Iconography is a branch of art history that studies works of visual art on three levels: Primary, conventional (using conventions and prior knowledge), and Intrinsic level (a deeper look at hidden topics).
(Visual Culture, ch. 1)
Homura glances about her as if she had just woken up, showing surprise, as you can see in the first level of the description. In the field, Madoka is seated next to her on a chair. Then, with a smile for Homura, Madoka stands up, lifts her arms, and begins to descend. Homura approaches her in an attempt to capture her, but she appears differently and is unable to seize Madoka. Madoka becomes a patch of pink grass. Dark Homura-esque entities emerge, their faces expressionless as they gaze down from above. A sudden appearance of an even larger version of herself, kneeling beside enormous chairs, destroys the wailing, kneeling Homura.
At first, Homura and Madoka sit in a vivid environment with lots of vegetation, but this is all in Homura's head. When Madoka falls, strange things happen that alter Homura's look. In an attempt to save Madoka, Homura becomes unrecognizable, mirroring her own life's trajectory. When Madoka hits the ground, her pink paint is symbolically splattered, and when Homura is destroyed, her purple paint is splattered. Homura's emotional fluctuations show an internal struggle.
This image seemed to capture Homura's deepest desire—to spend some alone time with Madoka in a beautiful place. But the delusion disintegrates as Madoka appears to offer a sacrifice while perched on a chair. Madoka appears unsure about her choice before collapsing. The enormous figures surrounding Homura from earlier incarnations of herself can voice disapproval as Madoka transforms into a pink mess. The enormous Homura that crashed represents her desperate attempts to save Madoka. When left on her own, Homura comes to terms with the pointlessness of her attempts and comes upon enormous chairs, which could represent her realization that the ideal world is unachievable. She sobs in this harsh reality, focusing only on Madoka and stating that Madoka was her one and only reason in life.
The hat worn by Homuli, which has the appearance of a record player, represents the never-ending recurrence of the events that Homura goes through while fighting for Madoka. Gamal's loss of herself, symbolized by the splitting of Ili's head, represents her loss of sanity in her attempt to save Madoka. The sight of Madoka behind locked doors and the shattered record player signify the end of Homura's never-ending quest to alter history. The witch named "The Nutcracker" may allude to Homuli's impotence in the absence of Madoka, as her lack of a face highlights how dependent on her for survival. Homura's wish to build an ideal world is highlighted by visual themes like the ribbon and the Nutcracker, which enhance comparisons with Hoffmann's The Nutcracker and the Mouse King narrative.
Following this moment, we witness a purple salamander cry and transform into a purple jumble, resembling Homura's previous surreal image. "Homura" means "flame" in Japanese, and salamanders, being connected to fire and capable of withstanding it, symbolize Homura herself.
These animals also represent rebirth, vigor, and desire. The red spider flowers and salamander highlight the movie's prediction of later scenes, while Homura's mental state is reflected in the falling teeth, which stand for worry, issues with self-worth, and a fear of change. Even though it is subdued, the rainbow-colored sky might be Homura's final attempt to maintain optimism or pretend that a bright future is coming. Additionally, the rainbow might contain LGBTQIA+ symbolism, which would imply a romantic love between Homura and Madoka that is implied in anime
Homura turns against the other key characters in the indexing events sequence, save for the visual countdown to the Homily's completion and the raising of the crimson curtain. Everything is in disarray, things arise out of nowhere, and geometry and physical rules are warped. Even if everything seems disorganized, everything has a purpose, and you can figure it out by looking at the visual story of the first TV show.
When examining the image with the chair more closely, the background and objects appear blurry, which adds to the setting's uneasiness. The dizzying mood in Homuli's maze is created by the twisted rhythm of the lines, which mirrors Homura's depressing mental state.
Both visual and emotive design aspects are used in the form. Space represents size and proportions, Light and Shade convey feelings about objects through the precise distribution of the light source, color directly expresses emotions using a variety of color palettes, and the rhythm of the lines defines objects, conveying the author's feelings.
(Visual Culture, ch. 2)
The sequence opens with the objects shown realistically, but the sense of reality vanishes when Madoka transforms into a pink mass. The second Homuli has a twisted jumble of things that throws off proportions and creates an unsettling feeling. Gamali emphasizes the environment's volatility by appearing to have varying weights in different scenes.
The landscape is wide and open at first, but once Madoka falls, it gets smaller and more crowded with close-up shots of the things. This could represent Homura's perception that, in Madoka's absence, the world is growing smaller.
The second scene in Homuli is replete with details that highlight Homura's pessimism and give the viewer a sense of claustrophobia. Her problem is highlighted by the confusing appearance and absence of open regions.
A feeling of peace is evoked by the hues of the first scene and natural light. A rainbow sky and dark, stunning colors create a bizarre environment in the second Homulilli. Yoke's feelings are reflected in these hue shifts, which also enhance the visual story.
Natural lighting in the opening scene gives the characters a realistic appearance against an overexposed background, giving the scenario a strange vibe.
Even in the night maze in the second scene, the lack of light and shadow highlights abstraction. The spectator is confused and given a stronger sense of unreality by the mosaic effect.