ReallyCoolNgl

RWBY has been an amazing journey so far, from its classic beginnings (Seasons 1-3), through to the mixed received middle era (Seasons 4-6). Now, I have reached the final seasons... well as of yet, many are still to come. From what I am able to gather, 7-9 seems to be the least talked about era compared to the others, and I'm not quite sure the reason.

The only explanation I could maybe come up with is that people either find these last few seasons forgettable, or that there's not so much to talk about... but man do I have a lot to talk about when it comes to Volume 7. Seeing as I knew I was reaching RWBY's 3rd era, I wasn't sure what to expect.

I barley have found many reviews when it comes to Volume 7, let alone many people even talking about it in general. In fact, as unpopular Volumes 8-9 are to the fandom, they're at least talked about for a variety of different reasons, whereas Volume 7 sort of just... exists. And after giving it a watch... I have to say that this is probably the definitive example of the term "slow burn".

Quickly, I must get one thing out of the way which is somewhat upsetting... this is probably the worst soundtrack in RWBY... and yet its still incredible! By no means is it anywhere near the level of Volume 4 or 1's soundtrack, but it's so worth the listen. The first half of the lyrical songs are very... strange, and are mainly jazz-like or upbeat music you wouldn't expect from something as angry and metal as RWBY.

With that said, the second half carries a lot of that Volume 6 energy, where everything feels so passive aggressive, where all the characters are tired of playing games! It stands out the most in fight scenes as well, I couldn't help but notice the strange shift in instruments and tone in the second half of the soundtrack compared to the first...

And that's the best way I can explain its volume... having a pretty standard and middle-ground first half, yet having a second half so incredible that the entire thing is worth it... but that's also not exactly a great thing. The second half of this Volume absolutely blew my mind and took my breath away... but its such a shame that the first 6 episodes aren't at that same level.

Right away, I must bring up the fact that the main problem I have with this Volume in its first few episodes is that it doesn't know where it wants to go. It almost feels as though they knew where to take the last few episodes, but lost track with how pacing and character development should work. What I find so fun about RWBY is its ability to cleanly switch from one scene to another so smoothly while connecting the dots all together whilst doing so... that wasn't what was happening during the first few episodes.

The episodes struggled to find which characters it wanted to focus on, what the intentions were, which unfortunately, lead to a lot of filler. The reasoning behind having this con may be due to the addition of several new characters. Without spoiling, brand new characters as well as surprising guests from previous seasons make a comeback, which only has the story anxiously put pieces together to hopefully form a story.

It doesn't come off too horribly, and I would be lying if I said it was downright terrible, but I won't lie when I say the first half of Volume 7 was probably some of the most dull episodes of RWBY... which kind of hurts. These episodes weren't bad, but I would struggle to sit through all of them again if I were to rewatch this season... which as shocking as this may sound due to my rant, I probably will do.

This is because these last episodes of the Volume carry some of the greatest episodes I have ever seen in not only RWBY, but in any show I have seen in my life. The episode titled "Gravity" still stands as the third best episode I have ever seen in the show (with the first two best being the last 2 episodes of Volume 3). Even the next episode after, "With Friends like these" is a potential Top 10 episode of the show, that's how amazing this second half was.

The fights during this half felt so ferocious, like everyone hated each other and wanted nothing more than to slit each other's throats. And best of all, the pacing didn't feel anywhere close to boring now that the new and returning characters finally added something to the plots structure. The whole time while watching, I knew that these new characters were definitely important, it was just hard to tell when they would really shine, which eventually takes awhile to happen.

Again, no spoilers at all, bit some of the plot twists also had me in shock and experience similar emotions the whole cast of characters felt in these scenarios. These situations finally meant something; this second half should probably go down as the most important part of the Pre-Volume 3 period.

With all this in mind, it should be clear that this is so far RWBY's... strangest Volume. The first hour or so sadly feels like a chore, which is something I have never felt before when watching RWBY, and heck, there's only 2 episodes in this whole Volume that surpass the 8/10 mark on IMDb (arguably, Gravity being an 8.7).

But I can't promise enough that every second is entirely worth it, because I don't know if I can speak for many RWBY fans, but the final 3 episodes will be some of the most groundbreaking, cinematic, and astonishing episodes of RWBY you will ever watch, which is insane considering this is much past the classic era (that era featuring some of the greatest episodes of all time).

It was a super tough decision, but I think I would go as far as to rank this slightly above Volume 1. Sure, I understand that Volume is iconic and brings some of the most snappy and well-known dialogue in the whole show, but I'm still so taken aback by how the last few episodes decided to slap me in the face with bewilderment at first, I still cant believe how much I enjoyed those episodes.

Everyone is right when it comes to this Volume being forgetful, I can completely see that. The first half struggles so much on what it wants to be and has trouble finding its identity... but after slowly piecing the puzzle together, it ends up producing some of the most magical episodes I have ever watched in any show in my life. And for that, I could never find myself to find it truly unmemorable.

