Madoka Magica Episode 3: I'm Not Afraid of Anything Anymore
| I'm Not Afraid Anymore もう何も怖くない | |
|---|---|
| First airing | 21 January 2011 |
| Script | Gen Urobuchi |
| Storyboard | Yoshiharu Ashino |
| Episode director | Yuki Yase |
| Animation Director | Tomohiro Kamitani Kazuya Shiotsuki |
Summary
Sayaka visits a terminally ill boy named Kyousuke Kamijou, who was a violin player she admired when she was little but then got a serious injury in his wrist that keeps him from playing. They listen to classical music together rather happily, but then Kamijou starts crying quietly.
After another witch hunt where she defeated a familiar, Ulla, Mami tells Madoka and Sayaka that she was involved in a traffic accident and didn't have time to think about her wish. She also lets Sayaka know about the precedents of wishing for other people's sakes. Later that night, as Madoka helps her drunk mother and talks with her father, Mami is approached by Homura, who warns her about making Madoka a magical girl.
The next day whilst visiting the hospital, Madoka and Sayaka find a Grief Seed that is close to activating, so Madoka goes in search of Mami whilst Sayaka and Kyubey remain near the seed and are engulfed by the forming barrier. As Madoka and Mami enter the portal and catch up with them, Homura tries to warn Mami about the witch she intends to face, but Mami places her in a bind to stop her from following them.
As they continue, Madoka mentions her wish is to simply be a magical girl and help others. Mami laments that her job as a magical girl has left her lonely and afraid, but feels relieved that Madoka wishes to fight alongside her. The Grief Seed begins to activate and Mami fights off the minions of the witch, Charlotte, and appears to kill her. However the witch suddenly transforms into a giant caterpillar, catching her off-guard and killing her by first chewing on her head, then releasing her headless body and continuing to chomp on her remains as the horrified Madoka and Sayaka xan only watch.
Homura, her bonds dissolving with Mami's demise, steps in and defeats the witch, claiming the Grief Seed, as Madoka and Sayaka become saddened by Mami's death and are left alone, grieving for her.
Trivia
- The music piece that Sayaka Miki and Kamijou heard in the hospital is Sergei Rachmaninoff's Vocalise. The cover with the violinist Dawd Ostrakh is a reference to the soviet violinist David Oistrakh (or Oistrach).
- The opening sequence got some visual upgrades compared to the first two episodes' original broadcast (see picture below)
- Mami mentioned in Episode 1 that witches also appear in hospitals.
- There are a number of drawing errors after the fight with charlotte.
- Cyrus Hamlin, Professor Emeritus of German and Comparative Literature at Yale University, died peacefully in New Haven on January 19th, 2011 approximately two days before this episode aired. As part of his career he spent four decades studying and writing about Goethe's Faust and Goethe himself, authoring or editing much of the literature on the subject.
Runes
See also Runes of episode 3
Observations
Caution sign
When Sayaka first goes into Charlotte's world, there's a single frame that seems to foreshadow what's to come. Additional macabre hints are provided by the cereal box which is shown just before Charlotte appears. See Runes:Episode 3
Witches and desserts
The witch's name is Charlotte, which is also a dessert. It can be served hot or cold. Classically, stale bread dipped in butter was used as the lining. The filling may be covered with a thin layer of similarly flavored gelatin.
The relationship between the cake and the witch is emphasized in the Witch World (just like Gertrud and flowers in the previous episode)
Additionally, Charlotte's second form may have been inspired by The Very Hungry Caterpillar. An immensely popular children's tale.
Homura's Appearance
Near the end of the episode, neither Kyubey or Sayaka knew that Homura: a. was inside the labyrinth and b. had been restrained by Mami. Keeping this fact in mind may aid in understanding their reactions to the situation.
Production errors
In the original airing of this episode, after the fight with Charlotte, Homura jumps down and reverts back to her schoolgirl clothes. But then there is a single shot of her wearing her magical girl costume again, before she's back in her school uniform.
Outside the hospital after the Labyrinth disappears, the bike rack layer is underneath the garden bed's and there are few, if any, shadows.
Just a little glitch in the matrix.
Images
OP comparison part 1
OP comparison part 2
2ch examines parallels between the ED and the OP
'in operation' as in surgery
In-progress Barcode runes deciphering
Theory stating the real Charlotte is just a doll sitting on the platform
2ch description of the same theory: that Charlotte can multiply herself until the doll is stepped on
Homura should be wearing her school uniform
Charlotte's name in roman letters.
Speculation chart of episode 3
