Episode 05 – There’s no way I would regret it – 後悔なんて、あるわけない (koukai nante aru wakenai)
We finally get a proper introduction to the new Mahou Shoujo in this show, who turns out to be very evil (or at least, towards Sayaka she is). The thing is, this episode is emphasizing how being a Mahou Shoujo in itself is not some sort of magical, heroic existence, but instead it’s just about collecting witch’s seeds; in other words, it’s practically just a job. That being said, there are some very interesting revelations made this episode that brings up quite a few questions, such as the revelation as to how grief seeds come into existence. Being a Mahou Shoujo certainly isn’t sugar and rainbows, and I’m enjoying how this show is exploring the complexity of being a Mahou Shoujo.
As expected, Sayaka’s wish gets granted and the guy in the hospital recovers. Seeing him recover definitely gave Sayaka some confidence in her wish, but I do wonder if she will ever start to regret making that wish. Sayaka still seems to have a rather naive perspective on the Mahou Shoujo idea, which could turn out devastating in the long term for her.
That being said, I do find it interesting how being a Mahou Shoujo is just like having any old job, just with a ton of risks. In that sense, I can see why the new girl looks down on those who become mahou shoujo to “be a ally of justice”. For one, to protect as many people as you can, you must kill both witches and familiars.
The big issue here is that if you kill familiars, they don’t drop grief seeds, but if you let the familiars eat people and grow into witches, then they drop the seeds. There is an inherent contradiction here for those that are “fighting for others” like Sayaka claims; in order for to purify your soul gem and continue using magic to hunt witches, you need a grief seed. However, the only way to get a grief seed in the first place is to let familiars kill people anyways.
This contradiction certainly emphasizes how Sayaka is being very naive, and the world doesn’t quite tick the way she would like it too.
On a side note, a curious little point made here is how even Kyubei doesn’t know much about Akemi as a Mahou Shoujo. She serves as an enigma in this series, and does make me wonder what her relationship to Madoka is (well, it certainly isn’t normal that’s for sure).
Either ways, at this point I feel as if anything could happen. We’ve already gotten a death of one of the main cast, and now we’ve even got infighting amongst the Mahou Shoujo. Not to mention, Kyubei is staying quiet about how HE KNEW that the new girl would try and attack Sayaka. And not to mention, Madoka still hasn’t turned into a Mahou Shoujo. This certainly could prove to get even more interesting from here on out, which sure as hell should be something to look forward to.
Overall Enjoyment: 4.1/5
Screenshots are later in the post.
Next Episode Preview: This is Definitely Strange – こんなの絶対おかしいよ (konnano zettai okashii yo)
Distant Paradise 
I’d like to point out that while Kyoko was definitely a jerkass of unbelievable proportions, it was *Sayaka* who seriously attacked first. Her hot-blooded nature (which oddly enough would fit in any other magical girl show, I think) as well as her sense of justice got her into serious trouble, and it’s no question what would have happened if Homura hadn’t decided to step in.
As for Kyoko herself, she definitely mixes things up, though I’m not sure if she’s going to serve as Sayaka’s opposite, or MADOKA’S.
Well, to be fair Kyoko provoked Sayaka into attacking her. It was certainly obvious that Kyoko was not revealing herself to Sayaka to be a good senpai and warn her, or rather she was picking a fight with her.
It’s just that Kyoko started the fight verbally, whereas Sayaka got physical with the fighting. I’m still wondering exactly where Madoka “fits into the larger picture”, so to speak. The fact that she is constantly being bugged by Kyubei, as well as being protected by Akemi, all indicates that she is an important existence.
But what in the world would her becoming the “strongest Mahou Shoujo” exactly imply for this series? They certainly are vague here, though perhaps the scene at the beginning of the first episode might be a hint.