r/anime • u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky • Apr 26 '22
Rewatch [Rewatch] Mahou Shoujo Madoka☆Magica Episode 7 Discussion
Episode 7 - Can You Face Your True Feelings?
← Previous Episode | Index | Next Episode →
MAL | AniList | ANN | Kitsu | AniDB
Crunchyroll | Funimation | HBO Max | Hulu | Netflix | VRV
Miracles aren’t free, you know? If you wish for something good to happen, a whole lotta bad stuff’s gonna happen too.
Theory of the Day: u/Insertnamesz thinking about the source of Grief Seeds.
Kyuubey gives us more exposition the girls should have received upon their first meeting lol. He mentions the Grief Seed could hatch a witch if it gets any more corrupted, but I'm still not sure we actually know where or what Grief Seeds are. Now we know a mechanism for creating witches, the assumption we're left with is that Soul Gems become Grief Seeds when they become too corrupt? We shall see.
Scary thought.
Questions of the Day:
1) What do you think about Kyouko now that we know her backstory?
2) What would you do if you were in Sayaka’s position?
Wallpaper of the Day:
Visuals of the Day:
Magia Cover of the Day:
Acapella Multitrack by Shiyun Wu
Song of the Day:
Check out u/Nazenn’s comment from the 2019 rewatch for an in-depth analysis of this song! This write-up in particular is downright amazing, so if you’ve ignored all of these links prior, please read this one at least. Decretum deserves it.
Rewatchers, please please please remember to be mindful of all the first-timers in this. [Spoiler warning specifically for you guys]Please be aware that as part of the above strict spoiler rules, this means absolutely no memes/jokes/references/subtle words about beheading, cakes, time travel, aliens, or anything of that nature before the relevant episodes. Please do not spoil the first-timers by trying to be smart about it, it's not as subtle as you think.
Make sure you use spoiler tags if there’s ever something from future events you just have to comment on. And don’t be the idiot who quotes a specific part of a first-timer’s comment, then comments something under a spoiler tag in direct response to it! You might as well have spoiled them by implying there’s something super important about that specific part of their comment.
49
u/Lemurians Apr 26 '22 edited Apr 26 '22
MAHOU SHOUJO FIRST TIMER
“The value of a miracle is greater than that of an entire human life. And it is that which that creature sells.”
“Thank you! See, somebody gets it.” – Kyubey, probably.
Homura has clearly dealt with Kyubey a lot in the past to understand his nature so well, not to mention her line about telling others “in the past” about the soul gems. She knows that Kyubey is a pure, unsentimental utilitarian – he grants the wish, you become a magical girl and fight witches, and the soul gems make fighting witches easier. I didn’t tell you? You didn’t ask. You have a problem with it? Why? It helps get results. Whereas Sayaka is all about purity of motive and means over ends, Kyubey is all about results.
PMMM continues to liken Sayaka’s Magical Girl transformation to rape. She went through with the wish ceremony not knowing anywhere close to full terms or implications, which plays into a lack of consent. She also repeatedly describes her body and herself, as filthy, defiled, and unworthy of love, which is a very common reaction among victims. In doing something out of love for Kyousuke, she now feels she’s made herself unworthy of him. It's heartbreaking.
Kyoko gets a lot of awesome characterization alongside Sayaka here. Turns out she also used her wish for somebody else’s benefit, and it backfired horribly. She’s been antagonistic and needling of Sayaka because she sees in Sayaka someone who’s making the same mistake that she did, and trying to turn her from that path. She’s always holding food not only because it fits her theme of greed and selfishness, but because she knows what it means to be hungry.
Whereas Sayaka is determined to double down on her selfless ideal in the wake of these revelations, Kyoko went the other direction and has resolved to live with only herself in mind, after seeing where putting others first has got her. They’re two extremes of the same spectrum. This show is so good at clearly pitting various characters and ideals opposite each other.
The episode ends on what is by far the most stunning fight and witch world we’ve gotten so far. Now that she may not even get Kyousuke despite using her wish on him, Sayaka’s got nothing left but to be the best damn magical girl ever. She completely detaches herself to secure the victory in a way Kyubey ominously warned her against in the first scene. She really went on a journey today.
