Inside the witch's barrier, Tomoe Mami and Madoka walked together through the dark and terrifying labyrinth.
Gradually, Madoka began telling Mami about the admiration she held in her heart.
The music softened, turning emotional and moving.
"I met you, Mami-senpai. You showed me what it means to fight to help others! You told me I could do the same. That made me so happy. So… if I become a magical girl, then my wish will already have come true."
"It'll be hard, you know." Mami's voice shifted.
"You'll get hurt. You won't have time for romance or for fun."
"Even so, Mami-senpai, who never gives up, is someone I truly admire."
"I'm not someone worth admiring. I just force myself to put on a brave front. I'm scared too… and there's no one I can confide in. Being a magical girl isn't some wonderful job."
"Mami-senpai won't be alone anymore."
Seeing their exchange, Chi Jingyan couldn't help but smile faintly, touched.
This kind of pure friendship between girls—how wonderful.
Even when Su Yan wasn't writing romance, his works could still move people deeply.
The shot of Mami tearing up because she had found companions to fight alongside resonated with viewers in front of their televisions.
After all, fighting monsters like witches alone—how could anyone not be afraid?
No matter how strong you were, you would still hope for someone by your side.
Because of the joy of finding companions, Mami appeared unusually excited and spirited as she faced the witch within the barrier.
For the next several minutes—
It was Mami's battle showcase against the Candy Witch!
The music turned bright and uplifting.
The visuals became radiant and hopeful.
The light in Mami's eyes.
The way Madoka looked at her.
This scene…
"Absolutely amazing," Chi Jingyan murmured, a little moved.
So this was what pure friendship between girls looked like.
So the focus of this series wasn't magical girl battles at all—it was about relationships and the growth of friendship!
The Candy Witch was bound by Mami's ribbons, its body pierced through by gunfire until only its head remained.
Mami assumed the witch had been defeated.
Even Chi Jingyan thought it was over.
But then—
On screen, the witch's head suddenly inflated, swelling like a grotesque maggot. It lunged forward, jaws snapping open wide, right in front of Mami.
Huh?
Chi Jingyan froze, confusion flashing across her face.
And then—
Mami was swallowed in a single bite.
Her head was devoured.
Her headless body fell limply to the ground.
Chi Jingyan's eyes widened.
What just happened?
What kind of plot twist was that?
What is this?!
People die in this show?!
"You two, hurry and form a contract with me to become magical girls!" Kyubey cried out urgently.
"Decide on your wishes—quickly!"
"That won't be necessary."
At the critical moment, Homura appeared.
Without the slightest carelessness, she methodically finished the witch—
And then, a lump of flesh fell from above.
Chi Jingyan felt like throwing up.
If she guessed correctly, that lump of flesh was Mami's partially digested head.
She…
She really died.
The story, the atmosphere, the music, even the visuals turned dark and heavy.
The witch crisis was resolved.
Mami was dead.
Madoka and Sayaka cried by the roadside, powerless to change anything.
So this…
That was what being a magical girl meant.
The final shot lingered on Kyubey's cute, calm, smiling rabbit-like face.
The ending theme began to play.
Completely different from Episode 1's ending—dark, oppressive, deeply unsettling.
The music and lyrics alike made one uncomfortable.
Even after the credits finished, Chi Jingyan sat there, unable to process what she had just seen.
Tomoe Mami… was dead?
She had just been overjoyed at finding companions.
She had just cried at the thought of having Madoka as a magical girl junior in the future.
And yet, without any warning, she was eaten alive by a witch.
Leaning back in her chair, Chi Jingyan felt an indescribable heaviness in her chest.
Could it be—
A flicker of suspicion crossed her eyes.
Was this series… not a feel-good show at all?
There were many viewers across the Xia Nation, just like Chi Jingyan.
Tonight, they were collectively stunned by the plot of 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica'.
["What the hell was that? Mami's gone already?"]
["Qiao Tianxi only had two episodes of screen time? I can't accept this!"]
["I almost cried from shock. I can't even sleep now! That death scene was terrifying!"]
["Su Yan, are you even human?! You even had the witch spit out Mami's remains at the end? What's wrong with you?!"]
["How can someone die in this kind of genre? Su Yan is seriously something else!"]
["Was that really necessary? I don't understand the logic behind killing Mami. What was the point? Just to show how cruel the magical girl path is?"]
["It's not that important characters can't die—but if they do, it needs meaning. This just feels forced!"]
["Tragedy for the sake of tragedy. Depression for the sake of depression. That was way too deliberate."]
["The tone of this show didn't feel like people would die! If Madoka and Sayaka later become magical girls and happily fight witches, then Mami's death will just look like a mistake."]
