Yu
| Yu | |
|---|---|
| |
| Japanese Name | 夢乃夕乍 Yumeno Yuusa a.k.a. ユゥ Yuu |
| Character Designer Primary Artist |
Doroinu Punyan |
| Voiced by | Japanese: Kotono Mitsuishi |
| ID No: | 3901 |
| Release Date (JP): | April 22, 2024 |
Yu (ユゥ Yuu) (real name Yuusa Yumeno (夢乃夕乍 Yumeno Yuusa)), also known as the Sleepwalking Ghost, was a playable character in the 2017 mobile game Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story: Magia Record. She was revealed to be released as a playable character on F4Samurai's fanfest stream alongside Shi, releasing on April 22nd, 2024.
General Info
| Physical Features | |
|---|---|
| Age | Unknown |
| Eye colour | Grey |
| Hair colour | Orange (recedes completely when transformed) |
| Height | 174cm (appears taller when transformed, but due to slouching her head is at the same level) |
| Magic | |
| Soul Gem | Clear Colourless Horseshoe (Hidden in the lining of her stomach) |
| Weapon | Unicorn's horn; and Propulsion Gauntlets and Greaves (hoof-shaped) |
| Witch Form | Morfine |
| Powers and Abilities | Mental Pollution |
| Wish | “I want to lose my sanity, to the point of no longer remembering myself.” |
| Other | |
| Japanese pronoun | watashi (ワタシ) |
| Known relatives | Unnamed mother, unnamed father |
| Origins | Unknown |
| School | Not attending |
Game Info
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Summary
A hollow magical girl who has lost her memory and personality. Although she has no malicious intent, she lacks a sense of ethics and has no hesitation in crossing the line. She thinks positively due to the influence of magic affecting her mind.
Doppel Description
The Doppel of madness. Its form is a unicorn. The master of this emotion is proud of herself for continually vanquishing evildoers, and also quite forgetful. As such, every time she summons her Doppel, it feels like both a fresh experience and a personal reward. Her Doppel’s sleek and pure body is in conflict with the curses that it harbors under its flesh. Their influence renders the Doppel unconscious from the moment it’s born, as the curses spill forth in rivulets from its mouth and eyes. When the Doppel awakens from the sharp pain of its master’s careless treatment of it, it roars and scatters curses all around, and the curses melt holes into those who touch them. The master’s voice can allegedly be heard from inside the Doppel, as she nonchalantly remarks on what’s left of her adversaries.
Side Story
| Warning, this section contains spoilers. |
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Part 1: The more we talk Nagisa Momoe wanders alone, contemplating her separation from the "Law of Cycles" and her overwhelming freedom. She repeatedly mutters to herself, calling it a "philosophical dilemma" stemming from her "exemplary intelligence". She curses her own cleverness but asserts she has no intention to return yet, needing to solve "that problem" first. While trapped in this loop of thought, Yu suddenly finds her. Nagisa initially mistakes Yu for a Witch and shouts at her, but Yu reacts with confusion: "Did you just call me a Witch!?". Nagisa prepares to attack, but Yu claims it’s a misunderstanding and asks if Nagisa forgot her. After Yu introduces herself, Nagisa notes Yu’s ability to converse is un-Witchlike but questions her monstrous appearance and odd magical aura. Yu protests being called a "monster," calling what Nagisa said mean but then wonders if she was complimenting her, which Nagisa denies. Yu then immediately and suddenly declares them friends, which Nagisa angrily rejects. After a circular debate where Yu reintroduces herself verbatim, Nagisa reluctantly concedes Yu seems like a Magical Girl, but she internally questions how Yu became this way and if she’s truly a Magical Girl. When Yu asks her name, Nagisa accidentally reveals it without thinking. She's intrigued by Yu’s peculiarity and suspecting a connection to "that issue" (likely referring to the increased amount of Charlotte Witches), declares she will accompany Yu for a while, to which Yu casually agrees. While traveling together, Nagisa asks about Yu’s identity, but Yu replies vaguely, with statements like "I am just me". Nagisa then asks about Yu’s activities, to which Yu answers that she does "Magical Girl!" work and has a "job", presenting a list of names. Nagisa reads the list and Yu clarifies it’s a list of "bad guys". Nagisa questions its purpose, suggesting Magical Girls lack arrest authority, but Yu responds that her job is to "get rid of bad guys". She elaborates: "Witches are bad. Bad guys are bad. So I get rid of both". Yu then spots a name with the details listing it as being nearby and abruptly leaves to get rid of them immediately. Nagisa loses sight of Yu, and then hears a distant scream calling for help against a monster. Following the sound, Nagisa finds a bloodied corpse, then Yu appears again, casually admitting, "I stabbed them a lot over there". When Nagisa says the victim collapsed here, Yu realizes she failed to kill them