a_flyleaf | PMMM musings, movie edition: #VINDICATED

Just gonna casually quote myself from Discord (minor #spoilers):

my main thoughts are something like “Homura get therapy” and “if madoka is jesus/ascends to god and homura becomes the devil then what the fuck is sayaka” and “dang, bebe is A (Human) Character now” and “what the fuck is going onnnnn”

also I loved it

More spoilery version:

fellas you ever such a self-hating gay you can’t stand your cross-temporal bff ascending to non-person godhood so when you get trapped by an interdimensional utilitarian cat who releases your full power as an experiment you rip off the part of your bff's soul that’s still A Person so she can stay with you in your own little nightmare hellscape forever (rest of godoka do NOT interact,)

I keep plugging my friend Joy’s meta but honestly, this is gonna be like 90% softly plagiarized from her ideas. I can’t exactly give a “things I knew about the movie going in” list because between finishing the show and watching the film, I binged a couple meta tags, and they included Rebellion meta; tried to skim past most of it, didn’t have context anyway, but y’know. Thought I had A Gist.

Boy.

Have I mentioned this series is a visual treat? It’s a visual treat. The meduim-bending witch aesthetics and “real world” animation coming together? 👌👌👌👌👌—and it’s such good damn foreshadowing!!
Honestly, this whole movie is throwing the twist in your face from the getgo and it is infuriatingly good. The not-witches are nightmares, y’know, because Homura’s asleep on a bed I can’t I can not with this fuckign
But seriously, I didn’t spy quite as many quickfire closeups as the series, but there is by no means a dearth of creative composition. And I love the way that even the “real-world” bits were just off; school wasn’t the same but it also Was, like those exercises where a bunch of people are told to draw a -throws dart- big dog, and you’ll get golden retrievers and great danes and stick dogs and headshots and someone who just writes “big dog” on a stickynote—it fits the broad trappings of the thing, but they’re not at all the same Thing.
Although I’m not sure how the school’s discrepancies are related to Homura’s psyche (since, y’know, it’s all filtered through her subconscious lens), I love how the religious stuff came back full force here. They sure did mention she went to a Catholic school! And the fuckign,,, early Hitomi nightmare being because her love interest was distant I swear to god
True bittersweetness is seeing the girls work together as a team to fight off the bad guys, using combo attacks, having Good Times together—all given, y’know, the context of the rest of the damn series. I’m gonna come back to the transformation sequences since partner and I ended up dissecting them post-watch, but just in general? Words are inherently going to fail me in describing the visual spectacle but if you’ve seen it ya know.
Also, magical girls fighting each other at full power!! Sayaka vs Kyoka, yeah, but they were mostly dueling swinging really big swords iirc. We never got this level of pure indulgent magic. It’s pure fanservice, tbh, in the “hell yeah, time for the Fun Shit that the series never gave us” way. (And a little bit of the Unnecessary Closeup way, but it’s thankfully minor in this series.)
There’s a shot where the girls are eating lunch and Kyubey and Bebe are near-mirrored, on opposite ends. I… am not sure what to make of that, but Bebe being an Actual (human!) Character was a hell of a surprise, and I’m hoping we see more of her next installment. I’ll get to future speculation later, but for now, I definitely didn’t expect the cake/sweets/candy motif to feature so strongly again.
I’ve been told some of the architecture stuff is a Utena homage. No clue what to make of that but there was so much damn egg talk and imagery, of course there are RGU references.
Patting myself on the back for calling the life-changing Homura/Kyoko bus a death bus, a bus for death, long before Homura actually destroys herself with it. Something about the way it showed up, man. The vibes.
Also on that field trip, there was definitely a shot in the main series with long shadows, ft. Homura and Madoka, that I think another long-shadow shot with Homura and Kyoka was paralleling. Don’t remember off the top of my head, though >:V
Anyway, more zombies with the “NPCs”; this time their faces actually got fucked up, albeit abstractly. And I thiiink Sayaka’s comments to Homura about witches, when she’s heavily suggesting Homura shouldn’t fight the one who trapped them here, are the puzzle piece I was missing in the zombie motif: witches are still intelligent/aware to some degree, but much like a cordyceps eats the mind of its host, a witch loses control of her actions.
- Althouuugh, Sayaka conducts her own witch here, and witch!Homura doesn’t actually lash out iirc? Between this and witch!Sayaka not fighting after the floor breaks, maybe the witches aren’t as mindless as the zombie motif is suggesting. Which certainly has some Implications for the other points where said motif has popped up; the suicide horde is obviously under a witch’s influence, but (taking Hitomi at face value) are perfectly fine afterward. And of course Kyubey frames the soul gem/physical body thing that way, but It’s Kyubey. Hmmmm.
