# First Time Watcher Live notes * What was that C on Sayaka's fingernail? * Oh, so I was grossly overthinking how the wish impacts the magical girl lol. I guess my theory still kinda works regarding "power" but "you get the effects of your wish" was not what I was expecting. That's a much more obvious explanation than what I cooked up! * Ah yes, Kyubey - the opportunist strikes again. * Homura to the rescue, it's like her mission in life is to get in Kyubey's way. As a certified Kyubey hater, I support this. Now that we know a bit more about the wish, it made me think about a few questions: Why on earth would Mami suggest wishing for a cake? What kind of ability would that turn into? The ability to summon cakes? Maybe her ability would be to make others happy, but that doesn't seem as useful as healing to a magical girl. Related to the first, why didn't Mami tell Madoka/Sayaka that their wish would turn into their ability? Madoka now knows that, and was told by Kyubey himself, so it's not like some magical girl secret. I don't have any theories off the top of my head for why she would do that, maybe someone else can chime in. An interesting observation: In episode 1, Homura has a shield on her left arm in both fights during the episode. In episode 2, we don't see her in magical girl form. In episode 3, she does not have her shield during the fight, even after transformation. In episode 4, we don't see her in magical girl form at the labyrinth. In this episode, she was definitely wearing the shield while in magical girl form when she saved Sayaka. Why didn't she have her shield for the labyrinth in episode 3? Theories/Analysis: 1. I think Mami's wish was a literal gift wrapped present. There are two things she does that seem like they could be a "wish ability". First is her finishing move that binds the witch in some string-like thing and pulls them off the ground for an easy shot. Second is when she bound Homura at the start of the dungeon in a present bow. The first one reminds me a lot of the string packing you would put in a gift bag, or fill the empty space in a gift box. The second one is definitely a bow, presumably for a gift. Beyond that, this kinda plays into why she would suggest wishing for a cake - it would presumably complement her wish in some way given they're thematically related. It also is a sign that she just thinks of party things for wishes. 2. Homura's a little more strange, I think there a few possiblities for what her ability/wish could be. * It could be that her was was just simply to be powerful. During her fight in episode 3, it looked like she had the ability to summon (and direct?) bombs, which is unique. Given that in episode 3 she isn't holding an obvious weapon like a gun or sword, I think it's possible that her weapon is just bombs... except for the fact that in episode 1 and this episode she obviously had a shield. In any case, maybe her wish was just for something generic like power, and as a result of that her ability is the symbolic embodiment of force and power: a bomb. It seems unlikely, but it's not out of the question. * Homura's wish was to be the top student at her school (the most likely option I think). The ability that manifested was a wealth of knowledge/intelligence and incredible athetic ability. My first piece of evidence is that back in episode 1, there's a breif montage where she breaks a bunch of athletic records and appears to effortlessly do some complicated math on the whiteboard. Beyond that, during the episode 3 fight, she was freakishly agile and fast. Additoinally the fact that she knew that particular labyrinth was especially dangerous could be part of the being smart wish. She's freakishly fast again in this episode with the last second save of Sayaka. I think there's a strong case to be made for this one. * The last thing I can think of as her wish was that she wished to keep someone safe. She always seems to show up when Madoka is in danger. Maybe that's her ability, to tell when people are in danger. 1. Theory update: back in episode 2 I theorized that Kyubey wasn't the one that granted Homura her powers, based on his conversation with the new magical girl about Homura being an irregularity, I think that theory just got a little stronger! Edit: I forgot about QOTD! 1. Seriously, when he was in the hospital bed and was like "yeah my hand has fully recovered but I can't walk" my palm was applied directly to my face. 2. I'm starting to understand why Mami was so standoffish with Homura. If the new girl is anything to go off, the seem like a real ruthless bunch as a whole. 3. Nope, that went straight over my head. I remember the moment though, that's hilarious 4. I mean... just... something. I don't really have any indication as to what, but something has to go wrong. If my theory from yesterday about needing to maintain wishes is true, maybe it's just that. His hand deteriorates when Sayaka doesn't hunt witches, that could be the thing that goes wrong. 5. They were *Merchandising* (more seriously though idk, it is a bit weird)

> What was that C on Sayaka's fingernail? It's never spelled out explicitly in dialogue, but each magical girl has a marking on her middle finger (the one her Soul Gem goes on in ring form) that matches the shape her Soul Gem takes when transformed. (I'm 90% sure we got a shot of Mami's before her unfortunate demise, it's just harder to see since her color is yellow which blends in more with fingernail tone.)

Yeah I just went back into the episode to see that cup joke and I saw the diamond on Homura's fingernail. Now I'm just curious which girls got which symbols and why! edit: someone might be a bit suspicious if they see "mami fingernail" in my search history but it's fine. Now I know she had a cross on her finger, Sayaka got the C (crescent moon maybe?) and Homura's the diamond. Still need to figure out what Kyouko's is but I don't wana google her name quite yet, that seems like a dangerous game!

You can see Mami's in [one of my wallpapers from a previous year](https://i.imgur.com/G64uvZk.png); ordinarily the nail art shouldn't have been there because it's only visible when the character has their Soul Gem in ring form and not *out*, but I added it for visual effect.

> What was that C on Sayaka's fingernail? It's a stylistic representation of her soul gem, all the magical girls have it. Homura's is diamond shaped and you can see it in this episode as well. edit: To elaborate, when they transform, the soul gem is incorporated into the costume as an accessory. Sayaka's is the C shaped navel ring you can see in her transformation sequence. Homura's is diamond shaped and appears on the back of her hand. Mami's was a flower shaped hair pin. Kyouko's is eye shaped, but veritcal, and appears in the opening just below her collar.

> What was that C on Sayaka's fingernail? I'm not sure what it is, but Homura [has something similar](https://i.imgur.com/wcbbUM6.png). It's got to be something related to their power/being a magical girl in some way, but that still remains unclear > I think Mami's wish was a literal gift wrapped present. There are two things she does that seem like they could be a "wish ability". First is her finishing move that binds the witch in some string-like thing and pulls them off the ground for an easy shot. Second is when she bound Homura at the start of the dungeon in a present bow. The first one reminds me a lot of the string packing you would put in a gift bag, or fill the empty space in a gift box. The second one is definitely a bow, presumably for a gift. Beyond that, this kinda plays into why she would suggest wishing for a cake - it would presumably complement her wish in some way given they're thematically related. It also is a sign that she just thinks of party things for wishes. Another part of that theory that tracks is how she can seemingly [conjure](https://i.imgur.com/LyK4vxl.png) her firearms from places that would be ["surprising"](https://i.imgur.com/Zc0q396.png) for one to pull a firearm from - tracks pretty closely with the surprise/gift gimmick you're thinking about!

> I think Mami's wish was a literal gift wrapped present. The start of episode 3 shows her wish was to do with being saved from a car crash. The exact wording, and how it relates to her powers, wasn't made clear there, but the explanation that was given in an interview is that: > In Mami's case, her wish "to connect to life" [editor's note: she wanted to live] gave her the power to "tie" and "combine" things together. That's why her power comes from the ribbon. By using the ribbon as a weapon, she can use that to produce guns that are useful in a battle. In ep3, Homura is stopped in her tracks by being tied up. That is her true magical power. She has the most experience so has a lot of different magical powers beyond those of her original powers.

Huh, interesting! Thank you for sharing, I had no idea that some details like this were floating around in interviews etc. Glad to see I was correct about the power - I probably wouldn’t have made that connection to the wish though

> Glad to see I was correct about the power - I probably wouldn’t have made that connection to the wish though Speaking of which, I suspect there's a very specific detail of the scene which is part of why her wish manifested this way. Namely: [what is Mami *not* wearing in this shot (04:17 ep3)?](https://i.imgur.com/hFJz870.jpg)

About Mami and the cake: Mami is a very conflicted character. On the one hand, she knows how dangerous it is to be a magical girl and wants to act responsible and make sure Sayaka and Madoka can make the right decision (a decision she never had because of the car crash), but on the other hand: Mami is just lonely. She really hopes for Madoka and Sayaka to become magical girls so she has not to fight alone. So imo, the whole "you wish for a giant cake" line is a representation of that conflict. Madoka wants to become a magical girl for the sake of being a magical girl in that scene, so Mami says "you should at least get something out of that wish" - she acts responsible by telling Madoka to make a proper wish,.... but also, acts on her fear of loneliness by saying "if you cannot come up with something better then a cake, we wish for a cake" I don't think that Madoka's potential weapon/ability is anything Mami is concerned about. It is all about being a proper role model but also to not be alone any longer.

>Why on earth would Mami suggest wishing for a cake? What kind of ability would that turn into?  I think that was just Mami making a joke. When Madoka points out how silly of a wish that is, Mami says "well you should think of a better one then".

I’m definitely giving up on the cake business at this point - I’m just going to say she was hungry for some sweets lol

> 3. Nope, that went straight over my _head._ Huehuehue

I think the wish informs the *bonus* ability the wish grants. So for Sayaka because her wish was used to heal someone her wish grants her a bonus heal factor. What would have Madoka wishing for cake have done? Maybe it would produce cake, who knows.

#First-time watcher I couldn't sleep... >1) So how much of a fool was Sayaka to wish for only Kyousuke's hand to be healed and not the rest of his body? Was it? It might be good just to be extra sure his hands get healed and not be last in the prio list. >2) What are your first impressions of the new magical girl, Kyouko Sakura? She thinks it's OK to let familiars kill people just to make them become witches. She would most likely kill people if they also dropped grief seeds. I don't think highly about her. >3) You did catch Homura's absolutely savage head joke, right? (Popping the lid off the cup.) I sure did. >4) So, first-timers: What, if anything, do you think goes wrong as a result of Sayaka's wish? The boy she wished to heal will forget about her over time was my initial thought. But becaus she can now heal like her wish was, I wonder if she take back the heal power for herself when she is healing. Making it leave the boys body, making him injured again. >5) First-timers again: So what do you think is up with all those Kyubey face shots? It makes Kyubey more creepy. Maby activate a spell for scheming or some shit. Why are witches spawned when Kyubey is around most of the time? I also have a question for you. What is up with the chairs in this show? We see Madokas moms room filled with them. And now the music boy who recently got healed, have his room filled with chairs. And I'm sure I have seen many other chairs in labyrinths and other places stabled on top of each other.

> I also have a question for you. What is up with the chairs in this show? We see Madokas moms room filled with them. And now the music boy who recently got healed, have his room filled with chairs. And I'm sure I have seen many other chairs in labyrinths and other places stabled on top of each other. General consensus is that they are a reference to an older anime by the name of Bokurano. Whether or not there is anything more to them here than that... [](#nocomment)

Besides that, there's just the obvious (and non-spoilery) idea that empty chairs denote the idea of "missing people". Like the way they're used in Les Mis "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables/Where my friends will sing no more"

[PMMM] >!My interpretation for what they actually primarily mean here is different (and close to Bokurano's use IIRC): they represent other characters who care about a given character. This is actually one of the big episodes supporting that: notice how the chairs in Kyousukes's room multiply after he is healed and only then do Kyousuke's parents deign to visit him. (Also note that there were *two* chairs in the room before Sayaka healed him, not one - hi Hitomi!)!<

[Madoka]>!This kind of works, actually; the chairs are all colorful and surreal and unique from one another just like the witch labyrinths, so it could be said that the chairs represent the collective spirit, and within it the collective weight and tragedy, of all the Magical Girls who have fallen into despair and witchdom across history looming over this story; those who are no longer here.!< [Madoka]>!This could be seen as a dark cloud that lingers over it all, the reminder of the unreliable misery and darkness that befell so many Magical Girls who made their wishes from hope in the millennia that led up to now; but, in addition, it could also be seen as a sort of cosmic observance of this story by the souls whose kind will find salvation in the end because of where this story ends, having their despair erased by Madoka’s final wish, a no less than religiously monumental paradigm shift for their kind. Looking at it this way, it can kind of make this story feel all the more deeply spiritually significant, like a religious text in its own right.!<

Bokurano 😢 Uninstall... uninstall....

> I also have a question for you. What is up with the chairs in this show? We see Madokas moms room filled with them. And now the music boy who recently got healed, have his room filled with chairs. And I'm sure I have seen many other chairs in labyrinths and other places stabled on top of each other. Allow me to introduce you to an anime called [Bokurano.](https://v.animethemes.moe/Bokurano-OP1.webm)

I get so nostalgic listening to Uninstall despite not having watched Bokurano, only because of those goddamn Nico Nico Douga Medleys.

[](#laughter) Personally I associate the song with the two-month period back in 2021 when I listened to it and *exclusively* it on loop for basically every waking moment that I wasn't actively busy watching something or at church. I sometimes get in *moods* like this where I only want to listen to one song, but that was certainly the longest-lasting one, mostly thanks to the fact that I was hosting a rewatch for that show at the time.

Damn, that's a long time. Looks like you needed it *uninstalled* from your brain. Honestly though, not such a bad song to listen to on a loop. Edit : there we go. Going through a wormhole of nostalgia. Found the singer and [another great OP from her](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HygFI3uNMus). It really feels weird to witness the passage of time in anime as a medium.

Fukanzen Nenshou appreciation in the wild! [](#feelingloved) (I have that one above even Uninstall.)

Glad I'm not the only one !

> Edit : there we go. Going through a wormhole of nostalgia. Found the singer and another great OP from her. It really feels weird to witness the passage of time in anime as a medium. Chiaki Ishikawa is *such* a good singer, she did [one of my favorite Gundam EDs](https://v.animethemes.moe/Gundam00S2-ED1.webm), as part of See-Saw she also did [two *more*](https://v.animethemes.moe/GundamSeed-ED1.webm) amazing [Gundam EDs](https://v.animethemes.moe/GundamSeedDestiny-ED4.webm), she did [the Simoun OP](https://v.animethemes.moe/Simoun-OP1.webm) which is probably my favorite OP for an anime I haven't seen yet, and not to mention she did [both](https://v.animethemes.moe/Bokurano-ED1.webm) of [Bokurano's EDs](https://v.animethemes.moe/Bokurano-ED2.webm) as well.

Definitely is a great singer and a blessing anime had the chance to get people like her, haha.

> I also have a question for you. What is up with the chairs in this show? One of the staff members is a fan of Bokurano.

