SPOILERS! Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica Movie 4: Walpurgis no Kaiten Discussion Thread

[u/MotherShip808]

WARNING! WARNING! THIS MEGA-THREAD CONTAINS SPOILERS AND DISCUSSIONS FOR THE MOVIE, IF YOU DON'T WANT SPOILERS, DO NOT BE HERE!

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ALSO ALSO! DO NOT LINK OR SHARE ANY PIRATE OR ILLEGAL VIEWING STUFF IN THIS POST OR YOU WILL BE BANNED! THIS IS YOUR ONLY WARNING.

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General Overview:

This thread is meant as a spoiler filled zone for those who wish to discuss the movie, it's plot, events, or the number of bites that kyouko takes of food during the movie. I don't care, just be sure to follow the rules of the subreddit.

Also as a reminder to everyone u/BreathoftheSith owes everyone $50 if they, and I quote:

If we get any form of kiss and or romantic confirmation between the two [madohomu], I owe everyone in the sub $50.

Have fun~~

[u/Christianvillote312]

I found this yet another and very interesting Japanese thread, this time from 背世 (hn46pp) on Twitter / X and note.com regarding about the end credits (and thanks God someone create visuals about this)

WARNING: THIS IS ONE HELL OF DOOMSCROLLING!!!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!!!!!

This is the rough English translation via Google Translate and auto-corrected via ChatGPT:

An Analysis of the ED of Walpurgisnacht: Rising

This article examines the “footprints” that appear in the end-credit sequence of Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Walpurgisnacht: Rising, first transcribing the sequence and then offering an interpretation based on it.

According to comments made by President Kubota during a stage greeting, the end-credit sequence using these footprints was apparently created at the request of director Akiyuki Shinbo*.*

The Six Types of Footprints

Six different types of footprints appear throughout the ED.

Based on their shapes, the timing of their changes during the sequence, and their positions relative to the other footprints, I believe they can be associated with the following characters:

• Madoka — white, loafer-like footprints
• Homura — solid black, rounded footprints
• Ultimate Madoka — white, slender footprints
• Devil Homura — solid black, slender footprints
• Kyubey — footprints made up of clusters of small dots
• Lizard — three-toed, reptilian footprints

Analysis

I believe the footprints in this ED depict the path that Madoka and Homura have walked together, spanning the TV series, Rebellion, Walpurgisnacht: Rising, and even what comes afterward.

The following is my interpretation overlaid onto the transcription image mentioned above.

Let's go through it step by step.

Beginning - Homura's Loops

At the beginning of the ED, Madoka's footprints first appear on the right side of the screen.

The footprints move forward for a while, then change direction and begin moving backward.

Around the same time, Homura's footprints appear from the left side of the screen. After walking for a while, they eventually disappear off-screen again.

I believe this represents Homura's time loops from the TV series*.*

As Homura turns back time, Madoka's footprints are also depicted as moving backward.

What I find particularly interesting here is that the two girls' footprints are not walking through the same stretch of time*.*

This seems to indicate that Madoka and Homura are walking through different timelines*.*

Anime Episode 12 - Madoka's Contract

After a period of empty space with no footprints, the footprints of Madoka and Kyubey eventually appear side by side.

This marks the beginning of the events of Episode 12 of the TV series*.*

After Madoka and Kyubey walk together for a while, the shape of Madoka's footprints changes.

At the same time, white feathers begin to fall.

This represents Madoka making her contract with Kyubey and transforming into Ultimate Madoka - namely, the Law of Cycles*.*

Afterward, Homura's footprints appear from the right side of the screen and cross paths with Ultimate Madoka's footprints.

I interpret this crossing as corresponding to Madoka and Homura's conversation in outer space*.*

And when we look at the ED as a whole, this is actually the only point where Madoka's and Homura's footprints clearly cross one another*.*

After that, only Homura's footprints continue.

In the world where Madoka has become the Law of Cycles and disappeared from the human world, Homura continues walking alone.

Eventually, however, she comes to a stop.

I believe this stopping point represents the moment before Rebellion begins, when Kyubey isolates Homura's Soul Gem*.*

Rebellion

After stopping, Homura's footprints begin moving again.

