Madoka Magica - Spoilers & Speculation

[Solace]

Originally Posted by MaiNoKen

3) The title of the last picture is - Madoka telling Madoka "I want to help you"...

Hmm. I should repost my speculah from the episode 8 thread then.

Originally Posted by Solace

Why would Homura go to an *alternate* past time, when she could just go back to her own past time if her only goal was to prevent Madoka from contracting? My theory is that the answer lies in the OP of the show, the older Madoka and the younger one. We see the older one merging into the younger one, why? What would happen if, say, Madoka from this time was able to get a hold of the powers of the Madoka from the alternate time?

No contract, incredible power (assuming Kyubey isn't lying, which so far he really hasn't), and potentially even immunity from becoming a Witch because the gem/power isn't *technically* hers. The only issue would be what price would be paid to do this, since the show has set a precedent for actions having consequences. I have a feeling that is tied to why Madoka can't remember Homura.

I should mention that at this point I don't trust Kyubey at all, but in this one particular instance I do think he is telling the truth. Madoka is important for a reason. It may not be her becoming a super weapon of sorts but she is clearly important enough for both Kyubey and Homura to obsess over.

[Kazu-kun]

Originally Posted by Triple_R

Homura as Madoka's daughter is a fascinating idea, that I've never encountered before. Now that would wow a lot of people, even most people on this board I think. It would mean, though, that Madoka lasted a long time as a magical girl before becoming a witch - long enough to actually become pregnant and give birth to Homura.

Not necessarily. It could just be a weird paradox at work. For example, there's a point in time when Madoka is 14 and makes a contract and dies. Then there's another point in time in the future, when Madoka is, say, 40 and has 14 years old daughter Homura. When the Madoka from point A dies, Madoka from point B disappears (Back to the Future style) and Homura begins to disappear too. But right then QB appears and Homura makes a contract with him to go back in time to see what the hell happened and fix it....

or something

[Xellos-_^]

another crazy ending prediction

madoka is about to make a contract but is stop when Homura kills her. Homura is then kill by the MegaWitch. The MegaWitch also kills Hitmoi, Kamijo, Madoka and Sayaka's family.

[totoum]

Ok crazy wild theory just for the hell of it,I'm starting to look at a theory that was mentioned after episode 8 by a few people:Homura is sayaka from an alt timeline.

In an alt timeline Sayaka became a witch much like she did here,but madoka did what she nearly did in this timeline:she contracted, became a magical girl and used her power to turn Sayaka back to a magical girl,she didn't get her body back but has a new one and since it's madoka giving her her power her soulgem is madoka's color (the anime would do a much better job of explaining this than me).

She definatly has completely different views from sayaka but hey,turning into a witch will probably change your outlook on life a bit,Homura might have developed a bit of self loathing in the process too,after all her last words in episode 8 just before turning into a witch are that she thinks she's been a fool,so Homura thinking this about sayaka would seem logical.
Now,why not try and stop her alt self from contracting?Maybe she's tried in her first attempts to change things but failed ("people didn't believe me") and now has resorted to hoping Madoka will ignore her alt self and carry on with her life,maybe she thinks a fool like her is not worth being saved.
Also,Homura stopped madoka several times before she contracted with QB,when she does so,she stay pretty cool ("that will not be necessary") the only time she completely flips is when madoka wants to save Sayaka,the reason she'd lose it emotionaly is because this is the exact wish she's trying to prevent.
And then this is quite trivial but yuri fans have had quite some fun with HomuraxMadoka,there was a running gag in episode 2 about "forbiden love" between Sayaka and Madoka.Ok I guess I'm starting to reach here,but still,the more I think of it,the more it makes sense

[Kazu-kun]

I was thinking... The only one who knows QB's true identity as Incubator (provided he's not lying) in this time line is Madoka herself.... Homura knows too, but she's from a different timeline.

See where I'm going? Just a thought, but this supports the Madoka = Homura theory.

