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「奇跡も、魔法も、あるんだよ」 (Kisekimo, Mahoumo, Arundayo)
“Miracles and Magic Really Exist”
After Mami’s gruesome death last week, I’m sure that everyone expected Madoka to use her wish to bring her back and then become one of the strongest Mahou Shoujos ever, which is why it was interesting to watch everything but that happen. Seeing how this is only the fourth episode, I was pleasantly surprised with how SHAFT managed to tie up some of the loose ends. The biggest one for me was when Homura explained how a dead person’s body never returns from the other world — not only did it amp up the pressure involved with becoming a Mahou Shoujo but it really drove home the fact that Mami really did die.
The biggest thing this episode was probably the shift in the overall mood. While the past few episodes have had some darker scenes, nothing came close to this one. This week’s witch seemed to be the perfect compliment for describing the feeling on screen — feeding off of the guilt of others and displaying it right in their face. The guilt of being unable to do something seemed to be a pretty big theme. From Madoka’s fear preventing her from becoming a Mahou Shoujo, Homura’s numerous failed attempts to prevent new Mahou Shoujos from being created, to Sayaka’s desire to give Kyousuke the ability to use his fingers again — everyone seemed to be fighting some sort of internal battle.
But let’s not forget about Kyubei — the white raccoon looking cat hybrid who feels almost evil thing. I can’t help but add a negative connotation to anything he says! After watching him say farewell and apologizing to Madoka and Sayaka for all the trouble he’s put them through, I couldn’t help but think that he had something else hidden up his sleeves (if he had any). Lo and behold, when the tension between Sayaka and Kyosuke gets near the breaking point over his hand, guess who’s sitting on a windowsill when only “a miracle or magic” can fix the situation? Damn you crafty furball.
As some of you have commented on, I also don’t think Homura is as bad of a person that everyone makes her out to be — every episode her cold exterior looks like it’s slowing being worn down (Sayaka might have ruined that though). While I really would have liked to see Mami resurrected, I suppose the only good thing is that the impact of her death still feels as powerful as ever. With a new, and more aggressive Mahou Shoujo entering the picture, I can’t even imagine where things are going to go from here.
Wouldn’t it be horribly trollish for SHAFT to never let Madoka become a Mahou Shoujo?
Preview
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SAYAKA VS. KYOKO!
Kyuuuubey is everywhere 🙁 evil thing. And the world Madoka in was SO weird this week. Just when I thought SHAFT couldn’t get any more abstract. Well, there we go. SAYAKA AND THE CAPE 8Db
Oh yes, Homura seems to be really out to prevent Madoka from being a Puella Mage for some big reason – plot~ and was happy that Madoka wasn’t aiming to be a Puella Mage, but her face turned black when Sayaka made a contract. But it’s true, Homura was pretty slow to save Madoka then 🙁
No talk on the Ai Nonoka-ness? 😛
It took me 5 seconds to work out the familar voice as Ai Nonoka, was thinking it sounded so similar to Fuko from Clannad, and how scary her voice is when aggressive, unlike in Pani Poni Dash or Zetsubo Sensei. Best anime series this season so far imo-
isn’t ai noNaka instead of ai noNOka? oh well, kyoko is going to be an interesting character anyway. x) her death might be gruesome too..
Yes, it’s Nonaka Ai. Just call her Ai-pon. 😛
yes NoNAka ;A; typos ftl
yeah it took me a sec to figure out Ai Nonaka’s(fuko) voice. The high pitch dayoNeee gave me a hint
So dark, the mood is so dark!
Didn’t think another magic girl would come into the picture, but since it is already like this, guess we will see some girl vs. girl battle from this point on?
still think Homura had some hidden things as well, I think if she spills them out, people might get to know/like her better…
can’t wait for next week… and why do I sense so much sarcasm in next week’s title?
LOL. yeah, it’s a troll.. XDD can’t wait for next week.
Gah Kyubey…his blank stare and that little smile are so unnerving now. And the way he continues to drop hints to the girls that their only way of fixing things is through a contract. I’m just waiting for the episode where he reveals himself to be a demon or something sinister like that.
Kyuubei: Quick make a contract with me!
Madoka: Mami died 🙁
Next day
Kyuubei: I’m not trying to force you but… Make a contract with me!