Many anime fans and horror fans alike have universally considered Madoka Magica not only as an incredible piece of work, but I've met and seen a large portion of these two communities go as far as to say that Madoka Magica is one of the greatest anime's of all time, as well as one of the most disturbing.

I made a review on the show not long ago, and I have to admit, these claims aren't too far off as well, as I had very few faults with the original work, and I can definitely see why the show is as critically acclaimed as it is. Heck, the show was made all the way back in 2011, and even here nearly 14 years later and it still holds up.

Needless to say, it was a massive hit. But even with that in mind, many fans were-and still are shocked- that it was successful enough to get its very own spin off show. That brings us to Magia Record Side Stories, the prequel to everything that took place in the original Madoka Magica anime. That means we are now able to learn the origins of Magical Girls, the first ever occurrences of the witches, and past characters' wishes and intentions.

The thing that makes Magia Record Side Stories so much more interesting than Madoka Magica though, is the fanbases thoughts. With how influential Madoka Magica was to the entire "cute-to-scary" genre, it would be difficult for another anime to pull of something just as good. The overall view with this anime among fans is incredibly mixed, with the general opinion just being that the show is "mid".

While I've only watched the entirety of season 1 as of writing this review, I have to say... I was really surprised finding this out, but eventually also grew to understand where these fans are coming from. You see... Side Stories is a really strange prequel. It doesn't really feel like Madoka Magics, regardless with the numerous references and corelations with the original show.

To begin, I want to get out of the way the number 1 complaint the entire fanbase has towards this show... it's pacing. The way this show moves is MUCH faster than most things I have seen in shows before. Madoka Magica, while a short series, had this slow disturbing burns for viewers, which is what made so many scenes and moments incredibly shocking.

However, here, the shocking reveals happen in the span of 10 or so minutes per episode. Without spoiling, there is an episode that reveals certain characters for the very first time, and only around 15 minutes later, something alarming is found out about one of them. This can come off as incredibly strange more than anything, to reveal so much in such a little number of episodes.

Now, this is more of a personal opinion, but... I don't have too much of a problem with this. Yes, pacing can be a major problem in most shows depending on the situation, but the reason why I don't think the pacing in Side Stories is such a big problem is that fans should already have a good idea of what witches and Magical Girls are capable of.

We already know so much about Magical Girl powers, because Mami revealed so much during the first 3 episodes of the original show, and the true horrors of becoming a Magical Girl were extended upon during the last few episodes of the first show. If Side Stories were to go over this even more, it would feel like a tedious drag to hear something that your very much aware of.

Of course, I can understand the criticism that moving fast in the show can be seen as a major problem, but considering that we've learnt far beyond the basics of the lore, there isn't too much more that can be said when it comes to how daunting it is to be a Magical Girl. Maybe this depends on the person, and I can still see why you would disagree with this opinion, I just don't find it to be as big a deal as several fans have.

Then there's also the characters. As far as I'm aware, most fans don't necessarily dislike any of these characters, yet they don't seem to have any positive feelings towards them. Now, this is going to be an incredibly hot take, but... I actually prefer some of the characters in this show more than I do the original.

Reminder, I said "some". Mami, Madoka, and Sayaka are still the best characters in the entire franchise in my opinion still, but I'm shocked seeing how little Iroha, Tsuruno, and the two Amane twins are talked about. Not only do a lot of the characters add so much to the original lore that are necessary to the first anime, but I would go as far as to say the main characters in this series have a much stronger bond than the original.

I'll do my greatest not to spoil, but the original Madoka anime a lot of the time had the friendships become toxic, disturbing, and overall, the characters were overwhelmed with who should be trusted or not. When it comes to Side Stories, its so refreshing to see the main characters (Iroha, Yachiyo, Tsuruno) get along perfectly while still maintaining the anime's ominous genre.

Some fans may prefer the characters constantly anxious with having to build a strong bond while also not constantly fearing for their lives like in the original anime, but I personally prefer to see the characters have several wholesome moments as they each live together and even at points comfort them during difficult times (especially once finding out Iroha's intentions throughout the episodes).

Side Stories I feel as though shouldn't be swept under the rug, and should be watched by every Madoka fan who wants to know about much more lore, characters, and some of the first Magical Girls. But also... the hate seems very valid. It was really hard finding a verdict for this anime, because while I enjoyed it very much, it also made so much sense as to why so many fans have already forgotten about it despite the fact that it's still running.

It then made me realise something... Side Stories will never be Madoka Magica, it will never match a majority of what made the original one of the greatest anime's ever... but there's a good reason why. Side Stories is fun, its easy to understand, it can be enjoyed by almost anyone, even those who barley are aware of the original shows existence.

