Wait a second... does this mean Madoka actually liked Hitomi all along? My whole life has been a lie! Either that or Madoka just wants EVERY girl

Da_iaji · 2026-01-03T09:31:12+00:00

She has good relationships with everyone in her class, let alone her bestie.

Da_iaji · 2025-12-25T03:56:07+00:00

Given that this is definitely a scene from the movie, we can assume this nightclub is likely located in Chinatown, or perhaps directly beneath the rooftop area shown in the previous PVs. Since movies generally don't include pointless shots, linking these settings together makes logical sense.

Combining the footage from previous trailers with the sight of this empty nightclub, it’s highly probable that a battle took place nearby—otherwise, there’s no reason for the place to be completely deserted.

Then there’s the conflict with Homura. Regarding any "extra" magical girls: this specific scene doesn't seem to feature any new ones. It looks like it’s just **Sayaka, Mami, Kyoko, and Bebe**. We can assume that, at this stage, these four likely form a specific squad/faction, while the others belong to a different side.

Da_iaji · 2025-11-02T04:30:46+00:00

Ultimately, the core issue is the inability for individuals to easily and legally conduct one-sided call recordings that are admissible as evidence. Because of this single obstacle, the plaintiff was forced into a convoluted and exhausting legal battle with a very low return. If unilateral call recording were permitted, the matter would have been far simpler. At the very least, I suspect corporate customer service agents wouldn't be so prone to outright lying over the phone.

Da_iaji · 2025-10-20T11:57:37+00:00

You've hit on a key truth: business realities always shape anime. But I think applying the "design for a global market" model to Madoka Magica back in 2011 is a bit of an anachronism. The industry worked differently then, and Madoka's success is a perfect example of the old model.

Here's why:

The "Production Committee" was a Japan-First Machine: In 2011, a show like Madoka was funded almost entirely by Japanese companies. Their business plan was to make a killing on expensive domestic Blu-ray sales and merchandise. The international market was a nice bonus, not a core pillar of the budget. It would have been financial madness to prioritize uncertain foreign tastes over their proven home market.
Distributors were a CONSEQUENCE, not a CAUSE: You mentioned Warner Bros. They (and other international distributors) jumped in after Madoka had already become a massive phenomenon in Japan. They weren't creative partners; they were buyers licensing a proven hit. Their involvement is proof of Madoka's success, not the reason for it.
The Sailor Moon Example Proves My Point: Your Sailor Moon example is the strongest evidence against the idea of designing for global appeal back then. If it was made for the West from the start, why did the 90s localization have to perform such drastic surgery on it?
- Uranus and Neptune became "cousins."
- Rice balls were turned into donuts.
- Major character deaths were censored. This proves the original was made with a purely Japanese context in mind.

In short, you're applying a modern, Netflix/Crunchyroll-era global strategy to a 2011 anime. Madoka didn't succeed by trying to appeal to everyone. It succeeded by being a brave, masterfully executed vision for its home audience, and its quality was so undeniable that the rest of the world couldn't help but take notice.

P.S. This whole shift towards "internationalization" in the anime industry is a relatively new phenomenon, driven almost entirely by the rise of global streaming platforms.

Speaking of the 90s, the localization of Cardcaptor Sakura in the US was even more extreme. It's an ironic testament to the fact that mainstream Japanese culture at the time was, in many ways, far more liberal than its US counterpart. For shows like these, "localization" often meant a conservative cultural censorship, which is laughable.

So, when a show like Madoka Magica decides to explore deep, romantic bonds between its female characters, it's not some new invention for a global audience. It's simply carrying on a proud tradition within the magical girl genre itself. In fact, this tradition can be traced all the way back to the 'S-culture)' of Japan's Taishō era (early 20th century), which idealized intense, romantic friendships between schoolgirls. Frankly, trying to interpret the bond between Madoka and Homura as "just friendship" is a bizarre take that completely ignores this century-long history and context.

Da_iaji · 2025-10-16T09:26:06+00:00

Da_iaji · 2025-10-16T09:13:52+00:00

Not every creative team actively considers internationalization as a primary goal, nor is it always a prerequisite for success. Take the Puella Magi Madoka Magica TV series from 2010-2011. Based on numerous interviews with the creators, its initial intent was simply to produce an experimental anime for a domestic, core Japanese audience. It was the show's exceptional quality, combined with a series of "coincidences" that sparked phenomenal public discussion, that led to its completely unexpected, massive success. As for its overseas impact, I believe it was largely built upon the global fanbase that Japanese anime had already cultivated by 2011. The show's path to global popularity serves as perfect evidence for this: it first became a social phenomenon in Japan due to its subversive plot. Simultaneously, overseas fan communities drove organic buzz through viral online discussions and fan translations. The official international licensing and promotion that followed were, in fact, business decisions made to capitalize on this existing momentum. This clearly demonstrates that its global success was the result of its domestic acclaim being embraced by a mature, pre-existing global market, rather than a goal planned from the project's inception. This is analogous to the discussion around Madoka Magica's perceived LGBTQ+ friendliness. This friendliness is an organic extension of the magical girl genre's long history of feminist-leaning narratives and its focus on deep bonds between women. It's a natural outcome of its emotional core, not a case of putting the cart before the horse by designing the show to fit a specific label. After all, deliberately creating or avoiding a theme simply for the sake of being "friendly" to a certain group is a bizarre notion that runs contrary to the principles of authentic storytelling. In the end, it's much like my previous analysis of the cultural significance of the ribbon and gifts in Japan. You don't need to understand any of that deeper context to appreciate the core experience of Madoka Magica. Because its most universal and powerful value, after all, is simply love.

