This isn't exactly my original planned post on Mahou Shoujo Madoka but I figured that it would actually be hard to write it without having finished the currently ongoing anime. This post, however, would have formed part of that post on the anime. And with my work now consuming a good part of my time and likely to get even busier, I might as well just write what I can. I've already delayed writing it for weeks and weeks and if I don't write it now, I may never write it.
The 9th episode has aired, drawing us ever closer to the fast approaching end. I have watched the 9th episode and liked it a lot too but haven't had time to re-watch it. I actually need to watch that episode again as I watched it during lunch on Friday and I was kind of pressed for time so was not really paying as much attention as i would like.
While Mai Hime still remains my favourite Mahou Shoujo anime because of its strong storyline, its breaking of several Mahou Shoujo conventions, its cast of fantastic characters, very good characterization and an awesome soundtrack by Kajiura Yuki, Mahou Shoujo Madoka isn't that far behind. Like Mai Hime and Revolutionary Girl Utena, Mahou Shoujo Madoka also wants to re-invent the Mahou Shoujo genre and where Mahou Shoujo Madoka most clearly differentiates itself from the others is through the use of many visual motifs.
For the ease of organisation and in preparation for the post I hope to write after the series ends, I won't really say that much in these posts. The purpose of this series of posts is to catalogue and organize the recurring visuals first before trying to make further meaning of them in a later post.
BUT before I go ahead, I would like to say that in doing the screen captures and cataloguing, it seems very clear to me that Mahou Shoujo Madoka is heavily influenced by German Expressionism. And saying heavily influenced is an understatement. This anime is practically a study in German Expressionism and it relies heavily on The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Nosferatu, Metropolis etc for much of its visual inspiration. I love it. I was a big fan of German Expressionism when I studied film in university and Metropolis is one of my favourite films.
The use of German Expressionism in this anime is not hard to prove at all. The starkly dramatic and contrasting lighting styles, the unrealistic shadows, the architecture, the mirrors, the railings, the mise-en-scene, the philosophy, the themes etc, a lot of it point to German Expressionism.
I don't know if I will ever have the time and the energy to write a proper post on this anime but the least I can do is to post up the screen captures to support my assertion that up to ep8 at least, Mahou Shoujo Madoka is almost entirely about German Expressionism. I've not watch ep9 properly and the rest of the series isn't out so I can't say with any certainty that German Expressionism is the only movement they are drawing inspiration from. There may be other influences. Also, I've not really had too much time to think even further but what I'm certain is that German Expressionism is the major influence here.
And lastly before I go.... the images below may have SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER info. Please stop now if you don't want SPOILER information.
Without further ado... here goes...
VISUAL MOTIFS - GLASS, MIRRORS and REFLECTIVE SURFACES
Lots and lots of glass, mirrors and reflective surfaces. And sometimes it's not merely just one reflection but multiple reflections.
By the way, I won't post every shot that shows reflections, just the more interesting ones.
Episode 1:
I think I would go nuts in the place where Madoka and her mum brush their teeth. To much glass and too many mirrors.
Episode 2:
Episode 3:
Episode 4:
Check out Madoka's reflection on a door knob. That's quite an unsual reflection.
Episode 5:
Seriously Madoka, do you need so many mirrors in your house? :)
Episode 6:
Episode 7:
Episode 8:
Okay... that's it for now... I want to sleep before 1am... I've had too little sleep lately... :( Sigh... no time for my obsessions. :) Will post more on the Visual Motifs in Mahou Shoujo Madoka in the coming days or weeks. :)
Oyasumi. :)
p.s. - Oh... I forgot about the links... I'll come back another day to put in some more links. :)
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