["It's only Episode 2! Why is everyone panicking? Madoka can just wish Mami back to life. Dying in Episode 2 doesn't mean she can't return."]
["Is that even possible?"]
["Should be, right? Only a power beyond imagination deserves to be called magic."]
["So is the story going that direction?"]
["If you think you can predict Su Yan's plot, then you clearly don't know him. I guarantee you—no one can guess how this show will develop!"]
["Exactly. Stop guessing and just wait for Episode 3."]
["I was actually getting bored and planning to drop it. But Mami's death? That was the perfect touch. Now I'm hooked."]
["It's just a supporting character dying. In which of Su Yan's supernatural dramas does nobody die?"]
["Technically speaking, only 'Tokyo Love Story' had zero deaths. Every other show had at least one. This is standard practice. Stop acting shocked."]
All night long, discussions about 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' never stopped.
And once morning came, the media joined in.
📰Major Plot Twist in Episode 2 of 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica'—The Cruel Magical Girl World Revealed Beneath Its Warm Exterior
📰"Headless Mami" Trends Online—Controversy Surrounds Su Yan's New Drama
📰Shocking Episode 2 Twist—Rating Drops Overnight from 9.6 to 9.4. Is This the First Sign of the Young Genius Falling from His Pedestal?
📰Those Who Play with Fire Will Eventually Be Burned—After Repeatedly Tormenting Fans with Painful Plots, Has Su Yan Finally Gone Too Far?
📰Ratings Will Teach This Arrogant Young Man That There Must Be Balance Between Self-Indulgence and Fan Expectations
"5.23%!"
When Su Yan announced the latest ratings in the office, cheers erupted.
"It went up again!"
"They can curse all they want online, but ratings don't lie!"
"5.23%? That growth rate is insane!"
"All hail the boss!"
Seeing the number, Su Yan finally relaxed.
After adapting it into a television drama, the "three-episode rule" from his previous life had effectively become a two-episode rule.
Even though the early pacing was slow, pushing the story to Mami's death within two weeks had silenced the earlier complaints.
Of course, despite having minimal screen time in this show, Su Yan unsurprisingly faced backlash from his own fans.
After all, from the trailers to Episode 1's production, theme song, and ending song, there hadn't been the slightest hint that anyone would die.
Especially that first episode's opening and ending themes.
As warm and comforting as possible.
And then Episode 2 didn't even bother pretending—the ending song switched straight to something dark and oppressive.
In war dramas, people die—but viewers generally know that main characters probably won't, and if they do, there are usually warning signs. Death flags. Ominous dialogue. Celebratory scenes before disaster strikes.
But Mami's death had zero foreshadowing.
Still, just like the rise of 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' in Su Yan's previous life, what any work fears most is not criticism—it's indifference.
Right now, audiences were still fixated on Mami's death.
In a week or two, they would realize that within this story's setting, her death was entirely normal.
Compared to what was coming later, Episode 2 was nothing.
Putting down his phone, Su Yan looked at another document on his desk.
It was the promotional plan for July's release of '5 Centimeters per Second' and August's release of 'We Made a Beautiful Bouquet'.
Dimensional Pictures' current situation was similar to when 'The Garden of Words' had premiered.
Many distribution companies were interested in Su Yan's films.
But from the beginning, these two movies had been targeting top-five summer box office rankings—perhaps even top three, or number one.
Few distributors were willing to invest the tens of millions—even over a hundred million—in promotional funding that Su Yan demanded.
At least with 'The Garden of Words', Su Yan himself had acted in it.
But these two films? He wouldn't appear at all.
Could box office numbers still be guaranteed?
The risk had undoubtedly increased.
Industry insiders were hesitant.
So for both films, Su Yan was fronting the majority of the promotional budget himself.
Of course, that also meant he would take a larger share of the box office returns.
Nearly 150 million in promotional funds, plus close to 200 million in production costs for the two films combined.
His total investment exceeded 300 million.
Most of the profits earned last year from 'Cyberpunk: Edgerunners' and 'The Garden of Words' had already been reinvested into these new projects.
After signing the budget report, Su Yan let out a long breath.
Once the full earnings from 'Tokyo Love Story' came in, the company's accounts would be replenished.
But for now, there was still pressure.
He glanced once more at the media commentary and fan reactions online.
Then he shut off the computer.
April to June: 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica'.
July: '5 Centimeters per Second'.
August: 'We Made a Beautiful Bouquet'.
All devastating tearjerkers.
"For the next half year… just how badly am I going to get roasted in the Xia Nation?" Su Yan chose not to dwell on it.
A fusion of Makoto Shinkai and Gen Urobuchi—
In this world, the effect might be more than double.