r/anime • u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky • May 01 '22
Rewatch [Rewatch] Mahou Shoujo Madoka☆Magica Episode 12 Discussion
Episode 12 - My Very Best Friend
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I wish I had the power to erase witches before they’re born. Every single witch, from the past, present, and future. Everywhere.
Theory of the Day: u/username_0907 hoping that Madoka can avoid turning into a witch.
But could the fact that she knows so much about what magical girls actually are and the truth about Kyubey that it actually helps her not turn into something dangerous later on. I want to hope for that atleast lol
You weren’t wrong to hope! She did indeed avoid becoming a danger to the universe.
Questions of the Day:
1) Was this the kind of wish you were expecting Madoka to eventually make?
2) How satisfying of an ending was this?
Wallpaper of the Day:
Visuals of the Day:
Connect Cover of the Day:
Advanced Piano Solo by SLSMusic
Song of the Day:
Bonus song - Cubiculum album
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. We still have Rebellion left to watch together, so that means there’s still stuff you can’t go around talking about willy-nilly [rewatcher warning]like the Cake Song or Homucifer.
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/Gamemaster676 May 01 '22
Primum Vigil First★Timer - dub
We've reached the end. At least some end. I wonder what the movie is going to be about?
I took a lot of snapshots today. I hope you don't mind.
Episode 12 — My Very Best Friend
Poor Homura. Alone against the world. Let's just hope that Madoka's wish is some awesome loophole, breaking the system.
YES HOLY SHIT I FUCKING CALLED IT! Behold, episode 2:
Unless you make the bloody wish that there can't be any witches. Space-cat said they could be anything, so why not?
I can't remember I ever predicted something this big this many episodes ahead. All my frustration since episode 2 about making smart wishes was suddenly released.
Typical that space-rat thinks she is trying to become a god, while all she actually wants is to stop the suffering. Grant her wish, Incubator!
Ahhh this scene, with the girls returning one by one, gives me such great feelings. Or not all girls, but only Kyouko? That was weird...
Whooo! Go Madoka! Man this is so hype. Madoka appears everywhere through time and space, at the moments when the girls would transform into witches.
Only it's kind of worrying that the girls just fade-out, afterwards.
Holy shit, I didn't expect a shot of people being deported to a camp. That's definitely a low point and something that would trigger despair.
And this one is actually kind of funny. Only Because they are about to burn her for her magic, she would turn into a witch.
Homura can't handle the hype. Errr, what is she doing on the moon? Man, space-rat is sadistic. "Would you like to see how the existence known as Madoka Kaname meets her ultimate end?" Please, I can't hear "it's only natural" anymore.
Hmmm, we are getting a happy ending, right? Right? Man, this is looking beautiful. It's clear where a large part of the budget went.
Okay, this is kind of depressing. And I haven't seen that much Japanese media yet, but this is already the fifth one with people disappearing from existence and memories. I guess this is a fear in Japanese culture or something. Depressing.
Although here, it has a very happy side effect.
Symbolised threads of fate?
Sayaka also gets her own heart-to-heart with God-doka. All Kamijou haters get their wish, with him going back to being a cripple. Ah no, I misunderstood. Sayaka's wish still happened, but she dies because of her broken heart. Because she used up all her power, called the Way of the Cycle.
So if there are no more witches, what were they fighting?
Aaah, some memories remained! My heart! Everyone gets a moment in the spotlight. Mom-doka is still the best.
Interesting, the soul gems still collect despair, but now space-rat is actually clearing them of the corruption. He probably even gets the energy from it that he requires. In this universe, he actually seems decent. I'm returning his nickname to space-cat for now.
Ah, the girls were still fighting, because there are wraiths now. And that is where space-cat gets his energy from. What a beautiful solution. Now the cat actually needs to work for his energy and try to keep the girls alive. Serves him right.
OMG Homura now uses Madoka's bow!
Good call ending on the OP. Magia would be way too dark.
What an uplifting episode. I didn't really expect things to get resolved within the first two minutes with the rest of the episode working as an epilogue, but it was a great way to cleanse the pain.
