Hello everyone, Psyga315 here. Exactly one year ago, I liveblogged Puiella Magi Madoka Magica, riffing the hell out of it and calling everyone out, from the main character, to the big bad, all the way to that side character that only gets a major part late in the run (and not a good one at that). However, I still enjoyed the abridgment of Madoka, and recommended it to anyone who just want the cliff-notes version of Madoka.
Also, one year ago, a spin-off was made, called Puella Magi Oriko Magica, which is what we will look at today. Going by the same rules as the Madoka Liveblog, we're going into this with all the knowledge that the show gave us, but with the added twist that we don't know how Oriko will end. Okay, we have a pretty good hint, but we don't exactly know... You know what? Screw it. Let's reading. Oh, and before we begin... SPOILER WARNING.
Our cover has Mami and Kyouko in their new designs, a good hint towards the new art style. We also have a new character who wasn't in the show. Could she be... Okay, you know what, that joke's old. We all know she isn't Oriko. Yeah, I know I said earlier that we weren't going to read ahead of the script, but I think everyone knows by now who Oriko is, and it's sure as hell not this little girl. But hey, remember when everyone thought she was Oriko? Fun times.
We open with someone telling someone to try out their magic, and we see someone doing exactly that, predicting the events of Walpurgis Night. She determines to prevent it and GAAAAAAH! THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH KYUBEY? HE LOOKS SO DEFORMED! Okay, I know he's an alien and all, but this is taking it too far! He's supposed to be like a Weasel Mascot, with the cat designs being a take from Luna, the most well known mascot next to those puffballs from Pretty Cure, or Yuuno. Seeing Kyubey as this... thing... is just... unnerving.
Oriko freaks because she visions Kriemhild Gretchen as well, and she decides to send Kyubey on a little goose chase. We cut to Kyouko kicking ass and taking names. She wonders why there aren't any Puella Magi in the city and decides to take over. She then sees this little girl, who is pretty scarred by the JESUS CHRIST! WTF? DUDE! I know Madoka is known for the fact that three episodes in, someone gets eaten and that the manga had more blood and gore in it, but this is just jumping over the blood and gore meter.
And then Kyouko goes all "Go ahead, cry, you'll never bring your parents back." Which is a pretty dick move. Mind you, it fits her character and that she had a similar story, but still, dick move. However, she rectifies it by giving the girl something to eat. It's nice to see Kyouko play the Cool Big Sis, and the art really defines that well, making her a tall and respectable figure. The girl recalls her final moments with her mom, which are pretty high octane in the nightmare fuel. Kyouko explains to her that the creature that killed her parents was called a Witch and that she is a Puella Magi. Then proceeds to deconstruct the Magical Girl genre. I think it can go on par with Homura's speech towards Madoka in chapter 5.
Yuma, the girl, decides that she wants to be a Puella Magi, since she pretty much has nowhere else to go. Kyouko instead decides to teach her how to live on the streets. This involves being con-men, lying their way to getting what they want and stealing stuff. You know, this could make for a great manga adaptation of the film Catch Me If You Can. What happens next is pretty much Kyouko acting like a Cool Big Sis and fighting another witch, with what looks to be a bag over her head... Wait, when the hell did Yomotsu Hirasaka become a witch? Or a girl for that matter?
Anyways, after that, Kyouko sees burn marks on Yuma's forehead. Oh boy, here we go. After Yuma tells her of her sobstory, Kyouko compares it to her father, and knows what it feels like to be betrayed. Huh? I don't remember Kyouko's father backstabbing her in any way. I mean, all he did was kill his family and... ... Fuck. He attempted to kill her too, didn't he? I know the dude was crossing the Despair Event Horizon but... shit man...
Yuma desires to be strong and that is enough to break the power of the purple core medals... Wait, Wrong show. Anyways, Yuma asks Kyouko many questions, like if there are other Puella Magi, and Kyubey derps by. He tries to goad her into a contract, but Kyouko tells Kyubey to screw off. However, she does ask Kyubey what is up with the missing Puella Magi, and he explains that it's all due to them falling... to another Puella Magi. Oh yes, more Puella Magi vs. Puella Magi fighting! Yay!
And then Kyubey flies off... Okay, when the hell did he... nevermind, Kyubey will now be known as Kyabay, because he looks nothing like Kyubey. Kyouko tells Yuma that she shouldn't be a Puella Magi, and I think I know why Homura bonds so easily with her. They both have similar ideals that kind and innocent people shouldn't be Puella Magi. Anyways, back to Oriko, who tells Kyubey that emotions are awesome and that she knows about that entropy thing.
And that's where this part ends. What will happen next? Who knows!
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