Puella Magi Kazumi Magica/YMMV

• Complete Monster: Kazumi Magica does the amazing job of making Kyubey even more of a jackass, even though he only makes a cameo appearance. How is this possible? Well, said cameo has him appear with Jubey, who is either an Incubator or at least connected with them. Jubey is capable of purifying The Corruption from Soul Gems! The implications of this are astounding: Kyubey purposely withheld an easier way of purifying Soul Gems from the anime characters.
  • The reason for this is obviously because (MAJOR SPOILERS FOR MADOKA MAGICA) Kyubey was trying to get the anime characters to become Witches. This also implies that Kazumi and the Pleiades Saints are more useful to Kyubey as magical girls, probably because they wouldn't release that much energy if they became Witches themselves (thanks to their fairly minor wishes). Then there's the Cosmic Retcon at the end of the anime. It's too early to tell how it would affect Kazumi Magica, but one way or another, Kyubey still isn't purifying (or getting someone to purify) Soul Gems for the anime characters...
  • He also has the dubious honor of setting the plot of the series in motion by contracting Airi, who has just had the bombshell that her friend Yuuri contracted to save her from her illness, turned into a witch because of her kindness and killed right before her eyes dropped on her. She's clearly unstable at that point, and makes a wish to become Yuuri and take revenge on the Pleiades, who killed witch!Yuuri.
• Counterpart Comparison: Besides the numerous similarities to Homura, there's also the fact that "Yuuri"/Airi's backstory is almost exactly like the common Fanon backstory of Charlotte...except that someone else wished Airi back to health.
  • In Chapter 7, Nico's abilities are a bit like Fullmetal Alchemist-style transmutation.
    • And in Chapter 9 Kaoru displays abilities similar to Greed.
  • Chapter 9: Satomi comes close to an Episode-10 Mami Tomoe freak out. It's probably coincidental that Satomi is also the most developed of the girls, much like Mami was. Probably.
  • Chapter 12 Kazumi's backstory is more or less identical to Charlotte's Fanon backstory, except Kazumi's wish was used on her grandmother.
• Epileptic Trees: As expected, but one in particular needs to be mentioned. (SPOILER TAGS WILL HAVE SPOILERS FOR MADOKA MAGICA). Due to the many inconsistencies with the parent series, it was hypothesized by several fans that Kazumi Magica took place after the events of Madoka Magica. The inconsistencies would be explained by a reality-altering wish that would change the setting. When that actually happened, several fans were quick to claim I Knew It!...except it was just the opposite. The changes introduced at the end of Madoka Magica are incompatible with Kazumi, especially Chapter 3. This was ignored by several fans. For the record, many of the inconsistencies were explained in a different fashion in Chapter 4, and Chapter 5 confirms that Kazumi Magica is set before or during anime events.
• Fridge Brilliance: Every magical girl has a wish granted and at least one "bonus" power related to their wish. Satomi wished for the ability to talk to animals. That was her wish, not her power. Of course she would be able to do something else.
  • To expand on that, the Pleiades' powers seem to stem from the spirit of their wish rather than the words of the wish. Umika's literature related wish allowed her to read minds and rewrite memories. Mirai asked for a museum to house her teddy bears and she can summon a collection of them. Satomi's wish was to speak to animals i.e. communication. Her Phantasma Bisbiglio ability allows her to use someone as a medium to communicate through.
• Genius Bonus: The Pleiades Star Cluster is in the Taurus constellation. The constellation after that is Gemini. As of Chapter 9, we have Airi, who wished to become Yuuri, the Soujus, who are two magical girls in one body, and the Nico that became a witch, who was a "spare" of the real Nico. The magical girls who fight against the Pleiades' Saints can all be thought of as twins.
  • There's also the duality of "old" and "new" Kazumi.
  • The "Angelica Bears" museum. The Angelica genus of plants contains the Ashitaba plant. It's name literally means "Tomorrow's Leaf". This is apparently a pun on Mirai Wakaba's name, which literally means "Future Young Leaf".
• Growing the Beard: Grew some stubble in Chapter 4, and seems to have a full beard in Chapter 5.
• Harsher in Hindsight: Chapter 6 of Kazumi Magica does this to the anime. (MAJOR SPOILERS FOR MADOKA MAGICA) Try imagining Sayaka becoming that.
  • And then there Chapter 13...
  • Remember Satomi's Freak-Out in Chapter 9 about how she didnt want to become a witch and die. Guess what happens in Chapter 15.
• Hilarious in Hindsight: Before Chapter 4 of Kazumi Magica was released, there was a popular Japanese fancomic for the anime that had an Original Character named Jubey. He was an all-black version of Kyubey. Kazumi Magica's Jubey isn't an all-black version of Kyubey, but it's close enough to be funny.
  • Black Comedy variant. In Chapter 6 Kazumi tries and fails to turn a witch back into a magical girl. Similar to Jubey's example, a fanfic had already done something like this.
• HSQ: Chapters 4 and 5 have shocking revelation after shocking revelation.
  • And then Chapters 8 and 9 add to it more and more!
  • Chapters 10-12. Hoo boy.
  • Chapter 13 ups the ante to ridiculous(ly scary) heights.
• Les Yay: There is quite a bit of this. The most obvious "couples" are Umika/Kaoru, Airi/Yuuri, and Ayase/Luca.
  • In the omake comics, Saki seems to feel something special for Kazumi. YMMV on whether or not it's Big Sister Instinct.
  • Chapter 9 has Mirai reacting poorly when Saki is hurt.
  • Chapter 10 shows Saki receiving a Childhood Marriage Promise - from another girl. Chapter 12 later reveals it's her sister.
  • Chapter 11, being a Whole-Episode Flashback, also hints at the origins of two of the "couples" when Umika protects Kaoru and Mirai protects Saki.
  • Chapter 12 has Saki buying a very sentimental gift for Kazumi, and Mirai feeling jealous of Saki and Kazumi's closeness.
    • Chapter 13 has Satomi confirm that Saki loves Kazumi.
    • Chapter 14 clarifies the wording. Saki actually loves (or loved) Michiru, and she likes the clones. She might have been unable to finish them off because they remind her of Michiru.
• Yandere: The Pleiades Saints for Michiru. They have cloned her up to 13 times, with Kazumi being the most recent one, in the hopes of getting her back. Airi is also one for Yuuri, going so far as to wish to be her. No matter how you look at it, the girls are messed up.