Creative Intentions

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Thou Shalt Not Kill

replace these italics with that box thing (Q = Megami, A = Yukihiro Miyamoto, series director):

Q - From an animation point of view, were there specific instructions from Shinbo or Inu Curry?

A - Shinbo would say something on the drawings on the layout and the situation design, like "I want here to be like this". But he did not say much about the personality of the characters. He only said "A character that killed other people cannot get a happy end".

Shinbo: "In the anime, Sayaka didn't kill the two hosts." [The hosts are the men she encountered on the train in Episode 8]

Urobuchi: "It can be interpreted as both ways in the scenario, so Hanokage-san interpreted it as if they're killed in her manga version."

Madoka's world bears a strong sense of karma with regard to murder. The creators ensure that it does not go unpunished. Sayaka, who (depending on interpretation) killed the two men on the train, could not escape her fate. Even in Madoka's recreated world, she chose to sacrifice herself and lost Kyousuke to Hitomi.

Ironically, the only magical girls who did not kill another magical girl before she became a witch were Kyouko and Sayaka, even though Kyouko and Sayaka attacked each other with intent to kill.

Since the other girls received relatively happy endings, there must be an exception applying in their cases. It may be that magical girls, being liches bound to soul gems, are already considered effectively dead and destroying them does not count as "killing other people." It is also possible that the rule is not absolute, and those who kill for the sake of protecting others are exempt from the consequences. Mami killed Kyouko to save her from becoming a witch, Homura killed Madoka for the same reason at Madoka's request, and Madoka killed Mami both to put Mami out of her misery and to save Homura's life.

Chidamari Sketch

-find some gory fanart to post in this section

Scenario writer Urobuchi Gen apologized for intentionally misleading people that Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica is a cute healing anime. The producers were thinking of hiding Urobuchi's name to preclude people's deduction that the anime will be a darker show, but the premature staff information leak last Spring had ruined the plan. Note: the staff information of Madoka Magica was leaked in 2channel on April 1st 2010. Still, director Shinbo Akiyuki wanted to surprise the audience, so Urobuchi did his best to mislead people by making comments such as "It's time to recognize me as a healing-type writer." "It's disappointing that my new anime is called 'Chidamari (blood puddle) Sketch'.", "I want to make the audience happy by the anime." However, his efforts were in vain, Urobuchi said.

So here are my defendant's claims… さて、お待ちかねの被告答弁書でございます── Butch_Gen Original tweet Regarding the question "what's with that wholesome scenario writer?", in actuality, we had this idea of hiding the scenario writer's name until the broadcast started, but the plan failed since the staff list was leaked back in the early spring. But the director still wanted to surprise the viewers... 「果たして癒し系ライター虚淵とは何だったのか？」──本当はね、シリーズ構成脚本は前広報では名前伏せとこうかっていう話もあったのよ。でもそれが春先の情報リークのお陰で瓦解した。それでも監督はお客さんのサプライズな反応を期待しててね…… Butch_Gen Original tweet So I thought it would be bad if everyone could guess how the series will be because of me. As a troubleshooter, I tried to mislead everyone. But as you can see, it's ineffective. で、俺のせいで先の展開が見透かされるのは申し訳ねぇなぁ、という思いもあって、どうにか火消しというか、ミスリードできんものかとあれこれ奔走したわけだが。結局、まったく効果無かったよねぇ。 Butch_Gen Original tweet Okay, that took a big load off my mind. Thank you everyone who kept up until today! I'm going back to the normal Urobuchi from now on!

Healing-type Writing

madokamismilingatdyingmagicalgirl.png Urobuchi Gen: "It's time to recognize me as a healing-type writer."

Before Episode 3 aired, Urobuchi claimed on twitter that he had become a healing-type writer (iyashikei). This turned out to be rather misleading, and he later apologized for deceiving fans.

Upon reading the Fate/Zero Volume 1 Postface (copied below), "healing" takes on a new meaning. The postface indicates that one of Urobuchi's major goals in writing Madoka was to explore how to write a happy ending within the confines of the logic and ruleset of a dark, unforgiving world. He took up the following challenge:

Therefore, in order to write a perfect ending for a story you have to twist the laws of cause and effect, reverse black and white, and even possess a power to move in the opposite direction from the rule of the universe. Only a heavenly and chaste soul that can sing carols of praise towards humanity can save the story. To write a story with a perfect ending is a double challenge to the author's body and soul.

