"Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story" is an anime based on the smartphone app game of the same name. The first and second seasons have aired, and the final chapter, "Final Season: The Dawn of a Shallow Dream," is scheduled to air this spring, creating a buzz. The story is set in the fictional town of Kamihama City, where events unfold. This time, we'll explore Kamihama City from various perspectives!
What exactly is Kamihama City?
Kamihama City is the setting for the story. It is a city located away from Mitakihara and Kazamino, the settings of the original work, "Puella Magi Madoka Magica." Its population is around 3 million, which is larger than the population of Osaka and smaller than the population of Yokohama when compared to real cities and towns. You can see that it is a very urban town. While it has a well-developed transportation network with expressways, railways, and subways, it is also a town with a long history, and some areas still retain traces of its past. Mitakihara is located northwest of Kamihama, with Takarazaki to the west.
Rumors about Kamihama City and Magical Girls
Kamihama City is famous for its many magical girl rumors. It's said to be a place where magical girls can remain in their original form, but the reality is that witches and familiars are more powerful than in other towns. Due to the large number of magical girls and the high number of combined junior and senior high schools, it's not uncommon for multiple magical girls to attend the same school. Various strange occurrences are occurring in Kamihama City, including witches and familiars disappearing from other towns and congregating in Kamihama City, miniature Kyubeys appearing in place of Kyubey, and the emergence of a monster called Uwasa.
Current Situation in Kamihama City
While the western part of Kamihama City is developing reasonably well, the eastern part is lagging behind and feels desolate. Perhaps due to land prices, residents in the eastern part seem to be struggling financially. Additionally, ruins can be found throughout Kamihama City, perhaps a price to pay for rapid development. As mentioned above, there are many junior and senior high schools, and speaking only of schools attended by magical girls, they are all junior and senior high schools. There are also integrated elementary, junior high, high school, and university schools, such as Kamihama City University. Another notable feature is that students at each school wear uniforms even on weekends and public holidays.
What is the Public Safety Situation in Kamihama?
While crimes of varying magnitude can occur anywhere, Kamihama City is notoriously known for its high rate of violent crimes, and it cannot be described as a safe city. For example, there have been a number of incidents unthinkable in modern Japan, including a kidnapping and bombing during the Christmas season, a fabricated crime by the police and prosecutors, and an attempted murder with a gun at an event venue.
Areas of Kamihama City
The city is divided into nine districts: Shinsei, Mina, Sankyo, Chuo, Sakae, Kosho, Daito, Minaminagi, and Hokuyo. Each district has its own unique setting and concept. "Mikazuki-sou," the name of the protagonist's team, "Team Mikazuki-sou," is derived from "Mikazuki-sou," and is located in Shinsei. "Chinese Restaurant Banbanzai," a Chinese restaurant run by Yui Tsuruno's family, is located in Sankyo Ward. Chuo Ward is an office district with many companies, while Sakae Ward is a fashion district. While the city has a modern feel, ancient and somewhat anachronistic customs remain in the Mina and Artisan districts.
About Kamihama City Before Iroha's Arrival
One year before the protagonist, Iroha Tamaki, arrived in Kamihama City, the city's magical girls were divided into two communities: the western community centered around Yachiyo Nanami and Mifuyu Azusa, and the eastern community centered around Juunichi Izumi. These communities cooperated to compensate for the lack of combat power in witch-fighting battles and to avoid conflict between magical girls. A lack of witches led to conflict between the two factions, and even led to attacks on magical girls, almost leading to a full-scale conflict. However, as the number of witches increased, the causes of the conflict were resolved, and the conflict gradually subsided. However, the resentment did not completely disappear, and incidents such as magical girls losing consciousness occurred, leading to increased tension between factions. It may still be some time before the magical girls of Kamihama City truly unite.
Summary of Kamihama City
I've explained Kamihama City from various perspectives. Kamihama City is so detailed that it's hard to believe it's a fictional town, almost to the point of feeling like it exists in reality. It's precisely because of these detailed settings and detailed constructions that the "Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story" game and anime have so many fans and are such a popular piece of content. I'm looking forward to the final chapter, which is about to begin! That's all for today. Thank you for reading.
