Original artwork, not a still
Make a contract with me and become a magical girl!
— Puella Magi Madoka Magica ‧ 2011
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
It sounds like the usual magical-girl recruitment line, and that is the trick: the series spends its length showing what the small print costs. The contract grants a wish, then makes the girl a soldier whose Soul Gem will darken, and Kyubey, who feels nothing about it, never lies and never explains more than it is asked. The line became the shorthand for any deal that looks too good, and for the genre-subversion that made the show famous.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Puella Magi Madoka MagicaShow the scene
The pitch is Kyubey's standing offer in Puella Magi Madoka Magica (Shaft, 2011; written by Gen Urobuchi for the Magica Quartet). In the city of Mitakihara, schoolgirls Madoka Kaname and Sayaka Miki meet the small, white, cat-like creature, who offers them a contract: a girl may have any one wish granted, in exchange for magical powers and the duty of fighting creatures called witches. Homura Akemi, a mysterious transfer student, keeps trying to stop Madoka from ever signing. The senior magical girl Mami Tomoe lets the two follow her on a witch hunt so they can decide. Kyubey repeats the offer throughout the series, to anyone with enough potential.
Sources (2)
- Puella Magi Madoka Magica, WikipediaInfobox; PlotReference checked
- Madoka Magica Wiki, KyubeyPersonality; AbilitiesReference checked
Context reviewed