Ho Yay / Puella Magi Madoka Magica

"You're just too cute. I'm not gonna let you be popular with the boys. You're mine, Madoka, mine, mine, mine!"

—Sayaka Miki declaring Madoka to be her waifu in Episode 1

Puella Magi Madoka Magica, an angsty Magical Girl show with an Improbably Female Cast, has quite blatant homosexual implications (some even call it "Miserable Lesbians: The Anime") in both the main storyline and the sidestories and spinoffs. The show was ranked as the best Yuri anime in Japan, beating even Destiny of the Shrine Maiden, a show with actual homoerotic maintext as opposed to just subtext. The Wiki has its own page on the subject (which links back to this page).

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Homura x Madoka

The most important couple, borderline canon. The main story revolves around their relationship, and much of their actions and character development involves the other.

• Homura's fixation on Madoka is infamous, not only in the anime but also portrayed in Oriko Magica manga, in Drama CD 1 'Memories of You', and Drama CD 2 'Sunny Day Life'. She follows her around constantly, thinks only of protecting Madoka and her happiness, and treats any threats to her with brutal efficiency.
• In episode 8 Homura verbally admits to not giving a fuck about anyone who is not Madoka.
• Homura threatens to kill Sayaka - although it's merely an intimidation tactic to get her to use a Grief Seed - if the latter continues making Madoka sad.
• Homura practically confessed to Madoka twice.
  • In Episode 8, she confronted Madoka right after saving the latter.
  • In Episode 11, we see another confession as well as a long, desperate hug. It also includes a Declaration of Protection, and these words, while Homura is crying:
  Homura: I just started going to your school so it's not like you really know me. But I know you. I know you so well, you're my...
• In Episode 10, the truth is laid out on why and to what extent Homura cares about Madoka. She became a Magical Girl in the first place for the chance to change history and keep her alive, because Madoka was the only one who cared about her.
  • Homura's backstory: she's been enduring a brutal and depressing "Groundhog Day" Loop, watching her friends die horribly over and over again, all in the hope that she might be able to save Madoka's life.
  • The different timelines show Madoka herself gets very affectionate with Homura, praising and glomping her, and indeed in the first timeline their roles are reversed, with the powerful Magical Girl Madoka protecting the sad, powerless Homura.
• In the final episode, Madoka and Homura having naked hugs.◊ And then after Madoka ascends to a higher plane of existence, Homura wears Madoka's red hair ribbons in remembrance of her.
  • The naked space hugging scene is, if possible, more blatant on the DVDs. How? They took out the sparkles.
• The entire Homura x Madoka bond is cast more romantically in the manga. After she heard of the dream Madoka had, Sayaka's mental image of them casts them as lovers.
  • Remember in episode 12, when Madoka finally left Homura after giving her her ribbon? In the manga, she takes Homura with her into godhood.
• During Puella Magi Madoka Magica Portable, Madoka gets so attached to Moemura it can actually make her uncomfortable. Even after Homura drops the glasses and starts distancing herself, she can't stop Madoka from taking her home to meet her parents, who are quick to mention she's all Madoka talks about recently.
• In a spin-off manga based on the Drama CDs, the second page features Homura wondering if, in order to appeal to the fanbase, they shouldn't make the whole manga into a rom-com starring Homura and Madoka. It even comes complete with a cute little comic about Homura coming home from work to her darling wife Madoka, who asks if she wants to have a bath or dinner, and Homura responding that she wants her. And then there's a little picture of the Naked Lesbian Space Hug. See for yourself.
• In the Anicom magazine's 100 Questions, Madoka answers "Is there a boy you're thinking about?" by talking about how much mischief her little brother gets into. Then she describes her ideal husband as someone like her mother. In the PSP game, Junko mentions that Homura acts just like she did at that age.
• Visitors to the Movic Madoka Magica exhibit got to hear Madoka gushing about how pretty Homura's hair is, and Kyubey telling Homura how Madoka thinks she'd look cute in glasses. Homura apparently goes red upon hearing this.
• Plenty of official arts of these two hugging, dancing, holding hands lying on grass, Madoka looking at Homura in locker room, playing piano and singing together, building sand castles at the beach...
  • Madoka blushing, holding a Valentine chocolate courtesy of Homura, who was also blushing, shyly glancing at each other. The short message on Valentine card is very Homura-like.