That sure was a lot of Uncomfortable Heavy Breathing after the Homura vs Mami fight! But god, I never even connected the dots of them having the same weapon. Didn’t even get the bullet-timefreeze thing until they all went asplode! The action scenes in this series are top fucking notch. (And surely the white line bullet trails are relevant to the sequel-hook-teaser at the end of the series? They looked the same to me, but it’s one of those things I’d have to actually go back and cross-reference and I ain’t doing that yet.)
After Homura literally (in a visual-allusion way) worships at godoka’s feet, Madoka herself shows up in the gayest way possible. The scene after that was so goddamn faux-heartwarming; every single thing out of Madoka’s mouth felt tailor-made to Homura’s insecurities. Of course she wouldn’t want to leave you! :) But unlike the end of the actual series, this felt more intentionally tonally-off; by this part of the film, all the signs point towards Homura or Madoka being the witch responsible for this labyrinth, so I took it like another self-affirmation on Homura’s part. Similar vein as Madoka’s implicitly-internal talk with Kyoka and Mami, except this time it actually made sense \o/ (Oh yeah, that sure is a scene that preceded a significant and perma-life-altering self-sacrifice that the sacrificer is making for some greater good (or so she tells herself), isn’t it?)
God, once that part hit, I swear I thought it was The Actual Final End like, two or three more times before it was actually over, and I am not complaining. ~~There’s a part where Kyubey says “Akemi Homura. Incubator.” and it made me go 👀 (sounded like he was implying Homura was an incubator???)~~ (edit: I can’t fucking hear I think Homura was saying “incubator” nvm). So goddamn much exposition on Kyubey’s part but it looks gorgeous so I will accept it. Also so many scenes of him getting fucking #rekt; the total lack of expression change makes it seem ineffectual (up until the verrry end, hoo boy) but it’s still super satisfying.
Sayaka, genuinely good for you. There’s something a little off about her huge emotional improvement that I can’t quite put my finger on—maybe that like, we last see her at the worst point in her life, Kyoka nukes herself (for reasons that are also a mystery to me), and then she’s last seen when Madoka brings her to the ~~afterlife~~ not-Law-of-Cycles realm (except Godoka is the Law now??) watching her crush play one last time and now she’s chill. She pretty much clips from Peak Suffering to Fully Content—although like, I’m not knocking this as a writing flaw, considering the context. That’s basically what heaven is about. So the in-between Moving On is more of a fannish wish-fulfillment thing than anything, like Hitomi development or witch!Mami—not something I expect the series proper to have shown at this point, since it’d be a distraction from the main plot, but it’d be cool.
Another thing that seems off but in a way I think is intentional this time: Godoka… “forgot” Homura? Uhh, they had that entire naked sparkly rainbow talk. I think it was implied Godoka interfered here to save Homura, which makes sense, but then why have her act like it was “oops! All Misunderstanding”? That’s what I’d expect from the wish-fulfillment-Madoka who Homura talked with in the flower field, not her actual god state.
Fuckin’ love the whole devil!Homura scene. Can definitely see why that’d be controversial but like, quoting myself again: “love = suffering, god!madoka = no more suffering, homura would rather be miserable than lose that” ← that’s it that’s her Entire motive, Homura’s internalized homophobia is very real (I am almost definitely plagiarizing this idea) and that’s why she’d rather be stuck in an artificial hell of her own creation than go to magical girl heaven :^D What a gal!!!
Not really sure what to make of Madoka taking Homura’s place in the final rewritten universe! Except instead of having health issues she’s American??? Also, it doesn’t seem to take much at all for Madoka to remember she was(/is??) A God, so that probably can’t last long. Plus Sayaka pressing (x) to Remember That! There was way too little for me to say more on this whole new timeline except I am hyped

Or, less calmly:

So it is [controversial] because it spits undoes/spits in the face of the OG series’ ending
#vindicatedddddddddd

Homura get therapy

Have some thoughts in actual paragraph form.

Im Mr Vindicated

When Godoka reached through the window it looked like she had self-harm scars. The scene immediately cut to the doomed first timeline, but that is not a coincidence. I think my reading was [extremely smug media analyst voice] Spot Fucking On, and the presentation could’ve been handled differently or something. Idk, Narrative Treatment is one of those extremely tricky things that’s hard to describe without an actual demo, and I’m sure the series being primarily in Madoka’s perspective has something to do with it looking all shiny and great. The sequel hook scenes at the end challenged it a bit, but not enough for me to be sure.

But now I am, and all is well in Smuglandia.

