For those keeping scores, this series has already exceeded the original runtime by episode 4.

Perhaps the end shot was also meant to confuse the viewer in the way that “Maybe Madoka will wish Mami comes back to life”

@clearandsweet

4 жыл бұрын

Oof I can't believe I've released a video without this. It's so important that I totally forgot about it. Welp that's going in ep5. Thank you.

@Sk-rz8gk

2 жыл бұрын

Actually that was what the-naive-young-me watching Madoka in 2011 was thinking too! I remember being quite shocked in ep 3 first unable to comprehend Mami's death and later thinking that but of course- now Madoka has something to wish for after all the talk she had with Mami. Now Madoka will wish and fix it all and it was the opening leading me into it. So in ep 4 I was both surprised that it didn't happen and came to realise the seriousness, the reality of Mami's death. And how unrealistic it would be for Madoka to go "happy go lucky anime logic" and simply jump into being a magical girl fixing it all with magic. I had to confess to myself that while I expected it from Madoka, I'd also never do it and I'd rather react the way they react in ep 4. The mood of ep 4 made them feel less anime characters and more human. So yeah, this is an important point to mention too.

@pinkbunnyskyedoesthings7762

2 жыл бұрын

makes sense

The compliant against Kyouskye seems harsh. To look at anyone who has suffered a tragedy and tell them it isn't that bad, things will get better, worst has happened to others, (etc) does not work. It is like telling a woman who had a miscarriage that she can have other children or someone that lost a spouse that they will find someone else. To the people that are suffering, the word seem cruel and ignoring a person's pain. I would say that Sayaka miscalculation is that she did not see that Kyouskye would not want to spend time with someone who reminded him of the bad times.

@libertyprime7911

Жыл бұрын

To the people that are suffering, the world seems uncaring and unjust. But this does not necessarily mean that it is a fundamental truth that the world _is_ uncaring and unjust.

The flashback to Madoka's mom and the bottles of chemicals did bug me a little at first, but then I saw it as a way to further ground the event. The shot establishes how fast Madoka realizes what is going on, how possible it is (these are chemicals you could find in any supermarket) and how linked to morality the situation is (they are now going to do exactly what my mom said we should never do -- and to kill themselves!). All of this has, to me, the effect of making it really, really clear how suddenly serious this all is to Madoka, how seriously she takes the whole situation. Would it have "worked" without it? Sure. But it adds to the gut punch of Madoka's realization, by showing how she can ground this situation in her own knowledge, experience, and memories. It makes it a little stronger.

I'd like to mention that the wind involved in Sayaka's and Kyoko's scenes is blowing from left to right. Sayaka thinks she's moved forward but her own fate is already halting her progress.

I think the teacher's (Saotome-sensei's) joke about "the right time to get married" isn't just meant to set distance or to pass time; it also clearly shows (as Sayaka will soon say in her talk with Madoka on the roof of the school) that everything remains the same -- Saotome-sensei is still introducing aspects of her love life in her teaching in a comedic way, Madoka's family is still a happy, well-adjuced cell of good people, etc. -- but still the two girls cannot just continue to be part of it, because now they Have A Secret, they have been Touched By Tragedy. "Life hasn't changed; but we have changed; and that means life can never be the same again."

@TheQuashingoftheTub

3 жыл бұрын

It also combines with the English lesson they were taking that day. The sentence on the board was "When I grow up I want to travel the world." The key term is "When I grow up." Saotome-sensei is talking about the future and the appropriate time to take an action. I feel it's to hammer in that the girls need to, a) think about their future. b) make a decision, and the right one at that. c) remember how Mami had forsaken that choice in a multitude of ways.

36:29 This is a very interesting thing to notice. You see, Homura is my favorite PMMM character (mainly because of Rebellion) and I didn’t really have a rating for the rest of the girls. But then I thought about it and realized that Homura and Sayaka, are actually very very similar. They drive each other nuts because they expose what they hate about each other in themselves. So now Sayaka is my number 2.

@Asehpe

3 жыл бұрын

The curious thing about Homura is how she can be so extreme, so exaggerated in her actions and feelings, and still feel so incredibly human and relatable. She is at the same time aloof (I don't think anyone other than Madoka can reach her anymore after all those timelines) and very close to every one of us. Which is why, despite doing one of the wrongest things ever in the history of Magical Girl animes, it is still easy to understand why she would be the source of the "Homura Did Nothing Wrong" meme. (I think Thanos tried to be like Homura, but with much MUCH less sucess that Our Lady of Dark Love.)

54:25 I heard it theorized that Hitomi may have been overwhelmed by all the things that her family imposed upon her, especially since she talks about the burden being reduced later in episode 5. Also, I thought the giving up of one’s body to attain a new existence was more of a parallel with the Magical Girl contract itself. The Magical Girl’s Soul is removed from their body and attains a new existence. They’re now under a cult ran by Kyubey essentially.

With the witches, here’s how I view their kisses: So, when one is in pain/grieving, it feels like that emotion should explode out. It makes sense that they should harm those around them, even those they care about- like Sayaka. So it makes sense that they should do their kisses, harming those around them.

