Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica Ep 11 & 12: The Wish that Changes Everything [FINAL IMPRESSION]

Episode 11:

Kyubey reveals a theory he has come up with that it’s actually Akemi’s fault for making Madoka become such a powerful Puella Magi. It was all thanks to her repetitive cycle of going back into time, desperately trying to change Madoka’s fate. After that Kyubey drops by Madoka’s place where she has just returned from Sayaka’s funeral, and he decides to pester her and shows her the history of encounters that took place since the prehistoric era and shows her the sadness all the Puellas had to face after making the contract with him. He argues that it isn’t his kind that betrays them, but it’s the girls’ mistake to make a wish to begin with. Madoka decides to visit Akemi and question her about whether she is capable of defeating the Walpurgis Night. Akemi tells her that she is able to, but Madoka replies saying that she can’t bring herself to believe her. Akemi then reveals the truth that she has come from the future in order to prevent her from dying and begs Madoka to let her protect her.

Not too long later, a supercell is taking form and the city as been called for evaquations. However the truth was that it was the Walpurgis Night making its entrance, a different kind of witch that exists in the open rather than hiding within a barrier. Madoka retreats with her family and anxiously waits for it to end while at the same time debates whether she should go after Akemi. She has one more conversation with Kyubey and asks him if he thinks that Akemi can defeat the Walpurgis Night. As expected, he answered that she wouldn’t be able to, but despite that she will continue to fight as she clings to that fragile thread of hope that she can finally free Madoka from her cruel fate. Making up her mind, Madoka decides that she will head out, but it stopped by her mother who questions where she is going. Madoka explains that she must go in order to protect a friend, and that she must go alone.
Akemi finds herself in a terrible pinch and losing the battle. Her first instinct was to go back into time, but she found herself hestiatant after learning that she was the reason Madoka has become a potentially powerful but dangerous Puella if she were to ever make a contract with Kyubet. As her grief seed starts to be overshadowed by the overwhelming frustration and despair, Madoka appears by her side and apologizes for the actions she is about to take despite Akemi’s endless struggle to change her fate.

Episode 12:

Madoka announces her wish that she would like granted in exchange for making a contract with Kyubey. She declares that she wants to erase every witch before they are born, every witch from every world, from the past to the future with her own hands. Kyubey is astonished (not that he showed it since the stupid creature can’t feel any emotions) and remarks how it’s a ‘treason against the wish itself‘. Madoka responses that she doesn’t care what she becomes, for all she cared she didn’t want to let those innocent girls cry. She adds that she is determined to destroy the rules and change them for the better. However in exchange, the price for her wish is that she no longer exist and no one will remember her.
*Because I provided so many screenshots, they will be below the Final Impression.
Final Impression:
AKSFHKASJFHAS!!!! STUDIO SHAFT YOU KEPT US WAITING SO LONG, AND IT WAS SO WORTH IT! ;w; This by far, the best anime I’ve seen in a long, long time!
I was bawling my eyes out. It was just so emotional and such a sad ending. It made me cry so much when it was revealed Madoka would be stuck doing what she wished for all eternity.  I’ll be honest though, it did feel rather predictable that Madoka was going to make that kind of wish that would defy the laws of the contract. What we weren’t able to predict was the consequences and the fate of all the other girls who died due to the amount of despair in their grief seed. Another thing was, I was expecting a little bit more but I am still satisfied how they wrapped this up.
I was certainly surprised to see how large of a role Madoka’s mother had in episode 11. I wasn’t expecting her to play a big part, but then again maybe it was to be expected. With Sayaka’s death, that was the key to making her mother step into the picture and question her actions. Another thing that I wasn’t quite expecting was Kyubey showing Madoka the history of the previous Puella Magi he had made contracts with in the past. As Kyubey says so himself, the prayer (wish)  has a big price and that is being cursed (facing unimaginable despair). Whether he realized it or not, thanks to sharing his past experiences, Madoka was able to come up with the proper wish, even if it meant she was no longer to exist.
One of the most interesting things about this series is that , Madoka never became a Puella Magi until episode 12, the final episode. It’s like a real shocker because throughout the entire show we were like, “When will she finally make the contract?” but as each episode went by and the more we learned about the cruel fate for those who agree with the contract, we soon realized that we had to change the question and ask ourselves,”What would would it take to get her to form a contract with Kyubey?“. Sure enough that answer was fulfilled during episode 11.
As for Akemi, it was just heartbreaking to see her fail to keep Madoka from making a contract with Kyubey. It was even more depressing when the two had to separate and it’s only Akemi and Kyubey who remembers who she is. Her final farewell with Madoka was bittersweet and made me cry even more. Madoka x Akemi = Canon anyone? I’m not a yuri/shoujo-ai fan, but it’s close enough and I approve it.
Akemi is truly an inspiring character considering she continues to fight in order to protect the world for Madoka’s sake. It’s kind of nice to see that she and Kyubey are efficiently working together, but it doesn’t change my urge to want to strangle the cunning creature still.
The animation, while most of it was good – there were alot more flaws than I have seen in the previous episode which makes it somewhat disappointing. Overall though, it was good quality, and I particularly liked seeing the last witch (as I had hoped in the beginning) that wouldn’t be all scrap-book like.
Heads up that I will be writing a separate final review because this show absolutely deserves it. I’ll have it up later today after I catch some sleep, I’m exhausted from screaming my head off while watching a hockey game (that my team lost ;A; *SOBS*) and bawling my eyes out for this show.