[WIW] Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica: Heart-Warming | Other Media (2025)

Episode 4: Both Miracles And Magic Exist

Episode 4: Both Miracles and Magic Exist

Fuckin'

miracles, how do they work?

We open with a shot of the hospital and Sayaka running to Kamijou's room only to find the window's open and he's not in bed. We've got a runner, folks. :V

Nurse NPC: Are you looking for Kamijou? Sorry, but he's in the rehabilitation center right now; he's got a lot of tests.

...Or not. Sayaka isn't happy to hear the news, but thanks the nurse and leaves. Behind her back, they talk about how they hope she's an encouraging influence on the kid; we see him struggle to walk with bar assistance while they explain his backstory. He was a talented violin player before the accident, which left him near-crippled and will prevent him from ever playing an instrument again. In the elevator, Sayaka catches Madoka's Grief Syndrome and soliloquizes.

Sayaka: Why'd it have to be him? My fingers work perfectly, but they can't do anything. Why couldn't it have been me instead? What would Kyosuke think if I wished for him to be healthy again?

They flash to the pre-title sequence in Episode 3; both of them bonding over music.

Sayaka: He'd say thank you. Or...maybe I want him to say something more than that?
Kyosuke /

Sayaka's head: Take me, Sayaka Miki. [REDACTED] my [REDACTED] you sapphire haired goddess!
Sayaka /actually happening: I'm such a bad girl.

She sighs to herself and provides her own voice over.

Sayaka (V.O): Looking back on it, I was clueless. I didn't know about miracles or the price you had to pay for them.

You could say that back then that she was such a fool. :V

Meanwhile, another day at the Kaname household. Junko's cleaning off Tatsuya's face, Tatsuhiko is preparing coffee, and Madoka is staring despondently at her food. She looks like a zombie as she just stares at the bright yellow yolk of her sunny-side up egg, which triggers a PTSD flashback of Mami: shooting, smiling, staring at Charlotte's gaping maw...you know the rest. Junko snaps her out of it, saying she'll be late for school if she doesn't eat her food. She takes a bite and breaks down crying. The Kaname men inquire about the food and Madoka starts gushing while wiping the tears again.

Madoka: It's delicious. Supremely delicious. I'm thankful that I'm alive and can taste Dad's delicious food.

Walking to school, Sayaka blathers about Yuka

failing at life. Madoka telepathically asks her about yesterday and Sayaka responds with a "let's not talk about it now". She deflates just a little bit more while Sayaka and Hitomi laugh at the other girl's shortcomings. In class, Saotome's talking about childbirth and marrying age because she's rapidly becoming a Christmas Cake. There's a cool little board thing that means nothing but I like it: one of the sentences being translated is "If I had the money I would travel all around the world". Madoka looks about ready to jump off a bridge; she glances at Sayaka, who's taking it more stoically. Homura looks back at the obviously uncomfortable Madoka, with a face that says she's already dead inside. Meanwhile, Saotome turns her rant into a grammar lesson on using present progressive instead of past present (?) tense.

Back on the roof with Kyubey in tow, Madoka and Sayaka sit and mope. The shot they use for Madoka makes the rooftop's fence wrap around her like prison bars. Kyubey just looks at them and makes a confused sound, apparently unaware that teenage girls and war vets both react the same way to gruesome death.

Madoka: I feel like I'm in a foreign country. Until now, nothing changed at school or with Hitomi, but now I feel like I'm surrounded by strangers.
Sayaka: Nobody knows. We know about Mami and the Witches, but the other people don't. It feels like we're living in a different world with totally different people.

The dark side of being main characters, ladies and gentlemen.

Sayaka: The world changed a long time ago; we should have recognized that. Hey Madoka, do you still want to become a Magical Girl?

We get a hardcore Kyubey closeup, and Madoka begins to dither. Sayaka pats her on the back and says it's okay; seeing your mentor get eaten tends to dissuade one from following in her career path. Madoka takes this opportunity to beat herself up for a totally understandable reaction that people who are trained and hardened to kill other people consistently have.

