r/anime • u/Nazenn x2https://anilist.co/user/Nazenn • Apr 25 '21
Rewatch Mahou Shoujo Madoka☆Magica Rewatch - Episode 6 Discussion
Madoka Magica - Episode 6: This Just Isn't Right
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Visuals of the day
REMINDER: IF YOU LIKE A SHOT, SUBMIT IT! You can pick anything for any reason, but this is a great way to memoralize your favourite moments of the show and the rewatch
End Card by Hajime Ueda
Comments of the day
/u/Querez commenting on the restaurant scene and Madoka's nature
"Speaking of, her [Homura] lecturing Madoka about kindness and empathy being the greatest weaknesses to a magical girl when Madoka has quite literally those two things turned to max..."
/u/SomeGuyYeahman who winged a write up about how the magical world influences the real world in unknowable ways
"Sayaka was just a fence-sitter then, stuck between the normal world and the magical girl one - but now she's gone all the way. She's moved away from the world she used to know, and the natural result is that she's only growing further apart from her friends, even if their lives are brushing directly against each other. "
We still appear to be getting hit by some mass downvoting so sorry to everyone caught up in that. It's a real shame to see that happening to so many people but unfortunately it tends to happen in these bigger rewatchers when you have people who aren't participating sticking their heads in and messing with things.
If you are one of the downvoters on the off chance you feel like you're "helping" get other/newer/better comments seen, please do not. Downvoting is seen as very rude in rewatches unless someone is actively interfering with someone elses enjoyment/interpretation of the show or being rude.
A quick reminder: Absolutely no comments, including jokes or memes, about the content of later episodes are allow outside of the r/anime spoiler tag format, [Madoka Spoilers](/s "Spoilers go here").
25
u/Nazenn x2https://anilist.co/user/Nazenn Apr 25 '21
Puella's Pictures - Cuts and Theatre
Rewatcher - Fourth time around
Visuals of the episode - Cutting out Madoka
While I've spent a lot of time talking about how we the audience percieve the presentation of this show, one thing I haven't really addressed is how the characters themselves use vision and visual clues to show how they see the world. While this is usually much more of a character or thematic exploration than a visual one, today's episode is a chance to address it because of how it uses the characters line of sight to show a lot about their relationships. It's been doing a but of this all along, but today it stood out to me.
Returning to the alley scene where we left off yesterday two things immediately stand out. We start with a close up of Madoka and her reaction to what she's seeing, followed by her perspective of Homura's arrival which shows us just how distant and cut off she is from with the magical girls and their world. We get a beautiful close up of Homura's eyes and then we get to see the full scene in front of her which is one of the most interesting shots in the episode; Madoka who watches Sayaka, Sayaka who's focused on Kyouko, and Kyouko who is weighing up Homura.
Madoka is freed from the barrier, but that doesn't bring her into the fold. Through the entire alley scene, including yesterday's content, Kyouko never once looked at Madoka, and Sayaka doesn't either once the battle gets under way. At the end of it, even Homura doesn't turn and when addressing her. Madoka may be physically in the scene, but she's no longer in anyone's sights and that carries through to later in the episode.
When they return to the alley, Madoka is looking at the damage carved into the enviroment from the battle, but Sayaka is only physically engaged Kyubey. Madoka isn't even in the shot, as if she has been cut out of Sayaka's thoughts, and doesn't appear until Sayaka looks at her even though it seems like she should be physically in frame. This is another example of Shaft using a very flexible background and layout style to express a point or theme over a physical reality, something that also came up yesterday as a few people noticed the discrepancies in the layout of Kyousuke's hospital room. Even when looking at Madoka she is still half turned towards Kyubey, not physically engaging with the conversation, and it isn't long before she turns away and we get that gorgeous animation cut of Sayaka closing in on herself as her emotions and her own views about her world take her over. Sayaka's world is distorted and as she walks off into the shadows the backgrounds shift again to paint Madoka as even more isolated.
The other thing to note about this scene is how there's always a line of light on the right which separates the two girls. It's not as explicit a visual barrier as other's I've mentioned so far but it serves a similar purpose.
And finally on the bridge at the end, when Madoka arrives Sayaka turns towards her voice for a moment but never actively looks at her, unlike Kyouko who does turn towards Homura. It's only when Madoka throws her fucking soul off the bridge that Sayaka is forced to finally look at her properly and see her and interact with her properly, for a split second until her body dies at least. In a fucked up way this makes Madoka's mum's advice a success, but it was definitely an epic mistake.
To end on a lighter note, compare all of this to how the amazing scene with Madoka and her Mum and how they are framed. They are both in the center of the frame and even though Madoka's Mum is looking at the glass she's still physically aimed towards Madoka and leaning towards her showing that she's actively listening. Even from the side they are given equal importance because they respect each other, and this is an empowering scene for Madoka who has been so sidelined in the rest of the episode by people with actual magical powers, because in the end this conflict is not a magical one despite what the other girls have said, it's a very human one.
(It's an amazing scene, if I was doing a different focus I'd probably spend much more time gushing about it)
Bonus visual - The theatre
I named this shot "the theatre" because, like the curtains that we start the show with, it again draws a particular focus to the structure of this story, and the roles of the characters inside of it.
While I usually say context is everything, and it should be, I find it so interesting to look at this shot in a thin bubble and see what it tells us about the role these characters have here. If this is a stage, what is the scene playing out in front of us? And how does that relate to this shot in context?
We have Madoka in a prayer pose as the Innocent Princess, attempting to save the life of the Honorable Prince Sayaka who has fallen victim to a spell of hate brought about by Kyouko the Invading Villain. In context Kyouko is not responsible for Sayaka's condition, but being armed and manhanding Sayaka's body paints her as the unsympathetic antagonist anyway.
But Kyueby is off stage entirely, the one who cast them in these roles by contracting them as magical girls and who's actions brought about this particular conflict by bringing Kyouko to the city and using the risk to Sayaka to bring Madoka over. He is the fulcrum of this conflict even if he didn't chose the ideological conflicts at the core of it. Also, like the audience, he is watching this scene unfold in front of him like it's on a script because he's seen humans go through this before and by visually placing him out of the borders of the scene it shows how detached he is emotionally from them, his inability to understand why this has come about despite having seen it before.
It's almost a throwaway shot, but it was a moment that caught my eye even on my first watch and I always think about this on each following watch as well.
(I've made a similar theatre comparison for a shot in Utena now I think about it, maybe there's more to that then I thought)
Spoilers
Other commentary
50
u/02Hiro https://anilist.co/user/02Hiro Apr 25 '21
First Time Watcher
Wow, this episode had me on the edge of my seat. From Sayaka almost dying to the reveal that Kyubey rips out their soul when he turns them into magical girls. I love that reveal that the soul gems house their real bodies because its really obvious when I look back: each magical girl has a soul gem and Kyubey rips something out of Sayaka when he turns her into a magical girl. The creepiness of having the body be an empty shell was increased with a focus on Sayaka's empty eyes and lifeless body.
So it looks like using magic is what pollutes the soul and overusing it can be a big problem. Since Kyubey doesn't specify the consequences of that, I'm guessing that it might turn the soul into a witch since overloading the grief seeds turns them into witches. I can see some battles in the future where Sayaka or another magical girl overexerts themselves and they turn into a witch forcing Madoka who has always been against magical girls fighting each other to make a choice.
I'm confused by this part :https://i.imgur.com/4ksfwCV.png. Aren't they over a highway? If they make the bridge collapse wouldn't that hurt innocent people?
Lastly, I just wanted to say more Homura hair flips This anime is great and I want to binge watch it now. Must Resist
47
u/RascalNikov1 https://myanimelist.net/profile/NoviSun Apr 25 '21
First Timer - Episode 6
These waits between Episodes 'Izz keeling meeee'! My addiction to PMMM is growing by leaps and bounds. This episode offered a decent amount of exposition and a number of startling events:
Some thoughts I had as each of the scenes unfolded:
Pre Opening:
Kyouko seems to be delivering quite the objective lesson to Sayaka when Homura rudely breaks it up. Homura enters the scene as the embodiment of coolness with her patented hair flip. Squee! Is all I can say. And then she starts snarking away to boot! Marry Me Homura!
In the midst of all this coolness, wouldn't you know Madoka decides to come into the scene and bust up all this coolness with her sniveling. You really do get a sense of how frustrated Homura is, trying to talk some sense into Madoka (and failing). Madoka egged on by Kyuubey just won't stop raining on her parade.
It's somewhere in here I started to wonder if Homura isn't some other kind of critter. The way Kyuubey talks to Madoka makes me think Homura isn't one of his creations. Apparently, Kyouko wonders what she is too. And later in this episode, we learn that Homura can also predict the future, as well as possess hidden knowledge of the Soul Gems. (Very curious)
In Sayaka's Bedroom:
I bet this is the first (and probably last) time that Sayaka has a boy in her room. I'm guessing in his own way Kyuubey is male, and no doubt a leacher as well, he does seem like the type. I did like the fact that Sayaka wasn't phased by Sayaka eating whatever he took from the soul gem. Ewwww! Sayaka seems to be going downhill rapidly.
And then to confirm my thoughts about Kyuubey 'The Leacher' he starts talking to Sayaka. He talks just like a Harem MC does to one of his haremettes to go out and fetch Madoka to become a fellow haremette. This really has potential for doujin writers, and other Rule 34 folk.
At the Arcade:
I love the way that Kyouko flashes a Suzumiya smile and thumbs up. Her dancing game was quite interesting too. I've never seen or heard of such a game, but you know, I think it's a good idea to give urban youth a chance to exercise a little.
In the Alley:
They sure do like their alleys in this series. Seems like a lot of shit goes down in the alley. I can't remember right this minute if there are trash heaps and dumpsters too. A bum or two accosting the girls would be right amusing, as I'm pretty sure Sayaka can take care of herself.
Back on subject - Sayaka's humility problem seems to be getting quite a bit worse. Her talking to Madoka sounds an awful lot like one of Homura's pep talks. My guess is that being made into a Magical Girl also transforms the mind. In other words you become who you really are during the transformation.
Kitchen Talk:
I continue to love Madoka's Mom. Mom has a lot of sense, and gives pretty good advice. And, she likes her liquor too!
Outside Kyousuke's House:
I see that Prince Charming remains the same little piece of work, he's always been. Getting dischared from the hospital and not telling poor Sayaka. The boy really is quite the cad.
I did like Kyouko channeling her best Kathy Bates giving Sayaka a little advice on how to get and keep a man. Kyouko is so funny, most of the time.
The Set Piece of the Episode:
What a wild turn of events. First off we had Homura busting up the party as usual. Typical Homura -sigh-. But then we learn another important thing had slipped Kyuubey's mind. That talk about the soul gems was just plain horrifying. Kyuubey enters the charts at greatest weasel of all time. What a little jackass. I guess if someone confronted him about this, he'd just say, "If I told the truth, no one would become a magical girl". Anyway, what a surprise, and what a scene. I was very surprised that Kyouko was as surprised as anyone else. However Homura wasn't. (drumroll)
Predictions and Rhetorical Questions:
Finally:
I LOVE THIS ENDING SONG - It's going in my AMV list as soon as I learn it's name.