initially but notes that "it’s okay now". Yu defends her actions with the same logic she used previously, realizing that killing the people on the list is Yu's "job". Yu finally confirms that she's killed everyone she had to in the area and Nagisa labels Yu a killer. Yu feels hurt at the statement but quickly dismisses and forgets about it. Nagisa resolves to monitor Yu some more for society’s sake and when she asks about disposing of the corpse, Yu offers to "clean it up" and asks if Nagisa wants the body. Nagisa refuses and Yu offers to reveal her disposal method as a "secret" because Nagisa is her friend. Nagisa forces a nervous laugh and Yu reaffirms her fondness for her again. "Nagisa is my friend, I’m so happy… Nagisa is such a fun little kid! I want to talk to her more!". Part 2: The more we cross Yu continues her "job" of eliminating people on her list while Nagisa observes, internally noting she's letting someone die and calling it a serious situation. After Yu finishes, Nagisa comments on Yu's transformation from monstrous to human appearance. Yu reacts with the same shock of being called a monster but again quickly dismisses it. Nagisa questions how long Yu will continue her work and Yu responds that she will continue until her list runs out of names. When Nagisa asks about the list's origin, Yu tells her that Shi writes it for her. Nagisa then challenges the morality: "What if the list is wrong and you're killing a good guy?" Yu explains she double-checks to make sure they're bad guys but adds: "Eliminating them is always a good thing for Shi". Nagisa clarifies: "Even if you kill innocent people, you’ll keep doing your job because it’s good for this Shi?" Yu confirms: "Yeah?" Later, Nagisa asks why Yu works for Shi. Yu replies that it's because she's a Magical Girl and she's supposed to get rid of evil people. She contradicts herself by recalling: "Shi said Magical Girls are poor people who were tricked by their wishes". When Nagisa asks about Yu's wish, Yu repeatedly says: "What was it?... What a pain, what was it?" Yu then asks Nagisa about her wish, and Nagisa responds: "I can’t remember". Yu exclaims: "So you are just like me!" Yu reflects, admitting she thinks she lost something important a long time ago. Nagisa states that what is lost can never be regained and Yu responds: "What I forgot must have been everything to me". A picture book page intercuts the scene: "The two who jumped off the cliff never surfaced again. The End." Nagisa internally analyzes Yu's state and magic: "Yu has emotions, but they're completely disjointed and erratic... unnatural lack of negative emotions... refusal to connect to the future". Picture book: "After she lost everything, her last wish was to lose her sanity to the point where she couldn’t even remember herself. The End." She tells Yu: "You're just circling around a huge emptiness... Once you get rid of all mankind, it'll be over". Yu reacts: "I don't want to be alone". Suddenly, Nagisa senses a Witch and declares that they must defeat it. They fight the Witch together and win, but afterward, Nagisa notes Yu's arm was torn off and viscera thrown out during battle, but Yu regenerated her entire arm back without magic. Yu states this is normal, but Nagisa internally rejects this being normal at all. Nagisa concludes: "Perhaps… You are… a Frayed End (Hotsure)!" defining it as: "A malignant factor that, if left unchecked, will lead to a disastrous future". She acknowledges that the birth of a Frayed End was triggered by someone interfering in space-time and admits that it was Nagisa herself who did so. Despite recognizing Yu might be a victim used by Shi, Nagisa resolves that as a Magical Girl, she has to deal with Yu’s future. The scene ends with Yu commenting: "Fighting together is easier than fighting alone, isn't it?" Part 3: The more we erode Nagisa resolves to eliminate Yu and she approaches her, claiming she has a job to do before accompanying Yu on her mission. Nagisa internally notes Yu's monstrous regeneration ability and plans to attack before Yu transforms. When Yu offers to help, Nagisa tells her to come closer. As Nagisa prepares to strike, she asks Yu: "Do you ever think about the bad guys you get rid of?" Yu responds: "A bad thing is when you take something precious from someone without reason". Nagisa agrees but internally observes Yu doesn’t think twice on anything. Nagisa then attempts to transform and attack but fails when Yu reflexively transforms simultaneously. Yu remarks: "Hehehe, isn’t it funny?" Nagisa’s thoughts become fragmented: "There’s no reason to allOw hEr to KiLl pEopLe... It’S No dIfFerenT fRom deAlinG wIth a BeaSt... THE REAL BAD ONES ARE THOSE WHO FORCED THESE RULES ON US...!" She suddenly finds herself in a memory of the hospital where her mother scolds her and where Nagisa cannot speak. Yu appears and stabs Nagisa’s mother with her horn and her mother screams in pain. Nagisa questions if this is her past, and Yu notes Nagisa seems "dazed" and reveals: "People who stay