The Strongest Magical Girl

Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story 2nd Season Episode 8 was a fairly good episode, all things considered. It wasn’t as amazing as I hoped it would be. But, I understand that not every episode can be what the kids call a banger.

There is one issue I had with this episode, though — there were no subtitles for about a third to a half of it. And since I didn’t feel like wasting time finding a version of the episode with complete subtitles, my Japanese skills were really put to the test.

I’m pretty sure I got like 75% of the dialogue that wasn’t subtitled, which is honestly better than I expected. But, I just wanted to bring that up in case there’s something missing from this review. I don’t think that will be the case, though.

Anyway, during the main portion of the episode without subtitles, we learned that Tsuruno blames herself for the death of her friend Meru. And she does so in two different ways, even though neither is really her fault.

First, when Meru died, Tsuruno was the only member of their squad who wasn’t present. This led Tsuruno to feel as though Meru could have been saved if only she were there. In response, her friends kindly remind her that she’s weak and so her help wouldn’t have mattered.

This led Tsuruno to always strive to be “the strongest magical girl” so that none of her friends would ever die on her watch. However, this image of herself was shattered when she learned that she killed the Witch version of Meru.

That’s understandably going to be difficult to deal with mentally. But, there’s really nothing else she could have done in that situation.

Connect

Obviously, Yachiyo’s attempt to connect with Tsuruno from Episode 7 didn’t work out. It was explained that the reason for this is that Yachiyo didn’t truly understand how Tsuruno felt, specifically when it came to Tsuruno’s feelings regarding the death of Meru.

But, I originally thought the reason Yachiyo’s connection to Tsuruno failed was that Tsuruno was already dead. After all, Tsuruno’s body was in pretty rough shape at the end of the previous episode and she was moving around as if she was a puppet on strings.

I was fully expecting it to be revealed that Tsuruno had been dead ever since she turned into “green” Tsuruno. And as you might recall, I mentioned last week that I thought Tsuruno’s death would actually benefit the growth of the other characters.

However, now that we got a bit of backstory for Tsuruno, I don’t mind the path Magia Record went down. I think that may be mostly due to the fact that we at least got details on someone dying — Meru.

We’ve known that one of Tsuruno’s and Yachiyo’s friends died since sometime within the first season. But since we never had a face or a name to go with it, that random death didn’t have much of an impact. Now that we know who Meru is and how her death affected Tsuruno, I’m satisfied.

Additionally, I think what we saw happen with Tsuruno in this episode may be the path to saving the magical girls who turned into Doppels, like Kaede. If her friends can figure out what caused her to fall into despair, they may be able to connect with her and save her.

I’d definitely like that a lot more than some Deus ex machina saving everyone in the end.

Walpurgisnacht Heads to Mitakihara

One thing I’m a bit unsure about is why Walpurgisnacht changed course and began heading toward Mitakihara at the end of the episode. All our heroes did was rescue Tsuruno and Mami from the Wings of the Magius.

They didn’t stop the artificial Witch Eve. And as far as we know, there are still a lot of Witches and Wings of the Magius members running around in Kamihama. Wasn’t it stated that the combined magical energy of Eve, the Witches, and the magical girls that was leading Walpurgisnacht there?

As far as I can tell, nothing has changed that would cause Walpurgisnacht to abandon Kamihama in favor of Mitakihara. And, even if you want to argue that something caused Walpurgisnacht to head to Mitakihara in the original series, that something was Madoka — who’s currently in Kamihama.

I see three possible reasons for Walpurgisnacht heading to Mitakihara in this timeline. The first, and one I like the least, is simply that there’s no real explanation and it’s just an excuse to remove the Mitakihara girls from the current storyline. Removing them will let the new girls shine more, but I want a real explanation to go with it.

The second reason is the more meta option, which is that Walpurgisnacht is being drawn to the potential energy of Madoka in all the other timelines. As far as we know, she stayed in Mitakihara in most of those timelines, so her potential magical energy may be strongest there.

