#im thinking very madoka magica inspired | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

acaciapines · 7 days

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hey! for the fic ask game: 3, 5 (for the wolf 359 daemon au), 8, 38 and 42?

3. What are some tropes or details that you think are very characteristic of your fics?

somebody being a least a little bit nonhuman <3 but more broadly i really like writing about human/animal dynamics, both in the nonhuman sense obviously, but also even in my daemon aus--what do humans say about animals? how much is true and how much is just something humans have put onto the animal, rather than what the animal is?

i also think i write a lot about grief, and the ways grief and trauma both can manifest in ways seen as 'unpalatable.' how youre supposed to survive these sorts of things, and how a lot of times the answer is that maybe things dont get better, but they do get different. ie i have a lot of bittersweet endings and i dont think that'll ever change.

5. What do you wish someone would ask you about [insert fic]? Answer it now!

oooh ive always hoped somebody would ask what the hell doug-nix and miranda-alphaeus would get up to after the epilogues, 'cause this never got in there (i dont think at least), but i've always had it in mind that they move out eventually! get a place of their own, which would leave minkowski, hera, jacobi, and sometimes lovelace whenever she stops by living together.

i just feel like. miranda and doug are outsiders to that crew, yeah? neither of them remember the people they once were, so. might as well try making something new and better together.

8. What song would make a great fic (to either write or read)?

this one is particularly topical 'cause a song is actually the inspiration for the current fic i'm writing! grand canyon by the wind and the wave. literally such a frisk and chara song, ALSO a really good roadtrip song, so ive meshed those together and now im working on a post-pacifist chara&frisk centric roadtrip fic! coming out....idk. may probably.

i also think twelve feet deep by the front bottoms could make a real fun onesided dessriel fic. something about 'i get left out of every plan they make / that is what i have to do / to be the only kid from highschool who is still in love with you' REALLY gets to me.

38. Did any of your fics get surprisingly popular (whatever that means to you)? Which ones? Why do you think they were so successful?

i think the one that surprised me the most was garden of earthly delights, which was my madoka magica daemon au. seeing as its been Forever since anything madoka has come out (plus daemon aus are Not popular anymore lol), i didnt know there was still an active fandom there, but there WAS, and all my commenters were amazing and lovely and it was so fun seeing everyone trying to uncover the mystery in real time!!! if i had to guess WHY it got popular, i think i'd guess it was the aspect of mystery...something to keep people coming back and commenting!

42. Have you ever received a comment that particularly stood out to you for whatever reason?

the comments that always stick with me the most are the people who come to tell me that it was my fics (usually either i know im not well or alterhuman) that either helped them feel SEEN as otherkin/therian, or helped them discover that this was a thing they even could be. i think thats been one of the most rewarding things about sharing those stories. theres not a whole lot out there in the ao3 otherkin tag, yknow? and it makes me so happy to know i've been able to help people.

#ask #thanks for asking! these are fun

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thekingofwinterblog · 5 months

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You have the most based takes on the Soul Eater series ever dude. The catharsis I felt when someone described exactly why I was irked with the ending, Maka's characterization later down the line, and several other plot points was amazing.

Ever since you mentioned how compelling the theme of bravery and fear is in the anime ending I've been thinking about it nonstop. I feel like bravery could also tie in with Maka's characterization in the manga with Soul and Spirit, in which she gains the courage to put trust in them (Soul in not abandoning her no matter what and Spirit in wielding him as a weapon confidently despite her grievances with him). Additionally, I feel it would've been an amazing payoff if she also INSPIRES courage to others, especially Crona.

Black*Star wanted to transcend the gods, so what bars Crona from having the courage to want a better life and free themself in the manga ending? Of course, they will face consequences, but that shouldn't stop them from wanting to be happy.

Going from your point in your previous post of how the climax of the story doesn't hinge on Soul much: Perhaps by Maka inspiring courage in Soul with his issues, he will in turn help her in inspiring courage in Crona to fight back. Hell, why not get the others to join in? While kinda corny, it ties into how friendship and camaraderie can help get someone out of a dark place (I'm kinda imagining it like the Homulily fight in Madoka Magica rebellion).

Whilst I'm here, could I ask for your thoughts on Maka's mom? Personally, I think she was very underutilized as a character but I'm curious as to your thoughts on her.