Also, if we say it wasn’t a narrative mishandling, then you can totally use the “this self-sacrifice is A Bad” framing of this movie to read extra conflict into Homura’s psyche. (As in, she’s not 100% convinced herself, therefore the squad trying to stop her even though her familiars are fighting them off reflects that indecision.) But mostly, I’ll stick with my original assessment of the OG series having a cool and ambiguous but not quite executing it right, and so a ton of people got the wrong impression. (Minority rules, bitchez!!!)

Anyway.

Homura/Madoka Isn’t Even Subtext, It’s Just Text, and Also Problematic, and Here’s Why

“love”
rainbows fuckin everywhere
the hearts after Madoka transforms?? hello????

There are shades of Homura’s obsession in the original series, with Kyoka calling her on being so emotionless after Sayaka dies, but it’s not nearly as in your face as it is here. Madoka as an individual has a middling presence in this movie, and while part of that might be her general passive tagalong nature, this is where like half the movie being filtered through Homura is especially relevant. She’s been after this girl for so damn long she’s lost sight of who Madoka actually is, however much (or little! I am not sure we see much (but maybe I will have to rewatch)!) Homura actually knows about her as a person.

And like, do I blame her? These kids are like what, 12? Like I said above, I’m preeeetty sure this can all be traced back to self-hate on Homura’s part (hello, she has some form of self-destruction how many times this movie), primarily for having Gay Feelings at all but also because this is basically just her life now. It’s interesting that her presence in the series-end!timeline, where Madoka is a non-person but Homura faintly remembers anyway, is entirely defined by said faint memories; I’m sure that’s mostly because it’s the end of the damn show and we’re running out of time, but it also means we don’t really see her interacting with the rest of the gang… basically at all? She fights with them all at the start of the movie too, but the meaty interactions are focused on Something Being Wrong so she’s not really connecting. And okay I’m getting off track here but point is, the takeaway implication is that Homura doesn’t know what the hell to do with herself without Madoka, so That Sure Makes Things Complicated.

(It’s funny; this sort of “Protector Complex but the people are actually on equal terms” + “one clings to their love interest because they feel like they have nothing else going in life” dynamic sounds like narrative catnip to me, but I’m not sure I’m like, Invested™. Maybe that will come with time but for now I’m just sitting back and appreciating this absolute goddamn trainwreck of a girl.)

So yeah, Homura absolutely objectifies the shit out of Madoka :D Not saying she’s evil or whatever, just that I’m not sure she’s really thought through what Loving Madoka actually means—for Madoka or herself. (And/or, to the extent she has, it only seems to say she’s being terrible and selfish and sinful. Woohoo, self-fulfilling prophecy!!)

transformation tango

This part of the chatlog is an achronological back-and-forth so bear with me and my 500 bullet points.

Dancing is a recurring motif here, both in this scene and the whole movie; I forget if it came up much in the show? Not really sure what it’s about but my loose guess is that it ties into the idea of the Performance, the circus, the stage—acting for an audience.
Mami’s the only one who’s not dancing (unless ice skating counts? I’d say that’s #valid), and someone in the YouTube comments did a good breakdown of what that means for her—and the dance styles in general. Actually here, have the whole thing:

Mami: Ice-skating. Practiced, traditional, charismatic, tightly controlled movements, requires exact timing and precision. Requires years and years of dedication to perfect, and raw talent to make it shine. Motivation can be personal as well as audience-driven, with special attention given to judge or authority figures.

Kyuuko: Tribal/Trance. Erratic, down to earth, uncontrollable and unpredictable, intimidating to some. Can be as frightening to watch as it is hypnotic and luring, and while it may look improvised and pattern-less to an outsider, the dancer themselves is in full control. Motivation can be to a higher power or for performer’s own ends.

Sayaka: Breakdance. Strong, forceful body movements, youthful, wild, energetic, often improvised. The strength and flexibility of the body is on full display, a whirling dervish, motion flowing easily from one action to the next. Action is done on the spot, whatever ‘feels right’. Motivation can be both competitive as well as for audience appeal.

Homura: Interpretive/Modern. Carefree but with purpose, seemingly erratic, unpredictable motion placed with careful thought and planning, done with as much thought for channeling the dancer’s wishes as it is for the sake of the performance. Motivation is mostly personal.

Madoka: J-pop/Idol. Simple, rigid, innocent, cutesy, focus is simplicity of movement for the sake of the audience rather than artistic expression. Person is dancing for audience’s sake rather than her own. Motivation is entirely geared towards audience appeal and entertainment.