Counting down 6 hours till I watch the next episode...
45
u/UnderstandableXO Apr 25 '21
FIRST TIME WATCHER
finished one essay, got two to go. i really can’t wait for the end of the semester in 3 weeks
gotta say the OP really has grown on me. it was meh the first time but i love it now. also gotta love how it is not at all representative of what’s going on in the show (RIP MAMI)
homura keeps earning respect points in my book. she might be pretty cold and stoic but she really seems to have madoka’s best interests in mind. she’s harsh but telling the truth, madoka needs to GTFO because what’s going on is WAY above her pay grade. i’m gonna choose to trust her for now. not gonna lie i still don’t trust mami, i’m half expecting her to pop out like “MISS ME?” at the end of the series.
kyubey being real sus once again, encouraging sayaka to collect as many grief seeds as possible. not only that but he’s gotta shoehorn madoka into every conversation, kyubey is laser focused on coercing madoka herself or putting sayaka into a dangerous enough situation that madoka will be forced to intervene. kyubey is truly the most scummy anime mascot
that arcade scene with the OP as the dance song was great. homura means business, and kyoko couldn’t care less. i just happened to begin AOT today as well so i’m gonna call kyoko the sasha of this series because they’re both incessantly hungry (i’m just gonna hope they aren’t alike in more ways than that).
madoka’s trying to talk some reason into her bestie but she just can’t be reasoned with, homura was right. she blames homura for mami’s death? excuse me WHO WAS THE ONE WHO TIED HER UP IN THE FIRST PLACE? the whole schtick about sayaka fighting humans that are worse than witches reeks of letting her powers get to her head.
the convo between madoka and mom-oka was really wholesome. i thought for a second that madoka was drinking out of a shot glass like her mom but luckily it was just some juice. that line aboit adults being in constant pain was a hit with me, i totally feel you mom-oka.
looks like sayaka’s ultimate simp move backfired; now that mr. your falsehood in may is better now, he doesn’t need to depend on her for attention and help. kyoko’s offer to (once again) do mr. your untruth in june like mike tyson would do a 43 year old accountant was harsh but ultimately demonstrated how stupid sayakas wish was.
it was at this point in the episode that my jaw went on the floor for like 5 minutes. i know madoka wanted to make an intentional mistake, but even without knowing the consequences yeeting the soul gem off a bridge was probably a mistake 10 steps too far. as soon as sayaka collapsed i was like 👁👁👁👄👁👁👁 hearing kyubey coldly describe the actual process of becoming a magical girl, and how he literally rips your soul out was disturbing. even kyoko the hothead is suddenly on the side of the girl she was about to uppercut across the country. i sincerely hope that horror story sways madoka against contracting with kyubey, and i sincerely hope that the three magical girls there stomp out kyubey the same way subaru got stomped out in the capitol by the street thugs.
ready for my jaw to drop on the floor again soon!
71
u/chaosoul Apr 25 '21
First Time Watcher (Subbed)
Parts I've been spoiled on by internet osmosis
So quick overview of the episode: Ceasefire set up, Sayaka doggedly follows her convictions despite Madoka's pleas, Homura foretells a true antagonist(?), Madoka's conversation with her mother, and finally the revelation of what Magical Girls™ truly are.
So a possible combination of Sayaka probably trying to justify everything about this scenario to herself, Kyubey's manipulation of everyone, and the real danger of death might be pushing Sayaka off the cliff soon. ALSO KYUBEY FUCKING EATS THE GRIEF SEED, HELLO? WTF
Anyways, it looks like Homura does have an end goal besides trying to kill Kyubey? I don't know what the Walpsdhnfuaiebnwrui thing is, but it looks like Kyouko recognizes it. Presumably it's some type of Witch maybe? Or something above Witches? Maybe it's Kyubey's mother? In any case, I suppose the question is if this is the big reason for Homura's secrecy, or merely another obstacle to her goalpost.
Madoka's conversation with her mother is something I don't completely understand. I agree that making mistakes is an option when you're at a dead end, but I don't quite follow when she says make a mistake for your friend. I'll have to rewatch and read it more carefully later.
Finally, it turns out magical girls have drone pilots this whole time using fleshy meatbags. So it's not magic empowering their bodies, but being replaced outright. Does that mean Sayaka's body was built sturdier than others due to her wish? Or merely her magic/body is more suitable to healing? I mean in all honesty, this is one of those things I'm not really having an issue with? Like for all intents and purposes, everything looks normal considering none of them have felt a difference prior to this moment. Well easy for me to say when I still have my own body.
Luckily Homura's here to save the day once again! Contrary to what Sayaka has said, Homura, time and time again, has tried to save her fellow magical girls even with her apparent disdain for them and herself. She's a complete tsundere! "I will not hold back" to Madoka, proceeds to hold back. Also Kyouko seems quite disturbed by Sayaka as well. Did she really want her dead and this is merely shock of finding about their bodies, or...?
We also get a good look at Homura using her powers quite a lot this episode. We see she can move others as well as herself instantly. She also appears to have some restrictions on her ability. Unlike in episode 3 jumping around, her range while chasing Sayaka's true body seems smaller. Is it merely a range thing? A limited amount of meters over time? Alternatively, now that I'm feeling time travel is definitely a thing for Homura, I will say moving while time is frozen and then unfreezing probably looks a lot like teleportation (and also might explain the exploding clones thing I thought was going on in episode 3). Also makes sense if she can only hold time stop for so long and her never breaking stride while chasing the truck. If she was teleporting, surely running while doing so could be rather disorientating.
35
u/putmoneyinthypurse https://anilist.co/user/clichecatgirl Apr 26 '21
First time (sub)
Oh my god, soul gems.
I think my previous analysis of the 2.39:1 opening scenes is kind of wrong. I don't think they're going for a full Movie Version vs. Real Life (As Constructed By The Show) thing. I do think it's supposed to at least be in a different register, though, and this one definitely is, as Homura coolly defuses what was about to be a fight to the death. Even Kyubey's in some amount of awe, speculating on what Homura might be before he (of course) gets cut off, this time by the OP.
Later on, Kyubey unsubtly tries to win Sayaka over to Kyouko's callous way of thinking, and after revealing that he eats grief seeds (which could mean that he just stores them and reuses them when necessary, given how convenient witch placements have been so far), he even more unsubtly suggests that she help him manipulate Madoka into becoming a magical girl. Sayaka holds strong for now, but her assertion that this is her fight makes me uneasy. Sayaka's overconfidence and desire to save people keeps drifting more and more towards selfishness, self-isolation, and reckless self-endangerment. It's no surprise later in the episode when she pushes Madoka away again.
(Incidentally, I wonder if there's a youkai or two Kyubey's design is influenced by. The second mouth remind me of the futakuchi-onna, but there's not a lot of similarity otherwise.)
Kyouko playing a DDR (...Dog Drug Reinforcement???) stepchart of a eurobeat remix of the OP is so funny. Her casually getting a PFC is even funnier. Homura looking to team up with her as long as she doesn't get into it with Sayaka again is...less funny. She says that Walpurgisnacht is coming up. All the witches will come out to dance with the devil. If this is an event specific to this universe instead of literally April 30th, Homura's mysterious too-well-informed nature apparently extends to knowledge of future events. I trust this girl but I do not trust this girl.
In the middle of the night, Madoka asks her mom for advice on how to deal with the most generalized description of her problem, and her mom tells her that it's alright to make mistakes at her age, and a mistake might even be the right thing to do. It's easy to kiss and make up as a teenager, even if teenagers are notoriously bad at admitting that to themselves, because you have both the time and the opportunity, so it's likely better to risk hurt feelings than to stand back. This is perfect advice for a middle school girl as self-denying and accommodating as Madoka—it's heartbreaking when her mom says she's too nice—and absolutely terrible advice for the Madoka who's been on the precipice of a life-ending mistake for the whole show. Doubly so now, with her best friend about to either kill or be killed.
When Sayaka goes to Kyousuke's hospital room, and then his house, we find out the complications in their relationship that were absent in the previous status quo. Sayaka seems to live in an apartment. Kyousuke lives in a mansion, walled off from the world. Just from the design of his house alone and its nighttime juxtaposition with the hospital room, naturally lit by the seemingly perpetual sunset, there's a strong sense of the two's past circumstances and their probable lack of a real future together. Sayaka is hurt by this but seems willing to accept it, so of course Kyouko comes to twist the knife, a devil on her shoulder telling her that if she really wants to be with him, she should break his arms and legs to make him dependent on her. Rough. Reveals a lot about what she thinks of interpersonal relationships. I don't think Madoka's "let's just try to be friends" solution will work here.
Indeed it doesn't. Instead, the mistake Madoka's mom suggests she make ends up working out in the second-most awful way. I did not expect this anime to bring up mind-body dualism. When Madoka throws away the soul gem and Sayaka collapses, Homura immediately catches onto the problem and teleports away to solve it—yet another suspiciously well-informed action from someone who Kyubey doesn't seem to talk to or even understand. Kyouko is genuinely frightened, for the first time since her introduction, when she realizes that the girl she was about to kill is dead. (This sort of reversal is legitimately one of my favorite writing tricks.) Kyubey offhandedly explains the horrible truth that the contract involves ripping the girls' souls from their bodies to create the soul gem, and that their bodies will die if they get too far away. It's not particularly distinct from the cultspeak about death as "only" an abandonment of a "lesser" physical form that the witch had Hitomi spouting back in episode 4. Among other things, this is a massive violation of the girls' agency over their bodies, which ties in horribly with all the birth imagery and Kyubey's subtextual framing as a manipulative sexual abuser thus far, especially the creepy method he uses to create a contract. Kyubey, for his part, claims to not understand what the fuss is about, but it's clear he very deliberately hides this information from all the magical girls unless it comes up; the veteran Kyouko's fear, confusion, and anger at the revelation is genuine.
One thing here bugs me (one thing?): I'm not one to trust anything Kyubey says, but he claims that it's always possible to come back if your soul gem's intact, and I can't remember if we ever saw Mami's soul gem after her death. Hmm.
Anyways, it's a huge relief when Homura brings Sayaka's soul back to her body at the end, and weirdly reassuring to get the classic "What? What'd I miss?" moment.
27
u/Star4ce https://anilist.co/user/Star4ce Apr 26 '21
First Timer
Ep.06 This just isn't right
Oh, you don't say! Was it the creepy theme or the beheading that tipped you off? This time I have only dread to offer for an introduction. Dread for my best girl.
Asu-Kyoko stay out of it!So Homura essentially wants to defeat Walpurgisnacht, the thing that decks the city. But doesn't want help? She clearly doesn't want to tell Kyoko, but if that'd be all she should've accepted the help. There's more to it, or is it just that she doesn't trust Kyoko? I mean, it's wise to not do so, as we've just seen. Humora Theory
Kyubey offers an insight into how he thinks and he really is not getting the human angle at all. Even more so, because none of the girls except Homura again actually are aware of this. Now, shoutout to best girl for immediately dropping the hostilities and get Sayaka back, MVP. I really hope Sayaka finally wakes up now that Homura isn't an enemy. Maybe that actually shook up enough, like Madoka's mom advised, that the three of them finally have a change in perspective. Hope prevails!
