Around 12:30 AM, after the tenth episode of Puella Magi Madoka Magica finished airing, many viewers found themselves laughing and crying at the same time:
"So that's what they meant by 'every character gets plenty of screen time, even the dead ones.'"
"Damn, I really thought the female lead was going to make a wish to revive those who had died in this episode."
"It's the tenth episode, and Madoka still hasn't become a magical girl on the main timeline. This Puella Magi Madoka Magica anime is completely absurd."
"I'm seriously suspecting she won't become a magical girl until the final episode."
"After Old Thief Lin, even the voice actors are getting in on the fraudulent advertising now?"
"How the voice actors advertise is up to the official animation team, and how the official animation team advertises is up to Old Thief Lin. No wonder he suddenly stopped posting—he knew his credibility was shot and started dragging the voice actors down with him to pull off this scam."
"When it comes to fraudulent advertising, this anime has always been top-tier."
Perhaps because Lin Zhiyan didn't personally participate this time, the audience's backlash was less intense.
Moreover, only a small minority accused the animation of deceptive advertising. The vast majority engaged in serious discussions about the plot:
"Episode 10 was simply divine! All the foreshadowing from earlier episodes was paid off, and every plot hole was filled. It was a masterpiece!"
"So much information packed in, truly a divine episode."
"Now I finally understand why Homura is so obsessed with Madoka. I never expected such a story. It's so moving, waah~"
"Kyubey must die! How dare it claim the quota is nearly met and that the rest is humanity's problem? It never cared about humans from the start. To it, the magical girls are just tools to meet the quota. How vile!"
"My favorite character used to be Kyoko, but I'm now declaring my allegiance change. From this day forward, my favorite character is Homura Akemi."
"After watching episode 10, I doubt anyone could dislike Homura Akemi now, right?"
"She's been through countless loops, even shattering Madoka's Soul Gem when she was about to become a Witch. Any other magical girl would have given up long ago, right? From cowardice to strength, she's repeated the loops again and again, all to save Madoka. It's both admirable and heartbreaking."
The tenth episode became a "divine episode," sparking endless discussion among viewers, which further solidified its legendary status.
Of course, the episode's "divine" status wasn't solely due to the overwhelming audience discussion.
The next day, the ratings for Episode 10 were released, reaching an impressive 6.7%.
The animation's first two episodes had only decent ratings. After Episode 3 went viral, the ratings surged, but this initial spike quickly subsided.
Starting with Episode 6, the ratings began a steady upward trend, but they only rose by about 0.1% per episode. By Episode 9, they had struggled to reach 6.4%. The release of Episode 10, however, saw a direct jump of 0.3%—a surge that could be described as explosive.
Furthermore, because Episode 10 primarily focused on Homura Akemi's story, her previously misunderstood actions gained countless viewers' understanding. The episode evoked overwhelming sympathy, admiration, and heartache, causing Homura's popularity to skyrocket after its broadcast.
In online popularity polls for anime characters, Homura Akemi and the main character Madoka initially ranked at the bottom among the five main characters. Senior Mami took the lead first, followed by Sayaka, and then Kyoko in Episode 9. After the release of Episode 10, Homura Akemi surged to the top, far surpassing the popularity of the other characters.
This episode was a turning point, elevating both the anime itself and Homura Akemi's character to legendary status.
Despite this, the popularity of the other characters remained exceptionally high. The top five spots on the popular anime character rankings were completely dominated by the main characters of Puella Magi Madoka Magica, leaving no room for characters from other anime.
As for the popular anime rankings, Puella Magi Madoka Magica has held the number one position without being challenged by any other series.
The anime has maintained its top rank since its premiere, and after Episode 3, its popularity soared to an unparalleled level. Moreover, starting from Episode 6, each new episode has been a near-constant explosion of popularity, making other anime seem utterly insignificant by comparison.
By the time Episode 6 aired, Puella Magi Madoka Magica had already become a phenomenal anime. With the release of Episode 10, its popularity surged even further.
DVD pre-orders surged again, already exceeding 30,000 and hurtling toward the 40,000 mark.
The number of forum threads related to the anime surpassed 1,200 shortly after the tenth episode aired, with discussion posts exceeding 600,000.
Before the advent of Puella Magi Madoka Magica, the highest record for forum threads related to any single anime had barely reached 450, and the highest number of discussion posts was around 300,000.
Having long become the most talked-about anime in history, it now continues to raise the bar, reaching heights that leave all other animations in the dust.
In terms of internet memes, the most popular quote related to the anime had previously been Kyubey's: "Make a contract with me and become a magical girl!"
This was later surpassed by Lin Zhiyan's line: "I didn't lie, I just omitted a few crucial details."
After the tenth episode aired, Mami Tomoe's line, "If Soul Gems birth Witches, doesn't that mean we're all doomed?" struck a chord with its extreme implications, quickly becoming a new internet meme.
When it came to search trends for animation on the web, Puella Magi Madoka Magica naturally held the undisputed top spot.
The voice actors for the five main characters saw their popularity skyrocket, elevating their status in the industry. Kyoko's voice actress, Nonaka Ai, and Homura Akemi's voice actress, Saito Chiwa, became particularly sought-after.
The fame of Supervising Director Lin Zhiyan and Assistant Director Akiyuki Shinbo also grew significantly thanks to this animation.
This was no longer just a phenomenal anime; it could be described as a "super-phenomenal anime." Even past phenomenal hits like Lelouch and Gundam SEED couldn't compare to Puella Magi Madoka Magica's popularity.
Many even believed that if the final two episodes could wrap up smoothly, Puella Magi Madoka Magica would become a truly groundbreaking, masterpiece-level work.
Whether an original anime could stick the landing was always a concern, but with Lin Zhiyan, the undefeated Supervising Director and scriptwriter, at the helm, the audience's confidence remained high.
Though it hadn't finished yet, many were already anticipating Puella Magi Madoka Magica becoming a truly groundbreaking, masterpiece-level work.
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