Status
Available
Collection
Publication
Yen Press (2014), 144 pages
Description
When a new girl joins her class, Madoka Kaname feels she recognizes the mysterious, dark-haired transfer student from one of her dreams...a dream where she is approached by a cat-like creature who offers Madoka an opportunity to change destiny. Madoka had always thought magic was the stuff of fantasy...until she sees the transfer student fighting with the very cat-being from her dream! And just like in Madoka's dream, the cat gives her a choice: Will Madoka become a Puella Magi in exchange for her dearest desire? What will be the cost of having her wish come true?
User reviews
LibraryThing member usagijihen
This series, when the first information hit the web in December, really fired up both fans and critics of Studio Shaft (the studio responsible for the TV anime). People were pretty evenly divided, since Shaft now has their own individual signature animation style, and everyone was wondering if this
I love Shaft, though they aren’t my favourite studio out there. Of course I had to give the show a try, and I loved it from the first episode onward. And then out came the manga, and my love for it only grew.
This isn’t your typical Shaft project. It’s nice the directors mixed up their usual style on backgrounds and character design, and it’s even better that that translated into the manga project as headed by Magica Quartet. This series makes no apologies about its content, which is pretty contraversial within the anime/manga world. The “magical girl” genre has been around since the late 1960s, and has only grown in popularity since then. If you’ve heard of “Sailor Moon”, then you know what a “magical girl” is – usually a girl with magic powers as the protagonist, going through rough battles in order to come out a better person in the end. Usually those that grant her magic powers (if she isn’t born with them in the first place) are usually benevolent non-human creatures that only want to improve the world and save it from evil.
Magica Quartet turns this on its head and asks us the question – “well, what if those benevolent magic power granting creatures didn’t really give a shit about saving the world from evil?”
This story isn’t one of the usual magical girl tropes, it’s an exception to the genre and, even when it’s at its most unbearable/painful in content, it’s still one of the best new stories to come out of Japan within the last year. It’s not all sunlight and awesome transformation sequences. It’s not all about justice and selflessness – if anything, it’s the opposite. You’re sacrificing yourself, fighting Witches and Familiars for the power to make the wish YOU made come true. No one else can do that but you.
I applaud Magica Quartet for making us think on this one. What would you do if you were offered a wish and the powers to make it come true? Would you question the price? Would you question your future should you choose to take Kyuubei’s deal and get your wish and powers at once? Magica Quartet makes us question our deepest desires and animal instincts and these days, in any kind of fiction, that’s pretty rare.
(crossposted to goodreads and witchoftheatregoing.wordpress.com)
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was just going to turn into another typical Shaft-style show. I myself was wondering the same.I love Shaft, though they aren’t my favourite studio out there. Of course I had to give the show a try, and I loved it from the first episode onward. And then out came the manga, and my love for it only grew.
This isn’t your typical Shaft project. It’s nice the directors mixed up their usual style on backgrounds and character design, and it’s even better that that translated into the manga project as headed by Magica Quartet. This series makes no apologies about its content, which is pretty contraversial within the anime/manga world. The “magical girl” genre has been around since the late 1960s, and has only grown in popularity since then. If you’ve heard of “Sailor Moon”, then you know what a “magical girl” is – usually a girl with magic powers as the protagonist, going through rough battles in order to come out a better person in the end. Usually those that grant her magic powers (if she isn’t born with them in the first place) are usually benevolent non-human creatures that only want to improve the world and save it from evil.
Magica Quartet turns this on its head and asks us the question – “well, what if those benevolent magic power granting creatures didn’t really give a shit about saving the world from evil?”
This story isn’t one of the usual magical girl tropes, it’s an exception to the genre and, even when it’s at its most unbearable/painful in content, it’s still one of the best new stories to come out of Japan within the last year. It’s not all sunlight and awesome transformation sequences. It’s not all about justice and selflessness – if anything, it’s the opposite. You’re sacrificing yourself, fighting Witches and Familiars for the power to make the wish YOU made come true. No one else can do that but you.
I applaud Magica Quartet for making us think on this one. What would you do if you were offered a wish and the powers to make it come true? Would you question the price? Would you question your future should you choose to take Kyuubei’s deal and get your wish and powers at once? Magica Quartet makes us question our deepest desires and animal instincts and these days, in any kind of fiction, that’s pretty rare.
(crossposted to goodreads and witchoftheatregoing.wordpress.com)
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LibraryThing member renrav
I admit, I would not have picked this up except it was a group read for the month. I generally don't go for new manga series anymore. I used to read a lot of manga and I followed new series but have not for over six years.
This caught my eye because I saw it described as a dark take on the magical
I really enjoyed it. I almost feel like it is a bit ruined that I went into it knowing that it is a dark take I am suspicious of the adorable creature who offers to make them magical girls in exchange for a wish. I think I will continue with the series, though I want to research how long the series is. The last thing I want is to get into an insanely long series.
This caught my eye because I saw it described as a dark take on the magical
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girl genre. And it was the group read book so I figured I'd pick it up.I really enjoyed it. I almost feel like it is a bit ruined that I went into it knowing that it is a dark take I am suspicious of the adorable creature who offers to make them magical girls in exchange for a wish. I think I will continue with the series, though I want to research how long the series is. The last thing I want is to get into an insanely long series.
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Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2012-05-29
Physical description
7.5 inches
ISBN
031621387X / 9780316213875