{"id":8859,"date":"2019-01-28T08:00:13","date_gmt":"2019-01-28T13:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/?p=8859"},"modified":"2021-03-06T09:40:30","modified_gmt":"2021-03-06T14:40:30","slug":"sadnessprayer-v4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/2019\/01\/28\/sadnessprayer-v4\/","title":{"rendered":"REVIEW: Puella Magi Oriko Magica: Sadness Prayer, Vol. 4"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.22″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.9.1″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.9.1″ _module_preset=”default” type=”4_4″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.9.1″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n<p>Author\u2019s note: This review of the final volume of\u00a0<em>Sadness Prayer<\/em> contains spoilers for previous volumes in the series as well as spoilers for the <em>Puella Magi Madoka Magica<\/em> anime series’ ending. You can also read our reviews of <a href=\"https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/2017\/01\/09\/sadnessprayerv1\/\"><strong>Volume 1<\/strong><\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/2017\/09\/18\/sadnessprayer-v2\/\"><strong>Volume 2<\/strong><\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/2018\/06\/18\/sadnessprayer-v3\/\"><strong>Volume 3<\/strong><\/a> first.<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider _builder_version=”4.9.1″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_divider][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.9.1″ _module_preset=”default” column_structure=”2_3,1_3″][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.9.1″ _module_preset=”default” type=”2_3″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.9.1″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n<p>From the publisher:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Since her transformation into a magical girl, Kirika has served as Oriko’s muscle, sparing her the trouble of battling witches\u2014and other magical girls\u2014herself. Little did Oriko know that Kirika was also protecting her from a terrible secret, one that will shake Oriko to her core. As past and present sins press against her, will Oriko’s resolve stand firm?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.9.1″ _module_preset=”default” type=”1_3″][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/OrikoSadnessPrayer_V4-200×300.jpeg” _builder_version=”4.9.1″ _module_preset=”default” title_text=”OrikoSadnessPrayer_V4″ hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.27.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”]<\/p>\n<p>Oriko Mikuni’s story concludes in the most recent volume of <em>Sadness Prayer<\/em>. After taking a near-fatal blow in Volume 3, Kirika is critically injured and in Oriko’s care. Meanwhile, Mami has deduced the true identity of the murderous magical girl in black as well as Oriko’s role in the magical girl deaths plaguing Mitakihara. As the inevitable conflict between Mami’s faction and Oriko herself draws closer, Oriko must decide for herself what she holds most dear\u2014and how desperate she is to stop Walpurgisnacht.<\/p>\n<p>The final volume of\u00a0<em>Sadness Prayer<\/em> will be satisfying for readers who started the manga after\u00a0watching the\u00a0<em>Madoka Magica<\/em>\u00a0anime. Volume 4 ties most strongly into the main plot of the series: while readers who watched the anime know this is one of the timelines in which Homura was unable to stop Madoka from being killed or turning into a magical girl, Volume 4 finds Oriko managing to achieve the one goal she had from Volume 1: to kill Madoka Kaname and prevent Walpurgisnacht.<\/p>\n<p>But as one of those readers myself\u2014and a reader especially attached to Homura and Madoka\u2014this volume of <em>Sadness Prayer\u00a0<\/em>managed to make me feel satisfied about Oriko’s journey and her success in the goal she had set for herself. While I didn’t feel much for Oriko in the first two volumes, she became more likable and interesting starting in Volume 3, and the very real affection she’s shown to have for Kirika in Volume 4 makes her a\u00a0<em>lot<\/em> more relatable and sympathetic as an antihero. Since one of the great appeals of the\u00a0<em>Madoka Magica<\/em> series is the young female antihero quality\u2014in Homura in the main series and in Oriko in <em>Sadness Prayer\u2014<\/em>this manga’s conclusion feels like a good fit.<\/p>\n<p>Once again\u2014for the final time, I promise\u2014I do have to mention the really low quality of the art. While most of the lookalike characters have disappeared or been killed off by Volume 4, the art’s quality hasn’t increased over the course of the series, and the male gaze is especially prevalent in Volume 4 as it was <a href=\"https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/2018\/06\/18\/sadnessprayer-v3\/\"><strong>in Volume 3<\/strong><\/a>. It’s distracting at times, disturbing at others, and generally makes for a less-than-pleasant reading experience.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.indiebound.org\/book\/9781975353247?aff=girlsincapes\">Indiebound<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/book\/show\/38902758-puella-magi-oriko-magica\">Goodreads<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shareasale.com\/m-pr.cfm?merchantID=65886&userID=1411976&productID=787987074\">RightStuf<\/a><br \/><a href=\"http:\/\/www.tkqlhce.com\/click-8938414-11811597?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%2Fw%2Fpuella-magi-oriko-magica-magica-quartet%2F1128073139%3Fean%3D9781975353247&cjsku=9781975353247\">Barnes & Noble<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.anrdoezrs.net\/click-8938414-10876509?