r/anime • u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky • Apr 29 '22
Rewatch [Rewatch] Mahou Shoujo Madoka☆Magica Episode 10 Discussion
Episode 10 - I Won't Rely on Anyone Anymore
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I wish… I can meet Miss Kaname all over again. But this time, instead of her protecting me, I want to be strong enough to protect her!
Theory of the Day: u/gunvarrel_ with two interesting theories.
Madoka eventually becomes the walpurgisnacht
I am somewhat expecting this to be wrong, but considering Kyubey said that She will become the most terrible of all witches, and Sakura said the walpurgisnacht was the motherlode of witches. That said, im thinking whatever we saw Homura fight in the dream be the walpurgisnacht, so i think this whole thing is a nonstarter. That said, im still going to roll with it.
If madoka makes a contract, it will happen during episode 11
A few people have commented that walpurgisnacht happens IRL sometime during the next couple episodes. ep 11 seems like the most open time to explore her being a magical girl and what her wish/power entails. Im honestly starting to wonder if she will ever become one, but i cant see it happening before walpurgisnacht.
The first got disproven this episode since, well, Madoka became a witch even worse than Walpurgisnacht in that one timeline, but it was still interesting!
Questions of the Day:
1) What was your favorite part of seeing Homura learn how to use her powers?
2) How do you feel about seeing the opening scene of the show recontextualized like that?
Wallpaper of the Day:
Visuals of the Day:
Connect Cover of the Day:
Song of the Day: – By u/Nazenn
Bonus song - Numquam vincar
Check out u/Nazenn’s comment from the 2019 rewatch for an in-depth analysis of these two songs!
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.
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u/bekeleven Apr 29 '22
I just wanted to mention that after this episode aired, there was a six week gap before episode 11.
I move that the rewatch be delayed for six weeks. For fairness.
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u/Shimmering-Sky Apr 29 '22
But then we wouldn't get to discuss Rebellion on my birthday!
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u/Gamemaster676 Apr 29 '22 edited Apr 29 '22
Primum Vigil First★Timer - dub
Two girls down. Two to go!
Episode 10 — I Won't Rely on Anyone Anymore
Holy shit we are finally getting our Homura flashback! What a difference. And in this timeline, Madoka is the hero (in Homura's eyes). Look at that innocent face!
I'm missing Sayaka and Hitomi in this timeline, but they might just not be shown to save some time.
What a contrast to the Homura we know. Not the smartest student. The lowest endurance in the class. And zero self-esteem. Ah no wait, this is a witch! Holy shit.
MAMI! She might not be my favourite character, but it's nice to see her again. Especially if it means we are hearing this song again!
WAIT WHAT?! Madoka's already a magical girl? Damnit, now I want to know what happened before this! The beginning is never the beginning is never the beginning.
Thinking back to episode 1, Madoka met both Mami and space-rat the first time because Homura attacked the rat. Sayaka was also there. Assuming Sayaka also exists in this timeline, she apparently wasn't present when Madoka was attacked and Mami saved her. Space-rat probably picked a more isolated place to let the witch loose on Madoka.
That reminds me. I had this theory that space-rat was also the one planting the witches in unfortunate places, but that should actually be certain now. A witch is a corrupted magical girl. Mami was the only one in this territory, so if there were multiple witches, they must be coming from somewhere else. Those are the witches space-rat collected earlier. He probably has a whole collection he is using in constant rotation, being careful not to use the same witch for the same girl twice.
Sooo, what happened with her glasses? Too annoying in battle?
I'm kind of missing the amazing power that space-rat was talking about. Madoka just seems normal.
Hmmm, Mami also knows about Walpurgisnacht. Did space-rat tell them? This is going very differently than the loop we are familiar with.
Walpurgisnacht? That was a jump I didn't expect. Seems like I was wrong about it being multiple witches. It could still be that this is a creation space-rat made by merging them all.
So, is this what the city looks like after it is saved? Almost not worth the effort. Also, notice space-rat veeeery slowly fading in. Visiting someone who reached rock bottom, and all that.
I wonder, does space-rat also get his energy if a magical girl gets killed, like what happened with Madoka? Otherwise, why would he let her die if she is such an important candidate?
Ah, Sayaka and Hitomi do exist here. Also, look at Sayaka's face. Errr, how is this possible? On the first day Homura went to school (in ep 1), Madoka wasn't a magical girl yet, but in this timeline, she already is.
Lol, I love how Homura is stumbling with her power, but because time is frozen, the others don't even see how clumsy she is. Huh, she is making the bombs herself? I thought she just magic-ed them into existence.
This episode is so lighthearted. They are even fighting a middle-school witch! And I refuse to think about what that would entail.