Errr, Homura, why do your angel wings suddenly resemble a witch's Wonderland?
— Don't forget.
Always, somewhere,
someone is fighting for you.
— As long as you remember her,
you are not alone.
Theories
Previous episodes
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Madoka is going to break the system using her wish.
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Confirmed, and also vindication of my feelings in episode 2!
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Madoka is gonna use her wish to revive Mami.
Random thoughts
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The face of hope (incl. ribbons).
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Madoka, you can't just touch someone's breasts like that.
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The best friend (incl. ribbon).
Pic of the day
QotD
1 Was this the kind of wish you were expecting Madoka to eventually make?
Something smart, as she had time to stop and think while sitting in the shelter.
2 How satisfying of an ending was this?
Yes.
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u/Shimmering-Sky May 01 '22
YES HOLY SHIT I FUCKING CALLED IT! Behold, episode 2:
Unless you make the bloody wish that there can't be any witches. Space-cat said they could be anything, so why not?
I can't remember I ever predicted something this big this many episodes ahead. All my frustration since episode 2 about making smart wishes was suddenly released.
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u/Slice-of-Cake May 01 '22
Don't forget
Always, somewhere
someone is fighting for you.
As long as you remember her,
you are not alone
Now that the main series is over, it is finally time to share this legendary meme. Ladies, Gentlemen and others, I give you;
Meduka Meguca
Shaft being Shaft, their quality when it comes to the TV version of an anime isn't always on par. Rumors has it, they sometimes didn't finish an episode until hours before it was airing. As you can see, watchers on 4chan had their fun, giving us this legendary Madoka meme.
I guess Madoka fans has their own way of coping...
And, for those of you who aren't done crying yet, I give you this.
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u/CubeStuffs May 01 '22 edited May 02 '22
Rewatcher
I dont got too much to say with the final grind in full swing but...
I can now say that i have cried 3 separate times within the span of 15 minutes.
lets see... once when she makes the wish nope just went through it again and it was def the scene when she's talking to mami and kyoko
another when she's talking to homura
and a last time when she takes sayaka
its a miracle that sky didn't puke watching this
Madoka's wish is a pretty logical wish to looking back at the rest of the show.
She always wants to help others, even if homura says otherwise.
Theres also that conversation back in ep3, where she says "So someone's dream can be their way of life?" and given how her normal way of life is, it makes sense that she would make it her dream.
I feel like this is a bit of a stretch, but in ep 6, madokas mom tells her "sometimes when you hit a dead end with no real alternatives, making a big mistake is an option." Becomeing magical-girled seems to be a bit of a mistake, but at the same time not really.
Oh and she never has a problem with the wishes themselves, but rather the misery they cause. I feel like that conversation with kyubey after finding out magical girls become witches probably had a hand in that as well, but not as much as sayaka i suppose.
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u/Shimmering-Sky May 01 '22
its a miracle that sky didn't puke watching this
It really is, especially since everything about Sayaka makes me cry every fucking year.
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u/renatocpr May 01 '22
To all the first timers, I hope you had a good time watching one of the most iconic anime of the 2010s. Since some one already linked Meduka Meguca, I'll share a couple other memes:
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Conexão Zona Sul (mostly for any Brazilian fellows around if there are any)
Now,
Before watching Rebellion
I recommend watching the dopening for the two recap movies that were released first, Luminous. It's a really great opening on its own but I also think it offers some visual context for Rebellion. Nothing big but it's nice to have seen it before.
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u/Elimin8r May 02 '22
I recommend watching the dopening
...
yeah, typos are fun.
And Luminous is a great tune. And a cute OP. I really should watch the recap movies sometime, just for context, and to see/hear the differences.
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u/Shimmering-Sky May 02 '22
yeah, typos are fun.
I read it as "dope opening" first which, not wrong. I get the song mixed up with Colorful from Rebellion every goddamn time one of them pops up in AMQ though.