And the third reason is that there’s actually something else going on in Mitakihara and we’ve now effectively finished the Kamihama portion of Magia Record’s story. Perhaps we’ll see the Kamihama girls head to Mitakihara where some new development will occur.

I think my second theory is the best of the three, but we’ll have to wait until the third season to find out.

Conclusion

What do you think of the final episode of Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story 2nd Season? Like I said at the start, I think it was a good episode, even if it wasn’t the best episode of the season.

If you enjoyed this review, remember to click the like button ❤️ down below. Also, follow me over on Twitter @DoubleSama so you don’t miss out on any future content. And come join our Discord server if you’re interested in discussing anime with other members of the community.

Finally, I’d like to thank Roman for supporting DoubleSama.com at the Heika tier this month. To learn more about how you too can become a supporter of this blog, check out Patreon.com/DoubleSama.

My review of Episode 9 is available now.

Versus Mami and Tsuruno

My predictions from last week regarding how the battles in Magia Record 2nd Season Episode 7 were going to go weren’t all that correct. I was right about Sana and Felicia showing up, and even about Mifuyu helping out. But other than those details, most of it was wrong.

Alina and Kuroe haven’t shown up to help, and the composite group of magical girls hasn’t split up into multiple groups as I expected. I’m not really sure how I feel about this lack of splitting up at this point.

On one hand, I love seeing the girls from the old and new groups working together. But on the other, it would be really interesting to see more of the differences between how these two groups work.

We do get a bit of an understanding of these differences even without the groups not splitting up, though. Mostly, it’s just clear that Madoka’s group is more used to working together than Iroha’s group, which makes sense.

We know Madoka’s group has been together longer. And for most of Magia Record, Iroha’s group hasn’t really all been fighting together. But, I will say that the Kamihama City magical girls use some more advanced techniques, such as connecting.

And, the cities these groups are from also have an effect on how they fight. In Mitakihara, Witches are generally weaker and magical girls tend to fight solo. So connecting isn’t really a thing. But in Kamihama, since witches are stronger, the magical girls tend to be too and have to rely on more advanced techniques.

I think this was best illustrated when Madoka, the more experienced magical girl, has to ask Iroha what connecting is.

Different Magical Girl Groups

There are more differences between these two magical girl groups than just their fighting styles. The ways in which the groups act within various situations are also very different and show the gap in their experience.

Let’s look specifically at the scene in which the girls all retreat from battle to come up with a plan to take down Mami and Tsuruno. Yachiyo turns this into an emotional moment because she doesn’t know if she’s going to get another chance to tell Sana and Felicia how she feels.

And in the other corner, we have the Mitakihara gang just chilling like this is just another day on the job. Kyouko’s even sitting there eating churros, which Yachiyo feels is too relaxed for the situation they’re currently in.

But, although Yachiyo is the oldest magical girl present, Kyouko is the one with the most combat experience. Technically, Homura has the most experience, by far, but that’s cheating. And, with all of Kyouko’s experience, comes the knowledge that you need to relax whenever you get the chance.

Moving on, when it comes time to connect with Mami and Tsuruno, I was a bit surprised by the volunteers — or at least one of them. It makes sense for Yachiyo to be the one to connect with Tsuruno. As she says, she’s the one who knows Tsuruno better than anyone else.

But Sayaka connecting with Mami seemed a little odd. It’s not like those two ever had any particularly special relationship. Sayaka is closer to Madoka and Kyouko. And speaking of Kyouko, she makes the most sense to connect with Mami. Kyouko was Mami’s apprentice at one point.

If Yachiyo is the one who knows Tsuruno the best, Kyouko is the one who knows Mami the best.

RIP Tsuruno

Just to be clear, the title of this section doesn’t mean Tsuruno is dead. I have no idea if Tsuruno is dead or not. But, it’s pretty clear that even if Tsuruno isn’t dead, she’s not in good shape. When the episode ends, her body is broken and being moved like a puppet.