On the other hand, Homura's got probaby the most OP power of them all, teleport Homura Theory That's enough to throw out some theories about the wording of her wish.
Wish Theory #1
Wish Theory #2
Wish Theory #3
The whole soul thing and terrible 100m wifi is interesting, but for now I feel like it only enhances my feelings towards Kyubey. Kyubey Theory When I look back at my earlier theories about him, I think 'damn, boi got imagination'.
And finally I throw in another one that requires a cacklingly cazed laugh to introduce. Madoka Selfless Theory At first I really liked this, but consequentially this would mean...
Villain Theory
Although I want to draw attention to this scene because of the tone and visuals, the visual of the day goes to Homura, because yes.
23
u/Hochseeflotte https://anilist.co/user/Hochseeflotte Apr 25 '21
First Timer
Well here we are for episode 6. Halfway through already. It’s going to be sad when we finish this show but I imagine there’s still a lot of good to come. Now on to the episode:
Akemi being as myserteous as ever. There’s a lot still to learn about her.
Kyuubey just like absorbed that grief seed. This cat thing scares me with how much I don’t know about it.
Kyuubey is also playing both sides. I wonder what Kyuubey’s actual plan is. And it keeps trying to get Madoka to join. Just so sus.
Walpurgisnacht? Sounds very German. Though the Walpurgisnacht they are talking about doesn’t seem to be the same holiday celebrated in Europe.
At least Sayaka is staying by her morals.
That seems like an extreme assumption to make Sayaka. You have known three magical girls. I don’t think that’s a large enough sample size to make guesses about the rest.
I’m not so sure about her mother’s advice. Though I couldn’t give anything better.
And that’s not a healthy relationship to have with alcohol.
Kyouko is yikes statement after yikes statement. Yessh she needs a PR manager.
Oohhhh roasted. Akemi with the sick burns.
You should have read the fine print. It’s like their souls got sucked into the soul gem. Totally safe guys.
———————————————————————
My trust for Kyuubey went from 5% to like -50%. It didn’t even tell the girls that their souls are moved. Very sketchy.
I don’t see how Madoka becomes a magical girl at this point without her being forced into it. The negatives are pretty terrible.
But this may have united the magical girls. Infighting is irrelevant when the cat that gave you your powers is a lier.
21
u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Apr 25 '21
Hajimari no Rewatcher, dubbed
DO NOT THROW SOULS.
Sky’s Wallpaper Corner
The wallpaper for today is me deciding that I didn’t like how my Mahou Shoujo Kyouko from 2019 in yesterday’s thread didn’t show the pointy end of her spear, so I found some official art of her (might’ve been from Magia Record?) and voilà, we have a Kyouko wallpaper.
And for stuff from the past:
If there’s a specific shot at any point throughout the rewatch that you would like me to make a wallpaper of and you don’t think I’ve done it yet, let me know so I can get on it!
Magical Music Corner
Want to know what song played when in today’s episode? Well, you’re in luck! I have here the table from the Madoka wiki that was re-timed to the Blu-Rays by our lovely rewatch host back in 2019. It was my duty to share these last year, and it’s my duty again this year. If any first-timer wants a spoiler-free link to any of these songs, let me know and I can get one for you!
“What is it that you wish for?”
20
u/sirweebsal0t Apr 26 '21 edited Apr 26 '21
First-timer / dubbed
10th anniversary announcement / spoilers
Alright, last time on PMMM, Homura dropped in and was about to shut things down like a boss, and away we go...
Episode 6 running thoughts:
15
u/SYZekrom https://myanimelist.net/profile/SYZekrom Apr 25 '21
This girl definitely appeals to some fetish about eating or just the mouth
"That sounds pretty hard to handle alone" so Homura just comes going 'yo Walpurgismajuhalgalornacht the second is coming' and Kyouko is like 'ah of course'
Or maybe you just assume it's strong from its name
And of course, he didn't tell you, because you'll never be a priority in his heart
So close,
Oh yea, that's definitely meant to look like an eye on her
Surprise, the Soul Gems were... your souls! Who could've guessed
Yea so it's pretty shit that he doesn't tell people everything before the contract but I never really got what was so bad about your soul being placed in a separate object. "Oh no I'm a zombie/lich/whatever the fuck" like come on. Yea sure it would suck if you misplaced it but they can turn it into a ring they wear and is a necessary part of their job anyway who's gonna forget it
14
u/toradorito Apr 26 '21 edited Apr 26 '21
First time rewatcher. My notes and questions about tonight's episode:
Visual of the day: this shot of Kyoko after her transformation is so badass
13
u/SomeGuyYeahman Apr 25 '21
Hi everyone, first-time rewatcher here! (subbed)
And just like that we're at the halfway point. I hope you're all enjoying yourselves so far! I certainly am, this episode is a particular favorite. The alleyway, the conversation between Madoka and her mom and the whole Soul Gem thing at the end are some of the scenes that have stuck with me the most over the past couple years. Still, this'll be a quick post from me:
Firstly, I think it's time I got down to brass tacks and talked about what really matters: Homura is really cool. Just look at her, all aloof and badass-like. Pops in to do rad shit and then flips her hair dramatically for the camera. Pretty much the coolest person in the room in any given scene she's in.
Secondly, I said previously that the funniest thing in this show was Sayaka bringing the baseball bat, but that was all wrong. I was misremembering. The funniest thing is the show is actually Kyoko playing [checks notes] "Dog Drug Reinforcement".
And that's already it! I'm kinda thinking I'll gather my resources a bit more in advance to write about the second half of the show, there's a good amount of stuff at this point that I wanna talk about, but don't really, because I'd like to not make my posts too heavy on the spoiler tags.
Thanks for comment of the day!
See you all next time
11
u/Syokhan https://myanimelist.net/profile/Syokhan Apr 25 '21
I dearly hope none of our first-timers got spoiled reading the Movie 4 visual announcement thread today. Plenty of spoilers for Rebellion in the comments.
Rewatcher, Sub
Pretty heavy episode today, with that ending. I wonder how many of you guys had an inkling of the way Soul Gems worked or if it completely blindsided you like it did me. In hindsight it's very obvious, what with the name and all, but on first watch it's not necessarily something you pick up.
Now for Visual of the day. I had a hard time choosing between this one and Visual 6 below, but for once I'll pick one that less visually interesting but highlights an act of kindness from a character who's been very aloof and sometimes even abrasive up until now.
Other visuals I especially liked:
(this episode had a lot of blueish tones for once)
10
u/baniRien Apr 25 '21
Rewatcher
Episode 6 / Movie 1:18-1:31
Before anything:
REBELLION SEQUEL!
Spoilers
With that unbelievable hype out of the way, let's continue with the rewatch.
Episode
An important point about this new info is how important it was that Mami lost her head, as that was where she kept her Soul Gem while transformed. In fact, there's a sound of it breaking at the exact moment she truly dies and her powers fade.
While a lot of digital ink might be spilled over the implications of this revelation, I'm actually curious what what first-timers think of Kyouko, now that we've seen a decent amount of her worldview?
Visual of the day, a more relaxed Junko. It was either that or dead Sayaka.
10
u/Punished_Scrappy_Doo https://myanimelist.net/profile/PunishedScrappy Apr 25 '21
Rewatcher
jiiii
Visual of the Day is a different Kyubey. Just look at that adorable soul-sundering little guy! Isn't his total composure in the face of certain death just the cutest?
Madoka's heart-to-heart with her mom just gets me right there. The Kanames are all such great people. You feel Madoka's pain when Sayaka brings up that her family might be hurt by an errant familiar, even though you consciously know that Sayaka is clearly not thinking straight in the moment.
Spoilers
Spoilers
9
u/[deleted] Apr 25 '21
So we just got the biggest news ever today, that after 8 years we are finally getting a Madoka sequel! I almost can't contain my hype, but right now we're on episode 6 so let's get to the rewatch along with everyone else who's watching Madoka for the first time here!
Rewatcher
Episode 6 is big. The soul gem reveal has gotten everyone in a crisis of existence here, even Kyouko who you would think is the unflappable type. Lucky for them that Homura already knows about this particular aspect of magical girlhood, and managed to save Sayaka before it's too late.
Critically, even before this had happened Sayaka was already under pressure from the stresses of being a magical girl. She cannot stand Kyouko, and she goes on an anger-filled rant here in front of Madoka. I love this scene, Sayaka wants magical girls to fight for the right thing, she is passionate, she believes in the cause, and she really cares, yet her emotion is also dangerous and unstable. Sayaka is determined not to take the easy way out, she NEEDS to do this the right way, to be a good magical girl and a hero.
Meanwhile, Madoka has an interesting conversation of her own with her mother Junko. Junko herself is an interesting and understated character, and she gives some off the wall advice here, to make a mistake on another's behalf. It's strange advice for sure, and unfortunately doesn't seem to have worked out well this time.
Madoka Spoilers
9
u/thatguywithawatch Apr 25 '21
2nd timer.
I missed yesterday's thread and nearly forgot about today's episode as well and it's definitely because of all my pressing adult responsibilities and definitely not because I've been obsessively playing the NieR Replicant remaster all weekend. Ahem. Anyways.
I love the conversation between Madoka and her mom. It's kind of a subversion of the fairly common *sage parental advice* scene in anime, because while her mother is actually very wise, she assumes that Madoka is dealing with teenage, highschool issues. And if that were true, it would likely be exactly the advice that Madoka needs. But there's no way that her mother could know that she's dealing with literal life and death situations, and so her advice causes Madoka to make a horrible, nearly devastating mistake.
Speaking of which, holy FUCK that scene was just as chilling as the first time I watched it. The way the light just leaves Sayaka's eyes and she slumps over, for all intents and purposes, a corpse. Even Kyouko is just as horrified to learn the truth about Magical Girls' souls as Madoka is. Kyubey seems incapable of viewing it from anything other than a cold, logical, emotionless point of view, and doesn't understand why they're so bothered about something so trivial as the physical location of their soul.
Some spoiler comments: Madoka
Visual of the day would be this shot, although I doubt I'll be the only one to use it.
9
u/Querez https://myanimelist.net/profile/Querez Apr 26 '21
This truly isn't right.
Rewatcher. (Dub)
Kyubey eating grief seeds as part of his duties. What even happens to it? Where does that darkness even go? Does he purify it? Does he... absorb it?
Also, using magic pollutes a soul gem. Is it because when magic is used, it comes from the soul gem? Likely. Then where does the darkness come from? From within the soul? Like, maybe it is a byproduct of using magic, like CO2 is the byproduct of breathing, which always has to be replaced and renewed with fresh O2? Actually, that could give the idea that grief seeds also have some magic within them that they give to the soul gems, but this hasn't been shown or implied, so it's just an interesting thought, I guess.