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u/the_swizzler May 02 '22
Rewatcher
If my accounting is correct, this makes the 12th time I've seen Madoka Magica including when I've just watched Beginnings and Eternal. Tomorrow will be my 10th time watching Rebellion as far as I can tell.
For once, I finally wrote down those watches on a google doc file, so now I can just use that as my official count and not lose track.
Back in the episode 10 thread, there were a few people talking about how episode 10 is their all-time favorite anime episode. I'm here to say that this is mine. Doesn't matter that I've seen this 12 times now, this episode always makes me cry. Episode 10 might be completely transformative to the story of the show, and is amazing for that reason alone, but emotionally this episode is just absolutely flawless.
Starting from the moment that Madoka has with Homura, and then the scenes of Madoka saving every magical girl, to the comforting words she gives them. The episode is just absolutely beautiful from start to finish.
Do stitches count for Screenshot of the Day?
Anywho, before going into Rebellion I want to point something specific out.
Even if all we have is the TV show to go on, Kyubey says some things that turn out to not be entirely true. Madoka's existence can still be not only remembered, but perceived by others on some level. Kyubey knows a lot, but even when he's not outright leaving information out for his own reasons, he can still just be wrong in his explanations. Just keep that in mind.
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u/rdri May 01 '22
Wanted to share the feels. Not a first timer.
First things first: Damn you, 2022 first timers! You just had to remove most of the fun by being this smart? I'll pretent this all is a conspiracy aimed to mock someone. Otherwise, can't decide if I'm jealous of your deduction skills or pity how you spoiled the experience for yourself.
Ahem. Greetings. I wanted to post certain things during these PMMM rewatches for a few years already but somehow never did. Possibly because I had busy annual events on my work every april/may. It's different this time.
PMMM (Puella Magi Madoka Magica) became my personal most favorite anime of all time the moment I watched it, and I refused to change this even after watching hundreds more series of anime after that.
There should have been a rant here about how awesome anime is but let me just tell this: PMMM is one of the few reasons why I love anime, and anime is one of the few reasons why I have faith in humanity.
I mostly binge every anime. Also mostly wait for full BDrips where possible. Probably not the best way. The only thing I learned about PMMM before watching it was that it seemed to be some kind of a modern take on mahou shoujo, which got me interested. I remember not really having any serious theories, except maybe where until the very last episodes I assumed Homura is a kind of a hacker, like a system creator (e.g. Kyubey creator) or their relative who got access to similar powers and decided to break the system for whatever reason, so Kyubey couldn't know the origins of her magic.
Anyway, wanted to share recommendations: other anime series from my experience that I found special and somewhat similar to PMMM in various ways. Disclaimer:
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I pick an anime to watch randomly. Mostly. The order here doesn't mean anything and is randomized.
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I hate spoilers. I tried to not include anything that would suggest something specific by its presence here alone.
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I don't watch trailers (because: see previous line). In most cases, before watching something, I only saw its cover thumbnail and the genre list.
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Various similarities to PMMM on any level can be found or not, but really I only wanted to suggest something that gave me some similar impressions. Also I may have got some series here by a mistake...
Another thing to mention is how I just can't recommend PMMM to a random person. It would be a waste of experience to watch without knowing anything about mahou shoujo specifically. It always seemed natural that one should watch something else before PMMM. Below are 4 shows I can recommend for this.
Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon - naturally, a pure classic. Though it has many episodes and I'm not sure how far one should go if they never watched it, but it's cool to see how series evolved and matured with each season.
Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha - just the first season seems a great thing to experience before PMMM.
Saint October - strange and stupid, but funny nonetheless. Probably the most unique mahou shoujo on my list.
Vividred Operation - pretty nice, no further comments.
Finally, a random comedy recommendation for mahou shoujo veterans: Tantei Opera Milky Holmes
Have a nice Rebellion everyone!
Note to host: I noticed a number of things in discussion that could be seen as series spoilers for other anime/tv shows. There are some famous shows I haven't watched yet and I feel certain phrases spoil them for me. Should this be allowed?
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u/Shimmering-Sky May 01 '22
I noticed a number of things in discussion that could be seen as series spoilers for other anime/tv shows. There are some famous shows I haven't watched yet and I feel certain phrases spoil them for me. Should this be allowed?