Now, I know a lot of Magia Record (the game) fans really like Tsuruno. I don’t see what makes her so good, but whatever, you can like who you want. However, at the risk of angering those fans, I think it would be preferable for Tsuruno not to survive this fight.

One of the defining characteristics that made the original Madoka Magica series so good was how it captured the despair of magical girls through their sacrifices and deaths. Magia Record hasn’t had any of that yet.

I get that Magia Record doesn’t have to be a copy of the original series to be good. But I also feel that deaths are very good ways to boost characterization for both those who die and those who are left behind.

For example, in Madoka Magica, it was Mami’s death that pushed Madoka and Sayaka down their contrasting paths. And Sayaka’s death was not only the ultimate way to close out her character arc, but also turned Kyouko into a much more personable character.

Kyouko wouldn’t be my favorite Madoka Magica character if not for Sayaka’s death and the effect it had on her.

Tsuruno dying here could work in a very similar way. I don’t particularly think it would do anything for Tsuruno’s character, but it would definitely impact Yachiyo. And I don’t think the other Kamihama magical girls have experienced the death of a comrade yet. They’re still pretty innocent.

Conclusion

What do you think of Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story 2nd Season Episode 7? Do you think my breakdown of the differences between the Mitakihara and Kamihama magical girls is fair? And do you think Tsuruno’s injuries are survivable? Let me know in the comments.

If you enjoyed this review, remember to click the like button ❤️ down below. Also, follow me over on Twitter @DoubleSama so you don’t miss out on any future content. And come join our Discord server if you’re interested in discussing anime with other members of the community.

Finally, I’d like to thank Roman for supporting DoubleSama.com at the Heika tier this month. To learn more about how you too can become a supporter of this blog, check out Patreon.com/DoubleSama.

My review of Episode 8 is available now.

Leaving Magius

Now that Touka and Nemu’s plan has officially been put into effect, chaos has enveloped the Wings of the Magius. Witches are swarming the city, causing some Magius members to reconsider their allegiance.

Some magical girls are still following orders, while others are fighting the Witches. Some are attempting to flee from the cult, while others are breaking in. And still, the only ones who really know what’s going on are Touka and Nemu.

The group I want to focus on in this section are those who are attempting to leave the Wings of the Magius. These are Sana, Felicia, Mifuyu, and potentially Alina (it’s not exactly clear what she’s going to do yet).

The reason Sana and Felicia are leaving Magius doesn’t really make much sense to me. They say it’s because they don’t want to know when their friends and family are in danger. I don’t see what that has to do with the Wings of the Magius, though.

It’s not as if being members of the Wings of the Magius gives them any special foresight ability that tells them when people are in danger. As far as they know, it’s just a cult that claims it can save all magical girls. So I have no idea where this idea of knowing when people are in danger is coming from.

Mifuyu agrees to leave with Sana and Felicia after they invite her back to the dormitory with them. And Alina seems like she’s going to join the rebellion as well considering she claims the organization is no longer what she signed up for.

I don’t really care about Mifuyu, but I like Alina’s character, abilities, and design so I hope she plays a bigger role later.

Kyouko the Mentor

I’m fairly sure that Yachiyo Nanami is the oldest magical girl we know of (at least as far as the anime is concerned). From what I remember, she’s a university student, so let’s say that makes her 18 years old.

Obviously, Yachiyo acts like the oldest and is constantly taking care of the younger girls. But, the second oldest magical girl we know of is Kyouko Sakura. She’s 16 years old, and while she’s not a motherly figure like Yachiyo is, she still acts as a mentor for the younger girls.

In Episode 6 specifically, we see Kyouko guiding, watching over, and protecting Iroha. When Kyouko notices Iroha running through the amusement park on her own, she stops Iroha and asks her why she’s fighting against the Wings of the Magius — not to dissuade her, but to make sure she knows what she’s doing.