Madoka: Whahahahahahaha
Kyuubei: Fine, I’ll Leave
Later
Kyousuke: *smashs disc player*
Sayaka: *cries*
*Kyuubei suddenly appears*
Sayaka: I’ll contract with you now
Kyuubei: YESS, finally ! *evil smile* mwahahaha
my god, please don’t let sayaka die as well T_T and i have a dark feeling about kyosuke… he’ll probably end up insane and ungrateful. lol i hope shaft DOES troll us with this- i LOVE uncliche takes on genres =D
Given how twist and turn this series is at this point, I cant help but rethink about the idea of Kyubei being evil. It could be that he just simply going around searching for the people that so in need that only magic can help them and not actively push them into those situations. Since those people are the most likely to make contract with him, It would make sense time efficient wise to do what he did. Or it could turn out that he is the epitome of evilness and planning to rule the world with his loli magical girls army.
i’ve been thinking the same as well. it’d be just too obvious if he’s really evil since alot of things point to him as one.and the writer seems to be an evil troll who’d want us to think that way then suddenly slaps in our faces that kyubey’s just an amoral creature who plainly does his job.XD It’s like how j.k. rowling did with snape’s character. XD but who knows, maybe he really is evil.
D.Grayman vibes much?
It seems Kyubey is always around whenever a desperate young girl needs to make one magical wish… In addition, his tone of voice and expression did not change AT ALL despite the dark situation they’re in (i.e. Mami’s death). Plus, is it just me or are the witches (and their minions) not paying any attention to him? Wouldn’t it be more logical for them to get rid of the source of all Mahou Shoujos instead of killing one girl at a time? Towards the end of this episode, why didn’t he say or do anything when that new Mahou Shoujo mentioned something about getting rid of poor noobie Sayaka…? Kyubey’s actions are NOT your typical “force of light and justice” character. He appears to be indifferent whether the witches win or not (or if any of his girls die while fighting), but he is very concerned about recruiting more Mahou Shoujos… I would not be surprised if Kyubey ended up as the show’s main antagonist!
It would be hilarious if Madoka ended up not forming a contract with Kyubey… She doesn’t really have any big wish to make unless she decides to revive Mami or if something happens to her family (and that just might happen with Kyubey’s intervention) or friend (Sayaka, specifically, especially with that new Mahou Shoujo in town). If she does form a contract, I would love to know why Kyubey is hellbent on recruiting her and why Homura is hellbent on keeping her from doing it. Speaking of Homura, I am very anxious to know more about her background after seeing her open up a bit more today – and I really want to know what she wished for and under what circumstances.
Do you have the feeling that maybe Homura’s contract was NOT with Kyubey? Surely there are other magical critters around, too, or perhaps there’s a one-on-one rivalry against Homura’s recruiter.
Speaking of Homura, I am very anxious to know more about her background after seeing her open up a bit more today – and I really want to know what she wished for and under what circumstances.
^ same here albeit her lines in this ep has been quite giving away some important things that concern her wish.
I still think Kyubey has an evil agenda. I also keep calling him Quebeley for some strange reason so that’s another reason for me not to like the cat-rabbit-raccoon thing lol.
WOOT! now who’s gonna die first, sayaka or kyoko? XD
man, i am really hoping for the light at the end of the tunnel. DX i am alrdy feeling sad. DX but dang, this series makes me want the next ep now!
and, homura’s wish is quite becoming apparent.. XD
…Well that was really trippy towards the end. Reminded me alot of The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. And I instantly though of Persona 3 with the people wandering around at night.
When Satan tempted Faust from the side of God, he followed him around everywhere.
Seeing how this show takes a lot from Faustian stuffs, I’d say it has a semi happy ending.
i agree. the end might have this bittersweetness. dang, that end prognosis i just read is really getting to me. DX it’s very likely actually..
I liked how when Madoka lost her outline she became all wobbley and stretchy. Also, it seems a bit odd how happy Sayaka is after basically selling her life away. And another thing, how did Sayaka know Madoka was in trouble and where she was, and how did she get there before Homura?
probably because the furball knew already, since he might of planned everything.Even more evidence supporting the evil theory.
WOW TAKAII!! although i love a good spoiler i really wish you hadn’t spilled the beans on “the Gruesome Death” in the first visible line of the blog…i haven’t watched the last ep yet..and I’m a BIG FAN of Gruesome deaths………….that’s probably why it bothered me
Its not really a spoiler when he is discussing what happened LAST WEEK. If he gave away something from NEXT week’s episode then ya could call him on it.
After Mami died, I felt like the show ended. :'[
D’x
I’m with you shirt, Mami’s death pretty much ruined the show for me. I was watching 4 hoping she would return, only to be let down. I still hold out hope. I still think she will return in one way or another.
So, who gonna die next?