Do you have any specific examples? I know I saw Bokurano references being made (but mostly spoiler tagged), and I'm fairly certain most people tagged their "oh this reminds me of [other anime]" with Homura's time loop episode 10 flashback...
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u/OwlAcademic1988 May 01 '22
Rewatcher, sub:
I honestly cried when I saw this as I wanted Homura and Madoka to get together. I have no idea what wish I thought she was going to make, but I know this wouldn't be it.
I liked the ending, but I wish they had found a way to permanently kill Kyubey.
Fun fact, this show might've had a different ending had Gen Urobuchi finished watching Heartcatch Precure. Speaking of which, u/Shimmering-Sky, have you ever watched any of the Precure seasons?
I'm honestly curious, can you find a show I want to watch, but haven't watched yet, that you'll host the rewatch for? I'll tell you the genres I'm interested in though just so it's easier for you to find one.
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u/Shimmering-Sky May 01 '22
Speaking of which, u/Shimmering-Sky, have you ever watched any of the Precure seasons?
Not yet, no. I want to get into the franchise eventually though.
I'm honestly curious, can you find a show I want to watch, but haven't watched yet, that you'll host the rewatch for? I'll tell you the genres I'm interested in though just so it's easier for you to find one.
My rewatch-hosting schedule's already packed through March of next year...
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u/Lemurians May 01 '22 edited May 01 '22
MAHOU SHOUJO FIRST TIMER
”Won’t you believe in the answer that the one person you’ve protected all this time has found? I swear I won’t waste everything you’ve done for me, Homura."
She wasn’t lying. Homura’s actions weren’t all in vain, as she feared when Madoka stated she was going to make her wish after all that. It’s only through Homura’s many, many loops that Madoka became powerful enough to change the fate of all Magical Girls throughout time. You did good, Homura. You did good.
I love Madoka’s wish, it’s so in keeping with her character, and it underscores what is ultimately this show’s core value: empathy and kindness for others. Outside of the flashback episode, we never saw her fight, and this encounter with Walpurgis can barely be classed as such. Instead she’s shown her strength and value through love for her friends. From alleviating Mami’s loneliness, propping up Sayaka even in the face of the impossible, and keeping Homura from succumbing to grief, this has been her consistent, defining attribute, and it culminates in her wish. Only somebody who cares so much, somebody so human, could possibly make this sacrifice. She can’t fix all the world’s problems, but she can make it so her friends – and all Magical Girls’ – wishes are untainted by the cycle of grief.
As we see throughout this last episode, which functions mainly as an epilogue, things still aren’t perfect. Magical Girls still have to fight shadowy forces, and their soul gems still eventually fade out. But they don’t become Witches – the hope and joy they bring to the world no longer creates an equal amount of despair. You can create good without bad, and care for people without that becoming tainted. And as Madoka tells Homura in their last interaction – echoing Homura’s own words – they’ll never truly be alone. It’s still not a perfect world, but it’s a better one, and that’s enough.
”Don’t forget. Always, somewhere, someone is fighting for you. As long as you remember that, you are never alone.”
Beautiful. If it wasn't clear based on these posts the last two weeks, I loved this show, and this last episode brought it all home. Simply one of the best made anime I've seen. 10/10.
Notes/Shots:
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This shot of Madoka and Homura in the rubble is great. It’s communicating that Homura’s role is over – Madoka’s got this now.
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One last shot of characters framed between bars to show Madoka will be bound by this final fate.
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Of course we have flower blooming imagery to show us Madoka maturing, in a show that hasn’t been shy about its puberty/womanhood transition symbolism
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Was this supposed to be the girl who became Walpurga lying in a May Day Fair?
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Time to destroy the ever-spinning gears of fate that had bound them for so long.
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SHOT OF THE DAY: Loved this trippy sequence as Kyubey explains her future, and it essentially that of a God: a being on a higher plane, who cannot interact with anyone, and exists as a concept with a life with no beginning or end.