Also, do you think the phrase "A sound soul dwells within a sound mind and a sound body" that's constantly repeated in the anime ties into any major revelations? I think it would've been a perfect callback for the anime but I don't recall having an "aha!" moment about it.

Anyways, sorry for rambling a lot and for taking up your inbox, but I was very inspired by your analysis hehe. Have a great day!

Having characters who never appear and yet define other characters is a very tricky business, and frankly i think Maka's mom is not handled well in the manga, but the anime staff gave it a shot of making something worthwhile out of her, and the similiarities and contrast between her and maka. It wasnt perfect, but at least it's something.

In regards to Maka's mom, i think the best course with her would be to confront the fact she'a probably not coming back head on sometime after the sand pit with crona, maybe have her and crona have a chat between doors, and the topic come up, and go from there.

Im actually going to have a post sorta going over this later, but the gist of it is that the postcard and the meaning behind it(that for all their differences and the fact maka does not understand her) Maka still loved her mom, and was able to draw strength from it, and their connection in spite of everything.

This moment could have been so much more impactful though, if you inserted Maka having some harsh truth realization about her mom... And then still have her send that card, and so have Maka's agonising over what it means be much more impactful and full of drama, and the realisation of the fact that even if she is never gonna see her again(and that maka sorta resents her for it), she still loves her mom. Having her accept the fact that she does not understand the message, and her mom's thoughts with it, but that in the end, it didnt matter, because what matters, was what maka took away from it.

That would have made it being framed so importantly in the ending credits worth it, and subsequently have Maka's mom be a much better character by fully exploring the broken aftermath of her and spirits divorce.

I actually think the motto is bunk, and thematically speaking, its this kind of thinking that created asura. "A sound soul resides in a sound mind in a sound body" is a motto that demands perfection, and if there is something Soul eater makes clear, its that perfection is mot aomething to strive for.

Chasing excelence in spite of flaws that often cannot be overcome is at the core of soul eater's themes. Maka, Soul, Liz, Patty, black star , are certainly not people who fit all these 3 catagories all at once.

In fact both of Maka's quotes to Asura at the end is about the opposite. The world is not perfect, and thats okay... So long as we have courage, we'll live in it despite all our flaws anyeay.

It does absolutely seem like something Shinigami-Sama would teach at his school though, cause this is asbolutely something that the personification of order would have as a motto.

#questions and answers #soul eater #maka's mother #maka albarn #shinigami sama #meta

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mistninja · 11 months

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do you like reading fantasy? do you like magical swords, wizards and dragons? do you want to get into anime/manga but dont know how? well im a weeb and a fantasy nerd who has nothing better to do so here are some recs ig

Do you like the Cosmere for the convoluted magical systems and the creative ways the magic is used in fights? Watch Jujutsu Kaisen. First season has 24 episodes, there is one prequel movie (good place to start too) and a second season coming soon. You could also read the manga, but I personally think the anime is easier to follow and overall more enjoyable to me (on the other hand, the manga comes with Extensive notes on how the magic works so you might prefer that). Another good show is Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (on Netflix, 64 episodes).

Do you like the Cosmere for the interconnected large universe and The Lore(tm)? Get into Fate. You know how Cosmere fans loooove talking about timelines and where to start with the Cosmere? You can do that again with Fate, even more complicated this time! A good place to start would be either Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works or Fate/Zero. Both are on Netflix, UBW has 26 episodes and Zero has 25. You could go straight to the source material, the visual novels, but I haven't played them so I can't talk about them.

Do you like Realm of the Elderlings, or historical fantasy? Watch Vinland Saga. The first season has 24 episodes, second one is currently coming out weekly (close to finishing), and it is on Netflix. Haven't read the manga but it seems to have some really good art. Another option would be (I think) Berserk, but since I haven't read/watched that, I can't really say. SIDENOTE but if you like Black Sails you should also check out Vinland Saga im so serious. BS isnt fantasy but i needed to get that out there.

Do you like The Locked Tomb? This one is quite obvious but watch Revolutionary Girl Utena, it inspired the books *a lot*. It has 39 episodes, a movie and a manga, general consensus is that the manga is not very good so just watch the show. Look up trigger warnings. And you might also want to check out Puella Magi Madoka Magica (the original show has just 12 episodes, theres a lot of extra content but I have not seen/read the rest so i would say its not necessary).

