ones. Overall the soundtrack was at it's best. Now when it came to the voice acting in this movie, I felt that it exceeded the series, in terms of emotion, screaming and just plain voicing. Saito Chiwa (Homura's voice actress) did a fantastic job in this movie and I also did notice the voice of Madoka did a much better job compared to the original series. But that's just based on my ears! Overall voice acting was perfect! Character - 10/10 I have always loved the characters in this show. The movie portrays these characters in a depressing and deep way. You learn a lot about each and every character in this movie, seeing there happy side, and dark side. Even though this movie mainly focuses on the relationship between Madoka and Homura, I did feel that some other characters got some decent development and depth put into them. But in saying that, the character you see get most development is defintley Homura. You get to see her background/back story etc. It was like this movie kind of expressed the depression and motivation Homura felt, but not only her but with all the characters. It makes you feel the emotions that are being felt in the movie. You also get to see more depth into Kyoko and what she's about. Showing scenes from her past and how she became a Magical Girl. You learn about this 'bad ass' type character a bit more. Overall characters were good. Period. ENJOYMENT - 10/10 Surprisingly this movie was more enjoyable to watch than the actual anime series! It made me love the second half of the series even more, and also made me understand it a lot better! With the new addition of a beautiful soundtrack, new extra scenes and gorgeous animation, this movie is beyond good. No doubt I would recommend this show to any anime watchers! Well time to watch the next and final movie... Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie Part III: Rebellion!

I saw this movie at the Chicago premiere of the first two Madoka Films. Overall I was expecting the same quality art, sound, and story as the television series. I was not disappointed. I'm sure anybody reading this review has watched the original episodes (if you haven't, go do it right now), so I will not explain much about the plot as it's exactly the same. The art-style is typical Shaft; quirky and a bit alien, but extremely detailed, sharp, and interesting. Most of the music is new, and the soundtrack goes great with the reanimated fighting scenes. Overall, I really enjoyed the movie and it's a great"rewrite" of the TV series. Cannot wait for Rebellion.