Question to Fans of Puella Magi Madoka Magica - SPOILERS!

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Why Tomoe Mami has become so viral? Is it entirely based in the gruesome way that she died? I don't want to come off as judgmental, but that seems to be kind of...sick. I mean, I wander around art sites and you can't really go more than a page without tripping over some homage to this character's fate. A lot of the artwork is fairly harmless, I suppose. I had a similar character I drew once, who rode a broom stick and her head fell off, but it never involved death or murder and was played for comic effect. It didn't stop several people from accusing me of being a pervert, not that I understood what the problem was. And I'm not trying to go there and say anyone's a pervert, although it's the internet and you know someone out there is getting off on it.

My point being that I don't understand the celebratory nature that surrounds what seems to be nothing more than grisly murder. Murder is bad enough, but it seems more horrible when a child is murdered and I can't see this character ending in any other way. Admittedly I've not watched the whole thing but I know the major elements. (Kyubey is some demonic wish fulfiller akin to Calypso in Twisted Metal, Walpurgis Night is the end of the world, and there's some weird Groundhog Day scenario going on and that none of it is fully explained.)

I would just like to understand what makes this character so popular, and if it's really tied to her death then explain to me why I shouldn't be so disturbed by such a revelation?

I consider myself a pretty big fan of Madoka Magica, but I am just as puzzled and sickened by the worship of Mami's death as you are. I didn't find it funny, I didn't find it meme-worthy, and I certainly didn't find it sexy. Mami was an already sad character who met an untimely and shocking demise, and I hate how her death is treated like a cheap joke by most of the Internet. Another thing that sickens me is how Charlotte, the witch who killed Mami, has gained a cult-like following of fans, many of whom humanize her and ship her with Mami. Because nothing says "true love" like literally biting someone's head off.

Sorry for the rant, but the part of the fandom who makes light of the tragedies in the series and/or fetishizes it has always really bothered me.

The reason that it is so popular is that before said scene that before that bit it was very similar to any other magical girl anime, in fact just before this scene the characters did a promise of friendship that will prevent Mami from feeling lonely like she did before. But arguably it was that very frienship promise that made Mami get a little too cocky, break her focus, arguably she lost her head which resulted her in literelly loseing her head. That scene was symbolic that Puella Magi Madoka Magica was not any normal magical girl anime, no a single misstep resulted in a character suffering a gruesome death, and by something that looks like the Very Hungry Caterpillar, that is Charlotte.

Mami holds a special part in the series despite being small in some respects. She has a common super hero like past, she was the sole surviver of an accident that left her an orphen, and her will to fight for people despite that seems great. This is until you look a little harder and realize the tragedy that she could have saved her family also, that she was pushing Madoka and Sayaka into becoming magical girls. And there is what she might very well do if she learned the truth, it is not pretty and can completly change your opinion of her normally motherly attitude. There is also the fact that she uses rifles which is very odd for being a magical girl weapon.

To repeat the tragedy of Mami is largely a representation of how broken things are in Madoka.

I might also add that Charlotte's past is also rather sad, possibly some similarities to what happened to with Mami's wish. Charlotte's mother was stuck in a hospital and was dyeing from cancer, Charlotte knew her mother loved sweets and felt sad that her mother could not have any. It would seem that she came into contact with Kyeubey and was offered a wish, Charlotte used her wish to make a cake for her mother to enjoy one last time. But when her mother died she learned that she could have used her wish to cure her mother's cancer, and then fell into depression.

There is also the witch description that she is able to create as much sweets as she wants, but can not mkae her favourite food, cheese. Mami then fits rather gruesomly in terms of colour.

I wouldn't suppose this anime would have been a product of CLAMP?

They're track record for squick is already well established and this sort of concept seems to fit their modus operandi.

2x the squick when you add that it's an all female studio.

No, it is made by the studio SHAFT which are known for being rather artistic, and like to play around with dark themes. One of their other big hits is the Bakemonogatari series, which has had some of the most gruesome fight scenes, but does it in an artistic way and is incredibly intelligent.

It was also written by a guy called Gen Urobuchi, who is apparently known for being very gruesome with some of his work, his recent work is something called Psycho-Pass which has been so gruesome I have barely been able to watch it. He has to be a little messed up with the psychopaths he wrote in that.

So basically, the answer to my question is that the internet is full of sick, perverted weirdos.

Sadly, that was nothing I didn't already know.

I can show some Magica porn if you unsure. I especially like looking up yuri artwork with the Sayaka and Kyouko pairing.

Look, don't be so harsh on it all. Many people just enjoy that they have a show with the magical girl genre that they kind of liked when they were kids, and that it has mature themes that they can attach to as an adult. True some of the jokes of using headless Mami is a little tasteless, but there are some irony that makes it kind of funny, they are more at laughing at the idea than at a tragic case.

There is also a popular meme that places Homura as not only a stalker but as a stalker, that uses her power to take advantage of Madoka without her realizing, and using a piece of clothing as headwear. Yeah it can be disgusting, but it is a way for certain audience to relieve frustration and show their love.

My goal is not really to pass judgment, so much as to find some kind of sense in the whole equation and to that end I would say I failed.

And thank you, but I'll pass on the porn. I'm one of those rare individuals who simply can't get into the stuff. (Not on moral grounds, it just does nothing for me.) And yes, I've seen imagery of the so-called PervyHomu as well, I don't really get that either. But the up-front shock of senseless murder isn't there so the squick isn't quite as prominent.

Honestly, this is not the first time I stood at odds and questioned something that seemed to be universally adored by everyone else.

Everyone always has different opinions which makes anime so interesting. I have been part of some itneresting discusions of an anime called Sword Art Online recently, it is very popular, but there are people that there are people that criticise it pretty strongely. And there is often no right answer, just opinions.