Madoka Magica Drama CD 3: Farewell Story
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A Drama CD that came with the fifth DVD volume of Puella Magi Madoka Magica. The official title for this Drama CD is "Farewell Story".
As revealed in the Tiro Finale Book, the screenplay for the Drama CD was written by Kazumi Magica author, Masaki Hiramatsu. He also wrote the screenplay for the Drama CD Memories of you.
The first volume of the manga Puella Magi Madoka Magica: The Different Story has an adaptation of the Drama CD events, though it culminates in an alternate timeline with a different outcome from the timelines shown in the anime.
Summary
The story takes place before the events in the anime. This is the story of how Kyoko met Mami for the first time, how she became a proficient fighter, and what lead to Kyoko's disillusionment with her naive ideals. We are also introduced to Kyoko's happy family before their tragic demise.
Observation
- Madoka and Sayaka have a brief conversation with Kyoko for the first time, but their dialogue is never face-to-face so they are strangers to each other until their formal meeting in Episode 5.
- Kyoko saves Madoka and Sayaka from a Witch's labyrinth. This is from a period of time when she still had a family and hadn't become selfish and cynical.
- The events take place before the beginning of Episode 1, and seem to be taking place in the main timeline of the events from the anime, with a distracted Kyoko reminiscing her own past while Homura chatters about her plan to defeat Walpurgis Night.
- The Drama CD indicates that Madoka and Sayaka are in Class 1A, perhaps indicating they're first years (a possible indicator that the events are taking place approximately one year before the anime events, give or take).
- The timelines diverge on the day when Homura wakes up in the hospital, so events prior to that are unaffected by her resets.
- We do not know the exact date when Kyoko and Mami met for the first time (but it is suggested it was the year before). The day when Homura wakes up from the hospital is March 16, if the events are taking place prior to that date then they wouldn't be affected by the resets. The likelihood that the events in the Drama CD are taking place after March 16 is small and unlikely.
- If the events in the Drama CD are taking place prior to the anime series, then this could be considered to be a "short prequel".
- The events take place before the beginning of Episode 1, and seem to be taking place in the main timeline of the events from the anime, with a distracted Kyoko reminiscing her own past while Homura chatters about her plan to defeat Walpurgis Night.
- Kyoko narrates that she had been a Puella Magi for a year before she met Mami.
- However, her backstory as presented in her route in Portable claims she had relatively recently become a Magical Girl by the time she met Mami, which also feels more reasonable than a Witch surviving a whole year. The Different Story, itself based on the story as presented in Farewell Story, does not specify how long Kyoko had been a Magical Girl before encountering Mami, just that she was still inexperienced in comparison.
- This is Kyoko's first time to Mitakihara Town.
- Apparently, Kyoko is from Kazamino City.
- Mami saved Kyoko's life from a witch who could also split itself into decoy images/illusions.
- That Witch was also Kyoko's first target since she became a Puella Magi, apparently, she fought against it unsuccessfully and it got away.
- Considering a year has passed since then, she was probably a lousy Puella Magi.
- That Witch was also Kyoko's first target since she became a Puella Magi, apparently, she fought against it unsuccessfully and it got away.
- Mami saved Kyoko from a Witch who used a decoy.
- Mami takes Kyoko under her wing as her 'Senpai' to teach her how to become a proficient fighter.
- Mami "convinces" Kyoko to name her final attack, "Rosso Fantasma," (Red Illusion/Phantom). This matches Kyoko's color scheme as well as Mami's choice of Italian attack names. Kyoko finds Mami's naming to be amusing and embarrassing.
- This isn't the only time Kyoko laughs at Mami's attacks naming habit. Kyoko ridicules Mami's "Tiro Finale" in the Drama CD "Sunny Day Life"
- Mami "convinces" Kyoko to name her final attack, "Rosso Fantasma," (Red Illusion/Phantom). This matches Kyoko's color scheme as well as Mami's choice of Italian attack names. Kyoko finds Mami's naming to be amusing and embarrassing.
- Apparently, Mami's peach pie is amazing. Kyoko swears to it.
- In the Drama CD "Sunny Day Life", the only reason Kyoko comes to Mami's apartment is that she is serving cake.
- Mami was Kyoko's first friend she ever brought home.
- After the death of Kyoko's family, Kyoko no longer has her illusory powers. Kyoko becomes disillusioned and loses her ideals, resulting in an argument with Mami over familiars. She wants to leave because they no longer share the same values, but Mami tries to stop her and they end up in a battle. Kyoko wins leaving the defeated Mami in tears, crying over being all alone once more.
- Kyoko's secondary power is only heard in this drama CD, it was originally described in a Megami interview as something that didn't make it into the anime: Because she got her wish of "getting people to listen" while in fact, it was something like charming or hallucination, she got the magic power related to those things. However, because she lost her family, she totally negated those power with her subconscious mind. As a result, she fought only with the magic power she learnt later.
- Kyoko is forever alone, again.
- In the final scene, Homura asks for Kyoko's help in defeating Walpurgisnacht, similar to the anime.
- It is difficult to tell if this scene is taking place during Timeline 5 but it is likely that it is.
- While Homura discusses her battle plans, Kyouko reminisces her days with Mami and how they used to go over their tactics.
- The first original witch from a Drama CD to remain nameless, (there is no official name that is known of).
