- This mutual listening scene at the beginning is pretty cool. Kind of strange to see Sayaka taking part in such a sedate scene, as I'd designated her the resident hot-head of the group. I like how there's a brief moment where we see the image of the soloist, with Sayaka in the audience -- we see how her mind manifests the music as a literal concert instead of something more abstract*. Which is understandable, given her character and age. And of course, we're not privvy to what the other person is imagining, and obviously it's not so simple as Sayaka's vision. It creates a sense of isolation that further emphasizes how free from want or pain Sayaka and even Madoka are.

-*Unless this is a memory?

- Also, this bedridden character could easily be either Sayaka's sister or mother. Just sayin'.

- Opening music pls. Way to disrupt that fantastic atmosphere.

- "Don't forget that what we're doing here is very dangerous" Mami says while standing atop the tallest [radio edit]ing lamp post I've ever seen.

- "What did you wish for, Mami?" How does Mami only now stop in her tracks? You'd think she'd be thinking about her own wish during this discussion. Kind of get the impression that she was waiting for someone to ask.

- "Can we make wishes on behalf of others?" Sayaka is best girl. She gets it. She's has a specific person she wishes to help out, rather that some abstract superhero notion of wanting to protect "everybody." I'm hoping Madoka's wish will be similarly grounded. Something specific.

- Wait, that bedridden girl was a guy? My bishonen radar must be broken.

- Kyubey's being all "for me, it would be so much more convenient if you made your wishes, like, now." And Mami's all "hey, Kyubey, nobody likes a pushy cat-thing." That little [radio edit]er's going to bite someone's head off.

- Kyubey: "Oh, you have so much potential, Madoka! You could be even more powerful than Mami!" Memetic mutation has led me to believe that Kyubey is the evillest little prick, by the way, so I'm assuming he's trying to steal her soul or something. And I think Homura knows that.

- jfc

- PARTY HARD

- More symmetry.

- Oh man, I was right re: Homura not wanting Madoka to make a contract.

- "That's the way a bullied child thinks." Wooooow.

- Something is so going to happen to Mami soon. This conversation with Homura she's having confirms as much, not to mention Madoka's growing respect for her. "This will be the last time that we will be able to speak without coming to blows." Part of me suspects it won't even come to that.

- Kyubey's like "Now that Madoka has run off to find Mami, I can eat Sayaka ohohohoho."

- Looooove the hospital-themed Labyrinth. Pretty cool how the Labyrinths themselves draw upon real world locales to create something surreal. Like the Witches are purposefully trying to create imitations of reality. More likely it's just the abstract nature of dreams.

- On that note, what's up with the introduction of sweets/pastries/candles into the Labyrinth's aesthetics? What a weird juxtaposition.

- Those falling pills and rising lights, though.

- I'm oddly content with Madoka's wish, to be honest. Mostly because she's deriving it from what her dad said about her mom's willingness to live her own life with pride, despite how mundane it is.

- Oh god. "If you can't decide on a wish by the time I finish off this witch, we'll ask Kyubey to give us a huge feast with a fabulous cake!" This is one blatant death flag. Gimme a sec, fastening my seat-belt. Unless they just don't defeat the witch, but that wouldn't be very exciting, would it?

- "But I can't become a magical girl for a cake!" Believe in yourself, Madoka. If not, believe in the Cakeyubey that believes in you.

- Madoka's 8D face here. I lol'd.

- Holy [radio edit] guys don't jump down the donut-hole.

- SKEITH: THE TERROR OF DEATH

- This unceremonious death scene, though! RIP Mami.

- This witch (or witch-spawn; I forgot which witch-related thing it was supposed to be) looks like something you'd see on Cartoon Network. I love it.

- I was bracing myself for the extreme dissonance between this dark-as-hell ending and the lighthearted credits scene. I'm pleased to see that said credits scene was modified to fit the mood.

I think Mami's death would have impacted me more if she weren't such a flat character (they did try to add some depth to her at the last second, what with the whole "I only try to act cool" thing, but all that did was reinforce my gut feeling that she was about to die, such that I couldn't see beyond that prediction). That said, I'm interested to see what the absence of a reassuring presence like Mami's will do for Madoka and Sayaka's development.

Well, besides them both eventually dying, because that is so totally happening too.

Also brb downloading that ending theme. It kicks serious ass.