WMG / Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story

As a WMG subpage, all spoilers are unmarked as per policy. You Have Been Warned.

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Lil' Kyubey is actually an artificial Incubator, like Juubey.

It does seem markedly different from Kyubey in not just size but mannerisms.

• Confirmed, the Kyubey is a corpse of an Incubator, just like Juubey, filled with Ui's memories.

Konomi Haruna is Gertrud.

She's the only magical girl we've seen who uses scissors, she has a flower motif, and Kyouko calls her a cute witch in her side story. The only reason she isn't dead yet is whatever is sustaining the Doppel system in Kamihama City.

• Semi-jossed...ish since Gertrud appears in the Magia Record Anime but Konomi doesn't. It's more of a 'never in the same room' situation until her doppel is released or Konomi appears in Season 2.
  • Super jossed. Konomi appears in Season 2 as a Doppel Syndrome victim and her Doppel doesn't look like Gertrud.
    • Completely jossed, as we now know the name of Konomi's witch, Heidesommer.

The setting is an Afterlife Antechamber

It is, in a sense, an "argument" set up by the "secretaries" of Madoka's heaven. It was made to eventually "argue" with Devil Homura, even including Homura's past self to do this. Similar to Rebellion, however, any ascended Magical Girl who enters cannot directly remember this.

• The quotation marks are because an argument between two immortal divine beings creating a space that connects all of space-time and dipping in from "outside" is hard to categorize for mortals.
  • Possibly jossed, Ultimate Madoka herself isn't sure what's going on with this timeline/record.

Candy the Stuck-out Ear Witch is Ayame

Candy's motif is a rabbit who likes to collect things she considers cute, is very capricious and like to destroy things out of whim, likes to be pampered, and her color motif is pink. All of them are Ayame's characteristics. Ayame is most likely to die in the bad ends of the event. Also, the three ribbons on Candy's forehead are colored yellow, blue, and pink - the Azalea trio's color scheme.

• Jossed, Ayame's doppel/witch form is named Ihikishima, not Candy, and its form is of a trigger rather than a rabbit.

Lil' Kyubey is transformed version of Ui, or something left of her after the Cosmic Retcon

After all, it made Iroha remember her and Iroha tried to use that to make Touka and Nemu remember her as well.

• Kinda confirmed. Lil' Kyubey is Ui, but is more of a host for her soul than a transformed version of her. The Kyubey that granted the hospital trio's wishes was robbed of its sentience. Nemu placed Ui's soul in it after the latter's harvesting abilities went haywire and nearly witched out.

in a similar vein as the Konomi theory above, Ria Ami is Kirsten/H.N. Elly

The little wing on her soul gem is on the same position/side as the wing on the Box Witch's grief seed, Ria tends to be envious/covetous if she isn't the center of attention (and Elly's barrier has the look at me message to boot), and her wishing to not only be beautiful but for everyone that knew her before to think she was always that beautiful. Sounds like she's "boxing" up the memory of what she looked like before her contract. Even the silhouette of a Magical Girl in Elly's monitor that everyone assumes is her old Magical Girl self kind of resembles a stylized version of Ria. Either like in the plausible Konomi theory, she hasn't turned into a Witch yet because of Kamihama/the Wings of Magius' effects or because of how much of an anomaly the Magia Record Timeline is stated to be in universe, she hasn't been able to experience what turns her into Elly in the first place before coming to Kamihama because it possibly didn't happen at all.

• The official Guidebook says that Elly's wish was 'I only have one wish. Box up that memory'.
  • Possibly jossed, H.N. Elly has been added to the game and seems to be existing at the same time as Ria.
    • Completely Jossed. Ria’s witch is named Heide Jekyll.

Sasara Minagi is Elsa Maria

Elsa Maria is said to be self-righteous and is themed after Catholicism. Sasara might qualify as Elsa Maria's Magical Girl counterpart due to having the same theme, a Chronic Hero Syndrome, and a strong sense of justice. For some reason, Sasara isn't dead yet due to some unknown magic keeping Kamihama's Doppel System active.

• The official Guidebook says that Elsa Maria's wish was 'I wish you, although not seen from me, to be happy'.
  • Jossed. Sasara's witch is named as Don Rocinante.

