MAHOU SHOUJO MADOKA★MAGICA: THE DIFFERENT STORY
STATUS
COMPLETE
VOLUMES
3
RELEASE
November 12, 2012
CHAPTERS
12
DESCRIPTION
Mami's warm personality has made it difficult for her to adjust to her solitary life as a magical girl, where survival often takes precedence over kindness. When she meets Kyouko Sakura, a fellow lone wolf, she is excited at the prospect of working together with another magical girl and forging a friendship built on ultimate trust. But many are the sacrifices all magical girls must make, and the consequences of Kyouko's choice are only just becoming clear to her. When the pain becomes unbearable, will Kyouko remain standing beside Mami as a force for the greater good...?
(Source: Yen Press)
CAST
Kyouko Sakura
Sayaka Miki
Mami Tomoe
Kyuubey
Homura Akemi
Madoka Kaname
Hitomi Shizuki
Momo Sakura
Kyousuke Kamijou
Mother Sakura
Father Sakura
CHAPTERS
RELATED TO MAHOU SHOUJO MADOKA★MAGICA: THE DIFFERENT STORY
REVIEWS
AwfullyFawfully
If you’re a PMMM or Mahou Shoujo fanatic, give this manga a read!Continue on AniListMadoka Magica – The Different Story A Spoiler-Free Review Madoka Magica is a legendary anime, but what’s to expect from an old spinoff manga? To me The Different Story was an excellent read, resonating in a way reminiscent of the source material. This tale centers on Mami & Kyoko, bringing forth a new perspective on the struggles faced by Magical Girls with familiar characters and fresh drama. I can confidently recommend this manga to fans looking for more quality Madoka content, especially if you’re fond of Mami or Kyoko and left craving more.
The Different Story sets the scene with a budding partnership between Mami and Kyoko. We’re treated to a Kyoko not dissimilar to Mami, with a close look at her idyllic family life after contracting with Kyubey. Before disillusionment and tragedy would rattle her to the core, she wore her heart on her sleeve, unabrasive and wholly pure. It's almost surreal, yet familiar and adorable.
Mami conducts herself in the same manner we first see in the anime, alone and seeking a kindred spirit before landing in sync with an immature Kyoko. Mami and Kyoko were a perfect pair once upon a time, but once Kyoko grew into her own and decidedly rejected Mami’s selfless lifestyle, she instigated and threatened her before parting ways on a rough note. It was evident neither sought to compromise their moral stance on killing familiars.
Skipping forward, the manga shifts to the familiar scene of Sayaka and Kyoko’s first conflict, except Mami is present to intervene. The anime’s story diverges from this point, following a larger cast as they butt heads and struggle to coexist in the same space. Their lives continue to fray at the seams, as a series of difficult circumstances test them all; Sayaka’s rigid justice and self-loathing make her reclusive, Mami’s attempts to compromise appear fruitless, and Kyoko’s gritty demeanor and worldview struggles to mesh with others. Kyoko continues to instigate Mami and kindle confrontation as things get complicated between herself, Mami and Sayaka. It’s not until things start to go wrong, however, that the girls begin to understand one another…
While battles with despair and solitude were the lifeblood of the source material, I appreciate this story for its laser focus on developing unexplored character relationships to a natural conclusion, without addressing the incredible scope and implications of their magic system at large. To me, this story is a glimpse at how most magical girls live their life, just as Sayaka had in the anime – Their experience as they are blindsided by terrible truths, coping with pain in uniquely extreme ways.
I find it touching how the characters clash and bond in this story, zeroing in on how their choices affect their own fulfillment and survival; It shows us the missed opportunities that could have led to a better resolution, but nonetheless leaving us to empathize with the girls in true Madoka fashion without underselling the misery they’ve been through. The lessons learned are powerful and say a lot about the characters, enabling this story to stand on its own.
Although context from the original PMMM is recommended to appreciate this manga, I still believe it to be a solid Magical Girl story regardless - It upholds the virtues of Madoka Magica in a new context, taking its own path without the concluding events of the TV series. If you’re a PMMM or Mahou Shoujo fanatic like me, definitely give this manga a read - I loved it, and I hope you enjoy it too!
AngeVNs
Excellent Mami and Kyoko backstory compliment to the main seriesContinue on AniListBefore you consider reading "Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica: The Different Story". It is highly recommended that you either watch the original anime series or read the manga adaptation (both called Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica) due to the Different Story not only referencing events from the original but it was pretty much written under the premise that the reader has seen the original.
That said I will keep spoilers to a minimum for both the original and Different Story so both people who are familiar with the original series and those who aren't can still read this review.
Now onto the actual review:
Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica: The Different Story is actually BOTH a prequel and alternative universe of the popular Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica series.
