Going into Rebellion blind, I felt anticipation and excitement to see the continuation of Homura's struggle. That's because I wanted to see the best for her and Madoka. Then I remembered what exactly it is that I am watching, the reputation it has, and decided that as much as I would like a happy ending, there is a really good chance that this is not going to give me that. I at least felt hope by the end of the television series with Madoka, but this film crushed it. It gave me what I wanted, though it twisted it into something so evil that I no longer desired it. This film destroyed everything I found beautiful about Madoka Magica, and that was the point. In the end, I don't mean that in a bad way.
I gave up during this film. I decided that to really appreciate this, I have to embrace the approach of the staff. I decided to be open minded about the bleakness of Madoka Magica, and accepted it, that this is going to terrify me, and it did.
I already thought Sayaka suffered enough, and this film decided to push the harshness even more. Seeing Mami again was great, though through a misunderstanding, she had to get involved in needless conflict that frustrated me. Homura's character became so horrifying that I was shocked just how far the writing pushed it. Yes, she loves Madoka, though with this, I almost wished she didn't by the end.
Understandably, not everything needs a happy ending.
I wanted to give this a perfect score, and I made a mistake rating this right after watching it. I have to let the high of the first time experience wear off first, in order to look at this more rationally. I did have some issues with this. This film does not reward you for thinking; it punishes you. I made many faces, paused several times, and felt my sanity slipping away in trying to understand what was happening. Still, you don't need all the answers in a story. That's what makes our interpretations, such as fan theories possible, and fun to read, as it nurtures our imaginations. Regardless, the plot in this film is so convoluted, that I can barely explain it. I can feel what it wants to tell me at times, I just can't explain it properly at this time.
As I watched this, it just felt too happy at first. I kept wondering what Urobuchi is going to do to torment me this time.
The production value of this film is amazing, as I thought it would be. There's a full cast character transformation scene that left me breathless, bizarre scenes that looked very good, and the charm of it's beautiful background art and surreal artwork throughout. The music once again did wonders for me, and took me to places I didn't necessarily want to go to during the absurd moments.
There was a point I wanted this film to stop. The feelings of hope I had were irreversibly destroyed. The precious moments all felt fake now. After the credits, My jaw dropped one more time because the damage to my psyche was still not finished. Even now, hours later, I feel empty. And yet, this is fine. I can appreciate a story like this; it's bold. It's hard to explain, but the feeling this film left me with reminds me of how the magical girls here learn to want the darker side of emotions. I don't like how this film made me feel, but I felt a sense of satisfaction overall from the execution of it.
With the new movie coming. I know I'll have to brace myself. The hopeful me that found inspiration in the TV series is gone, and we will all be at the mercy of the new movie, once it's finally out, to intensify our already barely bearable trauma.
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