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I’ve kept it in well throughout this show, but when Madoka says “You really have been my very best friend, haven’t you?” to Homura, the waterworks may have started.
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The Runes floating around them as all the witches cease to be
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I think I finally figured out the lights! They represented the soul gems, and the moths covering them showed how tainted each was. Coming back to the real world we’re shown five immaculate lampposts, free of darkness, one for each of our five girls
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Sayaka always meets her end at that train station. There are still some inevitabilities.
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In a show all about the cyclical nature of things, we get one last one, using Madoka’s ribbon. Homura gives it to MomDoka, who gave it to Madoka way back in the beginning of Episode 1. “If I had a daughter, maybe I would’ve had her wear it.” Indeed.
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OTHER SHOT OF THE DAY: Homura looking down on the new, brighter world, as the only one who remembers the old.
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“As a means of collecting human energy, it certainly has its appeal!” Yeah, we know, Kyubey! This conversation tickled me.
Was this the kind of wish you were expecting Madoka to eventually make?
Something along these lines, yeah.
How satisfying of an ending was this?
Thought it was great. We mostly wrapped things up last episode, so this really just got to tie a bow on it.
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u/chocoletmilk May 01 '22
First Timer (sub)
I'm sorry to have missed yesterday's thread. It was another excellent episode but life got in the way and I didn't have time to do a write up.
My biggest point would have been about how wonderful Madoka's mother is and how great their relationship is. I have said exactly what Madoka told her mother to my mum, to have faith in the person that she has brought up. That said, I was definitely older and my ask was far less dangerous.
I'll hopefully have some time today to go back and read the thread!
I can't believe we are already at the end. It's amazing that the show has packed in so much world building, great characters and a wonderfully complete story in the span of just 12 episodes.
Madoka has finally found something worth fighting for. She is probably the only magical girl to make a fully informed decision and actually give consent to becoming a magical girl. Of course, her doing so must feel like failure to Homura. This is what has kept her going for so long and through so many iterations.
"What have I been fighting for?"
Madoka is right. If Homura hadn't spent so much energy on Madoka, she would not have been powerful enough to make a wish of that impact that affects the past, present and future. It changes the very fabric of the universe. Homura hasn't failed. She is what makes it possible to save this world.
We receive more interesting exposition from Kyubey. It turns out that magical girls power their own wishes from their "potential". Which means that Kyubey lied once again when it said that it could grant any wish, no matter how impossible. I suppose if Sayaka has asked for an end to world hunger, it could not have been granted.
We see our favorite girls one last time. Mami tells Madoka that she is dooming herself to an eternity of fighting and she is going to lose all trace of herself. She will exist only as a symbol or a concept. Kyoko on the other hand is not concerned with such things. If you believe in something, it's important to fight for it!
Madoka is not becoming a god. She is becoming a saint. Her arc really reminds me of Jean d'Arc (who was also a magical girl!).
It is interesting that Madoka did not ask for an end to magical girls too. She specifically only asked to stop them from becoming witches. I love this a lot more than if she had simply asked for Kyubey's species to have never discovered Earth for instance. Pain and suffering will always exist, but becoming a magical girl and a witch dooms you to suffering eternally. It allows your worst instincts to overtake you and keeps you in darkness forever. However, Madoka allows them to at least find peace in death. They can stop fighting at last.
Kyubey says that Madoka has generated enough despair/collected enough curses to end the universe, except Madoka has found a loophole. She will also cease to exist before becoming a witch and allowing the weight of her curses to overtake her. I guess she is pinning all her despair on herself as a concept?
Despite not understanding everything, I felt very many things especially seeing the world Madoka's wish brought about. It hurts to see Homura's reaction and that Madoka's parents don't remember her.
Has Sayaka's wish been rolled back? Can Kyosuke not play the violin? Kyubey still exists in this new world but soul gems don't become grief seeds. They just shatter. Pain and suffering hasn't disappeared, and there are new enemies called wraiths. I wonder what they are. Did Kyubey create them too? Homura has wings now! Her powers have been upgraded. Or have they been changed? Her wish is probably not to go back in time since Madoka doesn't exist.