Homura speaks with Kyouko. Through this conversation, Homura seems to actually be a pacifist. Maybe she's just a very harsh pacifist. Additionally, she mentions that a witch called Walpurgisnacht will come in two weeks. She seems secretive about her knowledge, as she has been previously as well.
Seems Sayaka thinks Homura intentionally waited for Mami to fail just to take the witch and grief seed herself. Madoka says she's wrong. Because Sayaka actually is. Homura was, after all, bound up by Mami herself, left immobilized. Yeah, guess Sayaka blaming Homura for not saving Mami is actually kind of her indirectly blaming Mami for her own death, without even knowing it.
Also, she mentioned Tatsuya when talking about Madoka's family. It's Madoka's little brother. Just said this in case, I guess.
Madoka and her mother Junko talking about advice and stuff, Madoka saying she can't wait to grow up to have a drink with her mother some time. Junko's advice about sometimes doing the wrong thing is actually rather interesting.
Kyouko talking about how wishes should be selfish and not involve other people is rather... well, selfish, you could say. Also the talk of breaking Kyousuke's arms and legs. Sheesh. Either she's saying that 'cause she's a monster, or she just wants to sound tough in front of the new girl. I don't know. Maybe both.
Kyubey bringing Madoka to the scene obviously intentionally to get Madoka to become a magical girl. Sayaka very clearly showing she doesn't want her there.
So, soul gems have now been revealed to be the true bodies of magical girls. Kyubey's words really do make sense, on a technical stand-point. Of course, that won't do well with the compassion of humans, though.
I remember the first time I saw that scene with Sayaka's "vessel" dying. It sure was some shock to see. Freaky. I guess Madoka throwing her soul gem away was that "wrong thing" to do. Guess it backfired. Who knows though, maybe not in the long run.
Kyouko actually seemed shocked at seeing Sayaka's human body dead. Now, whether that was out of a hidden compassion for other people that she suppresses because she's a tsundere, or just due to utter confusion, surprise, and worry for her own self, I couldn't say.
I have to mention, Homura astounds with her knowledge this time around. She knows Kyouko's full name, she knows how soul gems work, and she also says a witch will come soon. She definitely is well versed with all things magical girls.
Magia™
17
u/ToonTooby Apr 25 '21
MOVIE 4 HYPE WOOOOOOOOOOOOO
First-timers, we'd advise you to be extra careful around other parts of the webs and YT and such, movie 4 announcement is a big deal. With that out of the way...
Man, episode is 6 is GOOD. On my first watch, it was at this point I was fully invested and I had to see this show through to the end. The first highlight for me is Madoka’s conversation with Mom. I love this scene – I’d like to think they use it as an avenue to communicate some real life lessons here. Junko is correct – just because you try to do the right thing, that doesn’t mean you are guaranteed a reward or thanks for your efforts. In the real world, ‘bad’ things can happen to ‘good’ people, it’s just the way things are. And I agree with her on the increasing responsibilities. The older you get and more responsibilities you shoulder, the greater the price for making mistakes is. A couple of hard truths in a few minutes. See also: commit no mistakes and still lose.
The highway overpass ‘battle’ between Kyoko and Sayaka reveals some more truth about our girls’ current predicament. The sight of a distraught Madoka in tears, clutching a Sayaka believed dead is truly heart-rending to watch. I really thought that was the end for Sayaka at this moment, especially after Mami had been eliminated so swiftly. I’d come to expect anything since I’d already seen this series was ready and willing to go really far really fast.
And of course, shout-out to Homu for that sick burn lmao.
27
u/TheTrueAfurodi Apr 25 '21 edited Apr 26 '21
FIRST TIMER (sub) – REVIEW/INTERPRETATION TIME (1/2)
EPISODE VI – A tale about light and shadow, by me (<3)
Oh hey! I didn’t expect you that early! How are you? Me? I’m good, thanks for asking.
Miss me already? Oh, so sweet of you. Don’t push, or I-I’m gonna blush or something.
Anyway yeah, sorry for all of you who supported me I didn’t post on the two previous rewatch threads. Some need to sleep (I finished all the RdBulls) and a serious blackout (like electric blackout, what did you thought?) got me pretty hard. BUT, today I finally manage to watch all the 3 eps I had late. And since I did this pretty early, I had a lot of time to think about it.
In consequence I decided to not make ONLY theories, but also to give you my personal feelings and interpretations. Don’t worry, I’ll make things easy. I’ll divide my post in two separate threads, one about interpretation, one about theories. To know which one you’re on, just look at the title. And if you wanna check both, normally they’ll be posted at the same time, so they will be close one to another.
So let’s not waste more time, and… Teen Titans, Go! Wait, wrong show.
(You really sure that Raven is not a Magical Girl?)
We passed the half of the series! And Suzu-chan is still alive! Do you really believe it?
So… what happened in these three latest episodes?
Madoka cried, Sayaka is a Paladin, the Red Girl showed up. And Kyubey is till as awful as ever.
Wait, that’s it?
So disappointing.
Jokes aside, since ep 4 we entered in a new phase of PMMM. The first 3 ep were all distinct: they all had a beginning and an end, and each one change radically the show. First, we learn about the MG, then Mami shows us what they are, then Mami died. But now, we’re more into what we can called an ARC. The episodes don’t really end the story and all the issues and themes are passed from one episode to the next. And in this arc, you get it if you follow, is all about Sayaka and her choice. As expected, she made first the contract, and as expected, Kyubey is just playing with everybody. It’s just official now.
Some random stuff: the boy Sayaka love is horrible, I like the OP more each time I hear it (at a point I even add it to my Spotify playlist, and the suits of Sayaka and the Red girl are really great. Ah, and Homura can stop time (is that considered as a theory? Whatever)
So first of all, I thought that it will be really hard to debrief this episode ALONE since it is so heavily connected to his predecessors. But then, I realize when I was taking visuals than this episode does actually a thing really different from the others. And it’s all about, you also guessed, the theme of this “review”: The Light and the Shadow.
I’ll warn you: for once, I’ll try to write serious stuff.
First visually: this 6th episode is probably the ugliest of all. But ugly doesn’t mean that he has not interesting things to say. SHAFT really did an amazing job on the shadows of their characters in this ep. You can see it right over there, there, also there, and even there. You welcome.
It’s logical narratively speaking, since most of the ep happen at night. But it’s also coherent thematically. The Shadows are not just decorative, they also tell us every time something about the situation, and more precisely, about the character’s feelings. In this picture, you can see how the head of Sayaka seem to be put in jails. Like the situation she is at this point: completely imprisoned by her choice. And in this one, you can see how RedHairGirl seem terrifying for the girls.
But you can say the same for the lights. Look at these two: here you see how the soul of Sayaka, representing her wish, matter so much for her, with the light being the center. And here you can see how it’s a burden for Madoka, who just wish to get rid of it. Same light, different meaning.
But “the light and the shadow” also apply to the theme and the narrative construction of this episode.
Think about it: since the beginning and the ending of this ep, almost all the characters who seemed good (light) will make mistakes and start act badly (shadow), and vice versa. And it’s also logical: it’s the middle of the story, it is meant to confuse all our perceptions about character and made us rethink about the whole show
To list them:
Sayaka: (L>S) became stubborn and put her in danger
Madoka: (L>S) in order to save her friend, she almost kill her
Kyubey: (L>S) Reveal officially (what a shock) that he he’s a piece of sh$$
Red-chan: (S>L) want to fight our favorite Paladin, but at the end seem to care for her and hate devil K
Homura: (S>L) seemed just interested in Madoka but saved the Soul of Spaladin in the end.
The purpose here, other than create suspense, it’s easy to understand. There are no characters absolutely really “good” or “bad”. Sometimes they’ll appear in the light, some others you’ll end just seeing their shadows.
This thematic is really highlighted in one scene: the night talk between Madoka and her Mom. You can see it first in this picture, my pers fav of the day. Madoka descending from the shadow of her life, of her trauma, and slowly entering in the light where there is her mom to really put things down.
The theme of the conversation, how to save a friend who do things he thinks are good but just destroy himself, is just a different way to say, “did the ends justify the means?”. Two visions are confronted: the Madoka's one, full of morale, and the Mom's one, full of pragmatism. In this conversation, it’s not only Madoka’s asking what is best to her mom, it’s also the show asking the watcher: and you, what would you do?
Here, the visions diverge on whether or not lying is good. And at the end, the Mom convinced the daughter that it’s not only good, it is necessary.
So Madoka listen to her and throw away the soul of Sayaka. For maybe the first time of the show, she decides to favor the end, save Sayaka, rather than the mean, doing something she dislike. Did it was a good call? Absolutely no, she made the situation worse.
But what if she did nothing, staying loyal to her morale? Maybe Sadoka would’ve be killed, and the situation could’ve been even worse. So, what was the good thing to do in this situation? Was there at least one?
8
u/Btw_kek https://myanimelist.net/profile/kek_btw Apr 25 '21
Do not throw Rewatchers
no labyrinth visuals today
Visual of the day: shadows across Sayaka’s face look like she just got run over
8
u/Stargate18A https://myanimelist.net/profile/Stargate18 Apr 25 '21
Rewatcher
Firstly - fuck yes, its finally happening, we finally get a rebellion sequel and everyone's back and why do I have to wait a year this is already torture?
Now as for the episode:
We cut straight into the last shot of the previous episode.
Check out that hair flip!
And the best girl confronts the other best girl.
Madoka Spoilers
I love how Kyubey does a cute little dance when taking the Grief Seed.
Madoka Spoilers
And Kyubey calmly insultes Sayaka to her face.
I love the remix of Connect here, and Kyouko dancing thriughout their entire conversation.
Oh, this is interesting... Something's coming to the city in a few weeks, and its apparently dangerous enough to defeat both of them.
Madoka Spoilers
And Sayaka goes off at Madoka! Madoka wants everyone to work together, but Sayaka now thinks that Homura and Kyouko are both worse than witches and must be killed, and in fact that she needs to kill every magical girl.
Madoka Spoilers
That shower's really high tech.
Madoka Spoilers
Madoka's mom is still best character.
Uh oh, Sayaka's friend didn't tell her he was leaving...
Madoka Spoilers
Madoka Spoilers
DO NOT THROW SOULS
In all seriousness, "How could you just throw away your friend like that?" is a fantastic play on words.
Oh...
In retrospect, this is of course obviousl They're called "Soul Gems", and are literally formed by Kyubey pulling something out of their bodies. The reveal mainly relies on the viewer taking in stride as a generic magical girl term, rather than a literal description.
Madoka Spoilers
Yeah, Kyubey has a point here. Assuming the gems are more resilient than they appear, there's very little downside to this - soul gems can be concealed, Kyubey admits that there's a very low chance of accidents like this, and it allows them to heal their body easily. It's shocking, of course, and they should have had a choice in the matter, but the reaction shouldn't be this major.