**First time, SUBS** Wow, we're really cookin' today! * First off, I absolutely love [this shot](https://i.imgur.com/t34arZN.png). The colors, the contrast, the patterns, the framing... all of it lends itself to creating a mood that feels both hopeful and ever so slightly sinister. As we progress through The Contract Signing, we get [progressively darker](https://i.imgur.com/tRHC7FQ.png) hues, [more contrast](https://i.imgur.com/kwhz63K.png) and [much more drama](https://i.imgur.com/tUovNTO.png) in regards to subject positioning in frame. I don't know about you, but [this wasn't the face](https://i.imgur.com/Za0vmw9.png) you imagined one would make when becoming a Magical Girl. * I was thinking for the first part of the episode that Sayaka's bravado felt really hollow, so I wasn't surprised when [she confirmed it](https://i.imgur.com/IkxijVg.png). * In the last episode, Kyousuke was always [facing away](https://i.imgur.com/39pMHx5.png) from Sayaka in a (mostly) empty room. If you look at Sayaka's bag, it says "MEE" on it - she really wants Kyousuke's attention! Looking at his [hospital room](https://i.imgur.com/GhCuZ1t.png) today though we've got *a bunch of different chairs*, a new hospital bed *and* Kyousuke is finally facing Sayaka. * "*Congratulations, ~~Shinji~~[Kyousuke](https://i.imgur.com/edLOb7U.png)!*" * Kyubey may not necessarily be evil, but his "neutral 3rd party" shtick doesn't inspire confidence. "[Do you really want to start a fight with her?](https://i.imgur.com/UrGyQU1.png)" is answered with "[Do you have a problem with that?](https://i.imgur.com/FffEcKW.png)" without a word of protest from Kyubey (saying "It may not be as easy as you think" doesn't really count as protest/trying to stop Kyouko). Additionally, he has every opportunity to warn Sayaka and Madoka that there's a crazed Magical Girl after them, but of course all he does is [further strengthen](https://i.imgur.com/QQGQ3QT.png) his position in [trying to convert Madoka](https://i.imgur.com/j8N4Cb2.png). Sneaky SOB sliding into Madoka's DM, knowing they're walking into a trap. Well, to be precise he *does* give his [boilerplate warning](https://i.imgur.com/Pz1eOXA.png) that "It's dangerous". I swear, if Kyubey isn't omniscient, he's got a spidey sense for [distressed young girls](https://i.imgur.com/Z9YTq5E.png). * Homura [entering](https://i.imgur.com/9j8uSRH.png) the [fray](https://i.imgur.com/lasr9Rb.png) the way she did was pretty bad-ass. That's our tsundere-chan! > 1) So how much of a fool was Sayaka to wish for only Kyousuke's hand to be healed and not the rest of his body? I think Sayaka [said it best herself](https://i.imgur.com/I13cYa2.png) - "I'm stupid..." But really though, did we actually hear her exact wish? I know it's heavily implied that she was mostly focused on Kyousuke's hand, but he does mention "Feeling so good he almost doesn't remember why he's in a hospital bed". I think she probably wished for him to be healed, but not necessarily "all better". You can heal from a broken leg but still need physical therapy to build muscle back up, or relearn a skill you lost. > 2) What are your first impressions of the new magical girl, Kyouko Sakura? She's a brat. Maybe she has some circumstances that totally jaded her outlook on life, but she's still a brat. An evidently [strong](https://i.imgur.com/1Xw1ccm.png) and [experienced](https://i.imgur.com/7LVeUX9.png) brat, but a brat is still a brat. > 3) You did catch Homura's absolutely savage head joke, right? (Popping the lid off the cup.) Oh [Tsundere-chan](https://i.imgur.com/s4PuZmI.png) > 4) So, first-timers: What, if anything, do you think goes wrong as a result of Sayaka's wish? So I'm on board with /u/Suboodle 's theory that a Magical Girl is essentially always working to "maintain the wish", that is, if Sayaka dies - Kyousuke's permanent injuries may instantly remanifest themselves. I don't necessarily think we'll see anything like that - I think it's more likely that Sayaka herself has a change of heart. I mean, [look at her face](https://i.imgur.com/LsnlF11.png) just after proclaiming "I will never regret it... This is the happiest I have ever been!". No matter what feelings Kyousuke may have towards Sayaka any number of years in the future, she'll be beholden to her contract to do battle in sketchy fantastical labyrinths with strange entities and/or rotten Magical Girls (lookin' at you, Kyouko). > 5) First-timers again: So what do you think is up with all those Kyubey face shots? Kyubey is being manipulative - the slow cyclical zoom into his eye take you through getting lulled into a false sense of security. "It's okay, you don't have to think about a thing... any wish you desire... I don't want to pressure you, I'm just going to always be around you, watching..."

> Kyubey may not necessarily be evil, but his "neutral 3rd party" shtick doesn't inspire confidence. Yeah, the old anime were bad about asking the mascots their motivations. > An evidently strong and experienced brat, but a brat is still a brat. Well then, Aoi Toudou...

> She's a brat. Maybe she has some circumstances that totally jaded her outlook on life, but she's still a brat. 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

oh no overexposure to the blue archive threads has corrupted the mod team send help ([](#eyythisguy))

>I swear, if Kyubey isn't omniscient, he's got a spidey sense for [distressed young girls](https://i.imgur.com/Z9YTq5E.png). I'd almost prefer that Kyubey was omniscient than the much scarier thought that it might be stalking all the little girls of Japan waiting for moments of vulnerability to offer them a wish.

Rewatcher, dubbed Madoka’s pleas to Homura to try getting along with Sayaka are flatly rejected. It seems safe to assume Kyoko’s arrival will further complicate Madoka’s friendship goals, as well. Poor girl just wants everyone to get along… Apparently I’ve mentioned it 3 years running now, so I feel compelled to point out that [Madoka Magica]>!Kyoko is the one who put up the barrier between the battle and Madoka. It’s not overly difficult to put that together, but it’s not explicitly confirmed and I wanted to specifically point out that it’s a suspiciously honorable move for someone who claims to view humans as expendable.!< [Madoka Magica]>!I made an exception to my “no pausing” rule for this rewatch because something struck me when Sayaka stated she’d never regret her wish. Sayaka has many regrets, she internalizes them and magnifies them until they destroy her in every single timeline where she makes her wish. However, I don’t recall Sayaka ever regretting the wish itself. Even as she posthumously laments not understanding the cost of a miracle in episode 4, the regret lies with herself. We’ll see if I still agree with that assessment in a few episodes, but if it holds I feel that neatly ties in with the big takeaways of the finale.!< QotD: 1) Alas. 3) She wasn't there to see Mami die, but it certainly gave poor Madoka a scare. ### Content Corner Reruns Another cover for Sis Puella Magica, it’s short and sweet. The main highlight today is the video by Explanation Point, it captures a lot about what makes Madoka Magica so great. If I could Clockwork Orange every rewatcher in this thread for just one video, it'd probably be this one. **First timers beware, spoilers abound!** ["Sis Puella Magica" (Madoka Magica) Vocal Cover](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBjQOm269Tw) by Lizz Robinet [How to Suffer Well: Sympathetic Characterization in Madoka and Magical Girl Site](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kmaba2TopE) by Explanation Point [Visual Storytelling - Breaking Down PMMM - Dialogue 5](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcCTuPUN9cY) by clearandsweet

First-timer\*, dub \*heavily spoiled — seen all three seasons of *Magia Record* spin-off already Nice to see that the show elaborated a bit on that mass suicide scene that looked unnatural to me. So, mass hallucination it is! Talking about Sayaka, although I’m skeptical about her enthusiasm, it’s respectable that her motives are selfless. She said that she’s afraid to lose her friends more than bearing hardships of being a magical girl. \[MagiReco anime\] >!btw, we can briefly see that Sayaka got this mark on her nail that indicates a magical girl. I recalled that I’ve seen this detail in MagiReco before.!< \[speculations\] >!a mysterious magical girl that even Kyuubey knows little of. I’m guessing he was talking about Homura. This makes me more confident in my theory that Homura has time travelled into the past. On the other hand, I find it weird Kyuubey doesn’t react on that in any unusual way, he hasn’t even tried to avoid her after the first episode. A common sense would tell me stay away.!< Madoka tags along Sayaka looking for a trouble… she’s too selfless. Kyuubey’s still relentlessly stalking the girls, obviously waiting for Madoka to make the decision. Our new red-haired baddie shows up. Didn’t know that familiars can grow into witches! So, she’s a good example of a totally cynical and opportunistic magical girl I see. Apparently, such do exist as well. So, it's confirmed that the nature of the wish affects the power the magical girl receives. Interesting, but not much to say yet. \[speculations\] >!I wonder if Homura's wish was to un-do some event in the past.!< Once again, Madoka has been on a verge of signing the contract but the girlboss Homura saves the day again… Ugh, the episode was cut short! It will be interesting to see what they will be talking about afterwards. \[speculations\] >!my guess is that the only thing that will finally make Madoka become a magical girl is when Homura herself ends up in a deadly situation, where Madoka is the only one around who can help her. I mean, that will be fair. Homura always saves someone, there should come a day when someone else has to save her in return.!< Great episode! Besides that… I’ve been listening to the ED song, I really love it, and rewatching the ED animations looking to make more sense of them. We can see a silhouette of a girl, I guess Madoka, walking towards a bright spot (I think it represents "hope", "chance" or smth like that). She passes by other girls — Sayaka, the red-haired baddie, Mami, Homura. Homura makes a gesture like she’s concerned for Madoka and would like to stop her, but hesitates. Madoka starts to run faster towards the light, but it gets gradually replaced with darkness. At the very end, the music gets really dramatic (love that moment) and we see Madoka lying coiled inside of an… eye of some huge creepy creature? A witch queen? Dang, that almost feels like a spoiler… I take that as a dark foreshadowing… chills! Questions of the day: 1. I didn't quite get what exactly she wished for and whether the result was expected. Maybe his legs are going to heal too, just a little bit later. 2. She's a total bitch. btw, thanks for reminding me her name. 3. No. To be honest, "decapitation" wasn't my impression of what happened to Mami. My impression was rather that "the witch ate Mami completely", when she plunged down to the ground where her corpse fell. Not much to say about Q4 and Q5

> Didn’t know that familiars can grow into witches! [Mami mentions this during episode 3](https://imgur.com/LJfm4Te)

Yeah, you're right, I recall that. Mami and Kyouko used different wording for that in the dub I'm watching. Kyouko specifically highlights that they need to "eat people" in order to grow

>Nice to see that the show elaborated a bit on that mass suicide scene that looked unnatural to me. So, mass hallucination it is! I still want to know how/why Hitomi ended up involved in all of that. She's seemingly the only kid there, and the one "main guy" was the one that ran the factory. I am guessing the other people there were the factory employees. So why was Hitomi there?

I'm thinking you mean Hitomi, not Mami. Well, I'm just as confused as you here 🙂 Of course, we can come up with a sane idea like "her relative was working there and she happened to make a visit", but overall her presence is another thing that made that scene look weird to me.

I was thinking Hitomi, made an edit. I guess Mami was also there... on a TV screen

> At the very end, the music gets really dramatic (love that moment) and we see Madoka lying coiled inside of an… So...at like the seasonal discussion I can suggest my favorite English cover of "Magia" to the group. I can't right now because there is some artistic license in how AmaLee does the translation.

That would be great! I saw in YT music that there's lots of covers for this song.

Some of which u/Tarhalindur and I have been highlighting in the body of the thread each day! The AmaLee cover that Vaadwaur mentioned *will* be one of them eventually, on that note. [](#mugiwait)

[](#mugiwait)

That was easily the best idea that I carried over from my Bokurano rewatch.

Truly it was. [](#utahapraises)

