Madoka Magica - Episode 10 Discussion / Poll
 

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Oh wow, and I just happened to come back home and get online.

This episode should be wild and it better is, but I have a feeling we will still be left a bunch of unresolved questions till at least episode 11 or even the very end.

Well Mami, I know you won't be around just yet but you have been resting long enough. Get ready to wake up soon. ;)

Hopefully this episodes will reveal much of Homura's mentality, why she did things that way, to clear up misconceptions and to confirm predictions.

Alternatively Urobuchi can completely troll us and reveals that Homura is actually the antagonist in this episode :P

I am hoping for Homura to spill the beans.

Well the staff is teasing us a heck of a lot by saying this is the "wham" episode and that we should rewatch 1-10 before watching 11 & 12 to pick up all the little things we missed beforehand. There's definitely some hype being trumped up here.

Personally I think I'll play my cards close to my chest and say that I have no predictions for this episode. I do hope to see my previous prediction confirm/denied but we'll see. I'd also like to see if QB's story is proven/debunked considering how high it ranked on the BS-O-Meter.

Other than that, I think the "wow" moment will be in Homura's reveal and/or an actual major event that occurs in the episode, probably as a cliffhanger. >< I don't think we'll see too much of the other characters outside of Madoka and Homura.

Ok ok, I can't help it. I'll make one impossible, crazy, wishful, prediction. Sayaka, Mami, and Kyouko reappear at the end of the episode to save the day. The resulting wtfs from the community shall be heard around the world. :eyespin:

Can't wait. Things are getting crazier with every episode, hoping Madoka doesn't go nuts... and counting on HomuHomu to make a confession.

I always try to lower my expectations when I'm told something big is supposed to happen. Works wonders for me. Btw. we're suggested to rewatch all 10 episodes before 11 and 12? I thought it was only episode 1.

Oooh~ Can't wait for this episode! *^*

Hmm wild speculation time~. I speculate maybe Madoka having dreams about Kyoko, Sayaka, Mami, (and perhaps Homura). Perhaps a dream scenario could have either of them tell her advice on how to go on further or maybe it could lead into some nightmare about what is to come.

Meep, like I said, wild speculation. xD;;

<hides till episode 10>

I buy that, but not for this episode. Episode 11, maybe. :p

I expect Homura to reveal something. Everything else is up in the air.

I predict Kyubei's earrings hold the final clue.

ep10 after live:

Ohhhh Jesus

People, brace yourselves!!!

Hmm. We began with a confirmation of an alternate timeline for Homura.

Homura found herself within a witch barrier and was rescued by Mami and Madoka. It turns out that Mami fell by Walpurgisnacht and Madoka would be left to slay Walpurgisnacht by herself, which Madoka did at her life as cost. Homura is not physically strong at all, so it took her some time before she was able to realize how to apply her powers.

By contracting with Kyuubee out of regrets, Homura was launched into her situation of looping. She found herself in utter terror when she first realized the reality of the situation with the ultimate predicament of magical girls being revealed with Madoka being turned a witch, and upon the next instance the situation was a total wipe with Sayaka turning witch, and Mami snapped afterwards, killing Kyouko after slaying Sayaka the witch leading to Madoka killing Mami. This left the whole thing ending with Homura mercy killing Madoka after Walpurgisnacht. It is during this time that Homura began to use firearm implements to help her in combat situations... her supply of firearm provided by online improvisation as well as pillaging the city, freezing time to grab arms from lockers and so forth.

And after that, we are lead to current world -1 where Homura managed to slay Kyuubee temporarily but still having Madoka contracting with Kyuubee during Walpurgisnacht, which lead to Madoka becoming the worst of witches... and looping starts yet again. With that, we enter into this current iteration.

Sooo....


and more...

Glasses. Even when fighting, glasses. Even when making pipe bombs, glasses.

Kaijo should be happy. Several of his "plot holes" were closed this ep.

OMG!...I mean....OMG! I have to go to works soon but I'll be post via cell it's just I don't know what to think or what words if any can describe what i feel right now.:eyespin:

Also spoiler tags everyone!...my god I'm shaking right now...I'm going to go cry and suck my thumb in the fetal position now...

Aaaah

Dear god, I think I teared up a little. Homura had to outlive her friends four times.

Well, I don't know how to feel with this episode yet. This was quite sobering an episode in Endless Recursion of Time with Homura the Rika. The whole situation makes one seething to be frank. Homura tried to warn her friends about the "become a witch", yet to no avail and only to watch that tragedy occur firsthand and all. Plotholes did close somewhat... I am quite amused that Kyuubee would've granted Homura such a wish as to go over to do-over actually.

Madoka is the strongest MG but not the goddess QB promised. Even fighting along with Homura, they barely defeated Walpurgis, and then Madoka became a witch right there.

Yet, just there, QB says witch Madoka will destroy the world....


I don't get it!!

