Magia Record Episode 2: It's Proof of the End of a Friendship

"You're right. It isn't my business anymore.
So we're no longer friends!" ~ Kaede Akino to Rena Minami

It's Proof of the End of a Friendship それが絶交証明書
First airing	11 January 2020
Script	Kaede Ogawa Gekidan Inu Curry (Doroinu)
Storyboard	Hajime Otani
Episode director	Kenjirou Okada
Animation Director	Syunya Satou Yoshiaki ito Katsusuke Shimizu Hitoshi Miyajima

Summary

The episode begins in a dream as a hospital building is shown and Ui Tamaki stands looking out the window. She says something, but nothing can be heard. Inside Satomi Medical Center, Iroha Tamaki is walking down the halls and dragging a luggage case on wheels behind her. She arrives in the hospital room where Ui greets her, her face filled with joy. Iroha smiles warmly as she holds her close. Kyubey blinks his eyes as we are shown the hospital rooftop and Iroha wishes for him to cure Ui's illness. Iroha awakens in her bed, her face visibly distraught as she realizes that she has forgotten the existence of her younger sister.

At school, Iroha buys a sandwich from a local vendor for her lunch as she walks along Kyubey. Having explained her dream to him, Kyubey wonders who this Ui could be and whether her existence was erased as the result of a wish or whether it's more likely that someone created her and implanted false memories in Iroha's mind. However, Iroha is certain that the memories she regained must be real. She then asks Kyubey if he knows anything about the small adolescent Kyubey she found in Kamihama, but Kyubey has never heard of such a thing.

She researches the hospital she saw in her dream and discovers it's a real place. Iroha then decides to travel to Satomi Medical Center in Kamihama to investigate further. As she rides the bus to the hospital, all of the passengers on the train are marked by Witch's Kiss, causing the bus driver to pull the bus into a seemingly empty alleyway. The sign on the bus has changed from "Satomi Medical Center" to a series of runes. The passengers on the bus then disembark, moving jerkily like puppets towards a Witch's barrier hidden on the back of a moped. Familiars soon appear in the alleyway as Iroha realizes this is the work of a witch and jumps into the barrier as well. Iroha transforms into a Magical Girl and makes her way through the labyrinth where she soon encounters the witch Rebekka. Another Magical Girl appears and grabs Iroha by the hand, apologizing for not being able to beat the Witch and urging Iroha to escape. Iroha is concerned about the passengers and in the confusion Rebekka is able to strike at them, knocking them into the yarn of her labyrinth and entangling the girls. Just as she's about to land another attack at them, a mysterious figure deflects the attack and frees the two girls. Iroha looks up to see Momoko Togame and Rena Minami appear. The two girls turn their attention to the witch once Rena is done scolding Kaede for being so weak. They clasp their hands as Rena transfers some of her power to Momoko. Momoko is then enveloped in blue magic as she attacks the witch from above. Enraged, the witch envelopes itself in wool and charges at Iroha and Kaede in a spin attack that leaves the screen black.

As Iroha slowly regains consciousness, she can hear Rena arguing with Momoko about what to do with her. Momoko notices Iroha as she stands, and welcomes her to the Coordinator's place. She explains it's a hospital or counseling center for Magical Girls in Kamihama but it seems the Coordinator is not there right now. Iroha thanks them for their help earlier and explains she's from Takarazaki City. Rena scolds her for wandering into a Witch's labyrinth so casually since the Witches of Kamihama are much more powerful than Witches elsewhere. Momoko tells her to dismiss Rena's attitude before offering to escort Iroha back to the train station. Iroha asks if the Witches are numerous before explaining she has to go to Satomi Medical Center to search for her sister. She explains to them about how she had forgotten she even had a sister until recently. Having heard all of this, Momoko offers their help to Iroha in searching for her sister. Rena, on the other hand, wants nothing to do with Iroha since they had been doing their own investigations on the rumors of a chain witch. Kaede agrees that finding the chain witch is important, but considering they hadn't found a single clue all week she figures it would be worth it to take a break from their search in order to help Iroha. Iroha doesn't want to be a burden, especially since they just rescued her from a witch but Kaede reassures her. They all introduce themselves to Iroha, who gratefully accepts their help.