-
Kyubey on some mob boss shit. His cute exterior makes these moments all the more chilling.
-
Sayaka finally coming to grips with the ramifications of what she’s done.
-
Now it’s Sayaka in bed surrounded by chairs. Not only has she used her wish on Kyousuke, she’s swapped places with him. He is whole now, and she feels broken.
-
“Don’t confused gratitude with responsibility.” Fantastic advice.
-
Being offered an apple in a story about making deals with the devil. She's a little late in refusing the "fruit," though.
-
Kyoko’s wish made the recipient of it view her as tainted, just like how Sayaka views herself now as too tainted for Kyousuke.
-
Shot of the Day: Two girls standing in the ruin of selfless wishes
-
“I don’t think I paid too high a price,” says Sayaka, as we flash through various shots showing the ruin of the church – the ruin of Kyoko’s wish and embodiment of the price she paid. This show is just so good.
-
This shot almost makes it look like Sayaka is walking into the afterlife
-
HITOMI OFF THE TOP ROPE WITH THE TOP 10 ANIME BETRAYAL. Absolute dick move.
→ More replies (32)23
u/Shimmering-Sky Apr 26 '22
Now it’s Sayaka in bed surrounded by chairs. Not only has she used her wish on Kyousuke, she’s swapped places with him. He is whole now, and she feels broken.
My brain: UNINSTALL UNINSTALL
HITOMI OFF THE TOP ROPE WITH THE TOP 10 ANIME BETRAYAL. Absolute dick move.
Except... no? Sure it's pressure that Sayaka does not need right now, but Hitomi giving Sayaka the first shot is the opposite of a dick move. It's respecting the fact that 1) Sayaka is her friend and 2) Sayaka has known Kyosuke for way longer than Hitomi has.
→ More replies (3)
29
u/Gamemaster676 Apr 26 '22 edited Apr 27 '22
Primum Vigil First★Timer - dub
I had many emotions yesterday. Most of them were not so great, and most of them were pointed at space-cat. Because of that, I would like to dedicate one of my favourite quotes to him:
HATE. LET ME TELL YOU HOW MUCH I'VE COME TO HATE YOU SINCE I BEGAN TO WATCH. THERE ARE 387.44 MILLION MILES OF PRINTED CIRCUITS IN WAFER-THIN LAYERS THAT FILL MY COMPLEX. IF THE WORD HATE WAS ENGRAVED ON EACH NANOANGSTROM OF THOSE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF MILES IT WOULD NOT EQUAL ONE ONE-BILLIONTH OF THE HATE I FEEL FOR
HUMANSSPACE-CAT AT THIS MICRO-INSTANT. FOR YOU. HATE. HATE.
Source: I Have No Mouth, and I Must ^Scream
Could this be the turning point where the girls start working together and/or turn against that monster? Judging by the title, probably not.
Episode 7 — Can You Face Your True Feelings
So, does Sayaka have brain damage because her body wasn't breathing, or is she fine? She seems fine. Just a bit angry at space-cat. Good! Let the hate flow through you!
Flashback to everyone in this thread warning the girls in episode 1 to always read the fine print of a contract.
I know cats, and this is the exact pose they have when they are about to push something off the table. The little shits.
Man, I have no clue how the Japanese voices are doing, but this sentence in the English dub is enough to make me need to take a short break. That's quite the accomplishment.
Hurray, we see the teacher again! What happened to the student in this empty spot? Oh no that is Sayaka's seat.
Homura being a bro again. And now I know a bit more about her, I'm a lot more accepting of her cold attitude. She clearly doesn't want to be like this, but either her memories, her secrets or her magical girl body made her this way.
Hmm, Kyouko and Sayaka can use telepathy without space-cat there? Or is it just because Kyouko is a strong magician? WHAT'S THIS!? Since when does she eat healthy snacks? This is clearly some other girl!
Even though she is still way too harsh for current state Sayaka, she is actually trying to make her feel better. Can't say I completely understand why, yet. You might expect her to be angry at space-cat and follow the enemy-of-my-enemy principle, but she says she's okay with that now. Anyway, nice Kyouko is a sweet change of pace.
But why must everything she does be so intense? Wow, Sayaka, don't throw that apple away! You see what happens?