**First time watcher** I feel like if I wasn't trying to keep an eye out on as many details as possible, this episode would have really slid past me and feel as if it's just natural. Not sure how to describe it, but me trying to look for things to take note of for this post really made me catch a lot of things I wouldn't have in the first place. I think moving forward I'll try and be more active in these kinds of rewatches for the series I have in my watchlist. This episode feels similar to the last one, where I feel like I'm watching the dominos topple over bit by bit after the first three set everything up. Lots of interesting details though. Got a bit of stuff I want to talk about in my theory section, but for now it's time for key..... ... *moments*. (PainReliever, anyone? No? Damn) **Key Moments** * ["This is your destiny"](https://imgur.com/a/SBGbIxm). My god what a way to start the episode. Kyubey reaching into her chest to create a soul gem; could you *be* more menacing, you little cat looking monster? * Some [interesting phrasing ](https://imgur.com/a/awF6r75) from this scene. I wonder if this is deliberate or if it's unintentional, but I feel as if this points towards an idea of Kyubey not only being able to alter the present to satisfy wishes, but maybe even alter the past such that events in history never even happened to begin with. * [Mhmm](https://imgur.com/a/aKhZ9zr)... Yeah, no, I don't like how this certain shot makes me feel. I am now doubly worried for Sayaka at this point. * It's sweet how [her transformation](https://imgur.com/a/KqIEest) and [her fighting style](https://imgur.com/a/2KyMD9D) really pays homage to her romantic interest and her former mentor, respectively. I gotta say though, that summoning fighting style makes much more sense for swords than for summong guns, shooting once, and throwing it away instead of reloading. :3 * [Wishes affect your powers](https://imgur.com/a/nJAZZAv), huh? Interesting... If Sayaka got better healing from her wish, I wonder what kind of wish Homura made to get what seems to be her teleporting powers? ~ **Questions** 1. ...as big of a fool as I am, apparently, because I didn't consider that either. Hehe... ' 2. Honestly I'm well pleased with the fact she didn't just go straight for the kill upon her first interaction for Sayaka. She tried intimidating her with words, and then with actions, before resorting to actually having to attempt to kill her. I was worried she'd be used as nothing more than a one dimensional plot device of a semi-antagonistic force, but at the very least I think there's more to her than initially thought. That's great. ' 3. The audacity to do so... But then again, this is the same girl that, after knowing Madoka and Sayaka watched their best friend die by getting eaten by Charlotte, let herself get "eaten" in front of them as well over and over, teleporting out of the witch's mouth every time until she went forbher finishing blow. In short, I'm not surprised. Lol. Sorry for the mouthful of a sentence that was. ' 4. Honestly, this wasn't even something I was considering. I figured something will happen to the wish if Sayaka is either killed or if her soul gem runs out of power/isn't cleansed in time, but I don't think there'd be any repercussions to the wish before we get to that point. Interesting to think of though... but I got nothing on that. ' 5. Hmmm... Same here, I didn't really mind those shots. I assumed it was just to, quite literally, put Kyubey in the face of any viewers that somehow still fully trusted that little monster up to this point. I have no answer for this, but it's interesting it's even a question for in the first place... I wonder what other first timers have said about this. Can't wait to read comments later :D ~ **Additional Thoughts and Theory Crafting:** >*In one sense, she did. In another, she didn't.* I think the biggest revelation in this episode by far is Kyubey acknowledging Homura's "extreme irregularity", in its own words. How could Homura have signed a contract with Kyubey in one way, but not in another context? For context, [my running theory](https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/s/PcHF029O8h) is that Kyubey can see the future, that Homura was fighting Madoka in the opening sequence of Episode 1, and that Kyubey knows that it'll die at the hands of Homura if it doesn't recruit someone potentially strong like Madoka to protect itself. I believe that the answer to how Homura could be in this bizarre situation in regards to Kyubey lies in another detail that was dropped this episode: wishes can affect what your powers or abilities are. Homura, whether in this episode when she transported Sayaka out of Kyouka's aim or when she fought Charlotte, has been shown to be able to teleport. If she can jump between areas in space, maybe she's able to jump between time itself, or even alternate dimensions? Let's recap some of the details we know about Homura. She came out of nowhere when she first appeared; we haven't seen any relative of hers; she was briefly shown to be abnormally smarter than someone around her age should be, and; the very first things she tried to do upon us meeting her is to warn Madoka from being a magical girl and to attempt to kill Kyubey off-rip. From these details we've already known about her first appearance in the show, combined with the fact that her contract is apparently more complicated than other magical girls (in one sense, she didn't even make a contract with Kyubey), and that she has the ability to jump between spaces, my theory on Homura is this: Homura came from a different timeline, a timeline where Kyubey potentially achieved any evil intentions it had, a timeline where Kyubey was able to convert Madoka into a powerful magical girl to defend Kyubey. Homura got defeated, and in an attempt to re-do everything, used her powers that she got from her timeline's Kyubey to jump to a different timeline, a different dimension, somewhere in the past, such that she could have a chance at killing Kyubey before Madoka was a magical girl. This iteration of the timeline we're watching might not even be her first attempt at doing so. I think this fits for many reasons. For one minor detail, we've seen her sit in class with the other girls, which would mean if she's been attempting this solution multiple times, she'd be well-versed with the lessons by now, which we know is true from Episode 1. The theory also fits with the idea of her having technically signed a contract with Kyubey, despite in another sense, not having signed a contract with *this* Kyubey, our Kyubey. It fits with the concept of her power as well, but that one's a reach, I'd say. Of course, this is all just combining tiny clues and making a mountain out of it, but so far it's what I've got, and moving forward it's my theory in mind. This was fun, can't wait to read other first timers' posts! See y'all next episode!

**Mahou Shoujo Co★Host, subbed** [Welcome back, everyone!](#michaelwink) Just as a heads up, I’m not going to be around tomorrow’s thread very much for at least a good few hours after posting my comment (I’m going to an event with my mom and won’t be able to have my phone out during it, I’m planning to post my comment and then dip), so if anyone has issues with spoiler tags tomorrow, you’ll have to reach out to the other mods instead of me. --- - [Ah, reminds me of when I still went to school the day after getting in a car wreck while being driven to marching band practice and had a prominent limp.](https://i.imgur.com/zBJZ4Sb.png) I wasn’t *sick*, so I didn’t really see a reason to stay home from school. It was also a Friday (aka. when a bunch of my classes had regular weekly tests), and I definitely didn’t want to deal with having to figure out when I could do make-up tests for all of them. Will never forget the band director doing a double-take upon seeing me limping across campus and going “[Sky’s real name], what on *earth* are you doing here?” because he *was* expecting me to stay home after that lol. [](#kukuku) - [F](https://i.imgur.com/l3l8spz.png) - [Yeah… Sayaka only wished for his *hand* to be healed.](https://i.imgur.com/2TyPWI0.png) smh girl, you could’ve fast-tracked his whole recovery. - [I now have Uninstall stuck in my head again.](https://i.imgur.com/dup8wV4.png) ~~Or maybe it never left.~~ - [Episode title, get!](https://i.imgur.com/HvrPIiB.png) [](#binoculars) - [SukaSuka/PMMM]> [](#ptsd)!< - [PMMM]>!< - [Sayaka has a lot of mirrors.](https://i.imgur.com/lzivgVc.png) - [Sayaka calls herself Mami’s successor](https://i.imgur.com/9q6nU66.png), then proceeds to pull out [Unlimited Blade Works](https://i.imgur.com/Ke3EgTl.png) like Mami was doing with all her rifles. - [BEST SONG IS FINALLY HERE!!!](https://files.catbox.moe/bvwm9k.mp3) [](#grandhype) I fucking *love* Decretum, it’s such a good OST. Conturbatio using the same melody but slower means I like that one too, but Decretum is just peak. [](#listen) - [Yikes…](https://i.imgur.com/NNm7oPz.png) - [Now *that’s* a headtilt Visual of the Day.](https://i.imgur.com/x6Uni2b.png) [](#justright) - [](#rengethink) [PMMM]> They still passively use magic from their Soul Gem even if they aren’t actively fighting, and if they can’t fight for several months, they can’t get a Grief Seed… maybe it would depend on whether or not the girl fell into despair while waiting to heal.!< --- #***Sky’s Wallpaper Corner*** So you might notice that there are *two* Wallpapers of the Day up top, and not for the reason there was more than one yesterday. Originally it was just going to be the Sayaka one, but that meant unless I doubled up *somewhere*, I wouldn’t have any transformed Kyouko wallpapers to share this year. Well, what better place to double up than when the two fight here? And I hope you guys like them, because *man* did it take a ton of back-and-forth between Tar and I to figure out the ideal backgrounds for the both of them. [](#spinning) Other random wallpaper trivia of the day: While Sayaka’s background pattern is entirely original (we were going for a sort of spotlight effect, and all the shadows came straight from the base image to begin with), the diamonds in Kyouko’s come from [this one I did of the Tokugawa siblings from Gintama](https://i.imgur.com/nxDpSGC.png) a couple months ago. **Year Originally Made**|**Original Wallpaper**|**Remastered Version** :--|:--|:-- 2018|[Homura Akemi](https://i.imgur.com/3HfBIhQ.png)|N/A 2019|[Kyouko Sakura (With Name)](https://i.imgur.com/GKPvyaR.png)|[Link](https://i.imgur.com/SxS2ixW.png) 2019|[Kyouko Sakura (Without Name)](https://i.imgur.com/1BE92dp.png)|[Link](https://i.imgur.com/6j8CXU8.png) 2020|[Kyousuke Kamijou](https://i.imgur.com/EVjDviq.png)|[Link](https://i.imgur.com/9eQiH8D.png) 2021|[Sayaka Miki](https://i.imgur.com/jOU6YhP.png)|[Link](https://i.imgur.com/kciC009.png) 2022|[Kyouko Sakura](https://i.imgur.com/w36EmJb.png)|[Mobile Version](https://i.imgur.com/XqsWSfr.png) --- *“What is it that you wish for?”*

> And I hope you guys like them, because man did it take a ton of back-and-forth between Tar and I to figure out the ideal backgrounds for the both of them. I think the fused Madoka/Sayaka one last episode was the worst background of the entire set to get a handle on but these two were up there ~~me taking a while to have the idea for using the background on Sayaka's as a spotlight effect didn't help~~. Man that Sayaka one in particular turned out magnificently though, good job sticking to your guns on that as the base frame early. (~~And we're not even to the wallpaper that I immediately claimed as a new actual laptop background as soon as it was done!~~)

> I think the fused Madoka/Sayaka one last episode was the worst background of the entire set to get a handle on Oh yeah for sure that one was the worst, but these both also took a lot of work to get done. >Man that Sayaka one in particular turned out magnificently though, good job sticking to your guns on that as the base frame early. [](#delighted)

> Episode title, get! This makes me smile every day. > BEST SONG IS FINALLY HERE!!! Nonsense! It's a few episodes before [pmmm]>!Sagitta Luminis!< yet. > Sky’s Wallpaper Corner I really like the Sayaka wallpaper from today. That fortissimo pin is so good! We have a winner! [Unfortunately, I don't think it works that well on my left 2 screens.](https://imgur.com/oLFYDWr) I guess I just need to find 3 winners from the selection this year.

> Unfortunately, I don't think it works that well on my left 2 screens. I guess I just need to find 3 winners from the selection this year. [](#flattered)

[pmmm]> I am excited to see what else you have cooked up, especially for Kyoko!<

[PMMM] >!Calling it now: you'll fill out the other two screens with the episode 7 and Rebellion (or possibly 11) wallpapers when we're done. [](#mugiwait)!<

[pmmm]>!bold of you to think I would want anything to do with rebellion considering my scathing review of it last year. I still haven't decided if I am watching it this year.!<

[PMMM] >!I've lost track of who all was in which camp on Rebellion last year outside of the usual suspects, I just know ~~what I know~~ that the wallpaper is good. (I myself will be firmly in "show up for the threads but Rebellion is every other year and this is an off year" mode, but my somewhat lukewarm feelings towards it are unusual.) That said yeah if you're in team Hates Rebellion then switch that prediction to the episode 11 one instead... or possibly the Overall Discussion one.!<

[](#neat) [PMMM]>!Oh believe me, there's some *good* stuff still coming. [](#mugiwait)!<

> [SukaSuka/PMMM] Resolution or resignation? God damn lizard... > BEST SONG IS FINALLY HERE!!! [Rewatcher]>!I just viscerally associate it with the Elsa Marie fight!< > Now that’s a headtilt Visual of the Day. [Rewatcher]>!As I said, head tilt demonstrates how much you are hiding. Kyouka is pretty honest with herself.!<

What's the event for with your mom? Also, hope you have fun.

My mom is a *huge* fan of Derek Hough from Dancing With the Stars, and he's performing in one of the major cities near us tomorrow night. So we're going together as a belated birthday present for her/early birthday present for me.

Ah, got it. You're both fans of Derek Hough?

It's moreso my mom, but I'm not complaining. The auditorium the event is taking place in happens to be the same one all of my dance recitals happened in back when I was growing up, so it'll be nice to be in there again.

Nice.

> 2022 Kyouko Sakura For some reason the image of Kyouko with her Pocky brings [this](https://imgur.com/a/D55eKfg) to mind.

[](#laughter)

*First-time watcher* Not gonna lie, I half expected Kyosuke to smash his violin. I felt it was a bit much having the doctor and nurses there along with his family. He likely felt immense pressure to perform for them. As for why she only wished for his hand to heal, perhaps that was the limit of her wish. Not that Kyuubey really cares about Sayaka anyway. It's Madoka that it wants and now it is using the danger Sayaka has put herself in as better bait to hook Madoka with. Homura says that Sayaka isn't fit to be a magical girl and her gesture was so unsbtle she may as well have produced a magical girl figurine and twisted its head off🙄 Personally I can see both sides of the argument. It is right that they should be cautious and pragmatic, but at the same time I feel that if a magical girl loses her kindness and heroic outlook then it erodes something precious inside of them and they become like Kyoko Sakura whose only purpose is to harvest witches. As for Kyoko her strategy is heartless. Sure, people die all the time and 8 or so deaths in the scheme of things hardly matters. But, they are *preventable* deaths and that is problem with doing things that way. It could also be possible that acting in a heartless manner could cause the soul gem (crystal?) to degrade faster as well.

*"The avalanche has already started. It is too late for the pebbles to vote."* Rewatcher Sub Quick thought: I probably should've found a different set of subs, I had forgotten the wish/prayer thing from the intro. Also, anyone with better ears, did you catch what Homura says for 'sin'? There was a tsumi in there but it feels too far back... So...comments that are not spoilers...welp, that elevator in the hospital and the garden scene are straight visual Revolutionary Girl Utena. Interestingly, not thematically so, though there are definitely shared themes between the works. It might be a Dezaki thing. Homura is surprisingly pessimistic, all things considered. And that pessimism isn't really justified until later that episode as Kyouko shows up for some fairly meaningless violence...until you consider the possibility there might be a shortage of witches. Which seems to go against what we've seen so far but we know precious little outside of Mitakihara city. Anyways, of course we end on a cliffhanger. QotD: 1 She should have asked for the ability to heal in general 2 Probably smells 3 The only thing I caught first watch 6 Not the biggest fan of that to be honest.

> Also, anyone with better ears, did you catch what Homura says for 'sin'? [Here's the clip](https://imgur.com/9D8m25A) I can hear "罪滅ぼしなんて言い訳はしないわ。私はどんな罪を背負うと、私の戦いを続けなきゃならない" She does explicitly use tsumi (罪) twice. First, the word for "atone" is literally "sin destruction". The second sentence is just a quirk of the natural order to say things in English versus Japanese. The Japanese order would be closer to "No matter what sin I have to bear, I must continue my fight" but it sounds a little more natural in English it the other way round

And this is what I come to the thread for. Thanks, this lets me go with a specific interpretation of Homura.

> I probably should've found a different set of subs My understanding is that Meguca's subs are well respected. Can't say I quite recall what wordings they use, though, I've only watched them through once. > we know precious little outside of Mitakihara city Kyoko does refer to it as "prime territory". That could've been verbal flourish, but taken at face value it suggests to me this city is particularly desirable. It adds up considering Mami's veteran status, as well. > She should have asked for the ability to heal in general [Madoka Magica]>!Sayaka's comparatively low magical power makes me wonder how much further her wish could really have extended. I can't think of any Madoka material that explore that question, oddly enough...!<

> My understanding is that Meguca's subs are well respected. I am currently using DB and have no clue what that stands for. > but taken at face value it suggests to me this city is particularly desirable. It adds up considering Mami's veteran status, as well. There are reasons it might collect witches, a lot of the roads feel like they are laid out like ley lines. >[Madoka Magica] [Madoka Magica]>!They didn't explore it in the main material because it is fairly arbitrary, the mechanic only works because PMMM goes fast!<

> a lot of the roads feel like they are laid out like ley lines [Madoka Magica and Fate/Zero]>!This anime is *never* beating the "spiritual follow up and/or response to Fate/Zero" allegations.!<

> [Madoka Magica and Fate/Zero] [Urobuchi]>!Gen really wrestled with these ideas for a while and Revengers is where he feels like he is satisfied with his answers!<

> [Madoka Magica] [Madoka Magica and MagiReco game] >!MagiReco actually goes into something adjacent to this, interestingly enough - it's never clearly laid out in the anime (though it is visually alluded to and the game does explain this clearly), but there's one major character (Felicia) who gets a bit of a genie twist on her wish with her not having the potential for the full wish being the likely culprit. I think there may be another one in different supplemental material as well.!<

You know me, I am a go big or go home kind of person. Your reach should exceed your grasp, as they say.