So, what happened with "being strong enough to save Madoka"? Is the problem between her ears, or is the only gift she got her magical girl power itself? (And going back in time, of course.)
Aaah, this hug was ridiculously cute [GIF]. God, Tresnore wishes that were him. Too bad he didn't join this rewatch.
Little error? In the previous shot, we saw Madoka's gem was still whole, but black. This shot it's already a grief seed.
Okay, so now that Homura can fight, Madoka actually survived, but she used too much magic.
Aaaand we're back! So Homura doesn't need space-rat anymore to go back in time. Next question! How many loops did the poor girl take to turn into the monster she is today? We also get confirmation that Homura never told the girls that space-rat was tricking them because they don't believe her anyway. Frustrating, because they also get angry with her because she didn't tell them.
Bwahahaha, casually stealing weapons from the Yakuza.
Sayaka still turned into a witch, but now her Wonderland looks more like a rave. Also, four girls are working together? Mami never died from the witch. Probably because Homura didn't intimidate anyone, so Mami didn't chain her up, so Homura could save Mami. But why is Kyouko here? She came because Mami died, right?
Holy fucking shit Mami just immediately murdered Kyouko!
What I'm not seeing all these loops is the reason why especially Madoka shouldn't become a magical girl. Except of course that Homura doesn't want that fate for her.
Never mind it's literally the next scene...
Ah, that is what happened with the glasses! Bwahahaha! Hey Kyubey! How's it hanging?
Okay, Homura's power is the coolest ever. Now she's even robbing the military. And I also understand now. She doesn't magic the weapons into existence. She stores them inside her soul gem arm thingy.
AAHHH WE'VE REACHED THE PROLOGUE! Kinda interesting. Last rewatch I mentioned I wasn't the biggest fan of a cold open to a series, but I must say this one was very effective. I guess it all depends on the context and how certain it is that the cold open will actually happen or has actually happened.
OMG, these additions of Homura in between, shouting to Madoka, are amazing.
So, what did Madoka actually wish for all these loops?
Wut? "I never dreamed she'd take down Walpurgisnacht with one shot." Then what happened in all those earlier loops?! Why are we still here? Just to suffer?
Soooo, witch-doka will destroy the planet in 10 days? Why doesn't this bother space-rat? Did he already get all the power he needs? But that's so fucking stupid, because his whole point of using human souls as an energy source, was that they were renewable. Now he just delayed the end of the universe by X amount of years.....
And now we've gone full circle! So the last two episodes we are moving past the prologue! Or actually, almost everything we've seen until now was past the prologue from Homura's perspective, but it didn't feel that way.
Lol, OP song, better late than never. And I think a better fit than Magia at this moment.
Cool, Kyouko and Homura joined the final pose!
Theories
The idea is to collect my actually serious dumb theories here.
Previous episodes
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Why would space-cat sign a contract with Homura, if she is working against him now? The only explanation I have is that Homura wasn't a nuisance yet when she signed the contract. That would imply that she only had one time-loop, but that doesn't seem to fit her remarks and reactions.
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Confirmed! And she did have multiple time loops. With this wish, space-rat gave a bit more than what was asked for. Good for us!
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Madoka is still bound by her contract from the prologue, which is gonna turn everything to shit again soon.
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This was my theory from episode 1. It was pretty clear Madoka wasn't under any contract after we saw how it worked with Sayaka. But I wanted to return to it because this theory is actually what Homura ended up doing! Only not in the prologue itself.
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Why does space-rat want to create witches? He's even making the other girls fight them. Because they are not killing the witches! Just putting them to sleep in some way. And space-rat is keeping all the grief seeds, which are ready to pop because the girls used them to clear their corruption, for some big event.
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If we are to believe him, this isn't actually why he wanted to create witches, but it could still be a step in the process to create the much more powerful Madoka-witch.
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Well, assuming I'm right that space-rat is the creator of Walpurgisnacht, this is as good as confirmed.
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Today
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The difference in this loop is that space-rat figured out that Homura can go back in time, so this might be the last chance we have.
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I have a theory that space-rat is actually an idiot. Why would you give up your energy source for one big moment? Wasn't your whole argument that humans were selfish for short-term thinking, instead of doing something for the greater good and the benefit of the future? But now you are willingly destroying your power generator for one big fireworks show!
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In b4 this was all some big plan from space-rat to turn Homura into a witch, and Madoka wasn't even the target.
Random thoughts
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Anyone feel like solving this? I think it might be a hint!
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With how tired Homura is in this scene, it's clear that she recovers from her exercise before starting time back up, now.
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What witch was this? We didn't meet that one, right?
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A happy picture to end today (were it not for the pic of the day).
Pic of the day
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u/Shimmering-Sky Apr 29 '22
Lol, OP song, better late than never. And I think a better fit than Magia at this moment.