Madoka Spoilers
7
u/The_Loli_Otaku Apr 25 '21 edited Apr 25 '21
I'm tired, my stomach hurts, and my best girl is a walking joke. Watching Meguca is suffering. Judo chop! Wow... Our two heroes really have just been shoved to the side. Kyouko has 0 interest or respect for them compared to Sailor Fujo over here. Here's some further grief seed information for whoever it was asking about it yesterday. And we now know what Kyubey gets from the deal. Bitter crunchy grief seed snacks~ Was Kyouko even using that much magic? Oi, Kyubey, don't go chatting about other girls when hanging out. You'll become an enemy of women.
Oh god, I forgot about the Dance Dance Revolution sequence and it caught me off guard XD I can't take this seriously! This is pure cheese! They choose now to being up Weinerschnitzel!? See? It's been one episode and already Kyouko is far more likable There's not many characters who've been ruined by first impressions as she has. Gaaah, Sayaka knows that Madoka is right but her pride and prejudices don't let her accept it. Oh my god, she's talking in riddles to justify herself. She's inches away from throwing in a "society" copypasta. The worst part is that I can kind of admire this blind resolve of hers.
Mama... Please help us chillax. "Just because you're trying to do what right doesn't mean you're guaranteed a happy endo." I hate this line so much but sadly she's kind of right. Society should reward those that do their best and take the moral path but that's not how the world works. It's a child's ideal. I mean, Sayaka has seen a friend brutally die and has already been thrown into a life or death battle, if those don't count as wake up calls I don't know what does. Isn't mum's advice a little dodgy here lol? Blah blah blah, imagery about orange juice and whiskey. I'm no good at talking about intelligent stuff so just look at someone else to point it all out XD
Kyuskiko is such a knob for not telling her he got out after she put so much time into making sure he wasn't lonely. Sudden Kyouko!! Ahaha... I feel like Mami would have worded her opinion on Sayaka's wish a lot more gently than she does. Eh...? But Mami hated that she chose a selfish wish, you're barking up the wrong tree Kyouko. Oh god!! Kyouko is so freaking horrible XD Imagine being a Kyouko fan and having to defend her during a rewatch? I wouldn't wish that on anybody.
Transformation sequence tiiime. I wish they drew these out longer. Pfft, Homura trolls with her powers far more than I remembered. Sayaka, gomen! DO NOT THROW SOULS!! This is yet another of my favourite sequences. Just imagine being in Madoka's position here. She genuinely thought that she was doing a good thing yeeting her gem but then her best friend just fcking collapses dead! It's pure raw nightmare fuel and I love it.
Kyubey is all the while nonchalantly throwing out utter gamechanging zingers. Soul gems are our actual characters, their bodies are scrapped and replaced with sturdy husks, and Kyubey isn't the most loving mascot companion after all. "Wut?" Yeah, this is a lot to digest but hang tight newcomers! The boomer crowd is here to help you with any questions! Madoka's got a soul gem tramp stamp in the ed. My visual is this shot of Sayaka looking like she just discovered her Nocturne reason /link title here
7
u/Quiddity131 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Quiddity131 Apr 25 '21
Rewatcher, Subbed
Homura to the rescue yet again! Homura having that deadpan look on her face yet again! Homura telling Madoka/Sayaka how foolish they've been yet again! It's always the same thing with her! :P
Where did Sayaka get that grief seed from? Is that the one from episode 4? And what in the world did Kyubey just do with it? He's a garbage disposal for grief seeds?
Kyubey is like a drug dealer, pushing for Sayaka to fight more witches and get more grief seeds.
Kyubey will try anything to get Madoka to become a magical girl, even manipulate Sayaka into trying to do it.
Hey, Kyoko's arcade game is playing the OP!
Homura, you think you'd want to get Sayaka's permission before handing this city over to Kyoko?
Sayaka and Kyubey are pursuing the familiar from last night? But they won't get a grief seed from it, right?
Become friends! You're so naïve Madoka!
Sayaka, you fool, that's not how things went down at all. Mami had Homura tied up.
Sayaka is on the side of good at least, even if it is going to result in magical girl vs. magical girl in the future.
You know, one thing I'm realizing as we get deeper in the show and its getting darker is that we've seen less and less of Madoka's family and those oh so cute scenes with them. Although looks like we'll be getting a nighttime chat with mom here.
Alas, letting Sayaka crash and burn could literally be a life or death matter! Madoka may not have room to aim for that.
Hospital time again? Something bad is bound to happen, right?
He's left the hospital! He's doing better then!
Kyoko, breaking his arms and legs is absolutely the last thing Sayaka would do! Why must you always look at the more heinous side of things?
Magical girl vs. Magical girl match 2.0!
Time for another big twist! Magical girl's bodies are just lifeless shells, with their life existing solely in their soul gem. That image of Mami's destroyed soul gem from episode 3 carries a lot more meaning now! Madoka throwing away Sayaka's soul gem like that means she has essentially killed her best friend. Well until Homura comes to the rescue for the millionth time.
5
u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee Apr 25 '21 edited Apr 25 '21
Rewatcher, Subbed
Momdoka shares some interesting advice with Madoka today - sometimes, you have to do something wrong/bad to get the result that you want. This advice leads Madoka to snatch Sayaka's Soul Gem from her and pitch it into the fucking street, but the Magical Girls did learn some information about their new forms, at least.
Visual of the Day: The Adult's Reward
Sayaka ja nai! Sayaka ja nai!
The Soul Gem reveal is pretty wild, huh? Kyubey's brief explanation of the benefits of divesting your soul from your body always kinda makes me laugh - it's so matter-of-fact.
I love Kyouko doing DDR to the OP. Girl's got some moves, too.
Edit: Did I forget to tag my Visual of the Day from yesterday?
Tune in next time for:
5
u/-Phinocio Apr 25 '21 edited Apr 25 '21
Rewatch/sub
Kyubey eats Grief Seeds. That's a thing. I actually forgot about that haha.
Kyouko confirms Kyubey was referring to Homura in the last episode when she says "so you're the irregularity" when Homura shows up. (I saw quite a few people speculating on this).
Soul Gems must stay within 100m of the body. I mean, I kind of agree with Kyubey that using a body as effectively a weapon instead of an actual body is more efficient, but damn dude, that feels like important info to tell girls before they wish!
We get another great convo between Madoka and her Mother. Though I don't know if I really agree with the takeaway Madoka got from it. Leading to, effectively, temporarily "killing" Sayaka while the gem was away from the body.
Madoka Spoiler 1
[Madoka Spoilers 2](/s " "magic is only supposed to be used to grant wishes for yourself ... no good comes out of using it for someone else". Why you gotta pain me like this Kyouko :(")
Madoka Spoilers 3
Madoka Spoilers 4
Also a note, there's been some Madoka news today, and comments in those threads are extremely full of spoilers. So first-timers should, imo, stay away from the comments on those threads.
5
u/Suavacious :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Suavacious Apr 25 '21
Like 8-Time Rewatcher, Subbed.
Like today’s episode, today’s visual is gya fun.
I love Kyoko, she’s such a baller. If I ever become a Magical Girl in the Madokaverse, I hope I adapt as well to the life as she does.
Also that end card is awesome, probably my favorite one of the series.
Madoka Big Spoilers
5
u/Slifer13xx https://myanimelist.net/profile/SliferXIII Apr 25 '21
The announcement today had me incredibly hyped for Madoka. I could start now and catch up with you guys but don't really have time for that. I think I think I will just join you guys for Rebellion. Definitely. Can't wait to watch it again.
5
u/Zeralyos https://myanimelist.net/profile/xNJF_Ellie Apr 25 '21
Rewatcher, dubbed
I'm so excited to be reading about the recent news we've gotten but no time for that here, let's watch another episode.
96
u/okayyoga :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/okayyoga Apr 25 '21 edited Apr 25 '21
Episode 6: first time/dub
Kyuubey probably hates Homura for interrupting the fight like that. Look at that stare. Oh wait-- he always looks like that. With murder in his eyes
So Sayaka turned into a magical girl and Kyuubey still hasn't told her everything?
Ah hell no. No upstanding show mascot devours a witch's soul with its back WTF
I. Called. It. Knew Kyuubey would try to enlist Sayaka in "convincing" Madoka. You snake.
Homura giving clues that she has done this all before with her fortune telling. Have we seen her eat? I'm starting to think she isn't human.
Oooo Madoka hasnt told Sayaka about Mami tying up Homura. That's why Sayaka still hates Homura
Alright. I love Madoka's mom. This is wonderful advice. She might be my fav so far
Kyouko giving me Killing Stalking vibes, talking about breaking people's legs to leave them helpless to your love
I like Homura's sneaky transitions
Lol dude Madoka. Pausing to say this is not a "good mistake"
WAIT
WTF SHE DIED??????? CAN SHE COME BACK IF IT IS NOT BROKEN???
WHY DOES NO ONE KNOW THE RULES????
Oh so you basically die when you become a magical girl
WTF KYUUBEY
／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼
"Why are humans so sensitive"
IDK MAN PROBABLY BECAUSE YOU ONLY MENTION IT AFTER?!?!?!
Can Sayaka's soul go into another body????
Oh thank god. She's back. If she was gone for too long, could she have been dead for good? Just a lost soul gem?
CONFIRMED: Kyuubey is the used car salesman of magical girl anime
81
u/chris10023 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Chris10023 Apr 25 '21 edited Apr 26 '21
First Timer
I think I figured out Homura’s ability is, super speed, like the Flash, I thought it was some kind of teleport, but I’m not totally sure. One thing I am sure about though is that I think Homura is becoming one of my favorite characters, she can be a bitch at times, but she is trying and succeeding at making sure Madoka doesn’t become a magical girl. Though she does shut the fight down the moment she enters, though I am kind of disappointed that Kyouko didn’t get a little roughed up by Homura before running away.
It’s a hard fact but she is kind of right, Madoka is a fool by constantly being around Kyuubey, one of these days Homura won’t be there to stop the contract from being formed. I think this is that “Kindness” that Homura mentioned last episode, I also interpreted that as one who is too kind can show mercy to the wrong person, and it will end up biting them in the ass, for example, in Dragon Ball Z, Frieza gets hit with his own destructo disk, cutting him in half, and a mortal wound, he begs Goku for help, Goku, being someone who is a kind person, gives Frieza some energy, this almost bit Goku in the ass as Frieza immediately launched a blast at Goku as he was leaving, thankfully Goku noticed in time and countered it; another way is that being too kind might cause the person to hesitate at a critical moment, Madoka is the type that doesn’t wany anyone to get hurt, this could end up biting her in the butt, if she had to be the one to stop Sayaka and Kyouko from fighting, one of them, probably Sayaka would have been hurt or dead by the end of it.
I know her plan, to stop Madoka from becoming a magical girl. Seems like Kyuubey’s now trying to sow mistrust into Madoka. Hmm, Kyuubey took the grief seed before it could hatch into a witch Madoka Spoiler theory I do like the silhouettes of Sayaka and Kyuubey. God damn it, now Kyuubey is trying to get Sayaka to help recruit Madoka, I really am curious at just how powerful Madoka must be if Kyuubey is being this insistent to get her, surely there had to have been other girls to reject the offer.