The premise of both Madoka Magica and the The Different Story is pretty much a darker take on a "Magical Girl" setting. If you've seen or read a magical girl series like Cardcaptor Sakura, Sailor Moon or Precure you know magical girl series are usually happy/optimistic series with tons of friendship/love speeches aimed at kids (not this is a bad thing).
The Different Story takes a darker and somewhat more realistic approach on the genre, with the big question being.. "Is it really ok to take on the responsibility becoming a magical girl just for one wish?"
Despite the fact that this manga is called MADOKA Magica, the title character Madoka Kanme is only a minor character in the Different Story. The actual main character is Mami Tomoe, a character who only got a little bit of screentime in the original series.
The art style in this series is very good and detailed. It comes very close to the style of the original series. The action scenes are decently detailed for a manga though not quite as good as they are done in the original anime.
The first 4 chapters serve as a prequel to both the original series and the rest of "the Different Story". Mami Tomoe is a somewhat experienced magical girl yet keeps it a secret from all her friends at school. When not at school she tends to be a bit lonely.
That all changes when she meets Kyouko Sakura, someone who has just recently made a contract to become a magical girl. Kyouko is quite inexperienced with fighting so Mami gives her advice to defeat the witch (the "enemies" of this series) she was fighting and helps her defeat it. After that they become friends and begin to fight alongside each other. However, after a while certain complications begin to rise and the story really starts to kick in.
The rest of the series mostly explores Mami Tomoe's character answering questions like "What does she really fight for?". Kyouko Sakura also gets a bit of development but not quite as much as Mami.
There are 4 other characters who are quite minor compared to the Mami and Kyouko but still play a decent part of the series. Sayaka Miki and Homura Akemi are magical girls who appear later on in the story. Madoka Kaname, the title character is someone who is deciding whether she wants to be a magical girl or not. Kyuubey is a little cat-like creature who gives girls the power to become magical girls.
The rest of the story is a bit hard to explain without spoilers but if you're really interested to see a more unique take on a magical girl series that explores bonds with others on a somewhat deeper level than most of the genre then you should definitely check this manga out.
For those who have seen/read the original series and either:
A) Wanted more of Mami and Kyouko
AND/OR
B) Want more of the Madoka Magica series in generalthen you should most definitely give this manga a try.
LillieTheGaystar
The Different Story doesn't sway my madoka indifference, but is still a good manga.Continue on AniList__Madoka Magica- The Different Story- Loneliness Is The Greatest Pain__
7- It succeeded at getting its ideas across and I connected with it but I likely will not remember it too long after it's been finished.
It's been a while since I last sat down and watched Madoka and it's movie, and, as my score for it would state, I didn't end up retaining it too well. Moments of the story I can still recall but it overall didn't leave as much of an impression on me as it has other people. I have a feeling this manga is likely to be the same. However, it was still a damn fine read.
The art in this is actually sort of a standout for me. Many of the battles in here were a spectacle to read, and their energy was always fun to sit in as they went. Without spoilers, the last battle was a genuine treat that I sort of wish could end up getting somehow animated just to see it in motion.
While the whole thing was enjoyable story wise, I do feel like the first volume was the best of the three. While the remaining two volumes of story are a good read, the first volume felt like a plenty complete story that I enjoyed about as equally on its own as with the rest attached. It being an adaptation of a drama cd, It makes me interested in seeing what the cd was like hehe. Even then though, I still retain a general feeling about volume 1 alone that I share with all of madoka so far, that I just don't really vibe enough with the story being told to have it become one of my favorite pieces of media. Regardless of that though, there are a few standout elements here that I do think the manga has that the show doesn't necessarily share.
A lot of my enjoyment stems from how much we get into Mami's head. Her constant struggle with loneliness was a feeling I could connect with, making her perhaps my new favorite character in the cast, originally being Homura. I also enjoyed getting into the headspace of Kyouko, and while I personally can't get behind her philosophy, I have a much better grasp of her as a character compared to how I felt walking away from the anime. Really the manga revolves around these two's relationship, with Miki acting as a driving force with her own tragic arc. If this were included in the show, I could maybe have seen myself walking away with a better memory of some of the characters beyond the obvious for those who know the show.
The only reason that this doesn't hit with me harder is less because of a flaw in the storytelling and more a difference in taste. The whole thing reads really nicely and is a worthwhile addition to someone's experience with the anime. I just don't have a taste for these characters and this story the same way other's do. Regardless, I'll likely be bullied into experiencing the remaining madoka media before the fourth movie comes out so we'll see if my feelings are swayed by any of those
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SCORE
- (3.9/5)
MORE INFO
Ended inNovember 12, 2012
Favorited by 179 Users