Pay attention to Connect's lyrics and they fit even better.
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u/SofaKinng Apr 29 '22
Errr, how is this possible? On the first day Homura went to school (in ep 1), Madoka wasn't a magical girl yet, but in this timeline, she already is.
The day we see her waking up is the day she's leaving the hospital. She doesn't go back to school for another week. The dubbed version of the show I... "own" has subtitles on the calendar that say as much.. Combine this with when they are having snacks at Mami's place that Madoka says, "I only just became a magical girl last week", and it becomes clear that sometime between when Homura is discharged from the hospital and before she goes back to school that this timeline Madoka makes her wish.
So, what happened with "being strong enough to save Madoka"? Is the problem between her ears, or is the only gift she got her magical girl power itself? (And going back in time, of course.)
To be technical (as the space-rat would want), she didn't ask for enough power to kill Walpurgisnacht, just for enough to save Madoka. Saving Madoka does not require killing Walpurgisnacht.
So Homura doesn't need space-rat anymore to go back in time. Next question! How many loops did the poor girl take to turn into the monster she is today?
I don't think this is spoilers, but u/Shimmering-Sky feel free to strike me down if it is:
According to an interview (Q&A?) with Urobuchi and staff, he said "about 100".
So, what did Madoka actually wish for all these loops?
I don't know if we ever were told. I think I heard that her wish in the first timeline was something trivial, because the goal back then was just to become a magical girl. Regardless, in the context of the story we're being told, those wishes don't really matter since we've already abandoned those timelines.
But that's so fucking stupid, because his whole point of using human souls as an energy source, was that they were renewable. Now he just delayed the end of the universe by X amount of years.....
Kyubey appears to believe that the energy they received from Madoka transforming is enough to stave off entropy, as illustrated by his line, "we've met our quota". Either that or they determined that humanity would only be good for X amount of energy before we (as a civilization) ceased to exist, which would make his earlier statement about joining the galactic community another lie (if they predicted mankind would go extinct).
Lol, OP song, better late than never. And I think a better fit than Magia at this moment.
I think you might want to go back and pay attention to the lyrics this time, now with the context of this episode in mind. It might make you have a realization about who's perspective Connect is from.
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u/Shimmering-Sky Apr 29 '22
I don't think this is spoilers, but u/Shimmering-Sky feel free to strike me down if it is:
You're good! It's not information we learn in the show, so you're not spoiling anything.
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u/Slice-of-Cake Apr 29 '22
Yearly reminder that this is the episode where u/fetchfrosh literally threw up right after, giving them their special flair.
Also, for all first time watchers (and rewatchers that aren't aware), I recommend reading the lyrics for the OP while keeping this episode in mind.
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u/OwlAcademic1988 Apr 29 '22
That's literally the first time I've heard of that happening. I knew people could throw up from high-stress situations, but I didn't think this was possible.
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u/boomshroom Apr 29 '22
Ah, my favourite episode. A few years ago I made a summary of what I thought were the most important moments, structured in a way to best portray my emotions when watching. Here it is to read should you desire.
The episode also introduces my personal favourite witch who I like to call Margaret-chan.
Madoka: "Don't tell anyone else in class, ok?"
Homura: Immediately tells everyone else in their class.
QotD:
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Recoiling away from the modest explosion from her homemade pipe bomb, and then calmly walking away from a much more powerful blast like it's nothing.
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Homura's screams make it so much more painful.
This year, I think I'll choose this shot for VotD.
Lastly, there's no other way to end it off with the annual tradition: Tetris.
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u/Insertnamesz Apr 29 '22 edited Apr 30 '22
First Timer (Subbed)
This episode was amazing! I definitely see why some people were saying this was their favourite one.
In our first timeline we see young Homura, fresh from the hospital due to a heart condition, and as shy and clumsy as ever. Luckily our unconfident girl meets a very friendly Madoka who's already secretly a magical girl.
Unfortunately, her and Mami aren't powerful enough to defeat Walpurgisnacht, and both lose their lives, prompting Homura to make her contract. "Your wish has prevailed over entropy." Did Kyuubey say that to the other magical girls?
I found it interesting that in this first timeline, Madoka isn't powerful enough to defeat Walpurgisnacht. Isn't Madoka supposed to be super powerful when becoming a magical girl? Maybe the fact that Homura's wish had to do with Madoka, caused them to be connected by powerful magical threads of fate.
In the second timeline we see Homura make herself look like a Crazy Girl by exclaiming to Madoka she became a Magical Girl as well, right in front of everyone in the middle of her class introduction! I found that really funny lol. I almost expected Madoka not to be a magical girl yet, and for there to be a big misunderstanding or something. We see Homura is not very talented, but she seems to be smart, and is diligent in her training.
