Makino Ikumi

Ikumi Makino, is one of the original characters of the 2017 mobile game Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story: Magia Record. Initially a nameless Black Feather in Chapter 9 of Magia Record, her face and name were revealed when she became a playable character in November 2018. A Magical Girl who wants to look adorable in any situation. She works as a maid at her maid cafe, shooting beams of cuteness with all her might. However, she has unintentionally become a comical personality, due to her old-fashioned style of acting. Ikumi is sad that the robes she wears for the Magius won't let her show off her cuteness. She wonders where Ryo is since she has time for tea before she heads off to work. She finds her in a common room and decides to sneak up on her since Ryo hasn't noticed her presence. Ryo seems upset, but after a bit she laughs it off as revenge for teasing her. Afterwards, Ryo asks Ikumi if she can interview her for the paper she's writing for the Magius. Ikumi hopes they can get her good side for the picture, but Ryo reminds her that everyone in the organization is supposed to be anonymous much to Ikumi's dismay. Ryo tells her the interview is about why she became a magical girl, but assures Ikumi's name won't be used. Ikumi doesn't mind as she has nothing to hide, and is eager to tell her story to Ryo since they're good friends somehow tied by fate. In exchange, Ikumi asks to hear Ryo's story of why she became a magical girl. Ryo agrees and Ikumi begins her story. Ikumi explains how in her first year of middle school, her dream was to become a volleyball player. Even so, she wasn't very athletic and no matter how much she practiced, she never improved. Her friend Yumi would cheer her up by dressing her in cute outfits. Around that time, her friend Yumi had a growth spurt and was often mistaken for Ikumi's older sister. Ikumi encouraged her to try volleyball with an old teammate of hers that she bumped into and found Yumi had a talent for it. As they finished playing, her old teammate commented on how well Ikumi sang at karaoke. Yumi had practiced singing with Ikumi since Yumi wanted to be an idol, but despite her singing lessons she never improved. Her friend mused on the idea and both Yumi and Ikumi realized while they didn't have the talent needed to fulfill their own dreams, they could fulfill the dream of the other. When Yumi entered middle school the next year, she became the ace of the volleyball team and was admired by her teammates. Ikumi, on the other hand, was doing well in her dancing, singing, and acting classes but was being told by her teachers that her cutesy character act wasn't cutting it, since her real personality kept slipping through. She failed at her last audition and her teacher told her that the type of idol that Ikumi was aiming for was too outdated. Ikumi didn't want to change it though, since that was the kind of idol that she and Yumi had wanted to be. Unlike Yumi, by the time Ikumi graduated middle school, she still hadn't made a name for herself. But Ikumi wouldn't compromise and that's when Kyubey appeared to offer a contract. Ikumi didn't want to wish to become an idol, since it would mean she never achieved it through her own hard work. Kyubey continued to offer her a contract as Ikumi kept declining. One day Ikumi failed another audition when she ran into Yumi. Ikumi said a brief hello before going home for the day. She began to wonder what she was doing with her life since she hadn't made any progress in the past two years whereas Yumi was making lots of progress. As she began to feel down, she realized it was always Yumi that would come and cheer her up and keep her from over thinking things. Yumi then appeared and insisted on taking Ikumi on a shopping spree, taking note that Ikumi had gotten much better at color coordinating her clothes. Ikumi's old teammate and Yumi's new friend showed up and complimented Ikumi on her looks. She noted that Ikumi had gotten much cuter since last they met and she could tell she had been working hard on her dream. Yumi agreed, and Ikumi thought of how much Yumi took notice of her and was always there for her. She assured herself she wouldn't contract to become an idol as it would betray Yumi's dreams. Kyubey soon stopped pestering Ikumi to contract. As Ikumi entered high school, she was offered a job at a maid cafe that the school was organizing. It would give a chance to students to really shine when they weren't able to at auditions in the past, and since it was paid part time work, it was technically professional work. Entertainment producers would also come, so the chance to be scouted was still real. Ikumi was soon hired at the cafe. After Ikumi had been working there for some time, the other girls had been picked up for idol gigs one by one except Ikumi, who continues to slip out of her idol persona. The other girls call her granny for how old fashioned her persona is, and after two years there even some of the customers were calling her that too. But she managed to secure a small fanbase and was