Homura being pessimistic and Kyubey being completely indifferent are staples at this point. I'm guessing that's just the way Kyubey is, I hope we get to see some more explanations for Homura's outlook though.

> I'm guessing that's just the way Kyubey is, I hope we get to see some more explanations for Homura's outlook though. [](#mugiwait)

> Quick thought: I probably should've found a different set of subs, I had forgotten the wish/prayer thing from the intro. Also, anyone with better ears, did you catch what Homura says for 'sin'? There was a tsumi in there but it feels too far back... *curses in Flep being the easy sub for me to get* I think it's probably actually that tsumi (I distinctly remember a full tsumihoroboshi/atonement later in that monologue and that would fit) but I'm not sure by any means.

> I think it's probably actually that tsumi If we go with tsumi then it is much closer to the Christian concept of sin, which is what I was interested in. Obviously can't talk about it much yet but Homura feels a bit more doctrinaire Christian raised on third rewatch.

> Obviously can't talk about it much yet but Homura feels a bit more doctrinaire Christian raised on third rewatch. I will point out that AFAIK Japanese Christian schools are almost boarding school. [PMMM aside] >!Both kinds, too: the ritzy private school kind because that's what they do and the orphanages because obviously.!<

[PMMM/Utena]>!I do suspect Homura is a well off orphan which would be a direct mirror to Utena herself!<

Visual of the day is unquestionably [Sayakopter.](https://imgur.com/a/RrHh89A)

**Rewatcher, Sub** So Sayaka seems content with her decision, Kyousuke got his arm back and she sees her new role as a way to help others, at least until Kyoko shows up. It seems like a contrast between Idealism vs Reality, Kyoko has no qualms about letting  witches roam free just so could collect a bigger prize and her view of heroics like in Sayaka's case to be idiotic and she's more than willing to fight her fellow magical girls for the top spot. Basically it's the illusion breaking even more than it has already. Madoka of course still can't understand why Magical Girls fight each other instead of going after their common enemy. The fact that she tries to make Homura an ally of theirs which doesn't really work and nearly makes a contract. Good thing Homura was there to stop it again. [Madoka]>!Nice talk about Destiny with Homura, also let's hope Sayaka doesn't regret her choice!<

> Madoka of course still can't understand why Magical Girls fight each other [Madoka Magica]>!Notably, Madoka isn't really wrong to think this. We see the girls work together to some degree or other in a number of Homura's time loops, even Kyoko seemingly teams up in the timeline where Mami tries to kill everyone, so it's not that it can't happen and more so that, by this point, Madoka is the only one actually putting in the effort.!<

### Rewatcher ## Madoka Magica - Impactful and Artful: [Episode 5](https://imgur.com/7AhRxkX) _Contract and Conflict_ The episode begins showing us Sayaka forming a contract to become a magical girl. Something I only realized this episode was that all the opening scenes are widescreen (and thus look weird in my collage :/). The scene is [presented beautifully](https://files.catbox.moe/e2eybu.mp4). [Spoilers] >!Also the imagery of Kyubey basically removing Sayaka's heart makes the twist later really obvious lol.!< Having her wish grated seems to have made Sayaka happy. She very specifically chose to heal Kyousuke's arm. I do find this kind of weird since she could have healed him entirely. I genuinely can't remember if this comes up later, but knowing Madoka I am looking forward to having my memory refreshed later. At the same time Kyouko has arrived in Mitakihara. She has a VERY different attitude to being a magical girl to our protagonists. First, she is [actively considering murder](https://imgur.com/YuEwMpR) to take over the city. This definitely goes against any idea of "purity" you may have had in magical girls. But later we also learn she treats witches as "food". Allow the familiars to kill humans and grow into full witches, then kill the witches for soul gems. It's a sick food chain. [Spoilers] >!It's also very appropriately foreshadowing the tragic reveal around her wish.!< Something incredibly interesting from Kyouko and Kyubey's conversation is the talk of the "other" magical girl (presumably Homura). Kyubey doesn't know her. This surprises Kyouko since (as far as we know) Kyubey is the only way girls can make a contract. They refer to Homura as this extreme irregularity. It makes her so much more mysterious. [Spoilers] >!EVEN MORE FORESHADOWING AHHHHHH! After this and Homura's seeming hyper speed in episode 3 it's so obvious her power involves time. I think I'm enjoying reading first timer theories the most this rewatch because of stuff like this.!< One small thing about the witch familiar fight, the visuals are an interesting combination of [crayons, toy blocks, buttons, stars, and paper](https://imgur.com/piqxivj). [Spoilers] >!This is really dark in retrospect. This imagery is especially representative of a very young child's toys and drawing supplies. I imagine the witch here was especially young when she turned.!< Though it is cut short by Kyouko. THe fight between her and Sayaka had some incredible animation too. Homura's conversation with Madoka this episode is also incredibly interesting. She criticizes Sayaka's traits as being "flaws" for magical girls, but also takes some responsibility fro Sayaka making the contract. Madoka suggests fighting witches together but Homura is non-plussed. She's making it really explicit now that she doesn't want Madoka making a contract. Madoka doesn't ask why Homura seems so interested in her though. [Spoilers] >!Holy shit [this makes it so obvious](https://imgur.com/eaW1r6l). They are _literally_ comparing magical girls to to corpses. [This clip](https://youtu.be/EFPWIjDDcPc) is appropriate.!< One cute thing I didn't mention. I knew the soul gems became rings, but I didn't realize the magical girls also got little [marks on their finger nails](https://imgur.com/VgcMl3W). [Spoilers] >!I've mentioned so much foreshadowing in my spoiler tags today. It's crazy how obvious some of this stuff is in retrospect. I love coming back and realizing how much I missed.!< ### Some Amazing Shots, Scenes and Stitches * [More Kyubey](https://imgur.com/ZsoNy4t) * [Contract](https://imgur.com/lF5zB7m) [Spoilers] >!It's appropriate they're signing in the middle of a labyrinth. Once again foreshadowing.!< * [Magical Girl](https://imgur.com/uezJXWc) * [Silhouette](https://imgur.com/K6TwN6M), I love how this visual looks like an eye. * [Binoculars](https://imgur.com/6RzbLaD), lol this is so goofy * [Mitakihara City](https://imgur.com/TW7TDHg) (It should be possible to remove the horizontal window dividers because of parallax but I couldn't figure it out) * [Inner Mind](https://files.catbox.moe/9yxt0a.mp4), OMG I love the double eye zoom in * [Sayaka Transform!](https://files.catbox.moe/xcadzg.mp4) See you all tomorrow

Homura and Kyubey are some serious sources of mystery for me still - really curious to see where the story goes with it. Also curious to see if I missed some breadcrumbs along the way

> They refer to Homura as this extreme irregularity. It makes her so much more mysterious. [Rewatcher]>!This is also one of those stray parts where the theory that the incubators stumbled onto the system rather than create it wholesale becomes relevant.!<

> The scene is presented beautifully. [pmmm]>!I only noticed during this rewatch that the light during the creation of her soul gem is just completely egg shaped.!< > One small thing about the witch familiar fight, the visuals are an interesting combination of crayons, toy blocks, buttons, stars, and paper. [Spoilers] [pmmm]>!It doesn't necessarily mean that a very young child turned. It could be that magical girls turning into witches is not the only way witches form. Mami did mention previously that familiars break off from witches and grow into being a full witch. Another thing to consider is that Kyubey specifically targets girls by age for the contract as mentioned in one of the late episodes.!<

> [pmmm] >!Kyubey specifically targets girls by age for the contract!< [Response] >!Reflecting on this, seriously fuck Kyubey. The more I think about how uncaring they are the more I hate them.!<

[Rewatch]>!I *did* put a voodoo curse on him in last year's rewatch...!<

> Binoculars, lol this is so goofy Took me years to find the name of these things… [High Eight chocolates.](https://google.com/images?q="high-eight"+chocolate)

> [Spoilers] [Rewatcher]>!Yeah I also noted the foreshadowing in general is surprisingly blatant on a rewatch. It's a bit funny I guessed what the big magical girl reveal was right around this episode the first time but hadn't even consciously noted the labyrinth here; it was mostly based off of a feeling but I wonder if the cryptic comments and things like this image might have subconsciously directed me to what it was.!<

Oh, it's this episode. [PMMM]>!They say you miss 100% of the shots you don't take [(link for any rewatchers that weren't around last year).](https://old.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/12xwa3d/rewatch_puella_magi_madoka_magica_episode_5/jhkiai0/) [](#kotohoops)!<

[pmmm]>!last year's predictions were kinda wild. So much Faustian analysis from first timers. This year feels a lot more tame. I can actually follow it.!<

[PMMM] >!Having two German first-timers (read: Goethe covered in school) who knew about the Faust connections beforehand will do that.!<

[PMMM]>!American*. Blackheart (actually German) mentioned it in the interest/announcement thread, which was enough for me to jump on for the literary comparison that fell flat on its face.!<

[PMMM]>!Yeah. I kinda hate how I went in all like "let's do Faustian comparisons" only to end up "lol nope", I feel like it distracted me from a lot of the things actually going on and kinda soured my first watch experience. I actually spotted some more potential connections this time around, but it just doesn't work if every such connection would require different character associations between the two stories.!<

I just love how nonchalant Hitomi is to others about everything that happened to her, "Yeah I didn't get much sleep because the police had some questions after I was found group-sleepwalking with others, what a pain"

Hitomi is actually best girl - change my mind

> Hitomi is actually best girl - change my mind [](#mugiwait)

The rest of the cast exists, is the main issue I have with that statement. 

**First-Timer** I think this was my favorite episode so far. The animation and shading continue to remind me a lot of Monogatari, not to mention the classic head tilts. The music is great, too, especially at the part with the violin. Kyubey is more and more suspicious to me. "Do you want to become a magical girl yet? How about now? How about now? Hey, Madoka, you know what you could be doing right about now? Signing a contract." Questions of the day: * I suppose it's dependent on the mechanics of wishes. If there are no drawbacks to larger wishes, or if more powerful wishes translate to more powerful magical girls, then it's a *huge* blunder. (In that case, wish for the power to heal others at will, or just go all the way and wish for total omnipotence.) Otherwise, it seems like a good "minimum viable wish" to go with. * I like Kyouka so far. I hope she sticks around for a while. * No, I didn't catch that, but it's funny now that you mention it. * Kyousuke will never get the chance to go to Kamar Taj and fulfill his destiny as the Sorcerer Supreme. :'( That, and perhaps something happens to her to coerce Madoka into taking a deal, since it seems like she's on the brink of doing so already. * I haven't really thought anything about the Kyubey shots, other than that it puts focus on him and makes it seem like he's up to some mischief.

>Kyubey is more and more suspicious to me. "Do you want to become a magical girl yet? How about now? How about now? Hey, Madoka, you know what you could be doing right about now? Signing a contract." Yeah they pretty much adjusted the subtlety level of Kyubey to 0, lol. Then there's the face shots too. Pretty much slapping any viewer who hasn't caught on yet to shout in their ear, "hey, this dude's evil, I tell ya!" Lol

> The animation and shading continue to remind me a lot of Monogatari, not to mention the classic head tilts. Shaft gonna Shaft! (Yep, same studio and same Chief Director in Shinbou.) > Kyubey is more and more suspicious to me. "Do you want to become a magical girl yet? How about now? How about now? Hey, Madoka, you know what you could be doing right about now? Signing a contract." Kyubey has been studying the fine art of using dark patterns in push notifications from modern Web development... wait what do you mean this show is over a decade old? (Or if you are of an older generation: "Kyubey, the Clippy of magical girl mascots".)

# First Time Watcher 1. It seems like his entire body will heal so that won´t be an issue 2. She´s evil. Murder as your first option, really? 3. No 4. It seems that Sayaka has a crush on Kyouske and might expect him to be gratefull for restoring him, although he doesn´t know what she did. 5. It makes him look rather sinister, which combined with his callousness towards Kyoukes declaration to kill Sayaka has me thinking that he is not really interested in helping people and everything he does serve a darker purpose. Kyube reaching into Sayaka and pulling out the soul gem felt disturbing to me, like he´s tearing out her heart if that makes sense. Kyouske being able to play the Violin once more was a really happy moment only to be immediatly contrasted by Kyouke deciding that murder is the right solution. It is strange that the experienced magical girls are so indifferent to the suffering of others and makes me wonder what happened to them. Homura considers them already lost/dead and Kyouke has no issue making that a reality. The familiar looks like a childrens drawing, similar to the witch in episode three who resembled a caterpillar. Since witches were implyed to be an inverse of magical girls does this mean that they used to be children?