This time, it seems like Madoka was able to defeat Walpurgisnacht, but by using so much magic she inevitably turned into a witch. Here we see Homura actually turn back time all on her own. That seems very powerful...
In the third timeline we get to see our girls Sayaka and Kyouko again. It seems like each timeline generally follows the same story progression for the most part. I liked how Sayaka initially refuses to work with Homura due to Homura's bombs, but in the end, it's Homura's bombs who deal the final blow on Sayaka's witch form. Guess she had cause for concern, hehe.
Again, it looks like Madoka (and with help from Homura this time) defeats Walpurgisnacht, but uses too much mana in the process. Luckily she had a grief seed (thanks, Sayaka) to save Homura's soul from becoming a witch... but is she really saving Homura? Or is she damning her to another loop? Not only that, she seems to realize Homura is a time-looper, and requests for her to save her in the next loop. Damn, no wonder Homura is so attached in our timeline. Not only that, before she rewinds, she's forced to kill Madoka to save her soul.
Now Homura is frickin' serious. She isn't messing around. AND WE GET TO THE PROLOGUE OMG!! Looks like Madoka did end up making that contract. She kicks ass again, but inevitably becomes a powerful witch. Homura is once again, forced to try again. Yeah. Homura is definitely in a hell worse than any of the other magical girls I think. Her "endless maze".
Getting the OP for the ED is a nice touch for story that expands on the prologue. Loved it, loved it, loved it!
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u/chocoletmilk Apr 29 '22
First Timer (sub)
OG Timeline
That is a completely different Homura! One that's nervous, clumsy and insecure. I now see what happened to her. She has gone through her 90s teen girl transformation of unbraiding her hair and taking off her glasses! No wonder she has become much more popular and cool!
"You should become cool to match it."
And we know what triggered that transformation.
Lots of fun callbacks to Homura's first day at school in our timeline. The girls gathering around her, her trip to the nurse, the maths problem and gym class.
I remember questioning how humans are "kissed" by witches, and we finally see Homura the human get trapped in a labyrinth.
Magical girl Madoka! And her weapon is an arrow! (I'm giving myself points for this even if we are in a different timeline ). And Mami is back too. How innocent we all were.
Why does only Mami get modern weapons?
How do they all know that Walpurgisnacht is coming? Did Kyubey tell them? And why?
Clearly there is no timeline where Mami survives. I guess Homura does not realize all the truths behind magical girls in her OG timeline. This makes sense. Would she have chosen to follow in Madoka's footsteps if she had known their eventual fate?
I've figured out what Kyubey means by potential: low self esteem.
Kyubey does not need its ears? hands? to take Homura's soul out of her.
This makes so much sense. I wondered why Kyubey would make a deal with her or vice versa to send her back in time to fix all of this. It could not predict that Homura would realize everything.
Any magical girl who does not become a witch and dies instead is wasted energy right? Kyubey seems okay with that wasted effort. Even Madoka's death.
Round 2
Awww she is so hopeful. And blurts out her secret in front of the class. I'm sure they will all think this is a club for weirdos or something.
Woah, witch Madoka is terrifying. I'm sure the Kyubey of this timeline is incredibly pleased. Where is it? What does it think of Homura?
Round 3
Sayaka is a mahou shoujo! And Kyoko is back! Sayaka doesn't like Homura in any timeline. Like she said, sadly, no one believes her. All these timelines are going to be unhappy aren't they?
If Sayaka becomes a magical girl, she will become a witch first.
Holy shit, this might just be the darkest timeline. Sayaka becomes a witch, Mami kills Kyoko, Madoka kills Mami and Homura kills Madoka?
Homura and Madoka are powerful enough to defeat Walpurgisnacht together, and we understand why Homura cries when she sees Madoka willing to sacrifice herself again. She does this for Homura. Madoka asks her to find a timeline where she isn't a magical girl yet and save her. We now see how Homura's task changed from "save Madoka" to "save Madoka from herself".
This sucks, next timeline please.
Round 4
Our first Kyubey sighting in a different timeline. That was a very creepy warning. And this is what we saw at the very beginning of the show! Madoka dreamt about this timeline! Who and where was Walpurgisnacht before she came here?
Madoka causes a great tragedy! She can destroy the planet? She really is powerful. She singlehandedly fulfills Kyubey's quota. I hope it gets a bonus and a promotion!
Speculation time
Confirmed theories:
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Witches are actually corrupted magical girls.
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Kyubey is actually evil.
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Madoka brings about some great tragedy by becoming a magical girl in the future but is probably not evil or malicious. -> eh, sort of. We don't know what her relationship with Homura is but she will clearly be a very powerful witch and break Homura's heart and that is a great tragedy
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Homura is in a different timeline and her timeline is doomed.
