"I'm going to sleep."
After saying that absentmindedly, Andō Shū casually placed the unfinished pudding in his hand onto the table and walked toward his room. The distracted, contemplative look in his eyes made it seem as though he might unknowingly walk straight into a wall at any moment.
The ending of Episode 7, where the magical girls were completely wiped out, left a terrible taste in his heart. Even knowing that Homura Akemi's ability was parallel universe traversal, did she really have the power to change such a tragic ending? Not to mention, how long had she already been lost within this spiral of despair, witnessing Madoka Kaname and the others die over and over again?
From the foreshadowing planted since the beginning of the anime and the change in tone, Andō Shū could almost confirm that this was a dark, depressing work.
Unlike the original, Kamiyā Yuu spent seven episodes giving extremely vivid impressions to the four female characters currently appearing in 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica'—Homura Akemi, Madoka Kaname, Sayaka Miki, and Mami Tomoe.
Homura Akemi's coldness mixed with hesitant gentleness.
Madoka Kaname's pure and kind warmth.
Sayaka Miki's straightforward personality and selfless devotion to her childhood friend.
Mami Tomoe's maturity and gentle older-sister-next-door aura.
The rebooted 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' could have attracted a huge number of diehard fans solely by selling its character designs. Yet the malice from Kamiyā Yuu had instead given these adorable girls such tragic endings.
Forget anime fans in this world—even if this were thrown into the anime industry of his previous world, Kamiyā Yuu would definitely be cursed to death by viewers.
For the first time, Andō Shū, who usually believed that as long as a film or show was exciting, then nothing else mattered, sincerely hoped that 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' would return to its original warm storyline. Even a plain and ordinary ending would be fine.
"Andō, you don't want the pudding anymore? Let me make this clear—I won't refund you! This pudding costs 5,000 yen. Even one bite still costs 5,000 yen."
Andō Yuri raised the pudding that had only been casually eaten a few bites from and called out softly.
Andō Shū shook his head weakly.
"Do whatever you want with it."
After returning to his room, he threw himself directly onto the bed. His chaotic thoughts left him completely unable to sleep.
Still in the living room, Andō Yuri naturally accepted the pudding he had left behind. After thinking for a moment, she picked up the remote Andō Shū had set down and pressed a few buttons.
"Hmm~ The earlier episodes of that anime should have been recorded too, right? I'm pretty bored anyway."
Japan's copyright protection was extremely strict. Watching television programs, anime, or movies online generally required payment, so video recorders and televisions were practically standard equipment in Japanese households. If someone could not watch a broadcast live, they would need to remember the airing time and set the recorder in advance.
"Beep."
"Anime, huh... I remember watching 'Jasmine Girl' back in middle school, but I haven't really touched anime much after that. Has the industry developed this quickly? Staying up late is bad for the skin, too. I'll just finish one episode while eating this pudding, then go back to sleep."
Very quickly, Andō Yuri found Episode 1 of 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' and began watching it with interest.
The Tokyo night was always brightly lit, no matter the hour. Only before dawn's first light arrived would the city's neon begin to dim.
At some point, the lights automatically shut off. The distant horizon had already turned pale white, and then a ray of sunlight passed through the steel jungle of skyscrapers, illuminating the corners of the streets.
There were a few pedestrians on the road. Occasionally, one could see workers delivering milk and newspapers to each household on electric scooters. The season's chill had not yet fully faded. As pedestrians breathed beneath the glazed sunlight, visible white mist rolled from their mouths.
"My, what's wrong with you two? You both look like you didn't sleep at all."
When Andō Shū's mother finished preparing breakfast, she saw Andō Shū and Andō Yuri sitting at the dining table with exhausted expressions, constantly yawning.
Hearing this, Andō Shū's face stiffened slightly. Scratching the back of his head, he vaguely replied, "I studied until late last night and had a bit of insomnia again. I'll just rest well on Sunday, so don't worry."
Andō Yuri covered her mouth with one hand and yawned again indifferently.
"There was a late-night program I got interested in. Before I realized it, it was already deep into the night."
Andō Shū's mother put her hands on her hips and glared at them helplessly.
"I mean, one of you is a third-year high school student, and the other is a university student. Why can't either of you control yourselves properly? Your health! Your health is the most important thing!
"Yeees~~ We'll pay attention next time."
Dragging out her voice carelessly, Andō Yuri answered without concern.
Last night, she had originally intended to watch only one episode. Yet after finishing the pudding, she ended up binging six episodes in one go and catching up on all available episodes of 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica.'
Even though she already knew the outcome of the plot, she was still deeply captivated by the anime and simply could not stop herself. She had not experienced such a feeling in a very long time. For the first time, Andō Yuri—who prided herself on being a mature adult—became extremely interested in anime, something she had always considered entertainment for children.
'Puella Magi Madoka Magica.'
An anime with an unbelievable charm.
—Is this the composure of a mature college student?
Andō Shū looked enviously at his older sister beside him. He definitely did not dare tell the truth himself.
······
"Boom~!"
"Crashhhhh~"
Outside the office building, bean-sized raindrops poured down violently. When they struck the glass exterior walls, they sounded like pebbles colliding with crisp cracking noises. This was accompanied by massive thunderclaps and lightning flashes brighter than the indoor lights.
The irritating storm existed not only in reality but also across various online platforms.
Kamiyā Yuu leaned back in his office chair, stretching out one hand to control the mouse while clicking through webpages, carefully reading viewers' comments regarding the plot reversal in Episode 7 of 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica.'
The beginning of the reversal in Episode 6 had caused a slight increase in popularity and ratings for Episode 7. But the level of discussion caused by Episode 7 was far more explosive. Countless viewers cried out "Impossible!" or "Godly development!" while posting their thoughts about 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' on related platforms.
The brilliance and reversals in the plot genuinely impressed them from the bottom of their hearts. They eagerly wanted to share the excitement of discovering a treasure.
Originally, anime with real depth in their stories were already rare in this world. Kamiyā Yuu had also combined deep storytelling with the child-oriented magical girl genre, bringing viewers a completely unprecedented viewing experience.
When the truth was revealed, countless viewers felt both shock and a sense of "unexpected yet somehow expected."
'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' had always been advertised as a twenty-four-episode anime. Yet the seemingly rapid pacing had made viewers feel as though the anime might end at any moment. Now, audiences finally understood that the true story of the anime had only just begun.
Actually, people who disliked anime—or had only heard fragmented descriptions of 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' from others—would not feel especially shocked. Without personally watching the work, it was impossible to experience the unique feeling brought by the anime.
Most Japanese culture originated from China, but compared to China, it lacked much historical depth. Perhaps because of the complete Westernization during the Meiji Restoration, Japan's way of expressing emotions was more direct, like the West's. Combined awkwardly with Eastern subtlety, this often created a strange feeling.
For example, many Chinese viewers watching Japanese dramas and movies felt that the actors' expressions and movements were somewhat exaggerated and overacted.
This awkwardness was deeply rooted in Japanese cultural concepts as well. Most Japanese people believed in astrology, destiny, passion, and friendship. Put positively, they were simple and pure. Put negatively, using their own terminology, it was "chuunibyou" or childishness.
Precisely because of this, the theme of 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' itself is perfectly suited to Japanese cultural aesthetics. Combined with the shocking reversals in the plot, there was a reason why the anime in his previous world became wildly popular through the "three-episode rule."
Now, the same thing was happening to the rebooted 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' in this world.
And the storm about to erupt would be even more violent.