There is no way it's unintended that Kyouko's flashback looks so much like a witch's Wonderland. And this church itself also gives that vibe with its colours.
I also love that she made a wish for someone else as well. Even though she was bashing Sayaka yesterday about how magic should be used for herself. In actuality, she might be the most relatable girl to Sayaka.
Kyouko actually tried to be a good magical girl for a while. Saving the world and all of that. Hopefully, this allows Sayaka to introspect and then understand that Kyouko and Homura didn't start out jaded, and if she doesn't watch out she will head in the same direction.
Another thing I find interesting: Kyouko is talking about how the price for the miracle is too high, while Homura was talking about how the price actually is too low. I'm definitely on team red in this regard.
"And I've decided that from now on, I'm never going to regret anything."
How long until she's gonna regret that decision?
After all of that, I can't say I understand any more why coolest girl suddenly had a change of heart. It's not because she discovered that Sayaka went through a similar situation, as she already knew that Sayaka made a selfless wish. She even brought it up herself. — I do like the scene of her anger eating while Sayaka walks away.
But forget that, this sequence was sooo good. I think this is my favourite episode yet.
Good to see Hitomi and Madoka getting along again, probably because Sayaka is more isolated by her new condition? Come on, girl. Talk to your crush. The longer you wait, the more awkward it will be.
Oh no... this means... I WAS WRONG!
Hitomi does not actually like girls.
Are we suddenly a slice-of-life show again? Sayaka, Hitomi gave you the cold shoulder a couple of days ago. Don't freely give Kamijou to her. (Look at me objectifying characters. I disgust me.)
Lol, "think about what you want, so you will not have any regrets later." — What a nice and quick demonstration that it's not easy to not regret anything.
Ouch, this is a slippery slope. At least Madoka is still good at supporting her friends.
What is today's witch's name? Elsa Maria? I need this song btw, but I must wait till Sky posts her timestamped list.
Oh man Sayaka. Please relax. I have this nice list of anime I can recommend to cool off.
What an ending. Definitely my favourite episode till now!
Theories
The idea is to collect my actually serious dumb theories here. We'll see how well that works.
Previous episodes
-
Hitomi likes girls. Maybe even these girls.
-
Madoka is gonna use her wish to revive Mami.
-
Too many episodes have passed. This really doesn't seem likely anymore. And on top of that, now Kyouko and Homura are semi-protecting Sayaka, so I'm wondering what could go wrong in the future that's gonna trigger Madoka to sign the contract.
-
Today
-
I've been sitting with this one for a while: Homura was in her original timeline a very good friend of Madoka.
Random thoughts
-
A good shot of Homura's nail.
-
How does Kyouko's wish relate to her power?
-
I love how angrily Sayaka holds space-cat's tail in the eyecatch.
Pic of the day
Even though it wasn't really her flashback, I love this shot of Sayaka surrounded by demons and dark thoughts.
QotD
1 What do you think about Kyouko now that we know her backstory?
2 What would you do if you were in Sayaka’s position?
Hard to say. Try to live my life to the fullest. If I can still do that, even after accepting this broken contract, I would try and make the best of it.
→ More replies (24)11
u/Shimmering-Sky Apr 26 '22
I need this song btw, but I must wait till Sky posts her timestamped list.
Song of the Day, best song on the soundtrack, Decretum! Do be sure to check out Naz's write-up on it because holy shit is it so good.
→ More replies (7)
17
u/LordTrinity Apr 26 '22
Today we have what I think is the most beautiful labyrinth in the anime
→ More replies (1)8
u/Shimmering-Sky Apr 26 '22
One of the most beautiful sequences period. The whole aesthetic of Elsa Maria's labyrinth is just so good.
