Madoka, Ep. 10

It’s all a spoiler, so most of the post will be behind the tags. Sorry.

Ok, that part of the theory is out the window. The Walpurgisnacht isn’t Madoka following Homura from the future. Also I was wrong about Homura being able to travel into the past by herself… that is exactly what she is doing –over and over and over. We finally get to see the first few minutes of the show in context. The ruins we saw? Really real… not part of the witch’s reality. Bad night to visit Tokyo.

At first, when the show started, I thought, “ok, I half expected to see the original timeline somewhere in the series, so enh.” I was really kind of disappointed at some cliche elements. Oh, me of little faith…. Then there was the second loop where Homura discovers the truth, and finally, the third loop, where the girls did all join up: Sayaka, Madoka, Mami, Ryoko, and that crazy Homura that no one trusted because she told stupid stories about Kyubey being evil.

Until, that is, Sayaka went over and became a witch… I won’t describe what happened next, but it was the foundation upon which Homura’s trek through hell was built. It isn’t clear over just how many time loops Homura’s been trying to save Madoka — and failing every time — but it looks like we’re on the fifth iteration. Face Walpurgis alone? Been there, done that. And failed to save Madoka from Kyubey, as she became a Puella Magi, one-shotted the witch…and became the most powerful witch ever. So what if Makodka the witch destroys the world? Kyubey doesn’t care; thanks to Madoka, they’re way over quota for this quarter. Lots of emotion in the world’s destruction…. Terrify Madoka and make her an enemy? If that is what it takes to keep her promise, Homura will pay that price.

My final prediction: Homura will succeed in keeping Madoka from becoming a puella magi, but will die against the Walpurgisnacht. Second possibility, She’ll live on long enough after the battle to tell Madoka her story, and Madoka will make the original wish I predicted after episode 9 — or perhaps a variant that will fool Kyubey, as it seems obvious that Kyubey didn’t think through the consequences if Homura ever learned the truth.

Hold it. Refrigerator moment…

• In the first timeline, Mami dies at the beginning of the fight against the Walpurgisnacht. Madoka carries on, knowing she can’t win, but she does… at the cost of her life. Homura wishes to “redo” her meeting with Madoka so that she will become the one to protect Madoka — so she becomes a time-traveling puella magi.
• Second loop, the three of them fight, Mami dies, but Homura finds out the truth about witches, as Madoka barely survives, only to become a witch. Homura resets again.
• Third loop, all the girls join up, but no one believes her. Makoka and Homura have to fight without Mami, and both barely survive, with their gems black. Madoka uses her last grief seed, that she’s been hiding, to save Homura. Homura resets.
• Fourth loop, she kills Kyubey and warns Madoka, — but as we see the beginning of the first episode, Kyubey is still trying to persuade Madoka. Successfully as it turns out. Madoka one-shots the witch, ends up replacing her. Homura resets again, and we’re now in the fifth timeline.

Notice the pattern here? Two girls, both die. Three girls, one dies, one’s badly wounded. Two girls, both barely survive. Two girls, witch loses badly; both girls survive but one becomes a witch. Madoka is becoming more and more powerful each loop. In the first loop, Mami is clearly stronger. By the last loop, Madoka is able to easily defeat the most powerful witch in the world. Kyubey, in the fifth timeline, is mystified as to how Madoka can be so powerful. Is Homura somehow dragging Madoka’s soul back with her each time, reinforcing it? Is she unintentionally strengthening Madoka’s powers in some other way? Does Homura’s reason for time-traveling somehow make Madoka the center of the universe, and thus most powerful spirit in it? Is the real answer going to be that this time, Madoka will be so powerful, that she will transcend to something beyond a puella magi, that isn’t subject to Kyubey’s rules? Kyubey’s Gun: “You could become a goddess, you’re that powerful.”

Delicious, if he’s undone by the original wish he granted to Homura. Damifino if that’s where they’re going, though. If I could answer those questions, I’d be the writer…