  • The cover of official Guidebook featured Madoka and Homura facing each other, smiling with slight blushes, while having◊ Intertwined Fingers.
  • The two lying on a bed together wearing sleepwear, holding hands and gazing into each others' eyes.◊ At what point does it officially stop being subtext?
  • The "Madoka's ribbons = Red String of Fate" thing just got even less subtle.◊
  • And then Shaft releases this◊. (Warning: massive Rebellion spoilers.) It's undeniable.
• For Valentine's Day the mobile game released a short comic in which Homura gives Madoka chocolates claiming that she is her 'most precious person', and Madoka accepts them, saying that she also likes/loves (the word used is 'daisuki') Homura a lot. Hmm.
• It even shows up in the English dub bloopers.
  Homura: I think you have... a great ass...
• The first TV spot for the movies? About 27 seconds of what looks like existing footage... and 3 seconds of Madoka and Homura nuzzling◊. This adorable sequence is also present in the opening of the two compilation movies.
  • The same opening features Madoka and Homura in white dresses, lying in what seems to be water, reaching for each other’s hands with smiles on their faces.
  • The nuzzling returned in a Madoka themed slot machine, and this time it was accompanied by them touching their noses together.◊ They look suspiciously like they were about to kiss.
• In a scene in The Battle Pentagram, Madoka invites Homura to her home when the rest of her family is out, jokingly(?) asks her to bathe together, and gets Homura to sleep in the same bed as her, with Homura getting more flustered as the scene goes on. And then it gets better.
  Homura: Hey, Madoka, are you still awake?
  Madoka: Yeah. Sleeping in the same bed is a bit embarrassing, huh.
  Homura: That’s why I offered to sleep on the floor...
  Madoka: No, this is nice. Plus, you’re so warm.
  Homura: So are you, Madoka.
  Madoka: (laughs)
  Homura: Why did you invite me to spend the night?
  Madoka: When you told me you lived alone, you seemed so lonely.
  Homura: I... seemed lonely?
  Madoka: And so I kind of wanted to spend a lot of talking with you.
  Homura: Madoka... Um, thank you.
  Madoka: You shouldn’t thank me for that. I’m so happy just spending time with you.
  Homura: Me too.
  Madoka: Can I sleep over at your place next time?
  Homura: S-sure. There’s not much there, but if you’re okay with that...
  Madoka: That’s not true. You’re there.
• Rebellion piles on the Ship Tease, but at the cost of showing their relationship in a rather unhealthy light. A distraught Homura is comforted by Madoka, assuring her that she would never willingly leave her while she lovingly braids her hair, but this Madoka is one without the memories that drove her to her big sacrifice. Homura would do anything to protect Madoka from the Incubators, including willingly transforming into a witch. Madoka is delighted that she can finally bring Homura to heaven with her, but things don't go as planned. And at the end Homura declares all she wants is to ensure Madoka's happiness... by almost literally becoming the devil, forcibly dragging Madokami out of heaven, and rewriting reality to bring her back into the universe. Homura's universe. Homura explicitly says that her motivation for this is "Love".
• Homura x Madoka inspired Gen Urobuchi - of all people - to write a happy ending (albeit a well-earned one). That's as real as real gets. To quote Urobuchi in an official Q&A:
  Q: Is Homura in love with Madoka?
  A: Probably.
• One of the Madoka slot machines features Madoka and Homura practicing archery. Of particular note is them pressing their hands together, Madoka hugging Homura while jumping up and down if they get a bullseye, Homura tying up Madoka's hair, and Madoka putting her hand on Homura's waist to help her with her aim (making her quite flustered in the process). If either of them keep missing the target, Homura eventually decides to just use a sniper rifle instead.
  Homura: I won't let Madoka fight any longer!
  Madoka: Ho... Homura-chan?!
  Homura: [shoots a bullseye and then poses] Madoka... if it's for you, I'll-!
• A bonus Faustian reference: Madoka's witch name is Gretchen, the same name as Faust's lover. And since Homura is Faust in this series...
  • This fits even better since Madoka dissappeared at the end of the series just like Gretchen at the end of Faust I and Faust after loads of trouble and an entire life influenced by Mephisto finally reunites with Gretchen in Heaven. This idea could also be applied to the ending of the series instead of Rebellion.
• Both of their voice actresses speculated that Homura's feelings are most likely romantic and "possessive" in nature.
• A scene in Rebellion has Madoka faceplant into Homura's stomach.◊ After several seconds, Madoka moves to a push-up posture over Homura◊ to talk to her, all while Homura lays there submissively.