Urobuchi Gen had lost that power. It still hasn't recovered. The 'tragedy syndrome' is still continuing within me. Is this a terminal disease? Should I give up on the pure 'warrior of love' that I've longed for?

That turned out to be an exact blueprint for Madoka's ending. Madoka appears to be an attempt to overcome that "tragedy syndrome" by proving to himself that it's possible to have a self-consistent and natural happy ending to an Urobuchi story cruel enough to deserve the title "Chidamari Sketch" (Pool of Blood Sketch). In other words, this was, in a way, a "healing" story, but from the author's perspective rather than the audience's.

Which Truth?

Urobuchi Gen: To tell the truth, the production of the Madoka anime was temporary stopped once the scenario was finished, however Hanokage's manga still continued. So the rough sketch of the manga was done before the storyboard. It's amusing if you compare the manga and anime, as they're divergences from a single scenario.

link to anime/manga differences schroedinger's sayaka requiring story to conform to all possible open endings any other major divergences? madoka as center proves that all timelines were "real" and do-overs don't invalidate past characterization

Fate/Zero Volume 1 Postface

Urobuchi Gen wants to write stories that can warm people's hearts.

Those who knew about my creative history would probably furrow their brows and think this is a cold joke. Actually, I couldn't completely believe it, either. Because when I start typing out words on the keyboard, the stories my brain comes up with are always full of madness and despair.

In fact, I wasn't like this before. I've often written pieces that didn't have a perfect ending, but by the last chapter the protagonist would still possess a belief that 'Although there will be many hardships to come, I still have to hold on'.

But from I don't know when, I can no longer write works like this.

I am full of hatred towards men's so-called happiness, and had to push the characters I poured my heart out to create into the abyss of tragedy.

For all things in the world, if we just leave them alone and pay them no attention, they are bound to advance in a negative direction.

Just like no matter what we do we can't stop the universe from getting colder. It is only a world that is created through a compilation of 'progresses of common sense'; it can never escape the bondage of its physical laws.

Therefore, in order to write a perfect ending for a story you have to twist the laws of cause and effect, reverse black and white, and even possess a power to move in the opposite direction from the rule of the universe. Only a heavenly and chaste soul that can sing carols of praise towards humanity can save the story. To write a story with a perfect ending is a double challenge to the author's body and soul.

Urobuchi Gen had lost that power. It still hasn't recovered. The 'tragedy syndrome' is still continuing within me. Is this a terminal disease? Should I give up on the pure 'warrior of love' that I've longed for? Ascend a pallid battle steed and reincarnate into a dispenser of this virus... Could it be that I can only create pieces that give men courage and hope in my next life? (When I wrote this, I wrote 'courage' as 'lingering ghosts'. Could this be because of using 'ime' - Ah, I wrote 'ime' as 'hatred' -are there no chances of recovery for me?)

Honestly, I even wanted to break my pen. I remember watching Spiderman II. When I saw Peter wishing that he doesn't have the power to change his body, I also thought 'Perhaps, I wish to never write another script again!'

Therefore, I visited my friend Nasu Kinoko's house on the afternoon of the next day, and wanted to tell him my true intention. But before I spoke with him about what I've been thinking in my heart, Takashi Takeuchi got ahead of me and started talking. And as soon as he spoke he brought up an unthought-of proposal.

The parts afterwards are the same as Kinoko's notes. Although the initial plan was just a short piece describing the duel between Kiritsugu and Kirei, the wings of imagination can't be stopped once it is spread opened and finally all seven Masters and their Servants are gathered together. I found myself once again immersed in the joy of weaving together a story. It can be said that the launch of Fate/zero saved my writing career.

Right now, I've writing a piece that is saved and has a perfect ending. To be more accurate, writing a part of this piece.

Yes. This marvelous piece called Fate - its perfect united ending surrounding the protagonist Emiya Shirō is a set fact. No matter how cruel the end of Zero turns out to be, it wouldn't affect the perfect finish of this entire work.

Right now, I've finally got a chance to write a tragic ending according to my heart's desire. No matter how I display the darkness inside my heart, from an overall look I am nevertheless a partner of 'the warrior of love, Nasu Kinoko'.

Ohhh yeah.

Umm. Although it didn't completely solve my problem, however, to allow me to once again discover 'the self that has the joy of creation' is already a big improvement.

Right now, I'm moving forward step by step. No matter where I end up in the future, I am already very happy at the moment.

According to current projections, Fate/zero should end in four volumes.