Puella Magi Meta Magica
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Listing Series
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The Enemy Within: Homura Akemi and the Nature of Walpurgisnacht by atamascolily
Fandoms: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica
10 Dec 2022
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Summary
In this essay, I will explore one theory about Walpurgisnacht's origins centered around her unique relationship with Homura Akemi, as well as several possible alternatives and their implications.
Series
- Part 1 of Puella Magi Meta Magica
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Unreal City, City Full of Dreams: Musings on Architecture and Atmosphere in Puella Magi Madoka Magica by atamascolily
Fandoms: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica
12 Feb 2023
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Summary
PMMM is a tightly plotted series where nothing, not even the most casual background element, is left to chance. These visual references aren't merely fun Easter Eggs for architecture nerds; they reinforce the series' underlying thesis that nothing is what it appears to be on the surface.
(Or, what do the Burj Khalifa, Jeremy Bentham's panopticon, and "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas" all have in common?)
Series
- Part 2 of Puella Magi Meta Magica
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Null Man's Land: The Influence of Classic Science Fiction on Null Magical Girl by atamascolily
Fandoms: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica
03 Mar 2023
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Summary
What follows is my attempt to make sense of the PMMM spin-off light novel Null Magical Girl through the lens of the classic science fiction directly referenced in the text--especially the works of A.E. van Vogt ("van vote"), a Canadian-American writer from the 1940s "Golden Age" of American science fiction, and whose most famous novel, The World of Null-A, has an unexpectedly large influence on both this story and fandom in general.
(featuring the limitations of logic as a superpower, certain René Magritte paintings, Sherlock Holmes' favorite martial art, and homicidal psychic space panthers)
Series
- Part 3 of Puella Magi Meta Magica
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Lost World or Vision of the Future?: The PMMM Concept Movie Trailer by atamascolily
Fandoms: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica
03 May 2023
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Summary
Analysis and speculation about the 2015 concept film trailer, including a look at the mechanics underlying a post-Rebellion world, why I think Hitomi is unlikely to ever become a magical girl, and the tantalizing possibility of "Mamikami".
Series
- Part 4 of Puella Magi Meta Magica
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What's in a Name?: The Use of "Puella Magi" in English-Language PMMM Fanworks by atamascolily
Fandoms: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica
29 May 2023
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Summary
If you read older PMMM fics, you may notice many authors use "Puella Magi" in place of "magical girl," despite the fact that this term never actually appears in the original series outside of the title. Join me on a deep dive through fandom history on the rise and fall of this practice and its probable origins, featuring Latin declensions, fansubs, and Fanfiction.net.
Series
- Part 5 of Puella Magi Meta Magica
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Fear the Cute Ones: A Closer Look at Incubator Biology by atamascolily
Fandoms: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica
22 Jun 2023
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Summary
An evolutionary perspective on the Incubators, including what we can learn from blind cave salamanders and naked mole-rats, how predator-prey relationships influence form, and the Chinese room argument applied to emotional intelligence.
Series
- Part 6 of Puella Magi Meta Magica
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I Contain Multitudes: Homulilly and Her Familiars by atamascolily
Fandoms: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica
27 Oct 2023
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Summary
An in-depth analysis of Homulilly and her many familiars, including musings on the nature of self and personhood, a missing Clara Doll hidden in plain sight, and the different versions of The Nutcracker that inspired Rebellion.
Series
- Part 7 of Puella Magi Meta Magica
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Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?: Animation Style and Narrative Bias in Puella Magi Madoka Magica by atamascolily
Fandoms: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica
04 Dec 2023
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Summary
Initially, PMMM appears to be a typical magical girl anime illustrated in a typical anime style, only to abruptly pivot to unique stop-motion art by Gekidan INU Curry and back again. Each time the animation changes, it is a signal that conventional diegetic reality is challenged by a biased narrator, with distortions in the animation mirroring the story with which they seek to replace it. Not only does this practice literally illustrate the show's larger themes on how perspective and deception shape the world in-universe, it also leads directly to surprising and unsettling musings about the true nature of reality within the series itself.
Series
- Part 8 of Puella Magi Meta Magica
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Enrichment for the Enclosure: Hidden Messages in "The Rebellion Story" by atamascolily
Fandoms: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica
09 Dec 2023
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Summary
In this essay, I will examine some of the hidden messages within Rebellion that casual viewers are unlikely to notice because they flash by quickly on-screen, are written in different scripts or languages, or are otherwise camouflaged by simultaneous audiovisual stimuli. On a diegetic level, these messages are one way Homura subconsciously "enriches" her labyrinth, seeding it with multiple levels of meaning that she gradually uncovers over the course of the film. On a non-diegetic level, these messages serve as mental enrichment for the audience, forcing us to pay close attention, re-examine what is happening on-screen, and form our own conclusions. Viewing is thus no longer a solely passive experience, but an active and occasionally frustrating challenge, forcing us to piece together the puzzle in order to comprehend the full picture.
Series
- Part 9 of Puella Magi Meta Magica
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Wounded Children and Shadow Selves: A Depth Psychology Reading of Madoka Magica by atamascolily
Fandoms: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica
10 Jan 2024
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The true wilderness, the show suggests, is the human mind itself, envisioned as a nightmarish series of stop-motion landscapes filled with twisted reflections and shattered dreams. There's a reason we call it "human nature", after all--here be dragons, indeed!
Series
- Part 10 of Puella Magi Meta Magica
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Meta Magica Miscellany by atamascolily
Fandoms: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica
16 Mar 2025
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Summary
A grab bag of short analyses of various elements in Madoka Magica, with a particular focus on the visual imagery and symbolism in Rebellion.
Series
- Part 11 of Puella Magi Meta Magica
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The Bodies at the Borders of the Possible: Madoka Magica and Monster Theory by atamascolily
Fandoms: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica
28 Jul 2024
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Summary
An examination of Puella Magi Madoka Magica through the seven theses of monster theory originally laid out by Jeffrey Jerome Cohen.
Series
- Part 12 of Puella Magi Meta Magica
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Animal, Vegetable, Magical Girl: The Ethics of Consumption in Madoka Magica by atamascolily
Fandoms: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica
13 Nov 2024
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Summary
What a thought experiment about animal rights, the Buddhist prohibition against killing, and vegetarian witches all have in common.
Series
- Part 13 of Puella Magi Meta Magica
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The Nighthawk's Tragedy: The Life, Death, and Curious Afterlife of Magia Record's Kuroe by atamascolily
Fandoms: Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story
26 Apr 2025
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Have you heard? Has anyone told you? The tale of a magical girl named Kuroe! This little bird wasn't originally a part of the story, but she made a big splash as a TV star even if she failed to become a star in the sky! Step right up to learn all about this nighthawk's tragedy—it's a real tearjerker!
Series
- Part 14 of Puella Magi Meta Magica
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A Field Guide to the Madoka Magica Multiverse by atamascolily
Fandoms: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica
04 Jun 2025
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Summary
A survey of official media in the extended Madoka Magica multiverse with notes, commentary, and other resources.
Series
- Part 15 of Puella Magi Meta Magica