Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie Part 2: Eternal 4K 2012

While the first film established a world and sowed doubt, Eternal ruthlessly tears down everything that was built. The truth about the contracts with Kyubey has been revealed, and the magical girls are now falling one by one into the abyss of despair. Homura Akemi remains at the centre of the narrative: lonely and unwavering as she bears the burden of countless time loops. Madoka must make a choice that will alter the very nature of reality.

This film retells the second half of the TV series (episodes 9–12), featuring improved animation and additional scenes. Directors Akiyuki Shinbo and Yukihiro Miyamoto push SHAFT’s visual language to its limits with the surreal labyrinths of the witches, the deliberately distorted camera angles and the famous scene with Sayaka on the train, which is one of the most powerful scenes in anime cinema.

The main criticism from reviewers is that the film is practically identical to the series and adds almost no new material. However, for those who view the duology as a single work, Eternal serves as its heart: heavy, dark and, in the finale, piercingly bright.

Verdict: not a standalone work, but the second act of a four-hour tragedy. Watch only after Part 1: Beginnings — and preferably right away.