So earlier this week the Canada showing finally came. It was a tough journey avoiding spoilers for a good 2 months but I lasted; I think it was worth it. Suffice to say, this post will be filled with spoilers so if you haven't watched the movie, I suggest you don't go further. Though opinions on this movie are most likely highly conflicted (as was I after first finishing), I feel I can finally calm down enough to write cohesively.
Lets start it off with the the first phases I went through: Shock. My god, walking out of that theater and for the rest of the night my mind filled with WTF just happened. Even as I slept my mind was still filled with thoughts of WTF, I couldn't comprehend what I just watched, I literally had no opinion on it that first night. I was just fully conflicted on everything I saw and what to think of it. It wasn't until the next morning until the suffering set in.
Day 2, maximum suffering. It was a good thing I took the day off, I totally forgot how much the series impacted me the first time around and this movie hit like a ton of bricks. It was a day of finally digesting all of Homura's actions and thinking "it didn't have to be this way..." and "nooo Homu!'. As my mind slowly rationalized all of Homu's action I fell in deeper and deeper despair for her. The realization that Homura will never truly be able to realize her wish in the form she wanted and this reality was as close as she could get. Combine that with the fact that her inner goal of reclaiming her fun fill days with Madoka will be nothing but a distant memory no matter how much she wishes for it.
Day 2, maximum suffering. It was a good thing I took the day off, I totally forgot how much the series impacted me the first time around and this movie hit like a ton of bricks. It was a day of finally digesting all of Homura's actions and thinking "it didn't have to be this way..." and "nooo Homu!'. As my mind slowly rationalized all of Homu's action I fell in deeper and deeper despair for her. The realization that Homura will never truly be able to realize her wish in the form she wanted and this reality was as close as she could get. Combine that with the fact that her inner goal of reclaiming her fun fill days with Madoka will be nothing but a distant memory no matter how much she wishes for it.
Day 3 was the final acceptance. As twisted as Homura's reality was, when stepping back, was it really that bad? Even if everyone had been brainwashed, everyone ultimately got what they wanted. Mami gained the friend she wished for, Kyouko and Sayaka got each other, and Homura got Madoka. Madoka was pushed into the god role out of a sense of duty and her own desire to save Homura. Now she can live peaceful while Homura was finally able to grant the promise she made to Madoka and to herself. As always, I do believe the ends justify the means, and I could finally accept the movie. The best way to describe it is the series was a good end: everyone was relatively happy and accepted everything. At the end of Rebellion was the true end, everyone got what they wanted and didn't just accept the status quo. The universe can deal with heat death at a later time.
I guess I can round off this post with my interpretation of the more controversial items within the movie. The start of movie was clearly what Homura truly wished for, it was her barrier after all. Her trying to recreate a perfect version at the end was just an extension of what this movie started with. As for her trigger for "insanity" it was clearly laid out when Madoka said herself that she wouldn't want such a large burden of saving everyone. Combine that with Homura reliving her worst moments with Madoka before turning into a wish served to strengthen her resolve to protect Madoka.
As for the methods she used to achieve her goals, this has been nothing new for Homura. Throughout the series it is shown she would go to any lengths to protect Madoka. Within the second timeline she even states she wouldn't care if she were to turn into a witch if it was with Madoka. She was even fine committing suicide after she lost her "sanity" turning into a witch so that she could protect Madoka. Destroying the world just to protect the Madoka is not that far off from how Homura has always handled these situations.
I guess one the points that get me is how much stronger Mami and Sayaka are portrayed when fighting Homura. If ribbon clones were possible, how did Mami die in the first place? It felt like the power balance was off, the whole idea was that Homura was a Magical Girl for far longer then any of them due to the time travelling. This was why Sayaka couldn't beat anyone, lack of experience. For them both to turn around and just power up kind of felt off.
The other thing was how Homura was ever even able to split Madoka? Many problems arise as Homura magically gained super powers from being half witch-ified that include separating souls. At no point in the series is this ever shown as being possible. The other issue with this was Madoka technically is omnipotent. She should be able to foresee this happening. This crucial scene I guess can't really be explained other than lulz its magic.
In the end, after quite a few mixed emotions and a wild ride as I came to terms with the movie, I can say that it was definitely good. They may have flipped the original message of hope around, but I feel the story was crafted together perfectly into the bitter sweet end we all secretly desire. After all, aren't we just chasing after that fleeting feelings you experienced when you watched the series for the first time? I think this movie delivered that quite well.
~Pearz