Besides that, pieces of Mami and Kyoka’s hair are visibly separated from the rest of their head, both via silhouette and on Mami herself here (the pigtails break off). Partner suggested this hints at them both being from the no-Madoka timeline, but 🤔 while it implies a similarity, I’m not sure how the imagery relates….
On Kyoka specifically: that one scribbly closeup sure was Something. The way the multiple hands move (a reference to… Hinduism, I think? I’m not sure why Hinduism specifically or which god it was with the multiple arms; partner pointed out Kyoka is, more broadly, a “heathen”) reminds me of the introductory shot with the girls holding their soul gems; no further comment on that either except It’s A Thing.
- Oh yeah, and Forbidden Fruit Soul Gem Go Cronch. Kyoka has a food motif throughout the series, offers Sayaka an apple (forbidden fruit) → her transformation sequence continues the link with the gem in her mouth → there are very conspicuous shots way later in the film where Homura actually bites down and crushes her own soul gem, before turning into a devil.
Love Sayaka breakdancing, love the visual of her running into/merging with herself—partner suggested this hints at her being one person through all the timelines. Like, ascended. Sayaka Prime. god tier sayaka
- Also caught this quick shot; something about the posing and hands made me think it represents her hitting rock bottom/peak self-destruction, and the subsequent run-in-merge → transformation indicates how she’s come out stronger on the other side (death pun semi-intended). Dark/light, yin/yang, Enlightenment or something.
Whereas Sayaka’s multiple silhouettes moved in tandem, Homura’s silhouette is distinctly off. Instead of merging with the abstract lines of despair, she’s desperately trying to escape them. Also, obligate (if loose/vague) fetal position.
The multiple Madokas could indicate omniscience, and okay can I just gesture towards the last part of the YouTube comment above? about everything being done for an audience? Ouch. Partner pointed out that she’s also 90% in silhouette, like a non-person—eyes, hands, faint echoes in countless timelines. There’s a point where she kinda just Poses There not doing anything, where the other girls were almost constantly in motion til their final stance. And howsabout that one “wrong anime style kronk” bit? Another point to her being Not Right, more of a Concept than a person; a poor facsimile of Madoka, and more baby-faced to boot.
- Anyway though, yeah, that shot with the rainbow and all the hearts. Homura’s personal Literal Gay Icon but at what cost.

Obviously there are witch glyphs all over the place but idk what they say and I’m too lazy to look. Comments said something about all of Homura’s being about self-destruction, though :,)

Also, the music fucking slaps, and this comment killed me dead:

I definitely need to binge the entire soundtrack (show+movie) at some point. Leitmotifs, man.

three completely unrelated paragraphs

1: So I have yet to do a deep dive into the series’ production and writerly intention, but might as well start on Wikipedia! (For the show alone, alas. It does Rebellion dirty by lumping it in with the recap movies, and not saying much about the actual behind-the-scenes of either.) Main speculative takeaway is that the show’s ending was intended to be morally ambiguous, and also that the collaborative nature of its production makes it a wonder the end product is so damn coherent??? I don’t get a strong vibe they were always planning on continuing via Rebellion (and now the upcoming film), either, so if they are basically making these up as they go along, Wack. Good fucking job.

2: Stuff I’d like to see from the next movie, and vaguely suspect could be followed up on (but won’t be too upset if it isn’t, in the same “this would be nice to see as a fan but if it ain’t Necessary for the story then by all means chop it” vein as Hitomi character development or witch!Mami): Is witch!Sayaka inevitable? Is that thing about first-timeline!Madoka making her wish to save the cat actually going to be onscreen? Is said cat related to Bebe; what’s her deal, anyway? Are we going to see more of Madoka and her mom, in any timeline? Is Kyoka’s church backstory also going to become more relevant?

3: Stray thought: witches as a sort of inverse godhood. Like, to what extent can god!Madoka “control” her actions (much as free will matters to an omniscient semi-entity)? Her existence now is (closely related to?) a Law, an inevitability; in potential parallel, see notes above about witches (for CTRL+F purposes: “Sayaka’s comments to Homura about witches” and the bullet below). Was Madoka going to Homura because Homura was manifesting all that witch energy, and getting rid of said energy is what Madoka’s supposed to Do? And if so, does that make the “lol I forgot” parts like, an excuse to spare Homura’s feelings??

Anyway I would like Madoka to find out what Homura’s done to her and have some actual human reaction to it ~~lol sayonika ddlc 2~~ but I have no real expectation or speculation for the next installment. I’m tempted to dive into fanstuff but if a majority of people Get The Ending Wrong™ then the experience might be more frustrating than necessarily hoped. What do you meaaaannnnnnnn the next installment doesn’t have a release date and has the world’s vaguest trailer. I have reached an indefinite cliffhanger. Terrible. It has been a wonderful time.