My money’s on the new girl.
https://randomc.net/image/Mahou%20Shoujo%20Madoka%20Magica/Mahou%20Shoujo%20Madoka%20Magica%20-%2004%20-%2039.jpg
Hey, we can’t have our mains die too quickly after another, right? If they do, I don’t think the shock factor would be there, after mami died so soon. =(
Thanks for the review TAKAII !! C:
I don’t trust that crafty furball either, in fact I wouldn’t be surprised if he were the one planning all of these incidents.
also i’m sure he’s capable of portraying some sort of emotion in his tone of voice, I mean just think back to last week when he went “quick contract with me!” he sounded anxious, eager or whatever you want to call it, I did feel emotion in that voice! so surely he’ll be able of conveying some sort of emotion of sadness while speaking after mami died!
That thing is just too suspicious. basically every time I see him I can’t help but think “EVIL!” especially in this episode when sayaka asked madoka if she wanted to still become a puella magi and there was a close of kyubei’s face it gave of an aura of extreme evilness.
Now that you mention it, I’m thinking that it would be awesome for Madoka to never make become a mahou shoujo. Considering subtleties in the intro, how she’s wearing the outfit she herself designed, and that the whole montage of scenes of her doing magical things is just a daydream, it seems pretty clear that they’re addressing the internal side, rather than the flashy fight-the-bad-guy part. Because of this, I almost feel some Evangelion vibes (Shinji) in Madoka right now.
So the way they’ve set up the outlook for the life of a mahou shoujo, I couldn’t imagine this ending well if Madoka makes a contract. The message reminds me of the flame haze contract in Shana: don’t do it unless you seriously have something to fight for. At this point, Madoka has more going for her to not make the contract, and if they find a way to get through the whole series without her taking the bait, I think it would actually be pretty awesome.
Yeah I thought the fact that her outfit design was exactly like the one she designed herself was a bit weird. I didn’t really notice the other stuff but now that I think about it it makes sense. Good to note.
According to death clock speculah, Sayaka would end up dying next episode.
Now that you mention it, that would be pretty cool if Madoka never turns into a Puella Magi. Think about it, a Mahou Shoujo show where the main character doesn’t turn into one…that would be brilliant.
Man every week they continue to take the definition of mahou shoujo and just obliterate it, its great. All the loose ends from this episode are just making the plot even deeper. But dang when is Madoka gonna become a Mahou Shoujo? If she never does that is going to be so ridiculous, but strangely fitting, and very SHAFT. But nah Kyubei will probably get his (evil) way in the means of the dream in ep. 1 or something. Always there ready to make contracts…
And I thought that CD player was cool but now I see that it is DANGEROUS. 🙁
I never really made the connection that helplessness was on everyones mind at once until you framed it. I found it interesting that when Homura has emotional moments they tend to show her head sideways like she’s out of sorts, almost like a broken doll. I don’t expect Madoka to bring back Mami, I thought she’d sooner wish all the witches away somehow. Or maybe allow the mahou shojou to work together instead of competing.
Wouldn’t it be crazy if Kyosuke’s hand wasn’t fully recovered? That scene where he moves his hand felt so dark at all, just a theory.
I like Sayaka’s outfit and her chose of weaponry 🙂 Let’s hope shes not done for in the next episode or ima rage D:
Hurray for the new girl!! Dozo have a starfish!! <3
Kyubey = evil. nuff said
You win one free internets
On the issue about Kyubei’s possible evil nature, I’d compare Kyubei to the Millennium Earl in D. Gray-man. Kyubei somehow pops out of nowhere when situations get dire for Mahou Shoujo candidates, while the Earl appears infront of grieving individuals. Either the furball is malice-incarnate or just your average, innocent, cuddly-looking magical pet side-kick of a protagonist magical girl.
Seems to me that the new Mahou Shoujo(Kyouko) holds Mami in high regard as she stated that she came(probably due to answering Kyubei’s call) because Mami was taken out and also because she stated that she would beat the upstart for the right to take the area(the city which the story takes place).She also said that the city is “perfect.”(It may imply that the city itself is a high density breeding/gathering ground for Grief Seeds.) If Mami was the protector of such a witch-infested city, I can’t help but think that Mami was amongst the most powerful magical girls.
Expect fan rage and backlash in any case that SHAFT will troll the audience with Madoka not turning ’till later/the last episode(or maybe not at all) into a Mahou Shoujo. Seriously, that would kill all the built-up tension and adrenaline that fans have been storing in their system.
with SHAFT you never know…..
I don’t think that would kill any buildup or tension at all. Fans are tuning in to watch an interesting film, not to demand that more “regular” stuff happens in a work that’s already well-established as irregular. I can’t speak for others, but watching Madoka’s personal development and struggle is very interesting, and I don’t feel impatient at all about when [if at all] she becomes a mahou shoujo. She has nothing to wish for yet anyway – I would be more disappointed to see Shaft blow her wish on something trivial.
If SHAFT were to troll its audience, They better do it in a great, acceptable way.