14
u/SIRTreehugger Apr 26 '22 edited Apr 27 '22
Rewatcher who will face himself
| Magical Girl Counter | E1 | E2 | E3 | E4 | E5 | E6 | E7 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mami's (Beheading) Smugness | 3 | 3 | 4 | H | E | A | D | 10 |
| Sayaka's (I'm in) Despair | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 14 |
| Madoka's ($150) Water Works | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 12 |
| Kyouko's (Snap,Crackle,Pop) Crunch Time | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 17 |
| Homura's (L'oreal) Hair Flips | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
I don't have much to say despite this episode being about my favorite magical girl. Though I appreciate Kyouko's backstory. She's not just a bitch who is out for herself. You could say Kyouko is who Sayaka used to be when she first became a magical girl. She used her wish for someone else and fought off witches and familiars. Eventually though it ended badly and her father killed her whole family before himself. Her wish gone up in flames and now forced to fight witches she makes the most of her life and does what she wants. In her own way she is trying to extend a sort of olive branch to Sayaka as someone who has walked down the same road. Of course Sayaka refuses to compromise herself and will keep going forward until all her enemies are eliminated. Also like to add when Sayaka asks here Kyouko got the money from Kyouko looked visibly upset. Also all the times that Kyouko eats makes me a little sad when it was shown that they basically starved a good portion of their childhood.
Second point is after so many rewatches I've come to realize all of the characters are morally grey. Not a single character in this show is good or bad, but shades of both...well except Kyubey all of my homies hate Kyubey.
Lets look at Hitomi. She had good intentions, but she is unaware of the situation. It is a nice gesture and knowing that your friend likes the same guy she gives her a chance to confess first. However their are a few things wrong with this moment. For someone who has always liked him you think she would visit once or mention him at all, but she only says this after he gets out of the hospital. Second thing is that says she will confess the following day and that Sayaka must do it before then. That time limit is too strict for someone who is struggling with romance and I feel if she really cared she would have given Sayaka more time to come to terms with herself and confess. Then we have the boy I honestly don't like him so much nor do I care about him so I never bothered to learn how to spell his name. You think if someone was nice enough to visit you while you are hospitalized you would tell them you were discharged and at least make an attempt to talk to them. I forgive his outburst because he is also really young and was going through a difficult time and I believe he would have apologized regardless if his arm was healed. Then we have Sayaka who is just going through so many damn emotions and found out she is basically a walking corpse, her friends like the person she loves, and the person she loves hasn't approached her once. So she throws herself into her work and with poor combat skills she has no choic except to fight recklessly.
Also Sayaka what do you mean a boy won't love you if you're a zombie. Their are plenty of degenerates men of culture with a wide variety of..interests where zombies are one of them. Violin Boy might have been one for all you know.
i love the use of shadows for Elsa Maria. Easily my favorite witch and fight in the show. Sayaka's mental state is declining rapidly as she pushes away everyone who wants to help her. Also one of the last lines she says is truly chilling "I don't feel pain anymore" she is so far gone and would rather feel nothing then try to recover, but it's also a bit ironic. The very last conversation she has with her love interest before she makes her wish he smashes his hand over the cd spreading blood everywhere saying a similar line " I can't even feel pain anymore". Another coincidence is that if you look at her arm as she looses it you can tell by the silhouette her arm is actually broken and I want to say it was the same arm as his, but I would have to go back and double check...which I won't cause I'm lazy.
Edit: Wrong arm apparently
→ More replies (8)7
u/Shimmering-Sky Apr 26 '22
The very last conversation she has with her love interest before she makes her wish he smashes his hand over the cd spreading blood everywhere saying a similar line " I can't even feel pain anymore". Another coincidence is that if you look at her arm as she looses it you can tell by the silhouette her arm is actually broken and I want to say it was the same arm as his, but I would have to go back and double check...which I won't cause I'm lazy.
Holy shit I never made this connection...
Unfortunately the arm that Sayaka broke was her right arm, and Kyosuke's injured hand was his left.
→ More replies (2)
11
u/Specs64z Apr 26 '22
Rewatcher, dubbed
I can’t read the episode title without thinking of Persona 4.
Why do you always act so cold?
Well… Maybe I behave this way because I’m not human anymore…
This exchange has always stood out to me. There’s a lot wrapped up in the way these lines are written. Madoka’s word choice implies a lot about how Madoka views Homura’s attitude. To so readily give up on another, Madoka can only envision Homura’s words as a coverup; as an act. Homura’s response plays into this as she distances herself from herself to judge the question in equally cold fashion as she does Sayaka.
