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I FINALLY GOT AROUND TO DOING THIS. I hope it is not too confusing and/or unconvincing.
Cut for Magica Madoka spoilers,long-windedness
Before continuing, it's necessary to clarify what 'deconstruction' means. I think part of the reason 'deconstruction' gets tossed around so much is because people tend to call unexpected developments in a genre story deconstructionist. Subverting audience expectations often occurs in deconstructionist works, but in and of themselves are not deconstructionist.
Anyway, the meaning of deconstruction itself can be a complex issue, but these two definitions, from Merriam-Webster and The Free Dictionary, respectively, illustrate what it means in a critical sense:
the analytic examination of something (as a theory) often in order to reveal its inadequacy;
a philosophical theory of criticism...that seeks to expose deep-seated contradictions in a work by delving below its surface meaning
In essence, a deconstructionist work takes the tropes of a certain genre and uses them in a way that illustrates the problematic aspects that are often ignored, glossed over, or hand-waved away. As an example, take Evangelion, which is often considered a deconstruction of the giant robot genre: the first two episodes follow the conventions of the genre--young man is brought in to pilot a state-of-the-art machine to save humanity from a dangerous foe, despite little to no knowledge of said machine, and despite impossible odds, saves the day! But the way in which the story plays out is done in a way that highlights the absurdities the formula. Shinji has nothing he wants to prove to anybody, he has literally zero skills that could possibly prepare him for piloting an EVA, and he doesn't defeat the Angel with any sort of innate talent. (Unless you consider 'awakening a mother's murderous rage' a talent.) These deviations from formula set up eventual plot developments that directly contradict and critique the genre standards and themes. Getting into details isn't something I'll get into, given that this post is supposed to be about Madoka, and besides, lots of people have analyzed Evangelion to death already. :P
SO! For Madoka Magica to be a magical girl deconstruction, it would need to critique the conventions and the themes of the genre. In particular, there are specific things that people bring up as examples of deconstruction, even though they aren't.
The most common idea I've heard is that Madoka Magica is a deconstruction because it's a more realistic or dark take on the difficulties a magical girl would face. Putting aside the fact that the phrase 'realistic take on magical girls' is kinda ridiculous--just because Madoka depicts the dangers and stresses inherent in being a teenage girl opposing powerful foes doesn't critique the magical girl genre. Quite simply, it's a common trope for characters to angst and worry over the complications caused by being a magical girl. In fact, I can't think of any MG show that didn't indulge in tormenting its protagonists for angst potential at some point. Madoka is unique in its intensity, and for making explicit the dangers of being a MG when most shows simply imply the cost of failure--but that's not a critique or contradiction of anything in the genre.
The big plot twist in Madoka Magica is that witches are really magical girls who have become overwhelmed by grief and have lost all hope. This is an idea that can be seen as a critique/contradiction of magical girl themes. Witches being 'fallen' magical girls implies that magical girls are doomed to become the danger they stand against, and thematically, magical girl stories are about hope triumphing in the face of evil. Self-sacrifice is also a common theme, and in Madoka, every wish made is invariably for other people, not for the benefit of the girl who makes the wish. Sayaka wishes for Kamijou to get better*; Kyoko wishes for people to start listening to her father; Charlotte wished to have a last meal with her mother. Mami's wish only benefits her, but in the PSP game it's revealed that she's always felt remorse and guilt over not wishing to save her parents as well as herself**. Having the wishes be the source of the guilt that eventually overwhelms the magical girls serves as a critique on the theme of self-sacrifice...or it would, if Madoka Magica had a different main protagonist, and a different ending.
Madoka's initial desire is to become a magical girl because she wants to protect people. Her desire wavers throughout the series, but whenever she's about to make a wish, it's on behalf of another person, just like all the other magical girls. Madoka becoming a magical girl is, for most of the series, portrayed as a tragedy that must be avoided.