Regarding power levels, #3 showed that Mami was near the bottom of the barrel. She was just a snack for Charlotte, a NEWBORN witch, while Homura wiped the floor with her almost as an afterthought. Neither could Mami tell, as Homura could, that there WAS something different with this witch. If Homura’s over nine thousand, Mami’s something like… five hundred tops. Obviously, the times she didn’t react to Mami’s threats and retreated was because she didn’t want to hurt her.
Homura’s wish also interests me very much. It is clear from her reactions, and her single-minded intent to kill QB until he is dead, that her wish has turned sour.
Also, Sayaka won’t die just yet. There’s the matter of her wish, and they’re gonna pull her through a meat grinder over its consequences. Might be a catalyst to make her a witch – I’m in the school of though that thinks the Magi and Witches are connected by the same ascension. They turn into witches when the weight of their wish makes them see it as a curse instead of a blessing. (Even so, there’s holes in the logic that Witches are Magi turned evil.)
Is this a 1 cour or 2 cour show?
I heard it was just 1 cour but it might get another one if it gets a lot more attention.
or maybe have additional episodes that wont be aired, like what SHAFT did in bakemonogatari.
man, i hope that actually happens. i want it to be a 2cour show. XDD i don’t want it to end already. (mah, i was thinking same with k-on before,XDD)
At best it will be Madoka in her previous life. I’m guessing everyone dies at the end except Madoka and even she will be heavily scarred, possibly unrecoverable
it’s also possible that madoka’s wish would be altering the world to a normal one w/o the existence of MGs and witches. thus,that’d be her sacrifice becoming an MG forever and homura,at that time would be her almost-lover(lol), forgets about her.. it’d be a bittersweet end..DX
Wow this episode made me tear up with the thought of Mami gone, especially with Madoka’s crying and struggles. They portrayed it so well on what it means to die as a mahou shoujo. I like Sayaka’s resolve and her inner struggles on her wish. That violin guy isn’t worth it at all.
So Mami is the few Mahou Shoujos that generally cares for others. She will be missed dearly. It seems like the competition for Grief Seeds looks fierce and Kyuube doesn’t give a rats about the girl’s well being.
sayaka is not bad for a newbie, I wonder what will the the fight between sayaka and kyouko will end. maybe thats when madoka will become a magical girl to save sayaka.
but I agree with you that it will be unique and really something if madoka doesnt become one.
This show is like Cardcaptor Sakura if Christopher Nolan directed it… So dark and intense
Also… DEATH TO KYUBEY! BROOKLYN RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGE
Homura already pointed it out. Sayaka is the one who will drag Madoka into the mahou shoujo business.
Sayaka is somewhat on the stupid side. The guy’s illness is not terminal and it affects only his left hand. Yes the guy is emotionally unstable but ending your own life by being a mahou shoujo is the easy way out. She might as well devote the rest of her life to caring and helping him instead. You can’t wish away all of life’s problems
The vibe that Homura knows Madoka is strong this episode. Her comment on being forgotten seems to support the world reset or time travel theory.
Looking back, the toothbrushing scenes were very good in making the view feel for Madoka. I was happy she did not want to be a mahou shoujo. Kyubei leaving was suspect but apparently it decided that persuasion failed and instead forcing the suituation would be better. Hitomi just showing up exactly when she did and as a victim? Kyubei showing up exactly when the guy broke down?
Harsh and unfair judgment of Sayaka.
Harsh? Yes
Unfair? No.
Solving the guy’s problem WITHOUT wishes is not impossible but it is incredibly time consuming. Lets looks at the solutions
i) Help the guy overcome his grief, stand up again and search for a new goal = may take the rest of her life
ii) Wish for him to recover = definitely take the rest of her life. Immediate gratification
What are the cons
i) Takes time in years or decades. Requires her to never give up and stand up to the abuse she will receive due to the guy’s emotional state (at least for some years)
ii) She dies during a mission
Put this into perspective. Does it hurt more and take more courage to be tortured everyday possibly until you die, or to die relatively quickly? This is also the same reason why suicide is a form of cowardiace because they are unable to face up to living
The more that I watch this show, the more that it seems to play out like a tragedy. Every one of the girls seems to have a some sort of flaw thats probably going to get them killed sooner or later after the make a deal with the devil (Kyubei).
As Kyubei preys on each person’s weakness, he will most likely ultimately gain something because if he’s going around granting wishes it makes you wonder what his wish is.
At the end of this show I imagine that there will be many sacrifices made and that anyone who survives will not like the world that they’ll have to live in after their ordeal. Then again when do shows and movies truly end on a bad note these days? The animation and filming industry has left me jaded with several similarly happy endings. Hopefully Madoka will be one of the few times that I’ll be pleasantly surprised with the final results after all the build-up.