Do you like an epic adventure and a giant world filled with amazing places to explore? Completely unironically you SHOULD read or watch One Piece. Fantasy fans already get into gargantuan book series with thousands of pages what is a thousand episodes to you? I assure you it is worth it. Hunter x Hunter is also good, I can't say much about it because I just started it recently.

More general recs under read more.

Little Witch Academia. Cute fluffy show about teenage witches. Some similarities with The Owl House on Disney.

Witch Hat Atelier. Manga only for now, follows a young girl who gets taken in as a witch's apprentice, has some darker elements.

Re: Zero. Guy from our world gets sent to another world and then dies a bunch of times. Psychological horror in a fantasy setting.

Akatsuki no Yona. Princess goes on an adventure to find legendary dragons and save her kingdom. Some romance.

Vanitas no Carte. Vampires in a steampunk setting. Gay (?)

Black Clover. Basically whatever you think Naruto is about, but shorter and more goofy. Boy with no magic wants to the greatest wizard of all time, gets beefy.

Ghibli movies: Kiki's Delivery Service, Ponyo, Princess Mononoke, The Tale of Princess Kaguya, The Castle in the Sky, The Cat Returns, Spirited Away. These movies are more on the magical realism / low fantasy side.

Noragami. Supernatural. Gods and spirits are real and walk among us, the story follows a god who has no followers and a girl who accidentally becomes half-spirit. Some cool fights. Really great music.

Shadows House. Creepy house where shadow people live, along with their "living dolls".

Dungeon Meshi. Manga with upcoming anime, havent read it but seems like a fun adventure with some horror elements (?) but mostly about cooking and monsters.

#welp #i wish i had more interesting recs sadly im basic #take these with a grain of salt i made this out of boredom and a need to distract myself so i didnt spend too much time on this

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curedeity · 9 months

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If you’ve got any, 17 for the fanfic ask?

17. Do you have any other writers or works that inspire you (i think that was the question i didnt copy paste)

Yes always and inspo is one of my favorite things to talk about!

One of my first writing inspirations was the Percy Jackson books, and that phase of my life still kind of influences the genres im interested in writing and the like. I read a lot more novels when i was younger so i remember having more distinct favorites back then. As for novels right now, Id say Kelly Barnhill is one of the bedt authors ive recently read. Her narrative style is quite captivating, her chapters are short, and there is always a slightly different progression than i imagine there being. Ive only finished "the girl who drank the moon" but i started both "iron-heart(ed?) violet" and "when women were dragons". I wish i still used goodreads so i could go theough a list of what books id read recently, but i wanna quickly mention ve schwab. Her books are hit or miss and not always the best but damn sometimes she puts out a banger, and when she tries she can have an impeccable narrative style that leaves me breathless. Sometimes i also like reading neil gaiman works. They both intrigue and inspire me somewhat but i dont think to the same extent other authors have

Now that was JUST novel inspos!

A lot of my main writing inspiration actually comes from podcasts. Welcome to Night Vale was a huge early writing inspiration for me, introducing me to a surreal style of writing that i love getting to develop. Wtnv and other productions by its team are often so stylish that it is impossible to not be inspored listening to them. I think wtnv and within the wires are my faborites on a writing level.

Cant forget the magnus archives, the narration is very slick and the interconnected plot growth so well done, along with really good and intriguing inpersonal dynamics that never failed to offer something intriguing. I never finished season 5 but i remember listening to just some of the first episodes and being awestruck at how stylish the writing was.

Then there is unwell podcast! One of my favorite pidcasts to discuss on a writing level, it has so many ups and downs, but one thing i will give it is having great character voices! There is not a single character that doesnt speak distinctly and the dialogue flows so well, being one of the best parts of the show. Id love to be able to write character voices as well as they do.

For tv shows now!

Madoka Magica has squickly become a huge writing inspiration for me. Honestly, more like the crown jewel of great writing. I cannot praise madoka magicas writing enough. Its thematic unravelling is so layered, its character writing gripping, its way of writing narrative parallels and foils impeccable, and just. God. Incredible. I cannot explain how much i want to be able to write on madoka magicas level. But madoka magica is the only show ill mention bc the other stuff i watch is often shit.

Uhhhhhhh for video games... i havent played that many yet sorry. While i love pokemon, it isnt a writing inspiration, and most games i play dont speqk to me like that.