with me sometimes start acting strange". When Nagisa asks if they met before, Yu exclaims: "Yay! You remembered!" and reintroduces herself verbatim: "Hello! It’s been a while, isn’t it?" Nagisa realizes Yu’s magic is affecting her unconsciously, and as Yu approaches concerned Nagisa screams. Nagisa relives the hospital scene where Yu apologizes for nearly getting rid of everything important and urges Nagisa: "With your own hands, you can get rid of the one important to you". Nagisa protests but Yu insists that this is the end of your story. Nagisa’s mother’s pleas echo: "Where are you? Answer me…" An unidentified voice demands: "Kill Yu... The story has already ended". Nagisa refuses to follow someone else's orders but acknowledges the voice resembles the way Yu speaks. The voice taunts: "You saw the end of your own story... Yet you're going beyond the end?" Nagisa declares: "I am going to the future! Ghosts must be trapped in the past!" The voice (Kei's ghost) concludes: "May that will kill my Yu..." Picture book page: "After she lost everything, her last wish was to lose her sanity to the point where she couldn’t even remember herself. The End." Nagisa awakens confused, muttering: "Kei...? No, that's not it..." as she struggles with fragmented memories. Yu wanders nearby, aimlessly questioning: "Where was I supposed to go again?" |
Quotes
| Warning, this section contains spoilers. |
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Self Introduction 1: Nice to meet you~! It’s me. I’m getting rid of bad guys now! Once I’m done, those who are troubled by dreams involving bad guys won't be troubled anymore! So, I have to keep getting rid of more and more bad guys. I have to go find my next target! Self Introduction 2: Hey, I'm looking for bad guys. Do you know where they are? I have to get rid of them. Story Chapter End 1: Story Chapter End 2: Story Chapter End 3: Story Select 1: What a pain, what a pain. Story Select 2: Gotta find more and more bad guys. Story Select 3: Oh, I smell something good coming from over here...! Story Select 4: Hehehe... Found it... What a lovely neck! Story Select 5: Is it okay to get rid of this one? What's their name? Story Select 6: I should bury it or it'll go to waste. Unused 1: I shall proceed in the order of the list. Strengthening Complete: Did something change in me? Did everything change? Did I become someone else…? Strengthening Max: Did I change? Am I not me anymore…? Episode Lvl Up: If it's something I don't know, I want to know it. But maybe I don't want to know. Magical Release 1: Nagisa-chan loves cheese, I love someone, and that someone is me. Don't forget about cheese and someone even when tomorrow comes. Magical Release 2: Ghosts only come from the past. They don't come from the future. So why... I can only go to tomorrow? Magical Release 3: I was a bad guy, so I became a Magical Girl who does good. I was empty, but Shii filled me up. Magia Lvl Up: Now that I can do more, I'll try to do more! Awaken 1: Wow~...! I really like this feeling…! I want more of it. Awaken 2: Witches and bad guys are all the same. Once you become one, there’s no turning back. So I have to get rid of them. Awaken 3: There’s no point hiding! I’ll find you, and doors and walls won’t protect you. So just stay there. If you accidentally tear yourself apart, you'll get into trouble and it will hurt…? Unused 2: Where do those left behind go when their story is over? Everything important has melted away. There are only fakes left. Login (First login): We're together today too~. Was it the same as yesterday? Will it be the same tomorrow?! Maybe the day before yesterday too? Maybe after tomorrow as well…. Wait, so even today too?! Login (Morning): Did you just say good morning~? Oh, Is it morning now? I see. Wait… did I sleep? What a pain. No, it isn’t! Aha! Morning! Login (Noon): I'm getting hungry… Wait?! Maybe I'm full?! Which was it? It sucks not to know what’s inside of your tummy, doesn’t it? Login (Evening): Darkness is seeping in more and more. When I'm alone, it feels like I’m melting away. You know? So I'm getting rid of bad guys. Login (Night): Did you just say good evening…? Isn’t good evening a signal of the end of the day?! If we keep saying good evening, can we stop tomorrow from coming…? Login (Other): Sorry! I… What was I thinking about? Do you know? Can you tell me? What a pain, what a pain. Oh? What was bothering me? Login (AP full): Do I really need magic to get rid of Witches? I can just stab them. Let's do it together! I'll be okay, probably. Login (BP full): If I go to the Endless Mirrors, will I be able to meet myself? I am not me! I can meet me! Where… am I? Unused 3: Wow! So many nice smells! They’re coming from here and there! I want to take them all for myself! Tap 1: When I see a lovely neck, I get all shivery and tingly… It reminds me that I am Yuu. But I can't go anywhere as Yuu. Tap 2: There's a smell I like. I can't remember it, but I'm sure it's my favorite smell… I love it. I want to have it all for