Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story -A Shallow Dream of Dawn- Final Chapter Review and Impressions

A comprehensive review and recommendation of "Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story -A Shallow Dream's Dawn-"

"Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story -A Shallow Dream's Dawn-" is a TV special that aired from April 3rd to 4th, 2022, and is based on the game "Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story". This work is positioned as the final season of the "Puella Magi Madoka Magica" series, which depicts the battles and wishes of magical girls. Below, we will introduce detailed information and reviews of this work, as well as our recommendations.

Overview

Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story -A Shallow Dream- is broadcast on TV stations such as TOKYO MX and BS11, and is also available on online streaming services such as ABEMA, d Anime Store, and Netflix. It is a 120-minute feature-length work with one episode, directed by Gekidan Inu Curry (Doro Inu), and animated by Shaft. It is based on the original work by Magica Quartet, and is produced by Aniplex and Magia Record Anime Partners.

story

The magical girls continue to fight witches in exchange for making their wishes come true. However, the main character, Tamaki Iroha, has forgotten the wish she made when she became a magical girl. She feels a gaping hole in her daily life and continues to fight in search of something important that she has lost. Meanwhile, a rumor begins to spread among the magical girls that "if magical girls go to Kamihama, they will be saved." Using this rumor as a clue, Iroha heads to Kamihama City and begins her journey in search of her lost wish.

cast

The main cast includes Momo Asakura as Tamaki Iroha, Sora Amamiya as Nanami Yachiyo, Shiina Natsukawa as Yui Tsuruno, Ayane Sakura as Mitsuki Felicia, Yui Ogura as Futaba Sana, Mikako Komatsu as Toga Momoko, Ayaka Ohashi as Akino Kaede, Kaori Ishihara as Minami Rena, Kana Hanazawa as Kuroe, Manaka Iwami as Tamaki Ui, Rie Kugimiya as Satomi Touka, and Hiiragi The cast includes Morohoshi Sumire as Nemu, Horie Yui as Yakumo Mitama, Nakahara Mai as Azusa Mifuyu, Uchida Maaya as Amane Tsukiyo, Uchida Aya as Amane Tsukisaki, Taketatsu Ayana as Alina Gray, Senbongi Ayaka as Izumi Juunichiya, Takao Kanade as Yasuna Mel, Mori Nanako as Yukino Kanae, Jouchi Yunasu as Kuro, and Kato Emiri as Kyubey.

Main Staff

The original work is by Magica Quartet, the general director is Gekidan Inu Curry (Mudoinu), the main character original designer is Ume Aoki, the director is Miyamoto Yukihiro, the series composition is Gekidan Inu Curry (Mudoinu) and Takayama Katsuhiko, the character design and general animation director is Taniguchi Junichiro, the general animation directors are Ito Yoshiaki and Iwamoto Rina, the main animators are Takano Akihisa, Miyai Kana, Nagata Hiroto, and Kawada Kazuki, the art director is Naito Ken, the color design is Hibino Jin, the editors are Matsuhara Rie and Shiraishi Akane, the CG director is Shima Hisato, the director of photography is Egami Rei, the music is Ozawa Takumi, the sound director is Tsuruoka Yota, the animation supervisor is Shinbo Akiyuki, the animation production is by Shaft, and the production is by Magia Record Anime Partners.

Main Characters

Tamaki Iroha is a magical girl who lives in Takarazaki City. She is a reliable girl, but she is too considerate of others and stands out in her class. She has forgotten her wish when she became a magical girl and heads to Kamihama City. Nanami Yachiyo is a veteran magical girl in Kamihama City and a university student. She does not belong to a team and works alone, and has a strong sense of territory. Little Kyubey is a mysterious Kyubey that only exists in Kamihama City and cannot speak. Kuroe is a magical girl who lives in Takarazaki City. She sometimes fights witches with Iroha, but she is afraid of fighting at the risk of her life. Totogi Momoko is a magical girl who works as a team in Kamihama City and has a big sister-like personality. Akino Kaede is a magical girl who works as a team with Momoko and Rena. She is timid but caring towards her friends. Mizunami Rena is a magical girl who works as a team with Momoko and Kaede and has a clumsy personality. Felicia Mizuki is a magical girl who works as a paid mercenary, and although she's skilled, she can also get into trouble.