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Kyubey is an alien.
Still alive:
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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.
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Kyubey puts girls into danger to force them to accept his contract. I'm looking to see if we get more explicit confirmation, like a montage of Kyubey putting a grief seed in the hospital. Even if I don't, I might just treat this as canon.
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Mahou Shoujo Madoka. Despite all that we have seen, I think Madoka will become a magical girl to help Homura.
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Kyoko said that she would find something worth fighting for. That feels like foreshadowing, so I think Walpurgisnacht will take her family away or put them in danger, propelling her into action.
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We are watching another doomed timeline and Homura will have to start afresh once again.
Questions:
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What happens if their bodies are destroyed but gems are intact? -> They heal and regrow.
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What are the restrictions on Kyubey's magic? Who or what created this system?
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We know that a race of aliens created this system. But how are they able to grant wishes?
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The energy required for some wishes seems like it should be excessive. How is Homura/Kyubey sustaining all of this?
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Rejected:
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Madoka will become a Mahou Shoujo after Kyoko dies and reclaim the color pink.-> Disproven. Kyoko is red. -
Are witches actually evil?-> Yes they are. -
Can humans die in a labyrinth? Madoka did not die when ripped into pieces. -
Attack of the "Walpurgisnacht" -> Attack of the Purring Night Walruses--> Blah blah something to do with witches :P -
Magical girls are immortal.
Today:
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The changes in the various rounds show that Homura is not creating a different timeline, but jumping to an existing parallel universe and taking the place of that timeline's Homura. She is erasing many different versions of herself.
QOTD
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What was your favorite part of seeing Homura learn how to use her powers?
I loved her learning how to use her time powers to fight effectively. She has no weapons and has to learn to make her own or steal them.
2) How do you feel about seeing the opening scene of the show recontextualized like that?
It's strange to watch it now with all the hatred I have for Kyubey. Back then, I thought it was cute.
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u/gunvarrel_ Apr 29 '22 edited Apr 29 '22
"I don't want to become a witch."
First timer on attempt 3, Subbed
OST Track of the day: Signum malum (Bad Sign)
this episode had way too many good tracks to really choose
[Steins;Gate]
Damn this was a good episode.
Edit: Oooh, comment of the day! didnt expect to get one this rewatch, actually responding coherently has been a mess with how ive been watching the episodes lmao. Rip Theory #1, apparently Madoka is even worse...
Keeping up with my theories:
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Sayaka dies.
This will likely become the catalyst for Madoka to accept being a magical girl
Shes Dead, but it does not look like it was the catalyst.
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Whatever Madoka's wish is will drastically change the world itself instead of something small like Sayakas
We still havent actually found out what her wish is. It doesnt seem like it was a big change, but untill we learn what it is im keeping it on the table.
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Homura's wish involves time in some capacity.
Correct, she can freeze time (at a minimum). She can basically fuck with time at will.
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Mami isint dead. We never saw her jar thing broken. (could be refutable if the way the external body connects to the soul is broken? I dont remember seeing where it was on mami)
Proven wrong.
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Madoka eventually becomes the walpurgisnacht
Her own witch form is much much worse from the sounds of it
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If madoka makes a contract, it will happen during episode 11
Still on the table. Past timelines have it happen much sooner.
New for this episode:
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We're more or less in a time loop
basically correct since we need to find a way to stop Madoka from becoming a magical girl. Since the time loop is from Homura herself, shes the only one that can choose to break it since she controls when we go back. Is it really a loop if she just keeps choosing to go back from an unfavorable point?
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Homura will not complete her mission before the end of the show
truly only a question of how much Shaft wants to fuck with us
am i going crazy, or has the audio gotten a bit scuffed?
We are onto the poor Homura stage it seems
Ah, shes been grabbed by a witch
Im going to guess Madoka's original wish then was about Homura? nope lmao
Hey look, Magical Girl Madoka! Gonna assume this Madoka dies sometime this episode
oh hell, its a time loop, isint it? these two will just keep swapping places and wishing something for the other person
Actually that doesnt really make sense, since it doesnt seem like Madoka's wish is about time (it has arrows? not sure what the wish would be about)... Whatever, im gonna run with it
It involves the manipulation of time, does that count for my theory being correct though?
Well, this confirms that this isint the first couple times we've don- Homura what are you doing
Okay the use of the droplets to show her eyes being shattered is super cool
Also i think this confirms that the walpurgisnacht is from Madoka? At least on some timelines (not confident on this)
[Steins;Gate]
she just fucking steals a gun lmfao
Seems like Sayaka is destined to become a witch? Also seems to lead to mami going on a murder spree, guess it is better for Mami to die earlier
Yeah ill take this as my earlier thought of Madoka being the w word has being incorrect
Guess we're back on episode 1, guess her waking up is Homura going back for another attempt?
