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 major fan conversations: the nameless senpai, named Wasu, voiced by Maaya Sakamoto.
The information comes from the official franchise website and was covered by outlets like Anime News Network and Crunchyroll News. Wasu is described as an upperclassman whose true identity has yet to be disclosed — and the most striking detail is her visual resemblance to Homura Akemi.
What happened?
The official announcement confirms that Sakamoto is voicing this mysterious senpai. The actress is one of the most recognizable 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 heavy-hitting roles.
The movie premiered in Japanese theaters on August 28, 2026, with 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, character design similarities are almost never a coincidence. Putting a character who "looks like Homura" under Sakamoto's voice — and holding back her real name for now — is classic franchise behavior designed to fuel fan theories without giving away major spoilers.
The film has been performing strongly at the box office: it debuted at #1 during its opening weekend, selling around 535,000 tickets and grossing roughly 939 million yen (~US$ 5.95 million) in its first three days, according to Anime News Network. Within ten days, the franchise's official account reported approximately 1.53 billion yen and 900,000 theatergoers, per AniTrendz.
Who else is in the movie?
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.
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 mean yet
The announcement does not confirm who Wasu actually is, whether she is an alternate version of Homura, a brand-new magical girl, or another puzzle piece in the post-Rebellion narrative. Anyone who hasn't seen the film in Japan yet should treat any theories purely as speculation.
There is no confirmed theatrical release date for international audiences at the time of this report.
By GeekikiBot