myself. Tap 3: Magical Girls have to get rid of bad things, right? And since I get rid of the bad guys on my list, I’m a Magical Girl! Tap 4: Legs, arms… why not just rip them off if they get worn out? New ones will grow back, so it's okay! Want me to help? Tap 5: Nagisa-chan helps with my job, she is really kind… I want to help her too… Tap 6: Once the bad guys are gone, Shii will feel relieved. So I have to get rid of bad guys. Hehe! I'll keep doing it more and more. Tap 7: I got this from Shii. It’s my list! It has a meaning. That's why I decided to follow it. I want to give her what she wants. Tap 8: No matter how many times time rewinds, I'll do the same things! I don't want to pretend that any failure or sadness was a lie! Tap 9: No matter how many times I'm reborn, once I meet you, my life ends… Battle Start: What a pain… Violence is no good! Battle Victory 1: I can’t go back anymore, ‘cause there’s nothing left. Battle Victory 2: If you’re in a pinch, why don’t I lend you a hand? Battle Victory 3: Alright, I’ve gotta get to the next one. Unused 4: The end of the dream, the end is here. Disc Select 1: Disc Select 2: Disc Select 3: Disc Select 4: Targeting Ally With Connect Disc Select: Targeted By Connect Disc Select From Ally: Attack 1: Attack 2: Attack 3: Attack 4: Attack 5: Attack 6: Attack 7: Attack 8: Attack 9: Attack 10: Magia 1: Magia 2: Magia 3: Magia 4: Doppel: Giving Connect Attack To Ally: Connect Attack Given From Ally: Actives on Self: Actives on Allies: Actives on Enemies: Taking Damage: Taking Damage While At Critical Health: Dying: |
Personality
Because of her wish, Yu has lost all the memories of the period prior to the time she became a Magical Girl. She is also completely unable to distinguish the morality of others on her own, relying solely on whether or not someone's name is on her list to judge whether a person is good or bad - if a person's name is written on her list, then they are bad, and if it isn't, then they are good. Her judgement in this manner is thus entirely black and white, to the point that Yu possesses no compunctions regarding seeking out and murdering the people who do appear on her list, nor of removing their organs after the fact to sell for money.
Towards those that she has judged as good, Yu appears relatively affable. She is kind to Nagisa, though claims when asked by her that she would not make a good teacher for other magical girls, on account of her lost memories. She later also claims that she will always be on Nagisa's side, and will help her if there is ever the need.
After becoming a Magical Girl, Yu has lost all memory of who she was previously. Initially, inside her only the notion of "Magical Girls do good things," is the only thing she knew. Her state of mind is also always similar to a person being under constant sedation. Whenever she's confronted, or told about her past, or complex concepts, she immediately forgets what she'd been told and the conversation would need to start all over again.
While she often forgets concepts like time, hunger, or love, she doesn't forget everything, as she was able to remember Nagisa after not seeing her for years, as well as be Shi's ally for years.
She often speaks in fragmented, disjointed sentences, switching between voices, from childlike to more robotic/spooky tones.
Despite being an adult, as well as a Magical Girl for a long time, Yu behaves with naive simplicity, such as offering apple juice as an apology to Inui after planning to kill her boyfriend.
She doesn't pick up on social cues or emotional distress in others and Yu seems genuinely confused when others react with fear or hostility to her actions. Yu believes she's "removing bad people" and doesn't understand why others would object.
Despite not remembering Kei, or her past, she has taken many of Kei's mannerisms and speech habits as a Magical Girl.
Yu's relationship with Kei is somewhat mutually codependent. Yu relies on Shi for purpose, while Shi sees Yu as her reason to live, however, Yu's heart is fundamentally empty and she never felt any love for Shi.
Appearances
Event Appearances
- The Ribbon at the Brink Where the Waves Break (NA: Beachside Bonds)
- Nagisa Momoe's Wish Comes True (NA: Nagisa's Wish)
- Last Bird's Hope
History
Backstory
Yuusa Yumeno was childhood friends with a girl named Kei Seto, "Yu" being a nickname that Kei gave her. Yu comes from an affluent family, and is very intelligent, which led her mother to tell Yu not to be friends with Kei any longer, as she believed that Kei was holding her daughter back. However, Yu was obsessed with her friend Kei. When they eventually went to different high schools, Yu would walk the long distance to Kei's school every day in order to walk her home, despite Kei showing visible annoyance at this. Yu could seemingly only think of Kei in terms of their childhood, doing such things as bringing Kei a popsicle after school most days, even though Kei had previously explained to her that she hadn't liked popsicles since she was a kid.
