Unlike Other Magical Girls, Nagisa's Magical Girl Outfit Is Super Casual And Cute (to The Point It's

Unlike other magical girls, Nagisa's magical girl outfit is super casual and cute (to the point it's hardly even a magical girl costume). It feels like such a perfect representation of her; like she's wearing fun clothes she normally can't.

Shortly after Madoka Magica released (to great success), everyone started trying to make the next big "magical girl misery" anime. I think the reason those ones didn't really take off is because they missed the point of Madoka: the love of others and self-sacrifice is center stage, and we only really feel bad for the characters of Madoka Magica because we see them happy.

Madoka Magica isn't just a misery fest; Mami's death matters because we understand Mami's dreams and struggles, Sayaka becoming Oktavia is impactful because we see her downfall that isn't her fault (or anyone's for that matter). Madoka (and to a secondary extent, Homura) never give up hope or trying.

Madoka isn't constantly victimised and abused (unlike some over-the-top edgy magical girl animes I know) she's in tragic circumstances and still tries her best; still WANTS the best for the world around her.

Making something sad isn't about how much we see a character suffer and struggle; it's about making the struggles and suffering they go through impactful through their story. Wants, relationships, traits, and flaws... That's what makes a character's pain painful for an audience.

I don't mean to sad Madoka post but also I wonder if after Mami's death, Madoka looks at the drawing she made of Mami in rememberance of her. I also wonder if she made drawings of Sayaka's magical girl form after Sayaka became a magical girl.

One thing that I don't see talked about as much is Mami's dependant-related personality. Of course there's the stuff with her wanting Madoka to become a magical girl and join her (which is the obvious one), but there's also her relationship with Bebe in Rebellion and her witch Candeloro.

Mami feels a NEED to be the "responsible" and "dependable" type, highlighted by how she takes care of Bebe like she's her mother (all the pictures she has with Bebe really look like family photos to me). This is juxstaposed by her witch form Candeloro, who is tiny and carried around by familiars that look like the rest of the holy quintet.

Mami really wants to be "carried", to be weak, to depend on others, and to be selfish. She's isn't bad for this; her circumstances are tragic, and she didn't even really get to choose her wish. Because she's older and has more experience than the other girls, she feels like she HAS to be the rock of the team.

Most of all, she simply doesn't want to be alone. She's lost so many people she's loved, and the chance of having other people around again for once gives her so much joy she can't help but try to push Madoka and Sayaka into becoming magical girls. And unfortunately, that was her doom in the main-series timeline. I find it bittersweet that she died at her most happy; on one hand she felt hopeful and unalone, but on the other hand she never got to see and fight alongside Madoka and Sayaka.

It dons the air of a noble swordsman to mask its envious nature.

The apple scene between Kyoko and Sayaka feels both like "a proper introduction between enemies who no longer wish to fight" and "a final invitation to connect with someone and pull yourself back from the edge".

Sayaka tossing aside Kyoko's gifted apple feels like her making a conscious choice to fully go crazy and a denial of Kyoko's attempt to reach out to her.

Additionally, Kyoko giving away to Sayaka something that holds significance for her (food, which she considers incredibly precious) without any expectation of something in return aside from "connection" is an interesting moment for a character previously depicted as "selfish" and constantly against Sayaka.

Kyoko sharing her story TO Sayaka is a moment of vulnerability, later matched by her sharing her story WITH Sayaka by sacrificing herself when she likely could've defeated Oktavia without dying in a effort to ensure Sayaka wouldn't be alone anymore.