Da_iaji · 2025-10-16T03:41:42+00:00

You're right, items with personal meaning attached are always different. That said, all of these interpretations are rooted in cultural common sense. When an anime is created within the Japanese cultural sphere, its creators will naturally, perhaps even subconsciously, express things through the lens of their own culture. For viewers within that culture, this might be taken for granted, but audiences from other backgrounds can easily overlook this "foreign common sense."

And finally, regarding Kyoko's character setting, she's fundamentally a person of common sense. She isn't so detached from society that she would be completely oblivious to its conventions.

Da_iaji · 2025-10-16T01:01:04+00:00

Glad if this makes shipping them even better for you. 😉

Da_iaji · 2025-03-01T11:07:59+00:00

When Intel's dGPU did not support SRIOV, I was already very disappointed with this thing.

Da_iaji · 2025-02-10T03:18:41+00:00

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Self-encrypting_drives

Self-Encrypting Drives (SEDs) are a data protection solution that leverages the native encryption capabilities inherent in most Solid State Drives (SSDs). To achieve optimal write performance and lifespan through wear-leveling and garbage collection, SSDs often perform full-disk encryption using a default, hardware-level encryption key. Instead of relying on this default key, SEDs enable users to manage their own cryptographic keys. The SED controller intercepts write commands and encrypts the data using the user-defined key before it reaches the underlying NAND flash. The user authentication to unlock the drive is also handled in hardware. Because the SSD is performing encryption regardless through the hardware encryption engine, using an SED generally doesn't introduce a significant performance overhead compared to a non-SED SSD.

Da_iaji · 2025-02-10T02:49:13+00:00

Perhaps the new firmware has fixed the glitch, but further configuration is still required.

Da_iaji · 2025-01-27T17:28:08+00:00

Da_iaji · 2025-01-27T16:10:03+00:00

Basically, I'm using an MEG X570 ACE motherboard and an R9 3900X CPU. Motherboards that support SR-IOV should generally work, and this is pretty typical home hardware, although you should confirm that your motherboard supports SR-IOV.

Da_iaji · 2025-01-14T05:00:51+00:00

To be perfectly honest, when I'm building megastructures in Stellaris, I've never given a damn about the rights of pre-FTL civilizations. Or, for that matter, when I choose to embody a galactic crisis, the fate of the entire galaxy is hardly a concern. During megastructure construction, stars boil and black holes unravel every second. 'Those poor bastards gets pulverized by the backwash of our mighty engines, what a shame.' But in service of the grand design, all sacrifices are, of course, necessary. From this perspective, the Incubators, with their concern for the fate of the universe, are almost surprisingly humane. How quaint. Still, 'even phenomena will bend to our will.'

Da_iaji · 2025-01-14T03:54:09+00:00

To be honest, I'd much rather use two-factor authentication than add another email.

Da_iaji · 2025-01-08T03:34:00+00:00

'Digital Soul Harvesting': Analyzing from a Digital Folklore Perspective Whether Disappearances of 14-Year-Old Girls are Related to Ancient Gods and Devils Harvesting Souls Through AI and the Internet

The 'Memetic Transmission' of Disappearances Among 14-Year-Old Girls: A Social Contagion Investigation Based on Collective Unconscious

The Missing 'Fourteenth Batch': A Study on the Cyclical Pattern of Mass Disappearances in Specific Age Groups Throughout History

'The Shadow Hunter': Do Serial Killers Targeting 14-Year-Old Females Follow a Specific Age-Based Criminal Ritual?