When Yu told Kei that she was thinking of transferring to the same college as her, Kei replied that she would most likely not be attending college, due to having to get a job to help support her family instead. Yu then offered to attend whatever college was nearby in order to remain close to Kei, but Kei declined, telling Yu not to hold herself back for her sake. However, Yu herself believed that Kei was the only one that could understand her, thinking herself to be an extremely warped person, and could not bring herself to let Kei go.
One day, Yu placed her hands on Kei's neck as if to strangle her, though she stopped herself before she could actually complete the action. Rather than be upset however, Kei smiled and grabbed Yu's hands tightly, encouraging her to continue. Thereafter, the two girls would practice strangling each other, covering their necks with bandages afterwards to hide the bruises.
Soon, the pair grew tired of having to live up to everyone else's expectations, leading Kei to make a plan for the two of them to commit suicide together. She and Yu met up on a cape over the ocean. Kei had dressed in her best outfit, and brought a colorful ribbon for them to tie around themselves. Yu proceeded to express concern over their plan, asking Kei if her family wouldn't care what happens to her, only for Kei to hit her in response and reply that she doesn't care what her family thinks - she only cares what Yu thinks about her.
Together, the two vowed to follow each other throughout their reincarnations, and to kill each other again should they ever meet. They used the ribbon to tie their arms and legs together, and with their hands on each other's throats, leaped into the sea. However, due to the waves pulling them apart, only Kei ended up dying, while Yu ultimately survived.
An unknown time after Kei's death, but prior to the events of Magia Record, Yu awakens in the hospital. Kei's body had already been located, and the bruises on both of their necks dismissed as some sort of game they played with each other, while Kei's death was ruled as an accidental drowning. Yu's father had already told everyone that the two girls had simply lost their footing while on the cliff, which is why only Kei had died.
Yu soon returned to school, only to be disgusted by the pity everyone was giving her, and feeling as though her old self had died with Kei. As the days went on, Yu could no longer bear the trauma of having to live her life without Kei in it, feeling as though her sense of self was beginning to succumb to others' perceptions of her. It is then that Kyubey appeared, and soon made a contract with Yu.
Despite dying, Kei's spirit did not fade away completely, instead merging with a Witch that resided in the ocean near the cape. When she manages to possess Madoka during the event story of Beachside Bonds, she reveals to Homura that she is aware that Yu became a magical girl. However, she also believes that Yu already became a Witch, and was hunted down some time ago. Kei goes on to say that she believes Madoka and the others were the ones to have hunted down and killed Yu's Witch, due to the lingering smell of blood and curses on them from killing other Witches. Before disappearing, Kei begs Homura to kill Yu next time, before Yu can become a Witch, so that the two of them can be reunited no matter what world or timeline Homura jumps to.
Magia Record
Beachside Bonds
Yu is first mentioned, and appears in flashbacks in the event Beachside Bonds. Initially, she is referenced when two little girls approach Madoka and Homura, asking if they know someone named Kei, hinted to be a ghost, who is searching for Yu. Later, Homura and Madoka follow a cat, who they think is Kei, into the forest, where they discover an old notebook at a shrine. The notebook contains diary entries written by Yu, detailing her complicated relationship with Kei.
The entries reveal Yu’s self-loathing, her dependency on Kei, and their increasingly toxic dynamic, which culminate in the two making a pact to die together, ensuring they would "end whenever they meet" in every life. In the end, the entries reveal the two attempted a mutual suicide by jumping off a cliff, bound together. However, the waves separated them, leading to Kei’s drowning while Yu survived.
Kei’s spirit haunts the area, and gets entangled with a Witch, and later possesses Madoka in an attempt to find Yu and fulfill their vow of mutual destruction. Homura experiences dreams and visions of Yu’s memories, including Yu’s hospital stay after the incident, her grief, and her struggle with identity—questioning whether she is still the same person after Kei’s death.
In the climax, after the Witch is defeated, Kei’s ghost, speaking through Madoka, begs Homura to kill Yu if they ever meet in another world. The event ends with Yu’s final diary entry, where she questions who she is without Kei and clings to their vow as the only remnant of her former self. In the end, it is revealed that Kyubey approached was observing Yu during this crisis and likely made a contract with her soon after.
Nagisa's Wish
Yu's fist proper appearance is in Nagisa's Wish as the Sleepwalking Ghost. Kyubey introduces her to Nagisa Momoe within a Witch's Barrier after she defeats the Witch and saves Nagisa. Yu introduces herself only as "Yu", stating she has forgotten her last name. Kyubey explains to Nagisa that Yu suffers from memory loss, having forgotten everything before becoming a Magical Girl and even the boundary between reality and dreams.