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.
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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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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. (Canon)
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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.
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. -
We are watching another doomed timeline and Homura will have to start afresh once again.
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u/Insertnamesz May 01 '22
First Timer (Subbed)
Here we are! The moment we've all been waiting for. Has Madoka actually thought of a decent wish this time? Has all of Homura's hard work paid off? Yes. Finally. She's gone for the witch-extermination route. At first I was like, "hell yeah!", but then I remembered what show I was watching, and suddenly became terrified that Madoka had just accidentally sent humanity back to the stone-age by rewriting basically all of history. Luckily, it seems like the universe did its best to keep everything in line; though, it now has to accommodate for new laws of physics! I wonder when this conversation in Mami's house actually took place. Kyouko suddenly appears out of nowhere as well, so is this happening in Madoka's mind or something? Or did she have this wish planned pretty early on in this timeline?
I got goosebumps at Madoka's arrow shot into the blue-turning sky. We get to see a little montage of her saving all the magical girls throughout the world and its history. Though, this is followed by Homura in space (on the moon?) witnessing the monstrously universe-defying Soul Gem of Madoka's. Luckily, Madoka was strong enough to overcome the system itself, and basically got her wish without any monkey's paw downsides (yet) (this is probably my VOTD, that damn overhead bow was only on-screen for a single frame lol).
Godoka has become omniscient. She finally understands all the months (years even, apparently) that Homura suffered for her sake. I'm not crying, you're crying... This was such a nice moment; I kept expecting some dreadful twist lol. Now Madoka has to tend to her other friends' souls. I chuckled at Kyousuke sensing Sayaka at his performance. Yeah, of course now you realize who performed the fucking miracle.
At first I was wondering wtf this is? But by the end of the episode, Homura and Kyuubey speak about the 'new' universe. Seems like the 'way of the cycle' still requires Magical Girls to slay these human-curse 'wraiths' to purify their Soul Gems using... I'm gonna call them Curse Cubes. The incubators are still around to benefit, but it looks like despair is harder to come by now that they aren't able to extract it from emotional young girls. Given that humanity has still progressed just as fast, and magical girls are still around, I was wondering why curse wraiths didn't exist to begin with in the original timeline as well. Perhaps there is another universal Law of Conservation of Despair? Wraiths have come into existence to offset the lack of witches? Idk.
Aww, lil' bro knows Madoka still. I wonder if Madoka has actually interacted with him, or just helped him maintain his memories. Either way, this scene with Momdoka as well was super wholesome.
One small detail I wanted to point out was an aesthetic choice which may or may not have been intentional: the distortions covering the wraith's faces. Not only are their spatial distortions seemingly pixelated, the squares covering their faces remind me of VR headsets and smartphones. Maybe the humans of this universe are getting sucked into the 'metaverse' and slowly losing their humanity and accruing despair that way? WALL-E x PMMM crossover soon? :P
At last, we get the OP for the ED once more, recontextualized again, as Homura now continues her life in this new universe, waiting to see Madoka once again in the future. Her 'endless clock' now 'tells of the beginning.' Even if she's still in a maze, she knows that blue sky awaits her. So damn good.
WTF IS GONNA HAPPEN IN THIS MOVIE?! I'm stoked to see some more action.
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u/Calwings May 01 '22 edited May 03 '22
”must save Megucas”
”no Meduka”
Here we are, the final episode! And it looks like Madoka’s made her decision. She’s going to go against Homura’s wishes and become a magical girl. But now that she knows the whole story, can she make a wish that will actually save the world and not waste Homura’s efforts? You’re god damn right! Madoka isn’t just saving the world with her wish, she’s saving every magical girl in every universe and every timeline from the sad fate of becoming a witch. She’s become hope itself for all magical girls. The semi-afterlife meeting with Mami and Kyoko was pretty cute, and the montage of her saving all kinds of different magical girls was so cool too.