Once it’s clear that Iroha understands the danger she’s putting herself in and still wants to continue, Kyouko lends her a White Feather cloak to help her achieve her goal. And, although it seems like Kyouko leaves after doing this, she actually watches over Iroha from the shadows.

How do we know this? Because Kyouko shows up again to rescue Iroha when she’s surrounded by Magius members. She puts up a barrier to protect Iroha before agreeing to connect with her and break through the main gate.

Additionally, when Kyouko appears to save Iroha, she’s now wearing a kigurumi. Why does that detail matter? Because it shows that Kyouko was wearing a disguise so that she could keep an eye on Iroha from nearby just in case she needed help.

Kyouko might act like a loner who only cares about herself, but as we know, that’s not who she really is.

Assault on the Castle

There are three groups who are all working to take down the Wings of the Magius. Outside of the castle, we have Iroha, Yachiyo, Madoka, Sayaka, Homura, and Kyouko. Inside the castle, we have Sana, Felicia, and Mifuyu. And then Kuroe is somewhere else doing her own thing.

My assumption is that these three groups are going to meet up in the final episode, which would be a good cliffhanger to end the season on. But, what exactly is this going to look like? Are we going to have 10 magical girls teaming up against Touka and Nemu at the top of the castle? I doubt it.

Once they all meet up, I’m betting they’re going to split up again. The “original” group (Madoka, Sayaka, Homura, and Kyouko) are probably going to head off on their own to take down and rescue Mami because she’s the fifth member of their group.

You might expect that Iroha, Yachiyo, Sana, and Felicia are going to team up to rescue their fifth, Tsuruno, in a similar fashion. But, I don’t think that’s exactly how it’s going to work out. Instead, I think Mifuyu will replace Iroha and help the other three save Tsuruno. Mifuyu may even call on Alina to help out as well.

Lastly, Iroha and Kuroe are going to be the two who confront Touka and Nemu. I think it’s obvious that Iroha has to come face to face with those two at some point. And it makes sense to me for Kuroe to be with her because she’s the only one Kuroe has a connection to.

Also, there’s a lot we don’t know about Kuroe. She has some kind of mysterious past, and it’s possible we’ll learn about it at this stage. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if Kuroe turned out to be Ui in some way.

Conclusion

What do you think of Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story 2nd Season Episode 6? Do you think Alina will team up with the “good” side? And how do you think the magical girls will group up for these final battles? Let me know in the comments.

If you enjoyed this review, remember to click the like button ❤️ down below. Also, follow me over on Twitter @DoubleSama so you don’t miss out on any future content. And come join our Discord server if you’re interested in discussing anime with other members of the community.

Finally, I’d like to thank Roman for supporting DoubleSama.com at the Heika tier this month. To learn more about how you too can become a supporter of this blog, check out Patreon.com/DoubleSama.

My review of Episode 7 is available now.

Kyouko Sakura Returns

As some longtime readers may know, Madoka Magica is one of my all-time favorite anime. And of all the Madoka Magica characters, Kyouko Sakura is my absolute favorite. In fact, my very first anime figure was a Kyouko Sakura Nendoroid — now I have 15 in total.

So, it should come as no surprise that Kyouko making a return in this episode is exactly what I wanted to see. Sure, there may not have been a crazily animated fight this time around, but perhaps this is setting up for one more to take place before the season ends.

I think a fight between Embryo Eve and Kyouko, Sana, and Felicia would be pretty good. Those three magical girls all have very different fighting styles, so it would be cool to see them all working together much like Iroha, Kuroe, and Rena did.

This season only has eight episodes. Since Episodes 1 and 4 had impressive fight animation, I’m holding out hope for Episode 8 to have some too. But, I also know how much time and effort goes into animation like that, so I’m not holding my breath for it.

Anyway, Kyouko’s return to the series was very on-brand for her. When Sana and Felicia run into her (or, more accurately, when she runs into them), she’s fleeing from some Wings of the Magius members after stealing a sack of grief seeds.