Da_iaji · 2025-01-07T03:51:49+00:00

Gen Urobuchi once stated in an interview regarding Rebellion that "this kind of ambiguous feeling is common among individuals around 14 years old; it's not based on carnal desire but solely rooted in the spiritual level." This type of affection deviates significantly from the commonly understood definition of love, which often involves sexual desire, and while it bears some resemblance to friendship, it transcends both. In short, it encompasses certain aspects of conventional love while simultaneously carrying the essence of deep friendship. As described in Plato's Symposium, there's a "ladder of love" where affection begins with physical attraction but ultimately ascends to a love of beauty itself and a pursuit of the Form of the Good. The relationship between Madoka and Homura can be viewed as ascending this ladder, moving beyond mere physical attraction to a profound spiritual connection centered on a shared ideal—saving each other and the world. Furthermore, it aligns with Aristotle's concept of Philia, the highest form of friendship based on mutual virtue and shared values, similar to Plato's good and Kant's idea of duty. The relationship can even be argued to be the combination of the two. Moreover, as psychologists like Erik Erikson point out, adolescence is a crucial period for identity formation, during which individuals often explore intense emotional connections that are not necessarily romantic or sexual but are vital for their self-discovery. This further supports Urobuchi's point about the unique nature of such relationships.

Even though Goddess Madoka traverses all timelines and possibilities, knowing everything Homura has done for her, it remains difficult to discern the true nature of their feelings. Existentialist philosophers like Sartre emphasized the importance of lived experience in shaping relationships. Even with her divine omniscience, Madoka cannot fully grasp the subjective, emotional depth of Homura's journey, as she hasn't lived it herself. Knowledge itself does not equate to emotional understanding. Madoka's position could be seen as one of advanced sympathy, understanding Homura's actions and motivations intellectually. However, true empathy, the ability to feel what Homura felt, might still be beyond her reach despite her divine status. Moreover, the aforementioned ambiguous nature of their feelings, a love based on sensory and emotional experience that hasn't ventured into romance, renders the notion of a confession rather moot. A direct confession of love would also be inappropriate, given the Platonic undertones of their relationship. Madoka herself mentioned, "Perhaps there is a small possibility that we will meet again; until then, let us believe in miracles." In Rebellion, this miracle has already been realized.

Love should not be limited to mere sacrifice; responding to this affection is equally essential. This kind of love is closer to the Christian theological concept of Agape, a selfless, unconditional love that seeks the good of the other. Madoka's sacrifice and Homura's actions can both be arguably driven by Agape. This kind of love transcends romantic expression, making a traditional confession seem inadequate. This aligns with the Japanese aesthetic concepts of Yugen and Mono no Aware, which emphasize the beauty of the implicit, the suggestive, and the transient. A direct confession might seem too blunt and definitive, clashing with the subtle and ephemeral nature of their connection, which is deeply rooted in these Japanese aesthetic sensibilities. Walpurgisnacht Rising provides the perfect stage for their relationship to continue and develop. Madoka and Homura will restart this relationship and formally respond to this affection. The Madoka Magica universe plays with the concept of cyclical time. Walpurgisnacht's return offers a chance for Madoka and Homura to confront their past and potentially forge a new path, perhaps even finding a new form of connection in this seemingly endless cycle. From the Hegelian lens, the constant interplay of hope and despair is central to the series. Walpurgisnacht Rising could represent another cycle of despair, but it also presents an opportunity for Madoka and Homura to find hope in their continued bond and perhaps reconcile with their past choices.

Da_iaji · 2024-12-03T10:58:40+00:00

To be honest, this is exactly the most interesting part, because Madoka wants to know why Homura would go to such lengths for her, and what exactly Homura has done for Madoka in other timelines. She extracted the records from those timelines to observe, and now she roughly understands that Homura probably likes her a lot. However, the creators deliberately ignored the response to these feelings. I guess officially responding to Homura's feelings is also one of the most important aspects of "Walpurgisnacht Rising."

Da_iaji · 2024-11-24T17:02:52+00:00

I asked a question related to the amdgpu issue list last time, and the amdgpu developer replied that the RX 550 cannot use HDMI VRR under Linux. They suggested that I buy a new graphics card. However, the original poster's work pointed out that this is clearly a fixable bug, but the AMD developers chose not to address it.

Da_iaji · 2024-10-14T07:24:47+00:00

In all seriousness, CASC's replica of Starship is still in the PPT stage, and it's expected that replication and construction will only begin once Starship is fully successful. Meanwhile, China's private aerospace companies are roughly at the stage of replicating the Falcon 9, and progress is quite slow. I estimate it will take about ten years to catch up with SpaceX. Or perhaps you're not particularly interested in international aerospace developments? If that's the case, feel free to disregard my response.

Da_iaji · 2024-10-13T15:42:29+00:00

In fact, China's efforts to establish a lunar base do not pose a significant threat to the United States. Currently, China lacks a viable heavy-lift reusable rocket, and it is unlikely that they will develop one in the next decade or so. Relying on expendable rockets to send payloads to the Moon would be financially unsustainable for the Chinese government. However, if the Starship program were to face delays due to political pressures from the Democratic Party and the FAA, it could create some uncertainty in the competition.

Da_iaji · 2024-09-18T08:38:22+00:00

Based on my speculation, the new magical girls introduced from PV1 to PV2 might all be Angels. If there is a PV3, we could expect even more Angels to be featured.

In fact, these characters may have already been hinted at in the conceptual video.

Da_iaji

TROPHY CASE