Following a string of postponements, Puella Magi Madoka Magica The Movie: Walpurgisnacht Rising finally hit Japanese theaters on August 28. This installment arrives after a nearly 13-year wait, serving as a direct follow-up to the 2013 release, Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie Part III: Rebellion.
To mark the highly anticipated debut, a Japanese news source Anime Freaks sat down with Gen Urobuchi from Nitroplus, the creative mind behind the original Puella Magi Madoka Magica series and the writer of the latest film’s script.
Reflecting on the initial Puella Magi Madoka Magica series, which first aired over a decade ago, Urobuchi notes that his ability to craft the story stemmed from his deep empathy for the magical girls’ personal battles and his concern for their challenges. “I honestly doubt I could write it today. It’s not just about aging; the world has evolved too,” he states.
“In the past, I could grasp what young people feared and aspired to. Now, I find it difficult to comprehend what brings happiness or hardship to the current generation, who have grown up with smartphones and social media,” Urobuchi adds.
It’s worth noting that Madoka Magica was Urobuchi’s debut as an original anime writer and his first venture into the magical girl genre. Transitioning from visual novels, he admits he wasn’t sure how to approach the theme, but his “adventurous spirit” was a key motivator. “I was thrilled to try something new, and the fact that I was initially confused just shows how young I was then,” he recalls.
As an interesting tidbit, Urobuchi mentions that Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha and Le Portrait de Petit Cossette were shown to him as examples of “how to write a magical girl story.”