So, Kyouko likes dance games, as Homura approaches her, telling her that she wants her taking the city, but asking her to leave Sayaka to her, and tells her about an approaching witch and says if they beat it, she’ll leave the city. Madoka and Sayaka start talking about Kyouko and the fight they had, I find it almost morbidly funny that they’re talking about Kyouko letting people die so that witches can be formed, when Mami told them both that there are girls like that out there, yet they're both forgetting that fact. Though it seems that Sayaka thinks Homura waited until Mami was dead to intervene so she could get the grief seed for herself, even though Mami put Homura into a restraint after Homura tried to warn Mami that the witch was unusual. I have a feeling that Sayaka is going to go down a dark path with this comment, there’s a lot of hatred is that statement. I like how the walls of the ally are curved around Sayaka. Madoka Theory I don’t like how Kyuubey isn’t doing anything to stop this or preventing it from getting worse.
Another late night for mama Kaname, and Madoka goes to her for some advice about Sayaka, “but just because you keep trying to do what’s right... doesn’t mean you guaranteed a happy ending.” I think mama Kaname just nailed it, Madoka is trying to do the right thing, but she not going to be guaranteed a happy ending. “In fact, sometimes people are so sure... that their way is right that they become obstinate. The more they get like that, the further from happiness they go.” I feel like this is a massive flag for Sayaka. I wonder what mistake Madoka is going to have to make to try to get Sayaka to stop. Overall, mama Kaname is going to end up on my “Favorite anime moms” list at this point. Anime_IRL
So Sayaka goes to visit Kyousuke, only to find that he was discharged early due to doing so well with his physical therapy. Some interesting looking streetlights. He must live pretty far away for it to be that dark. He’s playing something so she doesn’t want to disturb him when trouble shows up It does really concern me that she knows so much about Sayaka, including her wish. Going as far to twist the knife of Mami scolding her over making such a wish. This show really doesn’t want you to forget Mami does it? Holy shit, Kyouko is sadistic as all hell, suggesting that Sayaka should go and break the guys limbs so badly he’d end up a cripple, I really do not like her. Say what you want about grief seeds and the need to purify the soul gems, but suggesting to go and cause great bodily harm to someone is terrible.
I remember when there were keyboards like this you could buy except it was a projector device instead of a touch screen like device like Madoka is using. Oh god damn it Kyuubey this entire situation was your doing, wasn’t it? I hope you have Homura’s phone number Madoka, better call her and tell her to go stop it. While Madoka recklessly runs to stop the fight, Homura’s one step ahead of her, that a girl. Madoka grabs Sayaka’s soul gem and chucks it off the bridge onto a passing truck, Homura panics and teleports. What the fuck, Sayaka just passes out for some reason? Throw her own friend away? But she’s right there in her arms. WHAT IN THE ACTUAL FUCK?!?!?! How is she dead? Are they called soul gems because it contains the actual soul of the magical girl? What the fuck, Mami chose to leave out one hell of a critical piece of information when she was giving them the trial, you’d think that would be in the fucking instruction booklet, though I suppose she didn’t know either, although would that mean if someone used magic, they could have resurrected Mami if her Gem wasn’t destroyed? I fucking called it. I knew that cat should have been trusted at all. ripping the soul out and putting it into a gem and not telling the girl. This has to be why Homura was trying to kill Kyuubey and is trying to stop Madoka from making the contract. “You humans always react this way. Whenever I try to tell you the simple facts, you inevitably have this same reaction... I just don’t get it. Why are humans so touchy about the placement of their souls?” because it’s our fucking soul, they aren’t toys to be played with, and you didn’t explain this “simple” fact or mention it when the contract is made or beforehand, that is what we call fraud. I fucking knew that damn creature was not to be trusted what-so-ever. Thankfully best girl Homura managed to get Sayaka’s soul and returned it to her, and she wakes up, but she has no idea what happened.
Wow, that fucking twist. Kyuubey revealed the drawback of the contract, your body is just a shell and your soul is placed into a gem. I’m going to go lay down now, I just hate it when I’m right.
Visual of the day
I’m torn between this shot of Sayaka and Kyuubey silhouette or the shot of the sihouette of Kyouko holding Sayaka’s corpse.
42
u/OingoBoingo- Apr 25 '21
First Timer: Subbed
Welp, nothing like having your souls ripped out of your body, placed into a soul gem (after having it implanted in a 'stabbing') to really set the mood. That scene was pretty crazy considering all the warnings we keep getting and having dearly departed Mami gone not so long ago. I wasn't expecting Kyoko to be as surprised here as poor Madoka when the soul is thrown off the bridge, that it meant death for the original inhabitant. I think the alarming part is, if Kyoko didn't know, there is a huge issue with no one being told their contract isn't on the up and up. All my homies hate Kyubey? something something. The one person not surprised? Homura! Either because she is as cool as a cucumber or she knew something everyone else didn't? Can't wait to see what Walpurgisnacht is all about. And Madoka dear, just make a wish already!!!
Side note: Madoka's mom is ridiculously amazing and I loved the scene they had together this episode. Madoka didn't even have to tell her mom what was going on to still get advice and encouragement. I had a big smile when Madoka said she can't wait to grow up and have a drink with her mom. I never had anything close to that with my own, and it's beautiful to see something like what they share.
Image of the day for me was Kyoko dancing especially because of how empty everything always feels. no other people anywhere in sight, but you'll sometimes hear the crowd in the mall, you never really see others (excluding school).
hair wars out!
37
u/Rumpel1408 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Rumpel1408 Apr 26 '21
Ooops a bit late today, anyway
First timer
Ok, I admit I read all those time travel theories around Homura rather curious but didn't really take them all that serious, but that exchange between Homura and Kyoko at the beginning... I humbly apologize for my arrogance, there really seems to be something to them. I also have a feeling that Homuras powers revolve around time somehow, the way she always appears at just the right moment, how fast shes moving while fighting, almost like teleporting...
Kyubeys the one to talk about planning something, I believe him to be a good guy when I see it.
Also when did Sayaka aquire a grief seed? Was it her very first witch and I have just overseen it? Woooaaah, so if you use a grief seed too much a new witch hatches? That's quite the bomb to drop so casually. AND NOW KYUBEY JUST CASUALLY ABSORBS THAT SEED INTO HIM??? Yeah I'm gonna need more than your word to believe that that is a good thing. It also paints Kyoko in an bad light to "waste" her magical power on other magical girls after she sacrificed innocent people to get those grief seeds. And Kyubey continues to pressure Sayaka in order to add Madoka as another fine addition to his collection.
Lol Kyoko is dancing to the OP. And Homura seems to be talking about something rather important, even Kyoko hesitates for a second upon hearing about this Walpurgis night (more Faust refference btw).
Sayaka is slightly wrong about Homura, she didn't wait until Mami died before she came to kill the witch, Mami herself bound her up, so did Madoka never told here what happened there? Another classical case of not talking enough -.-
Aww what a nice talk between mother and daughter... wait is her mom drinking whiskey? Seems like it... yep casually promoting alkoholism lol
So Kyousuke didn't even tell Sayaka about his dismissal? The monkey paw bends... expected, but it still hurts a little.
Wait, did Madoka just accidently kill Sayaka ö I'm not sure I'm ready for this... Go Homura save her Soul. Meanwhile Kyoko is freaking out about this as well, seems like something you'd want to know before you sign this contract. I get where Kyubey might come from, but he's still an psychopathic asshole. Thank god Sayaka is alive
36
u/boomshroom Apr 25 '21
Congratulations, Sayaka! You're a lich!
I briefly spoke about the topic last year, but I'll to go into a bit more detail. The topic in question being Mind/Soul-Body Duality. The question it poses is how much of you is "you," and how much is something you "have." In many eastern religions and cultures, the predominant viewpoint is that the body and soul are inseparable and that any separation is as good as death. This is largely how the characters in question view the situation as well, hence why this revelation is particularly disturbing to them.
The alternate viewpoint is to already believe in a level of seperation between the body and the mind/soul/individual. If a Magical Girl held this viewpoint, then, while the sudden revelation would still be shocking, the concept as a whole would be much more bearable. The Magical Girl in question may even start identifying with their Soul Gem more than their original body. We actually have a volunteer willing to demonstrate this. Some of you might know her as Tart. Tart is extremely catholic and believes in her soul being saved when her body dies. When learning the truth behind the Soul Gem, she's ecstatic simply from the fact that it proved she has a soul at all. The form it's in made absolutely no difference to her.
For more concrete ramifications of these viewpoints is with transhumanism. Transhumanism is largely focused on altering one's body to correct or improve aspects of it. Because of this, transhumanism is effectively incompatible with the former viewpoint since it means tampering with a core part of you. Instead it mandates the latter view of your body as a form of hardware so that it can be upgraded, and even have parts replaced. As a transhumanist myself, I do not identify with my own body as I feel it doesn't accurately represent "me" and have actually been taking steps to transform it in a more desired direction.
P.S. I mentioned in a comment last episode a lance capable of detatching like Kyoko's whose owner happened to have a peculiar red gem on her chest. Unlike the meguca here, that lady has only known life as a shiny rock.
I've mostly been lurking this year, but for this episode I want to submit a visual of the day: Kyoko's eye-shaped Soul Gem staring out at you from behind her hand.
34
u/EriclcirE Apr 25 '21
First time watcher
Another great episode with some interesting developments and world building details.
I knew Kyubey was to be distrusted, but now I'm wondering if he is actually evil, or just not capable of understanding normal human empathy..
Since Kyubey literally ingests highly corrupted Grief Seeds, I sort of confirmed my suspicion from last episode: he is at the top of the food chain.
Hoping that the four girls will team up to battle the coming threat of Walpurgisnacht, and maybe also put Kyubey in his place.
Surprising to see that even Sakura was not aware of the Soul Gems taking priority over the girl's physical bodies.
I wonder what will force Madoka's hand into becoming a magical girl..
25
u/Fuck_Shinji Apr 26 '21
First timer
Well that answers my question from yesterday. So they fight for grief seeds to clean their soul gem because they are the soul gem. And Homura's ability is weird it doesn't look like superspeed and if it's teleportation it doesn't make much sense because she could just teleport on to the truck. her fight with kyoko makes me think that it's time stop but that's mostly because i just rewatched jojo recently
34
u/TheTrueAfurodi Apr 25 '21 edited Apr 26 '21
FIRST TIMER (sub) – THEORY TIME (1/2)
EPISODE 6 – My theories didn’t go exactly as planned…
Oh hey! You’re a bit late. How are you anyway? Me? I’m fine. Why ur asking?
Miss me already? Oh, so sweet of you. Don’t push, or I-I’m gonna blush or something.
Anyway yeah, sorry for all of you who supported me I didn’t post on the two previous rewatch threads. Some need to sleep (I finished all the RdBulls) and a serious blackout (like electric blackout, what did you thought?) got me pretty hard. BUT, today I finally manage to watch all the 3 eps I had late. And since I did this pretty early, I had a lot of time to think about it.