Akuma Homura is Magia Record's Greater-Scope Villain

Or Greater-Scope Antagonist, depending on your point of view. Akuma Homura may have subtly engineered the events of Magia Record's timeline and story in order to create it, and her doing so is why it appears to be an anomaly that not even Madokami=/=The Law of Cycles can make heads or tails of it. As for why? Maybe just to see what happens, or perhaps to observe and take notes on the Wings of Magius, a sort of "test run" in a different timeline of a plan she has to keep the world and laws of reality she made in Rebellion intact permanently—seeing what may go wrong and what should be corrected, who would be perfect canidates for what she needs done, etc. It might just be why there is a good deal of symbolism and influence of this character subtly planted around in Magia Record's setting and certain events, and why they haven't appeared as a Special Event Character yet, since their appearance would mark a major turning point for both the story and the game's reason for existence as a whole.

Doppels are actually Personas

The Memoria section of the game is similar to the first ending sequence of the Persona 4: The Animation. Mitama's hideout is the Velvet Room for magical girls and she herself speaks cryptically talks about destiny, fate and your soul when the player do a weave roll.

Doppels are said to be the shadow side of a magical girl. Similarly how in the Persona series characters can use their Personas once they learn to accept their shadow selves.

The Mitama Training Events usually revolves around magical girls interacting with a shadow copy of themselves:

• Tsukoyo (which also doubles as Tsuruno's Doppel Story): In a dream, Tsurono faces the nagging feeling that her goal to bring the Yui family's name back to its former glory pointless and that it would not be appreciated even if she succeeds would not be appreciated. She even talked with her shadow self (a silhouette of herself). Instead of vehemently rejecting her shadow, while initially despairing she decides to accept her feelings, accepts the possibility of failure but to remain striving, and to rely on the Power of Friendship. This causes her to unlock her Persona/Doppel.
• Hinano: Hinano faces her shadow who represents her insecurities of having child-like physique. The shadow rooted from a failed experiment where Hinano caused an potentially deadly explosion from an attempt to create a height serum. Though Hinano managed to accept herself, realizing how she could still fulfill part of her dream to teach children science and how her look was the reason he befriended Emiri. She pledges to continue her search for the height serum through more safer means, pleasing her shadow who remarks of looking forward to it.

Magia Record is an allegory of destructive cults

The Wings of Magius screams like a magical girl cult who advocates the salvation of magical girls but let rumors victimize the normals and the non-symphatizing magical (and actively spreads). They are intentionally vague when promoting their cause and don't usually disclose their methods to outsiders.

The Black Wings henchmen like newly recruited members have only a vague idea of the Magius' (the group's trio leaders) goal in "saving" magical girls and were clingingly hoping on the promises of the group. Mifuyu acts like the "handler" of members just in case a member betrays the group. The Amane Sisters being White Feathers are slightly higher in hierarchy than the black feathers and are more in the know but still dont understand fully the Magius' goals.

Their call of Magical Girls only being able to be saved in Kamihama is because the city is their stronghold.

Yachiyo could be an Allegorical Character to a cult expert, an individual who actively researches and opposes destructive cults (her looking into rumors) or just a prospect a cult failed to recruit.

• Yachiyo even called the Wings of Magius a cult in Chapter 6 having enough of attempts by its members to recruit her.

• The reason why Yachiyo is not willing to join the Magius is because their modus operandi reminds her of that of a Kyubey's; how he used truths for their own benefit. It can be said that the Magical Girl system is a cult in itself with Kyubey as its head.

Alternatively Magia Record is an allegory to Bullying in Japanese society

Many of the magical girls have a background of bullying including Sana, Ren, Rena, Mito and Iroha. Kamihama being a a gathering place of magical girls could reflect the the collectivist Japanese culture. Mitama the coordinator'neutrality is an allegory of adult figures who puts a hands off/minimal approach to bullying for the sake of the social harmony and reputation of the one's school/family.

Similar to the theory above, and largely for the very same reasons, Akuma Homura is Magia Record's Greater-Scope Paragon

Following the theory that she engineered the existance of the Magi Reco timeline, this makes her the proper god of this timeline who looks after and enables its existance, while Madokami, her enemy, would be inverted into being the devil who may consider this timeline and the connection it has to the rest of the multiverse through Infinite Mirrors, as a threat.

English dub cast predictions for Magia Record anime

Assuming the anime gets an English dub (and it's very likely a union dub):