Kyouko x Sayaka

• The shadow play in Ep 9 is very suggestive, properly a Shout-Out to Revolutionary Girl Utena.
  • The manga replaced the shadow play with a scene somewhere in their afterlife.
• Kyoko's death has all the hallmarks of the tragic end often associated with the Yuri Genre: Heroic Sacrifice, Together in Death, Go Out with a Smile.
• Kyouko went from a psychotic Blood Knight perfectly willing to sacrifice innocent people, to someone who wants to believe again in justice and friendship and risks her life trying to save Sayaka, all in a few weeks, all because of Sayaka.
• Their Image Song duet 'And I'm Home', as ending theme for Episode 9, included in BD volume 5.
• The mobile game includes a New Year's special with the cast visiting a shrine and picking omikuji. Everyone's fortune looks good...except Sayaka's, which says "the person you're waiting for won't come". Kyoko, trying to cheer her up, promises that she'll stay with her.
• In Puella Magi Madoka Magica Portable, both Sayaka's and Homura's route, it's possible to prevent Sayaka's transformation into Oktavia. In Sayaka's route, this involves Kyoko comforting her after they learn the truth about soul gems. In Homura's route, it requires taking Kyoko to talk with her after the freak out - Kyoko is the only one who can get through to her. Not her childhood best friend, not her sempai, Kyoko.
  • A more light-hearted event: in the True Ending, Kyouko expresses jealousy when Sayaka comments on how perfect Mami is, and how she'd like to marry someone like her. Kyouko tells Sayaka it's not her fault that she's sloppy. When Sayaka asks why she's mad, Kyouko denies it in a tsundere fashion.
  • A less lighthearted event: You know how Kyouko has gone through complete and utter crap, yet still manages to stay human? Well, if Homura kills Oktavia before Kyouko and Madoka can attempt to save her, Kyouko declares that there is no hope left in the world now that Sayaka is dead, and those that do hope are only naive idiots like herself. And then she turns into a witch. That's right. It wasn't any of the aforementioned crap she went through that did it, it was someone who she knew for less than a month. Furthermore, Ophelia's Witch Barrier has musical and marine motifs, further reflecting how important Sayaka was to Kyouko.
  • In an alternate route where Kyouko doesn't turn into a witch after Sayaka's death, she breaks down in tears while sobbing that Sayaka was her heart's anchor, that she wanted to protect her, and that she has nothing left worth fighting for without Sayaka; while Madoka tries to comfort her by saying that Sayaka would understand her feelings.
• In Rebellion, the two are living together and argue Like an Old Married Couple on a regular basis (as this takes place in Homura's dream world, it seems she ships them too). During the battle against Homulily Sayaka outright states that the reason she returned from the Law of Cycles is that while she thought she left without regrets, she did regret leaving Kyouko behind, and they hold hands... a tender moment which is ruined by Nagisa squeeing about how much she loves cheese, which annoys Sayaka to no end.
  • If you watch closely, Kyoko and Sayaka actually share a piece of Pocky between them before they fight Hitomi's Nightmare (though not in the traditional sense). Kyoko tosses it to Sayaka, and she catches it in her mouth.
• The Battle Pentagram has them essentially go on a date, complete with eating each others' food.
• The ending screen to episode 9 features Sayaka and Kyoko underwater; with Kyoko having a content expression whilst holding Sayaka’s hands. This image takes on an even sadder meaning when you remember Kyoko can’t swim as confirmed by Kyoko’s swimsuit card in Magia Record [1]

