Puella Magi Madoka Magika

[symbv]

^
Did you watch the episode?
Where did you get those captures?

My source is crappy but the capture is from the Japanese blogs. The fierce discussion has already started in 2chan and everywhere...

[InstrumentalityOne]

[Squirrel] Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika - 08 (512x288 x264 AAC).mp4
(RAW, w/o subs)

NO

Do it.

[symbv]

[Squirrel] Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika - 08 (512x288 x264 AAC).mp4
(RAW, w/o subs)

NO

Do it.

Don't have torrent and do not want to use current laptop for torrent... but thanks!!

Some watchers in Japan could actually read those small kanji printed on the bowl of the instant ramen Kyouko was eating and found "made by SHAFT" !!

Spoiler dialogue:

SPOILER: Show

この国では、成長途中の女性は少女って呼ぶんだろ
だったら、いずれ魔女になる君たちのことは魔法少女って呼ばないとね

In this country, female human who are still in adolescence are called Shoujo, right?
So, as all of you will become Majo (witch) you must be called Mahou Shoujo.

Anyway, even though quite a bit was kind of expected, it is goddevil-like stuff. My body can't stop shaking.....

[Mr. Tines]

Just a reminder guys -- No torrent links (comes under Other subsection A in the rules).

Why do even I have to say this?

[The Bastard King]

I wonder if anyone's done a godhand edit for this show yet.

Also, Madoka's wish better be something along the lines of "I wish QB can understand human feelings".

[IrkenEvangelion]

Unfortunately I don't pay much attention to spoiler tags and read everything anyways... Can't wait! But I won't be able to download until tomorrow

Anyways I got the manga over here in America! It took awhile because it was sent airmail. Any reason why the class room/school isn't futuristic?


DAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

[Killer Bee]

Subs are finally up! I'm so excited! Oh wow, oh geez, I can't wait to find out what happens nex--



SON OF A BITCH.

[User-iel]

Urobuchi-sensei... BANZAI !
I think it's possible to appreciate the full extent of the deconstruction at this point. It opened up for me with one word. Due to good writing, I still can't define the larger perspective of 'good and evil' yet. At least from the outside perspective. From the character level, I think we HAVE the final answer.

SPOILER: Show

And today's magic word is INkyubATOR. That confirmation completes the Chaos, and from here it is practical to decide the 'unasked question' of the Mahou Shoujo genre for this deconstruction is... adolescence in the sense of preparation for reproduction, and not in the cultural 'wrapper' of partnering or mature roles in society. These girls are being exposed to the forces underneath their reality, and are consumed in a process with no human face. This also cements my explanation of Kyubey's unique character design, a facet I was very undecided upon before. He's the most literal she. Kyubey is a personified (neko-nified?) diagram of the human female reproductive organs. The MS make a pact with reproduction. It leads to fertility or cancer, as the case may be.

SPOILER: Show

@symbv - Can you confirm for me the correct pronunciation for the anatomy term I intend? I'm suspecting that it ends in -kyu. As expected, Shinbo. It's another word-game.

[symbv]

Anyways I got the manga over here in America! It took awhile because it was sent airmail. Any reason why the class room/school isn't futuristic?

Congratulations for the manga's arrival!
Actually I wonder whether the school has to look futuristic.... It is just a design thing I think. Madoka's home does not look futuristic either, does it? Biggest question is how come QB looks so different in manga -- how will it look when the manga comes to episode 8, which will be end of manga vol.2 ??

Very unfortunately I watched this right after watching Ep.8, gave me nightmares the whole night!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgeC_ZwqqZQ
Judging from how my body and soul reacted after watching the episode, I think Ep.8 is more powerful than Ep.3 (or 6), less in terms of plot unpredictability but more in terms of execution and presentation. It really shook me to the bone... (and I will watch it again when the 1080p tv broadcast comes to Tokyo tonight -- I dread to think what my reaction will be...)

@User-iel

SPOILER: Show

One Japanese word related to the female reproductive organs and ends in -kyu is 恥丘/Chikyuu meaning Mons Pubis, and it has the same pronunciation as the word for the Earth. Are we on to something here?

[child of Lilith]

This weeks episode was good. Thankfully things didn't feel rushed like they did last week.

SPOILER: Show

Though I am displeased that it now looks like QB might be evil. What a complete waste of potential if thats the case.