able to shine on the cafe's stage. Despite all her happiness, the maid cafe was destined to close. It was an old building and the cafe was being forced to evict. However, the owner still hadn't found a new location yet. Even though Ikumi had tried to find a loophole in the laws to prevent them from being evicted, it was no use. All Ikumi could do was urge the other idol maids to smile on the last day the cafe was open. As the last customers left, Ikumi stayed behind alone to grieve for the cafe. Once more, Kyubey appeared before her and urged her to remember what he had told her before, about her wish not necessarily having to have to be used towards her dream. Ikumi thought about the feeling in her heart when she had stood on the stage and how her juniors had also loved this maid cafe that had allowed their dreams to come true. It was then Ikumi contracted and wished for the cafe to continue to run. Her wish came true immediately. The rightful landowner had been so moved by their final performance that he sold the cafe to the school, who immediately remodeled and reopened the cafe. Ikumi went right back to work, and to being teased by her juniors for her outdated act. However, her juniors also thanked Ikumi for urging them to try their best, even on the last day of the cafe, which ended up saving it. One day, Ikumi entered a witch's barrier to uphold her responsibilities as a magical girl. As nervous as she was, she was able to dispatch the familiars with ease but had trouble dealing with the witch itself. Suddenly, a voice rang out and another magical girl appeared to assist Ikumi. The other girl turned out to be Yumi, who had also contracted. After they defeated the witch, Ikumi and Yumi caught up with each other since they hadn't seen each other in a long time. Ikumi grew suspicious, and asked Yumi if she didn't contract back when she was floundering and doing poorly for her auditions. Yumi replied she was upset no one was taking notice of Ikumi's talents and wished "for Kumi-chan to meet someone who can understand how lovely she is. Someone to give her the chance to become an idol." Ikumi admitted that she had considered simply wishing to become an idol, but she had wanted to do it by her own hard work. She was grateful to Yumi, because now she had a place where she could shine and how she had used her own wish to protect that special place. Both girls had used their wishes towards Yumi's dream. The two girls teamed up and spent a happy year together studying at school and hunting witches. Normally the two were in sync and had no difficulties, but one day they encountered a particularly powerful witch and had gotten to the point of exhaustion. Caught off guard, the witch attacked Yumi and greatly injured her leg. As Ikumi tended to her, Yumi began to worry since her sport scholarship for college was coming up and she wouldn't be able to play volleyball with such an injury. The despair of their dreams not coming true pushed Yumi over the edge and she unleashed her doppel in front of Ikumi. Ikumi stood in shock and confusion when suddenly Ryo appeared and urged her to escape before the barrier could collapse. Ryo picked up the now unconscious Yumi and the girls escaped. Ryo assured Ikumi that Yumi was safe, just unconscious for now. Ikumi worried about her friend, asked Ryo what she knew of the creature they just saw. Ryo didn't know and suggested asking Mitama about it. Mitama explained doppels to the girls and by then Ryo had to leave. Afterwards, Mifuyu approached Ikumi with a White Feather in tow. After introducing herself, Mifuyu had the White Feather use her magic to heal Yumi of her wounds and then leave. Thanks to the healing, Yumi would be able to pass her test and receive her sports scholarship. Both girls thanked Mifuyu profusely, which only made Mifuyu uneasy. Mifuyu said she would explain about doppels, but warned the girls that the truth would be painful. Since it would affect their dreams, the two opted to hear her out and so they all headed out and went down by the river. Mifuyu explained about witches and about the Wings of Magius, who were dedicated to liberating magical girls from this fate. Although Mifuyu had urged them to go home and think it over, Ikumi immediately decided to join the organization, not only because they had healed Yumi, but because she hated the thought of losing her dream due to becoming a magical girl. Nor did she want to spread curses and malice once she herself became a witch. Yumi decided to think it over, but she too eventually joined. Ikumi trusted Mifuyu, but not necessarily the rest of the organization. Soon after, Mifuyu introduced the two new Black Feathers to Ryo, who recognized Ikumi right away. In the present day, Ryo thanked Ikumi for her story, and told her she would do better to keep to her natural self rather than force the idol personality all the time since she kept forgetting to keep it up and would slip back into her original self. Ikumi cried about being bullied again before noticing she was late to work and ran off, promising to see Ryo tomorrow.