And then comes the format thet is probably most applicable... fanfic...

Ill admit i read a lot of fanfic, but i dont actually think that many inspire me writing wise, so ill take a second and just focus on beyblade to say Val was my biggest inspiration to write beyblade fanfic in my fandom early days. I was inspired by some of the stuff she did, and especially some character dynamics (madoka and yuki) but realized i wanted to do incredibly different things. So i think her inspiration wasnt so much of "oh god i love this idea and characyers and synamic and plot" but just like, more of a realization of what i might be able to do with the characters as a whole?

Also wanna drop that Sadie has an impeccable writing style omg im literally eating it up i need it. Sadies art is also a huge inspiration for me to the surprise of no one who has seen Hikarus Adoption Agenda.

#crafty you gave me too much power thank you for the ask #ask game #idk if id recommend all the things i put here like. so ill just say #please read the girl who drank the moon. it is an incredible book and deserves a read by so so so many people

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pcholkachai · 9 months

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what are your current fandoms? 👀 found your art recently thru futurama and im curious what other stuff you make content for bc it’s very good

oh let me think...! i have a strong fixation on futurama, golden kamuy, dorohedoro (I HOPE to draw it someday...) and id like to draw more bocchi the rock and ace attorney. chainsaw man manga and witch from mercury is good... also wanted to rewatch madoka magica and kill la kill, they'd probably give me inspiration. i love many shows dearly, but they just don't live in my head as rent-free as these. if you're interested about any specific fandoms, you can ask in replies!

#.btw i watched barbie and 1 ep of hulurama this week #.enjoyed both!!

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enstarsmv · 5 months

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Hi i saw your magical girl aus post a while ago im interested....what thoughts do you have

hi ⭐️! i think magical aus are fun in general SMILE ive got a few ideas in my little head . . .

• for one i think a lot of the more eccentric idols take naturally to this kind of au. wataru, for example, i think would be a very easy fit! that's not to say other idols wouldn't be part of this, however.

• madara, for example! when pondering this he initially didn't strike me as someone who fit into this kind of thing, but in a way that appeals the idea to me more. imagine a cowboy magical girl... i think he'd have fun with it, too — the "very reliant" type is a character trope seen in a lot of magical girl media, after all. you can count on him!

• i do think some idols fit into the more "fighting monsters" type of magical girls than others. ryuseitai would be a very classical team of heroic magical girls, and i think knights would fit into this kind of trope as well.

• others, like fine and valkyrie, are usually less... action-y, one might say. while all magical girls are capable, some prefer to focus on inspiring others — as an idol does — or on aiding other magical girls in their own troubles.

• my favorite magical girl anime is cardcaptor sakura, so a lot of my own daydreams involve that kind of style :)! pretty outfits, lower stakes compared to things like madoka magica, with a dash of sailor moon-style friendship...

• of course, you could take it another way too — if you were the magical in this scenario, for example. i think that kind of dynamic is very charming 💕 i think most idols couldn't help but be a little awe struck, whether or not theyre also magical; its just something special, isnt it? seeing that transformation, the magical power, the glow around you as you focus on them... it's absolutely indescribable.

#enstars #🖋 — answered #=^_^= smiles. I HAVE lots of general thoughts but i think i need to watch magical girl anime to get more specifics down #idols fit into the colors very easily which is so useful for me....

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lemon-sugarcoats-nothing · 1 year

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Lemon and Cinna but make em ~magical~

Inspired by Cinna's post here: Click Me! This isn't a trick - Cinna requested that I (Bee) draw her as a magical girl! I decided to also draw Lemon as a magical boy, because...Siblins B) No anthro pony today, this is more along the lines of equestria girls, since i wanted this to look more anime and less MLP

🐝 Art rant, Design tips, and my thought process bc Cinna mentioned that Mocha struggles with outfit design:

Anime magical girls amiright? So, the design Mocha came up with was cute, I like the bright colors, an it gives off a lot of Star vs the forces of evil vibes. Im gonna be real clear here; this is not a diss on Mocha's magical girl design.

That being said, when I was drawing my version of magical girl Cinna I wanted her to look more anime magical girl, rather than SVTFOE. here were some things i kept in mind

Magical girls usually have one main color, with a few accent colors. Not always, but from what i've seen it's a really common design element that helps differentiate the characters and make them stand out within their show. This is especially the case with Magical girl shows that have a team of girls, and not just one girl. Things like Madoka Magica, Sailor moon, Most precure generations i've seen images of, Yuki yuna is a hero, etc.