Madoka: It's hard, I know. Now I'm just asking too much of myself. But I can't do it. I can barely breathe when I think of her horrible death. I'm afraid. I can't do it.
Sayaka: *hugs*
Kyubey: *perks up*
Sayaka: Mami was so nice. She did that to teach us the resolve you need to fight.

No, she did that because the fight was rigged and she didn't know what to do when her trump card failed. Sayaka tends to rationalize things in really unhelpful ways; remember this, it will be on the test. Sayaka asks what's going to happen to the city now that Mami's been indisposed; Kyubey says that Mami's been running this block for a while and the power vacuum will get filled by someone eventually. Sayaka immediately assumes that they'll only be out for Grief Seeds like she thinks Homuhomu is (disregarding the fact that she's seen her turn down a Grief Seed and save both her and Madoka's asses). Kyubey says yeah, Mami was the rare one, but in a very specific way.

Kyubey: They [Magical Girls] usually think about their losses and gains pretty carefully. Everyone wants to get paid. But I suppose only Magical Girls themselves should have the right to criticize each other.

That last part twigs with Sayaka especially, and pretty much comes to define her character later. Especially given how Homura verbally bitchslapped her at the end of Episode 3. Kyubey! And Homuhomu! *shakes fist*

Kyubey: I understand how you feel but hey, I can't force you. It's time to say goodbye. I have to find someone who will make a contract with me.
Madoka: I'm sorry, Kyubey.
Kyubey: I am too. I apologize for getting you both involved. Our time together was short but enjoyable. Thank you Madoka.

And with that, he leaves. Madoka apologizes when he's gone.

Now, on the one hand, this is very nice of Kyubey and shows that he does give a damn about the little grief boxes he works with; Madoka's going through PTSD and is a no-gainer on the becoming Meguca front, and since Sayaka hasn't inquired further on helping Kamijou, it looks like she's the same way. Without Mami, he doesn't have the in for the sale and with Homuhomu around, they (read: Madoka) doesn't need protection. So he's perfectly willing to take his business elsewhere.

On the other hand, this is being incredibly dickish, because he's probably been around Sayaka enough to know (or have a good idea) that she's bullheaded and judgmental enough for that last bit to trigger something. He also completely writes off Sayaka, but Madoka's been nicer to Kyubey. He's also leaving two incredibly traumatized girls alone when he's the only solid link they have to understanding what the fuck just happened. After telling them that other Magical Girls treat this like a job at best.

So he's not completely mustache-twirlingly evil (if he was, he'd probably blame/insinuate that it was their fault for Mami dying and if they had become Meguca things could've gone better off the top of my head), but he's nowhere near the average angelic mascot character. He cares about making the deal in a way that's agreeable to those who want it. He doesn't care that the system the deal puts you in is fucked, but he does care that the deal itself is made as aboveboard as possible. But, this is mostly working off of speculah.

It's evening at the Tomoe residence and Madoka is alone. She rings the bell, then opens the door. The room looks more empty; there's a cake left uneaten, tea left unfinished, and a Modern Tea Magazine on the table. Madoka leaves her campus notebook, the one she doodled her Magical Girl miscellany on, atop it. A group of girls laugh and chat outside the door, and Madoka begins to cry again. Shit, at this point, Shinji would be telling her to cheer up.

Madoka: I'm sorry. I'm sorry for being so weak!

She has a good, long cry and leaves the apartment complex, only to find Homura waiting for her. She rubs away the tears and Homura immediately closes the distance, speaking as if she could read Madoka's mind.

Homura: You're putting too much blame on yourself, Madoka Kaname. No one can blame you for anything; I won't allow someone like that to exist.