My assumption is that she stole the grief seeds for herself, Madoka, Sayaka, and Homura because they don’t use Doppels. But, just the fact that Kyouko is the one pulling this heist is perfect when you consider that’s exactly the kind of stuff she had to do when living on the streets.

Embryo Eve

Embryo Eve is the name of the artificial Witch created by Wings of the Magius. How exactly an artificial Witch is made is unknown. The name implies that it was never a magical girl, but I’m not entirely sure that’s the case. Perhaps only the Witch transformation is what’s artificial.

Before I get to explaining what I mean by that, we need to first look at how Embryo Eve is being grown. She’s being fed the Witches that Wings of the Magius has been farming. And since Embryo Eve is specified to be artificial, that means we can probably assume these other Witches are natural.

Natural Witches means that they were once magical girls who fell into despair and transformed. This is important to keep in mind because it means that although Wings of the Magius claims to want to save all magical girls, they also don’t recognize Witches as magical girls.

Generally speaking, when magical girls learn that Witches are former magical girls themselves, they lose a bit of their will to defeat them. This is partially because they realize that could be them one day, and partially because they hope there’s a way to turn them back.

But, if the Wings of the Magius has no issue with sacrificing hundreds or thousands of Witches to Embryo Eve, it brings their whole stance on magical girls into question. And, here’s where we get to the part about how Embryo Eve was created in the first place.

If they have no problem sacrificing magical girls once they become Witches, who’s to say they wouldn’t go a step further and sacrifice magical girls. Ui is still nowhere to be found. Is she the magical girl who was used as the foundation for Embryo Eve?

Touka and Nemu don’t seem that concerned by her absence. Is that because they already know where she is? And is the reason they kept their plan a secret because they knew other magical girls wouldn’t agree with it?

Wings of the Magius’ Plan

At this stage in the series, I still don’t have any idea what the plan devised by Wings of the Magius actually is. There are so many steps involved, but they don’t seem to be leading anywhere that makes sense. How does any of this save magical girls?

Starting from the beginning, Nemu created the Rumors as a way for Wings of the Magius to lure in unsuspecting victims, who then have their emotions fed to Witches. Previously I assumed they fed the people to the Witches, but that was disproven in this episode.

Then, these Witches are fed to Embryo Eve so that she can grow up to be big and strong, or something like that. But, it doesn’t end there, because it appears that the whole point of creating Embryo Eve was just to attract Walpurgisnacht, the strongest Witch.

Once Walpurgisnacht arrives, I don’t know what they’re going to do that’s going to save all magical girls. Simply defeating Walpurgisnacht shouldn’t have any effect on the fate of magical girls. So are they going to capture it and use it another way?

Also, Doppels are somehow involved in all of this too. They want to spread the Doppel system around the world as part of their plan. So perhaps Walpurgisnacht is going to help them achieve that part of their plan? I guess it has a huge amount of magic that could be tapped into.

But, this still doesn’t really solve the issue. Even if the Doppel system is expanded around the world, magical girls can still “fall.” We saw this first-hand with Kaede. She used her Doppel too much and got stuck that way. Won’t magical girls be using Doppels even more without Witches and grief seeds around?

Conclusion

What do you think of Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story 2nd Season Episode 5? Who do you want to see involved in the next big fight? Is Embryo Eve actually Ui? And how do you think Walpurgisnacht fits into everything going on? Let me know in the comments.

If you enjoyed this review, remember to click the like button ❤️ down below. Also, follow me over on Twitter @DoubleSama so you don’t miss out on any future content. And come join our Discord server if you’re interested in discussing anime with other members of the community.

Finally, I’d like to thank Roman for supporting DoubleSama.com at the Heika tier this month. To learn more about how you too can become a supporter of this blog, check out Patreon.com/DoubleSama.

My review of Episode 6 is available now.