Repeated patterns like polka dots or floral patterns, aren't common, but stripes (like along the edge of the skirt, or lining the bodice), and small accent designs ARE common.

Typically, magical girl outfits are very frilly and cutesy. Some would be more impractical in battle than others irl, but either way femininity and looking beautiful while still being super powerful is a big magical girl thing

I personally like looking at, drawing, and designing magical girls with more structured bodices, mock-corsets, or sort of armor(?) with short, flowy skirts. The illusion of practicality, if you will.

I didnt want to completely lose the stars and hearts that Mocha used in Cinna's original magical girl design, so I used those in her little accessories. I mostly kept the hair the same, it's very on-brand for magical girls. HOWEVER, I tweaked the purpley pinkish colors on the design to a darker reddish pink/magenta, since I felt that fit Cinna's coat color a little better. The colors in Mocha's design also heavily influenced what colors i picked for the final drawing.

Since Cinna's hair was made pink for this drawing, I decided to make her whole magical girl outfit be mostly pink. I used the blue and yellow from the pattern on her dress to determine what her accent colors would be. I struggled a little bit at first with color placement, but in the end I think it looks okay (if not a bit...easter-egg-y). If i were to redo this, i might ditch the yellow and just do pink and blue (excluding neutral tones).

Now for Lemon!

I wanted their outfit to contrast Cinna's. Since cinna has a lot of bright colors, I decided that Lemon was going to be restricted to red and yellow, with black making up most of the outfit. Also because Cinna has a very innocent outfit, that for the most part covers her pretty well, I gave Lemon a very revealing outfit.

Playing off of the structured bodices mentioned before, with mock-corsets n all that, i gave lemon a corset-inspired top that laces in the front instead of the back (Possibly both, since its not actually doing anything to compress). This allowed them to have an exposed chest and midriff. Since i wasnt giving Lemon their wings or feathers for this magical boy design, I decided to give them shoulder pads that resemble wings, and wing accessories on their corset and wand thing. The rest of the design was to mostly just to support the main aspects of the design and add visual flavor.

For the magical wand things, I just wanted something that went with the main outfits. Cinna's wand was inspired by the big ol staff she's holding in Mocha's drawing. Lemon's has a moon design to go with the black-heavy outfit, and wings for...obvious reasons. I imagine these could be used as wands for magical attacks, or the handles can be extended for swinging it around and whacking people.

Alright i think thats just about all i have to say B) thanks for reading, and have a nice day! :D - 🐝

#digital art #art #anime magical girls #magical girl #art requests

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peterofthedrakes · 2 years

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4, 6, 11 and 21 for the ask game :D

i just answered 4 but

6 - Anything that might inspire you subconsciously (i.e. this horse wasn't supposed to look like the Last Unicorn but I see it)

ND Stevenon's stuff (specifically Nimona) and Dollightful subconsciously inspires a lot of my character design I think

11 - Do you listen to anything while drawing? If so, what

yeah!! the adhd demands that I have to be doing twenty different things at once in order for me to function. sometimes i listen to music but more typically, audiobooks and podcasts. i've been really into Hi Nay and Old Gods Of Appalachia recently.

21 - Art styles nothing like your own but you like anyways

oh gosh. so many. i love the style in Madoka Magica, for one. lots of older anime in general - Sailor Moon has such an iconic and cute style, I love it. the linework in Namesake is inspiring and the art in Stand Still Stay Silent is so beautiful. i could legit look at it for hours. i actually have a print from ssss hanging on my wall!! there's more, but im cutting myself off before this gets too long (i also really recommend those webcomics in general, theyre very good :D)

#not art #ask game #peteroftheasks

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qvstionarchives · 6 years

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wait a fucking minute ok im gonna put my magical girl concept below the cut pls let me know if anyone would be interested in taking part in this !!!!

consider this: a hogwarts-esque school for girls (and mayb boys too!) who want to become magical girls and save the world! think of it kind of like a superhero deal. magical girls are well known and often looked up to and idolised but no one ever talks about how hard the job truly is. when magical girls die fighting monsters they only talk about the grand sacrifice, how lucky we are to have them, etcetc

the students come into this castle, excited to learn and train, to go through the phasing; a year long confidential ritual that is only explained shortly before it happens. anyone who wishes not to go through with it has all memory of the practices and lessons given at the school removed.