[FlavorOfLife]

Originally Posted by Triple_R

Now that would wow a lot of people, even most people on this board I think.

Its not a new theory. garbage first mentioned it back in episode 7's thread. You can see it mentioned as one of the speculations by risingstar3110 on page 39 of this thread itself.

[ThereminVox]

At this point, might as well just "spin the wheel" to guess Homura's identity, if indeed she has one that we'd recognize. I'm sure dozens have said this, but it might be most interesting if she's Madoka's mother, since she kind of looks like her, and her role in the series is a bit unclear - so far.. still 3 eps for her to play into it in another way. Doesn't quite work though, since QB isn't interested in older, more stable women, and if she's her mom's Puella Magi iteration from the past... That doesn't work either, because if one thing's been made clear, it's that Magical Girls don't get to "retire" and go have a family.

It would answer a LOT of questions, but it just doesn't seem to scan.

[Seitsuki]

Taking my cue from the lyrics of Magia (what with Kalafina songs apparently holding quite a bit of meaning):

Despite all the ordnance raging around in the QB debate I do believe everyone agrees that he's hardly got humanity's best interests at heart. Also, while it's debatable whether he lies or just tells you stuff you need to know instead of stuff you NEED to know he's hardly a very honest guileless character. So: concerning the entropy issue (or possibly the heat-death theory but theyjust didn't do the research): perhaps QBs race/creators live in a different part of the universe, or another dimension altogether, where entropy is an imminent problem. Or at least at a stage where they're worrying about it. Hence, they are desperately searching for alternative sources of energy. One of which is this "powered by heart" stuff magical girls/witches produce.

One part of the lyrics: "...will transcend time, and destroy the dreams of a world racing towards destruction".

Another part: "if I can follow my path withoput wavering, I care not if my heart shatters... to confront the sadness before my eyes"

Well at this rate it seems pretty certain that Madoka will contract. I think it would be a huge anticlimax if we finish the series and she ends up doing nothing. Now of course, the issue is *what she wishes for*. Since she has the power to "change the universe" any random deus ex machina conclusion is possible, but-

Yet another part: "let's watch a never-ending dream, within the time I walk with you"

We know that it's Homura doing the whole time jumping thing, but what if the one who set up the loop was Madoka herself? Somewhere, sometime, Madoka saw the endless sorrows and pain people/mahou shoujous go through in such a system and either using her wish or her own powers as a magical girl, set up a loop where Homura is able to go back to her past self *without* QBs people knowing about her own involvement to try and somehow break the chain. Which may also explain Homura's reluctance to explain things. Or something.

[BaKaBaKaOtaKu]

I Think Homura/Madoka's line, 'I won't rely on anyone anymore.' would explain Madoka's fall into Homura. Madoka chose to be independent and see things non-ideally thus she became the cold homura..ah, mah yuri fantasy just flew out the window by a mile.. LOL.

if miracle is true, GIMME EPISODE 10 RITE NOW!! GAHH! i can't concentrate on things bec. i'm so effin thrilled!!

no matter what happens though, I'll always love homura as homura(not madoka)

[erneiz_hyde]

What? What? Suddenly the picture I posted here regarding Homura's and Madoka's name is really supported?

As promised I will proceed to roflmao after watching ep.10 if this is true XD

[BaKaBaKaOtaKu]

Originally Posted by erneiz_hyde

What? What? Suddenly the picture I posted here regarding Homura's and Madoka's name is really supported?

As promised I will proceed to roflmao after watching ep.10 if this is true XD

yeah, definitely supported. i'm 100 percent sure now that homura is madoka. period.

i wont LOL though. i'll cry..

[Deconstructor]

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

"Please watch all the way to the end. And set the bar high. This show will definitely surpass that."

You pretentious bastard!
Of course, I love you anyway.

I have a feeling many people, including myself, will be disappointed because we set the bar too high. At this point, I am expecting something legendary. The very limited experience I have with Shaft compels me to ignore everything they say.