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.booksamillion.com%2Fp%2FPuella-Magi-Oriko-Magica%2FMagica-Quartet%2F9781975353247&cjsku=9781975353247\">Books-A-Million<\/a><\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.9.1″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.9.1″ _module_preset=”default” type=”4_4″][et_pb_divider _builder_version=”4.9.1″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.9.1″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n<p><em>This review contains affiliate links.\u00a0While Girls in Capes does make revenue from purchases made at affiliate links, reviews are not paid, and all reviews contain the staff writers\u2019 honest opinions of the work.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.9.1″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.9.1″ _module_preset=”default” column_structure=”1_2,1_2″][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.9.1″ _module_preset=”default” type=”1_2″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.9.1″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n<h1>RELATED CONTENT<\/h1>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.9.1″ _module_preset=”default” type=”1_2″][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.9.1″ _module_preset=”default” column_structure=”1_4,1_4,1_4,1_4″][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.9.1″ _module_preset=”default” type=”1_4″][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/9780316439800_Magica-Quartet_OrikoSadnessPrayer_V3.jpg” _builder_version=”4.9.1″ _module_preset=”default” title_text=”MagicaQuartet_OrikoSadnessPrayer_V3.indd” url=”https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/2018\/06\/18\/sadnessprayer-v3\/” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.9.1″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"row-title\" href=\"https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/2018\/06\/18\/sadnessprayer-v3\/\" aria-label=\"\u201cREVIEW: Puella Magi Oriko Magica: Sadness Prayer, Vol. 3\u201d (Edit)\">REVIEW: Puella Magi Oriko Magica: Sadness Prayer, Vol. 3<\/a><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.9.1″ _module_preset=”default” type=”1_4″][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/MagicaQuartet_OrikoSadnessPrayer_2-200×300.jpg” _builder_version=”4.9.1″ _module_preset=”default” title_text=”MagicaQuartet_OrikoSadnessPrayer_2″ hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″ url=”https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/2017\/09\/18\/sadnessprayer-v2\/” align=”center”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.9.1″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"row-title\" href=\"https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/2017\/09\/18\/sadnessprayer-v2\/\" aria-label=\"\u201cREVIEW: Puella Magi Oriko Magica: Sadness Prayer, Vol. 2\u201d (Edit)\">REVIEW: Puella Magi Oriko Magica: Sadness Prayer, Vol. 2<\/a><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.9.1″ _module_preset=”default” type=”1_4″][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/orikosadnessprayerv1-200×300.jpg” _builder_version=”4.9.1″ _module_preset=”default” title_text=”orikosadnessprayerv1″ hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.9.1″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"row-title\" href=\"https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/2017\/01\/09\/sadnessprayerv1\/\" aria-label=\"\u201cREVIEW: Puella Magi Oriko Magica: Sadness Prayer, Vol. 1\u201d (Edit)\">REVIEW: Puella Magi Oriko Magica: Sadness Prayer, Vol. 1<\/a><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.9.1″ _module_preset=”default” type=”1_4″][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/MagicalGirl_v1_cover_TP-200×300.jpg” _builder_version=”4.9.1″ _module_preset=”default” title_text=”MGRP Magical Girl Raising Project vol1 LN” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″ url=”https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/2017\/06\/16\/mgrp-v1\/”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.9.1″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"row-title\" href=\"https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/2017\/06\/16\/mgrp-v1\/\" aria-label=\"\u201cREVIEW: Magical Girl Raising Project, Vol. 1\u201d (Edit)\">REVIEW: Magical Girl Raising Project, Vol. 1<\/a><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Author\u2019s note: This review of the final volume of\u00a0Sadness Prayer contains spoilers for previous volumes in the series as well as spoilers for the Puella Magi Madoka Magica anime series’ ending. You can also read our reviews of Volume 1, Volume 2, and Volume 3 first.From the publisher: Since her transformation into a magical girl, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8865,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"Author\u2019s note: This review of the final volume of\u00a0<em>Sadness Prayer<\/em> contains spoilers for previous volumes in the series as well as spoilers for the <em>Puella Magi Madoka Magica<\/em> anime series' ending. You can also read our reviews of <a href=\"https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/2017\/01\/09\/sadnessprayerv1\/\"><strong>Volume 1<\/strong><\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/2017\/09\/18\/sadnessprayer-v2\/\"><strong>Volume 2<\/strong><\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/2018\/06\/18\/sadnessprayer-v3\/\"><strong>Volume 3<\/strong><\/a> first.