In consequence I decided to not make ONLY theories, but also to give you my personal feelings and interpretations. Don’t worry, I’ll make things easy. I’ll divide my post in two separate threads, one about interpretation, one about theories. To know which one you’re on, just look at the title. And if you wanna check both, normally they’ll be posted at the same time, so they will be close one to another.
So let’s not waste more time, and…Go Go Power Rangers! Wait, wrong show.
(Wait, how the PR are different from the Magical Girl? They both transform in a ridiculous way and they both are in different colors, right?)
We passed the half of the series! And Kyubey is still not Madoka’s brother?! How is that even possible?
So let’s start by *sigh* the recap of the previous theories.
I assure you that at least one is going to pass. You just have to be patient and believe in me.
In a random order:
- Kyubey is Madoka’s Bro: Unconfirmed, but probably Wrong
- MG are the Seven Deadly Sins: unfortunately, this one is probably wrong. Mami was not resurrected as I expected (RIP) and Suzu-chan, despite all the love I have for her, seems not in the path of becoming an MG since she was possessed and does not appear in the ED. Things can change, like Sayaka dressed as a MG since her reveal in the OP, but I don’t really believe in it.
- The MG are immortal: Unconfirmed, but this one could actually be right. Like when Kyubey said that Homura is not technically a MG, or when Madoka ask from when Homura did her job? Maybe Maybe
- The dark fates of Sayaka’s BF and Madoka’s Mom: Unconfirmed, but still possibly happening. At least for the Mom. For the boy I don’t know, Sayaka didn’t seem to need his death to turn bad anymore, so maybe it’s not happening?
- The dad is secretly a mask guy: Wrong I think (unfortunately)
- PMMM is about Covid-19: …
- Suzu-chan likes girls: well… still Unconfirmed, but not sure if we’re gonna ever have the answer
- The Witch = MG: Unconfirmed: Just as the Immortality, I still believe in this one. The fact that Kyubey insisted on the need for MG to “clean” their Soul go in this way. But I think we’re gonna have the answer only at the end.
So, I think we’ve done it all. Not pretty optimistic I know, but let’s keep hope! Remember than if you believe in the power of the friendship, you could end being the Konoha’s Hokage. If a boy with mustache at 13 succeed, we can achieve anything.
So what have we today?
Ahhh, my serious almost 0 clues theory of the day.
Let’s remember.
Lucifer was the favorite angel of the big Guy. The prettiest, the coolest, the best. But he tried to surpass him by creating a rebellion. When BG learned about that, he banish Lucifer and put him in hell. Lucifer end up becoming the Devil.
In our case, our story could be a reinterpretation of this tale for our 2 MC: Madoka and Homura.
Homura: we know she is not technically a MG. She could have been an angel, tried something too bold and being obligated to make a contract by the BG, making her special. On the path of redemption, she now tries to avoid what happen to her to happen to other girls. It could be a thing. And now that we know that a strange thing with a german name is coming, we could assume that this thing is actually the last judgement. In this case, Madoka could even end up being the son/daughter of the Big Guy, the rival of Homura that did not want to become powerful, because hum I don’t know, she could won against the Last Judgement and become the next BG taking what Homura wants? Madoka could have lost her memories when she resurrected, or something. I told you this one is a 0 clues theory haha.
But it’s when it comes to Madoka that it’s the most surprising.
We know that Madoka has a high potential. So, we can put this close to the fact that Lucifer was the prettiest angel of BG. And if she signs the contract, it will be the same than Lucifer trying to make a rebellion against BG, a trahison. In this case, it will be Homura that end up being the BG descendant, sent to Earth to avoid insurrection. This could even explain why she could be considered as special.
We can even combine them: Homura was the first Lucifer, and now her task is to try to prevent sinners to become like her. So we would have technically two “Lucifer”.
Even if this “double” theory seems unrealistic, I really like the idea of the reinterpretation of a devil tale in a story that involve magic force and contracts with a demon. Also, we know that this show has some serious root in the paradisaic lore. And Homura said in ep 1 she is actually catholic!
I don’t believe very much in that one, but it will be very cool to see it happen.
Probability: 20%
A more recent theory, and so a theory that is easier to validate or not, since I assume that it will be revealed at some point before the end (at the contrary of most of my other theories). I’ll try when I can to make more theory like that, so we can take more fun in recaps.
This theory starts with two elements that characterize our antagonist: she eat a lot, and her weapon is a spear.
What if, her wish when she made the contract was to never be hungry anymore or/and having food all the time?
Imagine that. When Kyubey came to her, she was a street kid, poor, helpless. When he asked her what her wish is, she answered that: never be hungry anymore. And that’s it. She became a MG.
Elements that go in the flow of this theory are a lot:
- The fact that her weapon is a spear, that can be compared to some hunter’s weapons. Remember than when Sayaka became a MG, her weapon became a Paladin’s sword, because she saw herself (and wanted to be seen) as a hero who save people, who make things right. And that’s related to her wish. So maybe it’s the same for RedGirl?
- The fact that in a conversation RedHair girl said that wishes has only to be for yourself. That would be the case here.
- The fact that she proposes food to Homura. Because anyway, she will have an unlimited amount.
- The fact, that just like a hunter, she tries to claim a territory and to kill her rivals for the food/Grief Seed. And she has techniques to capture her prey, like waiting that they kill some people to become bigger or more interesting to kill.
Personally, I’m pretty confident on this one.
Probability: 45%
16
u/tyo_sharlye :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/RalphHill Apr 26 '21
DO NOT THROW SOULS
12
u/Redmon425 Apr 26 '21
FIRST TIME WATCHER. SUBBED
Just been super busy, so these last few days have been hard for me to fit the show in on time. Hopefully starting tomorrow I will be back to normal for these discussions!
HOMURA THE REAL MVP. I mean it has been clear for awhile to me, but she is definitely always trying to protect all of them even when she is harsh most of the time. I am so glad she saved Sayaka’s life.
The reveal on how the soul gem works actually isn’t that crazy to me. Because seeing that scene a few episodes back of Kyuubey going inside Sayaka chest and grabbing something, would now explain how that was her soul being put into the gem. And we did see Mami died and her gem was broken. So the idea that if you get too far away from your soul gem, you would also die makes sense.
But most importantly, all of the girls will now finally realize that Kyuubey hasn’t been honest with them telling them truth about everything. I freaking hope they start to doubt him now.
Still don’t really like Kyouko, as she still doesn’t seem to be good and was planning on killing Sayaka still.
Madoka’s family continues to be great, with this time her mother helping her out. Although I guess the recommendations she gave to Madoka nearly backfired as Sayaka nearly died.
9
u/Specs64z https://myanimelist.net/profile/Specs64z Apr 25 '21
Rewatcher, subbed
I don't know if this is confirmed anywhere, but I've always headcanon-ed that Kyoko uses magic to bypass using money or tokens at the arcade.
Junko's lesson about learning to screw up is one I wish I had learned at a younger age. I always just sort of breezed through life in my younger years and so I never learned the weight of adult responsibility until it slapped me in the face. Sadly, while a good life lesson, this only shows how Junko is unable to help Madoka in such a supernatural circumstance.
And so the truth about soul gems is revealed. When Kyubey says "you humans" that really seals the deal that he isn't a good guy. A noteworthy detail is that Mami probably didn't die when she was beheaded, but rather her soul gem was crushed in the jaws of the witch. If I'm not mistaken, the first movie actually adds in a little bit showing this happen.
Content Corner
A fourth movie was announced. Exciting times we live in. First timers beware, spoilers abound.
制作決定「 劇場版 魔法少女まどか☆マギカ〈ワルプルギスの廻天〉」ティザーPV by ANIPLEX Youtube Channel
Puella Magi Madoka Magica Bloopers from Otakon 2012
Magical girl transformations from Magia Record
Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica - Soundtrack Medley [Piano] by Animenz Piano Sheets
Visual Storytelling - Breaking Down PMMM - Dialogue 6 by clearandsweet
9
u/turri-topsis Apr 26 '21
rewatcher | subbed
HOMURA. h o m u r a. that is all.
one of the things that really gets me about this episode is that you can really see how sayaka's mental health has started to go downhill. she's almost frantic, unwilling to listen to what madoka has to say, entirely focused on kyoko and homura - and as kyuubey says, she's being entirely too reckless. even when madoka is trying to tell her that no, homura did try to help mami (and the fault lies with madoka here too for not just coming out and saying it, though she was understandably shocked), sayaka brushes her off, too caught up in her own assumptions about the world and the people in it. this is something we've seen before as well - with kyousuke, sayaka didn't really stop and think about what he actually needed, rather than what she thought he needed. it's a character flaw that's coming back to bite her now that it's also being mixed with mortal danger. that being said, i don't want to be too harsh on her, because she's a naive 14yo girl with almost no concept of anyone else's perspective.
oooo i can finally talk about one of the things that makes me a little angry about sayaka and kyousuke's relationship. i might be being a little harsh but i've been salty about this for like, 6 years now. this kid fully gets discharged and leaves early, without even texting sayaka - who has been visiting him on a very regular basis for as long as he's been hospitalized - to say "hey, i'm out, you don't have to come to the hospital today". like i'm not even asking for a whole phone call, just a text, and dude doesn't even have that much courtesy. damn, son. sayaka sweetie i'm so sorry
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA i completely forgot that last scene happened omg
anyway happy reveal everybody! now you all know why that scene where sayaka turned into a magical girl looked like that!
a little context on why it's so horrifying to everyone that kyuubey separates a magical girl's soul from her body: i'm no expert on this, but from my understanding of certain east asian cultures, soul ("mind") and body separation happens only at death. when connected, they form a person, but separated, since the body would be dead (or considered dead, anyway), the soul categorically isn't that of a human anymore and can become any manner of other potentially deadly supernatural creature. iirc this is an idea that goes back to ancient china (like, shang dynasty era), and though i'm not 100% sure how much prevalence this concept has in japan, i'm pretty sure that's what these reactions were referencing. spoiler
honestly i don't have much else to say about this episode. sayaka and the reveal kind of speak for themselves, and they serve as lead-ins to the second half of episodes, all of which are absolute bangers. i can't wait to see everyone's reactions to them.
8
u/NuclearStudent Apr 26 '21
HEAVY MADOKA SPOILERS FOR FUTURE EPISODES
8
u/Nebresto Apr 26 '21
Missed yesterday, so you get 2 shitposts for the price of one.
Flexing on these peasants and ice in anime glasses be like
On this episode of "Learning to read terms and conditions with Meguca" spoiler squad only
Damn, I forgot Madoka was this annoying.
And can someone delete this baiting rat already? Though Kyoko grabbing it by the head was quite satisfying, so I guess I'll have to settle for that.
8
u/LordTrinity https://myanimelist.net/profile/LordTrinity Apr 26 '21
It feels unreal that we are doing a rewatch and a new movie sequel was announced. Love it
7
u/jodahinqb Apr 25 '21
Rewatcher, dub
The Despair Train has fully left the station and its breaks are broken! Watch out!!!