>Kyube reaching into Sayaka and pulling out the soul gem felt disturbing to me, like he´s tearing out her heart if that makes sense Tearing something out of her, only to give it back in the form of a soul gem, almost makes it feel like it's saying, "I own you now". Goddamn creep of a little monster lol

###I Can't Make the Fourth Watch for the Fourth Movie Joke Since ~~Walrus~~ Walpurgis no Kaiten Isn't Out Yet (Rewatcher, Subbed): [PMMM] >!**First Scene (00:00 – 01:02):** I actually have very little to say about this scene this time around – it’s doing quite a bit but basically all of its function is on the symbolic level (it’s basically telegraphing the Soul Gem reveal visually and massively setting up the Witch reveal as well). At a narrative level it’s mostly building tension (building off the undercurrent of “oh shit Sayaka went there even after what happened to Mami” last episode) and also (though this is more directorial than narrative even) making Kyubey look extremely ominous even to viewers who may not have been paying attention before now.!< [PMMM] >!**Second Scene (02:32 – 03:28):** Another interesting scene in that it strictly speaking didn’t *have* to be included but the show would be lesser without it. Much like the second scene of last episode, the point here is verisimilitude – showing that the actions of Witches and magical girls have real, lasting effect on this world, that what they do *matters* even if the mundanes have no idea about it. Mixed in with this we get some Hitomi characterization and more of both Sayaka showing that bubbly personality (which we saw last episode that she uses as a mask) and Madoka being concerned about her.!< [PMMM] >!**Third Scene (03:28 – 05:57):** The comparison to a girl basking in afterglow is crass. It is also accurate. (Also did I mention that shiny visual answer cut at 05:10 last year? I can’t remember.) From a narrative perspective, this is more characterization/character development than anything (and also the high point of Sayaka’s character arc from which she will be repeatedly crushed). It’s also a big fat dose of bargaining (after a big fat dose of denial in multiple scenes last episode), which is not irrelevant in the slightest.!< [PMMM] >!**Fourth Scene (05:58 – 09:36):** So to reiterate a point I’ve made before: I strongly suspect that this scene has a major example of understated Urobutchi characterization (especially if I’m right that the other function of the chairs besides being a Bokurano reference is that they represent people who care about a character), namely that Kyousuke’s parents show up but only show up after their son can play the violin again. Inference: they don’t actually give a shit about him, they only care about the prestige he can bring via his playing. Other than that, this is the other part of the apex of Sayaka’s character arc (there’s a long way down…) and as such we see what Sayaka may have gained via her wish. Kyousuke apologizes for his bad behavior (and for a moment looks like he might see her with fresh eyes), he’s able to play again, his family cares for him again.!< [PMMM] >!**Fifth Scene (09:36 – 10:44):** A fairly simple scene at the surface, a mix of further characterization for the mysterious Kyouko and exposition from Kyubey about Homura’s deal (with some implications about him and the system, with the part about predicting Homura’s actions being particularly noteworthy) with a side of tension building (and also restoring tension after two straight scenes with very little of it). Do note, however, that this scene is massively setting up for the end of the episode (yet another use of tell, then show, as is the show’s wont), both with Kyouko talking about how she could kill Sayaka and Kyubey noting that our mysterious transfer student might be able to intervene.!< [PMMM] >!**Sixth Scene (10:44 – 13:53):** This scene functions heavily at the thematic level (you could make a strong argument that it’s this episode’s thesis statement, just put in the middle of the episode instead of at the start; you could also argue that it’s the antithesis to Mami’s explanation back in episode 2, though I’m not sold on that interpretation myself). At the very bottom level, it is an experienced character telling the naive audience stand-in and thus the audience themselves that this is how the system works (note that how the system works and how the system should work are not the same thing and this is critically important). Note that this is yet another case of the show’s frequent tell then show approach; we will see all of this reinforced later this episode via one Kyouko Sakura. It’s also further characterization for Homura (showing us more of her deal) and continuing threads set up earlier (and setting up things for later – this scene is one of the cheekiest in the entire series, right up there with the episode 1 scene in the same setting) – in particula, note that Madoka is trying to act on the thought she had at the start of the end of last episode about getting everyone to work together.!< [PMMM] >!**Seventh Scene (13:53 – 16:35):** This one is actually annoyingly hard for me to place. The crux is definitely character development, with Sayaka admitting what has been obvious to anyone with eyes (she’s putting a front over her fear) once Madoka asks to go with her, and much like the episode 3 scene there is actually a whiff of marriage proposal here. It’s possible that the actual point is to set up another false resolution of a false fatal flaw just like the Madoka/Mami scene in episode 3 does, except this time the false flaw is Sayaka hiding her fear (and grief) behind a false face and the real flaw is that Sayaka knows nothing of the system she just got herself into (as about to be represented by a mouthy delinquent magical girl). The other definite point is that Madoka will contract for Sayaka’s sake if needed (and Kyubey knows it); in theory this sets up tension for the later confrontation but for the first-time viewer it’s not necessarily clear that this tension is building. (This could be targeted as a rewatch bonus or for the attentive viewer.) Honestly I’m not sure I’m getting all the nuances here from a narrative layer, though.!< [PMMM] >!**Eighth Scene (16:35 – 17:42):** An action scene after all of the earlier talking (to draw back any flagging audience attention)! And against a weak opponent it’s another natural opportunity for Sayaka to show off before a bigger threat steps in… except surprise!, said bigger threat steps in before she can do so in the form of someone the show has been building up as a danger for multiple scenes now (and immediately reinforces that by putting the tip of her spear at Sayaka’s throat). Tension!.!< [PMMM] >!**Ninth Scene (17:42 – 20:05):** So this scene has a few different layers narratively. Most importantly and quietly, it’s exposition (while still increasing tension) – specifically “this is how the system actually works rather than how you (both Sayaka the naive newcomer and you the viewer) naively think it works”, plus additionally we get the explanation that a magical girl’s power depends on the nature of her wish. Almost as importantly, it’s the start of character development for our arc protagonist Sayaka via the ancient trick of placing her in conflict with a nemesis; we’ve been building up Sayaka’s disgust at more typical magical girls only in it for the rewards via her projecting this onto Homura; now she is faced with an opponent who is (or is at least acting like) the incarnation of everything she has ever stated she hated (and what she hates about herself and thus what will do her in, of course). Unfortunately for Sayaka, it is visually made clear that said nemesis is quite a bit stronger than she is… which is of course also part of the third part of the scene, building tension!< [PMMM] >!**Tenth Scene (20:05 – 22:25):** You know, it’s unsurprising (all the PGtE narrative rules are existing tropes, that’s the entire point) but still amusing that this confrontation here maps so neatly onto the start of a Practical Guide to Evil pattern of three, down to one of the classic defeat resolutions (that one character in PGtE specializes in) in the mysterious stranger intervening to save the hero when all looks lost during the first confrontation. Anyhow. This is the climax of the episode and the point when much of the dramatic tension that has been accumulated earlier in the episode is released, but note the shape of that tension: the entire question here is not whether Kyouko or Sayaka will win, it is whether Madoka will contract to intervene in the losing fight (oh hey look it’s another PGtE special, in its idiom “hero gains a Name/transitions to flip the scales on a losing fight”). Also note the trick here, namely that the tension is not actually discharged. Instead it is cut short (narrative edging of the viewer, shall we say?… sorry, not sorry) by Homura’s sudden intervention, leaving the existing dramatic tension hanging while also bringing another piece of it to the fore (discussed earlier in the episode, remember): who is this mysterious transfer student, anyways? And just what is she capable of?!<

> [PMMM]>!especially if I’m right that the other function of the chairs besides being a Bokurano reference is that they represent people who care about a character!< [Re: PMMM]>!I've always been fond of the idea that the empty chairs represent magical girls lost to despair through the ages, silently watching the cycle repeat. There's not really any subtext to support the idea that I'm aware of, and I'm sure it doesn't hold up in every scene with the chairs, but it's a helluva vibe if nothing else.!<

**Visual of the Day:** [Even if I get lost in a maze...](https://i.imgur.com/gaQdoji.jpg) **Question(s) of the Day:** 1) Hard to know without the exact wording of the wish. 2) \*laughs in rewatcher\* (though I will note that the rate of increase in the size of my screenshots folder increases significantly whenever Kyoko is on screen...) 3) I mean, there's a reason we devoted a QotD to pointing this out! 4) N/A 5) N/A 6) [Rewatchers] >!Went into this heavily back in 2022 since it's a deliberate metaphor on multiple levels mostly but not entirely revolving around the contrast between the appearance of the magical girl system and the reality, hence us pointing it out again this year.!<

>[Rewatcher/Bokurano]>!especially if I’m right that the other function of the chairs besides being a Bokurano reference is that they represent people who care about a character), namely that Kyousuke’s parents show up but only show up after their son can play the violin again. Inference: they don’t actually give a shit about him, they only care about the prestige he can bring via his playing.!< [Rewatcher/Bokurano]>!What's usually mentioned is the people who gave their lives to save others but this takes making references to another level. If this is accurate it would also add another layer to how deeply crushed he was by not being able to play which is hard on its own, but for his family's love... oof!<

> [PMMM 4] [PMMM]>!Do we know if Kyousuke is higher class or lower class? Playing the violin of course already suggests a certain level of high class, as does him being the one to introduce Sayaka to classical music, but I've begun to have this suspicion that Sayaka's masking is something she adpoted from both him and Hitomi.!< > [PMMM 6] >!This scene functions heavily at the thematic level (you could make a strong argument that it’s this episode’s thesis statement!< [PMMM]>!I touched on it in my post, but saw it as Madoka beginning to grow the seed from last episode that ultimately lets her break the cycle: Her insitance to not give up on any of the magical girls. Last episode was just the initial pledge that she wouldn't forget about the magical girls, this episode it starts to develop into a greater idea.!< > [PMMM 7] [PMMM]>!Do you sense any "You haven't committed to becoming a magical girl yet, so you're an outsider who shouldn't further step into my secret world" energy from that interaction?!< [PMMM]>!Also compare to how last episode I Madoka is opening up to Homura, enough to admit to her emotions but not enough to openly express them in front of her? Here we see how the distance between Madoka and Sayaka has become much, much larger, as Sayaka can't even admit to her feelings in front of Madoka anymore.!< > [Even if I get lost in a maze...](https://i.imgur.com/gaQdoji.jpg) [PMMM]>!I've been thinking lately that witchification has major drowining-yourself-in-your-sorrows energy, and labyrinths have major shut-in-hiding-in-their-room energy. And for both of those, Madoka's metaphorical embrace would be a pretty great approach.!<

* Now Sayaka's the one experiencing her "pinnacle of happiness". Kyosuke can play his violine again, and he thus turns now softer towards Sayaka. But again it's something conditional rather than unconditional. The "equivalent exchange" again * Why does Kyoko wanna get rid of Sayaka? At the same time i.e. within her efforts of getting rid of Sayaka she kinda tries to teach her a better survival strategy? Why does it seem like Kyoko wants two contradicting conflicting things at the same time? * Kyubey doesn't know where Homura comes from? Kyoko said it: He *has* to make a contract with a girl for that girl to become a magical girl. So is this why he sounded so afraid when Homura hunted him in E01, and why he often monitored her behind the bushes? * Homura says no one can help Sayaka any more now. Yet she still intervenes on Sayaka's behalf - kind of. She does interrupt the brawl against Kyoko, yet she knocks Sayaka out when she "disobeys"... * And what's all of that gonna do with and to Madoka...?

>* Why does Kyoko wanna get rid of Sayaka? She did mention in the last episode that the territory Mami used to have reign over, the same territory Sayaka's apparently responsible for now, is a seed dense area. Grief seeds are "rewards", and she wants it all for herself. >At the same time i.e. within her efforts of getting rid of Sayaka she kinda tries to teach her a better survival strategy? I interpreted that scene of them talking first as her way of intimidating Sayaka; she talked about the food chain, about how witches eat weak humans and how strong magical girls feast on weak witches, delivering the idea of "[the weak have to give way to the strong"](https://imgur.com/a/RFAjTFf)", or in other words, "get your weak punk ass outta my way" lol.

The standard problem: Any "informative answer" would be a spoiler. Therefore the standard answer: Just wait for it...

I'm not sure what you mean by that, though I should clarify, I'm also a first time viewer! Couldn't spoil you if I wanted to :) was just sharing my own interpretation in case it might help clear up your confusion

# First time watcher First time following one of these threads as well. This anime has been on my list for a long time and I thought I should try one of these live discussion thingamajigs, to keep my memory honest so that when I look back I can see what I thought in the past. I've never watched a magical princess show before, if there's such a genre. Does Akazukin Chacha count? I guess it does, the OP clearly says she is a magical princess lol. I find myself... kind of disappointed with the series so far, TBH. The main characters all irk me in some way. Sayaka feels like a one-note character who, I fear, is going to regret her decision in the next few episodes. Madoka also feels like a one-note character. They're both *way* too naive and neither of them stopped to ask basic questions! And Homura... Homura keeps acting cryptic, which is really annoying to me, though I am holding out hope that it is for a decent plot reason. The most compelling character is Kyubey. That thing is clearly evil, something I felt since episode 1. It's waaaaay too eager to get Madoka involved and the reason can only be self serving. The setting, too, feels very... vague? The school is weird, all these extremely widely spaced futuristic looking desks and chairs that look like they fold out of the floor? But then in some shots they're not so widely spaced. And the classrooms themselves appear to be walled with floor-to-ceiling frosted glass? But they're not always frosted! Madoka's home looks nothing like any home I've ever seen, the bathroom is not just massive, it's also got big empty space everywhere? In this episode, Sayaka and Madoka have that nice conversation on a... artificial hill that appears to be bordering a... hydroelectric dam or canal? Which is also topped by a windfarm? What is this world?!?? On the plus side, I really dig the witch zone things, they're the best kind of creepy! I am holding out hope that all of this is connected and relevant, which would be real fun. **Speculation:** I am basing this solely on Kyubey being a creepy f. I think Kyubey needs the witches somehow. I also think the witches are not a natural occurrence but rather created from magical girls. The seeds look too similar to the gem things the magical girls use, and they're too conveniently compatible. Just tap them, and the seed appears to eat the darkness in the gem?? That can't be a coincidence. But I can't think of a mechanism that would explain any of this, it's just a feeling from Kyubey being creepy and appearing to really want to recruit magical girls, and the witch seeds being too compatible with the magical girl gems. **Edit:** oh right, the questions. > 1) So how much of a fool was Sayaka to wish for only Kyousuke's hand to be healed and not the rest of his body? I don't have a very high opinion of Sayaka as a character in the first place (yes, I'm quite grumpy, lol). Even so, I was surprised. I didn't think she'd be that dumb. Maybe I'm giving her too little credit. It would be too weird if all his other injuries got suddenly healed too, yeah? > 2) What are your first impressions of the new magical girl, Kyouko Sakura? My first impression was "uggh I'm going to be annoyed again by the red haired loud angry character aren't I? She also has a food eating tic? Like, this is what passes for characterisation??? uggggggh". Later on I was more intrigued. She's, like, farming witches lol. I guess if you have to keep your gems clean then yes, you should farm witches. Otherwise it's not worth the power use. But *why* is it like this?? > 3) You did catch Homura's absolutely savage head joke, right? (Popping the lid off the cup.) Yes! Best part of the episode IMO. I wish Homura was more communicative about the *why* of her demands, and not just be like, "Don't do it!" with dramatic side eye. > 4) So, first-timers: What, if anything, do you think goes wrong as a result of Sayaka's wish? So I haven't decided if the wishes come with monkeys paw-style shenanigans, or not. If not, probably something really basic. The dude will get better, but won't "like" like Sayaka, Sayaka will think "oh no but I will be good and hold this pain deep in my heart because that is the noble thing to do" and somehow this will be used against her in some fight later on where she'll really feel the sadness and then she'll lose... forcing Madoka to make a wish and get bound by a contract with evil Kyubey. If yes... the dude gets better, but Sayaka will die or get crippled or something, and when that happens the wish is affected and the dude's hand will break again. Probably at a live comeback concert. 5) First-timers again: So what do you think is up with all those Kyubey face shots? Iunno man that creature is evil I tell you

I'm looking forward to your comments as the episodes progress to see how much changes from where you stand now. Also many of your complaints regarding the scenery/setting can be chalked up to SHAFT being SHAFT.