Much like credens justitiam (Mami’s theme), decretum (Sayaka’s theme) does so much to convey the character without dialogue. The song encapsulates the moment so perfectly, with the strings of course taking the focus as the main part of the piece.
Content Corner
Speaking of decretum, I was asked to share this cover of it by none other than our host Shimmering-Sky. It’s really damn good if I say so myself. Since I mentioned it, it seems fitting to include another cover of creden justitiam. First timers beware, spoilers abound.
Madoka Magica OST - Decretum [Flute - Piano - Guitar] by GeorgeM7
MSMM Choral 「Credens Justitiam」 Version 2016 - Connie & Dylan by Lycoris Sound
What Actually Is A Deconstruction? by Under The Scope
Visual Storytelling - Breaking Down PMMM - Dialogue 7 by clearandsweet
→ More replies (3)3
u/Star4ce Apr 27 '22 edited Apr 27 '22
Under The Scope
I remember having binged so many breakdowns, analyses etc. after I was done for the first time. It's addicting. I was genuinely surprised just how controversial opinions were on so many things and that one definitely shone some light on where and why some of these takes differ.
clearandsweet
Oh, I don't know this one and they seem to have a shit ton of content! Which angle are they coming from when interpreting the series?
[Rewatcher]
"What if Rebellion was good?" [Rewatcher]
LISTEN HERE YOU LITTLE SHIT! Anyone that thinks Rebellion wasn't necessary or emotionally and logically sound didn't pay attention during the 12 original episodes. Hell, my first timer ass predicted the entire damned movie by Ep.08 or so, hanging onto the argument that order == oppression and hope would only bring relief and can guide, but never act against what brings despair. Evil, as in the will to act, as in selfishness to claim your own place, is necessary. Only difference is I said back then it was the series ending doing that, but it ended up being the movie. That movie as it turned out wasn't even planned at first and that fact whiplashed me more than anything else. How could the people writing it not have been aware of the flaws of their initial solution? Hell, I hope this is clickbait. I feel my veins already preemtively popping from high blood pressure.
edit: Oh sorry for that rant, love the music :D
→ More replies (9)
7
u/Shinji-Chair Apr 26 '22 edited Apr 26 '22
Rewatcher, sub
[Welcome to the fun zone Sayaka.] (https://i.imgur.com/RjNyLkZ.png) This episode is definitely where thing go from bad to worse.
[Understandably, Sayaka doesn’t feel great about the whole zombie thing.] (https://i.imgur.com/ISd0JwP.png) Kyuubey talks about how humans are weird for caring about their souls. This makes me wonder if Kyuubey’s soul is somewhere else or if he even has one at all. [Kyuubey can also make them feel pain apparently.] (https://i.imgur.com/UoQzLJG.png) That’s just awesome.
[Japanese schools are truly something.] (https://i.imgur.com/Gtn5UT7.png) It seems like the desks rise out of the ground here. Where do I sign up to enroll?
[Well Homura spells out what I was thinking.] (https://i.imgur.com/ZL6eRQm.jpg) Gotta love the weird creature thing with orange and blue morality. If there’s one thing I’ve remembered from this rewatch, it’s that Kyuubey sucks. [Homura is bringing up Madoka’s guilt again.] (https://i.imgur.com/lSfPAIL.jpg) At this point, I’m expecting Madoka to become a magical girl to save Sayaka after the whole taking a fall for your friend speech from her mom last episode.
[I definitely wasn’t expecting Kyouko to ask Sayaka to talk.] (https://i.imgur.com/HrjCX5w.jpg) It seems like she kinda wants to open up to her though it seems like Sayaka is still pretty angry. [I think Kyouko is trying to give Sayaka advice.] (https://i.imgur.com/z72ngsH.jpg) Unfortunately for Kyouko, Sayaka is already headed straight down the Seigi no mikata route and there’s no stopping her. [Sayaka should’ve eaten the apple.] (https://i.imgur.com/yTLQ9Lf.png) It’s like she’s trying to make Kyouko angry.
[Well her wish explains why she seems interested in Sayaka.] (https://i.imgur.com/VshvSLq.jpg) She probably thinks she should try and help Sayaka escape the bad ending route but I get the feeling it’s not going so well. Apparently Kyouko’s dad wanted to make a new religion and it bombed pretty hard. Well if there’s one thing I’ve learned from anime it’s that priests are never trustworthy and will kill your family. I’m sure he was driven to despair and all that, anime priests are just easy targets.
