I'm Pretty Sure It's Because The Weight Of Her Wish (the Wish To End Walpurgisnoct, The Most Powerful

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.

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.

Prompts list for Magical Girl May!

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)

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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.