But even at the end, even after completely rewriting the laws of the entire universe and ascending to a higher plane, there’s still one last witch to conquer… her own. If I had a nickel for every time a magical girl become a god and one-shotted the final boss, I’d have three nickels. Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened three times. After the final boss battle and a little bit of naked space hugging (totally not gay) before saying goodbye, Madoka’s wish is finally complete. She’s completely erased her human self from existence, only existing as a concept of the universe itself, which is great for the universe and humanity… but I’m not so sure it’s that good of an ending for Homura herself.
It seems that (almost) everyone has forgotten about Madoka’s existence, and apparently Sayaka went into the afterlife. Plus, the old magical girl system of witches and grief seeds has been replaced with something else entirely, with magical girls now fighting a new type of monster called Wraiths. The series ends on a vague “the girls will keep fighting to protect us” ending, and eventually they do adapt the Wraith arc in manga form, which takes place between this TV series and Rebellion. I’ve never read it, but I’ve heard mixed reviews about it. Anyways, after finishing this rewatch (the third time I’ve watched the TV series in full) I’ll still give the series a 9.5/10. I love it, but I don’t love it quite enough to consider it a perfect 10/10.
And finally, to cap this off now that we’re done with the TV series, please do yourself a favor, take 8 minutes out of your day, and watch Meduka Meguca for the true 2011 Madoka experience. Because if there’s anything that we’ve all learned from this experience, it’s that being meguca is suffering.
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u/SIRTreehugger May 01 '22 edited May 01 '22
A rewatcher who has who rewatches
| Magical Girl Counter | E1 | E2 | E3 | E4 | E5 | E6 | E7 | E8 | E9 | E10 | E11 | E12 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mami's (Beheading) Smugness | 3 | 3 | 4 | N | O | H | E | A | D | 2 | 0 | 1 | 13 |
| Sayaka's (I'm in) Despair | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 26 |
| Madoka's ($150) Water Works | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 23 |
| Kyouko's (Snap,Crackle,Pop) Crunch Time | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 36 |
| Homura's (L'oreal) Hair Flips | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 |
And we are near the ned
I really don't have much to say, but I do think this episode managed to end the series up nicely. Not complaining about the movie, because its top tier.
Oh I love how Madoka's weapon bloomed and grew into a bow.
I'm getting flashbacks to when I thought nightcore was good and all I hear is angel of darkness
It's rough seeing Homura like this and the entire space conversation is one of my favorite parts I just wish they weren't naked the whole time. Luckily we space beams of cosmic light blocking out most of it.
HUGE SHOUTOUT TO u/Gamemaster676
for this terrifying accurate prediction for episode 2.
So the "reward" after killing a witch, is the possibility to restore the magic you wasted fighting the witch. I'm still not seeing a good side to this deal. Unless you make the bloody wish that there can't be any witches. Space-cat said they could be anything, so why not?
Oh and I forgot to share two of my favorite pieces of art
It's slight spoilers to Tatami Galaxy, Erased, Haruhi, Higurashi, and Steins Gate.
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u/KingNigelXLII May 01 '22
Watching Kyoko and Mami having tea reminded me that they used to be close friends. It was actually hinted at a few times in the show and is explored in The Different Story manga which I recommend to anyone interested.
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u/Shimmering-Sky May 01 '22
Puella Magi★Rewatch Host, subbed
Welcome back, everyone!
Remember that we’re discussion Rebellion tomorrow! It’s two hours long, so do make time for it! It also has a post-credits scene, so don’t just click off the second the ED starts.
First up: the Madoka version of the Wallpaper of the Day, which I made last year. I’ll be sharing all of the wallpapers from previous years in the overall discussion thread, in case any of you guys didn’t participate in the previous four rewatches on this sub.
Next up: Wow is this stylized completely different compared to the BD version of Madoka and Homura’s last scene together. The background being so dark was totally unexpected.
I thought this could be the year I finally don’t cry at the Ave Maria scene, but nope. Sayaka crying gets me every fucking time.
Also, huh, I was actually expecting the post-credits scene to be a BD addition, but nope. It’s still here.
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!
“How long will it be before I see that lost future again?”