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At 6:00 PM, Hayami was in high spirits. Her workday had gone perfectly, she'd left exactly on time, and the traffic was nonexistent. To top it off, her favorite takoyaki stall hadn't closed yet. She bought a serving and strolled toward home, munching contentedly.
"Okay, get home, take a shower, throw a load of laundry in, make dinner, and do a quick tidy-up. Then, I'll watch the third episode of Madoka Magica and head to bed happy," Hayami planned with a satisfied grin.
The first three days of this week had been a nightmare. She'd dealt with obnoxious clients, incompetent coworkers, and a demanding boss. Fortunately, today had been flawless. From the moment she woke up, not a single thing had gone wrong.
She opened the comment section for the verified account of Warrior of Love. It was that time of the week again, fan activity was peaking.
"Honestly, based on the quality of the first two episodes, Madoka Magica is already standing tall among the history of magical girl shows."
"Yeah, aside from the fact that the protagonist still hasn't transformed, which is killing me, everything else is top-tier."
"The pacing, the narrative, the character designs, it's all so smooth. By the way, has anyone figured out who the screenwriter is yet? They're handling the script and over thirty percent of the music composition. I can't stop listening to it. There aren't many people in the industry who can write a story like this and handle the music too."
"People are guessing it's a pseudonym for a veteran."
"A veteran? Doesn't he have another anime airing this season?"
"He could be double-dipping. It's not impossible for a screenwriter to work for two different studios at once."
"Forget it, stop guessing. There are plenty of people in the industry who understand music. You could guess until tomorrow and still be wrong."
"I just hope the third episode picks up the pace. It's the third episode, for heaven's sake! Who has ever seen a magical girl anime where the main girl hasn't transformed by now?"
"But think about it. The fact that the show is this compelling without a transformation proves the character writing is exceptional."
"If Madoka doesn't transform tonight, or if there isn't some major hook, I am definitely coming back to this board to flame the Warrior of Love sensei."
"Count me in. If she doesn't transform, Warrior of Love should apologize by doing a magical girl cosplay stream."
"Whoa, that's a bit extreme, isn't it?"
As the airtime approached, the buzz around Haruto's Warrior of Love alias on the AniSphere Forum was reaching a fever pitch. After all, it was currently the twentieth highest-rated show of the season, respectable enough to have a very vocal fanbase.
After her shower, Hayami reclined on the sofa with a full spread of snacks and drinks. At 9:00 PM sharp, Tokyo TV's Channel 1 flickered to life.
The third episode didn't start with the infectious beat of the opening theme.
Instead, it opened with a backstory focusing on the relationship between Sayaka and the boy she loved, Kyosuke Kamijo. They were childhood friends, and Kyosuke was a violin prodigy.
However, a tragic accident had robbed him of the use of his hands, leaving him trapped in a hospital bed, spiraling into despair.
Sayaka visited him constantly. A scene showed them in the glow of the sunset, sharing a pair of earphones to listen to a violin concerto while gazing out the window. The moment was so sweet it made Hayami's heart ache.
'I think I know what Sayaka's wish is going to be,' Hayami thought. If medicine can't fix an injury like that, then a magical miracle certainly can. If Sayaka wished to restore Kyosuke's body, then...
"Aww, that's so sweet," Hayami whispered with a maternal smile. This was exactly what a magical girl's wish should be for: bringing joy and hope to others. Those idiots in the comments were always coming up with such dark theories for no reason.
After the opening credits, the plot moved back to the main track. Sayaka, Madoka, and Mami had been hunting Witches for several days.
Under Mami's protection, the two younger girls had learned what kind of monsters Witches were. However, the creatures seemed powerless against Mami.
Even though the Witches were evil, the magical girl was their natural predator. The tension was there, but the danger felt manageable.
Along the way, more mechanics were explained.
"If Madoka were to become a magical girl, she would be far more powerful than even Mami. I have never encountered a child with such immense potential," Kyubey said while at Madoka's house.
Hayami paused. 'Why? Why would Madoka be stronger than a veteran like Mami? Is magical potential just something you're born with in this world?'
She shifted uncomfortably on the sofa. In the animation, the production team had used a very tight close-up on Kyubey.
From that angle, its smiling face and blood-red pupils looked... a bit creepy. Fortunately, it was only a brief shot. The episode followed the usual pattern of Madoka's daily life, interspersed with occasional late-night meetings between Mami and Homura.
They exchanged cryptic words that the audience couldn't quite decipher. Mami wanted Madoka to join her, while Homura was desperately trying to prevent it. Homura had been an enigma since the first episode.