I think it's more lenient than the many years Rika spent going back. I think the cumulative time Homura has had to endure is about one month for about half a year worth of time if we assume she's only gone back the amount of loops shown today.
Nevermind. I don't remember when she was discharged from the hospital. 16th of something or another?

I haven't watched it yet... but don't tell me:



Now I need to watch it soon - (@ work, cannot do it x_X)

PS: I am not surprised Urobuchi has gotten inspirations from Steins;Gate - Steins;Gate is the one of the most successful visual novels ever produced (by Nitro)+.

That's another thing too. With the ruination of the town and Madoka becoming a witch, we will surely see some part of Japan wiped out by the time Madoka is put out...
I felt Gen carrying his worldview from other works of his over to Madoka come to think of it. Kikokugai being such an example too. I need to go through Steins;Gate ASAP come to think of it.

Madoka defeated the Walpurgis by herself a few times in the loops but the price was that she burned all her power and turned into a witch herself. So she can do it alone, but no matter what defeating the Walpurgis costs a heavy price.

Tsubasa with Nadeko personality with Kanbaru sexuality turned into Senjoughara.

In the end Homura is really fighting against fate. Everyone is already dead. The only different between Madoka and the other girls is that if Homura let Madoka make the fucking contract, the whole world is screwed.

I called this... and it became real...

shit!! :upset:

This episode answered a lot of things, and it does confirm a lot of things we have expected.
Homura's behavior is arguably as expected: jaded but pretty much restraining herself in order to accomplish her objective. And this situation didn't turn like this without circumstances.
Although her predicament wasn't as tedious as Rika, she really got an atrocious advent here and there, and the means she got was perfectly explained in my books.

The pacing and execution of this episode were excellent, and they conveyed quite well Homura's torture across the several loops.

Now the problem is still as follow: what are the real "victory conditions" now? QB being there or not isn't the problem, but obviously the MG/Witch system, and considering how things are in this loop, finding a loophole in that clockwork frame doesn't really seem easy.

Anyway, Homura for one of the best characters of this season.

You're right. I got the fights mixed. Although it doesn't change the fact that Madoka is hardly god-like like QB promised.

EDIT: I love the fact that when Madoka discovered the truth about the soul gem and was about to become a witch, she asked Homura to go back and save her. That little detail change everything for me, and for Homura too, since that's when her attitude began to change.

The answer is having all the characters surviving. Madoka turning witch is because she ran outta mana, if everyone was here to fight then no trouble.

Of course, it seems like there are quite a few things standing in the way.
Madoka and Homura is definitely confirmed as last battle participants in all timelines.
Mami can be in last battle but dies if only three people are there.
Sayaka is confirmed witch in all timeline so she's done for.
Kyouko is in gray area as she seems to be recruited in the middle stage.

From the evidence above I can say that in order to beat the system. The follow things need to happen.
1.Sayaka CAN'T turn MS
2.Kyouko needs to be recruited
3.No one can find out about MS->Witch

You mean to beat Walpurgis with everone relatively safe, not the system.

EDIT: and actually, just because they survived Walpurgis doesn't mean they're not going to become witches eventually.

4. She steals a nuke

Fuck I need to go sleep, work starts in 7hrs.

What was more upsetting to me was the part about leaving it up to Humanity to clean-up for the Witch Madoka. Ultimately, it will be calling for the mobilization of the SDF to slay the beast, while Kyuubee goes off Scot free. It makes me wonder if the race of Incubator can indeed recover emotional energy from other human being as well, for the scale of despair that such witches will bring would be spectacular...

AWESOME EPISODE !!


although I kind of dislike innocent, meganekko-homura


the cool, emotionless homura is the best !

So am I right in saying that there is a loophole for Homura? Since she wished to go back in time, Kyubey has not granted Homura a wish in the current timeline yet, so she's free to wish to go back in time again as many times as she needs?

I see a good end and a best end.

The good end would be all the Puella Magi making it to Walpurgis Night. They all work together to win, and because they do, no one exhausts their power. They will be Puella Magi for the rest of their lives, but at least they are still sane for now.

The best end would be finding a way to get rid of Kyubey and the Puella Magi/Witch system. However, that would require eliminating Kyubey for good and the ability to fight without a contract, to which I honestly don't see any hints.

Quoting someone from /a/

just wondering where people are watching this, the places i go dont usually have episodes til late at night (almost noon here)

Since QB seemed to remark at how quickly Madoka dispatched a witch like Walpurgis, Madoka witch may have been proportionally stronger to the point where it is beyond what conventional weapons might be able to deal with.
I don't have her exact wording, but I think because her wish has to do with saving Madoka, it keeps sending her back until Madoka's state satisfies her wish.

I think (though I not sure) she asked to be able to protect Madoka or something. Madoka was already dead, so QB send her back on time, and she would go back on time every time she fails to protect Madoka
If they are MGs, QB would have the girls become witches some way or another. Only those who are still normal girls can achieve "happy end". That much is clear now.