#long rant about rebellion because i got mad at an irl friend about it and now refuse to speak to him about the series

[zealsoughtsequesterustanxiedemon]

This has been talked to death about, but like I feel like there really wasn't any strong hate for her pre-rebellion. Rebellion upset a lot of fans. And since it basically is "The Homura Movie" it would stand that she'd take a decent amount of the hate thrown around. And most of the hate I see get thrown at Rebellion from people who previously liked it are because it taints the original tv series for them. And that's what's v goofy to me.

Like the tv series is about these girls making sacrifices to help others, and then reaping the consequences when their help either goes awry or the sacrifice becomes too great. The story is reiterating over and over the tragic beauty and downfall of self-sacrifice, the wrongness of it. And Madoka's final wish just continues that trend. A tragic sacrifice of giving up her existence to save an unending amount of people. To take the suffering and despair of all witches upon herself. The difference between her and everyone else is that she's making the ultimate sacrifice to help and endless amount of people. She's changing the system at it's core. Her sacrifice and saving everyone is different because it's "worth It".

And I think there is a decent amount of beauty in the TV ending. It sends a strong message that cruel systems have a way of undoing themselves. Kyubey's plan to fight entropy through the wishes and suffering of little girls eventually undid itself. And to Madoka specifically, her wish protects the concept of magical girls and the benevolence of self-sacrifice. Magical girls wishes will no longer be twisted into doing harm. It's neat for the girl who loves magical girls the most to be able to change their cursed nature into her ideal (or something close to it).

But the thing is though that the suffering of magical girls isn't really gone. Madoka has just transferred all of the doom and despair of becoming a witch onto herself. Even if it glorified it, what she did was still the same as the others: sacrifice herself to help others and to suffer greatly for it. Isn't the message then just that self-sacrifice works if you do it as hard as possible? That the best world we can think of is one where we have one person absorb everyone's suffering and despair?

I don't think the TV series ending is fully saying this, but it seems like that's how some people are internalizing it. Like the world is still fucked up; Homura refers to it with "this irredeemable world may be nothing but a cycle of sadness and hatred". Homura isn't fully satisfied with this world even if she is trying her hardest to protect it. What did those people think of the after credits scene? I guess to them these ending things are just layering on Madoka's sacrifice to bolster it.

Then Rebellion comes and it kind of taints the benevolence of this ending. It shows truly how miserable Homura is and how Madoka's sacrifice is to blame. How could a girl accept being saved by someone when it comes at the cost of great despair to her savior. Especially because Madoka was the girl Homura wanted to save the most. It's what Homura's entire wish was for after all, to save Madoka. And with Madoka's wish, that greatest desire is not only impossible but now she's suffering more than ever. So what can we expect, but for Homura to try to stop her. How can the goddess who represents the benevolence of self-sacrifice reject the girl who wants to save her? Homura learned it from her. I think this image showcases it p well.

And I think that's the true core of it. Madoka represents the benevolence of self-sacrifice, in-spite of it's tragedy, and Homura represents the wrongness of it, the unacceptable despair that comes with any self-sacrifice. She taints the purity of Madoka, both the character and the show. She denies calling the end of the TV series a happy ending and the people hate her for it. And Homura is there with them. She puts on the evil dress and wings. Madoka is still a goddess to her and she knows the conflicting and problematic nature of her act of defiance.

And I love this for the series and Homura. Homura felt like the only loose end not wrapped up by the TV series and the movie feels like it followed up on it amazingly. Like how Kyubey's system brought it's own destruction, Madoka's did too. And the same will happen to Homura, and she knows it. She knows this cannot last. I love how Homura represents the faults of self-sacrifice and although she didn't solve the issues with it (she's no better than Madoka), she won't let the opportunity to save her go away. With her v flawed system now in place, hopefully the way her rule is undermined will be more acceptable.

So I definitely accept criticisms of Homura. She definitely denies Madoka and others' agency in her takeover. She's ugly in a lot of ways that make me love her. She's an obsessive tryhard who isolates herself. Her repeated trauma has grinded down her and given her so many issues she needs help with. But there are things I won't accept. I won't accept people saying her love for Madoka isn't "real love". I won't accept people that say the other girls mean nothing to Homura. Like why are they in her dream world, both at the start and at the end of rebellion? Why does she want them to be alive and happy? Sure her biggest focus is on Madoka, but someone had the gall to tell me that those two things were incidental. It's ridiculous; it's like Homura ruined this thing they loved and they start flanderizing all of her flaws alongside Homura herself.

And, really, I just kind of feel like if someone liked the series and Homura at the end of the tv show, but disliked them by the end of the movie, they're just goofy.

People who hate Homura are so goofy