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／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼ An anime about 12- year olds having existential crises ／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼

Summary

Puella Magi Madoka Magica (more commonly referred to as just Madoka) is an anime that came out in Japan in January 2011 and was produced by Shaft and Aniplex, directed by Akiyuki Shinbo and written by Gen Urobuchi. Unlike most anime that year, Madoka stood out very strongly among the pack, much so that it became one of /a/'s favorite anime of the year. And quite possibly for the next decade as well. Seriously, it's that good.

So what is it? Well, Madoka is a magical girl anime. Yes. Magical girl. As in Sailor Moon magical girl. But don't let the outer cute-ness, premise, and kawaii~ fool you. This show is dark. It's often been said that Madoka is a deconstruction of the magical girl anime genre, much like how Neon Genesis Evangelion is considered a deconstruction of mecha anime, or even how Watchmen is a deconstruction of comic books. It brings the concept of "magical girls" into a much more "realistic" light, or at the very least an emotionally realistic light.

Story

So what happens in the show? To go into specifics would spoil the show in major ways, so here are the generals.

Madoka is about two young schoolgirls, Madoka Kaname and her friend Sayaka Miki, being offered to have one wish granted by a creature named Kyubey (pronounced: Q-Beh). In return, the girls must become a "Magical Girl", during which time they will have to fight monsters, called Witches, that feed off of grief and sorrow. Kyubey introduces the girls to another magical girl named Mami, whose takes the girls under her wing to show them what being a magical girl is like. However, a girl named Homura is trying to prevent the two girls from taking Kyubey's offer at all costs. And from there, basically everyone has a massive existential crisis of agony and depression that would make even Albert Camus proud. It also has some Buddhist philosophy in there, somewhere beneath a 13-year old girl's serious contemplation of suicide.

Madoka Memes

Headless Mami

FYI: spoilers

This scene is what really made the anime fanbase collectively have to watch this show, as to how unexpected it occurred and how gruesome it was. The shock was so strong that it turned Mami into a bit of a meme, with many people parodying Mami's decapitation by simply having a headless Mami walking around. Most fanart depict the scene in which Mami is decapitated, such as making USB ports with a removable Mami head cover. Some fanart even show the Witch that killed Mami, named Charlotte, being murdered or shown as unnaturally moe~! But it's all a callback to that scene, and the shock that occurred while watching it.

The show's dark, brah.

Kyubey

／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼

Along with Mami, Kyubey also holds a special place in the Madoka fans', and the anime community's, heart for being a massive dick, all the time. Kyubey has become more of a meme than Mami for simply being more memorable than her, as well as driving the plot. To much can't be said of Kyubey without spoiling major show plot twists, but most images featuring Kyubey have Kyubey obsessing over how to have people sign his contracts and to turn people into magical girls and the lengths he will go through to do so. Or even just stupid wishes people make when they sign the contract. Comedic fanart will usually conflate his personality with his outward cuteness, since he basically becomes a parody of the "cute magical creature friend" in most magical girl animes.

Hate has been so strong to Kyubey that there are flash games in which you can shoot him to bits. It's easy to understand why once you watch the show.

Morning Rescue

Morning Rescue was an advertisement purposely left in by the fansubbing group [gg] once the second episode premiered. It was mainly left in there for comedy as a break from the ridiculous depression of the show.

Origins

The show began production once Ayiyuki Shinbo expressed desire to make a magical girl anime to his produce while working on Bakemonogatari. After that, well they simply hired the staff to write and create it, probably given much creative freedom from looking at the state of the show. It's a pretty standard origin story really.

Current status

After a slight delay after the 2011 Japanese earthquake/tsunami, the show finished it's run. But new media in the form of games and manga to expand certain parts of the mythos were released after it's finishing, but it's largely done. For now, a three part theatrical version of the show is being created, with the first part to be released in October 2012.

Facts

Images

This is what people originally expected. Oh, how far off we were.	Show has great action scenes too.	This is more in line of what happens in the show. But not much.	Sweet justice
Magical Namekian anime?	Sign a contract with me, Tomoko	Dubs
dohoho		Is that a wish I hear?	IT'S CONTRACT TIME!
Poor Homura
	OBJECTION	Obligatory cosplay of Madoka getting all the hoes.	By azure2526
Seriously, he's a dick.

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