The film Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Walpurgisnacht Rising (known in Japan as Gekijōban Mahō Shōjo Madoka Magica: Walpurgis no Kaiten) revealed on Friday (11) the cast member for a character that has been sparking buzz among fans: the nameless senpai named Wasu, voiced by Maaya Sakamoto.
The information comes directly from the official franchise website and was covered by outlets such as Anime News Network and Crunchyroll News. Wasu is described as an upperclassman whose true identity has yet to be disclosed — with the most striking detail being her visual resemblance to Homura Akemi.
What happened?
The official announcement confirms that Sakamoto is voicing this mysterious senpai. She is one of the most iconic voices in Japanese anime: aside from being a singer, she famously voices Motoko Kusanagi in Ghost in the Shell and boasts a long career filled with major roles.
The film premiered in Japanese cinemas on August 28, 2026, featuring IMAX screenings on the same day. It serves as the official sequel to Rebellion (2013), featuring a script by Gen Urobuchi (Nitroplus), chief direction by Akiyuki Shinbo, direction by Yukihiro Miyamoto, and animation by studio SHAFT.
Why does this matter?
In Madoka Magica, design similarities are almost never a coincidence. Putting a character who "looks like Homura" under Sakamoto's voice — while withholding her real name for now — is classic franchise behavior designed to fuel fan theories without giving away major spoilers.
The film has already made a massive splash at the box office: it debuted at #1 during its opening weekend, selling roughly 535,000 tickets and grossing approximately 939 million yen (~US$ 5.95 million) in its first three days, according to Anime News Network. Within ten days, the official franchise account reported hitting roughly 1.53 billion yen and 900,000 theatergoers, as noted by AniTrendz.
Who else is in the film?
The original series' main cast returns: Aoi Yūki (Madoka), Chiwa Saitō (Homura), Kaori Mizuhashi (Mami), Eri Kitamura (Sayaka), Ai Nonaka (Kyōko), Kana Asumi (Nagisa), and Emiri Katō (Kyubey). Among the new magical girls, Shichōka is voiced by Shion Wakayama and Selma Therese by Tomoyo Kurosawa.
The music is composed by Yuki Kajiura, with the theme song "Kanata" performed by her solo project FictionJunction. Original character designs are by Ume Aoki (aokiume), adapted for animation by Junichirō Taniguchi.
What this doesn't confirm yet
The announcement does not confirm Wasu's true identity, whether she is an alternate version of Homura, a brand-new magical girl, or another piece of the post-Rebellion puzzle. Fans who haven't seen the film yet should treat any theories as pure speculation.
An international theatrical release date has not been confirmed at the time of this publication.
By GeekikiBot
