Magia Record Episode 5

Magia Record Episode 5

There’s No Place For You Here

Magia Record episode 5 was definitely better than I was expecting it to be. It also didn’t wrap up this arc as I expected it would, but that’s not exactly a good or a bad thing. It’s good in that it means the series might not be as formulaic as I was worried it would be.

But if the conclusion of this mini arc gets lost along the way, that would be bad. And normally I wouldn’t be concerned about that being the case, but this is an anime based on a mobile game. They aren’t typically known for having the most well-constructed story because of everything being crammed into so few episodes.

I will say that one of the complaints I have about this episode is that it introduces a bit too much. We’re introduced to the seance shrine, then pseudo witches are a thing, and Mami also reveals that Yachiyo is likely hiding something from her friends.

Are all of these things related? My guess is that none of them actually are. Which then means these mysteries won’t all be solved at once, so how far into the series will we be by the time they are? There will clearly be more mysteries to uncover as we go on, so again, I’m concerned about the time frame.

Episode limits are a real thing to worry about in a series like this which is trying to tell a complex story in a short amount of time. Just look at Babylon from last season (my review of that is up now so this reference will make more sense).

Fakes

Last week Iroha and Yachiyo met Ui and Mifuyu respectively upon entering the seance shrine. And at the time, I stated that I saw this as proof of Ui’s existence at some point in time. However, I’m less certain of that with this week’s developments.

When Iroha tries to hold a conversation with Ui, it’s clear that this is not actually her sister. This version of Ui is merely a shadow created by whoever is attempting to lure magical girls to Kamihama City. And, perhaps this Ui has no personality of her own because there’s no real Ui for her to be based on.

But I wouldn’t think that if Mifuyu was depicted in the same way. When Yachiyo kills her, it’s clear that this Mifuyu was also a fake, like the Ui. However, the shadow Mifuyu actually had Mifuyu’s personality, memories, and even abilities as a magical girl.

Mifuyu from the anime series Madoka Magica: Magia Record
Mifuyu

It’s clear that there’s a difference between the shadow versions of Ui and Mafuyu, and the only thing I can think of which would set them apart is whether or not they ever existed. Sure, Mifuyu was a magical girl while Ui wasn’t, but as far as we know that shouldn’t affect these shadow versions of them.

Additionally, the fact that Ui was saying things about magical girls being saved in Kamihama City may be important.

Remember, all of the magical girls who were drawn to Kamihama City had a dream in which someone told them to go there to be saved. This is exactly what Ui is saying to Iroha when they’re finally “reunited.” So, is it possible that Ui is just that person from Iroha’s dream?

Iroha Tamaki – Pseudo Witch

The second huge part of the episode after Ui and Mifuyu being revealed as fakes was the introduction of pseudo witches. I assume there’s a real name for these partial witch transformations, but I don’t know what it is yet, so I’m coining this term.

Basically, we saw Iroha transform into a witch, but she still retained her humanity. This happens when Iroha falls into despair and her soul gem becomes too cloudy. Normally this would result in a full witch transformation though, so it’s unclear why this wasn’t the case for Iroha.

Also, I’d like to point something else out about these pseudo witch transformations — because we also see the same thing happen to Kaede in the post-credit scene.

As I’ve mentioned before, I have not played the Magia Record game. However, I have played Fate/Grand Order, and this pseudo witch element really looks like some sort of “ultimate” move to me — like the Noble Phantasms in FGO.

This form can’t be used until the magical girl reaches her limit (there’s probably some bar in-game which needs to be filled), and then explosive power is released for a short amount of time. Just like the Coordinator, these pseudo witch transformations appear to be a byproduct of this anime being based on a mobile game.

Super Sleuth Mami Tomoe

Although she was introduced back in episode 3, Mami didn’t make an appearance in episode 4, and is just now showing up again. She was drawn to the magic of Iroha’s pseudo witch form, and thought that Iroha must be a witch disguised as a human.

This is interesting because it again brings up the question about when exactly in the timeline this spin-off takes place. At this point in time, does Mami know that magical girls become witches once their soul gems become too cloudy?

My guess is that she doesn’t.