But when Madoka makes her wish at the end of the series, it's a triumph--and she triumphs because she's willing to sacrifice herself to become an avatar of hope, bringing solace to girls who believe there is none to be had. And she's able to make her wish because of the love and undying hope of Homura. The last episode is an affirmation of common themes in the magical girl genre.
I've seen Madoka Magica described as a 'deconstruction and reconstruction' and while I understand what people are getting at but to truly deconstruct a genre formula, the ending has to carry through and end in a way that is dramatically different from the status quo. Madoka Magica asks viewers if being selfless and eternally hopeful is worthwhile, and unequivocally answers YES. To be a deconstruction, Madoka would have to reject becoming a magical girl, or find a way to save Homura/other magical girls without a wish, or make her wish and utterly fail to do what she intended.
Also, Madoka's wish is to wipe Witches from existing, not to stop the magical girl process completely. By become the 'last hope' of magical girls, the series respects the wishes of magical girls (and it's strongly implied that all of these wishes are selfless) while removing the threat of essentially 'dying' from despair and grief.
That said, I do think one aspect of Magica Madoka is deconstructionist: Madoka becoming a magical girl is the climax of the series, not the beginning. It implies that the decision to become a magical girl is the most important and interesting part of a magical girl's story, and considering that nearly every magical girl show begins with the protagonist receiving her powers--usually due to outside forces--it's a pretty clear rejection of (part of) the standard formula.
In conclusion: Madoka Magica may have some deconstructionist elements, but the show itself isn't a deconstruction because the ending is classic Magical Girl.
*Sayaka's selflessness is questionable, I know, but I tend to take her comment about hearing Kamijou's playing--"this is the happiest day of my life!"--at face value. She's genuinely happy that he's healthy, isn't thinking about her relationship to him, and truly believes she made her wish without ulterior motives. Her tragedy is that she completely underestimates her own ability to feel jealousy, I think.)
**This is hinted at in the original series, but the PSP makes it explict; the fact that the PSP game was penned by Urobochi makes me think this interpretation is pretty close to canon.
Cut for Magica Madoka spoilers,
Before continuing, it's necessary to clarify what 'deconstruction' means. I think part of the reason 'deconstruction' gets tossed around so much is because people tend to call unexpected developments in a genre story deconstructionist. Subverting audience expectations often occurs in deconstructionist works, but in and of themselves are not deconstructionist.
Anyway, the meaning of deconstruction itself can be a complex issue, but these two definitions, from Merriam-Webster and The Free Dictionary, respectively, illustrate what it means in a critical sense:
the analytic examination of something (as a theory) often in order to reveal its inadequacy;
a philosophical theory of criticism...that seeks to expose deep-seated contradictions in a work by delving below its surface meaning
In essence, a deconstructionist work takes the tropes of a certain genre and uses them in a way that illustrates the problematic aspects that are often ignored, glossed over, or hand-waved away. As an example, take Evangelion, which is often considered a deconstruction of the giant robot genre: the first two episodes follow the conventions of the genre--young man is brought in to pilot a state-of-the-art machine to save humanity from a dangerous foe, despite little to no knowledge of said machine, and despite impossible odds, saves the day! But the way in which the story plays out is done in a way that highlights the absurdities the formula. Shinji has nothing he wants to prove to anybody, he has literally zero skills that could possibly prepare him for piloting an EVA, and he doesn't defeat the Angel with any sort of innate talent. (Unless you consider 'awakening a mother's murderous rage' a talent.) These deviations from formula set up eventual plot developments that directly contradict and critique the genre standards and themes. Getting into details isn't something I'll get into, given that this post is supposed to be about Madoka, and besides, lots of people have analyzed Evangelion to death already. :P
SO! For Madoka Magica to be a magical girl deconstruction, it would need to critique the conventions and the themes of the genre. In particular, there are specific things that people bring up as examples of deconstruction, even though they aren't.
