Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie: Rebellion

"I've waited so long for this moment."

“Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie: Rebellion” (or just otherwise titled “Madoka Magica: Rebellion”) is the final installment in the infamous “Madoka Magica” film trilogy, and, instead of being a retelling of the original, is a direct sequel to either of the two adaptations.

This time, instead of following the previous main character (Madoka Kaname) herself, this specific film opts to focus on one character that nobody expected to: Homura Akemi.

I previously described a common predicament that was cursed to settle upon the first two films ever since they were in production: the obligatory debate on whether this or that was the proper way to view the series. While the argument hasn’t completely divided the fan base (since they are essentially telling the same story), “Rebellion” throws that delicate balance right out the window, and with one single scene, completely split the entire audience’s opinions in half.

But before I get back to that, I’ll get the standard ‘film’ critique out of the way first: in terms of being a film, “Rebellion” just may be one of the best (anime-wise) I’ve ever seen.

No, really, the way this film is structured is fantastic: scenes move gracefully from one to the other, giving the viewer just enough time to process the events before (unlike another film in the trilogy), plot twists are brilliantly handled, and, overall, this is the textbook definition on how to make a well-structured film. Other than that, animation is expectedly top-tier, the voice acting is powerful, and the direction is stable- but’s all just par for the course.

The real thing to talk about here, though, is the absolutely astounding plot twist that dominates the last act of the film. Of course, I won’t spoil it here (since you should definitely see it for yourself), but just know that… it’s quite polarizing, and obviously so, taken into account the reaction of the series’ long-time fans.

Some adored it, saying it was one of the smartest and unexpected turns to take the series’ helms ever since the beginning, but others were (needless to say) a bit unhappy. Actually, scratch that: they were furious, even to the point of saying that the writers ‘violated’ a certain character. So, when taking that into mind, what is my standpoint on this controversial twist?

It’s brilliant. Absolutely, positively, without a doubt, brilliant. While some criticizers of the story did wave my opinions on the plot point just a tad, when reviewing the scenes leading up to it, I can confidently say it’s one of the bravest and most true-to-the-story plot twists ever put to screen.

In recollection, while there are some minor issues here and there with “Rebellion,” I will forever stand by my view that it is, arguably, the strongest film in this famed trilogy. It’s brave, daring, and, above all, genius, and I can’t help but admire it for that- a true marvel.

9/10- Nearly flawless in every fashion, “Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie: Rebellion” features everything from beautiful animation to brilliant writing; a truly genius film.