At Satomi Medical Center, Iroha explains how her investigation has already hit a dead end. There are no records of Ui Tamaki being admitted to the hospital, in the past nor the present. As Iroha waits in line for her drinks at a fast food restaurant, several students gossip about the disappearance of a girl. She turns to find Momoko waiting impatiently for her as she explains that Momoko is holding a table for them. Momoko then grabs the drink tray rudely from Iroha's hands before storming off. Confused, Iroha hurries after Momoko who is climbing some stairs to an upper eating area. Once at the top, she notices that it is Rena who is holding the drink tray and carrying it to a table where Momoko and Kaede are waiting. Noticing the look on Iroha's face, Kaede asks if Rena didn't transform into Momoko again. Rena initially denies it, but then explains that their classmates were around. Iroha apologizes for the delay in her search as she tries to come up with a way of getting into the hospital wings. Kaede and Momoko suggest Rena transform into a nurse to get the information they need, but Rena adamantly refuses. Kaede accuses her of using her magic whenever it suits her rather than to help those in need, but Rena is concerned about shouldering the responsibilities should she be caught. Rena then wonders if Ui is even real, but Kaede is certain that Ui must be real since Iroha used her Magical Girl wish to heal Ui. Kaede then accuses Rena of being selfish, even after becoming a Magical Girl. Rena then becomes defensive, saying Kaede's wish to protect her family's garden was dumb. Tearfully, Kaede becomes upset and says that the garden was important to her family and this is the reason why Rena doesn't have any friends. Rena tells her to stay out of her business, to which Kaede declares they can no longer be friends and storms off. Momoko tries to stop her but she's already gone.

Momoko turns to Rena and asks how many times they've supposedly ended their friendship. She tells Rena that she crossed the line with Kaede but Rena won't even look up. Trying to cut the tension, Momoko waves her arms at Rena and in a spooky voice warns her that the chain witch is going to get her. But this only serves to anger Rena further, who call Momoko stupid and runs off as well. Momoko drops into her seat, certain she's only made the situation worse. Iroha looks down, uncertain of what to say.

Momoko walks Iroha home and apologizes for their behavior back at the restaurant. Iroha apologizes, saying it was surely her fault but Momoko reassures her that they fight all the time. Iroha asks if the chain monster and chain witch aren't the same thing. Momoko responds by asking Iroha if she's ever heard of the rumor of the "Friendship Ending Staircase".

Images of middle school students climb an endless stairwell as the narrator explains the rumor. On the north side of the east wing is a stairway that goes from the fourth floor to the roof. Write your name on the sixth step and the name of the person you don't want to be friends with anymore on the seventh step as proof of the end of your friendship. If one of you tries to make up after that, they will be dragged off by the chain monster and trapped inside the Friendship Ending Staircase, doomed to clean its endless steps for eternity.

Yachiyo Nanami surveys the city from atop an unfinished skyscraper as Momoko explains how six names have been written on that staircase and three of those people have since disappeared. Iroha wonders if the rumors are true. Elsewhere, Kaede is walking through the halls of her school when she stops in front of a staircase. As she stares at the steps, a classmate calls for her to hurry up.

After receiving a call from Momoko, Iroha meets up with Momoko and Kaede at the train station. It seems Rena hasn't been home since the argument the other day. The girls search throughout a popular arcade that Rena frequents. There, Iroha sees a girl with the same school uniform as Rena walking out of the arcade. Mistaking her for Rena, Iroha runs over and stops her at the entrance, but it is a silver-haired girl instead. At first Iroha thinks she was mistaken, but the SayuSayu bracelet and Mocha Rabbit keychain are identical to the one on Rena's bookbag. Kaede comes up and hugs the girl from behind, saying she must be Rena in disguise. At first the girl denies it, but Kaede shows her the matching keychain on her own bookbag. Cornered, Rena changes back into her true self and takes off running with Kaede chasing after her. Kaede calls out her name as Rena transforms into Momoko, then the silver haired girl, then back to herself. As she continues to cycle through transformations, Kaede catches up to her and grabs her by the arm. She asks why Rena keeps running away even after she apologized the other day. Kaede refuses to let go of Rena and promises she'll keep apologizing until they're friends again and Rena forgives her.

Before Rena can respond, chains appear from their shadows. A fog envelopes them as shadowy figures ask if they didn't write their names on the staircase. The shadows accuse the girls of only pretending to be sorry and that it's Kaede's fault she can't apologize. Rena covers her ears with her hands, screaming that that's not what she's really thinking. Suddenly, the chains wrap themselves around Kaede as the screen pans to the staircase: on the sixth step someone has written Rena's name and on the seventh step someone has written Kaede's name.

Translations

Screencap	Notes
	Do not run in the corridors
	To Rebekka
	CALDWELL 99
	Rebekka
	Connect
	Rumor of the Breakup Staircase
	Dear Mifuyu I found someone I like when I became 14 I don't know what to do Since we aren't normal girls Even if our feelings are the same it doesn't mean we can be together Still, I ended up writing a letter to that person No matter what, I just don't want to erase this feeling... But if the time comes Should I have it delivered (text hidden) From a dead person (text hidden) Probably won't make them happy Mifuyu, at that time If it was you what would you do? From 14-year-old Yachiyo

