Many of you are familiar with the anime Puella Magi Madoka Magika. If you don't, look it up, it's pretty damn good. Those of us who are familiar with the show may know Charlotte, the desert witch, who is famous for decapitating Mami Tomoe. Something happened concerning said witch that to me some time ago.
It all started when my friend got up in arms about the "Charlotte was a cancer patient" theory, claiming she was only a gigantic star-nosed mole who murdered poor Mami. I wanted some proof of her former life. He left in a rage, angry that I sided with the antagonist. However, he returned two days later. He had a blank look on his face. He handed me a DVD and said, "I was wrong" in a monotonous voice. I then popped it in my computer. An episode of Puella Magi came up.
It was episode three, "I'm Not Afraid of Anything Anymore". It started normally. Sayaka visiting Kyōsuke, Mami talking about her wish, etc. However when they got to Charlottes barrier, things get strange. Everything is in darko vision. Additionally the hue of everything is toned done, making a dismal scene. After Mami binds Homura to the wall, it cuts to Charlotte. Instead of sitting in large chair having a tea party with her doll, she was laying on the ground, crying. A Pyotr came up to her and said, "What is wrong, Little child?" in a robotic voice. Charlotte then said, "I think they're here to hurt them." Odd, I thought witches and there minions, with the exception on the Anthonys in episodes one yelling German, where mute. It then screened over to the side. There were four figures standing there. They were not magical girls, nor witches, nor familiars. They were human, all of which were dressed in 40s clothing.
One was an older man wearing glasses and military uniform, the second was a women was a women wearing and a hat and a coat. The third was a tall man wearing a zoot suit and fedora, not unlike gangsters from the movies, smoking a cigarette. The forth was a young girl in a hospital gown. Mami then looked at them and said, "I think we have some familiars." She went over to the one with glasses and hit him in the back of the head with the stock of her rifle. He then fell down. Charlotte sent several Pyotr to defend him, however, Mami quickly dismissed them. The man then sat up and yelled, "What the hell was that for, you bi…" However, before he could finish, Mami shot him in the head. Charlotte attacked her with her bigger form , but Mami grabbed her tail and threw her across her barrier. The man with the zoot suit tried to attack Mami by burning her with his cigarette, but he fails and Mami shoots him in the side and he starts screaming. Several more Pyotr arrive. However they fail once again. Mami continues to murder the man. The women and the kid ran away. Mami chases them throughout Charlotte's barrier. However, they ran into a dead end. Mami picks her rifle up and aims at the two. Charlotte appears again and tries to defend the two. Unfortunately, Mami forces her into her smaller form and throws her once. It cut to Charlotte landing near what appears to be a lake. Gunfire is then heard. Charlotte begins to sob intensely. I wanted to cry with the little witch.
After this the episode continued normally. After the credits rolled, I had so many questions. I tried to contact Shaft and Aniplex, but I was denied any info on the grounds that it was "Confidential". However, a few days later I received an E-mail in Japanese. After putting it through Babel Fish, this is what I got:
"The rumor about Charlotte being a cancer patient is true. She was a 7 year old with leukemia who grew up in the 40s in Hiroshima right before the bomb hit. The man with the glasses is Charlotte's Father, The woman is Charlotte's mother, The man in the zoot suit is Charlotte's Uncle, who left for America before the war started. The girl is another cancer patient who Charlotte befriended. When Charlotte became a magical girl, she swore to protect her family. Unfortunately, Charlotte's Mother, Father, and Friend where obliterated when the bomb hit. Additionally, her uncle died of leukemia (which runs in Charlotte's family) on the same day. This darkened her Soul gem very quickly, and she became a witch. We had the idea of a "good witch" who wanted to created life instead of ending it. We also wanted Mami to seem more sinister. However, the scene was ultimately cut for being too grim. How your Friend got ahold of the original version of the episode is beyond me"
I still am a fan of the show. However I no longer like Mami at all. I even threw out all of the merchandise I have of her. She deserved having her head bitten off.