I think about the egg scene so much. Just like the shot with the broken teacup from the previous episode it’s so simple and obvious but so brilliant and evocative in its directness. I’m watching these videos for the first time and oh my god this show is just. There’s no words for it it’s truly on another level. Your thematic analysis is absolutely on point and so impactful in its wording and also yay another Madoka enjoyer and Rebellion disliker

I really hope you find the process of making these fulfilling enough that you will continue to the end, cause all they're doing is making me fall in love with my favorite anime all over again. Seriously, this is the thoughtful kind of commentary on PMMM I've been looking for. Thank you so much. P.S. I know you've mentioned in past videos that you're not a huge fan of the Rebellion movie and that it seems to go against a lot of what the TV series seemed to be working towards. I'll admit that I also have mixed feelings on it. It would be interesting to hear you expand your thoughts on it. But hey, this channel is already giving me hours more than anything I could have ever asked for. Keep up the good work!

@clearandsweet

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the kind words. Yes, this is cathartic for me and I am resolved to continue. I was editing, pulling clips from it and ended up rewatching a good chunk of Rebellion. I made a good deal of notes, probably enough for a video outline, but I'm still up in the air about how to handle it and when.

@Asehpe

3 жыл бұрын

@@clearandsweet If I may jump into the discussion... I was not a big fan of Rebellion at first, for reasons that may parallel your own. But it has grown on me over time. The more I rewatched it, the more captivated I was by its motifs and message. Yes, it is NOT what the TV show is about, it is a different thing. The 12 episodes form a coherent and rather perfect commentary on its main themes, there really wasn't anything else to add. So Rebellion is about something else (I think, the idea of selfless vs. selfish love as being in some sort of yin-yang relation), something that has unfortunately not been completely developed and will perhaps never be, now that it seems less and less likely that Rebellion will have a sequel. Still: the main themes of Rebellion are valid ones, not in essence antagonistic to the TV series (I know many have claimed the opposite, but I'd disagree, and, I think, for good reasons), and very interesting and appealing in their own right. Besides, the sheer AMOUNT of interpretable stuff in the movie -- as if it is inviting exactly the kind of precise, shot-by-shot analysis that people like you or me clearly enjoy -- makes it a rewarding experience. (I'd start with the question: Rebellion? Rebellion against what?...) All of this just to say that I hope you will get to do a video on Rebellion as well. I'd love to see you go through it in detail and I'd love to argue about the things I love in that movie.

3:44 I assume you know this, but in Japan Misato and Usagi have the same voice actress. I wrote a blog post once called "Kyoko is the most important character in Madoka Magica" but this observation of her being the only one who believes in Redemption is something I misses, which I shouldn't have since I also stressed her being the Christian.

Sayaka's downfall is so well crafted from the very introduction of her character. This act is so powerful and hit me pretty hard emotionally. Much more so than the shock value from Mami's arc. It also highlights part of Homura's flaw with her love for Madoka too. The point where youre being selfishly selfless from a controlling standpoint. Her complete breakdown as she battles with and fails to truly come to grasp what her reality is was so outstanding and emotionally impactful. "I was stupid... so stupid."

1:03:53 the way i interpreted it was if Kyubey truly does not understand emotions like it claims, it would not understand why grief over someone you do not associate with anymore would motivate you to come. It probably knew the info would affect her, just not sure >how< it would affect her.

56:20 One thing I felt worth mentioning as well, is that I think the scene is revealing of Madoka. As even without powers she still wants to help people, even if it puts her in danger. Here we have a more concrete sense of that since we see the actual physical harm that could be inflicted upon her by others. And we believe she could actually be killed because we saw Mami die unceremoniously in the previous episode. Mami’s death early on does so much to raise the tension and make things feel more lethal or fatal than they might regularly. The next episode death isn’t until 5 episodes later, but I was on the edge of my seat up until then worrying for them all.

30:11 Focalization is actually a real term that refers to the person or entity through which information is presented. So, you got that definition right lol

@clearandsweet

3 жыл бұрын

Lol, I wrote it in an essay a couple years ago and did a quick Google search to see but didn't come up with anything definitive. Good to hear!

As someone who created a magical girl heavily inspired by Tiffany Aching for a dnd campaign, I absolutely love that you brought up Terry Pratchett.

i love this. and i cant stop talking about puella and how great both the direction and themes its shows

Awesome video possible reference of sayaka descending down the elevator be referencing utenas black rose saga

Now I'm gonna force elemental symbolism (plus light and dark) on all the girls and analyze if it works with the general plot and theming. Mami- light Homura- darkness Madoka- aether/spirit Sayaka- air and water Kyoko- fire Hitomi- earth (perhaps this 'earthiness' correlates with her being a normal human girl). Well that didn't quite work but hey, worth a shot.

Seriously I love these videos, it makes rewatching the show so much more impactful and makes you appreciate all the little things that made the show work

At 34 mins, i think Sayaka is saying they're the only ones (in their normal lives) who know. IE they can't tell their families or other friends. It sets them apart from everyone else.