Observations

The Outro

• In the scene featuring the reflection of an eye of Yachiyo in the water, its pupil resembles the moon.
• Some realistic scenes were shot in Yokohama.
• The outro is based entirely on Yachiyo's life from when she first contracted to when she was 18. This can be derived from the birthday cake with 18 candles, the letter she writes to Mifuyu (based on Mifuyu's personal memoria), and other imagery.
• The numbers on the elevator indicate how many days it's been since she first contracted at 12 years old.
  • The reading starts at about 110.
  • 126 days is about 4 months. Presumably she is now 13 years old.
  • 1343 days is about 3.8 years. Presumably she is now 16 years old.
  • 1649 days is about 4.5 years. Presumably she is now 17 years old.
  • 2120 days is about 5.8 years. Bringing Yachiyo closer to the present at about eighteen. At this age, the shape of the chair she is sitting in also changes.
  • The speed at which the number goes up can represent her growing up too fast. With each change she looks sadder and more lonely.
  • The last number displayed when Yachiyo is still in the elevator is 2149, after which the doors of the elevator open and Yachiyo falls into the water.
  • The last number displayed at Yachiyo's absence is 2164, after which the screen goes off.
• Yachiyo's falling into the water and the sliding filmstrips could be a reference to Campanella's falling into a river.
• Yachiyo's letter to Mifuyu also appears in the game in Mifuyu's personal story.
• The last scene probably takes place before Yachiyo meets Iroha in the OP.

Changes

• Much like Zenobia in the previous episode, Rebecca was also redesigned significantly, in particular her face and cape were altered, along with her colors being dulled. Her name was also spelled as "Rebekka".
• The Rumor of the Friendship Ending Staircase was altered significantly in its lore and prerequisites for triggering. See also Uwasa of the Friendship Ending Staircase
• Kaede and Rena's argument is different, as they argue over helping Iroha rather than food in the game.
• Ren Isuzu makes a cameo appearance as a transformation of Rena's.

Speculations

• The symbol that appears above Rena's and Momoko's hands when they Connect appears identical to the symbol that appears when Mitama adjusts a Soul Gem, and the symbol in the window of her office. This could imply that Connect magic is only made possible through her adjustments.

Trivia

• There is a map of Kamihama under glass with a crystal dangling above it in the Coordinator's place. This map only appears in a close-up. In every other shot of the domed glass table, the map is not visible.
• The large sculpture at the entrance of Satomi Medical Center is probably Athena's one.
• Each pair of names written on the Breakup Staircase appear to be somehow "conflict" with each other:
  • 高里希乃子 - 中山竹乎
    • 高里希乃子 (Possibly Takasato Kinoko): 高 (taka) = high; 里 (sato) = village; 希乃子 (kinoko) = キノコ = mushroom.
    • 中山竹乎 (Possibly Nakayama Takenoko): 中 (naka) = middle; 山 (yama) = mountain; 竹乎 (takenoko) = タケノコ = bamboo shoot.
  • 絢水紅音 - 油江藍凛
    • 絢水紅音 (Possibly Ayami Akane): 絢 (aya) = thread; 水 (mi, usually mizu) = water; 紅 (aka) = red; 音 (ne) = voice.
    • 油江藍凛 (Possibly Yugō Airin): 油 (yu) = oil; 江 (gō, usually kō) = inlet; 藍 (ai) = indigo; 凛 (rin) = cold.
  • 蟹山木陰 - 申谷陽光
    • 蟹山木陰 (Possibly Kaniyama Kokage): 蟹 (kani) = crab; 山 (yama) = mountain; 木陰 (kokage) = tree shade.
    • 申谷陽光 (Possibly Sarutani Yōkō): 申 (saru) = monkey; 谷 (ya) = valley; 陽光 (yōkō) = sunshine.
  • 水波レナ - 秋野かえで
    • 水波レナ (Minami Rena): 水 = water.
    • 秋野かえで (Akino Kaede): 秋 (aki = autumn) is made up of 禾 (grain) and 火 (fire).
• There are further references to Night on the Galactic Railroad in this episode:
  • The license plate number of the bus supposed to be bound for Satomi Medical Center but deviated by the witch is NGC-7000. It is the designation of North America Nebula near the Northern Cross, where Campanella makes up his mind to go to "the end of earth" to make his mother happy, a wish later fulfilled at the Southern Cross.
  • Caldwell 99 is the designation given to the Coalsack Nebula located between the Southern Cross and Scorpion constellations. In the story, the character Campanella ends his journey by going to the Coalsack.
• Momoko's pose when she is first introduced is similar to her victory pose in the game. Her attack against Rebekka is also similar to her magia attack "Edge of the Universe".

Gallery

See:Gallery:Magia Record Episode 2

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  End Title card by Sasagi Koushi

External links

Episodes
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Have You Heard? That Rumor About the Magical Girls	It's a Proof of the End of a Friendship	Sorry for Making You My Friend