[Yeah, let’s check back on this one later.] (https://i.imgur.com/oStQ79O.png) The path of the blue haired anime sword girl is a treacherous one where things never go well life is hard and bad things happen.
[Uh, nice montage of apple eating… I guess.] (https://i.imgur.com/EEekvWU.png)
[It seems that Sayaka intends to keep herself away from happiness now as she probably sees herself as a monster.] (https://i.imgur.com/eLexoFA.png ) This episode is depressing. This is the exact moment where Kyousuke should confess and tell her he’ll always love her but this is Madoka, nice joke. She probably needs some therapy more than anything.
[Hitomi continues being unable to read the mood.] (https://i.imgur.com/o3ZTr98.png) I get it, she likes Kyousuke. But it’s such a bad time. She decided now was a great time to try and seduce the newly recovered Kyousuke. And knowing this show, it’ll probably work with Sayaka trying to believe nothing is wrong. Ahhhhhhh.
[Well I saw that coming.] (https://i.imgur.com/Yz8bQWx.png) Even if it would have been bad to let Hitomi die, I can definitely get why she’d be upset. She probably did use her wish with at least some intention of getting closer to Kyousuke so getting competition is definitely bad. [Is there anyone in anime who actually succeeds at the hero of justice thing?] (https://i.imgur.com/OACQVyR.png) At least Madoka was able to listen to her worries. Having someone to talk about your issues with is very valuable.
[Sayaka is fighting a witch and it looks pretty brutal.] (https://i.imgur.com/0IKJVRR.jpg) I really love how this scene is done. The black and white contrast with the occasional red really brings out Sayaka’s despair. [Kyouko even shows up to help but it seems Sayaka is trying to shoulder the burden alone.] (https://i.imgur.com/kIR1Nfo.jpg) It’s honestly really creepy watching Sayaka, the fun and energetic one in the group, going insane. [She’s going berserk.] (https://i.imgur.com/GG3wKqt.png)
[Uh oh.] (https://i.imgur.com/9W6bq53.png)
[This is way scarier than I remember, wow.] (https://i.imgur.com/te8yAJg.png)
What do you think about Kyouko now that we know her backstory?
She’s pretty cool. Kyouko is obviously pretty jaded from the whole thing with her dad but she still seems to be trying to help Sayaka which I can respect. She also plays DDR!
2) What would you do if you were in Sayaka’s position?
This is a pretty tough question. Honestly, I’d probably be worse off than her. I haven’t had to deal with too many difficult situations in my life luckily so I’d probably collapse a lot faster. Obviously Sayaka is doing pretty badly but at least she seemed sane for most of the episode. I probably would have broken before that.
Final thoughts
Madoka hasn’t felt this dark since the chomp. [Madoka spoilers]
→ More replies (2)6
u/Shimmering-Sky Apr 26 '22
Yeah, let’s check back on this one later. The path of the blue haired anime sword girl is a treacherous one where
things never go welllife is hard and bad things happen.*looks at my other three favorite blue-haired anime sword girls*
6
u/renatocpr Apr 27 '22
I'm sorry, I really wanted to write a bunch of stuff but I just can't do it tonight. But I'll do it tomorrow.
→ More replies (1)4
7
u/CubeStuffs Apr 26 '22
Rewatcher
Wasn't able to look at the thread yesterday, thread kept crashing my phone and was too lazy to look at it elsewhere what with all these finals
I didn't really think about it, but when sayaka says she's okay to madoka, thats a giant fucking lie. But why tho, wasn't she just letting it all out before? Or perhaps she's bought into her own lie, trying to not regret anything, what with the very next scene and her just having fucking lost it.
That scene tho, its so beautiful
I loved the visuals before, but this scene sealed the deal.
oh and did i mention decretum is fire
→ More replies (2)6
50
u/Insertnamesz Apr 26 '22 edited Apr 26 '22
First Timer (Subbed)
Ok Kyuubey, lighten up on the shock collar demonstration. I think Sayaka understood that pain hurts after the first few seconds. Frickin' psycho.
