Lian watches Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Episodes 5-6
Episode 5: "There's No Way I'll Ever Regret It"
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When we last left off, Sayaka had become a magical girl in exchange for Kamijo's hand being healed. The opening scene is a flashback showing just how it happened.
1. The atmosphere is gloomy, bathed in red hues and the music adds to the ominous feeling of the scene.
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WTF are those spikes on Kyubey's pedestal? I mean, aside from symbolic.
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The scene itself is a bit unsettling, and not only because Kyubey is an incredibly shady character. The extraction of the magical gem is painful, which fits with the subversions Madoka practically embodies by now.
(Post-series note for this scene: *SCREAMS INTERNALLY*)
2. I like how the show treats Hitomi's incident seriously. How many times have people in magical girl series (I'm looking at you, Sailor Moon!) been possessed, sent to random locations, forced to do property damage or assault (all this sometimes more than once!) and when they got to their senses they wondered about their circumstances only for a few seconds before resuming their lives as if nothing happened and never mentioned it again afterwards? Here, the doctors and the police get immediately involved and begin an investigation. Although Hitomi herself is pretty calm about it because she doesn't remember anything, the adults around her won't bend my suspension of disbelief by ignoring the fact that she and a group of people unrelated to her all attempted to commit suicide in a random factory.
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3. Sayaka is determined to make the best out of this situation. Her statement about being the protector of Mitakihara is so shoujo-like! Typical, cheesy magical girl protecting her city stuff, and in spite of what happened, and knowing in the back of my mind that there's no way the universe will let that one slide, I couldn't help but feel hopeful. Sayaka radiates courage and energy. She's like a flame of justice - I LOVE YOU, SAYAKA.
4. It's the first time we see Sayaka express regret regarding Mami's death. Unlike Madoka, Sayaka processed this off screen, and it's obvious it played a part (although not as big as Kamijo) in her decision of becoming a magical girl. She also relieves Madoka of the pressure of being a magical girl instead of trying to get her to join - IS SHE NOT AWESOME?
Sayaka Miki is my spirit animal.
5. Being a wonderful person, Madoka tries to help Sayaka by asking Homura to befriend her, and implicitly to protect her. Madoka and Sayaka are so wonderful, it breaks my heart.
6. (Post-series note: Homura has seen Sayaka and everybody else die repeatedly, hence her fatalism. She was also too busy keeping an eye on Madoka to look out for Sayaka was well. She is of course right when she describes a magical girl's path as ending inevitably in tragedy. At this point Madoka doesn't know that Homura's "they sacrifice everything" is not an exaggeration).
7. (Post-series note: It's absolutely REVOLTING to see Kyubey lounging around and acting cutesy while waiting for his victims to either get killed or succumb to dispair).
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8. SHOVE IT, KYUBEY. He never eases up on the manipulation, does he.
9. Kyoko is Sayaka's opposite in everything. I love her magical girl outfit.
10. (Post-series note: Kyubey mentions that Sayaka obtained regenerative powers because she became a magical girl by wishing for someone's recovery. This is a clue that Kyubey has an "information is given only to those who specifically ask for it" modus operandi. The girls do not pick up on it, though. Just like Madoka doesn't pick up on what is actually Kyubey's refusal to even attempt to tell the girls to stop fighting. After which of course he pressures Madoka some more to make a contract with him. She comes dangerously close to doing it, but Homura comes between her and disaster yet again.
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Too fabulous for you to handle.
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The episode probably ends with Kyubey being grateful that his massive inner twitch cannot be visible on his mutant face).
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Episode 6: "This Just Can't Be Right"
1. "It's obvious that she [Homura] is planning something. Be careful!" says the sinister, forever-smiling creature who five minutes ago was pressuring you into making a contract with him, despite knowing that you do not want to become a magical girl, Madoka. Sweet child! Homura was right - kindness becomes naïveté.
2. Having seen that Homura keeps a close eye on Madoka, especially when he is around, Kyubey resorts to a more discrete, roundabout tactic of manipulation: he tries to get Sayaka to pressure Madoka into becoming a magical girl. However, Sayaka promptly rejects the idea, not because she saw through Kyubey's scheme but because she is an awesome person.
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YOU SICK FUCK.
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3. I wonder how much of Sayaka's refusal to communicate with Kyoko stems from her genuine belief that she cannot be reasoned with and how much is colored by her intense dislike of the girl and her mentality. Notice that Kyoko did not go for the neck right from the start - it was Sayaka's stubborness that goaded her on.
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Because SAYAKA never compromises.
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4. Sayaka cannot compromise because justice and goodness never compromise. I understand Sayaka, but she fails to consider the fact that Homura and Kyoko are veterans, and she doesn't ask herself if perhaps something happened to them to make them the way they are now. I don't think it would matter too much to Sayaka anyway, because their actions probably cannot be excused as far as she is concerned - however, understanding why someone is the way they are dissipates hate. Hate makes people irrational, and in the magical girl line of work, it can have deadly consequences.