[symbv]

Despite being a terrifying episode to watch, there is moment of true heart and I particularly like these ones -- as it finally happens: Homu Homu ~~~

[Killer Bee]

Though I am displeased that it now looks like QB might be evil.

WHAT A TWIST.

What a complete waste of potential if thats the case.

Yes, because a cliche run-of-the-mill mascot character has such potential. It would be a waste if we got something original for a change.

SPOILER: Show

The MS make a pact with reproduction.

"Shoujo" is a word that means a girl who is not yet grown up. It's only fitting that we call them "Mahou Shoujo."

HOLY SHIIIIIIIIIIT

KYUBEY IS PUBERTY

[symbv]

Yes, because a cliche run-of-the-mill mascot character has such potential. It would be a waste if we got something original for a change.

Have to agree. It is a new twist. It may not work again if we have another Mahou Shoujo show but this one it works brilliantly. Just take a look at these cuts:

SPOILER: Show

Still gives me the creeps although it is broad daylight here now!

Kyubey wrote

SPOILER: Show

"Shoujo" is a word that means a girl who is not yet grown up. It's only fitting that we call them "Mahou Shoujo."

Hmm... the translation is not exactly what KB said but it got the sense of the tone right (for exact translation, check the spoiler dialogue in my previous post up there)

By the way, one question for my fellow EGF-ers in Finland: I read that Walpurgis Night is not just a German custom but a Scandanavian one as well -- In Finland it is supposed to be called Vapunaatto. It seems to be more like a May day celebration. Is it still big in Finland? And does it hold the same association with Witches' Sabbaths like in Germany? My main source of info is from Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walpurgis_Night#Finland

[Merridian]

Friendly mascot characters turning out to be evil incarnate is practically expected in an age of gritty loldeconstruction works, so I see where Child of Lilith's comment is coming from. TBH I think it'd be a fantastic twist if it turns out that Kyuubei really was a good guy all along, because it would warp the the "appearances are deceiving" themes inwards into themselves in a pretty creative way. The whole show is blatantly smashing the viewer in the face with this Kyuubei is EVIL EVIL EVIL at this point, taking it to nearly obnoxious extremes to get the point across, so if it switched gears again and said "hey guess what, appearances ARE STILL DECEIVING!", the irony and thematic poignancy would be so incredibly rich and delicious. I don't think that's going to happen, though. Shinbo's a crazy guy, but pulling that kind of twist off successfully requires a level of adroitness I don't believe him to be capable of yet. But maybe he'll surprise me again... still doubt it, though.

Also, Homura really was from the future (go figure) and had some sort of bond to Madoka (go figure), mahou shoujo really are witches (go figure), Sayaka really is next on the hit list (go figure), and it looks like Kyuubei really is evil incarnate (go figure). It's enjoyable despite lining up too perfectly to predictions that were (on my part, anyway) mostly made as off-the-wall suppositions, but I'm kinda disappointed at the same time.

Due to good writing, I still can't define the larger perspective of 'good and evil' yet. At least from the outside perspective. From the character level, I think we HAVE the final answer.

I'm not sure if I follow you here. How are you drawing distinction between the larger perspective and the character level?

[symbv]

Also, Homura really was from the future (go figure) and had some sort of bond to Madoka (go figure), mahou shoujo really are witches (go figure), Sayaka really is next on the hit list (go figure), and it looks like Kyuubei really is evil incarnate (go figure). It's enjoyable despite lining up too perfectly to predictions that were (on my part, anyway) mostly made as off-the-wall suppositions, but I'm kinda disappointed at the same time.

As hints were spread all over the previous 7 episodes, and with fans' keen scrutiny some speculations are bound to hit the mark. If too many were red-herrings, it would just open plot holes or leave things unsolved (well, Eva took the latter approach but it seemed to work, so it is a valid approach, ugh) I think Ep.8 succeeds in conveying the message -- even though we expect things to happen in a bad way, seeing how nasty and frightening it is is entirely different matter. Besides I wonder how many people expected to see the horror of QB as in ep.8 -- so again, like ep.6 & 7, some speculations are spot-on but some developments are not-so-expected surprises. Bottom line is, by this stage, I look more for the execution less for plot unpredictability. It may still hold some surprises for us but I would rather it stick to what the plot has been building up for.