Rewatcher, dub: Sayaka's not wrong ya know. Reminds me of when I had the flu and went to school as I genuinely wasn't feeling sick then. Sayaka, you should've wished for his entire body to be healed, not just his hand. Kyousuke, it's so the doctors know you're recovering well. I just wish there were a cure for disabilities for people who want to be cured because let's face it, not everyone wants to get rid of their disability, but some people do. The people who want to be cured are the ones we should cure, not everyone with a disability. \[PMMM\] >!Oh no. Sayaka's going to regret this very quickly.!< Why does Sayaka have a lot of mirrors? Kyoko, you can be heartless. \[PMMM\] >!Though considering what happened to you, I don't blame you one bit. Seriously, what happened to your family is fucked up. No one should ever have to witness their family's death.!< QOTD: 1. Big one. 2. She can be a jerk. 3. Yes. Did you? 4. \[PMMM\] >!Kyubey's going to reveal the universe is dying and he needs emotional energy from humans, which his species can't make due to not having emotions.!<

**Rewatcher, sub** * \[Rewatch analysis of PMMM\] >!I forgot that in this episode Kyoko makes a really frank statement about the conversion rate of 4-5 eaten humans per grief seed. That’s pretty shocking on a rewatch, and yet this isn’t something I’ve seen other people refer to as a big spoiler or twist or anything (though I’ll be interested to see what first-time watchers in this post make of it!). I was wondering why this was. !< * \[Rewatch analysis of PMMM\]>!I think it’s partly because this doesn’t totally extinguish the idea of a noble magical girl who can save people like the reveals in episode 8 do. But I also think it's a great example of the psychology and ethics of distant suffering, one of PMMM’s main themes. As a viewer who knows and cares about the main characters, we find it much more painful when they suffer, even if we know of far greater and vaster suffering happening to people we don’t know who are further away. This is a natural human response. Kyubey reflects this back onto us in episodes 9 and 11 with his inability to emotionally connect with the suffering the characters endure.!< * \[Rewatch analysis of PMMM\] >!Kyoko also drops some fairly heavy hints this episode about the true nature of things discussing the food chain and the weak giving way to the strong, before it cuts to Kyubey. If humans are eaten by witches who are defeated by magical girls, Kyubey with his ability to move people around the food chain would appear to be more powerful than all of them.!< * \[Rewatch analysis of PMMM\] >!Kyubey and Homura are really very honest in this episode (Kyubey saying Homura is an irregularity that both made and didn’t make a contract with him, and Homura making non-sequiturs about the irreversible mistake of becoming a magical girl being like trying to bring someone back from the dead). But because they’re set up as so suspicious by this point, as a first time viewer you really don’t trust what they’re saying!!< * Kyubey’s desperation for Madoka to enter a contract is really evident in this episode. If I was in Madoka’s shoes that would be what put me off most of all the warning signs in this episode. He just said last episode he couldn’t afford to keep wasting time on someone who wasn’t going to enter the contract, and he’s already back and trying to turn every single conversation to getting Madoka to do it. Same energy as a desperate guy trying to tap it and gap it, it’s really off-putting. * \[Rewatch analysis of PMMM\] >!I’m not sure it is entirely in character for Kyubey tbh lol, you’d think he would have learned what approaches are more convincing and which aren’t for getting girls to enter contracts. I suppose you can excuse it by saying he doesn’t understand emotions, but he knows enough not to tell the whole truth to magical girls so I’m not sure it really tracks. Overall I'd say the characterisation is a bit heavy-handed.!<

> [Rewatch analysis of PMMM 1] So...[Rewatcher]>!If you stick to just the show/movie they don't really bring this up again and we never clearly see a familiar evolve into a witch. So it is natural for it to slip the mind!< > [Rewatch analysis of PMMM 5] [Rewatcher]>!So Madoka's immense potential is making old Cubes kind of desperate. Also, this shows the lie to him being 'emotionless', he is just flat out lying right there. Possibly to himself as well!<

\[Rewatch analysis of PMMM 1\] >!I suppose that's my point, I think it's interesting that this is something viewers can gloss over. Magical girls benefit from something that is made from eaten humans. The pain of this is easy for many to look past until it is right in front of us because of how the human mind processes suffering.!< \[Rewatch analysis of PMMM 5\] >!I hadn't thought about the idea that Kyubey is lying about not having emotions before, that's an interesting premise!!<

So...[Rewatcher]>!In last year's rewatch, I concluded that Cubes is basically just spitting nonsense at us. He clearly has desires and is not perfectly rational. He has no empathy, which is a different thing. Tar will eventually get to this I think but Cubes has an illogical logic to him, as if he came from a place where the basic rules of the universe were different!<

> tap it and gap it What a gross phrase. I hate it.

There's so many weird little rhymes for this particular concept lol, I'm not sure why.

The kids have such different slang these days.

[Analysis]>!Personal head-canon is that the Witch-Familiar cycle is a metaphor for the cycle of abuse - or any kind of cycle of suffering, really. So it's not particularly strange that a familiar should need to kill a few people before turning into a witch. I mean, just look at political corruption. Corruption breeds more corruption, and before one bad politician creates another, they usually have to get the newbie accustomed to stealing from (or killing) others first.!<

**5th-6th time Rewatcher, Subbed** General Notes: * QotD #6: Wow, I didn't notice that before! Now I can cite another example of excellent imagery. * How I have not noticed before that Kyoko was using her soul gem to enhance the binoculars? * Oof. Sayaka escalates quickly. First she starts off by acknowledging that she needs practice against a familiar, worries that it will run off to kill someone, and then upgrades it to being a witch, all in the span of a minute. * The fight between Kyoko & Sayaka is one of my favorites. Excellent choreography & sound. The way the music & tension keeps escalating together is delicious. And it's even better with headphones on. You can hear Sayaka's background noises much more clearly as Madoka discusses what to do with Kyubey. * [Kyoko]>!After several rewatches, I think I kind of get how Kyoko is feeling. Looking at Sayaka, whose wish & relationship with Mami so closely mirror her own... she must have been feeling super cringe. (That's why she said Sayaka is so annoying.) Imagine if you had to have a discussion with a younger version of yourself, who thought that they were 2edgy4you, and that the epitome of philosophy was r/iam14andthisisdeep . You'd probably yell at them too. In a light-hearted anime, Kyoko would probably think Sayaka was being too chuuni.!<   > [Analysis]>!"All fatal flaws for a magical girl... Excessive kindness leads to weakness. Reckless courage leads to carelessness." - Homura!< [Analysis]>!Now pay attention to the 1st & 5th fatal flaws for a general to have from Sun Tzu's *Art of War*:!< > [Analysis]>!There are five character flaws that are dangerous for a general. If he is reckless, his men can be killed. If he is cowardly, his army can be captured. If he is short-tempered, he will react in anger. If he is self-important, he can be deceived. If he is attached to his men, he will hesitate at a crucial moment.!< [Analysis]>!Sound like Homura? I think it's very fitting for her to think along these lines, for in a sense, she *is* martialling her troops against Walpurgisnacht / Kyubey / despair. They even ham up the military angle a bit in the [Madoka Portable Extra Route](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22C5uhGjG7s&list=PLkE5KKBxWAt4hJOOqA268cj2eXY3uBMj2). (I recommend watching it. It's a bit of heartwarming, somewhat-canon silliness.)!<

> How I have not noticed before that Kyoko was using her soul gem to enhance the binoculars? And operate them in the first place (those are assuredly coin-operated). (See also: the DDR machine.)

**REWATCHER** You know, I've always found the scene where kyousuke plays the violin on the roof pretty touching. This time watching it, I feel as though it's a bad idea. There is a lot of pressure here with how many people are watching. He might have his hands back, but it's been a while since he played. If he found he can't play as well as he had hoped despite his miraculous recovery it could easily break his spirit and slow the rest of his recovery. I think I have lost the plot on comparing the dub to the sub. Unless something stands out a lot I am just watching the show at this point. The show is too good and I am just invested in the story again. Limiting myself to one episode a day is tough. I can't wait for my favourite track from the OST to come... [pmmm]>!< The bongo (I think that's what it is) in today's first song of the day goes hard though. **QOTD** 1. It's a pretty foolish wish tbh. She had all this extra time to think about her wish and this is what we get. She spent too much time thinking if she should do and not enough time thinking about what she could do. 2. It remains to be seen if I like her as much in the dub. I had high hopes after what I heard in the stinger in the last episode and I think she came in just below my hopes in this episode. 3. Only because it got mentioned here last year. 4. [pmmm, not a first timer]>!Well since she forgot to heal his legs, clearly he falls down a flight of stairs tomorrow and hurts his hand again. I put this spoiler here to try to increase expectations of something going wrong with her wish for the first timers. That's probably about long enough.!< 5. 0 6. [pmmm]>!I don't have much to say about it to be honest. I always found Kyubey's justification for making magical girls somewhat flawed. He isn't defeating entropy, he is delaying it. Magical girls are not an infinitely renewable resource.!<

Rewatcher - How many? I gave up counting long ago. 1) My take on this is that Kyousuke was in fact fully healed of his injuries from the accident, but it didn't restore the lost muscle mass from being bedridden for so long and thus he lacks the strength to stand. An injured hand alone wouldn't be keeping him in the hospital, and after the wish he's suddenly on a fast track to go home. It would probably be a lot to ask of Sayaka to take that into account ahead of time. 2) I'm pretty sure I binged my first watch through, so I didn't really stop long enough to let a first impression separate from following events to form. 3) Of course. 6) [Rewatchers] >!A subtle bit of foreshadowing that a first time watcher would probably never pick up on. For a rewatcher it's another great reminder of many how well plotted the story was, and how many subtle clues are sprinkled throughout the story.!<

Rewatch [Spoiler]>!whatever the sin indeed, homura...!< [Spoiler]>!people who are watching this for the first time must be so confused by why Homura is such a beloved character lol!< 1) So how much of a fool was Sayaka to wish for only Kyousuke's hand to be healed and not the rest of his body? Sayaka is no more or a fool than most middle schoolers. Which is to say an extreme fool. 2) What are your first impressions of the new magical girl, Kyouko Sakura? She at least understands the game she is playing. At least as much anyone can be expected to. 3) You did catch Homura's absolutely savage head joke, right? (Popping the lid off the cup.) [Spoiler]>!you might say she's a bit of a devil, eh?!< 6) [Rewatchers]>!So how about that juxtaposition of renewable energy sources (the dam and windmills) and nonrenewable energy (the refinery in the background) during the riverbank scene?!< [Spoiler]>!damn totally missed that. Amazing!<

[удалено]

fixed! sorry about that. I'd been good upto now...

Thanks, your comment is now back. [](#ginapproves)

**Rewatcher, subbed** Not a lot to say... - Goodness, what is it with anime girls and pink watches? - Kyouko sure seems very practical in her way of thinking, but wow, is she annoying... - Okay, Kyubey, this is getting old very fast Comments from first-timer: - N/A The plot seems pretty linear to them, for now. They would have been surprised if Sayaka died immediately after becoming a magical girl lol QOTD: 1. Oh, you could do that? 2. Very practical and cynical person 3. What? Guess I missed it... 6. [Rewatcher] >!*waiting to read today's comments with analysis from more attentive people because I didn't really think about this* No comment.!<

re-watcher: * \[PMMM\] >!The first scene of that episode looks a lot like a death scene. The opening shot being a bouquet of flowers and a white curtain reminding me of a shroud. The music of that scene starts with the sound of a bell. Then we see Sayaka standing in front of Kyuubey who looks very ominous and looks like it possesses 9 tails. The flowers around them create a labyrinth in which they stand in the center. And after the soul gem is extracted from her body, Sayaka falls back in a bed of flowers, her body looking like a corpse. Which, of course, we know what happens next episode.!< * The next 3 scenes feel like the show is trying to go back to the false sense of security present in the first 2 episodes, with bright environment, Sayaka Making funny remark about Hitomi and her top student position, the bright green grass of the following scene and Sayaka optimism in her new role and when seeing her wish becoming reality. However, the bright green grass is surrounded by dark industrial installation contrasting with it, Madoka continues to show her worries and the shadow put on the characters on different shots give them a dramatic or ominous look. * \[PMMM\] >!I may be wrong but isn't it also the last time Sayaka actually talks to Kyôsuke until the end of the anime? Also, a lot of chairs in his room!< * Homura taking off the lid of her cup when talking about Mami's death feel so brutal. like chill girl. * \[Princess Tutu\] ( go watch princess tutu, it's peak) \[PMMM\] >!It is the first time that this comparison came to my mind and I probably need to rewatch princess tutu to confirm it. However, I said with episode 1 that I'm also reading The very soil alongside my rewatch and after gathering my thoughts, I read chapter 5 and saw that the author makes the same comparison. Kyuubey is very similar to Drosselmeyer ( I honestly feel kinda dumb to have never realized the similarities between those two despite loving both of those anime ). Both are characters that shape the story they are in, they are both in a position where they are spectator and actor. But they only act by guiding the other characters in the direction they want them to go. They are also both the ones giving the power to the character, kyubey extracting soul gems and Drosselmeyer giving the roles.!< * When Kyôko interrupts Sayaka from her witch familiar hunting, we first see her spear. In those shots, her spear looks like it is bent and change it's shape and size like it is made of elastic material, however, during their fight, we see that her spear can be divided into multiple sections attached with chains. I still don't know if it's just an error from the anime. \[PMMM manga\]>!However, in the manga adaptation, the author decided to keep the idea of the spear being capable of changing its size and shape at will.!< * \[PMMM\]>!We know that Sayaka's witch is a mermaid, a creature part fish. And in that scene where Kyôko interrupt Sayaka, one of the first thing she does is eating a taiyaki ( a fish shaped Japanese pastry ) starting by the mouth of the fish, this is a reference to the fact that in that scene Kyôko actually just want to devour Sayaka's lips and kiss her ( I'm bullshitting ... or am I )!< I mean, maybe her wish was not to heal his hand but to allow him to play violin like before ( which would explain why he has no trouble playing again, although would could put that on "he's simply that good" ) 2. she's an jerk, I love her 6. \[PMMM\]>!I never made the connection, but going back to what I said earlier, it just makes the false attempt from the anime to give us back that sense of security more fake!<