[MaiNoKen]

Originally Posted by Deconstructor

At this point, I am expecting something legendary.

I think we are in legendary territory already. x_X

I re-watched episode 1 just right now. I was intrigued by the conversation when Madoka and Homura walking to the nurse room. What does it mean by "Madoka, you should not try to be someone else, or you will lose everything"? And how would that tie up with "I want to save myself" and the possibility of Homura = Madoka.

(Think)

[hyperborealis]

The fact that Homura can time-travel suggest a QB level of advanced technology. Therefore:

a) Homura and QB are both from the far future. There are different factions about the morality of harvesting emotional energy out of the past. QB and Homura are on opposite sides, fighting a war through time over this issue. Standard time-travel trope.

b) Homura is a far distant descendant of Madoka. If she can prevent Madoka from becoming a MG, then Madoka will have children, ultimately leading to Homura being born. If Homura fails, she will never have existed. This is another standard time-travel trope.

Wow, I hope neither of these are true--they're so cliched they're beyond boring!!!

Homura looks like a magical girl, so I guess she has to be human. I was going to suggest that she is not human, that she is in fact a member of QB's species. They have the tech to make physical appearance arbitrary--so QB shows up as the stereotypical cute animal familiar, and Homura shows up as a magical girl, taking on disguises in the mahou shoujo form, the better to carry on their fight among the natives. How realistic is it anyway for aliens of the far future to exactly resemble magical girl mascots? Even if Homura is human, it's equally unlikely that the descendants of humans from the far future will be identical to us current humans either. If we know that either Homura or QB are from the far future (far enough for evolution to be a significant factor), then we know their current appearances are artificial.

So I think next week's big reveal will be that Homura is also an alien, one in human disguise. Her real appearance: an ugly version of QB!!! Ok, not that--more likely, a cat...

So I've overlooked a dozen dozen obvious reasons why none of this can happen--it's still fun to think about!!!!

[Dr. Casey]

Originally Posted by Deconstructor

I have a feeling many people, including myself, will be disappointed because we set the bar too high. At this point, I am expecting something legendary. The very limited experience I have with Shaft compels me to ignore everything they say.

I don't think I can set the bar too high. I always expect great things from Madoka, and I always get great things. I love this show, so I'm sure that no matter how much hype is swirled around I'll still hang onto every second of the new episode like I always do. Nice to see the guy has so much faith in his creation, though.

Originally Posted by Triple_R

Also makes me wonder who the father might be, lol.

Kamijou. Hitomi wanted to steal Kamijou away from Sayaka, so Madoka has an affair with Kamijou to reclaim Sayaka's fallen honor. It will make for some great drama in the final three episodes.

[Deconstructor]

Originally Posted by Dr. Casey

I don't think I can set the bar too high. I always expect great things from Madoka, and I always get great things. I love this show, so I'm sure that no matter how much hype is swirled around I'll still hang onto every second of the new episode like I always do. Nice to see the guy has so much faith in his creation, though.

I expect greatness from Madoka as well; I just hesitate to consider it among my greatest anime of all time. However, I will give testimony to why I enjoy watching.

Madoka is the most serious anime I have seen in a long time. The story is based on the simple premise of an exchange - any wish to become a magical girl. Both seem like positive things I would want in my life. However, Madoka has twisted my conceptions of both ideas, and suggests that not everything is sunshine and rainbows (or giant boobs, if you want to go Freezing/Infinite Stratos). That alone got me interested in watching another episode.

The characters are also very enjoyable. Everyone has seen the many different personalities displayed in Madoka - timid, zealous, lonely, lazy, serious. Breaking the innocent cuties is also nothing particularly groundbreaking. Instead, my enjoyment stems from the intense and diverse emotions each character displays in times of total despair. In popular terms, the drama of tragedy. Each character's depressing story is well-executed, and makes a bold statement about their personalities. For example, Sayaka was an overzealous girl who initially held onto ideals of justice. Kamijou, her crush, was afflicted by a crippling disability to his hands; Sayaka saw that as injustice. Then Kyubey knocks on her door, offering power. Unable to resist, Sayaka grew obsessed with her ideals of justice, turning a blind eye to her friendships. Ultimately, Sayaka ignores the people that care about her the most, and kills the people initially sought to protect.

