January 15th, midnight.
The second episode of Puella Magi Madoka Magica aired.
The first episode, while boasting exquisite animation and a quality far surpassing contemporary works, had little substance. The "monster" designs, however, drew widespread ridicule.
The second episode offered little more excitement, primarily focusing on explaining the series' mechanics.
For instance, the distinction between magical girls and Witches.
Girls chosen by Kyubey can perceive him. Such individuals are potential candidates for becoming magical girls. By forming a contract with Kyubey, they can have one wish granted in exchange for becoming a magical girl.
Each magical girl possesses a Soul Gem, which serves as both the source of their magical power and proof of their status.
Magical girls are born from wishes, while Witches arise from curses.
The former spread hope, the latter despair.
Unexplained suicides and murders are often caused by Witch curses.
However, Witches remain hidden within barriers, never revealing themselves in the human world, making them undetectable to ordinary people.
In the first episode, when the protagonist and Sayaka were fleeing, they suddenly entered a bizarre, labyrinthine area—that was a Witch's barrier.
From these two aspects of the setting, there's not much innovation. It's more accurate to say the setting is rigorous and lacks loopholes.
Senior Mami Tomoe is already a magical girl, and the transfer student Homura Akemi is also one.
As for why Homura Akemi is hunting Kyubey, no one knows.
Kyubey speculates that it might be to prevent new magical girls from being born.
Senior Mami adds that defeating Witches yields rewards, and depending on the timing and circumstances, competition for these rewards can arise, leading to conflict. Thus, having more magical girls isn't necessarily better.
The so-called "rewards for defeating Witches" are called Grief Seeds, which can be obtained by chance.
A magical girl's Soul Gem can become clouded. By using a Grief Seed, the Soul Gem can be purified, and the magical energy depleted during battle can be restored.
The depletion and replenishment of magical energy aren't restored by simply sleeping. It requires defeating a Witch, obtaining a Grief Seed, and then using that Seed for purification. This is one aspect of Puella Magi Madoka Magica's rigorous setting, unlike some other Magical Girl Anime where characters can sleep and be fully revitalized for battle the next day.
The only question was: where did this Grief Seed come from? Since Witches are born from despair, do they naturally possess Grief Seeds?
This question was not addressed in the second episode of the animation.
In fact, many viewers assumed that the female protagonist and Sayaka would sign contracts with Kyubey and become magical girls in the second episode, but that didn't happen either.
The entire second episode primarily focused on Senior Mami Tomoe showing off, taking the female protagonist and Sayaka on a tour of magical girl battles. This gave the two girls a clearer understanding of what it meant to be a magical girl, earning their favor. Sayaka even called Mami "reliable," and the female protagonist herself began to consider becoming a magical girl.
However, this was just a thought; the second episode didn't actually show the contract signing. Even if they were to sign a contract and become magical girls, it was likely to happen in the third episode.
For a 12-episode seasonal anime, it was unusual that the female protagonist still hadn't become a magical girl by the end of the second episode. This made some viewers accustomed to fast-paced magical girl anime feel uncomfortable.
Many complained online about the "slow pacing."
Of course, the biggest point of contention remained the design of the Witches.
The "monsters" in the first episode were already bizarre, but when the true Witch appeared in the second episode, things became even more grotesque. Some couldn't help but complain, "What kind of Witch is that... Are you sure it's not a monster? Where's the 'woman' in that?"
Previously, some had speculated that after the Witch was defeated, the animation's bizarre art style would shift to a healing genre style, perhaps even leading to a touching story.
In the second episode, Senior Mami successfully defeated a Witch. However, that was the end of it. There was no shift to a healing art style, no touching story—only a Grief Seed remained.
It was hard to see how this could be considered a healing genre animation.
As a result, after the second episode aired, the complaints on this point grew even more numerous.
The next day, Tadara Yoshihiko, a reporter for an animation magazine, contacted Lin Zhiyan for an interview.
Lin Zhiyan agreed to the interview. Tadara Yoshihiko arrived at L.S Production and, after beginning the interview, asked his first question: "President Lin, is Puella Magi Madoka Magica truly a healing genre animation?"
"It's a healing genre," Lin Zhiyan stated with certainty. "Have you watched the second episode? Magical girls are inherently beings who spread hope. If it weren't a healing-genre animation, what would be the point of that setting?"
"But aside from the setting itself, the first two episodes haven't shown any hint of healing," Tadara Yoshihiko countered skeptically.
Lin Zhiyan remained calm and explained, "As you said, only two episodes have aired so far, and there are twelve in total. This isn't a slice-of-life healing animation where every episode offers a dose of comfort. It's a healing-genre Magical Girl Anime. You'll need to wait until the protagonist becomes a magical girl to see those heart-healing moments, won't you?"
He paused, then continued, "Besides, aren't the characters' designs healing? Isn't Kyubey healing? Isn't the everyday life of these beautiful girls healing? Especially Mami Tomoe—she's so reliable. Her mere presence brings a sense of security and comfort, doesn't it?"
Tadara Yoshihiko was momentarily stunned, jotting down Lin Zhiyan's words before asking, "In which episode will the protagonist become a magical girl?"
"It's coming soon. I can't reveal the specifics, but just keep watching. I can't guarantee anything about other animations, but I'm confident this one won't disappoint," Lin Zhiyan said with unwavering certainty.
Hearing this, Tadara Yoshihiko couldn't help but secretly speculate.
Coming soon?
Does this mean the protagonist will sign the contract and become a magical girl as early as the third episode?
Even though the third episode airs next week, revealing it would still be a spoiler, which is why he's not being explicit?
With this thought, Tadara Yoshihiko nodded. "So, a heartwarming plot that will soothe our hearts is coming soon, right? Got it."
Lin Zhiyan sighed. "Actually, this is my fault. I shouldn't have promoted the animation's healing aspect so early... But rest assured, our company name contains 'love'—it's not just for show. We're an animation company dedicated to spreading and embodying love. When we say it's a healing animation, we mean it."
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