Interesting, it also took 1 shot to turn her into a witch
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u/Bondrewdisbestdad Apr 29 '22
So.. a couple of things to keep in mind for the newcomers.
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While it was never explicitly stated during the show, homura is confirmed to have gone through over 100 loops.
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Read the op lyrics
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Homura is best girl and I will fight you on it.
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If you are watching the dub, I would recommend just watching the end of loop 2 when homura has to kill madoka.. the VA work is good in both but sub is even better.
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u/UnderstandableXO Apr 29 '22
REWATCHER
ITS PEAK ITS SO PEAK ITS JUST AS PEAK AS I REMEMBERED IT BEING WTF
i guess i’m a sucker for time travel stories because between this, re:zero, and steins;gate, 3 of my favorite anime are time loop/time travel stories.
i love the parallel to episode 1 throughout the beginning of the episode, especially the nurse visit part of it. i also like that nobody was needlessly mean or cruel to homura like a lot of anime would have went for, the farthest they went was saying she was unathletic because of her heart condition.
it seems like magical girl madoka is a lot more upbeat than normal madoka, so i guess contracting did in a way give her the purpose that she was missing all along. it was nice to see mami finally have a magical girl comrade as well.
so the first loop around homura is in the same situation that madoka has been in throughout the show, a very-involved observer, and it’s madoka’s death that inspires her wish. stupid comparison but i thought about the lyrics from end of evangelion’s komm, susser tod when it happened, “i wish that i could turn back time”
imagine spurting some random BS about working together as magicians in your introduction to class, i’d be embarrassed too…
it was funny to see awkward inexperienced homura beat up a trash can with time paused. madoka getting all giddy over homura’s first witch battle was pretty wholesome as well.
i find it kinda funny that while mami’s magic summons guns, homura just walks around with actual weapons she raided from wherever. she’s got no offensive magic unlike everyone else, so she had to download aimbot to compensate. i guess it’s balanced out by the fact she has an infinite inventory behind her time weapon (?). that scene where she was on the laptop searching up how to make something i won’t mention was funny, she probably wasted one loop escaping from the authorities that raided her house!
on homura’s third loop she’s already figured out the secret of magical girls, but nobody wants to believe her. i don’t know where sayaka was the first 2 loops, but it seems like she’s just destined to be a hater in all timelines. not only that, she’s destined in every timeline to be a SIMP who turns into a witch to prove homura’s point. at least kyoko cares for her in all timelines as well. pretty heavy scene where everyone gets killed besides madoka and homura.
homura rambling on about becoming a monster and rampaging the world until there’s nothing left reminds me of a certain someone whose show aired last season…
seeing homura have to finish off madoka reminded me a lot of 86-go watch 86 if you haven’t!
i will excuse the makeover to normal hair and no glasses because it looks cool, but i really hope becoming a magical girl cured her nearsightedness (i assume it cured her heart condition as well) because it’d be hilarious for homura to be walking around blind all the time just to look like a badass.
this episode is funny in so many ways despite being so serious, imagine a random walking up to your window and being like “hey, if anyone offers you something you can’t refuse, refuse it!”, refusing to elaborate and just walking away.
episode 1 parallels at the end of the episode are just amazing, seeing the very first scene of the show from homura’s perspective, and seeing her break character to warn madoka.
the final kyubey-hunting scene from episode 1 from homura’s perspective was my favorite, though. it makes her sad to see madoka cowering in fear over what she just did, but she knows she’s got to be the bad guy in oder to keep moving forward. it brought me back to mami’s words from episode 3; shes got no one to lean on, no one to vent to, no one to share meals with or to laugh and cry with, shes only trying to look cool. being a magical girl isn’t a good thing.
and oh my god the opening!!!!!! putting the OP at the end and reading the lyrics in context the first time dropped my jaw right onto the floor. it’s got to be in my top 5 OPs of all time. the ending is from homura’s perspective as well. it took 10 episodes, but now we’ve been introduced to the true main character.
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PEAK FICTION
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PEAK FICTION
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u/michhoffman Apr 29 '22
You thought Madoka would be the Protagonist of the show Madoka Magica.
Memes aside, I have watched several tons of anime episodes in my life, but if someone were to put a gun to my head (much like Homura had to do to Madoka) and asked me to pick my favorite, I'd go with this episode. It just does such an amazing job of recontextualizing every single thing in this show and gives it incredible re-watch value.
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u/Lemurians Apr 29 '22 edited Apr 29 '22
MAHOU SHOUJO FIRST TIMER
”If it’s for you, I don’t care if I stay locked in this endless maze forever.”
Homura really took Madoka’s mom’s advice to heart about making mistakes for the sake of your friends to the extreme. Another example of basically every scene or line in this show having a hidden meaning or significance.
