One of the most popular, most talked about and most influential anime release since 2010 is Puella Magi Madoka Magica. Since its initial run, it has spawned many imitators. However, none of them have quite been able to combine the fantastic animation, well-placed plot twists and memorable characters that Madoka possessed. I've spent a lot of time and have watched many series trying to find something I liked as much as Madoka. I haven't yet found any equals to it, but Selector Infected WIXOSS comes pretty close.
WIXOSS's primary strength is that it starts somewhere similar to Madoka (young girls step into a terrifying world for the sake of getting wishes granted), but ends up at a completely different destination, becoming an Aesop about The Power of Friendship while retaining the strong character development and shocking moments that made Madoka so powerful.
Note that WIXOSS isn't a Yu-Gi-Oh! deconstruction so much as it's a commentary on how our wishes and desires strain our relationships with friends and family. As many others before me have said, WIXOSS is about the interactions between it's players, not the game itself (in fact, the rules are never actually explained). It portrays these character interactions very well and avoided getting caught in shonen-style shouting matches about strategy which likely would have reduced its emotional impact.
Since Madoka is such a clear inspiration for the series (IMO), watch Puella Magi Madoka Magica first, but if, like me, you find yourself wanting more, consider giving WIXOSS a try. Feel free to watch the English dub, FUNimation did a really good job with this one.
9/10, this is one of the best anime I've seen in a while.
I Wish You Don't Cry (Infected and Spread review)
One of the most popular, most talked about and most influential anime release since 2010 is Puella Magi Madoka Magica. Since its initial run, it has spawned many imitators. However, none of them have quite been able to combine the fantastic animation, well-placed plot twists and memorable characters that Madoka possessed. I've spent a lot of time and have watched many series trying to find something I liked as much as Madoka. I haven't yet found any equals to it, but Selector Infected WIXOSS comes pretty close.
WIXOSS's primary strength is that it starts somewhere similar to Madoka (young girls step into a terrifying world for the sake of getting wishes granted), but ends up at a completely different destination, becoming an Aesop about The Power of Friendship while retaining the strong character development and shocking moments that made Madoka so powerful.
Note that WIXOSS isn't a Yu-Gi-Oh! deconstruction so much as it's a commentary on how our wishes and desires strain our relationships with friends and family. As many others before me have said, WIXOSS is about the interactions between it's players, not the game itself (in fact, the rules are never actually explained). It portrays these character interactions very well and avoided getting caught in shonen-style shouting matches about strategy which likely would have reduced its emotional impact.
Since Madoka is such a clear inspiration for the series (IMO), watch Puella Magi Madoka Magica first, but if, like me, you find yourself wanting more, consider giving WIXOSS a try. Feel free to watch the English dub, FUNimation did a really good job with this one.
9/10, this is one of the best anime I've seen in a while.