<p>Those chairs are a direct reference to <a href="http://myanimelist.net/anime/1690/Bokurano" rel="noreferrer">Bokurano</a>, understanding which actually adds depth to the scene (if you've seen Bokurano).</p>

<p>Bokurano <strong>huge</strong> spoilers:</p>

<blockquote class="spoiler">
  <p> Childs sitting on the chairs are actually giving up their lives for the privilege of fighting a defence of Earth.
 Note that chairs appear before the big reveal about souls and zombies in Madoka.</p>
</blockquote>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/ZGue7.jpg" alt="Bokurano chairs">
<img src="https://i.sstatic.net/xhDmA.jpg" alt="Chairs comparison"></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-03-19T21:17:12.553Z
Could you explain the meaning for those who haven't seen it? also while you do supply images that shows a comparison could you also find a source as to why a scene from another series is reference, to my knowledge neither anime shares a production company or series author
Memor-X
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-03-19T21:52:05.580Z
@Memor-X: Done. Note that that this is HUGE spoiler.
Uriziel
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-03-19T22:02:20.140Z
Another comment as I failed to edit in time:
Reference does not have to be related by studio or authors - for example - many references to Evangelion series in Hayate no Gotoku.

Bokurano is quite popular and it's done because of the context is matching series very well. Urobuchi is also admitting to having been inspired by Kamen Rider live action tokusatsu series which are also not related to Magica Quartet or Shaft.
Uriziel
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-03-19T22:14:27.753Z
@urizel ahhh, if the series is popular then that would explain it. i just never heard of Bokurano up until now
Memor-X
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-03-19T23:53:33.263Z
I never heard of Bokurano either; that's why I found it so unsatisfactory as an explanation. It might be *right*, but it's not what I wanted to hear.
Torisuda
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-03-24T21:15:05.473Z
Sorry, I'm not ignoring your answer, I'm just pouting because I wanted a 300-page exegesis on the multiple layered symbolisms of chairs throughout Madoka and the entire Shaft oeuvre that would tie it all into a coherent semiotic framework capable of interpreting every appearance of a chair in any Shaft work, and the answer seems to be "it was a throwaway reference to some anime you've never seen".
Torisuda
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-03-24T21:25:52.947Z
It is multi layered symbolism by reference. It's really not their fault you didn't watch it
Uriziel
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-03-19T20:06:07.593Z
2015-03-19T21:51:44.530Z
2015-03-19T21:51:44.530Z
Uriziel
<p>In Episode 9 of Puella Magi Madoka Magica, during Madoka's conversation with Kyuubei, we see that she has a ton of chairs in her room:</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/vfVzfm.png" alt="bunch of chairs"></p>

<p>At first I thought this was just the usual Shaft weirdness. But I stumbled on <a href="http://kevo.dasaku.net/?p=2108" rel="noreferrer">a blog post</a> that attempted to explain all the symbolism behind the imagery in this scene. According to the author of the blog, the empty chairs represent fallen Magical Girls. While the author's interpretation is plausible, I also found it somewhat tenuous&mdash;the only evidence the author gives is the scene in Mami's apartment earlier on, when Madoka sees Mami's furniture and bursts into tears. I don't have a very clear memory of the scene, but I don't remember it focusing specifically on the furniture&mdash;it could just as well have been the empty apartment.</p>

<p>Is there any other evidence in the show that supports this blogger's reading? And is there evidence that supports another meaning for the scores of empty chairs in Madoka's room?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-27T22:19:52.350Z
I agree with some of the comments on the blogpost - this seems to me to be more likely a Bokurano shoutout than anything.
senshin
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-03-01T00:20:40.670Z
@senshin The [Madoka wikia](http://wiki.puella-magi.net/Madoka_Magica_Episode_9:_I%27ll_Never_Allow_That#Observations) elaborates on the Bokurano connection pretty extensively, but I still find it somewhat unsatisfying and tenuous.
Torisuda
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-03-01T22:11:00.927Z
one could say this is a SHAFT thing since they did Madoka and Monogatari however i am just thinking of one scene with a lot of chairs in one of the Monogatari series's. might be worth looking into to see if SHAFT just like chairs
Memor-X
<madoka-magica><symbolism>
What's the meaning behind all the chairs in Madoka's room?
# What's the meaning behind all the chairs in Madoka's room?
Posted by: username_0 on 2015-02-27
In Episode 9 of Puella Magi Madoka Magica, during Madoka's conversation with Kyuubei, we see that she has a ton of chairs in her room:

![bunch of chairs](https://i.sstatic.net/vfVzfm.png)

At first I thought this was just the usual Shaft weirdness. But I stumbled on [a blog post](http://kevo.dasaku.net/?p=2108) that attempted to explain all the symbolism behind the imagery in this scene. According to the author of the blog, the empty chairs represent fallen Magical Girls. While the author's interpretation is plausible, I also found it somewhat tenuous—the only evidence the author gives is the scene in Mami's apartment earlier on, when Madoka sees Mami's furniture and bursts into tears. I don't have a very clear memory of the scene, but I don't remember it focusing specifically on the furniture—it could just as well have been the empty apartment.

Is there any other evidence in the show that supports this blogger's reading? And is there evidence that supports another meaning for the scores of empty chairs in Madoka's room?
**Tags:** madoka-magica symbolism
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I agree with some of the comments on the blogpost - this seems to me to be more likely a Bokurano shoutout than anything.  
> **username_0**: @senshin The [Madoka wikia](http://wiki.puella-magi.net/Madoka_Magica_Episode_9:_I%27ll_Never_Allow_That#Observations) elaborates on the Bokurano connection pretty extensively, but I still find it somewhat unsatisfying and tenuous.  
> **username_2**: one could say this is a SHAFT thing since they did Madoka and Monogatari however i am just thinking of one scene with a lot of chairs in one of the Monogatari series's. might be worth looking into to see if SHAFT just like chairs  
---
## 1 answers
### Answer by username_3 on 2015-03-19. Score: 13 | Accepted answer
Those chairs are a direct reference to [Bokurano](http://myanimelist.net/anime/1690/Bokurano), understanding which actually adds depth to the scene (if you've seen Bokurano).

Bokurano **huge** spoilers:

> Childs sitting on the chairs are actually giving up their lives for the privilege of fighting a defence of Earth.
> Note that chairs appear before the big reveal about souls and zombies in Madoka.

![Bokurano chairs](https://i.sstatic.net/ZGue7.jpg)
![Chairs comparison](https://i.sstatic.net/xhDmA.jpg)
> **Comments:**
> **username_2** (2015-03-19): Could you explain the meaning for those who haven't seen it? also while you do supply images that shows a comparison could you also find a source as to why a scene from another series is reference, to my knowledge neither anime shares a production company or series author  
> **username_3** (2015-03-19): @Memor-X: Done. Note that that this is HUGE spoiler.  
> **username_3** (2015-03-19): Another comment as I failed to edit in time:
Reference does not have to be related by studio or authors - for example - many references to Evangelion series in Hayate no Gotoku.

Bokurano is quite popular and it's done because of the context is matching series very well. Urobuchi is also admitting to having been inspired by Kamen Rider live action tokusatsu series which are also not related to Magica Quartet or Shaft.  
> **username_2** (2015-03-19): @urizel ahhh, if the series is popular then that would explain it. i just never heard of Bokurano up until now  
> **username_0** (2015-03-19): I never heard of Bokurano either; that's why I found it so unsatisfactory as an explanation. It might be *right*, but it's not what I wanted to hear.  
> **username_0** (2015-03-24): Sorry, I'm not ignoring your answer, I'm just pouting because I wanted a 300-page exegesis on the multiple layered symbolisms of chairs throughout Madoka and the entire Shaft oeuvre that would tie it all into a coherent semiotic framework capable of interpreting every appearance of a chair in any Shaft work, and the answer seems to be "it was a throwaway reference to some anime you've never seen".  
> **username_3** (2015-03-24): It is multi layered symbolism by reference. It's really not their fault you didn't watch it  
---