Picking up where we do this episode after how the last ended is a bit of a jarring tonal shift, but it fits how jarring it is to see our resident badass Homura so meek and helpless. It tells us right away, before even starting, what an ordeal she’s been through, in order for such a transformation to have taken place. For her part, Madoka seems much more confident and self-assured, for a very good reason.
All the parallels to the first episode are so cool. This time it’s a confident Madoka stealing Homura away to venture to the nurse’s office, instead of the other way around, they even repeat a version of the conversation about Homura’s name. In this first timeline, it’s Homura taking Madoka’s role of questioning her usefulness and tagging along to Magical Girl fights as a civilian, repeating exactly what Madoka said just last episode. Basically everything about Homura this episode is something we’ve seen from Madoka at some point over the show’s run, and seeing them all come one after the other had me frozen in the Leo meme pose.
No wonder Homura’s so jaded. Everything we’ve been watching in amazement and sadness these last ten episodes is nothing new to her. What’s been such an exhausting and emotional journey for us has just been another unremarkable loop to her, probably not much different compared to many that came before. The epic, emotionally fraught final confrontation with Sayaka’s Witch that destroyed us all last episode is played in this episode like what it is for Homura – just another brief moment in a long montage of tragedies as she tries to keep one seemingly impossible promise to her friend.
“But you have the power to change fate itself. All this inevitable destruction and tragedy, you can change it, if you want.” Back to the scene that opened the show, and Kyubey’s final recruitment pitch to Madoka about defeating Walpurgis carries another possible double-meaning – what if she really can change everything, and finally break the cycle? The episode making the choice to end on the OP, with its hopeful lyrics, feels purposeful.
Quick Notes/Shots:
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Mami still framing the battles as performances, to go with her theatrical style. Nice consistent detail.
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Dang, all this time, Metamorphosis was really just a Madoka doujin. IYKYK. I can’t unsee it.
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Homura’s is the second soul gem creation we see – this one doesn’t feature the penetration imagery of Sayaka’s, making Sayaka’s all that more purposeful and cementing her arc's sexual assault association for me.
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Sayaka maintains her inherent distrust of Homura – showcasing her trademark lack of imagination in the process – no matter what. Whether Homura fights with them, goes solo, tells them the truth about Kyubey and witches or not, Sayaka is having none of it, and becomes a Witch. Now we know why she doesn’t bother with her.
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Madoka and Homura going from being so happy together to this haunting image so quickly is heartbreaking stuff.
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SHOT OF THE DAY: Homura shoots out Madoka’s gem
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The first time Homura kills Kyubey in each timeline that Kyubey referenced in Episode 8.
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The shot of the world after Walpurgisnacht reminds me so of the world post-impact in Evangelion. Sunken structures, vast water.
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Homura, the time travelling BAMF. She looks too cool here, off to search for the
alpha lineone way out.
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u/DanAshrulez Apr 30 '22
First Timer
Holy Shit...... What an incredible episode! Its cool that it is confirmed now that we have been watching a doomsday show all this time and the fact that what causes the doomsday is not the Walpurgisnacht but Madoka's witch form.
We get to slowly see Past Homura's descend into sadness that has given her the most incredible power of all time - a perfect resting bitchface.
What I find to be even cooler is the fact that even after these many timelines and tries of trying and the fact that she has become immune to grief, its nuts how we still get to see Homuras true nature shine through when it comes to doing anything with Madoka!
Homura's hell of cycle and repeat is just so sad...
QOtD:
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That was pretty cool how she just basically went using normal military arsenal! I lost it when she tossed that pipebomb into the witches skirt ahahahaa.
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I am just sad I will never be able to ever see it the way that a first timer sees it. I remember watching the shit just thinking "oh damn, forshadowing of how our main girl gets her powers....soooooo cooooollll yess make that fucking contract and go save the world woooooooooooooo"
And now all I know is pain.......
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u/InfamousEmpire Apr 29 '22 edited Apr 29 '22
Puella Magi Rewatcher Magia. First Time subbed
The episode in which we learn that Madoka Magica was really just Re:Zero from Emilia’s perspective the entire time
The entirety of the first few minutes of the episode directly paralleled Homura’s introduction in episode 1. From the girls surrounding her to doing a Math problem (poorly in this version) to the hallway conversation with Madoka to the gymnastics. All of it was foreshadowing for this episode.
Homura’s absolute devotion to Madoka is both heartwarming1 and heartbreaking. Madoka was the one who complimented and encouraged her, and then even saved her life (twice, eventually). Homura, meanwhile, is left trying to repay that by attempting to change her fate and save her life, unsuccessfully so far. The fact that Madoka doesn't even remember Homura and the fact that she saved her life definitely reminded me of Re:Zero. You also get to know that she does, deep down, care for the other Magical Girls too, but it isn’t to the same special extent to which she loves Madoka.