Mami x Madoka

• While Mami met and recruited both Madoka and Sayaka at the same time, she was obviously more taken to Madoka.
• Madoka's You Are Not Alone speech to Mami, and the latter's supreme euphoria when Madoka agreed to be by her side as a Magical Girl.
  • At the end of the same speech, Mami suggests some wishes for Madoka to make since she ought to get something out of the contract. Her last suggestion is the perfect boyfriend; Madoka's response is to bashfully look in Mami's direction and say "Yeah, I know but..."
• In the first timeline, these two were the main magical pair against the witches.
• Their Max Relationship scene in The Battle Pentagram has Mami take Madoka on a date, they exchange presents, and Mami almost confesses to Madoka.
  Mami: Kaname-san, you're not just a junior to me, and you're not just my Magical Girl understudy. To me, you're my most important...
  Madoka: M-Most important...?
  Mami: Hehe... it's a secret.

Mami x Kyouko

• The 3rd Drama CD, Farewell Story revealed that Mami and Kyouko used to be quite close before the anime's events. Kyouko even took Mami home to meet her family!
• There's this delightful double message◊, which can mean something else if translated differently.
• As Drama CD 3 shows, there are many many hints of this ship:
  • In the Drama CD "Sunny Day Life", the only reason Kyoko comes to Mami's apartment is because she is serving cake. Oh Mami, seducing young inexperienced girls with cake.
  • In the manga adaptation of the Drama CD, we get this cute scene of Young Kyouko and Mami sharing a Grief Seed, and then she takes Kyouko home to share a cake she baked. The next day, her classmate thinks that her good mood is because she got someone special to spend time with, and Mami confirms that it is more than a mere friendship, which is taken as her getting a fiance. Oh my.
• In The Different Story Kyouko dooms herself to death from corruption by giving Mami all her remaining Grief Seeds, plus battling and harvesting Oktavia for her with the last of her magic, instead of dying together with Sayaka.

Mami x Sayaka

• Sayaka actually gets to develop a fairly in-depth relationship with Mami that mirrored the previous one that Mami had with Kyouko in the mid-parts of The Different Story thanks to Kyouko's initial hostility going unchecked by Homura, and Madoka going Out of Focus until the final chapter. It's such a perfect reenactment that it even end with Sayaka "abandoning" Mami while blindly lashing out in grief.
  • Sayaka still makes a wish about Kyousuke, but in this timeline makes the wish at all to pull a Big Damn Heroes moment and save Mami from Charlotte.
  • When Sayaka enters the death throes of magical depression she says she considers herself unworthy of Mami's companionship and demands to be left to die, Mami instead breaks down and confesses her own perceived inadequacies and says that they could complete each other, despite their shared imperfections. It's too little, too late, but Sayaka is genuinely touched and enheartened by Mami's outburst.
  • When Candeloro tempted Mami we see familiars that resemble Kyouko and Sayaka, when before they latter's place was filled by Madoka.
  • Mami was intending to die with Sayaka, before Kyouko stopped her.