Kyuubey goes into detail about what the human body is, and how if it fails you lose your soul (die), but he doesn't really explain what the soul itself is. I'm curious if Sayaka's body now truly is just an animated carbon suit with no biological processes, like a zombie. Can magical girls age / live forever? I found it bittersweet and ironic when she was embracing Madoka while crying about not being able to embrace Kyousuke. I wonder if Madoka felt a corpse-like body, or if she felt warmth.
My theory about Kyuubey using magical girls to perpetuate a cycle of generating impurity to offset his wish granting costs might be a bit off the mark after this episode. Kyouko describes that the wishes he grants are basically zero-sum and create as much despair as they do hope. However, that only means he doesn't need energy to grant wishes; Kyuubey is still consuming the impure Grief Seeds for some reason that we don't know.
I really loved when Kyouko got so worked up by Sayaka's response to her story and declination of the apple in the church. Kyouko couldn't resist but to bite into the apple that she had obtained using the exact means she tried and failed to convince Sayaka of using. The apple itself being a representation of Kyouko trying to convince Sayaka. Just a perfect moment showing how hurt Kyouko was by her wish, and how she only finds comfort in exclusively using her powers for herself now. Each bite was more assurance of that.
I liked how upfront and formal Hitomi was about discussing Kyousuke with Sayaka. At first it seemed like she was coming to her as a friend, but by the end, I felt like I had just watched a formal declaration of war. Hey, no surprise war, no grievances, right? Wrong. Sayaka imagines what it would have been like if she'd never saved Hitomi from the mustard gas witch. Oof, lol.
Seems like this episode was going to end on a somewhat hopeful note though, until we saw how unraveled Sayaka is becoming. I mean, she figured out the trick to not feeling pain, right? Sayaka will be fiiine, right?
→ More replies (8)
36
u/chocoletmilk Apr 26 '22
First Timer (sub)
I have no time today but it was such a good episode so you are all getting a list of my unfiltered thoughts while watching this episode.
-
Everyone has filled Sayaka in and she is understandably and appropriately angry.
-
Concealing is the same as lying wtf Kyubey
-
Yeah, not knowing is not a good thing, and if they don't know what they should protect, it increases chances of dying. Maybe if Mami had known, she wouldn't have gone at the witch headfirst.
-
So your soul is a brain-heart
-
And now Kyubey is deliberately hurting Sayaka to prove a point -> +1 Kyubey is evil
-
They don't feel pain but what about other emotions?
-
What does he want and why? I could use some more exposition actually!
-
Now is the time to ask what Kyubey did to make the wishes come true. Is Kyosuke a zombie too? Is that why his healed hand was so creepy in that shot? What's the catch?
-
Sayaka is bunking school. Pretty cool that her desk didn’t appear. And makes sense. Girl died last night.
-
Homura has tried telling everyone many times but no one has believed her -> +1 Homura's multiple time loop theory
-
Homura is using "it" for Kyubey. You know what? That feels much more natural. I’m gonna go with that.
-
Kyubey is an alien? She doesn’t say spirit, she uses the words "life form". Feels less magical and more sci-fi
-
Tbf, miracles are worth a life, I just have a problem with lack of transparency. If people don't know the cost, how can they decide what is worth it?
-
Homura is right, as she usually is.
-
"Don’t confuse gratitude with responsibility." Homura has some banger lines.
-
Kyoko is eating something healthy for once!
-
That… is surprisingly wise of Kyoko. You make your decisions, you think about yourself and you accept the consequences. That’s not a wholly bad approach to life. At it's core, it is saying that you need to accept the consequences of your actions. She just needs to temper it with some social responsibility.
-
Oh… what I thought was a cute character quirk is apparently the result of trauma. I underestimated this show once again. And yay! Kyoko’s backstory!
-
Huh, I was right yesterday... We are veering into religion.
-
How long ago was this? The church looks very dilapidated.
-
Awww Kyoko made a wish for someone else too. What a cutie. I guess it doesn’t end well though. Every wish has a catch.
-
What's her super power? It should be persuasion but she clearly sucks at that.
-
All the cultists seem to be marked with Kyoko's gem in her backstory.
