Magia Record 2nd Season Episode 7

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.