This is the best Mahou Shoujo anime I’ve seen so far. Then again,Im not a fan of watching mahou shoujo animes because they tend to be childish and usually end up doing a deus ex machina which really pisses me off, but mahou shoujo madoka is different. it is capable of being a contender of the top 1 spot this winter season
i agree with you, most mahou shoujo always have an enemy, transform, enemy stand around waiting for transfomation and also stick around for the finishing blow. i was dropping this show before it even started but i figure i see 2 episode first before i decide and boy was it good
If Madoka really does work up the nerve to become a Magical Girl, I’m about 80% positive she’d wish Mami back, possibly ringing in the most selfless and pure wish when one puts into perspective that she’ll be then contractually thrusting herself into a world that after what she saw, would rather run away from. And this wish pure or not, I can see ending either one of few ways. Either Mami will returned to life as if her death never happened (even possible memory of meeting Madoka would never have happened), She comes back, but returns with a stylish scar covering the entire circumference of her neck and having full memory of her death, ultimately leading to her having a breakdown from trauma and guilt. Between both realizing she HAD died and been dead and is now back, but guilt from realizing Madoka used her one and only wish to bring her back. This while on the outside she’d be thankful, she’d be also scared to ever return back to the life of a Magical Girl if she returned with her powers in tact. The third is the worst case and she comes back as a witch, one that Madoka herself has to kill.
Agreed. Just because it didn’t happen immediately doesn’t mean it won’t happen. And our new magical girl even commented on how her wish had repercussions, so bringing Mami back will be the same.
a plausible theory that i read..it’s by Mentar. credits are to him.XD (lol. i don’t even know if copy-pasting this here is just fine. but hell, i want to share it XDD)
During the bridge scene, Homura’s reaction to Madoka’s outburst that she’d NEVER EVER forget her shows that Madoka HAD forgotten her actually. And in my opinion, this is because Madoka HAD been a MG in the past, and Homura wished her out. Removing her from the grinder required that Madoka would forget about her prior life, and so, Homura. It’s like Homura said: Madoka is too caring – the only way to protect her would be to keep Madoka _ignorant_ of what’s really happening.
For Sayaka, things developed 100% as predicted, and I see no point to make any alterations. I foresee that Kamijo will forsake Sayaka, the only question is how brutal he’s going to be when he dumps her. Sayaka will feel totally cheated and crushed, and she’ll refuse to hold up her end of the MG bargain, because she didn’t get what she wanted (remember Mami’s warning from ep3?) – and so, she is going to be used to demonstrate the passivity rule of the blood grinder, turning her into a witch. And heck – she’ll accumulate enough grief all by herself too, with Kamijou. Only one addition to last week’s prediction: After turning into a witch, she will be killed by the new MG from the end of ep4. And with the disturbingly genki preview Urobuchi Gen gave Sayaka at the end of the episode, I expect her to meet her end at the end of ep5 already. No longer than ep6.
I also feel I can see the overarching theme rising out of the mists: It’s about Madoka overcoming her fears and becoming a _real_ Magical Girl. The “yuuki” aspect emphasized in this show, much more than the lip service of most other MG animes.
So, as extension to my theories up to now, I say that Madoka’s “wish”, to call it, is going to be exactly what she told Mami: She wants to be useful as a _real_ Magical Girl, out of a feeling of duty and with the intent to truly help people and NOT as a means to an end (doing it for the wish from QB). And by becoming a true MG without the motivation of a selfish wish, she is _really_ going to gain the power to do true miracles.
this is going to be the main theme of the show: Madoka overcoming her fears, gaining true courage and becoming a real MG, other than the “fakes” that are currently active.
Yes! That’s along similar lines i was thinking too. Like Takaii said about “guilt of being unable to do something” that causes the character to change themselves, but most other mahou shoujo or any other anime about magic and such, begin the series with the protagonist gaining/possessing powers from the very beginning. It looks to be that Madoka will gain power to change things near the end of the series and we’ll be seeing the motives and development that drives the protagonist/Madoka to her contract that was shown at the very beginning of episode 1.
you forget about the grief seed, i guessing something about the grief seed that will reward mahou shoujo evil heart( like after kamijou dump sayaka, grief seed can be used to make him fall in love with him?) i’m not surprise if kyuubei will say something about mahou shoujo will make more witch and put people to misery plus in the contract forbid mahou shoujo to tell the reality of mahou shoujo to candidate.
Intense stuff. Kyuubey is EVIL. I AM SURE OF IT. Who just suddenly comfortably comes out of nowhere when Sayaka gets a fight with his boyfriend? pussy guy who just said that she’s torturing him. Its really intense though and I’m just hoping its Madoka’s turn next.
