- "Or am I hoping he'll say something more?" I actually thought Sayaka and Kyosuke were related prior to this episode. Starting to see a...I don't want to say "selfish," but a self-centered side to Sayaka's potential wish. Her desire to get a certain reaction out of him, I mean.

- Which also makes me think that Sayaka is better - or should I say more typical - anime protagonist material here. But that's probably because Madoka's going to take a while to grow into the role, so Sayaka's the closest thing we have for now.

- Did the opening change, or am I just only paying attention to it for the first time? Witnessing the birth of Madoka-as-Magical-Girl as a separate persona here. Also, was that one of Draco's former avatars Jenna I saw for a split second?

- That Pokemon protagonist's house. What an angular architecture. Ohoho it contrasts perfectly with the amoebic labyrinths amirite? Order vs chaos and all that okay that was an easy one moving on

- Just realized that Mami's death must have been a big deal back when this was first airing. The music during the early scene in which Madoka remembers Mami's demise is really good.

- "Does it taste bad, honey?" Assuming a little bit here, but I can't imagine that Madoka would spontaneously burst into tears very often, given the circumstances of her life. And despite how much of a fragile little moeblob she already is.

- This teacher is so bitter. "While a woman's prime age for childbirth is indeed based in medical fact..." I'm probably going to keep track of whatever she's saying in every episode from now on just in case it relates to the larger story.

- "Madoka, do you still want to be a magical girl?" And Kyubey's watching closely as she deliberates.

- So this is, to me, the first real hurdle Madoka has to overcome as the protagonist. It's a decision she has to make while knowing that there are real consequences involved (her choice to become a magical girl before was based mostly on her finding Mami, and what she represented, cool). Remove Mami from this context and bam! Autonomy. Or more than there previously was.

- She's going to say "I don't know" isn't she?

- Nope, she admits she's scared shitless after seeing Mami die. I am pleased with this. Not pleased with seeing a girl mourn the death of her friend, mind, but the surprisingly realistic hesitation.

- That being said, I still feel Mami came and went too soon. Even now, if I go back and rewatch the last three episodes, I don't think I'll realize how crucial she was to this story. Unlike that one character in Gurren Lagann, who was insufferable and awful, and then he/she died, at which point I realized that he/she absolutely carried the show, and served to propel the actual protagonist's character development for the rest of the narrative.

- I love the rough eye shading in this show. It produces a really uncanny effect. I don't know how to describe it. Haunting.

- Oh, Kyubey. Forcing their hand like a good troll.

- I'm glancing at the other Youtube videos on the sidebar between scenes, and there's this one titled "Puella Magi Madoka Magica The Better Version Episode 1." The thumbnail is a pixiv image of Madoka/Homura yuri. Sounds about right.

- Where are Mami's parents?

- I'm a sucker for shots like this.

- Ugh yes.

- So she has no parents.

- And nobody will know she's dead. That's a [radio edit]ing primal fear right there. Madoka's taking that fact to heart.

- The shipping bait is strong in this scene.

- "Sayaka, are you torturing me?" WHAT. Worst feeling in the world confirmed.

- This whole scene, though. Really powerful.

- Kyubey as a character is most effective as a silhouette.

- I'm really interested in how this show presents the dream-state, the altered state. This part here seems to be leading into another Labyrinth scene. That transition is so interesting. Enunciation of light, shaky camera movements... There's a strong sense of the uncanny here, something I've been studying for the past couple of years.

- I'm not sure if this scene qualifies as 'pataphysical, loosely defined, but I'm going to say it is, if only because of the surreality and the nature of Sayaka's entrance/interference with the scene itself.

- Sayaka best girl confirmed.

- Oh hey, it's Jenna. "Nani sore" indeed.

- I could easily make these notes just a list of gorgeous scenery stills, but at that point I would just be summarizing the show.

- In fact, this entire scene with Kyubey and Sayaka is just gorgeous, with that high saturation and searing color scheme. Just wonderful.

- Kyubey-as-(almost)-silhouette.

- I've heard this excuse before.

- I'll bet.

- I can't.

- Hitomi is an overachiever? What? I haven't gleaned anything about her character other than her being a whiny Muggle.

- Being Meguka.

- "You [Sayaka] really don't have any regrets at all?" Madoka is a concern troll. That's really what she is.

- I haven't really read his reactions too much regarding this series, but I agree with Adnarel's dislike of dramatic utterings of a character's name after said character says something profound. Like Madoka's constant "Sayaka-chan." I squirmed the first time it happened in Kill la Kill. In fact, I actually yelled at the screen "NO YOU WERE DOING SUCH A GOOD JOB OF AVOIDING THIS KIND OF THING." Just a pet peeve of mine. But again, it comes with the medium.

- Kyosuke: "What are we going to the roof for?" Dude, you're in a wheelchair and she's smiling. You're about to discover first-hand the definition of gravity.

