Puella Magi Madoka Magica

[Xelbair]

Night of Walpurgis is the night on which vile magic is the strongest, at least in anime.

[Buffalobiian]

[Shin-S] Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica ED Single - Magia [Kalafina].zip

[miyama_ryu]

I'll admit I was waiting for Sayaka's wish to backfire on her, but Kyouko goading Sayaka into a fight fended off that particular event for now.

I love it how everyone thinks Sayaka will eventually kick the bucket either due to, being betrayed by BF / killed by Kyoko / eaten by QB / assassinated "quietly" by Homura (I thought that), but Madoka who nobody suspected nearly beat them to it

[Kraco]

So, these magical girls are basically defective liches that are not boasting unlimited (un)life but rather a very limited life from their phylacteries. Way to draw the short stick. I somewhat hope Homura is more of a rule breaker with very special intentions or knows a way to internalize her soul back and is chasing it.

While I still don't believe so but it does seem like the economics might work even if Kyubei was the chief villain, some sort of demon, that eats pitch black souls. It might even be largely powerless itself (for now). All it needs are gullible girls in sufficient numbers. They will eventually perish (turn into witches) but enough new ones are present to defeat a witch every now and then to provide Kyubei with nutrients. It would actually be a beautifully simple demonic way of life.

[Buffalobiian]

670MB.. this better be good.

gg - Episode 07

[Archangel]

Haha, what the fuck am i watching? There's just so many delicious possibilities that can come from these developments...

Really, the only downside to this show so far is that they named it wrongly, Madoka will never be a puella magi.

[Buffalobiian]

Really, the only downside to this show so far is that they named it wrongly, Madoka will never be a puella magi.

You call that a downside?

I don't understand the significance of those apples though.. did Kyouko make them from magic or something? Sayaka needs to get over her "I'm a zombie" mentality. Loved how Kyubey was totally stepping on her Soul Stone in that demonstration.

[Archangel]

I got the feeling she stole the apples

And yes it's a downside, after all the hype I'd feel oh so trolled if she never became one.

[Buffalobiian]

And yes it's a downside, after all the hype I'd feel oh so trolled if she never became one.

See, I take that trolling as a bonus, but that's just me.

The apples make sense now.

[animus]

Some friend Hitomi is. You don't take or attempt to take someone else's crush, especially if you know it if you were good friends.

But then again, maybe Hitomi is just saying that to push her to take action and really doesn't like him?

[Buffalobiian]

Some friend Hitomi is. You don't take or attempt to take someone else's crush, especially if you know it if you were good friends.

If the two have already started dating I honour this rule, but otherwise it's a free market in my books.

Their crush is as big a deal as your own crush.

[Archangel]

Some friend Hitomi is. You don't take or attempt to take someone else's crush, especially if you know it if you were good friends.

But then again, maybe Hitomi is just saying that to push her to take action and really doesn't like him?

Yeah, why should she pursue her own feelings when there's the remote possibility her friend might eventually pursue the same guy?

"Everything is fair in love and war" and "You snooze, you lose" come to mind.

[KitKat]

Well, they didn't do it the way I expected, but we've come to the point where Sayaka realizes that her ultimate goal of her wish (being loved by Mr. Emo Violin Dude) has become impossible precisely because she became a Puella Magi. I really love how the final witch fight was done all in shadow. This show is visually amazing.

As for Hitomi, she's been left out of everything that's been happening, and all of a sudden her best friends are keeping secrets from her and avoiding spending time with her after school. Sayaka isn't confiding in her, so it makes sense that the ultimatum sounded a little bit harsh.

Kyubey is increasingly frightening. He induced the pain of taking a spear through the chest just by touching Sayaka's soul gem. I get the feeling that he's getting more and more exasperated with this batch of Puella Magi, who aren't just doing their jobs but are behaving unpredictably and asking so many questions. There was a definite edge of irritation in his voice this episode. I wonder what it would take to get Kyubey REALLY angry, and what he would do if that happened. What constrains Kyubey's behavior? Does he answer to a higher power, or does he merely choose to adhere to a code of conduct?

And going back to the visuals, I loved the way they told the story of Kyouko's wish. By keeping it so stylized, they communicate more of the raw emotion of the story. The fact that Kyubey was able to control hundreds of people and influence their thoughts... it's pretty chilling. Sayaka's wish seems so small in comparison. What's to keep someone from wishing for thousands of people under their control? Instant army.

[Ryllharu]

I gained a bit of sympathy for Kyouko after her story. I felt it was perfectly explainable why she acts the way she does now. Her wish backfired on her so utterly. Her miracle was for the sake of another just like Sayaka's, and everything was going well until her beneficiary found out. Worse still, he actually murdered the rest of the family and the only reason she survived is because she was a Puella Magi. Of course she would start thinking only selfishly. She's bound to Kyubey's yoke and she doesn't have anything to show for it, in fact, she has less than she ever had. Kyouko's lines in episode 6, "The point of magic is making your wishes come true! Nothing good happens if you use it for someone else!" certainly have a lot more weight to them now. It wasn't some philosophical difference, it was a warning made in good faith. Compare her to Mami, who at least was alive again (assuming she would have died, but Kyubey supposedly never lies).