Madoka x Sayaka

• Before Homura's past is revealed these two are by far the closest of the five. Sayaka's righteous nature stems from her constantly protecting the ever-timid Madoka, and Madoka's self-sacrificing nature comes from her guilt caused by Sayaka constantly protecting her. They explore and learn about the nature of Magical Girls together, and Madoka's fall into despair closely mirrors Sayaka's.
• In Episode 1, Sayaka says to Madoka "You're mine, Madoka, mine, mine, mine!", though the scene is only a joke between friends.
• Misunderstanding in episode 2:
  Hitomi: I can't believe it! Just by looking at each other, you know what the other's thinking?! Ah! How'd two people become that intimate after one night? What did you do after I left yesterday?!
  Sayaka: I can't believe she's going there...
  Madoka: Well, actually, lots of things happened, but...
  Hitomi: That's enough, you can't be serious! You're both girls!! Girls can't love girls! Girls can't love girls! Girls can't love girls! (runs off)
• During Mami's route in Puella Magi Madoka Magica Portable, Sayaka gets so distracted by Madoka and Moemura's womance, she starts ignoring her actual love interest.
• In their Max Relationship scene in The Battle Pentagram, Madoka expresses how scared she is for Sayaka, tells Sayaka that if it weren't for her she wouldn't have lasted this long, and outright tells Sayaka she loves her. Sayaka tries to blow it off by saying Madoka should say that to a boy she likes, but that doesn't stop her from cuddling Madoka, telling her how nice she feels and smells, and asks if they can stay like that for a while.
• At the end of The Different Story manga, Madoka's wish is to 'save Sayaka' from Oktavia (not knowing the entire truth of the matter), and Sayaka's last line is a Declaration of Protection toward Madoka as they charge to face Walpurgisnacht.

Homura x Hitomi

• Puella Magi Madoka Magica Portable has a CG of Homura comforting a heartbroken Hitomi when Hitomi lost a duel to Sayaka over Kyosuke. After that she's unusually attached to Homura. Even before that Hitomi went on how beautiful Homura was when talking to Sayaka and Madoka, what makes Sayaka ask if she "swings that way", to which Hitomi denies but admits being "a little interested".

Kyouko x Madoka

• While Kyouko is normally rather savage, aloof and antagonistic towards most people, all of her interactions with Madoka involve Kyouko being kind, caring, and even encouraging Madoka to do "the right thing" (it's worth noting that Kyouko has indeed never once behaved antagonistically towards Madoka, even though she has done so multiple times to every other magical girl she knows). Kyouko helped Madoka save Sayaka, because Sayaka is her best friend, and even brought Madoka Sayaka's dead body, expressed pain when the girl grieved over her, and yelled at Homura when Homura was all cold and callous over the situation.

Homura x Sayaka

• While their dynamic is built more on Foe Yay Subtext than classic homoeroticism, Sayaka does say that she thought Homura was beautiful in the first episode.
• Near the end of Rebellion, Homura shoves her face so close to Sayaka's that they're practically touching noses.

Homura x Kyoko

• Kyoko is the only person that Homura ever considers exempt from her I Work Alone shtick, culminating in her confining her doubts and suspicions to her in Rebellion when she starts to unconsciously break free of the Lotus-Eater Machine.

Mami x Homura

• Mami seems to have a bit of a fetish for tying Homura in ribbons, and Homura is far more reluctant and regretful of dueling with Mami than she ever was of attacking a distressed or defenseless Sayaka.

Other

• While Witch Elly is peering through Madoka's memories, she sure seems to focus on Mami quite a lot...

Relevant information

• Gen Urobuchi (series writer) said in an Madoka Magica interview (see Black Past) that he believes in same-sex relationships, and that they are not different than any man-woman relationship. He also said that if he wanted, he could write a BL story next.
  • One of his other works, Fate/Zero, features its own level of Ho Yay, between both male and female pairs.
• In another interview, Gen revealed Madoka Magica was started and revolved around the concept "where Homura saves Madoka". Yuri is the pivotal idea of the franchise!
• Ume Aoki (original character designer) and Hanokage (manga adaptation artist) support Homu/Mado and Kyou/Saya.
  • Following The Different Story manga, Hanokage suggests that the dynamics between Sayaka, Mami, and Kyouko could inspire "infinite possibilities".
• A Madoka Magica staffer created this strip◊ for Kyou/Saya.◊
• The official art book for The Battle Pentagram is filled with the girls having cute moments together, including several scenes that look like dates. The staff are not above pandering, that's for sure.
• They also pander heavily in official merchandise, with figures featuring Madoka and Homura as a pair.