- Ooo~

- This scene, in which Kyosuke plays his violin for the first time in who knows how long, is pretty great. I also just noticed that this is the same place where Sayaka made her wish. I think. I could be wrong there. But it would be pretty cool - and fitting - if that were the case.

- I keep saying it, but I still don't think Mami earned the reverence the cast currently affords her.

- Not-live note: Those in the writing chat will remember that this is where I paused the video and said "Guys, Sayaka is dead. Dead dead dead dead." "This is the happiest moment of my life" only reinforces that prediction.

- O_O

- NEW WAFFLE-EATING CHARACTER LETS GO

- Also do Jenna and Sayaka both have egg-shaped...uh, what were they called? Emblems? Symbols to show that they're magical girls. I remember Mami's being flower-shaped.

- So did Homura make a contract with Kyubey? "You could say yes. You could also say no." Funnily enough, I can sort of imagine that he's talking about Madoka here, with "contract" referring to something else, a sort of dependence on the idea of becoming a magical girl. Unless I'm reading too much into it. "She's quite the irregularity" describes both of them. I'll come back to this idea later on.

- "Even I can't guess when she's going to strike." Oh, so it's definitely Homura he's talking about. Well, that's one theory jossed. :U

- I've said it before, but the animators really nailed Madoka's displays of anxiety. Little hands movements, nervous tics, that ineffectual slouch, etc. Like in this scene, where she and Homura are speaking at the restaurant. There are times where she's sort of looking downward, her eyes unfocused with a nervous smile as she tries to explain Sayaka's character to Homura. That's really [radio edit]ing accurate. Just something I found cool. The entire scene is resplendent with this kind of thing.

- LOOOOL "All fatal flaws for a magical girl," says Homura, at which point Madoka just deflates. Being Meguka is entropy.

- Also what the actual [radio edit] @ that removal of the cup's plastic top when she references Mami's beheading. Such troll! I like Homura for all the wrong reasons.

- This is a good expression.

- Just this entire scene, really. So good. Madoka's all "let's all be friends, pls" and Homura's like "I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I've watched c-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser Gate."

- This reminds me of Isaac and co. arguing with the Wise One at the end of The Lost Age, actually. Homura is all "it is inevitable; no matter how hard you may try, no matter how much you may commit yourself to this cause, such-and-such's fate is sealed" while Madoka is like "but won't you at least let me try?" I found it curious that so many people on this, a Golden Sun fansite, would be into this show, and I admit I've been watching it with GS's themes in mind.

- I just noticed a Sword Art Online thumbnail at the lower-right of my screen.

- wut

- Another pet-peeve of mine: upbeat, smiling characters being all "I'm really pathetic, aren't I? Haha! I'm so worthless!" I don't know why that irks me; it's not like angsting is any better.

- Sayaka has a "C" on her middle fingernail. Homura had...a diamond, I think. I don't remember what Mami had, but I'm sure it, like the egg-emblems (eggblems!) has significance. I'll do a sweep of Tumblr for analyses of that after I've wrapped up the series.

- This labyrinth in particular is awesome. And yes, Satty, the unheimlich is the primary focus of my grad work (as are 'pataphysics and negative space), so it's been a lot of fun noting both the many contrasts in art styles and the ways in which these characters interact with these environments. :3

- Sayaka is our resident fanservice girl, apparently.

- I hate Jenna's eating quirk. So tacky.

- Oh, so she's going to be a "[radio edit] justice, just get the job done" foil to Sayaka.

- A timely reminder that I am, in fact, watching an anime.

- Jenna is terrible. Like, wtf is this. Her attitude and actions in this scene clash with what's already been established. It's like an Inuyasha character just walked onto the stage. I suppose they were going to introduce this kind of conflict between Megucas at some point, but that doesn't mean I like Jenna's character.

- "That should have put you out of commission for at least 3 months." Enter the shonen hyperbole!

- So Sayaka recovers twice as fast because her wish was focused on healing someone. Alright, this is fascinating. Looking back, I wonder if we could glean what passive/active abilities Mami's wish granted her? I'm curious to see what benefits - or inhibitions - Jenna and Homura derived from their wishes, too.

- I'm not really interested in this fight scene, so we'll end it there. I do appreciate that they went back to Madoka's desire to see the magical girls work together, and how that hope continues to diminish with each passing episode. And Kyubey, man, he's just looking for every avenue to get Madoka to make a wish. But Homura's so determined to prevent that from happening. Best girl? Maaaaaaybe~


In summary: Sayaka earns herself a whopping death flag, Madoka and Homura continue to have both the best scenes and amazing chemistry, and Jenna sucks and both her introduction and fight scene spoiled the show's mystique. That latter impression could well change in the coming episodes, though. My knee-jerk reactions are the stuff of legends.