Pardon me if this veers too close to off topic, but there's something I noticed about this game that reminded me of something else I hold very dear to my heart.

This post will contain spoilers for both Clair Obscur's endings, and the anime Puella Magi Madoka Magica. You have been warned.



So. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. A game about a lot of things, but mainly, the theme of grief. Five Dessendres for each widely accepted "stage" of grief, with different methods of coping (or not coping) shown.

We can debate forever about which ending is better, but there's already many posts about that. But as I was reading different ones about them, the discussions started to sound familiar.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica is an anime that's also about a lot of things, and grief is also one of them. The items the magical girls use to clean their soul gems is literally called a "grief seed". But to get to the point, Clair Obscur's different endings reminded me of the Rebellion movie vs the original series ending.

Rebellion and Maelle's ending are similar, in that Homura and Maelle both decide to take control of an entire world and turn it into one of their own design. while the canvas does not have the same scale as the whole universe that is Homura's labyrinth, the idea is the same. They do it for similar reasons, to keep the ones they love close, and to defy the unfortunate fates of said loved ones. However, the key difference is that Madoka loses her memories while Verso seems to keep his. Most of the characters in Rebellion's ending and Maelle's painted world have happier lives than the ones they shared before, with exceptions, who can still remember what happened. Sayaka and Verso are also alike in this instance. But there's of course the downsides of these perfect worlds in that they may not be particularly stable, and take a massive toll on their gods both mentally and physically. And of course there's the morality of keeping people in the dark of who they were before, assuming everyone in Maelle's world except Verso doesn't remember any of the pain that forged them into the people they were.

Verso's ending is more reminiscent of the original series ending, where Madoka and Verso both leave someone they love behind and are erased from existence to ensure a better future for them. But that's the big debate, because could it really have been a better future when it was guaranteed to be full of so much pain? And while life itself is full of hardship by nature, you can argue what Maelle and Homura are asked to endure is something very few people could actually do for long. Homura ultimately doesn't last, since the events of Rebellion were because her soul gem was corrupted beyond saving. Even if they have people who care about them near, it might not be enough. Homura and Maelle are also both teenagers (14 and 16 respectively), and it's a lot to put on the shoulders of a child. Moving on might be healthier for most people, but is it possible in these cases, especially when there's a chance they could bring their lost loved ones back? (Maelle being a Paintress with the power to repaint those she lost like Gustave, Homura being able to separate Madoka from the Law of Cycles)

In terms of one on one comparisons, Maelle and Homura share a similar growth where they go from rookies looking up to their peers, to powerful and very competent operators after the loss of someone important to them. Verso and Madoka have similar impulses to protect those they care about, impulses that lead to self sacrifice and self destruction. Actions that are both selfless and selfish and have long term consequences on those around them. The main difference is that Maelle and Verso are (by all means) siblings, while Madoka and Homura are friends who can be seen as romantic coded.

Both are tragic, beautiful stories that have sparked a lot of debate about who was in the right and who was in the wrong, but ultimately I think it's a lot more complicated than that. Both series have main characters who are technically not human but still act, feel and think like them, and are under the assumption they are human for at least half of the story. Humans are complicated, and so are these characters. Neither ending is wholly good or bad, there's nuance to both. And that's ultimately what makes them tragedies, because there likely was a third solution for both stories where everyone had a happy ending. The canvas could have existed with Maelle moderating her time in it. Homura could have let Madoka take her soul to magical girl heaven. But when it comes down to it, they're not options, because the characters are dealing in absolutes, as Lune points out to Verso. And it wouldn't be a tragedy if they always made the correct choices.

I just thought it was interesting how two very far apart media franchises shared similar plot beats and themes, hell both even have art theming and unique styles. And it makes me wonder where both will be taken in the future what with Walpurgis Rising coming soon and Clair Obscur being officially now a franchise, although I bet the Dessendres have their story told and finished.

If you read this little ramble, thanks for sticking it out, even if it's a mess haha.

Expedition 33 and Madoka Magica: Shared Themes