the phasing itself happens in the second year of staying at this school. there is a reason why there are no real second years wandering around the castle, why the older students are few in numbers. the second year students must go into a deep meditation for the span of that year. through the meditation their spirits are taken into another plane of existence. the whole ordeal feels barely longer than a day for the girls, working together to overcome otherworldly obstacles and real monsters. some refuse to partake in the phasing, some do not survive, some come out fine, others are changed forever. through the phasing, their “essence” is formed into a focus. an object such as a necklace, a bracelet, an earring, a weapon, something they keep on their person at all times and draw their powers and abilities from. (yes this is very much inspired by puella magi madoka magica)

these students are now in the profession for life. theres no going back on being a magica and those that do not die young at the hands of the otherworldly monsters plaguing earth usually go on to take over teaching positions at the school or find another demise.

this isnt fully realised and finished but! if it interests you maybe like or reply to this post ??? ill probably make a discord server for plotting etc

#*✧ ｡. OOC ☆ ° ♡ 。#owowowo

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sam-roulette · 3 years

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Idk if yall have seen it, but ur Very Good post about Martin representing hope reminded me a bit of madoka magica. Then I thought abt how that series+its sequel movie ended, thought abt tma ending like that, and now im going thru it. Again idk if u familiar with pmmm+pmmm rebellion but like. what would yall think of tma having an ending like that. id give u my own thots but my brain spiraled into comparing tma 2 other anime w similar themes ("are we gonna get end of eva'd???") and it wont stfu

I’ve been thinking about this for a Long While, especially since me and Not Sam have been using Madoka Magica as a partial inspiration for this one tma au under wraps and have been just watching fight scenes because like ??? In a lot of ways the comparison is really intuitive??

I mean, both Jon and Martin would do practically anything for the other, even if it meant something More Than A Little Morally Questionable, if it meant keeping the other safe. Homura and Madoka also share the respect that JonMartin eventually comes to, as well as the inevitable spiral into deals with the devil for the sole purpose of keeping the other safe. Hell, it could be argued that Martin already tried to pull a Madokami move by trying to give himself to the Lonely; going away from all he knew and those few he loved and cherished merely to keep them safe, even if it meant erasing himself completely, though not in death.

But at the same time, I feel as though a direct comparison is difficult because in the end, Jon and Martin are ultimately more dynamic as a relationship; they get on each other’s nerves and don’t agree on things ideologically and butt heads a hell of a lot, which is a far cry from Homura holding Madoka up on the pedestal that she does. And because of that, though I can see Martin going the route Madoka does (the whole “I will sacrifice myself to become the embodiment of hope and scoop up magical girls avatars to take to live with me in law of cycle chillness thus erasing my very existence from reality just to protect everyone”), I don’t think I can see Jon going Homura’s route.

The thing about Homura’s route at the end of Rebellion is, it ultimately disrespects the current Madoka’s wish. This is absolutely tragic narrative-wise and makes for some damn good cosmic horror tragedy, but in the end it also doesn’t paint Homura as being the best person. There’s nothing wrong with that and I could genuinely go on for hours as to why Homura being a fundamentally selfish person whose main power of evil is still somehow “the power of love” in a magical girl anime is a fuckin brilliant idea, but ultimately it just doesn’t jive with Jon as a character.

Jon as a character, while initially selfish in a very petty way to cover his own self-failings, is in actuality a rather selfless person. It doesn’t always manifest in the best way (ie what he did to Jordan Kennedy), but he fundamentally does things for the sake of others and to respect their wishes. That’s how he maintains his humanity. If he were to go Homura’s route and rip the divinity out of Martin to bring him back down to earth to live safely, that requires a measure of disrespect to Martin’s wishes that I feel Jon won’t have by episode 200.

With Homura, she disregards any growth or change the current timeline’s Madoka goes through in favor of following the wish of the one who died beside her- “don’t let me get tricked”. With Jon, he’s done nothing but acknowledge how he and Martin have been changing and works hard to accommodate that. If Martin truly wanted to sacrifice himself and had found a way to do so before Jon could get wise, I can see Jon ultimately coming to terms with the fact that it was ultmiately Martin’s decision.

