Product Code Database
lead=yes is a fictional character from the 2011 anime series Puella Magi Madoka Magica. The daughter of a Protestant pastor, Kyoko is a magical girl from a poor family. Initially introduced as an aggressive and self-centered magical girl, Kyoko clashes with Sayaka Miki over their ideals of justice. As the story progresses, however, her views change and she sympathizes with Sayaka and tries to save her from despair. In , Kyoko has a friendlier personality, and fights with her fellow magical girls against surreal monsters called Nightmares. Kyoko's past and her relationship with Mami Tomoe have been explored in the manga spin-off, . She has appeared in several Puella Magi Madoka Magica-related media, including manga, novel adaptation and .
Series writer Gen Urobuchi originally created Kyoko as a rival to Sayaka; although both characters make similar wishes and experience similar situations, they develop different personalities. Kyoko was designed by Ume Aoki, who wanted to distinguish her from the characters. Takahiro Kishida adapted Aoki's original design and added a number of features to the character. She is voiced by Ai Nonaka in Japanese, and by Lauren Landa in English.
Critical response to Kyoko Sakura has been favorable, with critics calling her character interesting and praising her backstory. Her similarity and relationship with Sayaka have also earned positive response, and the character has also been the subject of analysis. Kyoko has been popular, having placed highly in several popularity polls, and many different pieces of merchandise related to her, such as Figurine, and have been released.
After Sayaka's soul is tainted further and she becomes Oktavia, Kyoko is determined to save her and restore her to normal. She becomes tired of her pain, renounces her previous ideals, abandons her self-preservation, and chooses to kill herself and Oktavia in an attempt to both find peace in death and make sure that Sayaka will not die alone. Kyoko overloads her soul gem to create a massive explosion that kills them both. Kyoko's sacrifice leaves only Homura Akemi and Madoka Kaname to face the powerful witch Walpurgisnacht in the finale of the series. In a previous timeline Kyoko was killed by Mami, who was driven to kill all the fellow magical girls after learning that they would become witches. In the final timeline, Kyoko survives because Madoka rewrites the universe. Here, she mourns Sayaka's death in battle, lamenting that they had "finally become friends".
In , Kyoko appears as a Mitakihara middle-school student and fights with her fellow magical girls against surreal monsters known as Nightmares. She is friendlier to Sayaka, and lives in her house. It is revealed that Homura has become a witch and created a barrier in her soul gem, and Kyoko and the other magical girls were pulled inside this barrier and were implanted with false memories. They save Homura by destroying her barrier, but in the process Homura steals Ultimate Madoka's powers and rewrites the universe before proclaiming herself as the devil. Despite becoming the devil, she gives everyone happy lives in her new world, with Kyoko shown smiling and becoming friends with Sayaka at the end of the movie.
Kyoko is a playable character in nearly every Madoka Magica video game, including Puella Magi Madoka Magica Portable (the 2012 PlayStation Portable action game developed by Namco Bandai Games) and the 2013 PlayStation Vita game Puella Magi Madoka Magica: The Battle Pentagram. She also appears with Sayaka in the third-person shooter (TPS) Puella Magi Madoka Magica TPS Featuring Sayaka Miki & Sakura Kyoko (2012). Kyoko is a playable character in Magia Record, and was played by Kyōko Saitō in its stage play version. In the anime adaptation of Magia Record, Kyoko appears in Kamihama city to hunt witches since the witches in her area have been decreasing. She then joins the Wings of Magius, a group that wants to liberate magical girls from their fate, but later abandons the group due to their "vague" words about the magical girls. Kyoko also appears in several Madoka Magica pachinko games, including Slot Puella Magi Madoka Magica (2013), Slot Puella Magi Madoka Magica 2 (2016), CR Pachinko Puella Magi Madoka Magica (2017), SLOT Puella Magi Madoka Magica A (2017), and Slot Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie: Rebellion (2019). The character also appears in several crossover games, such as Kaden Shoujo, Chain Chronicle, Million Arthur, Girl Friend Note, Phantom of the Kill, and Puyo Puyo Quest. A drama CD written by Gen Urobuchi that details Kyoko's backstory was also released.
