Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story – Ep. 6

Sorry I’m late…again. I ended up spending my vacation as, well, a vacation. That and I had dental surgery.

For someone searching for her missing sister, Iroha sure isn’t in a hurry. Her next course of action after the Seance Shrine proved to be a dud is simply sightseeing around Kamihama and maybe a clue will pop up. I know it’s not like she has a lot of leads to work with and there’s a crap ton of rumors and Uwasas (the new name Yachiyo gives to the not-witches) but surely, she could think of something better to do with her time. Why not go through Yachiyo’s research book and see what rumors might best fit her case? What happened to investigating Toka and Nemu? You’d think Iroha would look more into them but no, she’s practically forgotten about them. Then again, I suppose Iroha could use a breather. She apparently doesn’t remember much of last episode (Yachiyo, why are you keeping her in the dark?) but it still happened so a break is warranted.

If we really want to talk about idiocy however, we should discuss the next rumor in the pipeline. Apparently, there’s a lucky potion floating around town and by coincidence, Iroha stumbles upon the Uwasa offering them. And as though she had completely forgotten what her job is, she doesn’t find suspect anything magical about this and drinks the potion herself! There’s stupid and then there’s this. Maybe if Uwasa was controlling her mind, I’d buy it but there’s no implication of that. Iroha is just as dumb as the person drinking next to her.

And yes, I’m using this to awkwardly segue to talk about Felicia (Ayane Sakura).

I’m on the fence about this girl. I like the idea of a magical girl working as a mercenary, it’s extremely plausible in the context of Madoka, but Felicia is running dangerously close to being another Kyoko. She seems a bit more bloodthirsty towards witches (the implication being dead parents) but functionally, she checks off the same cocky and abrasive with a tint of softness box that Kyoko did. It doesn’t help that Kyoko herself even shows up in this episode. Really? You’re setting up Version 2.0 while also having the original one reappear? Although to be fair, it is perfectly in-character that Kyoko would travel to a place such as Kamihama, where witches are aplenty.

Watching Felicia bond with Iroha didn’t change my mind all that much. I mean, really? They become friends thanks to ice cream? I got serious Kingdom Hearts vibes when that happened (and frankly, the less I think about Kingdom Hearts these days, the better). But in all seriousness, it feels too easily earned. Kyoko took a while warming up to others, especially Sayaka, and even looking at Magia Record by itself, you’re telling me this girl is easier to befriend than Yachiyo and Rena? I think I’m also getting tired of what is clearly a cyclical narrative. Every two episodes, Iroha seems to meet someone new. It’s getting old and it’s slowing the main plot down.

Regarding the ending. I’m super baffled with the introduction of the Wings of Magius. I don’t think it’s a bad idea per se. A group wanting to eradicate the witches is a believable concept and it could be really interesting if it turns out that they’re worshiping Madoka (though I doubt that’s the case since witches exist and you need to shove in a Madoka cameo). But I don’t know, the whole thing looks so damn silly, especially with the robes and obscured faces, and there’s no denying that their appearance is completely out of the blue. As for them offering Felicia a job, I doubt it’ll mean much. I expect to see a cool fight involving her, Yachiyo, and Tsurono but I doubt she’ll completely turn against Iroha. Just bribe the girl with some more ice cream; I’m sure it’ll work out.

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