Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica ep 11/12: Through Hope, A new Religion is BORN!!!

One word to describe this 2 episodes is EPIC. This was definitely worth the wait and I have a feeling that the delay that SHAFT did really made it all the more sweeter. You have to watch it to believe it.

Artist: Buriki(Denpa onna and Boku wa Tomodachi Sukunai novel artist)

The episode starts off with Kyube dropping a huge ‘bomb’ of info on Homura stating that she is the reason why Madoka is so powerful. He hypothesizes that the power of a Mahou Shoujo is directly proportionate to the amount of misfortune she is destined to have. Due to Homura’s tapering of space and time, the repeated time-lines were wound together, forcing all the fate lines of those parallel universes to be focused on this time-line’s Madoka, giving her the immense potential that Kyube senses in her. To cut it short, Homura inadvertently raised Madoka to become the most powerful witch ever.

Next is Madoka wallowing in sorrow due to the loss of her best friend Miki Sayaka. In the midst of her mourning, Kyube appears to her with his usual motive. Madoka start questioning him on his actions and the whole Mahou Shoujo System. Kyube replies by stating that the Incubators have been nurturing humans like lifestock since Humans have walked the earth and that without them, Humankind would not have progressed. He also reveals that many major female historical figures were Mahou Shoujo and that when their wishes were granted, they all met their ends when despair caught up with them, and he hints that the wishes that are made leads them down that path but their sacrifices have been for the greater good as due to them, society has progressed.

OMG Cleopatra was a MS?

Joan of Arc too??

After a small scene is which Madoka’s mum and teacher have a small discussion over Madoka and Co. ‘s problems, it jumps to Madoka confronting Homura regarding the Walpurgis Night. After trying to answer Madoka’s questions, Homura finally breaks down and tells her the truth regarding what she has done.

As the Walpurgis night approaches, a large storm is brewing and Madoka and her family are in a shelter, leaving Homura as the lone defence against the Walpurgis. When it appears, its as if a parade like the one in Paprika has arrived and its true form is quite bizzare.

The Walpurgis

Homura whips out her arsenal of weapons in defence against the Walpurgis and what an arsenal did she use. RPGs, LAWs, all manner of rocket launchers and explosives, together with Mortars, a Fuel tanker truck and even a MLRS to boot.

UBW( Unlimited Bazooka Works)

Die Hard style...

MLRS...GG

But all of this has no effect on the Walpurgis.

The episode ends with Homura “losing” to the Walpurgis and Madoka appearing with Kyube to help her and apologizing to Homura for not listening to her warnings.

Get a hold of yourself!!!

The next episode picks up where the previous one left off, with Madoka apologizing to Homura. After that she proceeds towards Kyube, ready to form the contract. She then proceeds to make the most crazy wish imaginable, “I want to erase every witch before they are born!”.

I can hear the voice of the world!

This wish stuns Kyube as he is unable to comprehend the effects of such a wish, he even warns that the wish may even surpass Homura’s space-time interference. With this wish, Madoka technically wants to become an omnipotent being, like god his/herself,  to save all the souls of the girls before they become witches in the past, present and future, and thereby altering history and reality itself.

Finally...after 11 eps

With the wish being granted, Madoka finally becomes a Mahou Shoujo and starts her counter-offensive. Her first attack is something like the reverse spirit-bomb( from DBZ) as she launches copies of herself to all corners of time, causing her to appear at the moment in which each Mahou Shoujo reaches their limit to save them from turning into witches when their Soul Gem reaches full corruption. Oh and while she is at it, she destroys the Walpurgis in the current timeline too.

My bow is the bow that can pierce the heavens!!

While Madoka alters the fabric of the universe, Homura and Kyube are allowed to observe the changes. At one point, all the despair has been collected and becomes another being entirely and it seems that it may be impossible to destroy it buy due to her wish, the impossible has been made possible and Madoka destroys it utterly.

Final Boss Appears!!

Ginga Mahou Shoujo!!!

After that, they are transported to another realm where Kyube explains that Madoka’s does not have a beginning and an end anymore, and that her existence has transended time and shifted to another plane to become a mere concept and all traces of her in the current world has been erased, so she has technically become a “God”.

Homura despairs at this revelation but Madoka goes and comforts her as now she understands everyone equally, due to her ability to see in the past and future and she finally knows what Homura has done.

Final Embrace

Before parting ways, Madoka leaves a gift to Homura, of her ribbons, as a reward for Homura going so far to see her and for her not to forget.

From the next scene onwards, reality has been altered and it seems that Madoka has truely been removed from the universe as no one but Homura remembers her. But it seems that Madoka has the ability to appear sometimes as from the conversation between Homura and Madoka’s mum, she has been playing with her brother.

Homura with Madoka ribbons

Next from the next conversation between Homura and Kyube, the enemies have changed from witches to become demons who look like some big giants and are formed by negative emotions.

Deja vu Haruhi?

It seems that the Incubators are unable to explain why exhausted Soul Gems disappear, with only Homura knowing the truth. On another note, with Madoka being a god-like existence, Homura can use it to create a

The episode ends with Homura continuing the fight in Madoka’s memory, and in the epilogue with Madoka’s ‘support’.

Wings of hope?

Overall this bittersweet ending was something that I had expected somewhat, having read Gen’s works, but the sheer impact of Madoka’s wish stunned me completely. SHAFT is one sneaky studio releasing this episode on Good Friday, maybe as a coincidence or on purpose, as Madoka’s sacrifice is almost the same as Christ giving up his life for us( sorry if i sound evangelical), but this way it makes the episode even better. I am still speachless by the sheer beauty of this series that has brought us on a crazy rollercoaster ride of emotions and smashing the typical Mahou Shoujo genre flat. And to add on to that, what a troll the opening theme was, showing all the happy scenes which were completely absent in this show.

Therefore I conclude by offering my gratitude to the staff of this series for creating such a masterpiece of an anime which i feel will be remembered for a very long time. Thanks to Shinbo Akiyuki for his perfect directing and SHAFT for their superb and unique animation, Urobuchi Gen for his TRUELY FANTASTIC writing, without him the show would not have been such a hit, and lastly Kajiura Yuki for composing such beautiful music that really gave character to the show as she really conveys the bittersweet feelings through her music well. And lastly to Aoki Ume for giving the characters life with her unique art that deceived us completely at the start.

THE END

” There can be no greater sacrifice than laying one’s life for a friend.”

-Arc

P.S: If you are waiting for the Fate/Zero anime, prepare for an ending somewhat like this if you have not read the novel already