Depressive Screenwriter

#195 - Yuan Shen

As evening approached, the once-a-week spectacle at China Central Television unfolded.

The viewership, which had been hovering around 3% during the evening news, shot up to 4% right at 7 o'clock.

The volume of posts from Su Yan's various fan groups and forums was several times higher than usual.

"I have a feeling there will be a major turning point in the Madoka Magica plot tonight."

"After spending a week frantically re-watching the series two or three times on Star Summer, I finally figured out the foreshadowing in the early episodes."

"I admire Su Yan, the old fox, for being able to depict such a pure girl's drama in a way that even a guy like me can enjoy."

"The plot is king; it doesn't matter if the protagonist is male or female."

"Actually, if you check out foreign forums, you'll see. There are also many of the old fox's fans abroad who are suffering from his works, but their viewing is a few days behind us because they have to add subtitles to the raw episodes."

"That's right, I often go to foreign forums. A group of foreigners were driven to despair by the plot of Madoka Magica's sixth episode."

"Actually, abroad, Su Yan's most popular work should be Rurouni Kenshin. Many people there are huge fans of the old fox's action scenes."

"I heard that a foreign company invited Su Yan to film an action movie abroad, but he was directly rejected."

"Of course, what price could a foreign film offer? Su Yan is his own boss, free and unrestricted, earning hundreds of millions a year. Who abroad can afford that price?"

"It's a pity that Su Yan has such good skills, but he hasn't filmed any action scenes since Rurouni Kenshin."

"Doesn't Edgerunners count?"

"Can that even count? David is shooting guns and cannons the whole time, which is too different compared to Rurouni Kenshin."

"If the old fox had made this drama about a magical boy Su Yan instead of Magical Girl Madoka, we could have seen exciting fight scenes. Madoka Magica is good in every way, but the plot is too depressing, and the fight choreography of the characters is a bit serious, especially the close combat scenes with guns and swords between Sakura Kyoko and Sayaka. Although the production cost of one episode of Madoka Magica can make more than a dozen episodes of the Rurouni Kenshin TV series, the fight scenes are on a different level."

"Sayaka and Sakura Kyoko's actors used to be singers and romance drama actors! Don't be too picky."

"You guys are so leisurely, am I the only one still wondering if Madoka will become a magical girl in this drama?"

"The drama is called Magical Girl Madoka. Does that even need to be asked? It just depends on what wish Madoka makes! If the wish is to defeat Walpurgis Night, then Madoka will become a huge disaster that sweeps through time in the near future, but if she doesn't wish to become a magical girl here, then Walpurgis Night can basically slaughter the world. Unsolvable."

In the evening, Yu Xinxin trotted all the way, chatting with a group of silly Su Yan fans on her phone in the fan group, while rushing into the house and quickly turning on the TV.

Thankfully,

China Central Television had just started broadcasting the theme song of Magical Girl Madoka.

The title of the eighth episode: [My Best Friend!]

The plot began without any delay.

Faced with Madoka, who was still obsessed with becoming a magical girl, Homura Akemi explained all the truth, including the fact that she was a time traveler.

Homura Akemi hugged Madoka.

[Just to find that answer, I've started over countless times. To Madoka, I'm just a transfer student she's known for less than a month, but to me, you are]

Just the beginning of the plot made Yu Xinxin a little teary-eyed.

She is a very empathetic person, and she basically broke down when this drama was broadcast to the seventh episode last week.

And the eighth episode...

"How much more material does this drama have that hasn't been revealed? It is rumored to have more than a dozen episodes. What kind of story can it tell later?"

The scene changed.

Homura Akemi said goodbye to Madoka.

The whole city was dark.

Dark clouds loomed over the city, and all the magical girls in the city were dead, leaving only Homura Akemi alone.

And above the city, a huge monster appeared.

That was the monster that destroyed the city in Madoka's dream in the first episode.

"Now that I think about it, Madoka's dream in the first episode was her memory before she died in the previous timeline?" Yu Xinxin realized at this time.

No wonder she dreamed of Homura Akemi in the first episode before Homura Akemi transferred to her school.

The following plot was purely a display of explosive budget.

Homura Akemi's time-stopping arsenal fought against the evil and huge Walpurgis Night.

Light pollution, shells, bullets, rockets, the witch's energy pollution, rays...

With the blessing of the budget, these scenes in this episode were like a movie, and Yu Xinxin unconsciously watched with all her attention.

On the other side, Kyubey was still luring Madoka.

This was an open conspiracy.

Are you willing to watch your friends and relatives die now?

Or would you rather transform into a magical girl now to save them? Then, in the future, you will become a witch and destroy the world.

Humans, in many cases, often only have two choices.

A bad choice, and a worse choice.

The world is not black and white, and often there is no white at all.

Madoka made a choice at this moment, even though her mother saw something was wrong and tried to stop her from going out, Madoka still resolutely embarked on the road to find Homura Akemi.

On the battlefield, Homura Akemi tried her best but failed to stop Walpurgis Night.

Her power was exhausted, and she was seriously injured.

She now also had two choices.

Die here.

Or activate her time magic again, return to the past, return to the time before she met Madoka, and repeat this tragedy again.

Perhaps because she had learned from this lesson, she could prevent Mami Tomoe's death in advance, resolve the conflict between Sakura Kyoko and Sayaka, and gather the five-color team to fight against Walpurgis Night together.

But would it be useful?

If you can't beat it, you can't beat it.

Even if you reincarnate a thousand times, ten thousand times, an ant can't beat an elephant!

Homura Akemi just didn't want to admit this.

That's why she activated time magic again and again, constantly tracing back in the cracks of time.