The most common idea I've heard is that Madoka Magica is a deconstruction because it's a more realistic or dark take on the difficulties a magical girl would face. Putting aside the fact that the phrase 'realistic take on magical girls' is kinda ridiculous--just because Madoka depicts the dangers and stresses inherent in being a teenage girl opposing powerful foes doesn't critique the magical girl genre. Quite simply, it's a common trope for characters to angst and worry over the complications caused by being a magical girl. In fact, I can't think of any MG show that didn't indulge in tormenting its protagonists for angst potential at some point. Madoka is unique in its intensity, and for making explicit the dangers of being a MG when most shows simply imply the cost of failure--but that's not a critique or contradiction of anything in the genre.
The big plot twist in Madoka Magica is that witches are really magical girls who have become overwhelmed by grief and have lost all hope. This is an idea that can be seen as a critique/contradiction of magical girl themes. Witches being 'fallen' magical girls implies that magical girls are doomed to become the danger they stand against, and thematically, magical girl stories are about hope triumphing in the face of evil. Self-sacrifice is also a common theme, and in Madoka, every wish made is invariably for other people, not for the benefit of the girl who makes the wish. Sayaka wishes for Kamijou to get better*; Kyoko wishes for people to start listening to her father; Charlotte wished to have a last meal with her mother. Mami's wish only benefits her, but in the PSP game it's revealed that she's always felt remorse and guilt over not wishing to save her parents as well as herself**. Having the wishes be the source of the guilt that eventually overwhelms the magical girls serves as a critique on the theme of self-sacrifice...or it would, if Madoka Magica had a different main protagonist, and a different ending.
Madoka's initial desire is to become a magical girl because she wants to protect people. Her desire wavers throughout the series, but whenever she's about to make a wish, it's on behalf of another person, just like all the other magical girls. Madoka becoming a magical girl is, for most of the series, portrayed as a tragedy that must be avoided.
But when Madoka makes her wish at the end of the series, it's a triumph--and she triumphs because she's willing to sacrifice herself to become an avatar of hope, bringing solace to girls who believe there is none to be had. And she's able to make her wish because of the love and undying hope of Homura. The last episode is an affirmation of common themes in the magical girl genre.
I've seen Madoka Magica described as a 'deconstruction and reconstruction' and while I understand what people are getting at but to truly deconstruct a genre formula, the ending has to carry through and end in a way that is dramatically different from the status quo. Madoka Magica asks viewers if being selfless and eternally hopeful is worthwhile, and unequivocally answers YES. To be a deconstruction, Madoka would have to reject becoming a magical girl, or find a way to save Homura/other magical girls without a wish, or make her wish and utterly fail to do what she intended.
Also, Madoka's wish is to wipe Witches from existing, not to stop the magical girl process completely. By become the 'last hope' of magical girls, the series respects the wishes of magical girls (and it's strongly implied that all of these wishes are selfless) while removing the threat of essentially 'dying' from despair and grief.
That said, I do think one aspect of Magica Madoka is deconstructionist: Madoka becoming a magical girl is the climax of the series, not the beginning. It implies that the decision to become a magical girl is the most important and interesting part of a magical girl's story, and considering that nearly every magical girl show begins with the protagonist receiving her powers--usually due to outside forces--it's a pretty clear rejection of (part of) the standard formula.
In conclusion: Madoka Magica may have some deconstructionist elements, but the show itself isn't a deconstruction because the ending is classic Magical Girl.
*Sayaka's selflessness is questionable, I know, but I tend to take her comment about hearing Kamijou's playing--"this is the happiest day of my life!"--at face value. She's genuinely happy that he's healthy, isn't thinking about her relationship to him, and truly believes she made her wish without ulterior motives. Her tragedy is that she completely underestimates her own ability to feel jealousy, I think.)
**This is hinted at in the original series, but the PSP makes it explict; the fact that the PSP game was penned by Urobochi makes me think this interpretation is pretty close to canon.