I had thought that she just felt bad for Sayaka and any other girls after finding out the truth, but I wonder if she would have told Sayaka eventually merely after finding out about the terms of her wish. It certainly made more sense that Kyouko told her she should use her magic to make him dependent on her once more. Sure enough, someone intends to steal him from her. Kyouko even offered to use her own magic to do it for Sayaka.

I liked that both Kyouko was just as shocked at Sayaka descending into reckless madness. Deep down I think she is a good person (she did try to rescue her and help her out) despite how selfish she is on the outside. I think she sympathized with Sayaka on some level. Sayaka was about to end up on the same path that Kyouko did, and Kyouko probably didn't want to see that happen to another person. I suspect she still believes in the message her father preached, common sense and honesty and all that.

As for the apples, I'm a little disappointed that Sayaka didn't make the connection. Kyouko is careful about wasting food because she has to use magic to steal it. Her whole family is dead, who else is going to look after her? I don't think Kyouko wants to do what she does, she merely accepts that she has no choice, and believes that each piece is precious. Especially so now that she knows her soul is on the line each time she uses magic just to feed herself.

I can't blame Hitomi. She knew Sayaka visited him every day in the hospital. She knows Sayaka loves him, but it isn't fair of Sayaka to silently lay claim to him and never try to confess, keeping everything in limbo. If Sayaka is just going to squander what she only might have...why shouldn't Hitomi also have that chance? It only makes things seem worse because Hitomi doesn't even know about Puella Magi and Sayaka's wish. To her, it only looks like Sayaka is keeping him all to herself.

[Buffalobiian]

It certainly made more sense that Kyouko told her she should use her magic to make him dependent on her once more. Sure enough, someone intends to steal him from her. Kyouko even offered to use her own magic to do it for Sayaka.

I thought she said "Sayaka should have wished for the guy to become dependant on her", then decided that she'd hack off his arms and legs so he won't leave her. So far, it hasn't occurred to me that Puella Magi are capable of much else other than combat magic.

As for the apples, I'm a little disappointed that Sayaka didn't make the connection. Kyouko is careful about wasting food because she has to use magic to steal it. Her whole family is dead, who else is going to look after her? I don't think Kyouko wants to do what she does, she merely accepts that she has no choice, and believes that each piece is precious. Especially so now that she knows her soul is on the line each time she uses magic just to feed herself.

I took a shallower reading to that, and concluded that Kyouko feels that way about food because she was poor once (and still is?)

[Archangel]

I took a shallower reading to that, and concluded that Kyouko feels that way about food because she was poor once (and still is?)

Color me shallow but that was what i figured as well

Poor Ryll, reduced to overthink every single aspect of the episode in order to compete with Kitty's wall of text

[Ryllharu]

Poor Ryll, reduced to overthink every single aspect of the episode in order to compete with Kitty's wall of text

A pity you think on such a superficial level.

This series is loaded with allegory.

[KitKat]

I took a shallower reading to that, and concluded that Kyouko feels that way about food because she was poor once (and still is?)

I think there are elements of both. I don't know if any of you have grandparents who went through the great depression, but living through situations like that ingrain habits into people that they never get rid of. My grandma will save everything and re-use it. She won't throw out anything until it's literally falling apart and has been fixed or patched several times. Definitely Kyouko still carries that mentality of poverty around with her. After all, she lost everything. No matter how much material wealth she gets, it won't deal with her past for her and she will still live out of that spirit of poverty. But being a Puella Magi factors into it too, because her magic is limited, and she doesn't have the luxury of a dinner on the table when she gets home, or even any home to speak of. I'm not sure how accomplished a thief she is, but I'll bet she's forced to use her magic on a day-to-day basis just to survive, and every time she does that, she brings herself closer to .... whatever it is that happens when your soul gem goes out, which no one has talked about yet, but I'm sure is very bad, even more so now that we know it contains everything that makes up the essence of the person. I can see why she wouldn't want to waste any food that she steals, because once it's gone, she'll have to steal some more, and have to hunt more witches just to compensate for being able to survive.

[Kraco]

If the soul gem only darkens when magic is used, can a person live like a normal human if she never uses magic at all? Perhaps it's for that purpose Kyubey can summon pain from the gem. To give a healthy kick if the puella magi becomes too lazy...

Perhaps Madoka becomes a magi by wishing Sayaka to get her soul back... I think Kyubey would agree since it was Madoka he wanted in the first place. And I doubt Madoka can watch Sayaka's breakdown for much longer.

[Ryllharu]

I can't but only see Madoka's miracle being something far more grand. Like wishing that all the girls get their souls back. But it doesn't really fit with the framework of the agreement, and it would leave Madoka being the only magical girl. Either way, I would guess her wish would be something that would end all of this. Maybe even something that as a side benefit would bring back Mami as well.

That would be a bit too much of a Sunrise ending though...as much as I would like Mami back, it's probably better off she stay dead.