Sayaka is also quick to generalize: she has met only 3 magical girls, but thanks to Kyubey's "Mami was rare and special" mentions, she has concluded that magical girls are selfish monsters.
5. JUNKO! The most perfect character in this show has graced us with her life-changing advice: being self-sacrificing all the time will make you unhappy. Doing the right thing does not guarantee your happiness. If you do not focus on yourself, on what you want and what is right for YOU, chances are you will end up pretty miserable. Of course, this isn't meant as an encouragement towards egotism, it's merely a reminder that being too self-sacrificing can be just as damaging as being too selfish. (Post-series note: this of course ties in with the aesop about wishes and why it's important to make a wish while being honest with yourself - not only will it make you happy because you know best what you want, but you don't know if what you wish for others is what THEY want for themselves).
Another brilliant piece of advice which shows how wise this incredible woman is: make mistakes while you are young and learn how to take the fall because once you grow up, the consequences become much bigger and wounds heal harder. I appreciate parents like Junko, who do not underestimate their children's ability to understand and absorb life lessons. She also wastes no time in reminding Madoka that adult life has its rewards, as well. This woman, folks. I see her as the type of parent who could give a really honest sex talk to her kids. Most parents don't tell children that sex is actually pretty awesome - they only stress out the bad parts, and when the kids finally do it and see how great it is, they feel lied to by their parents. This might lead them to disregard everything else that the parents have warned them about on the topic because hey, they hid this important thing from them, they probably lied about the other stuff as well, right?
6. Kamijo got out of the hospital without telling Sayaka. Funny how we forget the bad parts of our lives once we get over them. And by funny I mean MY HEART. PIECES!
7. (Post-series note: it's true that when you use magic for someone else's sake, it never works like you wanted - either for yourself, like poor Sayaka or for the other party involved - see Kyoko's case).
8. WHAT THE FUCK?! Sayaka died because Madoka threw away her soul gem??
OH MY GOD. The process of becoming a magical girl entails having your soul torn out of your body, shaped in the form of a TRINKET, while your body is replaced with a new, foreign, improved one.
KYUBEI TURNS TEENAGE GIRLS INTO LICHES WITHOUT THEIR KNOWLEDGE.
Oh. My. God.
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9. (Post-series note: it is very satisfying to see Kyubey being grabbed by Kyoko. I found myself actively wishing for her to shank him).
10. Homura saves the day yet again. Judging by her immediate reaction, she knew of this. Hmm. Who is she?
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*
*
When we last left off, Sayaka had become a magical girl in exchange for Kamijo's hand being healed. The opening scene is a flashback showing just how it happened.
1. The atmosphere is gloomy, bathed in red hues and the music adds to the ominous feeling of the scene.
*
WTF are those spikes on Kyubey's pedestal? I mean, aside from symbolic.
*
The scene itself is a bit unsettling, and not only because Kyubey is an incredibly shady character. The extraction of the magical gem is painful, which fits with the subversions Madoka practically embodies by now.
(Post-series note for this scene: *SCREAMS INTERNALLY*)
2. I like how the show treats Hitomi's incident seriously. How many times have people in magical girl series (I'm looking at you, Sailor Moon!) been possessed, sent to random locations, forced to do property damage or assault (all this sometimes more than once!) and when they got to their senses they wondered about their circumstances only for a few seconds before resuming their lives as if nothing happened and never mentioned it again afterwards? Here, the doctors and the police get immediately involved and begin an investigation. Although Hitomi herself is pretty calm about it because she doesn't remember anything, the adults around her won't bend my suspension of disbelief by ignoring the fact that she and a group of people unrelated to her all attempted to commit suicide in a random factory.
*
3. Sayaka is determined to make the best out of this situation. Her statement about being the protector of Mitakihara is so shoujo-like! Typical, cheesy magical girl protecting her city stuff, and in spite of what happened, and knowing in the back of my mind that there's no way the universe will let that one slide, I couldn't help but feel hopeful. Sayaka radiates courage and energy. She's like a flame of justice - I LOVE YOU, SAYAKA.
4. It's the first time we see Sayaka express regret regarding Mami's death. Unlike Madoka, Sayaka processed this off screen, and it's obvious it played a part (although not as big as Kamijo) in her decision of becoming a magical girl. She also relieves Madoka of the pressure of being a magical girl instead of trying to get her to join - IS SHE NOT AWESOME?
Sayaka Miki is my spirit animal.
5. Being a wonderful person, Madoka tries to help Sayaka by asking Homura to befriend her, and implicitly to protect her. Madoka and Sayaka are so wonderful, it breaks my heart.
6. (Post-series note: Homura has seen Sayaka and everybody else die repeatedly, hence her fatalism. She was also too busy keeping an eye on Madoka to look out for Sayaka was well. She is of course right when she describes a magical girl's path as ending inevitably in tragedy. At this point Madoka doesn't know that Homura's "they sacrifice everything" is not an exaggeration).