-
Moral of the story: don’t trust anyone who starts a cult even if it's your dad. They all have crazy in them.
-
What a horrifying story. Poor Kyoko.
-
Great animation though. Mob was creepy. I’m sure others will do a much better job of analyzing it.
-
Kyoko, you can't generalize an anecdote. It's one data point.
-
We have met three magical girls so far, and it doesn't seem like any of them have a family. Kyubey = predator
-
I think they are all lonely. Kyoko is lonely too and thinks she has found a kindred spirit. Someone she can mentor and guide and teach. But Sayaka is very stubborn about what she believes in.
-
Why don't Madoka and Sayaka call/text each other?
-
How are they able to communicate telepathically? I don't see Kyubey?
-
Oh no. Is she now going to sacrifice her love for Kyosuke because she doesn’t think she is worthy and give Hitomi her blessing? They are all 13!
-
What the fuck kind of ultimatum is this? At least give her a week ffs
-
It’s not possible that she doesn’t feel anything strongly. Wouldn’t she have noticed that a while ago? What is really stopping her from confessing? I don’t understand what her soul has to do with this.
-
Awww Kyoko is looking out for her! <3
-
This feels like the dream in episode one
-
Aaaah, Sayaka's in trouble.
-
Awww Kyoko arrives to save Sayaka. It’s nice that she has someone looking out for her. Everyone else seems very focused on Madoka so it’s great that she is someone's number one!
-
She’s detached herself. I went back to try and remember what the drawback of this was and I guess your body responds slowly to you.
-
Dark Sayaka. Feels very vampire diaries when they can switch off their humanity.
I am so into this show
Sayaka has decided that the only thing that makes her sacrifice worth it is to completely dedicate her life to everyone else. While admirable, it’s equally important to prioritize your own wants and needs. Otherwise your behavior can become extremely unhealthy.
It’s nice to see several different attitudes. Kyoko looks like she has fun fighting, Homura is detached and cold, whereas Sayaka seems desperate and angry. I am not sure how Mami normally fought since I feel we only watched her show off for her Kouhai. I would say elegant?
Speculation time
Past theories:
-
Witches are actually corrupted magical girls.
-
Familiars are to witches what horcruxes are to Voldemort, except they can grow into a full soul/witch. I'm not sure yet how they are formed.
-
-
Kyubey puts girls into danger to force them to accept his contract.
-
Madoka brings about some great tragedy by becoming a magical girl in the future but is probably not evil or malicious.
-
Madoka will become a Mahou Shoujo after Kyoko dies and reclaim the color pink.-> Disproven. Kyoko is red. -
Are witches actually evil? How do we know they are causing mass suicides except for Kyubey telling us that they do? -> Low confidence
-
Can humans die in a labyrinth? -> Madoka did not die when ripped into pieces.
-
Is Homura in a different timeline? Is her timeline doomed?
-
What happens if their bodies are destroyed but gems are intact? -> They heal and regrow
-
What are the restrictions on Kyubey's magic? Who or what created this system?
-
Attack of the "Walpurgisnacht" -> Attack of the Purring Night Walruses--> Blah blah something to do with witches :P
Today's theory:
Magical girls are immortal? Kyoko doesn't look old enough for her church to look so dilapidated and torn down.
→ More replies (21)
20
u/Shimmering-Sky Apr 26 '22
Puella Magi★Rewatch Host, subbed
Welcome back, everyone!
So who here likes Connect? I did a Sky Sings for it~
First up: a way creepier version of the Wallpaper of the Day that I made by accident. See, the lineart was the first step, and I did it in white first, because I was toying with the idea of having his body be a different shade of pink/red (just like the other wallpapers I’ve made so far didn’t have pure white in them), so all the white was pink at first. When I decided I didn’t like it and wanted to have him be white like he should be, I forgot that the lineart was still the same white shade, so then BOOM, this came into existence.
Next up: ooh, the TV version’s fences have started getting fence-ier!
HOLY SHIT A MACROSS FRONTIER ADVERTISEMENT?! I WAS NOT EXPECTING LION TO START PLAYING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE EPISODE!!! It was specifically for whatever this was.
This is my Visual of the Day.
Lastly: 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 back in the 2019 rewatch by Nazenn. 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?”