So in terms of ending- I can see TMA ending off a la Madoka Magica the show, but not necessarily the movie. But also thank you !!! For Asking!!!! Because god now I have so many more Thoughts TM...

#pmmm spoilers #many thoughts.... head full #asks

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jackkel-dragon · 7 years

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Blue Reflection “Steam” Review

I wrote up a long review for a game I’ve been playing lately, and was going to post it as a Steam review until I noticed that my review went over the character limit. Since I couldn’t find a way to cut it down that I liked, I decided to post the full version of the review here. Behind a read more for length and spoilers. (Spoilers are also behind a warning to make the main review low-spoiler.)

Blue Reflection is a magical girl JRPG, a type of game I've been hoping to see for a while. It plays similarly to a Persona game, where it is split into daily life segments for getting to know the characters and otherworld segments for exploring and fighting.

The story is very character-focused, which works to its favor. Most of the story involves the main character gaining power through empathizing with others, allowing herself and those she meets to grow. This power is used to fight supernatural monsters from outer space and the negative emotions they impose on an otherworld sustained by humanity's collective unconscious. While there is an overarching plot, it doesn't get much play until near the end of the game. More information than that goes into spoiler territory, so that will be addressed later.

The "daily life" gameplay is very similar to the Persona series, albeit simpler and more streamlined. Outside of story chapters, free time can be spent exploring the school, completing side quests, or spending time with friends. There are several interesting things you can find in the school, particularly an odd collectible-like system where finding glowing spots in the school will open up new topics for the main character's IM app. Side quests involve either jumping into the otherworld to fight monsters/collect items, or simply bringing items to the person in question. While simple in design, each side quest has an interesting hook to give context to the mission, and so it's interesting to see what each student has problems with. Spending time with friends works similarly to Social Links/Confidants in the Persona series, where you get special events at certain levels of affection. During some of these events, the player may get a choice on how to respond, which changes the skill the player earns from completing that event. There is also a system where, at the end of each day, the player can decide what to do at night, which can cause certain events to play the next morning (sometimes giving stat boosts). There's no real time limit to free time, so it's possible to complete everything except for alternate scenes in a single playthrough.

The other gameplay for the game takes place in "The Common", an otherworld that is shaped by the collective unconscious. Because of its nature, it is split into certain "zones" such as Joy and Fear. Here the player fights monsters and prepares to fight the "Sephirot", giant monsters from outer space. The basic exploration will be familiar to those who have played the Atelier games, since it involves the same kind of on-screen monster icons and the ability to find items in certain areas. Battles are turn-based, though there are some interesting systems unlocked later in the game that make the wait time between turns an active part of the battle (such as allowing the use of a special meter to heal or accelerate turns). Instead of having XP, the game uses "growth points" to level up, which are gained exclusively from story progress and spending time with friends in daily life. This reduces some of the grind found in other JRPGs. On the other hand, it's easy enough to grind growth points from spending time with friends that combat will be easy for most of the game, even on the hardest difficulty. Each character also learns far more skills than you will ever need to use, and some skills end up being redundant because of this. While there is a system for learning specific skills in the growth point system, whatever combination of level ups you decide on will end up leaving you more than powerful enough to win. This is made even easier since HP/MP is restored after each fight. Battles can still be fun once you've become overpowered, but don't go into the game expecting something as difficult as a Megami Tensei game.

The last major gameplay element involves fighting the giant bosses. These are 2-3 phase fights that involve a single large enemy with multiple parts. You can finish each phase just by killing the main part, but each sub-part you kill will be inactive for a while and cause a debuff to the main body. These fights also allow the non-magical friends of the main character to support the team, usually with small buffs or attacks that increase the special gauge (which allows for certain abilities between turns later in the game, as mentioned earlier). These fights are usually about as easy as the rest of the game, but may take a bit longer due to high HP and the need for the player to heal.

Overall, it's a fun magical girl RPG, though not something for anyone looking for a challenge. This is very much a game focused on the stories of its major characters, with the main story and battles as part of the experience (but not the focus).

A note on the PC port: The game no longer has a game-breaking crash thanks to a patch, but it still is pretty resource-hungry and can crash under certain conditions. If you don't have a pretty recent computer, it may be better to look into the PS4 version.

Now, onto some spoiler talk... If you want to go in blind, the review essentially ends here.

