Life imitates art with the Puella Magi Madoka Magica credit card, but what’s the price of enormous (buying) power?
Although I regret giving away a major plot surprise in the middle of a decade-old anime, in Puella Magi Madoka Magica, things aren’t immensely as they seem. Even though it starts out sounding like other series in the magical girl genre, Dark Magical Girl quickly shows that Kyubey’s offer of a contract is nothing more than a dangerous monkey’s paw that grants young girls magical powers now, but at the unspoken cost of their souls and sanity in the future Ipass title loans.
As a result, viewers of the show may be wary of applying for the official Madoka Magica 10th anniversary credit card, which accepts applications in Japan. Unfortunately, the card’s contract has some unpleasant surprises for applicants.
Before we get into how credit cards operate in Japan, let’s go over the basics. Japanese credit cards are closer to debit cards because instead of receiving a monthly statement from the credit card company that you have to pay, they automatically and directly deduct the total purchase price from your bank account, which you register when signing up for a credit card. This means that they’re closer to debit cards than credit cards.
Instead, you may pay in installments or “revolving payments,” as referred to in the financial sector. To avoid paying interest rates, most Japanese buyers do not choose a revolving payment option, implying that the unpaid amount will be carried over into the following month’s payment. If you wish to pay in installments with the great majority of Japanese credit cards, you must notify the cashier orally, if you’re buying in a brick-and-mortar store, when you make the purchase.
For transactions or cash withdrawals made with this card, “revolving payment” will be the form of payback.
The interest fees on the Madoka Magica card work out to 15% a year, so if you use the card thinking it works like most Japanese credit cards, where the transaction is automatically paid in full from your bank account, you’ll be surprised when you find out that you’ve only paid off a fraction of the purchase price. You’ll end up paying more overall because of the interest fees.
The Orico-issued Madoka Magica card has a minimum monthly payback amount, apart from interest costs. It automatically withdraws from your bank account, so you’ll be free of interest payments once your balance is paid in full. Eventually, though, you may pay off a $100,000 (US$878) debt in 34 months with a default monthly payment of 3,030 yen. That’s provided no more purchases during that period.
The shock and acceptance that anime fans have shown on social media are palpable.
In the anime, Sayaka asks, ‘Why didn’t you inform me about that portion of the contract?'” ‘Because you never questioned me about it,’ Kyubey responds.’
Make recurring payments under a contract with me!
“I have the power to do miracles and magic (and recurring payments).”
The repayment scheme for the Madoka Magica credit card is explained before you engage in the financial agreement. However, unlike Kyubey, who stayed mute on the hidden cost of the magical girl contract, this explanation may be somewhat concealed in the small print.
There’s also the possibility of adjusting the amount you pay each month so that you don’t start accruing interest costs until your debt is paid off. With most Japanese people using credit cards interest-free and one-step-and-done, the Madoka Magica card’s complicated, counterintuitive nature looks like just the type of bargain Kyubey would provide.