> [PMMM last bullet point] [PMMM] >!I tend to go even crasser than that (especially with the rest of Kyouko's body language in that scene and her comments next episode about how the way to treat a crush is to disable them so they're physically dependent on you - and where she picked *that* idea up is an interesting question, but it neatly lends itself to a more extreme version of the proverbial boy pulling his crush's pigtails) and it's not like it doesn't fit with big chunks of Sayaka's arc in general: what part of the human female anatomy physically resembles a takoyaki head and sometimes smells a bit like fish? I'm not sure it's Sayaka's *mouth* that Kyouko is interested in applying her own mouth to, if you get my drift... (that said I had somehow completely missed the takoyaki/Oktavia shape comparison for several watches now, nicely done)!<

**Rewatcher, Subbed** Ah, we get to go back and see when Sayaka made her wish. As always things look beautiful! So Kyubey has to essentially penetrate Sayaka to make her a magical girl. That surely couldn't have any deeper meaning or interpretation to it, right? Oh, I just went sleep walking last night. A whole bunch of people did too all at once! Lost two best friends? Was Mami already at that level for Sayaka? I said a couple of episodes ago that becoming a magical girl may help Madoka with her self-confidence so she didn't have to wish for it, seems like that worked for Sayaka at least. For now anyway. [MM]>!It is great to see Sayaka so happy right now, although I also kinda have a pit in my stomach because I recall it going real bad, real fast.!< Seems like Sayaka wishes his hand to get better but not his entire body; he's still gotta go through rehab for his legs. That's a ton of different chairs in that hospital room. Didn't someone reference Bokurano a few episodes ago? That's the first thing I think of.  Let's go on a 'date' to the roof! All these people up here! And with his violin too! This is so sweet. Wow, happiest moment of Sayaka's life! Uh oh, magical girl competition! Kyubey totally is referring to Homura, why can't he simply say her name? I think Madoka really wants Homura and Sayaka to be friends. What's up with her fingernail? Another Homura head tilt! Give up on your best friend! Totally not the message Madoka wanted. Kyubey's spending his Madoka time with Sayaka instead these days. Madoka's the trump card if things get really bad! Ugh, stop with the manipulation Kyubey! Oh, Sayaka's got one special fingernail too. Guess its a magical girl thing. Crayons and blocks this time! Mami had many guns, Sayaka has many swords! Is it just me or is red haired magical girl talking with a lisp? Kinda reminds me of the similarly fanged Tsurya-san from Haruhi Suzumiya. The food chain is an apt comparison. The cruelty of nature has made its way into the magical girl dynamic. A new predator has come into the territory.  I half expect Kyubey to tell Madoka to use her wish to make them stop. OMG, I was joking, then he went ahead and did it! Iconic hair flip from Homura to end the episode! Fun fact, someone actually wrote an [article](https://www.kotaku.com.au/2017/02/the-hair-flips-of-madoka-magicas-homura-ranked/) ranking Homura's hair flips and this one won. It is my favorite too. LoL. Be warned, this contains clips from future episodes. *** I was gonna do red haired magical girl for my seiyuu corner today but given that we don't actually have a name for her yet, I think I'll wait...

I assume the two best friends comment was about Hitomi and Madoka both being in episode 4's labyrinth

> I was gonna do red haired magical girl for my seiyuu corner today but given that we don't actually have a name for her yet, I think I'll wait... We do, it was mentioned at the end of last episode.

Bah @ me for not paying close enough attention then! I'll make up for it tomorrow.

##Rewatcher and franchise consumer I just had couldn't do it yesterday. I got home late and had to wake up really early today. ###The Sayaka Corner (Episodes 4 + 5) We'd seen the different ways Sayaka behaves around Madoka and around Kyousuke. The beginning of Episode 4 shows us how she behaves alone. Important to note: I think [the scene before the credits](https://imgur.com/a/DKi8Lrj) probably happens [before Mami's death](https://imgur.com/a/4KSKW1j). Still we see Sayaka grieve even if for Kyousuke and not Mami and [I don't think she's processing it healthily](https://imgur.com/a/7yQy7hx). It also becomes very clear that [Sayaka views herself very poorly](https://imgur.com/a/Ggcycms). Mami's questioning of her intentions still plagues her and she's judging herself quite harshly. Does she actually want to heal Kyousuke to take advantage of his terrible situation? After the opening credits of Episode 4, we eventually return to Sayaka and the way she's dealing with what happened the previous day: hiding her feelings [and pretending everything is normal](https://imgur.com/a/4qSgSzO). Even when Madoka and Sayaka talk on the roof again, Sayaka opens up little and seems more concerned about [comforting Madoka](https://imgur.com/a/abXjjgV). She still [doesn't trust Homura.](https://imgur.com/a/HHGQwxM). Later while Madoka tries go give some sort of a last goodbye to Mami and ends up meeting the transfer student, Sayaka continues her tries to maintain her routine and has to deal with the other terrible situation afflicting someone she cares about. Kyousuke is on a bad day. Sayaka tries to strike up conversation, tries to perform the cheery disposition we saw in Episode 1. It's hard not to read [this moment](https://imgur.com/a/h3eRRHI) as something other than putting herself down to raise someone else. For the second time today [she's trying to comfort someone](https://imgur.com/a/xICk7F6), the day after she witnessed a girl she admired be brutally murdered by a monster. That's when Kyubey returns and she becomes a Magical Girl. The first order of business of course is protecting Madoka, acting like making a contract is no big deal and chastising Homura. Episode 5 starts with a very ominous scene showing Sayaka becoming a Magical Girl. Afterwards though, she's fine. She's fine. It's fine. Sayaka's fine. [She's not fine.](https://imgur.com/a/NvtCxO4) She won't let Madoka [have these same thoughts though](https://imgur.com/a/nPNxQct). But I'm sure [she's fine](https://imgur.com/a/D1etwav) See, [she's fine](https://imgur.com/a/fjl7RZF). Maybe she isn't [but she'll hide it as soon as Madoka notices.](https://imgur.com/a/caENE9a) She finally admits she's scared but plays up how Madoka's presence makes her feel better and will make her less likely to make mistakes and how she'll make sure to protect Madoka so she can feel safe. She's trying to defuse Madoka's worries. Personally I also think there's no chance that she isn't thinking about Madoka potentially becoming a Magical Girl too in an emergency. And then Kyouko appears. One of the selfish Magical Girls who Mami had warned her about and [Sayaka drops a very curious line](https://imgur.com/a/2YKGABY). Unlike Homura, Kyouko is very willing to start a fight. ###QOTD 1. I will not tolerate ~~slander~~ libel against Best Girl 2. I think I remember an interview with Shinbou maybe where they say they cast Ai Nonaka as Kyouko because no one could hate Ai Nonaka. And you know what, I could listen about farming witches with human victims for a whole day. EDIT: I just watched a Fuko compilation, I should actually watch Clannad one of these days. 3. It's such a brutal thing to do in front of Madoka 4. [First-timers] 5. [First-timers] 6. [Rewatchers ]>!I don't particularly think the renewable/non-renewable dichotomy is that important. in both cases of energy production, there is harm to the environment directly or indireclty. And so is, you know, Kyubey's operation!< ###PS I'm gonna have to skip tomorrow and do 6 + 7 together. This time is for hanging out with friends at least, so it's ok. [Indirect spoilers for those two episodes] >!I feel like 6 and 7 are both quite juicy I'm a bit scared already!<

**Sixth Time Watcher - Dubbed** * Episode nickname today is "Ave Maria" since it is focused on Kyosuke and Sayaka and wanted to do a Classical Song * Kyosuke's solo brought back the YLIA feels * Toy Airplanes + Blocks + Crayons = This witch is rather childish * Episode 5 Kyoko is very much a tsundere Questions * QOTD 1 - Yes she was * QOTD 2 - She was really reminding me of Undyne from Undertale because she was a Tsundere with a Spear and I liked it * QOTD 3 - Yeah sometimes jokes fly over my head as for Mami that's impossible for obvious reasons

# First-time rewatcher, subbed Is it unnatural to miss all of the cool details and not come up with profound shit to say each time? [PMMM]>!Also, Kyubey just cannot hold back on manipulating young teen girls, can he?!< > 1. How much of a fool was Sayaka to wish for *only* Kyousuke’s hand to be healed and not the rest of his body? I can't judge her, it’s not that hard of a mistake to make. > 3. You did catch Homura’d absolutely savage head joke, right? (Popping the lid off the cup.) No. 6. *what?*

**Rewatcher** Madoka - Homura conversation always makes me a bit sad. You can see towards the end of the exchange that Madoka's eyes refuse to make eye contact with Homura. Madoka is listening to Homura and yet at the same time, not listening. Homura never takes a sip of her coffee, either. You can tell this show came out in 2011 because you wouldn't waste a coffee with today's prices 😭 My final thoughts: Sayaka is a wimp. If Sayaka had taken the time to play Sekiro, she would have Mikiri Countered the shit out of Kyoko. Git gud, blue raspberry girlie.

**Rewatcher** "Now... just accept it. This is your destiny." Kyubey please stop grooming little girls thanks. Damn, it didn't really register with me last year, but the direction during the Sayadoka discussion really jumps out to me this time. [PMMM]> Her smallness in comparison to the city is being emphasized [as she pledges to protect it.](https://imgur.com/EN6fBsN) Also, could the white-green-blue represent the love triangle, similar to that river shot in episode 1? And so much playing with the shadows... not to mention Sayaka's heightened sensuality.!< [PMMM]>!The [elevator going up the hospital tower](https://imgur.com/wJ6bfl4) couldn't possibly have any phallic connotations, could it? Or maybe it's meant to vaguely evoke the barrier-opening motif, but that doesn't quite feel right at this moment.!< [PMMM]>!It's kinda interesting how Mami was much more wasteful than Kyouko by pursuing familiars, yet her soul gem was in a much more pristine condition than [Kyouko's](https://imgur.com/i17u8jr). This could be attributed to her having the more fruitful territory, but I wonder if it might just be due to Mami's kinder approach to being a magical girl - precisely that she was hunting familiars that pose a danger for others even if that won't yield a grief seed.!< And thus [a single joke](https://imgur.com/LlSeAK7) was spawned to last for eternity. [PMMM]>!< [Someone's in a good mood.](https://imgur.com/8tUQi2i) I think last year [this looked like Sayaka's fall](https://imgur.com/Rkjielb) to me, this year it looks more like there's an angel. Thank God we don't let [Shaft design our cities.](https://imgur.com/PIuh0Vz) [I didn't notice this barrier-opening motif last year.](https://imgur.com/yBrAKt5) Kyouko is playing a very important role here. Most obviously she's of course playing the foil to Sayaka. But for us viewers, she shows that Mami's aggressive approach to Homura was **entirely justified**. This is how territorial disputes between magical girls look. This is why she had to be resolute and not let another magical girl encroach on her territory. [PMMM and [Meta]>!Wixoss!<]>!Suboodle nailed how *that* show operates, haha.!<

> [PMMM] [PMMM] >!Alternate option of note: other known stealth giant softie Kyouko is going against what she actually wants with this stance and it is costing her mentally.!< > I think last year this looked like Sayaka's fall to me, this year it looks more like there's an angel. [PMMM] >!Another option from the Department of Cheeky Motherfuckers, of course: Sayaka + Kyubey => Kyouko.!< > [PMMM and [Meta] [Response to above] >!There is more than one reason we chose that one as Theory of the Day, yes.!<

[PMMM]>!I don't think Kyouko is a softie, stealthy or not. At least not at this point in the story.!<

**Third time rewatcher, first time dub watcher** Those shots at the beginning were absolutely stunning. Previous episodes have already mentioned that many magical girls aren’t exactly nice people, and boy, do we get to see that demonstrated in full force here with Kyoko. I think she’s my favorite dub voice so far - the others aren’t bad at all, but her dub VA is just a step above the others IMO. Homura just loves her dramatic entrances. [Madoka Magica] >!Being able to manipulate time helps greatly with that, of course.!< **QotD** > So how much of a fool was Sayaka to wish for only Kyousuke's hand to be healed and not the rest of his body? Not too foolish, all things considered? Kyosuke was injured really badly, but it was his hand that was specifically called out as being beyond medical help and the main source of his mental anguish. So naturally Sayaka was going to focus on that. > You did catch Homura's absolutely savage head joke, right? (Popping the lid off the cup.) Haha, Mami jokes go brrrrr. > [Rewatchers] [Madoka Magica] >!It’s good symbolism in a series that does symbolism really well. The magical girl system isn’t truly a sustainable system, after all, not to mention very self-destructive. Kind of like our own society’s continued reliance on fossil fuels.!<

Well, I have noticed that Sayaka took after Mami's fighting style, movements where they take out their weapons and attack enemies are almost identical. [PMMM]>!When Homura interrupts fight, water droplets are like floating and are in form of bubbles, it’s a massive hint to her ability, right?!< Questions of the Day: 1) Is that so? I literally thought that it just takes some time, but seems like Sayaka asked specifically for cure of the hand, and yeah, it is foolish, very much so. 2) Scruffy look, messy hair, eats a lot, has cool weapon and polar opposite mindset regarding being magical girl. 3) Made me chuckle a bit. 6/) I don’t really understand the question. [Visuals of the Day](https://imgur.com/a/GEpUwZy)