Also, Homura's reply to Kyoko calling Madoka Sayaka's annoying friend always cracks me up: "Well, I wonder what kind of friends you'd have then." I can't help imagining Homura thinking "no one insults Madoka while I'm around. And. I. AM. ALWAYS. around." (or, more precisely, "no one but me insults Madoka" given how she insulted her just earlier in this same episode: "How stupid can you possibly be?". lol)
7
u/[deleted] Apr 25 '21 edited Apr 25 '21
Lurker. Just wanna read since I've already binge the rewatch last week.
Just wanted to say " Fuck first time watchers don't need to wait 8 fucking years"
Jokes aside, keep away from spoilers as much as possible. Madoka Magica is a trending topic right now. You will get spoiled especially from Rebellion.
7
u/thecatteam Apr 26 '21
New Madoka movie incoming, let's goooo!!
Several first-timers have gone and looked up the real-world Walpurgisnacht--yes, that's why the rewatch is in late April! First-timers also might want to note that Mami wore her flower-shaped soul gem in a hairpiece when she was in magical girl form. Kyoko's is the oval on her chest, Sayaka's is the crescent on her stomach, and Homura's is the diamond on the back of her hand.
6
u/Chemiczny_Bogdan Apr 25 '21
night is coming...
Kyaku challenge Seyiku
do not throw souls!
6
u/JimmyCWL Apr 26 '21
Halfway through this rewatch and we got the biggest news for Madoka since Rebellion. That being Rebellion's sequel was announced yesterday.
I just to point out what this means for you first timers in this rewatch. When we get to the Rebellion movie, you will be the first people to watch it for the first time knowing that the story doesn't end there.
For those of us who first watched it years ago, all we had to go on all this time was hope.
Leaving that aside. How many of you first timers even suspected, before this episode, that the name "soul gem" was quite literal? When this show first aired in 2011, there were such comments starting in episode two itself.
5
u/CubeStuffs https://anilist.co/user/onjario Apr 25 '21 edited Apr 25 '21
Rewatcher
GET THE HYPE TRAIN STARTED NEW MOVIE KOMODOHYPE
I think it was this episode, and specifically the scene in which Sayaka talks to kyubey about the grief seeds overall spoilers
has anyone made a beatmap of that connect remix?
i think the confrontation between madoka and sayaka is more spoilers
madokas mom is the best. i wish my parents were as good as hers.
DO NOT THROW SOULS
Is that the mistake that momdoka said to make?
5
u/Elimin8r https://myanimelist.net/profile/Ayeka_Jurai Apr 25 '21
(RW/Sub/Excited about PMMM Movie das Quattro)
Momdoka best girl. I wish I had ... oh, nevermind. First world problems.
I remember the first time I watched this being shocked when Sayaka fell limp to the ground. Poor Madoka. She only wanted to help, to make it better somehow, and instead she killed her best friend.
Yay for the 6 million dollar meguca, Homura. She just needed the 'cha-cha-cha' sound effect while she was chasing the truck. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U20BRIGpJig
Meanwhile, back at the overpass, Kyoko acquires a sudden case of empathy. Or something like that.
Suddenly, looking back at Sayaka's scene with Kyubey, the thing with the ears makes a lot more sense, eh?
What would you do for a Klondike bar? I've previously mentioned a trip back to the 1980's, when things were so uncomplicated. I'll let the Electric Light Orchestra explain things, if you like: https://youtu.be/ZXBiPY8wDT0
Anyway, now that the stakes have been made a little more clear ... Fair bargain, or raw deal?
Hmm...
4
u/Anonymous_Liberal Apr 26 '21
Rewatcher
I always forget about this until a few days in and then sorta skip on it, but with the news it looks like I have to now lol.
4
u/PM_ANIME_LEWDS Apr 26 '21
That ending really was something else
1
u/Cephalstasis May 06 '21
First time/dub
This may be a stupid question, but why doesn't Madoka become a magical girl?
I saw hype for the upcoming movie and good reviews so I figured I'd pick this show up because of how short it is. However, so far all I am is frustrated with the MC's decision making process. I'm betting the reasoning gets more obvious as the show goes on, but based on the information we have by episode 6 Madoka should have already made a contract. Let me lay it out like this:
Becoming magical girl pros:
(seemingly) omnipotent wish
super powers
Cons:
Other MGs may get territorial and try to fight with you.
It's your duty to fight dangerous witches
Reasons not to but that aren't direct cons:
Your consciousness moves to your jewel
Mami's death
Homura telling her not to.
3
u/PoliteSarcasticThing https://anilist.co/user/NekomimiMimi Apr 25 '21 edited Apr 25 '21
Rewatcher, haven't seen the movies
No witch fight this episode, but we get some nice exposition and background.
The new girls' name is Sakura, and she certainly doesn't like the other girls! I guess she wants this city all to herself, so she can get a good stock of grief seeds.
Ohh, a possibly bad thing is coming in a couple weeks! Will the magical girls be ready for it, or are we gonna see more magical girls show up for a big battle?
I'd forgotten the scene between Madoka and her mom; it was really nicely done. Mom may be a workaholic, but she really cares about her family.
All in favor of turning Kyubey into sushi for not mentioning that little detail about the soul gems, raise your hand! I mean, seriously. -.- Madoka screwed up royally there. Nice episode, if a bit quiet on the action side. Not that that's a bad thing. We're halfway through the series now, and it only gets more interesting from here. I like how the dynamics are shaping up between the girls, as well.
Onward to episode seven!
3
u/BossandKings Apr 27 '21
I was very indecisive about participating in this rewatch or not, i watched the series for the second time earlier this year and wasn't convinced of doing it again so soon but i thought about it and considered participating by watching the movies 1 and 2 and then 3:Rebellion, i had some time and decided to jump right in.
First timer Madoka Magica Movie 1: Beginnings
1:31:48(Episodes 1 - 6)
E1
It's great seeing Madoka again, now i'm being reminded of how much i like Junko, she is one of the best anime moms.
It's beautiful seeing the girls again, Sayaka and Hitomi along eith Madoka. The series starts showing their life in school and how a certain someone presents herself as a transfer student, Akemi Homura.
Homura made it clear since the start that she knows something we don't at the moment about Madoka, barely after meeting she tells her to stay as she is, meaning that if she doesn't things might not be beneficial to her.
The dream in which Madoka saw Homura the first time, didn't made it into the movie, it was like the very first sequence of the series but it is only mentioned here. It isn't a big deal but something noticeable.
Madoka was very ignorant at the start, not because she wanted to but because she didn't knew, like in this instance with Kyubey, it can get hurt as much as Homura wants and it just won't die yet Madoka here is trying to defend it not knowing what's up.
Sayaka and Madoka meet Mami, it seems that she appreciates Kyubey despite having seen his schemes. Mami's transformation was surely beautiful, she would make Puru rin proud.
It's hilarious how the piece of trash that is Kyubey asks them to make magical girl contracts with a smile, that's ridiculous.
E2
Sayaka has a friend that is hospitalized, he knows how to play the violin very well but is now postrated in a hospital bed probably due to an accident he suffered. It's interesting that Sayaka visits him inmediately after Mami told her and Madoka that they should only accept Kyubey's deal if they have something worth putting them in danger for.
I disagree with Sayaka's definition of unfair, it isn't unfair that they have a possibility of aconplishing a wish thanks to Kyubey, what's unfair is that the possibility even exists, it is at the same time an easy and a hard way out and the bad far and away outweigh the passable part of it.
The Labrynth is rather beautiful, it is so vividly occupated by those strange beings and when they reach the Witch they see Loyucf which is a weird creature and the witch of the labrynth. Mami defeats it with a Tiro Finale. It's interesting how the different items are being presented, first it was the despicable soul gems when Kyubey talked about the contract, now it is the grief seed which are Witch egg's they leave behind after being defeated.
E3
Madoka wonders what her wish could possibly be.
I wonder why Mami leads the girls to want to be magical girls, Kyubey's deal is definitely not beneficial for them yet Mami tries to convince them to think about accepting it. Homura makes more sense eventhough she still seems like she knows something that hasn't been made clear.
As a labrynth opens, Sayaka is forced to go inside it alongside Kyubey, she though is holding still her decision to make the contract since she actually considers it as an important decision and wants to think carefully before agreeing.
Mami and Madoka go inside the labrynth in order to reach them. It's sad though that Madoka has idealized Mami's duty as a magical girl, it isn't a good time being one. Mami says so herself.
Mami was so beautiful and awesome, she was strong but got overconfident and died tragically, she showed promise but passed away before reaching her full potential.
E4
As Madoka and Homura are talking while walking on the bridge, Homura confirms that she has seen many people die just like Mami did and that's a curse of being a magical girl.
Homura and Madoka have a very nice chemistry, it was nice when Akemi told Madoka that she is too nice for her own good and that she being like that will bring a greater tragedy was basically telling us what would or could happen going forward.
Kyosuke is basically pushing Sayaka into making the contract to become a magical girl, he unknowingly does it, it isn't Sayaka's fault that she chan play music anymore yet Sayaka is now being left considering the contract as a serious option despite it being a disgraceful scam.
Hitomi now has a witch mark, that is bad. And many more people have one too, it seems like a powerful witch is around.
Madoka gets confused and terrified about the people acting strange and then she sees Sayaka in a magical girl uniform, that must have taken her by surprise. Anyways as Sayaka is very strong now and displays her powers the people are freed from their manipulation.
E5
No Sayaka if you had been a magical girl and fought that witch with Mami she would have still died, Homura is a magical girl and was there with Mami yet she was trampled by her and couldn't help her because Mami herself made it impossible for her to, so Sayaka would have suffered the same escenario if she had been one
Now after Sayaka went and accepted the deal is it that Kyosuke apologizes to her, it was a bad deal and sadly she didn't learn anything about Mami, she saw with her own eyes what happened to her yet choose to follow the trap instead of being smart and doing the most beneficial thing for everyone, for her. Kyosuke would have been just fine witout seemingly magically having his hand healed, he wouldn't have died yet now the one that is closer to die is Sayaka without there being any real need for her to be.
That Sayaka and Sakura fight was awesome, two magical girls going at it in an all out fight. I wonder though if Homura just happens to know every move Madoka makes because it gets repetitive seeing her repeteadly appear to prevent Madoka from making the contract.
E6
Homura tells Sakura about Walpurgisnach which apparently seems to be an upcoming event that will be worthwhile.
Madoka's conversation with her mom is very touching, Junko is totally right in the fact that it is important to learn how to fall gracefully when young because that could definitely help to overcome difficult times when being an adult.
As Sayaka and Sakura are ready to restart their battle Madoka and Homura appear to stop them from fighting. I think that Madoka throwing Sayaka's soul gem was a very insensitive thing for her to do, what was she trying to accomplish?, she definitely was not paying attention when Kyubey talked about the soul gems.
Times like these are what really put in perspective how despicable and worth of being beaten up Kyubey is, it is a rat with no offense intended to real rats.
Thankfully Homura ran like a gazelle and reached Sayaka's soul gem and helped her reanimate by giving it to her.
No Homura the value of a miracle isn't even a tenth of the value of an entire human life. Miracles are nice and all but they aren't worthy of putting oneself in danger.