Oh shit. Oooh shit. I never caught the end of this, and it explains a lot about her reactions to Sayaka. Pay very close attention to that last bit, it will most certainly be on the test. Japanese lesson: Homu says "Watashi wa yurusanai", which can also be translated as "I won't forgive {subject}." Not only is this scary in its own right; this tends to be something the Sailor Senshi say to Usagi when shit hits the fan and it's up to her alone to bring it on home. Just a fun fact that may or may not have far-reaching implications later. :V

Also, this begins to solidify (past the stalking) that Homura's relationship with Madoka isn't the healthiest; she'd make a good ninja maid, but Madoka needs a friend and confidant. Like Mami would've been. Madoka looks shocked, and Homura lightens up a little, saying that she took her advice. Madoka looks at her cockeyed and nods.

Madoka: If I had just listened to you earlier...
Homura: It wouldn't have changed Mami Tomoe's fate. But you were able to change your own fate.

Railing against fate is a large theme of this series, and fate happens to be a system. It's to the point where if you replaced magic with tech, this would make a good cyberpunk story.

Homura /blushing, looking down: I'm glad I was able to save another person.

After being emotionless and cold for the better part of three and a half episodes, she gets cute and awkward. Yeah, definitely a graduate of the Rei Ayanami School of Acting. :V Madoka begins blushing too; she knew it in her gut Homura wasn't a bad person.

Madoka: I-it sounds like you've been doing this for a while, Homura. But you seem different compared to Mami.
Homura: I suppose that may be true. I won't deny it.
Madoka: So you've seen quite a few people die like how Mami did yesterday?
Homura: Yes.
Madoka: How many?
Homura: Too many to count/I've given up on counting.

Homura's seen some shit, man; she's embraced the suck. She saw Charlotte overrun her position in Da Barrier, knows the smell of napalm in the morning. It doesn't smell like victory, it smells like cake and blood.

Madoka inquires about Mami's apartment, to which Homura replies that she doesn't have any close relatives, so it'll take a while before anyone notices she's gone. Since if you die in the barrier there's no body, she'll forever be considered a missing persons case and nothing more.

Homura: That's how the life of a Magical Girl ends.
Madoka /cry: That's terrible! (Hidoi +1) She's been fighting for us all by herself, I can't believe nobody would notice. That just...makes me feel so alone.
Homura: We obtained this power by signing a contract. We're not fighting for anyone else. We continue to fight for our own wishes. It's normal not to be noticed or remembered.
Madoka: I'll remember. I'll never forget Mami. Never.

Madoka's still crying, but she has her determined face on. She puts on the wetworks a lot, but Madoka's got the heart of a lion inside her. She even gets Homura to step back.

Homura /Yuri Meter Redlining: Really? Your words must make Mami Tomoe very happy. I'm jealous.
Madoka /o shi-: You too, Homura! I'll never forget about you either! I'll never forget how you saved me yesterday!
Homura /SHAFT Headtilt: You're too kind. Keep in mind, that kindness might bring even greater tragedy.

And she leaves Madoka dumbstruck.

Back at the hospital, Kyosuke and Sayaka are spinning the disc again (It's Bach and Gustav Mahler this time). Only Kyosuke's listening to the music, this time; staring despondently out of the window as he does so. Sayaka inquires as to what he's listening to: "The Girl With the Flaxen Hair". She gets the composer's name right, then starts babbling about how people don't expect her to know that kind of stuff. Kyosuke doesn't even move and Sayaka gets pensive.

Sayaka: It's because of you, Kyosuke. I wouldn't know a thing about classical music if it wasn't for you.
Kyosuke: Sayaka...
Sayaka /glee: Yeah?
Kyosuke: Are you trying to torture me, Sayaka?

He calmly takes the headphones out of his ears and glares at her.

Kyosuke: Why do you even try to make me listen to music now? Are you trying to be mean to me?
Sayaka: I thought you liked music?
Kyosuke: I don't want to listen to music ever again! How can I just listen to something I can never play!

