The video game for PC and smartphones “ Magia
Record: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica Gaiden ” , which served as
a spin-off of the iconic franchise “ Mahou Shoujo
Madoka Magica ” , has announced the closure of its
servers for next July 1 in Japan ( for PC) and July 31 (for smartphones) .
This news marks the end of a significant chapter in the franchise's history.
The team behind “Magia Record” has
announced that they are working on an “archive app” for the game ,
which will allow players to access certain offline parts of the game once the
service ends. This move seeks to preserve some of the game's most beloved
elements for loyal fans.
“Magia Record: Mahou Shoujo Madoka
Magica Gaiden” was released for iOS and Android devices in Japan in August
2017. The game was free to play with optional in-app
purchases. In June 2019, the English version was released in the West, but
unfortunately, it closed its servers in September 2020. Furthermore,
the television adaptation of the anime premiered in January 2020, with a second
season in July 2021 and the third and last season in April-2022.
A new smartphone game in the franchise,
titled “Madoka Magica: Magia Exedra,” is scheduled to launch this year ,
keeping fans' hopes alive to continue exploring the Madoka Magica universe.
Why was it never as popular as the
original?
Although “Magia Record: Mahou Shoujo
Madoka Magica Gaiden” managed to add interesting nuances to the franchise, it
faced numerous challenges that prevented it from reaching the popularity of its
predecessor. One of the most notable criticisms
is its origin as a gacha game. These games, especially those based on famous
franchises, have a problematic reputation. Many fans associate them
with low-quality products designed more to generate income than to offer a good
gaming experience. This perception led to a general distrust of “Magia
Record”, considering it an attempted cash grab that
contributed little to the franchise.
Additionally, the structure and rhythm
of “Magia Record” were points of criticism. While
“Madoka Magica” is known for its concise and fast narrative, “Magia Record”
moves much more slowly, especially during its first arc. The series
repeats the big twist from “Madoka Magica” about the Witches being corrupted
magical girls, but treats it as a big reveal, even though most of the audience
already knew this fact. This made the series seem painfully slow to
long-time fans.
Another problematic aspect was the lack
of character development. The original “Madoka Magica”
featured deeply realized characters, but “Magia Record” introduced a host of
characters that did not receive the same level of development. Although some
characters like Yachiyo Nanami and Tsuruno Yui had touching arcs, many others
blended into an amorphous mass with no defined personality, due to gacha games'
need for large character rosters.
The connection of “Magia Record” with
the original “Madoka Magica” also worked against it. From
the first episode, the series builds on the tradition of “Madoka Magica”, but
in the third episode, the appearance of Mami Tomoe and then the inclusion of
Madoka Kaname and Homura Akemi in the following seasons, highlighted the
differences in the writing and they negatively affected the perception of the
new characters. Additionally, the less well-defined story of Iroha
Tamaki, the protagonist of “Magia Record,” was a notable disadvantage compared
to the well-developed Madoka.
The release timing of “Magia Record” was
also unfavorable. While “Madoka Magica” stood out in
2011 for its unique narrative at a time when there were few similar series, by
2020, the concept of dark magical girls was no longer so novel. Additionally,
with several "Madoka Magica" film adaptations following the end of
the original series, many fans already felt they had enough "Madoka
Magica" content, diminishing the appeal of a spin-off.
In short, “Magia Record” is a fascinating
franchise with good and bad elements, but in many ways, it was limited by its
tie-in with “Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica.” The original series was an
era-defining anime, making any follow-up struggle to live up to it, especially
one that found itself in the strange milieu that “Magia Record” found itself
in, with established characters that overshadowed the new ones and a narrative
that seemed elongated due to its origin as a gacha game.
Source: Official Site