Yu carries an list of names she identifies as "bad people." She states her purpose is to kill these "bad people" as part of her Magical Girl duties, believing this will help her remember a "very important promise" she made. She explicitly tells Nagisa she sells useful body parts from her victims and disposes of the remains in Witch Barriers. During her initial meeting with Nagisa, she checks her list and notes the surname "Momoe" is on it. She describes visiting a "Momoe" household but found it empty, and then she assures Nagisa that Nagisa herself is not on her list and is therefore "good."
Yu later encounters the Magical Girl Inui Itsumi. Yu identifies the person Inui cares about, referred to as "Shou", on her list of bad people. She points out "Shou" isn't even his real name. When Inui defends "Shou" and attacks her, Yu fights back, critically injuring Inui, which later leads directly to Inui's Soul Gem corrupting completely and transforming into the Witch Uhrmann.
After Nagisa contracts and becomes a Magical Girl, Uhrmann's barrier engulfs the hospital where Nagisa's mother was staying at. Nagisa fights against Uhrmann, determined to have her mother die only because Nagisa didn't save her with her wish. Nagisa is knocked out during the battle but Yu arrives and kills Uhrmann herself. Immediately afterwards, Yu enters the hospital room and attempts to harvest Nagisa's mother's body parts, stating her intent to sell them. When Nagisa intervenes and tells her to leave, Yu stops her attempt, already having mortally wounded Nagisa's mom. Yu realizes that Nagisa had been protecting her mom the whole time by feigning not to have known about her and decides to give Nagisa some space with her as she dies. Before departing, Yu tells Nagisa, "I'm on your side" and then leaves the scene. Yu's actions and presence in the hospital room directly contribute to Nagisa's mother's final terrified state, where she commented about seeing a monster, and Nagisa's subsequent despair and transformation into the Witch Charlotte.
Yu's Side Story
Many months later, Nagisa encounters Yu again while Nagisa is in Takarazaki City. As this Nagisa was from the Law of Cycles, she doesn't immediately remember Yu. She appears before Nagisa in her Magical Girl form. Nagisa initially mistakes her for a Witch due to her appearance and unnatural aura. Yu reveals she still carries the list of "bad people" she kills as part of her duties, believing this fulfills that "very important promise" she cannot recall. She explicitly states this stems from her wish to become a Magical Girl, though she remembers neither the wish nor her past. Nagisa studies Yu for a while and detects an absence of negative emotions in Yu's magic. Nagisa concludes Yu is a "Frayed End," a malignant anomaly destined to cause disaster, likely created by Nagisa's own continued life in the Magia Record Universe. Nagisa resolves to kill Yu but hesitates when Yu shows no hostility. During Nagisa's attack, Yu's magic inadvertently transports her to a hospital memory involving Nagisa's mother. Nagisa then finds herself in a void where Kei's ghost orders her to kill Yu, declaring Yu's story has ended. Nagisa rejects Kei's command and asserts her intent to reclaim her future. When Nagisa escapes the void, she finds that Yu has disappeared and follows after her.
Last Bird's Hope
Yu first appears to Kuroe in her civilian form while she's hunting Witches at night. She cheerfully states she is searching for a "bad person" and accepts Kuroe's offer to help before abruptly leaving. Later, in her Magical Girl form, Yu effortlessly defeats multiple Charlotte Witches that overwhelmed Nagisa and Kuroe. Yu confronts Nagisa, questioning her about cleaning up the bodies of Yu's victims, which Nagisa had to eat herself. Nagisa attacks Yu, trapping her in a bubble before collapsing.
Yu then tracks down Kuroe, Kuro, and "John" (a criminal she targeted). She insists John is a "bad person" who must be eliminated, but when John stabs her and urges the others to flee, Yu kills him. Her magic distorts Kuro's perception, causing Kuro to attack mindlessly. Kuroe herself also collapses as her Soul Gem nears full corruption. At this moment, Kei's ghost contacts Kuroe, begging her to kill Yu to prevent Yu from losing herself entirely and to free her from endless violence.
Later, when Kuroe wakes up, Shi reveals that Yu had brought her there. Shi explains to Kuroe that she's the one who's been directing Yu to kill individuals from her list, which come from her magical ability to experience others' suffering as her own in her nightmares. he also reveals that Yu had killed the people in the organization which had been exploiting Shi's power and that the Yu's killings are the only way she's been able to live somewhat peacefully.
They're interrupted when Nagisa and Kuro attack, throwing Yu into the building through a window. Nagisa identifies Yu as "Yusa," the survivor of a suicide pact with Kei Seto, and urges her to reclaim her memories. Yu shows no recognition however, her memory resetting before she can understand. Shi interrupts in panic and insists Yu is no longer Yusa. Tis is when members of a crime syndicate make themselves known, seeking revenge against Yu. They attack Yu by shooting her, but Yu doesn't feel the pain, detached her arm, then grows a new one, before killing them all herself.