He flips out and karate chops the CD player with his ruined hand, cutting himself on the glass. Blood sprays everywhere on the crisp white sheets. Sayaka has to restrain him and they both start crying. I'd say somebody call the WAAAAAAmbulance, but he's already in a hospital. :V

Kyosuke: I can't move my fingers. I can't even feel the pain! What can I do with this hand?!
Sayaka: Don't worry! There must be some way you can recover! Don't give up, you can do it.
Kyosuke: I was told to give up. I was told to give up on playing. My teacher told me that in person, he said that modern medical technology isn't good enough to heal me. My hand will never be able to move again. It'd take a miracle or some kind of magic to heal me.

This seems like it's at least a little while into the future, and they're doing some amazing things with prostheses these days, so this might not be entirely true. Regardless, he says the magic words.

Sayaka /:T: Both exist! Both miracles and magic exist (Just like the title of this cartoon)

As soon as she says that, her eyes go all reflective and just look at who decides to show up now that Sayaka has a reason to fight.

Are you ready? I said Are you ready?! Then for the thousands in attendance and the millions at home, LEEETTTT'S GET READY FOR BUCKETTTTTTTTTTS!

Madoka's walking by herself in a crowded thoroughfare, thinking about stuff. She says what I and a lot of people probably were thinking (with qualifiers) for a while now.

Madoka: You could've been Mami's friend if you had talked with her, Homura.

Without bringing Madoka into things, being cryptic, or generally coming off as an antagonistic creeper.

Madoka: What did you have against her?

Nothing, really.

She sees Hitomi walking along and calls out to her, only to notice what looks like a postage stamp on her neck. She's been hit with a Witch's Kiss, just like the Office Lady NPC from Episode 2. I think the BD actually changes the Kiss to something that's more reminiscent of this Witch. She picks up on this immediately.

Hitomi /gone: Ah, Ms. Kaname, how do you do?
Madoka: What's wrong with you? Where are you going?
Hitomi /smile: I'm off to a land far better than this one. Ah, right, Ms. Kaname; please come with me. Why yes, that's wonderful.

Hitomi walks with a strange little hands-up strut and Madoka tails her, disbelieving that she got involved in this stuff in the worst possible way. And Hitomi's not alone; a veritable flash mob converges onto a little shack. Madoka thinks about calling Homura, but realizes she doesn't have her number. This is actually kind of a clever out to the "All these problems can be solved with a call" plot trap writers fall into; she didn't know Mami and doesn't know Homura well enough to get their numbers yet; since all this madness has taken place over a week at most.

The flash mob starts to lament their sorry states in life, as a heartbeat sounds in the background. A derpy looking, burned out woman prepares the toughest challenge Madoka will ever face; the bucket. She pours detergent into the dread receptacle with a far off smile on her face. Another man prepares a bottle of bleach and we get a flashback.

Junko Kaname's Safety Hour: "Listen kids, if you mix bleach and a detergent that contains hydrochloric acid, you'll make chlorine gas and kill your whole family! Isn't that nice?"

Madoka freaks and tries to stop the procedure, only to get stiff-armed by Hitomi. This actually became a minor meme, Hitomi's Tummy Punching Power. Check out Thanks*Kyubey for more, but be warned, it's chockablock with spoilers.

Hitomi: Don't interfere, this is a sacred ceremony.
Madoka: But that's dangerous! Everyone here will get killed!
Hitomi /smiling: Exactly. We are all going to a wonderful world together.
Hitomi /flourish: Do you not comprehend how beautiful that is? Your body is just holding you back. You'll understand soon, Ms. Kaname.

It's always the quiet ones, isn't it? Knew something was up when she just sat there and watched Sayaka die from moe. :V

NPCs /clapping: Congratulations!
Madoka /The end of Eva TV made no sense!: Get away from me!

