THESE PRECIOUS THINGS
A Feminist Critique of the Magical Girl Archetype as Seen in
Puella Magi Madoka Magica
This is an analysis of the first season of the anime series, based on subtitles. I understand that this means it is being translated and some word meanings may change, so it is best to view this as a critique from my understanding of the story. That should go without saying, but sometimes people need to be reminded. Also, spoilers. If you don't like spoilers, do not continue reading.
Part Two: Lollipops and Other Temptations
Part Two: Lollipops and Other Temptations
I walked along that slippery slope where if you fail through lack of faith, you sell your soul to the devil. ~Michelle Shocked
In a lot of Magical Girl stories, our MGs inherit the power or have it tied to them in some way that isn't a choice for them. Sometimes it's a gift from an outside magical source or something they stumble into. Most often though, it's handled in a neutral to positive manner. The magical girl has magic . . . as she should.
One of the fundamental plot elements, as wall as one of the fundamental tragedies of Puella Magi Madoka Magica is that the MGs gain their power after making a contract with Kyubey. In exchange for a wish of their choosing, Kyubey creates a soul gem and makes them a Magical Girl. The wish can be anything, anything at all for anyone at all, and once granted, you get a lot of power. It sounds like a really great deal, doesn't it?
Except . . . we have to keep in mind that these girls are somewhere between 13-15 when they are making these decisions. The lure of having power is deeply seductive, especially for girls who believe themselves to be very ordinary. The wish seems almost like an added bonus to get to be so special. They're also told how they will save the world and be heroines. It is impressed on them how important this is. The wish aspect of it almost begins to seem selfish.
Mami's wish is made under duress. She is about to die and makes the wish to live instead, without realizing her family is dead as well. Both Sayaka and Kyoko make their wishes for others and in both cases, while their wishes do come true, the outcome is nothing what they would want. Homura and Madoka (in her final timeline) make wishes that they believe will make things better, but have huge consequences that in many ways isolates both of them.
All the wishes eventually leave the girls feeling bitter and betrayed about the situation. As for Kyubey, he expresses no remorse for the situation. This is a contract to him. Towards the end of the series when Madoka is expressing her outrage over all the magical girls that have been mislead, Kyubey says, "It wasn't we that betrayed them, but their own prayers that did. All hopes are wishes for something other than the current reality, after all. And anything that doesn't match reality is bound to create a distortion. So why is it surprising that these things always end in disaster? If they consider such a natural outcome a 'betrayal,' they were wrong to have made the wishes at all. "
To Kyubey's mind, the fact that the wish is offered is not a problem at all. The temptation of the wish is not evil, just offered. The idea that the girl will have the foresight and intelligence to understand what she is doing is NOT Kyubey's problem or responsibility.
A lot of girls go through something quite similar during their young teen years. Temptation is all around them. Quite often, they will do drastic things in order to get what they want and never really consider the consequences. Many times, these temptations lead to actions that irrevocable. The girl regrets the decision and wishes she could change it, but knows she can't. A lot of bitterness begins to build.
In the world of Madoka, the wishes granted by Kyubey are always mistakes. Even if power is granted, even if, as in the case of Madoka in the end, you become a goddess, the consequences are always going to be harsh. Sometimes having the chance to get anything in the world you want is the worst thing that can happen.
In a lot of Magical Girl stories, our MGs inherit the power or have it tied to them in some way that isn't a choice for them. Sometimes it's a gift from an outside magical source or something they stumble into. Most often though, it's handled in a neutral to positive manner. The magical girl has magic . . . as she should.
One of the fundamental plot elements, as wall as one of the fundamental tragedies of Puella Magi Madoka Magica is that the MGs gain their power after making a contract with Kyubey. In exchange for a wish of their choosing, Kyubey creates a soul gem and makes them a Magical Girl. The wish can be anything, anything at all for anyone at all, and once granted, you get a lot of power. It sounds like a really great deal, doesn't it?
Except . . . we have to keep in mind that these girls are somewhere between 13-15 when they are making these decisions. The lure of having power is deeply seductive, especially for girls who believe themselves to be very ordinary. The wish seems almost like an added bonus to get to be so special. They're also told how they will save the world and be heroines. It is impressed on them how important this is. The wish aspect of it almost begins to seem selfish.
Mami's wish is made under duress. She is about to die and makes the wish to live instead, without realizing her family is dead as well. Both Sayaka and Kyoko make their wishes for others and in both cases, while their wishes do come true, the outcome is nothing what they would want. Homura and Madoka (in her final timeline) make wishes that they believe will make things better, but have huge consequences that in many ways isolates both of them.
All the wishes eventually leave the girls feeling bitter and betrayed about the situation. As for Kyubey, he expresses no remorse for the situation. This is a contract to him. Towards the end of the series when Madoka is expressing her outrage over all the magical girls that have been mislead, Kyubey says, "It wasn't we that betrayed them, but their own prayers that did. All hopes are wishes for something other than the current reality, after all. And anything that doesn't match reality is bound to create a distortion. So why is it surprising that these things always end in disaster? If they consider such a natural outcome a 'betrayal,' they were wrong to have made the wishes at all. "
To Kyubey's mind, the fact that the wish is offered is not a problem at all. The temptation of the wish is not evil, just offered. The idea that the girl will have the foresight and intelligence to understand what she is doing is NOT Kyubey's problem or responsibility.
A lot of girls go through something quite similar during their young teen years. Temptation is all around them. Quite often, they will do drastic things in order to get what they want and never really consider the consequences. Many times, these temptations lead to actions that irrevocable. The girl regrets the decision and wishes she could change it, but knows she can't. A lot of bitterness begins to build.
In the world of Madoka, the wishes granted by Kyubey are always mistakes. Even if power is granted, even if, as in the case of Madoka in the end, you become a goddess, the consequences are always going to be harsh. Sometimes having the chance to get anything in the world you want is the worst thing that can happen.
No comments:
Post a Comment