• Iroha Tamaki: Brianna Knickerbocker
  • Jossed. Kira Buckland voices her.
• Yachiyo Nanami: Jeannie Tirado
  • Jossed. Erika Harlacher voices her.
• Tsuruno Yui:
  • Faye Mata
  • Abby Trott
    • All jossed. Marieve Herington voices her.
• Felicia Mitsuki:
  • Kira Buckland
  • Jeannie Tirado
    • All jossed, she's voiced by Lizzie Freeman.
• Sana Futaba:
  • Kayli Mills
  • Abby Trott
  • Ryan Bartley
    • Confirmed!
• Kaede Akino: Erika Harlacher
  • Jossed. Brianna Knickerbocker voices her.
• Rena Minami: Erica Mendez
  • Confirmed!
• Momoko Togame: Erica Lindbeck
  • Confirmed!
• Kuroe: Reba Buhr
  • Jossed. Faye Mata voices her.
• Mifuyu Azusa: Mela Lee
  • Jossed. She's voiced by Allegra Clark.
• Ui Tamaki: Sandy Fox
  • Jossed. She's voiced by Lisa Reimold
• Tōka Satomi: Wendee Lee
  • Jossed. She's voiced by Michelle Marie
• Nemu Hiiragi: Lizzie Freeman
  • Jossed. She's voiced by Mela Lee
• Mitama Yakumo: Kari Wahlgren
  • Jossed. She's voiced by Dawn M. Bennett
• Ren Isuzu: Wendee Lee
  • Jossed. She's voiced by Kimberly Woods.
• Mayu Kozue: Brianna Knickerbocker
• Tsukuyo and Tsukasa Amane: Ryan Bartley (most likely the English dub would have one voice actress voice both of them).
  • Jossed hard. Tsukuyo and Tsukasa are voiced by Jennie Kwan and Kayli Mills respectfully.
• Meiyui Chun: Stephanie Sheh
  • Jossed. She's voiced by Corina Boettger.
• Kako Natsume: Kayli Mills
  • Jossed. She's voiced by Deneen Melody.
• Nanaka Tokiwa: Tara Platt
  • Jossed. She's voiced by Justine Huxley
• Akira Shinobu: Casey Mongillo
  • Jossed, she's voiced by Allegra Clark
• Alina Gray: Allegra Clark
  • Jossed, she's voiced by Cherami Leigh

The Mirrors aren't a witch barrier

It's the incubator's base in Kamihama. That is why no one has ever seen the supposed Mirror Witch and the creatures guarding the barrier are artificial witch less familiar who can't evolve to witches themselves.

To even push this WMG further. The innermost layer is where Homura is being kept by the incubators in Rebellion.

• Jossed, the Mirror Witch was confirmed to be the witch form of Mikoto Sena, and as of Arc 2 Chapter 6, we now know what she looks like.

Kuroe in the Anime is Kuro

A popular speculation is Kuroe is Kuro from the video games. "Kuroe" is likely just a slight name change, and the people behind Magia Record isn't hesitant to rename characters (Like in the case of Tart who was renamed as Darc, even though there is already an English localization of the Tart Magica manga which had no problem using "Tart"). Also in episode 1 its established that Kuroe regretted her wish which might motivate her to join the Magius. She is also a candidate to be part of the "characters most likely will die" in the anime.

• Kuroe does join the Magius in Episode 13. However this does not conclusively confirm the above theory.

Asuka Tatsuki was originally a main character

It's well-known that there were previous drafts of the main story that were much different, during which it's very possible that the main cast was different. There is quite a bit of evidence for this theory, although its never been confirmed.

• While most non-limited, non-Mitakihara characters get a short five-second transformation animation, Asuka gets the more detailed fifteen-second animation reserved for main story characters.
• There are various 4* memoria depicting most of the main story characters in front of a backdrop of flowers, often called "garden memoria" by the fanbase. Asuka gets one of these despite not being a main story character.
• In the list of Magical Girl Stories in the in-game archive, Asuka's story appears together with the main characters.
• Asuka was designed by Ume Aoki, who has only designed main story characters with Asuka and Karin being the exception (and Karin appears in the first chapter of Part 2, leaving only Asuka).

An Inception was performed in the Maiden of Hope event.

Iroha and Yachiyo got transported in medieval France and were caught in the crossfire of the Hundred Years' War after sleeping by a scented candles given to them by Mitama. Back in time, they were attacked by Corbeau which makes siding with Tart (Joan of Arc) easier. Iroha and Yachiyo occasionally returns back to their time when they wake up. When things deviate from their recorded history of the war, the duo wakes up in a Kamihama enveloped in a perpetual darkness and other people are nowhere to be found. The two thought they were just dreaming and concluded they indeed are time traveling and their actions indeed have an effect to their own timeline. They return to their "shared dreaming" to ensure history happens as it should be.

However the real Stinger is Iroha and Yachiyo is indeed in a dream, the dream of Tart. They manage to enter Tart's dream through the candles. The same candles used by Corbeau to sedate Tart back in the past. Corbeau's scheme is to perform an inception to plant an idea of despair on Tart so she would witch out. It turns out that Riz is not a projection but an extractor too and was helped by Iroha and Yachiyo. Riz was brought out from limbo at one point. In the end Corbeau's plot was foiled and an idea of hope was planted by Iroha and Yachiyo on Tart instead, becoming instrumental to the win of French forces in the historic war.