She breaks Hitomi's grip, takes the bucket, and throws the damned metal drum out the window and back to the cold, dark hell from whence it spawned. Madoka Kaname: Total Badass. This does not win her points with the insane suicide cult contingent, which happens to be everyone in the room. They turn on her like zombies and Hitomi gets a downright evil smirk on her face. Madoka tries to get out of the window, but it's stuck. She manages to find a door to put between her and the horde, only to find out there aren't any other exits. To make matters worse, the Witch decided to make her barrier there. She squeaks in reverse Japanese ("It was very fun, let's go again. Next time with a Bentou", for inquiring minds), and all the dead TV sets turn on; filled with mannequin parts and psychedelic colors. The winged mannequins (Daniyyel and Jennifer, her familiars) start smugfacing and getting all grabby with Madoka. She screams as the screens all show test patterns looping the Witch's name in runespeak (Kirsten). Her body starts to morph and she splits into bloodless chunks.

After some sparkles, she ends up outlineless and undulating in a carousel world; if you have to make connections to Eva like I do, then this looks like the animation test shit Shinji went through in episode 26, right before the alternate universe bit. She just keeps tumbling down tumbling down tumbling...up into a set of familiars holding a television box and back down again. The screen flickers with voguing familiars and bits of text (The Witch's name, "I don't like fools", etc") until finally it reveals a cute little Magical Girl with twintails flanked by one-winged familiars all in silhouette. Enter H.N. Elly (Kirsten). The carousel goes faster and the world turns darker; the horses are pixel art things with televisions and hand-drawn legs pinned onto them. The televisions all play clips of the rise and fall of Mami Tomoe, and Madoka begins to lament.

Madoka: So this is how I repay my sins? Because I was such a coward. Because I lied.

More and more of the screens start to play Charlotte eating Mami's corpse.

Madoka: I have to pay.

The main screen counts down to her breakdown, revealing Madoka's face in it's own before laughing maniacally. The familiars stretch her like taffy, until a blue blur blows them all away. It's Sonic the Hedgehog! I knew he'd save the day! He cuts down the Witch in a single awesome strike and reveals himself...to be a girl with a blue skirt, blue body jewel, blue hair, and a white cape. Where have I seen that outfit before...

Madoka: Sayaka?

Oh, right, the opening. Seyiku has become Meguca, and gives a confident little smile to Madoka. The screen Witch gets back up, apparently bleeding rainbows. It flickers for a moment, then vomits familiars at Sayaka. Sayaka cuts them down, almost too fast to see. The Witch starts playing images of the three girls together, but Sayaka swings around from the back in a nimbus of blue light and punts it into the air, beats it to the apex of its flight, and strikes it down with great vengeance and anger.

Sayaka: This is the finishing blow!

She not only slashes it, but in the same motion throws her sword; impaling the Witch. Her sword leaves a blue trail as it hurtles to the ground; bringing the Witch and her carousel down hard. It starts spraying black and shoots out the Witch's humanoid form; all tattered and tangled in a sickly yellow dress, but with the same twin tails and hair ribbons as the Magical Girl. It lands with a sickening squish in front of the camera. The girl-Witch-thing bleeds a fountain of greens and purples as the barrier comes down; only for Homura to be found outside, watching the proceedings.

Hitomi's safe and asleep, so that's something. Some of the other NPCs start painfully stirring. Sayaka's her cheerful, chipper self again; rocking a fancy little strapless bustier thing in blue and a white girdle over top as her Magical Girl outfit. Now that I think about it, it's kind of reminiscent of Mami's outfit.

Sayaka: Ah, my bad, my bad. I almost missed it.
Madoka: Why are you dressed like that?
Sayaka /aw shucks: Well, I guess I had a change of heart.
Madoka: *is worried*
Sayaka: Don't worry. I may be a rookie, but I did a pretty good job back there, didn't I?
Madoka: But...(what about Mami? Aren't you afraid to die?)

Just then, Homura decides to crash the party, and she is not happy.

Homura: You're...(completely ignorant of how royally fucked you are now, aren't you?)

Sayaka decides that the best way to honor Mami's memory is to be smug like her. Now that she's Meguca, Homura can't kick her around anymore. Kyubey said so. :V

Sayaka: You're late, transfer student!

Homura just stares.

