Shortly After Madoka Magica Released (to Great Success), Everyone Started Trying To Make The Next Big

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.

DERANGED RANT TIME. THE FLOOD GATE HAS BROKEN.

While the obvious witch comparison for Mami is Charlotte/Bebe because... Y'know... I feel like Gertrud is a good contender for Mami-parallel too.

During the fight between Mami and Gertrud, Mami is "showing off" for Madoka and Sayaka, trying to show them the coolness of being a magical girl (in hopes they'd contract). While that is it's own Mami character moment, I think it's significant that Mami specifically is fighting Gertrud specifically and showing off to Sayaka and Madoka specifically.

Mami, finally having friends and becoming happy from the possibility of fighting alongside other (potential) magical girls, kills the lonely, depressed, and trapped looking Gertrud: a symbolic "killing of the past self" for Mami.

ALSO! To expand on that "butterfly emerging from its chrysalis" type movement, it feels yet another change metaphor.

As for the "foreshadowy" moments of the fight... on the surface this is a standard introductory fight: show off what a magical girl is, show off what a witch is, show off how grief seeds and soul gems work. But crucially, this is the inciting incident of a tragedy. Aside from Kyuubey's invention to Madoka, Mami is the "salesman" and the fight against Gertrud is her "sales pitch".

Something I find really neat and subtle amoung Madoka Magica's (many) foreshadowing and narrative contrast-y moments is Mami's fight against Gertrud.

Gertrud has a strong flower and butterfly motif, and Mami's soul gem is shaped like a flower (and maybe a stretch but in one of Mami's transformations she does an action that resembles a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis).

I think there's some parallels between the two that make Gertrud a surprisingly clever and well designed first enemy. (But perhaps I'm stuck in Mami fan mode, and just see Mami in everything)

Apply your Color

🎼⏳🎀🌼🍎

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.

I'm pretty sure it's because the weight of her wish (the wish to end Walpurgisnoct, the most powerful witch made from several magical girls) overwhelmed her to the point her soul gem instantly (or shortly after wishing) darkened.

I think that's it (at least it's what I gathered from watching the scenes where Madoka becomes Gretchen)

It's mentioned that in every timeline Sayaka contracts and becomes a magical girl, she becomes Oktavia.

I think this says a lot about Sayaka's mental state. Even if Hitomi doesn't confess to Kyousuke, even if Sayaka and Kyousuke were to date, Sayaka would still become Oktavia.

Maybe it's a case of regretting what she wished for, or falling out of love with Kyousuke, or that her relationship with Kyousuke didn't work out how she had wanted it to. Regardless, something always goes wrong when she makes her wish; and I find that very fascinating.

OH MY GOD THE PARALLELS!!!

Thank you so much for adding onto my Mami-Gertrud stuff and adding in the Sayaka-Elsa Maria stuff!

Elsa Maria's probably my favourite witch, so I feel like a fool for not recognising the parallels between her and Sayaka earlier!

I always thought there were probably some similarities between Sayaka and Elsa Maria: but you explained the "self-proclaimed hand of righteousness" very well!

Something I find really neat and subtle amoung Madoka Magica's (many) foreshadowing and narrative contrast-y moments is Mami's fight against Gertrud.

Gertrud has a strong flower and butterfly motif, and Mami's soul gem is shaped like a flower (and maybe a stretch but in one of Mami's transformations she does an action that resembles a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis).

I think there's some parallels between the two that make Gertrud a surprisingly clever and well designed first enemy. (But perhaps I'm stuck in Mami fan mode, and just see Mami in everything)