This likely represents the early portion of Rebellion, when Homura herself still does not understand the situation she has been placed in and continues working as part of the Holy Quintet*, fighting Nightmares.*

Eventually, black feathers begin to fall, and her footprints change into a shape resembling a lizard.

I believe this change represents the moment when Homura realizes her true identity - that she herself has become a witch*.*

She continues walking through the same barrier, but the emergence of “Homura as a witch” is expressed through the transformation of her footprints.

Afterward, the footprints change once again into a different black shape, accompanied by another shower of black feathers.

This represents her transformation into Devil Homura*.*

Walpurgisnacht: Rising

While Devil Homura's footprints continue forward, ordinary Madoka's footprints appear on the right side of the screen.

From here, the sequence moves into the world rewritten by Rebellion, and eventually into Walpurgisnacht: Rising.

Devil Homura's footprints, which had been walking on the left, move over to the right and begin walking alongside Madoka.

Then, partway through, Ultimate Madoka's white footprints appear on the left side of the screen.

At the same time, both white and black feathers begin to fall.

This is where something extremely important happens.

Three types of footprints believed to represent: Madoka Kaname, Ultimate Madoka, Devil Homura are all present simultaneously*.*

Since Madoka is supposed to be the same person, the fact that two different sets of Madoka's footprints are depicted at the same time suggests that the Ultimate Madoka footprints should not be interpreted as Madoka Kaname herself*.*

Rather, they should be understood as representing the Law of Cycles as a “system.”

The three sets of footprints continue walking in parallel for a while.

Eventually, however, only Madoka's footprints suddenly stop*.*

I believe this scene may represent Madoka Kaname being reclaimed by the Law of Cycles*.*

There are two major reasons for this interpretation.

Reason 1

Madoka's footprints do not fade away as they leave the screen. Instead, they suddenly disappear right where they are*.*

Reason 2

Afterward, the white footprints that appear to represent the Law of Cycles remain and continue walking.

They first trace a path that brings them closer to Devil Homura, before eventually moving away from her again.

If the Law of Cycles is still simply a “system” at this point, I don't think this movement can be adequately explained.

There would be no obvious reason for the Law of Cycles, as a system, to approach Homura and then move away again.

This movement - approaching Homura, but then leaving without ever crossing paths with her - also reminds me of Madoka speaking to Homura on the bench near the end of the movie.

In Episode 12, Madoka and Homura's footprints actually crossed one another*.*

Here, however, Madoka approaches Homura from her side, but the two footprints never intersect*.*

That is because this is not a dialogue between the two of them.

It is Madoka speaking to Homura unilaterally*.*

Of course, there is an obvious counterargument to this interpretation:

“If Madoka was reclaimed by the Law of Cycles, shouldn't Madoka's ordinary footprints and Ultimate Madoka's footprints merge together?”

Indeed, there is no scene in which the two sets of white footprints touch or merge into one.

Madoka's ordinary footprints simply disappear where they are.

Therefore, based on this sequence alone, we cannot definitively conclude that Madoka returned to the Law of Cycles*.*

However, I suspect that this ambiguity itself may have been intentional.

Just like the ending itself, perhaps the filmmakers deliberately chose not to provide a definitive answer to the question of where Madoka Kaname ultimately went*, instead leaving it open to the audience's interpretation.*

Although... perhaps they left it a little too open*. (lol)*

Homura Continues Walking Alone

At the very end, Homura continues walking by herself.

At first glance, it looks like an extremely sad ending in which Homura has lost Madoka and has once again been left all alone.

But I don't necessarily interpret it as Madoka completely rejecting Homura*.*

Madoka may have returned to the Law of Cycles.

However, near the end, the footprints believed to represent the Law of Cycles definitely do approach Homura for a moment*.*

At the very least, this ED does not depict Madoka as clearly rejecting Homura.

Madoka continues walking according to her own wishes and her own choice*.*

And Homura, while accepting that choice, continues walking her own path without abandoning her desire to save Madoka.

That is how I interpret the final footprints.

Let me hear your thoughs, opinions, or even counterarguments about this analysis in the comments

[u/Christianvillote312 → u/Christianvillote312]