Meanwhile, at the hospital, Kamijou realizes he can move his hand again. And there was much

rejoicing.

Meanwhile meanwhile, on a power line station, a mysterious girl stuffs her face. Kyubey bounces his way into the shot, only to be shrouded by darkness immediately afterwards.

Kyubey: I really didn't expect you to come.
Mysterious Girl: Well I heard that Mami got done in...

Japanese lesson: "kutabaru" is a very rough, euphemistic way of saying "to die". It also means "to sleep", as in "sleepin' with the fishes". Popular in Yakuza flicks. So basically think "Mami got greased/iced/wasted/fucked" and you're there. The mysterious girl is a regular wild child; long, unruly red hair done in a messy ponytail, black galoshes, cut off jean shorts and a hoodie that's unzipped at the bottom. She looks homeless, dangerous, punk.

Mysterious Girl /angry eating: But it wasn't an easy trip. The hell's going on? It sounds like you've changed your tune.
Kyubey: Sorry, but another Magical Girl has already taken this area. She made the contract with me a few minutes ago.
Mysterious Girl: Seriously? Friggin' annoying. But I'm not gonna let some rookie chick take this primo spot right from under my nose.

The camera pans down over the city lights and back to her; this girl wants it all and she wants it now.

Kyubey: What are you going to do, Kyouko?
Kyouko /you gonna get loved tenderly: What do you think? Let me make it nice and simple. All I have to do is break her, right?

And scene. I'm just going to put this out there; Kyouko is my favorite. Dat fang.

The picture is of Madoka in her Magical Girl outfit, a scene it looks like we're unlikely to ever see at this point. The artist is Jin Kobayashi.

Sayaka: Well, I'm excited! Magical Girl Sayaka-chan will do her best to keep the peace in the city of Mitakihara!

Next time: Episode 5: There's No Way I Would Regret This. Sayaka's all kinds of perky, and we've got a new girl, so you bet your ass we'll have more of that service for you, too.

Okay, now we have a baseline of how being Meguca seemingly works, so here's some speculah that's hopefully girthy, pleasurable, and/or illuminating.

If you are a girl and desperately want something from the absolute bottom of your heart, Kyubey will appear to you and grant you a wish. When you are granted this wish, you get a Soul Gem through...some method (revealed next episode) and are tasked to fight Witches. Witches are the dark reflection of Magical Girls, and it is a Magical Girl's duty to put Witches down. This is very dangerous, and lots of girls die. When you kill a Witch, they drop a Grief Seed, which acts as a mana potion for Magical Girl magic. Familiars don't drop Grief Seeds. Every town or city usually only has one Magical Girl working beat, probably because either the Witches or other Magical Girls do them in. There's no organizational structure, and most Magical Girls work in such a way that they are only in it for themselves.

Even as an exception to the rule, Mami is more than willing to take Homura out. Kyubey wants at least one Magical Girl working a city (calling in Kyouko after Mami dies), but squatter's rights is more important than granting territory propriety (saying it's Sayaka's territory even though she literally contracted a few minutes ago).

The contract is the most important thing to Kyubey, but it has to be done as fair as it can on his end. He cannot coerce, force, or mislead a girl into making the contract, nor can he make suggestions. He doesn't have to tell them the fine print, but he cannot and will not out and out lie. He works on girls who are under duress/have a strong will to make changes, and will try to make a contract when he himself is under duress (he did not know that Homura was there when Charlotte was looking for seconds.). If given the opportunity, however, he will discuss how things work with a contracted girl or a hopeful (Madoka, Sayaka). He and Magical Girls of sufficient skill (Mami, Homuhomu) can sense magical potential, and Madoka is dripping with it.

Hidoi Counter: 5
Contract Counter: 5

Okay, apparently I screwed up my count last time; there are actually 4 Hidois and 5 Contracts at the end of episode 3. I consider this episode a wash for contracts because even though Kyubey gets one in Sayaka, he does walk away and say he won't force the issue to both girls, which goes counter to the reason I have a counter.