7. (Post-series note: It's absolutely REVOLTING to see Kyubey lounging around and acting cutesy while waiting for his victims to either get killed or succumb to dispair).
*
8. SHOVE IT, KYUBEY. He never eases up on the manipulation, does he.
9. Kyoko is Sayaka's opposite in everything. I love her magical girl outfit.
10. (Post-series note: Kyubey mentions that Sayaka obtained regenerative powers because she became a magical girl by wishing for someone's recovery. This is a clue that Kyubey has an "information is given only to those who specifically ask for it" modus operandi. The girls do not pick up on it, though. Just like Madoka doesn't pick up on what is actually Kyubey's refusal to even attempt to tell the girls to stop fighting. After which of course he pressures Madoka some more to make a contract with him. She comes dangerously close to doing it, but Homura comes between her and disaster yet again.
*
Too fabulous for you to handle.
*
The episode probably ends with Kyubey being grateful that his massive inner twitch cannot be visible on his mutant face).
*
*
*
Episode 6: "This Just Can't Be Right"
1. "It's obvious that she [Homura] is planning something. Be careful!" says the sinister, forever-smiling creature who five minutes ago was pressuring you into making a contract with him, despite knowing that you do not want to become a magical girl, Madoka. Sweet child! Homura was right - kindness becomes naïveté.
2. Having seen that Homura keeps a close eye on Madoka, especially when he is around, Kyubey resorts to a more discrete, roundabout tactic of manipulation: he tries to get Sayaka to pressure Madoka into becoming a magical girl. However, Sayaka promptly rejects the idea, not because she saw through Kyubey's scheme but because she is an awesome person.
*
YOU SICK FUCK.
*
3. I wonder how much of Sayaka's refusal to communicate with Kyoko stems from her genuine belief that she cannot be reasoned with and how much is colored by her intense dislike of the girl and her mentality. Notice that Kyoko did not go for the neck right from the start - it was Sayaka's stubborness that goaded her on.
*
Because SAYAKA never compromises.
*
4. Sayaka cannot compromise because justice and goodness never compromise. I understand Sayaka, but she fails to consider the fact that Homura and Kyoko are veterans, and she doesn't ask herself if perhaps something happened to them to make them the way they are now. I don't think it would matter too much to Sayaka anyway, because their actions probably cannot be excused as far as she is concerned - however, understanding why someone is the way they are dissipates hate. Hate makes people irrational, and in the magical girl line of work, it can have deadly consequences.
Sayaka is also quick to generalize: she has met only 3 magical girls, but thanks to Kyubey's "Mami was rare and special" mentions, she has concluded that magical girls are selfish monsters.
5. JUNKO! The most perfect character in this show has graced us with her life-changing advice: being self-sacrificing all the time will make you unhappy. Doing the right thing does not guarantee your happiness. If you do not focus on yourself, on what you want and what is right for YOU, chances are you will end up pretty miserable. Of course, this isn't meant as an encouragement towards egotism, it's merely a reminder that being too self-sacrificing can be just as damaging as being too selfish. (Post-series note: this of course ties in with the aesop about wishes and why it's important to make a wish while being honest with yourself - not only will it make you happy because you know best what you want, but you don't know if what you wish for others is what THEY want for themselves).
Another brilliant piece of advice which shows how wise this incredible woman is: make mistakes while you are young and learn how to take the fall because once you grow up, the consequences become much bigger and wounds heal harder. I appreciate parents like Junko, who do not underestimate their children's ability to understand and absorb life lessons. She also wastes no time in reminding Madoka that adult life has its rewards, as well. This woman, folks. I see her as the type of parent who could give a really honest sex talk to her kids. Most parents don't tell children that sex is actually pretty awesome - they only stress out the bad parts, and when the kids finally do it and see how great it is, they feel lied to by their parents. This might lead them to disregard everything else that the parents have warned them about on the topic because hey, they hid this important thing from them, they probably lied about the other stuff as well, right?
6. Kamijo got out of the hospital without telling Sayaka. Funny how we forget the bad parts of our lives once we get over them. And by funny I mean MY HEART. PIECES!
7. (Post-series note: it's true that when you use magic for someone else's sake, it never works like you wanted - either for yourself, like poor Sayaka or for the other party involved - see Kyoko's case).
8. WHAT THE FUCK?! Sayaka died because Madoka threw away her soul gem??
OH MY GOD. The process of becoming a magical girl entails having your soul torn out of your body, shaped in the form of a TRINKET, while your body is replaced with a new, foreign, improved one.
KYUBEI TURNS TEENAGE GIRLS INTO LICHES WITHOUT THEIR KNOWLEDGE.
Oh. My. God.
*
9. (Post-series note: it is very satisfying to see Kyubey being grabbed by Kyoko. I found myself actively wishing for her to shank him).
10. Homura saves the day yet again. Judging by her immediate reaction, she knew of this. Hmm. Who is she?
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