Gekijouban Mahou shojo Madoka magika Shinpen: Hangyaku no monogatari

Well, it isn't. We return to the Madokaverse to find a world that's not quite the same as we left it, making us ask ourselves, is this the beginning of the end or the end of the beginning? The beauty of the Madokaverse keeps growing, and I can't wait for the future of this Puella Magi Madoka Magica!

My Favorite Thing In The World So Excellent And Breathtaking

"Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie Part III: Rebellion" is a movie sequel for popular "Madoka Magica" anime series. It is preceded by two movies which retell the events of the anime. "Rebellion" is a first proper sequel with new story.

All sequels following a successful work of art are automatically suspicious of being blatant attempt on cashing in on the previous achievements. The creators may run out of ideas, get lazy or just lose interest in continuing story at original level of creativity. This is absolutely not the case with "Madoka Magica 3". I'm still surprised how good this sequel actually was.

Everything what TV anime series was praised for is present in the sequel. Soundtrack is equally good and animation style is even better - while equally imaginative it's even more psychedelic, more detailed and more stunning. The storytelling is as brilliant as it was in original series. It gradually reveals the new mysteries of the (now slightly different) world and is meant to surprise the viewers and to shatter their expectations. And yes it does shatter them! At least one of major plot twists (there are many) is of the category "Absolutely didn't see that coming!". And yet it isn't some random event pulled out of thin air - immediately after re-watching one will definitely see why it made perfect sense.

This particular plot twist is a reason why not everyone liked the movie, there were even accusations of "ruining the franchise". I can't delve into details why I find these accusations unfounded. If you like the original series you must watch the sequel to see for yourself.

I first watched this film in theaters and after receiving the bluray yesterday and after watching it a second time, I feel like I can say that this is an exceptional film. Same with before, the music is excellent and the animation is dazzling. It's avant-garde style make it really look unique, almost like an a bad LSD trip. The production values are high to say the least.

What I really like about this movie is how the main focus is on the most interesting of the magical girls in the series, Akemi Homura. I can't go into any real detail about the story other than this. It starts out in a world that is too good to be true. Then Homura starts getting suspicious of it. This movie really explores her character and never feels forced. Given her past actions and her mental state, everything she does feels organic and like a natural continuation of the series. Granted, some say the series didn't need a continuation, and in some respects they are right, but it doesn't take away from this at all.

It may not be the story you want, but at the very least, it makes perfect sense and is a great exploration into the tragic character that is Homura. It also opens the door to more entries in this series and as long as the quality stays consistent, that's not bad at all in my book.

Where I've had points to argue in the previous 2 entries, in this film, I have zero problems with anything. I can easily suggest that the "adaption" is over with now and we're into original content territory now, with the problems of the series no longer hanging over the films head, we can completely focus on this as the movie plot and get the character development we need.

Everything is done masterfully in this, from the animation and character development to the addition of previously unknown people in the story that act as easter eggs for fans of the series and the story behind it, while not detracting from the overall plot.

Everything in this movie is done to perfection with glorious animation and set pieces, to one of the best character writing points I've ever seen in fiction. The character development works so well in this, so much that I think it has effected the industry to a degree with some series and their attempts at a shocking revelation. Its to be expected though, as there will always be people who see a trope and think its good to copy, but sometimes not putting in the work necessary to make it good for them.

But in this movie, it does everything as well as I'd want.