Puella Magi Madoka Magica The Movie Part 2: Eternal Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		4.0

Puella Magi Madoka Magica The Movie Part 2: Eternal Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman July 15, 2014

Note: This film is currently only available as part of Puella Magi Madoka Magica The Movie.

Aniplex was one of the producers of Puella Magi Madoka Magica, and so it’s perhaps understandable why the label doled out the actual series in such small increments, in a trio of pretty expensive boxed sets that also included accoutrements like soundtrack CDs and other swag (Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Box Set Volume 1, Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Box Set Volume 2, Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Box Set Volume 3). The label hedged its bets somewhat by also releasing the series in scaled down versions that were significantly less pricey (Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Volume 1, Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Volume 2, Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Volume 3). That glut of choices doesn’t seem to have been repeated with this new set devoted to the first two Puella Magi Madoka Magica feature films which were culled from the actual series, and this Limited Edition contains just the films (on separate Blu-ray discs) with accompanying DVD versions and an assortment of supplements, without an overkill of swag with arguably niche appeal. Puella Magi Madoka Magica is a franchise which often seems to be as childlike as its heroine, Madoka Kaname, but which actually ends up offering some occasionally rather provocative musings about what wish fulfillment can really lead to. Despite its carnival like atmosphere, Puella Magi Madoka Magica actually turns out to be a kind of post-modern take on the Faust legend, as so-called Magical Girls find out the “contracts” they’ve entered into to obtain certain powers have consequences they never imagined could be possible.

Note: There are some potential spoilers in this review. If you haven’t seen either this film or the original Puella Magi Madoka Magica anime series, you may want to skip down to the technical aspects of the review, below.

As I mentioned in the Puella Magi Madoka Magica The Movie Part 1: Beginnings Blu-ray review, the original series on which the two Puella Magi Madoka Magica feature films in this set were based wasn’t that long to begin with, and so the wisdom of condensing a series down to just a handful of hours might seem questionable. It’s even more debatable when it turns out that Eternal, the second film in what has turned out to be a trilogy (thus far), actually incorporates only the last few episodes of the series, at least for the most part. Perhaps surprisingly, that turns out to be a not so bad gambit, for it gives Eternal some dramatic momentum and enough time to at least partially explore some of the more troubling elements that anchor what on its face seems to be a fairly straightforward franchise.

This “second half” picks up the story at around Episode 9 of the original series, as Madoka has to deal with a devastating death. But what’s really interesting in Eternal is how it telescopes the arc concerning Homura and Madoka. These two characters, as fans of the original anime will recall, start out as seeming nemeses, a situation which stems almost entirely from Homura’s weirdly sullen and dismissive manner. The reasons for this attitude, or at least some of them, are in fact revealed in Beginnings, but it’s in Eternal that they’re really fully explored and developed. Both the time travel and ultimate fates of Magical Girls are well treated in this admittedly shorter version, with an unexpected emotional heft reached at the point where Homura and Madoka almost literally trade places.

The other structurally interesting if somewhat curious thing about Eternal is how Kyubey’s “confession” comes almost right off the bat as this section of the tale starts up. Without posting a complete spoiler, the dialogue between Kyubey and Madoka, while almost comically “scientific”, gives the whole story we’ve witnessed thus far a completely new spin, one that also informs what then continues to happen. This series (and by extraction, the films) which start out on a seemingly cheery note almost subliminally accrues depth and weight until the characters, and by default the audience as well, is suddenly confronted with ideas of destiny and mortality, and what the choices that befall everyone everyday may end up meaning in the long run.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica The Movie Part 2: Eternal Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Puella Magi Madoka Magica The Movie: Eternal is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Aniplex with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. Since a lot of the film was culled from actual preexisting material found in the series, it's probably no great surprise to discover that the video quality here is completely in line with the previously reviewed Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Box Set Volume 1 and Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Box Set Volume 2. The good news in terms of a pure visual experience is that this condensed version offers relatively less of the "everyday" shōnen aspects of the franchise and concentrates on the often spectacular magical elements. These sequences are awash in incredibly cool graphical elements, which include everything from text marching across the screen to what look like "pop up" butterflies to a monstrous Witch or two. As with the original series, line detail is exceptionally sharp, and the palette on display throughout the film is incredibly vivid and varied. The only real issue here is some prevalent banding, something that's especially evident when magical sequences quickly segue from light to dark and back again.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica The Movie Part 2: Eternal Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Unlike the original anime series, there are two surround tracks on Eternal, albeit only one of them, the original Japanese language track, is offered in lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. (For the record, the Japanese track is also offered in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, and an English dub is presented in DTS 5.1.) The surround activity here is most noticeable in the "alternate world" sequences, where a glut of sound effects and underscore surge through the side and rear channels and create an all encompassing sound field that really helps to establish the reality of this often frightening environment. Dialogue is very cleanly presented, and while the English track isn't lossless, it should be noted that the voice work on it is well above average, capturing some of the nuance that the original Japanese track does.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica The Movie Part 2: Eternal Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Limited Edition comes in a sturdy chipboard slipcase that features art by character designer Junichiro Taniguchi. The set also includes an illustrated booklet. The supplements on this disc are:

• Textless Opening (1080p; 1:44)


• Trailer 1 (1080i; 1:35)


• Trailer 2 (1080p; 1:46)


• TVCM 1 (1080i; 00:49) features both 15 second and 30 second versions.


• TVCM 2 (1080i; 00:49) features both 15 second and 30 second versions.


• TVCM 3 (1080i; 00:49) features both 15 second and 30 second versions.


• Credits

Puella Magi Madoka Magica The Movie Part 2: Eternal Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Perhaps surprisingly, Puella Magi Madoka Magica makes the transition to (shortened) feature films rather well. While certain aspects are telescoped, when taken together, Beginnings and Eternal hit most of the major arcs while perhaps wisely jettisoning some of the more rote shōnen aspects of the original series. What this ends up doing is much more quickly revealing what a thought provoking franchise this outing really is. Like the Magical Girls themselves, Puella Magi Madoka Magica seems to be one thing, but turns out to be something else entirely. Graced by some incredibly vibrant animation, and buoyed by a well done surround track that was not available in the original version, this release comes Highly recommended.