But...

Time can go backwards, but what about people's hearts?

After experiencing this time hundreds or thousands of times, when the hope in her heart was consumed by despair again and again.

Even if time goes backwards, it will be of no avail.

Although Homura Akemi had the ability to activate time magic at this time, her soul gem was rapidly becoming turbid.

She no longer believed that she could save everything.

And when a magical girl begins to question her power and wishes...

That is when she transforms into a witch.

No way!

Yu Xinxin felt a sting in her heart.

Could it be that the eighth episode will sacrifice Homura Akemi?

Su Yan, the old fox, don't get sick!

Madoka walked to the battered Homura Akemi and looked at her with a gentle smile.

Homura Akemi knew what she was going to do just by looking at Madoka's eyes.

[Homura, I'm sorry, I want to become a magical girl!] Madoka said firmly.

At this moment, Yu Xinxin's eyes turned red.

She didn't know how to evaluate Madoka's decision.

She was just a little moved.

The plot of this drama so far has been very abusive.

But in these abusive and uncomfortable plots, there are always these flashes of humanity interspersed.

Mami Tomoe's joy and happiness before she died, and her happiness at finding someone willing to walk side by side with her.

Sayaka regretted becoming a magical girl before she died, but although she regretted it, she never retreated from fighting witches and protecting ordinary people.

Sakura Kyoko and Sayaka went from being enemies to understanding each other, and then to dying together in the end.

And then there was now.

Madoka still chose to become a magical girl when she knew what it meant to become a magical girl.

[I finally understand and found the wish I want to fulfill. So, I want to use my life for this.] Madoka said with a smile.

[No, if that's the case, I] Homura Akemi's eyes became desperate.

In that case, what is the meaning of her reincarnation again and again?

Her dream is to save Madoka.

And Madoka's dream is to save her and the people of this city.

The two girls looked at each other in the ruins, and Madoka hugged the battered Homura Akemi.

[I will never let Homura's efforts be in vain!]

[Containing the fate of countless worlds, you who have become the singularity of causality, can fulfill any wish, come on, Madoka Kaname, what wish do you want to make at the cost of your soul?] Kyubey said at this time, luring with an enticing voice.

Shut up, shameless old fox!

Yu Xinxin stood up from the sofa unconsciously, she eagerly wanted to drill into the TV and beat this rabbit up.

And then, Madoka's words stunned her on the spot.

[I want to eliminate all witches before they are born. All universes, all witches in the past and future, by my own hands!]

This kind of thing...

Yu Xinxin's eyes widened.

Can this kind of thing be realized?

[This prayer, if this prayer is realized! This is a rebellion against the law of causality itself, are you planning to become a god?] Kyubey's eyes also widened.

A pink light appeared on Madoka's body.

Madoka, played by Shen Liqian, became firm.

The prayer was taking effect.

Her qualifications could bear this wish!

Her light shone on the present, past, and future.

The plot began to turn into a stream of consciousness.

The already dead Mami Tomoe appeared and discussed with Madoka what her wish represented.

If she wanted to realize this wish, she would have to become a god above the causality and rules of the universe.

And to become a god, she would have to abandon her identity as a human.

Madoka's past, future, and present existence would be erased, including her parents, who would not remember that they had such a daughter.

She would forever transform into a rule, fighting tirelessly until the end of the universe.

Finally, Madoka in a pink magical girl costume appeared.

She shot thousands of arrows into the sky, shooting into various universes and time periods, eliminating all the witches at the moment of their birth.

The magical girls who fought witches and protected the world should not become witches who harm the world before they die.

This plot swept away the previous depression...

Madoka was sacrificed.

Or rather, she left the human world and turned into a rule.

But, she protected everyone.

Yu Xinxin's tears fell one by one.

Emotions of emotion and healing spread in her heart.

"Su Yan, this is the plot I want to see!"

The TV screen showed the audience in detail how Madoka's incarnation of the rule eliminated the witches.

Even if a despair witch enough to destroy Blue Star attacked, it would be easily destroyed by Madoka.

Homura Akemi was unwilling that the Madoka she wanted to protect could only be remembered by her, the time magic user, who could ignore the rules.

She just cried and said goodbye to the rule incarnated by Madoka.

In the next scene, the consciousness bodies of Sayaka, Mami Tomoe, and Sakura Kyoko appeared one by one.

"Is this what Su Yan said, that Mami Tomoe and other characters will appear in the later part of the drama? Also, is this the happy ending that Su Yan said?"

"Wait... the ending?" Yu Xinxin woke up suddenly.

"This is only the eighth episode, what ending?"

Because Madoka changed the rules of the universe and killed the witches one step ahead.

So, the existences killed by the witches would be resurrected.

Including Sakura Kyoko and Mami Tomoe...

But Sayaka was an exception. Because she was not killed by a witch, but turned into a witch in despair, she could only be purified by the rules incarnated by Madoka.

In the new world, Mami Tomoe, Sakura Kyoko, Madoka's parents, did not remember Madoka.

Only Homura Akemi remembered...

Kyubey still existed.

The curse existed in another form, called magic beasts.

Homura Akemi told Kyubey the story before the world changed, and Kyubey had no memory at all.

Magical girls are no longer a closed loop of despair.

At the moment when the ending song sounded, Yu Xinxin and a group of viewers in China felt like they were in another world.

It's over...

"No... why did you say it's over, this is only the eighth episode?"

Yu Xinxin's eyes widened, and there were still tears in her eyes.

The collective outbreak of family and friendship in the final plot really overwhelmed her, who had a low crying point.

However, this episode really, really felt like the ending.