Kyoko was the last character Aoki designed for Puella Magi Madoka Magica. Her color motif was initially yellow (as suggested by Urobuchi), but Aoki changed it to red; yellow was used instead for Mami Tomoe.9784832240612, Houbunsha. ISBN 9784832240612 The character's face was drawn quickly as Aoki read the series' screenplay.9784832240612, Houbunsha. ISBN 9784832240612 The costume of each magical girl in the series was determined by their weapon, except for Kyoko; Aoki wanted her design to be distinguishable.9784832240612, Houbunsha. ISBN 9784832240612 She originally designed Kyoko with loose hair, but Takahiro Kishida changed her hairstyle to a ponytail and added sharp teeth because of the character's love of food. Urobuchi was surprised when he saw Kyoko's skirt (since the character moves a great deal), but said that it suits her.
In the Japanese version of the series, Kyoko is voiced by Ai Nonaka. Lauren Landa voices the character in the English dub. Landa described Kyoko as a "veteran" magical girl and the "badass" of the group, calling the character's knowledge of fighting witches and battle style "expert". Since Kyoko "has many different sides to her", such as an "emotional side", a "mischievous side" and a "dark side", Landa said it was "kind of an obstacle to play through each of these emotions" and found it the most difficult aspect of playing the character. Another difficulty was the "chomping noises" she had to do when Kyoko eats, but Landa also noted that she was able to "add a little bit more viciousness to it so it's kind of fun that way". Landa said that she enjoyed Kyoko's "badass" persona; the actress "absolutely fell in love with Kyoko", and had a "blast" working with the cast members.
Merchandise inspired by the character, such as , has been designed. and have also been produced. Kyoko-themed accessories, clothing and other products have been manufactured, and the character appeared on a poster for a Japanese guide dog-training organization. Kyoko also appeared on cover of taxi in Sapporo, as well as appearing in in the form of a doll.
Describing her as the "sneering, confident redheaded magical girl", Zac Bertschy of Anime News Network stated that Kyoko represents "hardened cynicism and ruthless self-preservation" that fights for herself as opposed to Sayaka who is "fully dedicated to using her powers only to protect everyone around her", and said that their clash is "crucial" to the story. Rebecca Silverman of the same website said her backstory "might have fit better in 1692 Massachusetts" but also said "it helps to explain her attitude." Silverman also noted how Kyoko and Sayaka "serve as mirror characters to each other" as they had similar wishes that ends with similar results. Kyoko's Japanese voice actress, Ai Nonaka, has also been praised. Jones called her the "biggest surprise" for portraying the character's range of emotion and providing "some of the best performances" in the series, and Jacob Churosh of the same website also commended her "wide range of emotions" acting. Dan Barnett of UK Anime Network enjoyed Kyoko's interaction with Sayaka in due to their relatively more carefree relationship, calling it "one of the truly joyous moments in the film".
Kyoko's portrayal in the spin-off manga The Different Story was praised by Rebecca Silverman, who called Kyoko's story "much more compelling" than Mami's; as the manga explains how Kyoko became the person she is in the anime, and said her story is "pretty heartbreaking". She noted that her wish was actually selfless, and Mami and Kyoko were "more than strong enough to make for an interesting story on their own." In his review of Magia Record anime series, James Beckett of Anime News Network enjoyed Kyoko's interaction with Felicia Mitsuki, and noted her appearance as it feels like a fanservice. Beckett, liked her appearance more in the next episodes since "she had more stuff to do."
Writing for The Very Soil: An Unauthorized Critical Study of Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Jed A. Blue asserts that "Kyoko blames herself for her own family's death because she wished to save them, even though she was helping them, and it was only her father's choice to refuse to listen or try to understand that killed them", saying her "guilt is relatively common in people who experience grief, loss, and trauma", stating that Kyoko shows symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Blue also said Kyoko "shows few outward signs of depression at first glance, but the previous episode made quite clear that she has totally cut herself off from humanity, burying herself in self-indulgence of her hedonistic impulses in order to escape the pain of her past." Noting the symptoms of eating disorder to the character, Blue also said Kyoko is Sayaka "who expresses her depression outwardly".
|
|