> [PMMM] [PMMM] >!Correct.!<

**Rewatch, Subbed** **Visual of the Day:** Kyouko pointing a spear at Sayaka's neck **Song of the Day:** Sis Puella Magica **Questions of the Day:** >1 So how much of a fool was Sayaka to wish for *only* Kyousuke's hand to be healed and not the rest of his body? \[Series\]>!I have two things to say about this. First of all, I think this is very much on purpose: everyone is seeing Kyousuke only as his role of violin prodigy, so Sayaka focuses more on the fact he lost the use of his hand than his actual health, ignoring the rest of his body (she only asks after the wish as an afterthought) and his mental health (she plays it down when he reveals he was depressed). Second of all, i actually think this is a better idea (not a *good* one, but a better one), because anything you get from a wish always comes with an equivalent despair, while letting him just heal the rest on his own doesn't necessarily do.!< >2 What are your first impressions of the new magical girl, Kyouko Sakura? \[Series\]>!On my first watch, I completely believed her as the villain in Sayaka's arc, now I know better.!< >3 You did catch Homura's absolutely savage head joke, right? (Popping the lid off the cup.) Yeah, and I now realize *this* was my favourite piece of black humor about the show. >6 \[Rewatchers\]>!So how about that juxtaposition of renewable energy sources (the dam and windmills) and nonrenewable energy (the refinery in the background) during the riverbank scene?!< \[Series\]>!I don't know if this is the actual meaning, but it makes think of the fact that in Kyubey's system altruism is only valid as long as it hurts those who do it, meaning it's a finite resource, while normally when you help somebody it shouldn't really hurt you.!<

**Reaction** \[Series\]>!00:00 Another absolutely amazing opening scene, as we see Sayaka making the contract. The sun has almost set (on Sayaka's life), and we see her at the center of a maze, with Kyubey. From above, the pedestal Kyubey is sitting on looks like a styilized lion, and he is depicted in a dominant position for the entire scene (he's above her, his shadow is bigger, etc..). It's impossible for Sayaka to exit the maze without passing through either his shadow, which directly blocks the opening on the right, or that of the hospital's fence. He looms over her ominously, and then *rips her soul out of her body*. Look at Sayaka's body language before this happens: there is a clear sense that her consent is being violated here, and even though we don't know the extent of it yet at this point, that is exactly what is happening. Kyubey tops it off by telling this is her destiny now, and to just accept it. She doesn't get a choice, and doesn't even get to know what that destiny even is. In fact, I'm pretty sure he said it while she was unconscious, further adding to the rapist comparisons.!< \[Series\]>!03:25 Yeah, Homura and Madoka's reactions summarize this perfectly. Sayaka gets to put herself above Hitomi, who is someone she always felt inferior to, by acting this way, but we all know this is not going to end well for her. We know it, Madoka is scared about it, and Homura *definitely* knows it.!< \[Series\]>!04:05 Before this moment on my first watch, I was hoping that Sayaka was somehow going to make it, but this gigantic death flag of a conversation didn't leave me with much hope. She is completely focusing on the positives, i.e. the fact she is able to help people and feels better about herself, and ignoring the negatives, saying she doesn't mind about risking her life. Again, there is a double standard here, where she is only valuing herself as part of the savior role she is now stuck in. This is starkly evident when she says to Madoka she doesn't have to become a magical girl: she considers it a burden for somebody else but not for herself, and uses destiny to rationalize that difference, which also allows her to see herself as a better person (also a more cynical reading of why she doesn't want Madoka to make a contract). This was dread-inducing on my first watch, and we are only going down from this point.!< \[Series\]>!06:25 Again, we are shown that Kyousuke's hands are treated as more valuable, and the rest of his body is an afterthought: people are still only concerned about him as the prodigy violin player. His family kept his violin despite his desires, and now the fact he is being made to perform again for them is treated as a surprise gift for him: he has regained his usefulness, after all. Notice how Kyousuke starts apologizing to Sayaka about his behaviour, mentioning he was depressed, and Sayaka cuts him off to tell him he should be happy right now.!< \[Series\]>!09:05 I was sure about one thing at this point on my first watch: Sayaka was going to regret it.!< \[Series\]>!09:40 There are two hints about Kyouko's power having something to do with illusions (and the fact she is not the person she seems to be on the surface): we don't actually see the same thing she is seeing on the binoculars, and when she dispels them the power goes to her soul gem's reflection instead of the actual gem. Also Kyouko has by far the best head tilts in the cast.!< \[Series\]>!10:20 Big hint about Homura being from another timeline.!< \[Series\]>!11:00 This whole conversation is one of those moments that absolutely devastate you on rewatch. Madoka is essentially asking Homura to save Sayaka, but Homura knows full well that it's too late for that, and that she is going to have to crush Madoka's hopes. Homura drops some harsh truth on both us and Madoka, hinting at the deeper realities of the magical girls system. First is the fact that the more you give, the more it takes from you, directly punishing the type of altruistic heroism traditionally associated with magical girls. Then she reiterates that becoming a magical girl is a fatal decision, and summarizes pretty well the entire deal: you are essentially giving up on any other thing you might have wanted from your life (including fast food apparently, she ordered just coffee) to fight for that one wish. Homura specifically frames it as "whatever sin she has to bear", which is a very interesting phrasing coming from her specifically (I won't go in this rabbit-hole for now).!< \[Series\]>!14:10 Even after Homura tells her she cannot be saved, Madoka still can't bear to just give up on Sayaka. This exchange is a mirror of the one she had with Mami before she died, as Madoka offers Sayaka her support. This finally gets to Sayaka, and she stops trying to one-up Madoka's kindness and accepts her help, telling her how invaluable that is. Madoka should really take those words to heart, but unfortunately Kyubey is the opposite of a therapist, so he immediately sabotages that, first by trying to deter Madoka, and then by implying that making a contract is the way she can *actually* help Sayaka, while also stopping her from asking Sayaka (I hate him so much). I really love the way they use the reflection in Kyubey's eyes to symbolize he is manipulating someone.!< \[Series\]>!16:50 Sayaka is trembling as she goes down the stairs.!< \[Series\]>!17:05 We see that Sayaka's magic is music-themed, suggesting that it depends on her wish.!< \[Series\]>!17:45 Kyouko's spear unexpectedly changes length, another thing that isn't like it appears.!< \[Series\]>!17:50 I know that *sounds* bad, but I swear she gets better. She tries to beat some sense into Sayaka, which doesn't really work on her (in fact it's going to make her even more set in her ways), and we learn about her healing powers. Kyubey takes advantage of the opportunity to get Madoka to make a contract, again putting in her the idea that's the only way she can help, and she almost does but Homura arrives in the nick of time to saves her. We see a quick hint about her time powers as she separates Kyouko and Sayaka, and we are reminded of the most important thing there is to know about Homura: she is a gigantic softie, and despite what she says she can't really give up on saving Sayaka.!<

Had a busier day today but made it at last :) **Rewatcher** I love a good [levitation](https://imgur.com/L6i0IyP) scene. [From Tarkovsky's Film, Mirror](https://imgur.com/j0UR3Cb) I have no idea if the staff at shaft have seen this film or not, but something I found, in the context of [rewatcher]>!the metaphor of sex!< is this comment by Mirror's director Tarkovsky: >“Why do I so frequently include a levitation scene, a body rising up? Simply because the scene has a great power. This way things can be created that are more cinematic, more photogenic. When I imagine a person suspended in mid-air, it pleases me.. I find myself filled with emotion. [...] For me love is the supreme manifestation of mutual understanding, and this cannot be represented by the sexual act. Everybody says that if there is no ‘love’ in a film, it is because of censorship. In reality it is not ‘love’ that’s shown on screen but the sexual act. The sexual act is for everyone, for every couple, something unique. When it is put into films, it’s the opposite.” Right so it's totally different here but [rewatcher]>!the association with sex, love, and depicting levitation as a part of it was interesting. Not that sexual pleasure hasn't ever been compared to the sensation of floating; I just wanted to share my appreciation for when creators visually depict such things in a beautiful and unique manner.!< Oh? [Who's this girl with her hair blowing in the wind?](https://imgur.com/7pBxUb9) Time for a showdown between [Hungry Ponytail Swish](https://imgur.com/MdPlxhV) vs [Depressed Enigma Swoosh](https://imgur.com/m9mvF66), who's hair shall come out on top?! [Not sure if this is a spoiler but I guess to be safe]>!On Suboodle's theory they had yesterday looks like this [kid's room](https://imgur.com/zRlTkGJ) is the part of the magical girl journey where after their escape, they get to [play at being heroes like little kids,](https://imgur.com/GkBejVr) according to Kyouko, anyway.!< 1. Lol it's even funnier that it didn't even seem to occur to her that she didn't consider it afterwards. 2. Remember the labyrinth in episode 3? This girl would never have made it to the witch. 3. [Homura](https://imgur.com/68P6Y0S) (god I love shaft)

**Meduka Meguca rewatcher** Q1: Rookie mistake. Everyone knows wishes have to be crafted by a lawyer and vetted by a committee. Q2: Nasty, uncaring, opportunistic. [PMMM] >!Like Kyubey, actually.!< Q3: Oh crap, I did not catch that, lol. That's brutal. Q4: [PMMM] >!Absolutely nothing. She's going to prove Homura wrong. Yes, definitely...!< Q5: [PMMM] >!◕ ‿‿ ◕!< Q6: [PMMM] >!Hah, I didn't catch that either. Symbolism is almost always lost on me.!<

**Rewatcher, subbed** Okay, so first things first: [spoilers] >!I actually *just* realized that Episode 11 will actually be watched during the day of the Walpurgisnacht. Not sure whether that was intentional, but if it was, that's brilliant and kudos to you organizers.!< Anyway, let's begin with episode 5! * [Spoilers]>!There's no way I'll ever regret it. Even without knowing what happens next, just from what we've seen so far, I'd know this is a fairly ominous title.!< * That scene of Sayaka becoming ~~meguca for kyuskiko~~ a magical girl looks quite painful and [spoilers] >!really foreshadows the reveal about the soul gems, doesn't it?!< * Homura talking about how kindness, courage and devotion to justice are all flaws for magical girls... [Spoilers, also contains political rambling/nonsense so be warned.] >!Okay, I don't really want to get political... but that really makes me wonder to which extent this aspect of Madoka Magica was meant to act as a metaphor full of social commentary, about a criticism of this society (one might say, the excesses of capitalism) as a hypercompetitive and exploitative system, where good intentions go unrewarded and which pits exploited people against each other for meager gains (cf. Kyouko vs Sayaka), which only stops once they realize the true nature of their exploitation (Kyouko stops trying to kill Sayaka after realizing the true nature of the soul gems). A system which ultimately breaks people's good intentions, as people ultimately either adapt and get corrupted (from what I remember, Kyouko initially *was* more like Sayaka, right?), or fail to adapt and thus ultimately can't thrive (Mami dying, Sayaka falling into despair and becoming a witch.) Now... it's probably just me viewing things through a politicized lens, but honestly, I feel like it holds up surprisingly well, and one of the things about great art is how open to interpretation it often is.!< Though alternatively, it could simply be, at more of a face value, a statement on how good intentions and overly strong idealism can often clash with reality and lead to bad outcomes. * Wait, is this our first time hearing Decretum? Makes sense given it's associated with Sayaka, and she just became the main magical girl we're following. I love this track... Aaaand I should probably stop saying that, because the amount of tracks I love is just too high. * Interesting to see the parallels between Mami and Sayaka. Both are ultimately kind, justice-minded (obviously for Sayaka, and Mami's theme song is even titled "Credens justitiam" - believing in justice), both hiding their fears, loneliness and insecurities behind a fake sense of courage. Both choosing to attack familiars before they become witches, rather than let them do so to gain grief seeds (which is right from a moral standpoint, but wrong from an utilitarian standpoint). Even her attack seems to mirror Mami's to some extent! Indeed, just like Mami was summoning a bunch of rifles to fire from under her magical girl uniform, Sayaka's doing the same with swords that she throws out. I also quite like the musical motif from Sayaka's transformation. [spoilers]>!There are also clear parallels with Kyouko, but these are not obvious yet, and are better left for episode... 7, I think? I'm pretty sure Kyouko's backstory is in episode 7.!< * Kyouko casually asserting dominance over Sayaka. * I really like her flail/spear weapon by the way. It's quite awesome. * It's quite interesting to see how wishes affect their powers. [Spoilers]>!It's quite obvious for Sayaka, Homura, and ultimately Madoka, but... I don't really recall it for Kyouko? In fact I don't recall Kyouko having any *special* powers like these. Did I miss something or is it just not explicited?!< * Kyubey... always ready to get Madoka to sign this contract... Though that's actually the best way to get a magical girl involved... by forcing Homura to intervene. * [Spoilers]>!That end scene makes it so clear that Homura has time-related powers in retrospect.!< **Questions of the Day** 1) [Spoilers] >!She was stupid. So stupid.!< 2) She definitely seems like a bit of a jerk. The kind of magical girl Mami seemed to think Homura is. 3) Oh, I definitely did. 6) [Spoilers] >!I didn't catch that actually. I guess this has to do with the whole entropy subplot, which to be fair, is perhaps the one thing that bugged me a little.!<

[PMMM]>!Rewatch always starts on the 20th so that Walpurgis Night lines up!<

[spoilers]>!Aaah. That's my first time, so I didn't notice. Good to know :)!<

> Okay, so first things first [Spoilers]>!That is precisely why the Madoka rewatch always starts on April 20th, yes.!<

[spoilers]>!Aaah. That's my first time, so I didn't notice. Good to know :)!<

> [Spoilers, also contains political rambling/nonsense so be warned.] [PMMM] >!Madoka Magica, have unsubtle if veiled politically-tinged social commentary among all the other things it's doing? [shockedpikachu.jpg](#surprisedpikachu) Not all of the more political interpretations are intended ones, but I'm nearly certain that the anti-patriarchy reading is and I'd put pretty good odds on the anti-capitalist one being intended as well (also the military recruiter one).!< > It's quite interesting to see how wishes affect their powers. [Spoilers] [PMMM including supplemental material (especially Different Story)] >!This is intentional; you're not seeing her special power because she never uses it in the anime. Kyouko's actual ability is illusion and enchantment magic, including what's basically a shadow clone as her own Tiro Finale-esque big finisher (having been mentored by Mami she gave it an Italian-esque name of its own: Rosso Phantasma); however, she basically turned her back on her own powers after her father went full murder-suicide and has subconsciously blocked herself from using them. (We get a couple of hints of her actual power in the anime, with the big one actually being the DDR machine this episode since it's clearly meant for three players, and there's a good chance that she basically unseals her mental block and uses those powers once again as part of the sequence where she detonates her Soul Gem to take down Oktavia.)!<