Coolmura refusing to see the outcome of the final battle in Kamihama will be her biggest mistake Post-Rebellion.

In her character story, Coolmura (PMMM Homura that we know in the OG series) was able to access the memories of her other self that lives in the Magia Record timeline. She was able to see how MR!Homura differed on her strategy to save Madoka but unfortunately ended the memory short because she deducted that these memories no longer has anything to do with her since now Madoka is rewriting the universe. So Coolmura never saw how the Kamihama Magical Girls ended up helping MR!Homura save Madoka. Kyubey also dismisses the MR!Timeline as an anomaly so both of them let the universe be rewritten. Now if we go to Madokami's Character story, Madokami has trouble reaching the Magia Record timeline. The best that Madokami can do is to indirectly give power to all Magical Girls in Kamihama through a rain of feathers and secure the future of MR!Homura and Madoka in the Magia Record Timeline. After that she decided to not interfere any longer and keep the 'record' of Magia Record secluded in her collection in Magical Girl Heaven. Now fast-forward to the ending of Rebellion. Madoka is stripped of her godhood and living in Devil!Homura's new world. It's still confirmed that Madoka can still access her godhood if Homura isn't there to suppress it every now and then. So now here is the real WMG. Homura is currently the god of the universe and can do anything Madokami can do which means she has access to the "records" that Madokami posesses. Unfortunately, she's too busy making sure Madoka is happy in her world to even recall the 'Magia Record.' So Sayaka's and Nagisa's Mission is to get Madoka to gain back access to her godhood even if its for a moment before Homura suppresses her again. In that small moment, Madoka will try to figure out how to undo Homura's grip on the universe and will remember about the 'Magia Record' and how even as Madokami, she has trouble trying to influence it as the law of cycles. So Madoka, with whatever crumb of godhood she can possess, decides to enter the timeline of Magia Record and possesses the body of MR!Madoka so the MR!Timeline won't crumb over having two madokas existing. Devil!Homura will try to get her back but due to the anomaly that is Magia Record, she finds out that directly influencing this particular record can destroy this record and everything in it, including the piece of Madoka she took from the Law of Cycles thats now in the record. So cue in Devil!Homura now having to send out her Clara Dolls as proxy to get Madoka back but has trouble doing that since she has to deal with the Kamihama Magical Girls and their powers with Doppels. Final battle ensues where Devil!Homura finds a loophole to enter Magia Record but its not Madoka but MR!Homura that will fight her because MR!Homura did the hard work to save the Madoka in her timeline and she won't let nobody, not even herself from another timeline take Madoka away from her, What breaks Devil!Homura is when MR!Homura says that she's better than her because she achieved Madoka's happy ending without forcing her will on Madoka and her loved ones. The fight becomes a battle of wills, MR!Homura wins with the power of Friendship and Anime by her side, the piece of Madoka residing in MR!Madoka becomes free and turns back into Madokami, Madokami rewrites the universe again, FINALLY takes Coolmura to Magical Girl Heaven, and the Magia Record Timeline can continue to be happy. But y'know...just a thought.

Aniplex USA will plan a North American exclusive event in Fate/Grand Order that involves Magia Record as a consolidation to the Magia Record fanbase in North America

Considering that the North American server for Magia Record is closing (and Aniplex USA confirms that they'll have a "gallery" version of the game as an archive when the server closes), Aniplex USA may consider a North American exclusive crossover event in a more popular Fate/Grand Order in the NA server of FGO that involves Magia Record. Since Magia Record and Fate Grand Order have a lot of gameplay similarities and a good fandom overlap, it's a good opportunity to bring Magia Record fans into Fate Grand Order. And besides, spring and summer 2020 in the JP server is filled with "dead" content with event reruns, hunt events, and interludes, so it'll give an opportunity for Aniplex USA to make North American exclusive events in Fate Grand Order, providing if they get the approval from Delight Works and Nasu.

Infinite Iroha is the reason Ultimate Madoka can't interact with the game's Timeline.

Spoilers for the end of Arc 2

Ultimate Madoka's side story reveals that something is stopping her from interfering with the timeline and saving the magical girls in it. The end of Arc 2 has Iroha Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence to extend the Doppel barrier across the planet, complete with a Super Form. This effectively prevents Magical Girls from turning into witches and gives the timeline its own deity. Because the witch problem is solved in this universe (meaning there would be no need to send off Magical Girls before they turned) it's possible that Infinite Iroha's actions locked Madoka out of a timeline that would not need her.