I can no longer look at a magical girl without invoking tragic memories of Madoka Magica. The emotional effect is so strong because we see the magical girl, a symbol of purity and innocence, brought down and transformed into murderous killers. I also used to see the magical girl as a miracle with no drawbacks - a random mascot walks up to a normal girl and asks if they want to save innocent people. No one cares about the mascot himself; he's just a necessary part at the beginning, and eyecandy every episode thereafter. I think if I have learned one thing from Madoka, it is that looks can be completely deceiving. Kyubey, wishes, magical girls... those dreams are utter lies. Only suffering comes from miracles.

Alas, I could (and want) to write more, but I will save it for the finale of the show.

[Ginrai]

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

After 9 episodes I'm pretty convinced Homura isn't like that. Homura definitely loves Madoka, but she's trying to save her no just out of friendship but also because it's her responsibility somehow. So forcibly she has to be either Madoka herself, or someone from her family (like her mother or daughter), or a part of Madoka herself (like a familiar) but definitely not just a friend.

And it suddenly comes together...

Homura is Mahou Shoujo Madoka's familiar! Nearly all of this series is within a world created by Madoka, who wants everyone to live happy lives. Homura is trying to make sure that everything turns out right or 'reset' it to try again.

Or all of the above except that Homura is a magical girl who entered Madoka's world and is trying to find a way to save her. Killing Madoka would only result in another grief seed for Kyubey. Plus this would explain what Kyubey meant by Madoka being the strongest magical girl/witch (her world isn't a surreal mess like that of other witches), why Homura doesn't really try to protect anyone else (she doesn't consider them real) or tell the truth (she's afraid that doing so will shatter the world and quickly lead to Kyubey's victory) as well as why Homura 'time traveled' and yet Madoka seemed to know the 'future' as well.

The OP is Madoka's idea of a perfect world. And, to make things really screwy, every failure by Homura resulted in Madoka making a wish and creating a new world within her world. The ED represents Homura trying to prevent Madoka from making that mistake yet again.

And this could also mean that the Homura=Sayaka theory is still in play!

[AvatarST]

Originally Posted by Dr. Casey

I don't think I can set the bar too high. I always expect great things from Madoka, and I always get great things. I love this show, so I'm sure that no matter how much hype is swirled around I'll still hang onto every second of the new episode like I always do. Nice to see the guy has so much faith in his creation, though.

You know, it's the opposite for me, sort of. Madoka's been flying high for ages. So I always fear that the next episode might disappoint; I start to wonder whether the series will go down as a classic, or merely a good show. But instead of even coming close to disappointing, it surpasses expectations time after time. It's been truly a phenomenal ride, and I can only hope the conclusion does the show justice.

Originally Posted by Deconstructor

I have a feeling many people, including myself, will be disappointed because we set the bar too high. At this point, I am expecting something legendary. The very limited experience I have with Shaft compels me to ignore everything they say.

Yeah, this is exactly how I feel. It's just that since I feel I've been proven wrong episode after episode, I'm now starting to buy into the hype.

[Triple_R]

Originally Posted by Dr. Casey

Kamijou. Hitomi wanted to steal Kamijou away from Sayaka, so Madoka has an affair with Kamijou to reclaim Sayaka's fallen honor. It will make for some great drama in the final three episodes.

That could help to explain Homura's hair color, and general disposition...

[omimon]

http://yarareyaku.com/archives/51709201.html
http://yarareyaku.com/archives/51709253.html

Two stories to hold you guys over until Thursday. Something about a last wish and something about episode 10 from Saito Chiwa.