Author’s note: This review contains spoilers for previous volumes of Sadness Prayer.
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From the publisher:
Oriko’s plans to thwart the evil that would destroy the world have led her to intervene in the life of young Yuma Chitose. But her actions have taken their toll, and time draws short not only for Oriko but for Kirika as well. Rumors of the murderous “black magical girl” have forced Kyubey to step in, and it may be only a matter of time before Oriko’s plot begins to unravel as quickly as she is…
Walpurgisnacht is creeping ever closer. Oriko’s emotional stability is beginning to unravel, as Kirika’s has already–and their activities have attracted the attention of other magical girls in the area, including Mami Tomoe and Kyouko Sakura. More importantly, Oriko knows she must kill Madoka Kaname to prevent the apocalyptic destruction of Walpurgisenacht… and that means she has to get rid of the magical girl bound to protect Madoka.
The world-level storyline in Sadness Prayer picks up quite a bit in Volume 3. This volume has more of the Madoka franchise’s main characters–Kyouko, Mami, and Homura all get much more page time than they did in previous volumes, with Kyouko in particular getting more time in the spotlight.
Volume 3 also presents interesting developments in the relationships between the magical girls. As Kyubey investigates the magical girl killings that have been taking place, misdirection and deceit grow more important in the interactions between the girls. Even Kirika, devoted to Oriko as she is, has even more to hide from the person she loves most.
Oriko is especially interesting in Volume 3 compared to earlier volumes, in part because the cool persona cultivated in Volumes 1 and 2 starts to disintegrate. Moral ambiguity is a very interesting part of the Madoka Magica franchise, and Oriko is beginning to question that moral ambiguity in this volume enough to be utterly fascinating. I’m curious to see where Oriko’s path will end–because with the machinations happening around her, it can’t be anything good.
As with other volumes in the Sadness Prayer series, the art is the absolute weakest point int his volume of manga. From the indistinguishable side characters to anatomically improbably motion and posing, there’s very little to recommend in Kuroe’s artwork. This volume in particular has a bizarre focus on upwards shots of Oriko’s breasts, which is extremely uncomfortable–especially when readers get the added reminder that Oriko is a middle school student.
While the art definitely became somehow worse in Volume 3, the story has become more interesting, especially for readers who want to see how Oriko’s story connects with the main Madoka Magica plotline. While I’ll be reading on myself, this is a series I’d recommend mainly for completionists.
Story: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Art: 2 out of 5 stars
Overall: 3 out of 5 stars
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