Podcast: Play in new window | Download
We’ve got a great show this week. After the usual we buckle down and review some anime. After many, many, many requests I finally sat down and watched Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica. RedUnit10 takes on Oniichan dakedo Ai sae Areba Kankeinai yo ne!, and Timechaser takes a look at Photo Kano. Don’t miss it!
Show Notes
Music
Intro – Connect by Claris from Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica
Outro – Neko Mimi Mode by Dimitri From Paris from Tsukiyomi Moon Phase
Reviews
Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica – Download Now!
Wikipedia
Official Site
Photo Kano – Wouldn’t kick it out of bed for crackers.
Wikipedia
Official Site
Oniichan dakedo Ai sae Areba Kankeinai yo ne! – Wouldn’t kick it out of bed for crackers.
Wikipedia
Official Site
Ooh, Photo Kano! Kidding. Interested in hearing your thoughts on Madoka Magica. Why do they call it Puella Magi and Mahou Shoujo? Isn’t calling it Mahou Shoujo a bit unnecessary when the word Magica is in the title?
It’s from the redundancy department of redundancy. Puella Magi means magical girl in Latin. So they have it both in Japanese and Latin. And magica doesn’t really mean anything.
Oh, I didn’t know what Puella Magi even meant!
I know magica doesn’t mean anything, but most people who see the word will go “…oh, there must be something about magic in this show!”
So, anyhoo, Anime titles. At least it’s not Date A Live.
Comment from Yeshayden since the internet hates him:
Ichigo, I’m glad that you liked Madoka Magica! And I thank you for not spoiling the plot in your review.
I’m the one who said on the forums that “Warranted or not, I’ve heard people describe it as the Evangelion of magical girl series.” But I don’t think this was about the plot so much as that it’s a genre deconstruction, which TV Tropes describes as a typical premise “played straight, without shying away from any unpleasant consequences and/or causes of these features.” Shinji is reluctant to pilot an awesome mecha, but so would I in his shoes given the danger that it would cause for myself and others. Google shows a lot of hits for a search of both titles together, but there doesn’t seem to be any clear consensus from what I can tell, though there is a bunch of crossover fanart.
In my own opinion, Madoka Magica isn’t about the Power of Friendship at all, at least not in the typical sense. None of the actions taken are really based on solid two-sided friendships, even though sacrifices are made with that implication. Loneliness motivates more than friendship does. I’d contend that even Steins;Gate is more about the power of friendship than this. That said, Mami does claim to be a master of karate and friendship in this AMV that I enjoy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiKxNI7_5dc