\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">---<\/p>\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-8864\" src=\"https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/OrikoSadnessPrayer_V4-200x300.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" \/>From the publisher:\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Since her transformation into a magical girl, Kirika has served as Oriko's muscle, sparing her the trouble of battling witches--and other magical girls--herself. Little did Oriko know that Kirika was also protecting her from a terrible secret, one that will shake Oriko to her core. As past and present sins press against her, will Oriko's resolve stand firm?<\/p>\nOriko Mikuni's story concludes in the most recent volume of\u00a0<em>Sadness Prayer<\/em>. After taking a near-fatal blow in Volume 3, Kirika is critically injured and in Oriko's care. Meanwhile, Mami has deduced the true identity of the murderous magical girl in black as well as Oriko's role in the magical girl deaths plaguing Mitakihara. As the inevitable conflict between Mami's faction and Oriko herself draws closer, Oriko must decide for herself what she holds most dear\u2014and how desperate she is to stop Walpurgisnacht.\n\nThe final volume of\u00a0<em>Sadness Prayer<\/em> will be satisfying for readers who started the manga after\u00a0watching the\u00a0<em>Madoka Magica<\/em>\u00a0anime. Volume 4 ties most strongly into the main plot of the series: while readers who watched the anime know this is one of the timelines in which Homura was unable to stop Madoka from being killed or turning into a magical girl, Volume 4 finds Oriko managing to achieve the one goal she had from Volume 1: to kill Madoka Kaname and prevent Walpurgisnacht.\n\nBut as one of those readers myself\u2014and a reader especially attached to Homura and Madoka\u2014this volume of <em>Sadness Prayer\u00a0<\/em>managed to make me feel satisfied about Oriko's journey and her success in the goal she had set for herself. While I didn't feel much for Oriko in the first two volumes, she became more likable and interesting starting in Volume 3, and the very real affection she's shown to have for Kirika in Volume 4 makes her a\u00a0<em>lot<\/em> more relatable and sympathetic as an antihero. Since one of the great appeals of the\u00a0<em>Madoka Magica<\/em> series is the young female antihero quality\u2014in Homura in the main series and in Oriko in <em>Sadness Prayer\u2014<\/em>this manga's conclusion feels like a good fit.\n\nOnce again\u2014for the final time, I promise\u2014I do have to mention the really low quality of the art. While most of the lookalike characters have disappeared or been killed off by Volume 4, the art's quality hasn't increased over the course of the series, and the male gaze is especially prevalent in Volume 4 as it was <a href=\"https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/2018\/06\/18\/sadnessprayer-v3\/\"><strong>in Volume 3<\/strong><\/a>. It's distracting at times, disturbing at others, and generally makes for a less-than-pleasant reading experience.\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Story: 3.5 out of 5 stars<\/em>\n<em>Art: 2 out of 5 stars<\/em>\n<em>Overall: 3 out of 5 stars<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.indiebound.org\/book\/9781975353247?aff=girlsincapes\">Indiebound<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/book\/show\/38902758-puella-magi-oriko-magica\">Goodreads<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shareasale.com\/m-pr.cfm?merchantID=65886&userID=1411976&productID=787987074\">RightStuf<\/a>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.tkqlhce.com\/click-8938414-11811597?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%2Fw%2Fpuella-magi-oriko-magica-magica-quartet%2F1128073139%3Fean%3D9781975353247&cjsku=9781975353247\">Barnes & Noble<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.anrdoezrs.net\/click-8938414-10876509?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.booksamillion.com%2Fp%2FPuella-Magi-Oriko-Magica%2FMagica-Quartet%2F9781975353247&cjsku=9781975353247\">Books-A-Million<\/a><\/p>\nThis review contains affiliate links.\u00a0While Girls in Capes does make revenue from purchases made at affiliate links, reviews are not paid, and all reviews contain the staff writers\u2019 honest opinions of the work.","_et_gb_content_width":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1830],"tags":[382,1556,381,1555,252,1081,320,1557,949,1554,124,2441,508],"class_list":["post-8859","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-anime-manga","tag-madoka-magica","tag-magica-quartet","tag-mahou-shoujo-madoka-magica","tag-mahou-shoujo-oriko-magica","tag-manga","tag-manga-monday","tag-manga-reviews","tag-mura-kuroe","tag-puella-magi-madoka-magica","tag-puella-magi-oriko-magica","tag-reviews","tag-tragedy","tag-yen-press","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/sadnessprayer-v4-TOP.png","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3zNPp-2iT","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8859","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8859"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8859\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9696,"href":"https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8859\/revisions\/9696"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8865"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8859"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8859"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8859"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}