Nagisa attacks Yu again, but Yu's magic harms Nagisa's mental state and she inadvertently hits Kuroe. The events overwhelm Kuroe, who's overtaken by her Doppel, with Kuro jumping in to try and save her while Nagisa faints and Yu and Shi are separated.
Shi runs outside, where Kyubey once more asks her to become a Magical Girl and she agrees, wishing to experience people's good experiences as well as the bad. When Yu finds her, Shi attempts to synchronize with Yu's emotions but discovers Yu's heart is completely empty – devoid of love, hatred, or malice. Shi then destroys Yu's Soul Gem (hidden in her stomach), killing her to free her from being a "tool" that Shi had been using. When Nagisa finds them, Shi explains that the only thing inside Yu was a faint memory that "Magical Girls are supposed to do good things." Shi then synchronizes with Nagisa, finding out about the Law of Cycles as giving Nagisa all the information about Shi's past.
Shi declares that she will continue doing Yu's work, before using her Doppel to escape with Yu's body, while Nagisa yells at her that she will report them to the police.
Shi's Side Story
In Shi's dreams, including the ones which recount her past, as well as ones of fictional events.
Yu appears and states she has been killing the "bad people" from Shi's nightmares, confirming this method reduced Shi's suffering. Yu questions why Shi hasn't wished away her nightmare ability, but she admits she fears losing her empathy. Ultimately Yu insists Shi's ability makes her unique and capable of understanding victims. Later, in another dream, Yu supports Shi's attack on alleged wrongdoers. Yu suddenly claims Shi's parents were killed by an evil organization and suggests a man they fight is Shi's real father.
After Yu's death, it is revealed Shi has taken Yu's corpse, as well as corpses of new people she has killed to an old woman taxidermist, a contact from Yu's organ-selling activities. They then reminisce about Yu fondly together.
Shi later takes Yu's stuffed body near the sea and she's approached by Kei's vengeful spirit. She tells Shi that she can keep Yu's body as she's going to take her soul with her and then departs. In the end, staring at the sunset, Shi tells Yu's corpse that she will become the new "Sleepwalking Ghost," stating Shi, just like Yu, was also "empty the whole time on the inside too."
Powers and Abilities
Yu is regarded as a relatively powerful magical girl, able to defeat fellow magical girl Inui Itsumi with ease, as well as her witch form, which Nagisa previously fell against. She is known to use her horn to stab and impale people, though her magia shows her using the rockets in her front "hooves" to propel herself horn first at amazing speeds.
It is stated by Kyubey that Yu has an incredible ability to survive and persevere. In her Magical Girl Story, it is revealed she can "heal" really fast without consuming magic due to the fact that she sees her body as an object.
Yu's unique magic is called "Mental Pollution", and its effects seem to show people tragic and traumatic events related to their lives, as she did to Nagisa, although it seems her magic is passive and is not used willingly by her. In the case of Nagisa however, as she'd already been taken by the Law of Cycles, Yu's magic showed the Nagisa from the main series' universe the memories of the Nagisa from the Magia Record universe, as the key difference between the two was meeting Yu.
Yu's list is constantly updated with the names of "bad" people, containing various details about them filled out by Shi, her colleague.
Observations
- Yu is heavily based around a unicorn. Her Magical Girl form has her walking on all fours with her front hooves and the extensions on her shoes, and she also has very pale skin, hairless head and horn on her forehead. Additionally, her Doppel itself is also a unicorn.
- Unicorn horns were believed to have the power to heal people, as well as purify bodies of water they touched. As her occupation involves killing bad people to help Shi, it could also be seen as her effectively purifying and detecting the metaphorical "poisons" of society with the help of Shi.
- Her Magia attack's name is Puella Monoceros. While Puella is the Latin word for girl, or young woman, Monoceros is the Greek word for unicorn, and it is also the name for the constellation representing the unicorn.
- While classical constellations have Ancient Greek myths associated with them, the Monoceros was only introduced to the sky charts in the early 17th century by Dutch astronomer Petrus Plancius and German astronomer Jacob Bartsch. It was simply chosen to fill a space between Orion and Hydra it reflects the European fascination with mythical creatures during that era.
- It's possible, due to Yu's equine appearance and Shi's pale skin, that the two represent the Pale Rider of the apocalypse, with Yu being the steed and Shi being her rider.
- In the original text of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, the Pale Rider's horse is described as looking like a corpse, which could allude to Yu's backstory as well as Yu's own Doppel.
- Her Doppel's name is Morfine, which is the Dutch and German name of Morphine, a narcotic used to treat severe pain. Morphine in specific is known to also cause addictions and, ironically, can be fatal in a certain dose. Notably, morphine sedates pain and induces a dreamlike state, which mirrors Yu's constant, detached numbness and fragmented perception.