She always acted like she knew everything, yet she refused to explain a single thing.
It was deeply frustrating for Hayami. "Is this Homura girl a hero or a villain?" she wondered, checking the time.
It was 9:12 PM.
"Wait, the episode is more than halfway over! Why hasn't Madoka transformed yet? I've been following this for three weeks; don't tell me I'm going to be let down again tonight!" Hayami felt a surge of anxiety. Most viewers likely felt the same.
The show was good, but the slow burn was becoming unbearable.
However, the second half of the episode finally picked up. The daily fluff ended abruptly when Sayaka accidentally stumbled into a Witch's Labyrinth.
Since Kyubey was with her, she wasn't entirely terrified; she knew she could make a wish and transform if things got dire. Madoka and Mami realized she was in danger and entered the Labyrinth to save her. Homura appeared once again to block their path, claiming she would handle the situation and telling them to stay back.
After a brief skirmish, Mami used her ribbon magic to bind Homura, leaving her dangling helplessly in the air.
"Is she really that weak?" Hayami's eyes widened. She had assumed Homura was some hidden powerhouse, but Mami had neutralized her with ease. Was Homura just all talk, or was Mami truly that strong? Every anime had a power ceiling, and maybe Mami was it. If so, how strong would Madoka be once she fulfilled Kyubey's prophecy?
While searching for Sayaka in the Labyrinth, Madoka took Mami's hand and shared her heart.
"Mami-san, you showed me what it means to fight for the sake of others. You told me that maybe I could do the same thing. That made me so happy."
"So... my wish is to become a magical girl. A magical girl just like you, who helps people," Madoka said with a shy, earnest smile.
Hayami felt her heart melting. The bond between Mami and Madoka was officially established.
"It will be hard. You will get hurt, and you won't have time for romance or playing," Mami warned.
In the dim corridor of the Labyrinth, they shared a moment of profound vulnerability.
"Even so, the way you stayed so strong and never gave up... I've always looked up to you, Mami-san."
"I am not someone worth looking up to. I was just forcing myself. I was terrified, and I had no one to talk to. I was always so alone. Being a magical girl... it isn't a good job," Mami replied, her voice trembling as she turned her back to Madoka.
"Mami-san," Madoka said with a gentle smile. "You aren't alone anymore."
Mami turned back, tears welling in her eyes as she gripped Madoka's hand. "From now on... will you really fight by my side? Will you stay with me?"
"Yes!" Madoka promised.
The image of the vulnerable veteran and the kind-hearted girl, framed by the haunting vocals of the soundtrack, sent Hayami's emotions into overdrive.
In the fan groups, the enthusiasts were losing their minds.
"I declare them officially married!"
"This is true love."
"Madoka is so healing! And Mami is just too precious."
"I've watched hundreds of magical girl shows over the last decade, but I've never seen a duo this compelling after only three episodes. I bow to the Warrior of Love."
"This episode is the goat. I'm a Mami-Madoka shipper for life."
"Even as a guy, this scene has me smiling like an idiot. This is what the genre is all about!"
At this point in the broadcast, Mami Tomoe's popularity had skyrocketed.
In the first two episodes, she was roughly on par with Sayaka, but now her importance to the fans had surpassed everyone else. Empowered by Madoka's promise to fight by her side, Mami went into the battle with everything she had.
She transformed and began tearing through the lesser monsters of the Labyrinth, wanting to finish the job quickly so the three of them could go home and have tea together. The music was high-energy and triumphant as the golden magical girl blazed a trail of destruction. She looked absolutely invincible.
Hayami cheered along, caught up in the excitement.
Finally, Mami and Madoka found Sayaka just as they encountered the final boss, the Witch itself. Facing a creature that looked strangely cute and doll-like, Mami unleashed a barrage of firepower and successfully bound the Witch in mid-air.
"Oh, it's over," Hayami sighed, relaxing as the tension of the battle music faded. It had been close, but Mami had won.
Just as Hayami expected the episode to end with a celebration and Madoka making her wish, the unthinkable happened.
The "cute" Witch bound in the air suddenly bloated. Its head expanded like a balloon, its body growing ten times larger until it transformed into a massive, eel-like horror. But it wasn't a normal eel; it was a grotesque monstrosity.
Before Mami could even react, the creature's maw lunged forward. Its massive, scarlet throat opened wide, and the witch swallowed Mami Tomoe's head in a single, sickening gulp.
Mami's headless body fell from the air, but the monster wasn't finished. It had taken the head, but it wasn't satisfied; it began to viciously tear into the remains on the ground.