As for QB's goodness vs evilness, I am not sure how one can twist the story to make it really "good". It clearly misinformed to get young girls to fall for the honey trap of becoming Mahou Shoujo. And it clearly feeds on the remains of killed witches in the form of used Grief Seed. Perhaps the food chain is not what it seems? The most I can see is QB being a kind of predator that must do what it does to survive -- making it a neutral being but it is hard to see how it can be good if it does not even seem to understand some human thinking logic. What I was hoping for was a kind of "lawful neutral" for QB but even that looks a bit tenuous now. And if the later stage of the anime does not bring on the ultimate twist, it will not be just whether Shinbo is capable, it will be first Butch Gen's ability (or willingness) to write the necessary screenplay and then the production team (particularly the ones who structure the story) that will count most (of course Shinbo still takes the final responsibility as the person who made final decision).

**************

EDIT:

Re-reading FAUST as now I want to explore how the previous hints of Faust in earlier episodes link with the revelation of what a being QB is. And there it is, a chapter called WALPURGIS NIGHT!! And I forgot it was there Lilith made her appearance (her only one in Faust). Now talk about common insight as Eva....

Some excerpts from FAUST Part One - The Walpurgis Night:

FAUST.
Who's that there?

MEPHISTOPHELES.
Take a good look.
Lilith.

FAUST.
Lilith? Who is that?

MEPHISTOPHELES.
Adam's wife, his first. Beware of her.
Her beauty's one boast is her dangerous hair.
When Lilith winds it tight around young men
She doesn't soon let go of them again.

===== Mephistopheles encouraged Faust to dance with Lilith

FAUST. [Dancing with the young witch]
A lovely dream I dreamt one day
I saw a green-leaved apple tree,
Two apples swayed upon a stem,
So tempting! I climbed up for them.

THE PRETTY WITCH. (Lilith?)
Ever since the days of Eden
Apples have been man's desire.
How overjoyed I am to think, sir,
Apples grow, too, in my garden.

[MasonFighter]

Though I am displeased that it now looks like QB might be evil. What a complete waste of potential if thats the case.

I thought that was the general consensus since like the 2nd episode?

[Ornette]

I think there are many things that were pretty predictable in the show, I haven't been keeping up with all of the discussion in here or elsewhere but kyubey being a "bad guy" was definitely one of them almost from the beginning. You knew from the first episode there was something wrong with him. All of the "cute fluffy animal that grant powers"-trope shots were done all wrong, for example, that shot of kyubey doing the ω pose close-up by itself would have made a cute wallpaper, but it was always inserted in the wrong spot to give you a jarring impression of "something wrong".

Homrura doesn't belong is another from the start impression. Madoka is special is another. But one thing I've been pretty impressed with so far is that eventhough some of these things were breadcrumbs left in earlier episodes, the trail that is left is pretty consistent in its continuity of the story. They can almost be retroactive plot twists because the writing is done well. The "you have one day before I confess" bit seemed kind of out of the blue, but it ended up being just a couple of cards in the deck that led Sayaka down her path, so it ended up being no big deal.

[child of Lilith]

Yes, because a cliche run-of-the-mill mascot character has such potential. It would be a waste if we got something original for a change.

Original? Are you kidding me? There's nothing original about taking a character that had the potential to be as multilayered and fascinating as QB appeared to be and turn him into a mustache twirling villain. QB could have been special. If they had had had the guts to play him straight he could have been the highlight of the show. But no. It looks like they might just decide to throw away all the effort they've already put into him take the easy and predictable path and turn him into something we've seen a thousand times before. Just one more cardboard cut-out antagonist. Just one more forgettable face in the crowd. After all the potential this show has already shown it's a goddamn waste.

I thought that was the general consensus since like the 2nd episode?

I've never been one to run with the rest of the pack. Until this episode he never did anything I could consider evil. He was heartless and incapable of understanding the way humans feel, but not evil. But after this episode I fear I can hear an old familiar song beginning to play in the background.

[kuwisdelu]

Dayum.

So much of it was pretty predictable, sure. But that delivery.

Can't wait for next week.

I have to admit, I'm still holding for a more complicated QB. Maybe I'm strange, but while he seemed pure evil from the start, it's actually this episode that made me begin to question that. Maybe I'm just skeptical by nature.

[child of Lilith]

I hope I'm wrong. I hope that the feeling I got from this episode is mistaken. That it's just another red herring, one I just happened to fall for. But unfortunately I don't think so. I think this is ultimately the beginning of the end of my love affair with this show.