I’m f*cking glued to this series now. Its just…. awesome.
same here. LOL. the show’s just too addicting. XDD
Already on episode 04 and we still don’t see Madoka as a magical girl. Damn Kyubei, your emotionless stare is already creepy enough. I didn’t wanted to suspect that you’re a cold hearted *******. I wanted to believed that encounter with Mami’s accident was just a coincidence, but due to the fact that Kyubei showed himself to Sayaka for a wish attempt, I now believed that it wasn’t.
“Wouldn’t it be horribly trollish for SHAFT to never let Madoka become a Mahou Shoujo?”
rofl, didn’t even cross my mind that it could happen.
what if homura was originally a black cat? that one in the 0P that madoka held whilst lying down. she gave off characteristics somehow as one. XD
I thought so too~
Homura is a bit standoffish and has the “superiority” personality, but over time, I reckon she can be more friendly and warm to Madoka- just like a cat! Nah, I liked Homura since the first ep, despite her cold nature. I hope her character gets better
me, as well. i’ve liked her since the 1st ep. she’s kickass like mami. XD certainly, we’re to see alot of her.. XD and L0L, i’m still considering her to be that cat.LOL.
If SHAFT pulled that one off that would probably be troll of the year, false advertising with the title and just in general…respect man.
But man this episode was awesome, as each episode is shown my tension raises. Still think Kyubey is evil, even more so this episode. I wonder if they will ever bring Mami back, as herself,a zombie, a zombie-witch whatever floats your boat.
I never thought Homura’s character was antagonistic, thought it was pretty clear that she’s meant to be to some degree a misunderstood Jerk With A Heart Of Gold. Sayaka’s hospital dude though, while I understand, he’s still kind of annoying.
Ahh can’t wait till next week. Damn I don’t even know which show is my favourite this season anymore. They’re all improving by the week. And here I thought it would be a weak season.
Also want to see adult/long hair Madoka. I hope that actually has some relevance to the story.
For all I know right now, Kyubei is this sort of neutral being that hands out contracts and doesn’t care if the contracted eventually dies. I’d love to see if there are higher hands at play behind that furball. I thought it was a cute little sidekick of sort but the more I see it, the more I dislike its presence. Point in case, it shows up right next to the newly arrived MS…Unless that Kyubei has drones?
Waiting for little Madoka to become a powerful MS or will she have to wait for Sayaka to also die?
lol Madoka green hair friend will be leader of some cult at some point
I think its also possible that Kyube isn’t evil, but rather a completely single-minded creature – his purpose in life being to create Mahou Shojo, stalking them, leading them into danger, waiting until they are the most vunerable to foist a contract on them. And then abandoning them to their self created fate.
I’m quite happy on how this series is progressing so far, I don’t mind the fact that we are already in episode 4 and yet Madoka is still not a Puella Magi, if it means that the driving force is the path she takes to finally become one which I believe will be very dark and tragic (if she will ever be), heck I will not even be bothered if she doesn’t become one, because honestly, if this is what means to be a Puella Magi, certainly you wouldn’t want to become one. You have to have a desire so strong that not even the fear of death is enough to take you down. Thanks to this, my view of Magical girl series will never be the same.
Now I hope SHAFT will deliver, I love how they have done the Bakemonogatari series. I hope they do the same here…
Yay the new girl with the loli fang tooth i wonderd when someone like that will arrive. This anime is pure inovative and epic the only thing that sucks is that Madoka has a to high pitched voice it hurts my ears.
“Wouldn’t it be horribly trollish for SHAFT to never let Madoka become a Mahou Shoujo?”
It being SHAFT, I wouldnt be too surprised…
“Wouldn’t it be horribly trollish for SHAFT to never let Madoka become a Mahou Shoujo?”
Well, my thoughts are, that Madoka stay normal till the end and then, at the finale clash, wishes something like “Turn time back and make all better” oder something like that. When we remember episode 1, when Madoka saw Homura fighting a witch. Its nearer than ever before, that that certain witch might be Sayaka. And in that scene their isnt the new redhair puella magi nowhere to be seen. I think we have a looooong way to go to Madokas Transformation.
Shit shit is total shit. never-the-less i’ll keep reading the blog just to see how badly shaft will crash and burn with the way they handle this.
Somewhere around episode 10 or 11 maybe….
Madoka: “Kyubei, I have fiiinally found my wish!”
QB: “Really? What is it, Madoka?”
Madoka: “DIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIE!”
I like that the series twists the whole mahou shoujo genre; I just hope this doesn’t set the standard for all mahou shoujos. I grew up on sailor moon, cardcaptor sakura (among other animes);my opinion (no one as to agree) is it reinforces positivity and I have this uplifting feeling watching it.