Trivia
- Kyoko's younger sister gets an official name: Momo (佐倉 モモ Sakura Momo).
- Momo likes fried shrimp.
- Momo may be named after the title character of Magical Princess Minky Momo, an early magical girl series. Although he claimed it wasn't an inspiration for Madoka, Producer Atsuhiro Iwakami has stated that he was fond of the show. It's also notable that the title character of Minky Momo actually died in a car accident (but was reincarnated).
- We finally get to hear the voices of Kyoko's family; her father, her mother, and her little sister.
- The names of dubbing artists for Kyoko's family are not disclosed officially. However, some fans guess that Kyoko's father is voiced by Banjou Ginga; Kyoko's mother is voiced by Kikuko Inoue(?); and Kyoko's little sister, Momo, is voiced by Mami Shitara.
- You also get to hear the noose that Kyoko's father uses to hang himself creaking from his weight.
- To be fair, this Drama CD is less bloody and milder when it comes to what happened to the rest of the Sakura family, the anime series was much more graphic and violent.
- Unless someone is familiar with Episode 7, the Drama CD never specifies or goes into details to what happened to her mother and sister.
- To be fair, this Drama CD is less bloody and milder when it comes to what happened to the rest of the Sakura family, the anime series was much more graphic and violent.
- Kyoko's younger sister refers to herself in the third person, much like Yuma Chitose.
- Kyoko is from Kazamino, a neighboring city of Mitakihara.
- Mami was Kyoko's senpai to train her into a better Puella Magi, apparently Kyoko idolized her as the ideal Mahou Shoujo, much like Sayaka, Madoka (and Homura in the first Timelines) idolized Mami.
Speculation
- The first witch to appear in the story may be a reference to the "Minotaur" in ancient Greek mythology. Some fans speculate that the girl who turned into this witch is an illegitimate daughter.
- The Minotaur is also located within a labyrinth, it was constructed by Daedalus to hold the creature inside.
- Coincidentally in the Greek mythology, Theseus was able to defeat the Minotaur with the help of the princess of Crete and a ball of twine (trivia: the word "clew" means a ball of yarn, hence the origin of the word "clue"). In the Drama CD, Kyoko was able to defeat the witch with the help of Mami (a Puella Magi with the power of ribbons) and her advice (or a clue, per se) to strike the real witch's body; all of this took place inside a labyrinth. The similarities, of course, are purely coincidental.
- This is perhaps overreaching but: after Theseus defeated the minotaur he set sail back home with his *ahem* bride to be; but before he could reach home his father, Aegeus, committed suicide believing his son was dead/failed.
- Coincidentally in the Greek mythology, Theseus was able to defeat the Minotaur with the help of the princess of Crete and a ball of twine (trivia: the word "clew" means a ball of yarn, hence the origin of the word "clue"). In the Drama CD, Kyoko was able to defeat the witch with the help of Mami (a Puella Magi with the power of ribbons) and her advice (or a clue, per se) to strike the real witch's body; all of this took place inside a labyrinth. The similarities, of course, are purely coincidental.
- The witch's axe could be a reference to the Minoan Labrys, it is a symmetrical double-headed axe originally from Crete, it is one of the oldest symbols of Greek civilization. According to archaeological finds on Crete, this double-axe was used specifically by Minoan priestesses for ceremonial uses and it was considered to be one of the holiest symbols in Minoan religion. Unlike the Near East, this axe is never held by a male divinity, only by female divinities and her priestesses. Some suggest that the shape of the Labrys is reminiscent of a butterfly rather than an axe, an interpretation of the mother goddess symbol. Others suspect that the two curved edges of the axe are indicating the waxing and waning phases on either side of a full moon.
- The word labyrinthos (Mycenaean daburinthos) is probably connected with the word labrys. In the Linear B (Mycenean Greek) script a symbol similar to a double-axe represents the phonetic sign a. In the context of the Classical Greek myth of Theseus, the labyrinth of Greek mythology is frequently associated with the Minoan palace of Knossos and has a long tradition of use that extends before any written records explain the traditions.
- The bull is considered to be a sacred animal in many myths and religious beliefs.
- Incidentally, in Mesopotamian culture a bull's horn is connected to the crescent moon.
- The bull is often associated with fertility rituals and beliefs.
- To the Egyptians, the constellation Taurus was a sacred bull that was associated with the renewal of life in spring.
- The Minotaur is also located within a labyrinth, it was constructed by Daedalus to hold the creature inside.
- Because the Drama CD also came with a duet character song of Kyoko and Sayaka (not to mention the Blu-ray version of Episode 9), yuri fans are wondering if this is a blatant attempt at a love triangle.
Gallery
Official Art: Meet the Sakura family (minus mom).
Kyoko's mother from Episode 7, a visual approximation.
Probably the only time that fans are happy that this drama CD lacks the graphic/visual presentations of what happened to Kyoko's family.
The only depiction of the Minotaur Witch, from Puella Magi Madoka Magica: The Different Story.
See also
- Drama CD 1, "Memories of you"
- Drama CD 2, "Sunny Day Life"
- Drama CD 4, "Summer Magical Girl Training Camp!!
- Kyoko and Sayaka's duet character song "and I'm Home"
- Blu-Ray Volume 5 Booklet
- Puella Magi Madoka Magica: The Different Story