Something that’s always bothered me about the Hogfather quote is how…materialistic it is. I could (and probably am) reading too much into it, but it seems to me that the concepts of Justice, Mercy, Forgiveness, Love are not viewed by the characters who espouse them as being inherently a part of the material world, but rather as divine concepts that we strive towards, not something we can grasp and fully understand like we can soil. I’m put in mind of Frodo and Sam - achieving something the greatest in their world couldn’t do because of their acceptance of and surrender to these concepts. I see Madoka in much the same way: she becomes a god because her ideals and wish transcend the normal and material world. She fully surrenders to the Magical Girl ideal.

to any guy out there who cant shut up about magical girl anime, i will make u my husband so fast

@clearandsweet

4 жыл бұрын

lol sign me up for the Magical GIrl Dating Service.

@Kimmichan36

4 жыл бұрын

@@clearandsweet btw im a broke recent graduate, but i would love to know how I can support you and your content

@clearandsweet

4 жыл бұрын

@@Kimmichan36 You are far too kind. I've considered a patreon, and maybe in the future it'll happen. But right now I'm doing fine. I have a job, which is more than a fifth of Americans can say.

@xxxfairycorpsexxx7592

3 жыл бұрын

@@clearandsweet i dont think i'd be able to pay a subscribtion, but if you were to make a tip-jar trught paypal or something similar i'd love to dontale whenever i have some sopare money to give greetings from serbia^^

v late but i took the kyuubey line at the end to mean that a) there were multiple kyuubeys, b) they didn't all have the same consciousness

was not expecting to see terry pratchett in a madoka analysis-- and i LOVE it. keep up the good work!

i really need to read terry pratchett

@clearandsweet

4 жыл бұрын

The Night Watch and Death books are my favorite. I would recommend Guards! Guards! or Small Gods as great starting places. They're also all very quick to read

@Asehpe

3 жыл бұрын

Everybody should. Prachett is a master of talking about deeply interesting and serious things in a tone and with such storilines that make you think he's just telling jokes. He's kind of like Neil Gaiman (no surprise they collaborated in Bad Omens), but presenting himself as a ha-ha comedian like Jerry Seinfeld. He doesn't HAVE to add gravitas to his writing (though he occasionally does, and to great effect); he somehow manages to suggest that, even though everything seems so silly, the gravitas is still all there, smiling at you through the silliness.

I’m going through all of these videos in response to the trailer for movie 4 Finally FINALLY coming out. You just made me realize that all of the girls are serving to protect Madoka’s innocence. Mami and Kyoko do it for themselves (so Mami won’t be alone and so that Kyoko won’t be alone and with Sayaka) and Sayaka and Homura do it for her (Sayaka as protecting her on a more personal level, and Homura on the grand scale across timelines)

@clearandsweet

10 ай бұрын

What I love about the script is how much the other four girls efforts are justified in bringing Madoka to the place where she can finally make her wish! This is why I think episode 12 is so great in the way it depicts her talking to the other girls and thanking them.

i loooove listening to these videos whenever i do anything they’re really good

I love these videos

rly enjoyed your cvdeo series on MDM.

thanks for the heads-up at 54:43 i nearly spoiled the show for myself

These videos are awesome, I hope they get traction with time

Of course Devilman Crybaby is a magical girl show. It's about making Satan believe in humanity again. Now I want you talk about Miraculous because that feels like a wolf in sheep's clothing. Or a ladybug in moon's clothing. It has the beats but every instrument is out of tune except whenever Chat Noir is able to have actual screentime.

@clearandsweet

2 жыл бұрын

Haven't seen it! Be very interested to see a magical girl reading of it in full!

@pastelroswell

2 жыл бұрын

Devilman is best magical girl.

@perrilewis180

2 жыл бұрын

@@clearandsweet it's not that great of a show. If you watch american cartoons you can see that it's dated in the since that it doesn't treat their child/teen/young audience have brains. I only watch it because I like Adrien Agreste as a character and I see the potential it has to be great.

I'm not sure where this notion comes from that Sayaka has no parents. Doesn't Madoka talk directly to her parents on the apartment building intercom system?

28:43 didn’t we see Mami’s Soul Gem shatter before the infamous shot? I thought that was meant to be a tip off to the truth for the audience. Or at least, to show definitively why Mami couldn’t have survived given Kyubey’s later revelations about Magical Girls being basically immortal.

you should release your stuff in podcast form since you are also have a nice voice

I really hope the delay won't be too long

Do you find any value in analyzing the witch's labyrinths or visual symbols in context of the show, or is it cool visual flair to you?

@anonymousyoutuber1405

4 жыл бұрын

I ask because you only ever talked about Inu Curry and behind the scenes stuff, never really about the witches themselves.

@clearandsweet

4 жыл бұрын

Yeah it's difficult to say, maybe I should put more thought into it. Like in this episode, having Elly have this visual theme of sealing away and recalling memories via the monitors is pretty cool and pretty straightforward, but I don't know that I have insight into, say, the designs of the familiars.

You have a Discord server or something I could join? Great work dude

@clearandsweet

4 жыл бұрын

Ha! I did then I got myself banned from my own server, it's a long story. Right now I mostly frequent the DFO witch and Anime Summit Discords. Friend me at Kai#1144