Back on topic, I’m sad that Mami (so far at this point) will not be brought back by a wish. But it sort of makes sense, she really doesn’t have anyone in her life as she is probably the sole survivor of a fatal car crash. I agree with everyone’s opinion on kyubei, but wouldn’t be strange if shaft was totally messing with our heads about kyubei being evil…
MORNING RESCUE
Ah SHAFT…you always keep everyone guessing. At this point, everyone has their theories (and pretty much everyone is certain that Kyubei is an absolutely horrible furball of evil), but we’re all still guessing. Nothing is certain or exactly predictable, and that’s one of the major things that keeps bringing all of us back for more!
I love this show.
“After Mami’s gruesome death last week, I’m sure that everyone expected Madoka to use her wish to bring her back and then become one of the strongest Mahou Shoujos ever, which is why it was interesting to watch everything but that happen.”
Oh for god’s sake, what kind of an at least normal anime fan WOULD expect that???
I don’t even watch this show and could already predict this just from hearing it’s genre!!
Im sorry, but this kind of low-level analyzation is what made this site lose it’s touch.
Kyubei is the furball version of Izaya Orihara.
This week’s episode seriously gave me the chills. I was NOT expecting anything along the lines of this when I started an anime called “Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica”…like seriously. Still, it’s pretty awesome, but SHAFT’s animation style, especially for the “dream worlds” really scare me. Like…they’re just plain scary.
THIS SHOW IS AWESOME! That is all 😉
i wonder how the Bluray versions will differ from the TV ones, i mean like what SHAFT did with Bakemonogatari, the reanimate some scenes and other, almost whole episodes (episode 9 of Bake) for the BDs to be worthy of purchase. i wonder if they will do it for Madoka Magica to repair some inconsistencies in the animation department.
they might do same w/ how they did w/ BMG. mah, i’m alrdy seeing some astounding boom with madoka’s BD sales! XD yeah, i expect that..or SHAFT may do an ALTERNATE ENDING EXTRA!! 0mf!! That’s likely to happen,i wish..XD
Lol ^_^ On a more serious note, I really have no idea what’s going to happen next. Almost all of my predictions went out the window with this episode. One thing I do know for sure though is that I can’t wait for the next episode.
Very interesting from what we’ve seen so far
Awwww… Sayaka’s boyfriend is probably going to dump her next episode and she’ll have to wonder why did she risked her life to save such a person
It seems like Sayaka is the more mature one (vis-a-vis Madoka), but I guess sometimes we all do make silly mistakes in life
“Wouldn’t it be horribly trollish for SHAFT to never let Madoka become a Mahou Shoujo? <= or make her one the last episode to save the day!
“Wouldn’t it be horribly trollish for SHAFT to never let Madoka become a Mahou Shoujo?”
But that makes things even more intriguing!! XD
Ai Nonaka playing an evil role my interest has shifted greatly, it is a pity that this is a one cour, I still ponder about the dream Madoka had in the first episode.
I didn’t watch any of this until episode 4 came out and I hear people die. Kyubei reminded me of that evil mascot/host thing from Bokurano. That show was brilliant. Turned the robot show genre on its head for me. Now this is not a magical show to show to small children!
Given her personalilty, I think Madoka will be the last to become a Puella Magi (if there aren’t any other girls to become one) and she probably won’t become until later on in the show. I don’t expect her to quickly change her mind/heart in the next episode or so.
She become Puella when Sayaka die too, to prevent more people die and she will fight Kuybey, the evil last boss. 😀
Man im loving this anime. Dark type mahou shoujo story = awesome
I bet their wishes can come true only if they maintain a certain level of magic power. Even if not, they still need to obtain the “grieve seeds” by killing the “witches” in order to maintain the purity of their magic power. That creates a conflict of interest — kind of like cops need a lot of thieves in the society in order to keep their jobs (as cops). In that case, the battle will never end.
Worse, as shown in today’s episode, this creates another conflict of interest among the girls — kind of like how predators need to eliminate each other in order to compete for the same preys in nature. Instead of fighting as a happy team (as in the traditional set-ups such as SailorMoon), there is now in-fighting built into the rules of such magical world.
If this type of set-up picks up for the magical girl genre, then the next logical step of evolution would be something like factions of magical girls fighting each other in a way similar to the “guilds” in FairyTail.
Except why would any of them join a guild? Either the most powerful ones would get the grief seeds or the most powerful ones would feel they are carrying the others as a useless burden
IF the logic of this universe is pushed a step further, then it is not surprising that some of the more powerful magical girls will hire or threaten the less powerful ones to collect the seeds for them, very much like how a gang takes a cut out of hard working people in exchange for “protection”. Even in a cooperative scenario, the magical girls still have incentive to band together to hunt the witches as a team, as we have seen in the traditional hunter societies in history.