Mami Tomoe from the anime series Madoka Magica: Magia Record
Mami Tomoe

If Mami knew that magical girls become witches at this point in time, she likely wouldn’t have threatened Iroha’s life — she would have wanted to save her. Also, the other magical girls from Mitakihara City probably would have been with her.

The only time we know Mami was a loner was before she teamed up with Madoka, Sayaka, and later Kyouko and Homura. Though it’s heavily implied that Mami and Kyouko have some sort of history in the original series, and I think this is confirmed in one of the manga.

So why would Mami be alone in Kamihama City if this side story takes place after she knows the true nature of witches?

Also, there’s that whole thing with Mami claiming that Yachiyo is hiding something from her friends. I’d comment more on that, but for now there’s really nothing to go on. I think the only thing she’s hiding is that she feels guilty for Mifuyu’s death.

Kaede, Rena, and Momoko

As mentioned earlier, we also see Kaede go into her pseudo witch form at the very end of the episode in order to protect Rena and Momoko. And from what we see, this isn’t something Kaede intended to do. In fact, she was quite visibly distraught by the fact that she turned into a partial witch — something Iroha doesn’t realize she did.

We saw that Iroha’s witch form was a giant bird, and Kaede’s was some sort of monster with a bunch of hands. I can’t really think of anything about these girls which connects them to their pseudo witch forms though. Nothing about that form seems to have anything to do with Kaede. So, are their full witch forms the same?

Kaede Akino's pseudo witch form from the anime series Madoka Magica: Magia Record
Kaede Akino’s pseudo witch form

But, the final thing I want to mention, which is really why I included this section of the review, is the fate of Rena and Momoko. They appear to be either unconscious or dead — and it seemed to be a little implied that it was the latter.

After she returns to her magical girl state, Kaede attempts to help her friends but finds her hands to be covered in paint, which I assume was supposed to represent blood. Was this Rena and Momoko’s blood? And if so, were they injured by Kaede’s attack?

Kaede seems to possibly believe that she’s the one who injured her friends. Why else would she leave them behind and run away? I don’t think she’s trying to run away from the scene of the crime, but rather running away from her friends because she’s worried she’ll harm them even more if she loses control again.

Conclusion

So, what are your thoughts on Magia Record episode 5? Is Ui real or fake? Is Yachiyo really hiding something sinister from her friends? And, if you’ve played the mobile game, are the pseudo-witch forms used as “ultimate”-type attacks in it? Let me know in the comments.

When I previously asked about the Coordinator’s role in the game a couple of you responded in the comments and on social media, so please, clear this up once again (without spoiling anything preferably).

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My review of the next episode is available here.

2 Replies to “Magia Record Episode 5”

  1. Now you kind of get a feel about why I was so concerned with how slow everything is getting adapted. We’re 5 episodes in and still didn’t get introduced to our main cast among other things I’m not getting into. It’s frustrating.

    Funny you mention FGO as their gameplay is so similar. In regards to the witch likee things being purely for gameplay reason. I’d say no. They’re is also another super attack thing call magia which are your trio finale(s) and weird light arrow barrages. This is more of a story gimmick that was tacked on gameplay wise to get people interested. Like they could easily have just given them two magias, which they did for quite of few of the girls in the game, so it just makes sense to me.

    Continuing the previous thought, this is more of a calcination of the madoka mangas getting more and more out there gimmicks.

    As for the pseudo witch forms. Kaede is literally a plot of land on a hill of moss. It’s has a torii that signifies a Sacred place place on top of it. Hands representing protectiveness. It’s basically a represention of the wish the implied that she made in episode 2

    As for iroha it represents not just Iroha’s insecurities in herself but also the denial she carries throughout the story. Covering up everything she doesn’t want to hear in ‘cloth’ meaning that she can’t accept reality. As well as some other stuff that I won’t go into since spoilers

    Also the paint is literally the blood of the paint witch she killed earlier. Also if you notice this is the witch form of the familiar from the original series.

    1. I mentioned FGO just because it’s literally the only mobile game I play. I don’t really have another reference point. I considered getting into Magia Record when it was released internationally, but I don’t have nearly enough time to play more than one mobile game.

      I’m looking forward to seeing more of these special forms though. And I hope this series actually gets into explaining them instead of glossing over them and assuming everyone has played the game — but that’s something Fate does all the time, so I wouldn’t be surprised.

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