Speculah:Ending Analysis

The ending sequence first appears in Episode 3. Remember that maybe what's shown in this ED won't actually happen in the anime itself, like the opening suggesting it's a happy-go-lucky magical girl story while it isn't that happy.

The light of love

White clouds. They turn blue afterwards.

The ending begins by a spiraling view on what appears to be clouds, that then turn blue while the camera pans down to a view of the "horizon" while Madoka's silhouette appears.

Sayaka, Kyoko

Someday the light of love you hold within your eyes will transcend time
and certainly destroy a dream of a world racing towards its ruin

---

Sayaka's silhouette

Kyoko's silhouette

Kyoko's different positions

Madoka walks pass two silhouettes: Sayaka is facing away from Madoka while Kyoko either faces toward her or in the same direction.

Interpretation

Sayaka's gesture can be interpreted as a feeling of guilt, which may be refering to how Sayaka along with Madoka decide to not to become a magical girl, but changed her mind later by herself. It can also suggest Sayaka's eventual falling out with Madoka over the latter's "failure" to become a magical girl and take some pressure off of her, as well as the fact that the two friends never truly reconciled before Sayaka's death.

Kyoko's position is ambiguous: she may either be looking down the path Madoka is walking (possibly referencing her "alliance" with Madoka in episode 9), or may be facing Sayaka due to her love for her. She is notably the only girl in the ending to be drawn in such a way, which may be an indication of the gray areas she occupies in the series: Kyoko is alternately a sadistic antagonist and a noble protagonist, with a materialistic worldview underscored by more intangible beliefs in truth and justice.

Mami, Homura

Swallow down your hesitation. What do you want?
With the direction this desire is going into, will there be a fleeting tomorrow?

---

Mami's silhouette

Homura's silhouette

Homura reaching for Madoka

Madoka passes by a sitting Mami, and then by Homura, who then reaches for Madoka.

Interpretation

Notice how Mami is, contrary to all others, not standing. It's most possibly symbolism for her demise. Then Homura tries to reach for Madoka, as she's doing in the series, not with her hand, but with her words.

Racing towards destruction

Sleeves and skirt being destroyed

Destroyed shoes

Shoulders

Madoka starts to run as her clothes are ripped away.

Black lines are also going across the screen vertically as this is happening. This could show how darkness is slowly destroying Madoka. It could also be a poke at how this anime is destroying the traditional magical girl image.

I run alone

Like the ancient magic I saw in my dreams when I was young
With a power to crush even darkness, I want to see your smile

---

Madoka now running towards the light

No light anymore

Madoka runs towards the light, and when she comes near it, it fades away, leaving only darkness.

Interpretation

Madoka has left everything behind to follow that light at this point. Her friends, and her magical powers (costume) are no more. But the light was just an illusion. Only darkness awaits Madoka.

Also notice how the darkness of these frames is similar to scenes in the last episode that had visualized hope and grief fighting with each other. The screen turns a bright pink (hope), before it is taken over back a big, black cloud (grief.) This could possibly symbolize how Madoka is running and taking control of all the hope and grief she creates.

Naked dreams

In this shivering hand is the courage of a hand-picked flower
My feelings are all that I can rely on. Awakening the light is my wish.

---

Naked in the dark

As it gets darker, she actually loses all her clothes and then starts running as fast as she can.

Interpretation

Still, as she's running, she becomes a beacon of light in the omnipresent darkness.

Notice that this is the first time Madoka has stepped off of the glowing platform she has been walking on the whole time. She has finally left her safe world and is running towards the darkness, yet she herself is a sign of hope.

The eye of the mask

Madoka in the eye of the mask

Long eyelashes on the mask.

From farther away (sans credits)

With levels edited.

Finally the whole screen gets engulfed in darkness and we can see Madoka's silhouette in the eye of what appears to be a mask.

Interpretation

In the end, Madoka's stuck behind the witch's mask. The mask bears a passing resemblance of the cover of the movie Mephisto directed by István Szabó. Compare also to Baron Ashura of the Mazinger Series. Compare also with the image of Über Gretchen

It's also not unreasonable to speculate that this could be showing Madoka's eternity as she is trapped. She is always in the witch's eye because if she should ever stop fighting witches, her own witch will awaken.

However, Madoka in the Eye itself looks somewhat like Star Child, possibly foreshadowing the ending of the show.

External Links

Another analysis (by [gg])