Madoka Magica fans, this one sounds very Homura-coded
Anime News Network has reviewed Puella Magi Madoka Magica The Movie: Walpurgisnacht: Rising, and the takeaway is pretty clear: if you are already deep in the Madoka Magica hole, this film is probably worth your time.
But yes, this is not a casual “jump in blind” anime movie. The review frames Walpurgisnacht: Rising as a continuation built on the franchise’s biggest revelations — magical girls, witches, Soul Gems, Madoka’s wish, Homura’s choices, and the reality-bending fallout from Rebellion. Basically, if your memory of the series is blur already, better rewatch first lah.
Homura is still the emotional core
According to ANN, the new film keeps its focus on Homura’s long-running character arc. The review argues that Madoka Magica has always been deeply tied to Homura: her admiration for Madoka, her bond with her, and the way that bond mutates into something much darker and more possessive.
The film apparently pushes Homura into facing the consequences of the world she created after Rebellion. She thinks she can hold everything together, but the arrival of three new magical girls proves that her control is not absolute. That disruption threatens both Homura’s rewritten reality and the meaning of Madoka’s original wish.
The most interesting part: the review says Homura is forced to confront whether love can still be called love if it refuses to respect another person’s choice. That is heavy, but very on-brand for Madoka Magica — emotional damage with pretty visuals, basically.
Sayaka gets meaningful development too
Homura is not the only one getting attention. ANN highlights Sayaka as another major focus, especially because she can sense that something about the world is off.
The review points out that Sayaka has existed across several states in the franchise’s warped reality: magical girl, witch, and part of the Law of Cycles. That makes her perspective especially messy. In Homura’s artificial world, everyone seems safe and happy — maybe happier than before — but the foundation is still false.
That question gives the film a proper moral headache: if a fake peace protects the people you care about, is it still wrong?
New magical girls, Walpurgisnacht, and a bigger lore twist
The film also introduces three new magical girls who want to break Homura’s world. ANN says the title does not really hide Walpurgisnacht’s importance, but the review also notes that Walpurgisnacht is not the true final threat.
Instead, the standout antagonist appears to be Selma Terez, one of Walpurgisnacht’s companions. ANN describes her as a very different kind of magical girl: rather than being horrified by the Incubators’ system, she accepts it because she sees it as a trade-off for the wider universe. That makes her dangerous in a very cold, utilitarian way.
The review also says the film expands the franchise’s lore in a way that reframes what viewers understand about magical girls.
Visuals are the big win
On the production side, ANN is very positive. The review praises the film’s mix of traditional animation, CG, scrapbook-like imagery, surreal design, and rotoscoping. It even calls this one of the strongest-looking entries in the franchise, with only the famous Mami versus Homura fight from Rebellion singled out as a previous high point.
Music also gets praise, including the return of familiar themes and a new ClariS song tying the film back to the wider series.
Analysis: why Malaysia and SEA fans should care
For Malaysia and SEA anime fans, the key point is not local availability — the source does not give cinema, streaming, or release details for our region. So don’t read this as a launch update.
The real takeaway is simpler: if you follow anime discourse, Madoka Magica remains one of those modern classics where a new mainline film will definitely restart discussion. ANN’s review suggests Walpurgisnacht: Rising gives long-time fans plenty to debate: Homura’s ending, Sayaka’s role, Selma’s ideology, and whether the ambiguous conclusion feels bold or just frustrating.
The caveat? ANN still calls it the weakest mainline entry so far, mainly because it does not hit the same emotional or mystery highs as the TV anime and Rebellion. Still, the review lands positive overall: strong character payoffs, impressive animation, a memorable villain, but not a clean knockout.