====SPOILERS====

Note: I'm going to assume some basic knowledge of character names and such, in order to avoid making this part of the review longer than it already is.

To start with, I really like the characters and most of the story of the game. That might come into question with my later ramblings if I don't point it out right away. It's mostly how the main plot was handled near the end that gets to me.

With that said, let's start with some good things about the story. I really like most of the characters, and they all have really nice stories when you complete their friendship events. Even some characters that I wouldn't give a chance in real life ended up growing on me. The daily life main plot regarding the school festival was also a really nice way to explain why Hinako was getting so close to her classmates.

Now, something I have a problem with is the Sephirot. Aside from sounding cool, I have a hard time finding out what connections they have to Kabbalah and its philosophy. Aside from surface connections (Yesod, the foundation, being the first one fought; Da'at/Daath, the place where all Sephirot are one, being the last fought), I can't see a whole lot of how these space monsters are connected to Jewish mysticism. Now, the series everyone thinks inspired the game--the Megami Tensei franchise--also makes heavy use of mythology in every game. But those games also show their work in how everything connects to what they are named after. The tarot arcana in the Persona series are always thematically related to the people they are assigned to. The initial and ultimate personae of the leads are connected to the theme of the game. (For example, Orpheus/Thanatos are connected to Death.) Aside from Daath's sudden idea to combine all of humanity into one being, I don't see much connection between Blue Reflection's Sephirot and the real world's idea of Sephirot. Maybe this is a lack of research on my part, but it still bugs me.

The main plot also contradicts itself and becomes a mess near the end. Yuzu and Lime being ghosts is actually foreshadowed fairly early, but then gets swept under the rug until the reveal. More importantly, Daath directly contradicts things that Yuzu, Lime, and Yuri claim, and no one explains why this thing that shows up in the last twenty minutes of the game is suddenly changing all the information we were told. For instance, Yuzu and Lime claim that there are 22 singularities, each with a Reflector. This is further shown in a scene without Hinako that proves they aren't lying to her about this. But then, after they are outed as ghosts, they say there is only one Reflector at a time. Hinako never addresses this, and Daath later points out that only Hinako is a Reflector. There's a lot more I could complain about Daath, really. Yuzu and Lime also recognize it (him?) when he decides to show up in the final scene, yet never thought to mention him to Hinako before he started killing and absorbing people.

Even worse than Daath is the ending. I was mostly okay with it at first, despite not liking how many Japanese stories seem to end with timeloops or resets. (I have to wonder if Puella Magi Madoka Magica inspired Blue Reflection to use this particular trope, despite this game not needing such a plot point.) But the more I think about it, the suckier it is without making some serious assumptions. Basically, Yuzu and Lime return to being dead. Daath is gone, but apparently might come back later (he's not clear on whether he's dying or not). But everything else in the story snaps back to the opening cutscene, aside from Hinako remembering some of what happened. This memory alone seems to warrant a bittersweet, rather than downer, ending. But keep this in mind: this means that all twelve of Hinako's friends and all of the sidequest characters are back to where they were at the start of the game. Rin is back to being indecisive about her crush. Sarasa is back to being bitter and upset that Hinako stopped ballet. Shihori is back to being hated for something she isn't doing. Mao is back to being a loner jerk that keeps others at arms length. All of those problems that Hinako fixed are now undone, and now she doesn't have magic or Yuzu/Lime to help her re-fix everything. You have to assume that Hinako can befriend everyone again and help them in more mundane ways to solve their problems, otherwise the ending is really depressing. Yet Hinako is just happy that she didn't forget about Yuzu and Lime, and we're supposed to be okay with just that. I thought this game was about empathy and friendship overcoming adversity, not how everything one does in life is ultimately pointless.

There are other things that bother me, but those are the more major ones. Accidentally undercutting the premise of the story in the last half hour of the game is not really a good way to leave a lasting impression. I still like the game, but unless a sequel/spinoff fixes some of the issues, I have to mentally rewrite or re-contextualize the ending in order to be okay with it.

At any rate, I still recommend the game. It's a fun game, and the character-focused parts of the story are really good. As a story of how Hinako comes to terms with not being able to dance again thanks to her new friends, it works well. Just try not to take the self-contradicting myth arc too seriously if you don't want to get annoyed.

#blue reflection #game review

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