Puella Magi Madoka Magica Concept Movie
Concept Movie[Note 1] (コンセプトムービー Konseputo Muubii) is a short four-minute concept film unveiled in surprise at Studio SHAFT's 40th anniversary event in winter 2015, Madogatari. The first animated Puella Magi Madoka Magica work since Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie: Rebellion, it featured the return of the full Madoka Magica cast and staff. According to SHAFT CEO Kubota, the concept movie is the core of a new Madoka Magica project, and serves as its trailer.
Presently, the concept movie remains officially unavailable to the public outside of the screening at Madogatari, and no announcement has been made of a streaming/home video release. However, the video is available to watch on YouTube with English subtitles.
On April 25th, 2021, during the tenth anniversary of Madoka Magica, a sequel movie to Rebellion was announced. Called Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie: Walpurgisnacht Rising. It is likely that the Concept Movie became Walpurgisnacht Rising.
Chronology
- 2015/11/26 - A surprise press release states a new Madoka Magica short will be screened at the Madogatari event: Tokyo 11/27 to 12/12, Osaka 12/22 to 12/27, Sapporo 2016/02/09 to 2016/02/14. [1]
- 2015/11/27 - The concept movie premieres at 3331 Art Chiyoda.
- 2015/12/08 - An interview in the January 2016 issue of NewType clarifies that the concept movie leads to a new Madoka Magica project. [2]
- 2015/12/22 - The Osaka Madogatari stop reveal an updated "Type-B" Concept Movie with new visuals. [3]
- 2016/04/10 - Manga Time Kirara Magica Vol.25 is released, featuring Concept's ballerina Madoka on its cover
- 2016/09/22 - A Bluray featuring content from the MADOGATARI exhibition, including the Concept Movie, is released.[4][5] [verify]
Speculation
Please keep in mind that they are fanmade theories, and not official material.
- Mami features heavily in the concept movie, possibly hinting towards her reprising Madoka's protagonist role in the new project.
- Fan speculation about the plot goes as follows: Homura lied to Kyubey at the end of Rebellion as she didn't actually create a new universe - she simply used the stolen part of the Law of the Cycles to expand her witch barrier to encompass the entire universe. However, this seemingly requires an insane amount of energy to maintain and once the maze collapses, Madoka will return to being a cosmological principle, and Homura's efforts will be for naught. Knowing this, Homura aims to trick Mami into becoming the goddess of justice, effectively replacing Madoka's soul with Mami's so that the former could remain in the world once the devil loses her grip on the universe.
- The live and dead cats talked about in the dialogue may be referring to Kyubey.
- The magical girls shown in the trailer may be magical girl forms of witches already seen in the anime and other media.
- Based on dialogue, Hitomi could play a bigger role in the movie. She could already be a magical girl or become one.
Speculation gallery
A shot of Mami strongly resembles Madoka transitioning into her god-like status from the original series
Trivia
- Studio SHAFT often begin an anime production with a single "image board" to capture the mood and atmosphere of an anime. Kubota describes this concept movie as an "extravagant" animated image board for the future Madoka Magica project.
- All original magical girls will appear in the project. Nagisa and Hitomi will also have important roles. Mami is also singled out as important as Mitsutoshi Kubota states and the movie will apparently strengthen the image of Mami as a "God of Battle,"
- Madoka's ballet solo was based on "The Dying Swan," originally choreographed by Mikhail Fokine in 1905.
- Kubota compares Mami's role to Guan Yu from The Romance of Three Kingdoms.
- The Witch of Despair was a planned form of Kriemhild Gretchen in the original TV series.
- Designs for the Wraiths seen in the trailer seem to come from Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Wraith Arc which were designed by Inu Curry.
Credits
Cast
- Aoi Yuki as Madoka Kaname
- Chiwa Saito as Homura Akemi
- Kaori Mizuhashi as Mami Tomoe
- Eri Kitamura as Sayaka Miki
- Ai Nonaka as Kyoko Sakura
- Emiri Kato as Kyubey
- Kana Asumi as Nagisa Momoe
- Ryoko Shintani as Hitomi Shizuki
Staff
- Original Creator: Magica Quartet
- Chief Director: Akiyuki Shinbo
- Director: Yukihiro Miyamoto
- Storyboard: Akiyuki Shinbo
- Alternate Space Design: Gekidan Inu Curry
- Animation Director: Junichiro Taniguchi
- Sound Director: Yota Tsuruoka
- Sound Production: Rakuonsha, Inc.
- Music: Yuki Kajiura
- Production: Studio SHAFT
Gallery
Original reveal visuals
NewType article visuals
Type-B visuals
Type-B visuals
Type-B visuals
Type-B visuals
Kirara magica cover
A tower in the trailer that resembles Charlotte
Devil Homura
Figures from the trailer that seem to be referred to as fairies
A witch or familiar fighting versions of the Clara Dolls
A sign with Ultimate Madoka's symbol on.
Devil Homura and her Clara Dolls. This form resembles Homura's doppel
Kyoko and Bona, familiars of the witch Paola
Sayaka in the trailer
EIEN NI SITE MAHOU NARU KOTOWARI NO MOTONI KONO MONO WO JIYUUTO AI WO UBAU (Forever, under the principle/law of magic, this person's freedom and love will be deprived)
Mami seems to be using Sayaka's swords
A creature that may be a witch or familiar
Kyoko versus what is most likely a witch
They resemble a cockatiel with horse legs
A new magical girl
Another new magical girl
A girl that resembles one of the magical girls Madoka saves from Episode 12, the Bear Girl
A giant head of a statue that resembles Mami falls onto the city
Homura watches Madoka dance
Art of Wraiths
Mami with a Wraith
Homura seems to wear Madoka's ribbon on her school uniform
Hitomi in the trailer
Art for a new dress Madoka wears
Notes
- ↑ The word muubii (ムービー), despite being a loanword from English "movie", has a slightly different connotation than in English, namely it is also commonly used when in English one would typically rather use the word "video" instead. Therefore, a more accurate translation may be "Concept Video" instead.
Compare to Magia Record Anime's official page featuring videos, labelled "movie": https://anime.magireco.com/movie/