If you've never even heard of Madoka Magica, Side Stories feels like its own show, it doesn't feel at all the same as what it was extending upon. When comparing, the show really is just as "fine" and "okay" as most people point out. However, when really taking into account that the intention behind this anime was to have fans take a step back from several depressing scenes from the original, and instead focus on the friendships and trusts that come with sticking together as Magical Girls, then I genuinely believe its amazing.

Originally, I was going to give this show the same rating I gave Madoka Magica, but after a lot of thinking, I'm only going to give it one point lower. Because on the surface, this could be seen as a lot more soulless compared to the original, but that's what the problem is, it's the "comparing" that drives this anime away from fans seeing how great it is.

In another world where for some reason the original anime never existed, I truly believe this show would be rated much higher. The issue is just that since the original was such an influential masterpiece that is termed as one of the greatest shows of all time, this anime couldn't handle those same points. But on its very own, Side Stories is without a doubt one of the most enjoyable anime's I have ever sat through.

While not a very popular genre (especially pre-2020), the trope of having what seems on the surface as a perfectly normal piece of media only to turn into something undeniably horrifying has to be my all-time favourite category of media out there. Which is sort of a shame considering that a lot of media recently (mostly video games0 that try to replicate this kind of trope end up landing flat on its face, completely embarrassing itself from what it wanted to accomplish in the first place.

With that said, there are several examples during the 2000's and 2010's that perfected this idea, creating some downright perfect examples of sticking with its viewers after watching it. That's what makes an amazing secret horror show, to be so devastating that you'll spend the next few days with scenes crawling on your back.

Madoka Magica is one of these examples. This show may just be one of the greatest anime's ever when it comes to this kind of genre (not including many web series, that is). I won't spoil which number of episodes stuck with me the most, but trust me when I say that you do not want to skip this series after it's first few episodes.

There are many scenes in this show that many anime fans can each agree are not only some of the most disturbing scenes in anime history, but one of the most impactful shows when it came to replicating the "cute-to-scary" genre that we have come to appreciate today (when done right). I found myself genuinely moved by many of the episodes, especially the later few.

What many appreciate about Madoka Magica is how respectful and carefully it handles this trope. The disturbing aspects don't feel forced or random occurrences, they genuinely mean something to the plot and have the characters horrified once they take account the situations they are placed in.

Most of the characters being pre-teens makes it all the more upsetting, knowing that these teens who have barley experienced their full potential because of their young age facing life-threatening positions is haunting once you continuously reflect the thought of it. This show doesn't handle these deadly circumstances in anime's such as Dragon Ball, where the characters are constantly brave and prepared for anything their way, they are each traumatised by some of the instances they encounter.

In fact, I would even go as far as to say that I don't think this show is for the faint of heart. If you find yourself easily disturbed, many of the triggering topics are found throughout several episodes that are incredibly hard to stomach when you realise these are costs that rest in the hands of children.

I really appreciate how far some of the writers went into respectfully handling these topics, and purposefully making them daunting to show just how many effects it can have onto people. However, as much as I praise the work that goes into this aspect of the show, I still have not covered the previous tricking genre, the "cute" side of the anime.

And that's because... well, this would probably have to be the only con I have with the anime. By no means are the first few episodes bad in any way, but they feel so barebones that I can't help but wonder if anyone had skipped the anime after the first 2 or 3 episode from boredom. Again, I want to make clear that these aren't terrible episodes by any means, but they just don't feel good once you see the show at it's full potential.

Once the disturbing aspects begin to kick in, it is done incredibly well and has me appreciate how far this anime is willing to reach it's limits. But in terms of show's I can understand that it may be frustrating to sit through almost an hour through until eventually reaching the climax you've been waiting for.

This is why I feel as though video games pull this genre the greatest, considering that fun gameplay can still be a major factor even if you aren't aware of what's to come later on. With anime's/shows however, it feels slightly different, as it almost feels as though you have to analyse as many of the characters personalities, backstories, and dedications until you eventually understand their purposes to the plot.

Thankfully though, many of the characters in this series are so entertaining to watch grow and develop that it doesn't feel like too much of a chore to eventually reaching the creepier side of Madoka Magica. A lot of their intentions feel incredibly personal and unique that you quickly begin to understand why they are so dedicated to becoming magical girls.

I don't think Madoka Magica is a perfect show, nor is it the greatest piece of media that pulls off the genre it emulates. Does that make it horrible, or even mid by any means? Absolutely not, because it is incredibly close to becoming what I consider to be one of the best shows of all time, and if not an ideal series, then its close to being one of the best anime you could ever watch.

Despite very few of its cons, I think Madoka Magica is a must watch, but it just may not be for everyone. It has a very specific target audience which may not fully appreciate the aspects it's leaning towards. But if you think your skilled enough to watch magical girls witness some of the greatest horrors imaginable, then I recommend putting everything aside and watching as many episodes as possible in a single go. Just remember, the first hour does not determine the rest of the series.