Main Robot Items

Magical girls are chosen girls who must defeat witches, and are tasked with fighting them in exchange for having one wish granted. Witches are beings that bring misfortune and hide within a barrier accompanied by their minions. Grief Seeds are items that purify the magical girl of any impurity, and can be obtained by defeating witches. Soul Gems are the source of magical power for magical girls, and become slightly corrupted each time they use magic, but can be purified with Grief Seeds. Kyubey is a magical messenger who grants a girl one wish, and by making a contract with Kyubey, a girl becomes a magical girl.

subtitle

The following episodes were broadcast: Episode 1 "We Failed" (2022/04/03), Episode 2 "The Girls Who Will Vanish" (2022/04/03), Episode 3 "How long will we have to continue being magical girls?" (2022/04/03), and Episode 4 "No one knows our record" (2022/04/03).

Related Titles

Related works include "Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story", "Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story - Eve of Awakening -", "Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story 2nd SEASON Special Edition", "Puella Magi Madoka Magica", "Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie [Part 1] The Beginning", "Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie [Part 2] The Eternal Story", "Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie [Part 3] Rebellion", and "Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie: Walpurgis Kaiten".

Theme songs and music

The ending theme "Music Box" was written and composed by Sho Watanabe, arranged by Atsushi Yuasa, and sung by ClariS x TrySail. The inserted song "Lapis" was written and composed by Sho Watanabe, arranged by Atsushi Yuasa, and sung by TrySail. The inserted song "Careless" was written and composed by Sho Watanabe, arranged by Atsushi Yuasa, and sung by ClariS.

review

Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story -A Shallow Dream's Dawn- was the long-awaited final season of the Puella Magi Madoka Magica series. The story begins with Tamaki Iroha forgetting her wish and unfolds into a new adventure in Kamihama City. Iroha's growth and her bond with her friends are depicted, and the suffering and hopes of the magical girls are depicted realistically.

The characters are also portrayed with great depth, especially Tamaki Iroha's inner conflict and growth. Each character is portrayed with a rich personality, such as Nanami Yachiyo's strictness and kindness as a veteran, Kuroe's fear and hope, Toga Momoko's leadership, Akino Kaede's kindness, Minami Rena's clumsiness, and Mizuki Felicia's free-spiritedness.

Visually, Shaft's animation production shines. The unique drawing style and color scheme portray the world of magical girls in a beautiful, and sometimes terrifying way. In particular, the depictions of the witches' barriers and battle scenes are visually very impactful. The music also adds to the atmosphere of the work, with the vocals of ClariS and TrySail adding depth to the story.

While some of the story development will be familiar to fans of the original game, there are many interpretations and additional elements unique to the anime, so even fans of the original will find something new. In particular, new developments in Kamihama City and new aspects of the characters are depicted, making this an important episode towards the conclusion of the entire series.

Recommendation

Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story -A Shallow Dream- is a must-see for fans of the Puella Magi Madoka Magica series. As the final season of the series, it depicts important episodes leading up to the conclusion of the story, and you will see character growth and new developments. Fans of the original game will also enjoy the anime's unique interpretation and additional elements.

Furthermore, this work has deep themes, depicting wishes, hopes, and suffering through the theme of magical girls. It is recommended for those who are interested in the magical girl genre and those who want to enjoy a deep story and character growth. It is visually beautiful and has great music, so it will satisfy those who are looking for a high-quality work overall.

You can watch it on TV broadcasts such as TOKYO MX and BS11, or on online streaming services such as ABEMA, d Anime Store, and Netflix. Online streaming services are especially recommended for busy people, as you can watch at your own pace. There are also many related works, so you can enjoy the entire series.

Above is my comprehensive review and recommendation of "Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story -A Shallow Dream's Dawn-". I hope that through this work, you will be able to feel the story of the magical girls and the deep themes behind it.