Rewatching the first dream sequence in episode 1, i notice that the colors of the aura surrounding the gigantic thing in the sky matches Madoka’s magical girl costume.
man, my post was eaten, again.. XDD
madoka bd vol. 2 stunning pre-order ranking
Kuroneko’ idea of making story + Kirino’s idea of making story = madoka. XD
As I was seeing things in ep.2, for Madoka it could be that being and living as Mahou Shoujo is her dream. Like her mother, her wish could be the MS lifestyle. So she can wish for anything and still win.
And it seems witches keep appearing without any wait. This time Madoka’s friend nearly gets killed. In the end she will have to transform just to avoid all the city and whoever she knows dying.
Guessing from the ending I am going for a stand alone finale with only Madoka going on which I would found awesome.
And I just wonder what one can desire through the contract wish cause it could perfectly be a “get rid of the witches and mahous shoujo stuff forever”. That contract, the evil white rat and the need for the seeds are all too suspicious
Sayaka didn’t get a Grief Seed from her first witch-hunt right? now she’ll be the first victim of a dimming Soul Gem.
CONNECT FULL VERSION IS OUT!!! XD ai rabu kurarisu..XD
kimi to futari is very nice.XD
So I’m obviously waaaaay late to the show, but dammit this show is crazy good.
I just finished watching episodes 1-4 in one sitting and I can’t wait for next week 0_0
Only this thing can make pure evil look so cute.
(◕ ‿‿ ◕)
/ /（ ◕ ‿‿ ◕ ）\ \
W W
I can see you becoming strongest
JediMahou Shoujo ever, youngSkywalkerMadoka…man, it’s kinda hard to not have the SB around. DX that aside, it’s good too..XD
now, where’re anno and miyazaki in the list? shinbo is in it though.XD
Dengeki Online: Favourite Animation Director Ranking
this seriously has to be the most darkest magical girl anime i have ever seen. i love it.
Yuuki Aoi drew a personified version of Kyubei.
XD
I think we can actually figure out some of the stuff based on logic…
1) Kyubei or w\e that stuffed animal is called does NOT have the power to grant wishes..neither is he evil…
He does not have the power to grant wishes because there is no such thing s unlimited power..the wish has to come from somewhere..this also relates to him choosing the MGs…
Effectively, the MGs grant their own wishes! he just acts as a catalyst..now here is the thing, the MGs don’t have unlimited magical power..and its naive to think that wishes are granted and thats it..it takes power to sustain…think cinderella…once it hits 12 the magic runs out..same concept..their magic runs out..the grim seed helps restore their magic hence their wish continues..this explains why there is conflict among the MGs..this also explains why they fight for themselves…
For a true MG to exist, she has to be not bound to her wish..aka if the other MGs destroy all the witches they will loose their wishes…but if you are not bound to your wish..you can actually accomplish your true goal…
2) I also don’t think Kyuubei doesn’t care..but like Homura he probably seen this happen so many times that he just accepted it…he cares about them while they are alive, once they are dead there is nothing he can do…as he said in 1st episode..the MGs all are prepared..(otherwise they wouldn’t have made the wishes if they weren’t ready to die for them)
3) The gems and the witches eggs seems to have some similarity..as they said MGs are from blessings and the witches are from curses..so it is logical to think that if you feel your wish is a blessing your an MG, if you feel its a curse your a witch..but something is missing…and some things don’t add up
a) the egg in the hospital was just forming and it was stuck in a wall..while that area belong to 1 MG..doesn’t add up…
The egg drained the “darkness” out of the gem… which goes to show that magic is not just “lost” but is somehow connected to reality as a whole..like an hour glass of sand..the sand is not lost..just shifts to the other side…”maybe” they are cursed for making the wish and the curse slowly eats away their blessing(or magical power)..
still hard to say at this point…we will see..
Just thought it was rather interesting to note that in the scene on the school’s rooftop, Kyubey seemed to be directing his(its?) farewell to only Madoka, as if he(it?) knew Sayaka was not ready to give up on being a MG.
Just some additional foreshadowing there, although all the scenes prior to that had already strongly suggested Sayaka would become a MG long before Madoka would.
Seeing how the Puella Magi fight with each other reminds me of Kamen Rider Ryuuki.
Thought that witches would be human too, thought that someone exchanged a curse with another animal thingy to become a witch or something.
Wonder how did the Puella Magi and Witches come to be in the first place?
Wonder if Madoka will wish Mami back?
Thought that Mami is a regular as she is featured prominently in the opening.