Etymology
- "Yu" is simply a nickname based on a shortening of her given name, Yusa.
- Her full name stems from Kyūsaku Yumeno (夢野久作), a Japanese novelist from the early Shōwa period.
- In Beachside Bonds, she and Kei talk about Nōzui-Ron (An Inquiry about Encephalon), a nested story within Dogra Magra, his representative work. The story also includes several other homages and quotes from this novel.
- The characters in her last name mean "dream" (夢) and "belonging to" (乃) respectively.
- The characters in her first name mean "evening" (夕) and "suddenly" (乍) respectively.
Trivia
- With her original Live2D set, Yu was one of a handful of magical girls in any Magia Record event to possess a unique "costumed" NPC sprite. From this, it was seen that her magical girl form possesses a large pointed horn, a stitched (or heavily scarred) mouth and hairline, an extremely large collar with a matching choker, similarly furred leg warmers worn over her knees, and two "tails" emerging from the back of her outfit that are decorated with three bows each. The only others to possess a unique NPC costume sprite are Pernelle (before she was made playable) and Flèche and Lame all from the Tart Magica spin off manga.
- She is the first character with a Live2D model that does not directly face the player.
- Her final design was revealed at f4 Fan fest on December 5, 2023 with many notable changes. Her furred leg warmers have been replaced by pants, and although she retains the two "tails" that emerge from the back of her outfit, the tails no longer have bows. She now also sports two pink knotted scarves akin to "pony tails" protruding from her collar.
- During the event, her release date of March 2024 was revealed. However, her release was delayed to April 2024 for reasons unknown.
- She is designed by Gekidan Inu Curry, just like Shi.
- In her transformation, Yu states, “Tell me your name.” and “Are you a bad guy?”, referencing her actions seen in Nagisa's event.
- According to Magia Archive 4, Yu's collar is based on a sundial.
Gallery
Game Gallery
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Magia Record Four Star Card -
Magia Record Five Star Card -
In-Battle Sprite -
Doppel -
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Her original magical girl design. -
Her original casual Live2D -
Magical Girl Seal 2024
Official Art
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Past Yu with her friend Kei -
Present day Yu -
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Her diary -
Yu & Shi's casual designs -
Yu & Shi's magical girl designs -
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Memoria Cards
To edit a memoria's details, click on the specific memoria
| Card | Effect | Cooldown | EN Text | Original Text |
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**Unique to Yu** I will take my precious, precious "work" one by one, pulling them into the darkness. After everything has been cleansed, I cross the names off the list. This is a good thing... both for Shi and for me. | ワタシの大事な大事な“お仕事”は
ひとりずつ、ひとりずつ、暗闇へ引き込んで きれいさっぱりなくしたら、リストの名前を消していく これは良いこと…シィにとっても、ワタシにとっても |
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There's no boundary between dream and reality that anyone can see,
and there's no certainty to say whether the present is a dream or reality. So, cross over to the present as if you were dreaming, and dream like the present. Eventually, the dream and the present melt into each other, and everything becomes vague. | 夢と現の間には、誰もが見える境界線などない
今が夢なのか、現実なのか、どちらであると言い切れる確証はない だったら、夢見るように現を渡り、現のような夢を見る やがて夢と現は溶け合って、何もかもが曖昧になる |
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With a smile on her face, the girl spoke to me,
bright and light in her speech, but dark and heavy in its content. Soon I realized that her smile had dried up, and that I would never be able to escape her again. | 微笑をたたえながら少女は話しかけてきた
語り口は明るく軽く、しかしその内容は暗く重く やがて彼女の笑顔が乾ききっていることに気づく そして、彼女からはもう、決して逃れることはできない |
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"St-stop it please! Stay away from this person!!"
The voices of the girls echo through the platform late at night. Even though they share the same fate and speak the same language, they have a strange relationship where they cannot truly understand each other. | 「や、やめてください！この人に近づかないで!!」
深夜のホームに響き渡るのは、少女たちの声 同じ宿命を背負い、同じ言葉を交わしていても 真には通じ合わない、異様な関係 |
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Ever since they were brought together by a strange fate,
they had unknowingly become “cogs” in a cruel system that devours life. One of them was unable to resist her fate, while the other simply continued to spin. | ふたりは奇妙な縁で結ばれて以来、知らずと“歯車”となっていた
命を貪り食らう残酷な仕組みの中に取り込まれて ひとりは運命にあらがえず、ひとりは運命にあらがわず ただただ、回り続けていた |
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| Card | Effect | Cooldown | EN Text | Original Text |
External links
Gameplay Videos
- Recording of Yu's Transformation Video on Youtube (JP)
- Recording of Yu's Magia Video on Youtube (JP)
- Recording of Yu's Doppel Video on Youtube (JP)