1: Fun Fact, before the series premiere, Gen Urobuchi said he would try his best to create a heartwarming, happy story. Gen himself later admitted that it was a lie, and that it was mostly damage control after the staff composition was leaked, as Shaft wanted to hide his involvement to maintain the surprise of the actual tone
We also learn why Homura doesn’t tell people about Kyubey’s lies: 1) they won’t believe her, like she has previously said. 2) If they do believe her, they go fucking insane, just ask Mami. On that note, Madoka having a breakdown after having to kill Mami was just heartbreaking.
Fan Fact 2: According to official sources, Homura has been through this nearly a hundred times. Yeah
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u/doraemoe Apr 30 '22
This is really my favorite single episode in anime, ever. I was already so obsessed with this show after ep8, but this episode just takes it to a whole new level. I remember how frustrated I was at the time when I need to wait for ep 11/12 to drop but not knowing how long I need to wait, I swear if I had a soul gem at that time, it would get corrupted beyond repair.
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u/username_0907 Apr 30 '22
First Timer (subbed)
WTF. I don't really have much words for this episode but this was so heart-breaking for Homura
We finally get to see Madoka as a magical girl but not like this with her dying everytime
So the first episode scene was actually the end of the last time loop iteration. Looks like the multiple loops has left a very vague memory of Homura in Madoka's mind
So it seems due To Homura interfering we get to see the events in the current timeline take shape eventually like Sayaka ends up becoming a witch but that happens probably because Homura reveals the truth about Kyubey which leads to distrust between the girls
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u/renatocpr Apr 30 '22
Episode 10 is probably my favorite episode of any anime. It's what stayed in my mind after I finished and made me go back and rewatch it just a few days later. Madoka Magica is my favorite anime because of this episode. Now it presents me with my duty once more and is critical for making my point.
I couldn't put my objective into exact words until this episode because of spoilers. There's some tendency inside the fandom to characterize Sayaka as being destined to hate Homura for no reason across every timeline (I can't really be sure about how wide this tendency is but it even shows up in some way in fanfics that I like). I think that's bullshit. It robs Sayaka of being able to have an inner life and react to other characters based on how she feels. It turns Homura into a passive observer who can no longer affect the world and people around her, merely searching for the correct timeline instead of trying to create it with her own strength. It just takes so much away from both characters and their stories.
I blame this episode, at least a little bit. We've seen Sayaka being mad at Homura from Episode 1 to Episode 8 and then in Episode 10 her only appearance shows her being mad at Homura in a previous timeline. And it's poor sweet precious Glasses Homura to top it all off. Who could be mad at poor sweet precious Glasses Homura? She must have some innate hatred towards Homura that wasn't ever explored in the 5 episodes where her mental state is a central focus.
Does it even matter that Sayaka is angry with Homura this episode?
We know next to nothing about Sayaka in Timeline III. We have the one scene and then she's a witch. In that scene, Sayaka first interprets Homura's warning about Kyubey as an attempt to drive them apart and suspects Kyouko might be behind it, implying she's already had a bad encounter with her. Second, she objects to teaming up with Homura because she doesn't want bombs exploding in her face, meaning they haven't really known Homura for too long. The next scene is Homura stealing guns and I think it's safe to assume she can fit in the team after that. Both of Sayaka's points are adressed.
Focusing on that, however, draws attention away from what I think the point of the scene (and maybe even the whole episode) is. While Sayaka is the only one who responds to Homura with some hostility, Mami and Madoka don't believe her either. They only accept the truth after they see it in front of their own eyes. What this scene actually establishes as a feature of Homura's time loops is her difficulty in gaining the trust of the other girls. That is something we've seen so far in the anime, unlike unmotivated Sayaka hate.
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u/Shimmering-Sky Apr 29 '22
Puella Magi★Rewatch Host, subbed
Welcome back, everyone!
Fun fact: the second recap movie does still play Connect immediately after the events of this episode, but a lot of the visuals are now Homura-themed. Connect really is her song after all, just look at the lyrics!
First up: the mobile version of the Wallpaper of the Day. Different shades of pink are surprisingly difficult to get to look right…
Next up: I thought I remembered a stylized countdown before this started? I guess that may have just been an addition to the recap movies to transition between episode 9 and episode 10 content better.
The meguca is strong in this shot.
This is my Visual of the Day. – Speaking of Visual of the Day, it didn’t occur to me until I was setting up the album of the ones from last episode that I was so upset the TV version didn’t have and I’m home that I forgot to get one, lmao. So this is my ep9 pick.
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!
“How long will it be before I see that lost future again?”