Puella Magi Madoka Magica (2011) User Reviews

Quite Disturbing

[venusboys3 · 9/10 · 30 January 2013]

I started watching this knowing nothing except that it was a 'dark' magical girl series. I've never seen any of the magical girl stuff (unless Claymore counts?) so I had no idea of how it was using/subverting the usual tropes. Still, it was pretty amazing... and very dark. By the time I got to the 9th episode I was feeling pretty distraught over the fates of all the characters and how awful the whole system was.

One thing that particularly stood out for me was the animation and the various styles to represent the bizarre Witches and the Labyrinths they create. While the main characters usually remain in regular anime mode everything else becomes a wild collage of symbols and strange creatures that symbolize the Witch and her obsessions. Each one seems to be a mysterious story unto itself.

Don't let the cutesy character designs fool you though... this isn't for kids, both because it's so disturbing and also because I don't think they'd really understand it once the true nature of the magical girls starts to come out.

this show rocks...

[joelherro · 9/10 · 26 April 2011]

i really liked it, despite it being about young girls...the only other magical girl series I've watched is sexy magical girl which is a crazy hentai...this was nothing as mental as that...

i had heard this was very dark, and i didn't think so to begin with, but maybe i was thinking 'dark' in terms of horror, which this isn't really, it is 'dark' in terms of despair and hopelessness...its actually a very intelligent, well thought anime, that had me guessing up til the end and keen to watch every episode...

Madoka meets a strange creature that looks similar to a small dog, with long ears that talks (it is anime, so that is not as weird as it sounds!) named Kyubey. He offers to grant any wish she wants in return for making a contract for her soul, to fight witches for the rest of her life...what will her one wish be?

awesome animation, interesting characters and a gripping story, but probably too deep and possibly disturbing for younger viewers (theres a lot of trippy imagery in this!)...its pretty awesome...

Close to perfection

[HellRaidertr · 9/10 · 14 February 2015]

I immediately became hooked.

Madoka Magica then struck me with unimaginable feelings.

This is such a well executed piece of drama, with characters very close to real.

The author did an amazing job fitting the story inside only 12 episodes. Maybe this is why, the experience is so dense.

I also need to compliment the soundtrack. It is so well done, after finishing the series I am still listening to them, constantly.

Madoka Magica uses the magical girl genre as a surface shield, just like NGE uses mecha genre for the purpose. I recommend you give it a chance even if you don't care much about the magical girl thing. Chances that you will like this even if you are distant to the genre are big, given that you appreciate anime ;)

I thought about giving this 10 instead of 9, but maybe in another world.

A horrifyingly dark retelling of 'Faust' and an exploration of friendship, suffering, fate and sacrifice.

[john-f-d-hartman · 10/10 · 12 September 2014]

The trailers and posters of this show are practically false advertising: When all they show is cute girls with wide eyes and colourful hair smiling and having fun, the show looks like it could be a shoddy clone of Sailor Moon. In reality, beyond the physical appearance of the characters Puella Magi Madoka Magica is a psychological-horror style genre deconstruction that has more in common with 'Faust' or 'Requiem for a Dream' than it does with anything else in the Magical Girl genre.

Like the other infamously existential anime 'Neon Genesis Evangelion', Madoka Magica starts out with the pretension of being representative of its genre so it can tear down those assumptions and tropes moments later. The first two episodes are a brilliant but not entirely out-of-the-ordinary set-up for a magical girl anime. By the end of the third episode it is made abundantly clear that things do not go according to plan. The remaining 9 episodes cover a nightmare-inducingly fatalistic and hopeless series of events that rank this show as among the emotionally darkest works of fiction I've ever seen.

There are no monsters that jump out at you, and there are no gruesome character deaths to make you cringe. Make no mistake, this is definitely horror - but it's horror in the sense of total and utter despair, regret and hopelessness in the face of the inevitable. The juxtaposition of the impossibly grim storyline and the overly cutesy visuals leaves a constant feeling of nausea and unease, such as how Kyubey keeps his cute-but- cold smile even as the story descends into hell. The casting of well-meaning and naive 14 year old girls as the tragic heroes only adds to this contrast.

The plot will surprise you at every turn - even if you're a savant at foreseeing twists, I can guarantee you that you will be caught of guard at more than once. I really can't say anything about the plot except the obvious, which is that there is more than meets the eye in the world of magical girls - but keep in mind that just as you think you understand what's going on, you don't.

My single problem with the show is that the ending felt rushed and incomplete, and the set-up for the 'Rebellion' movie at the end seemed a bit forced. I think the last episode or two should have been an entire movie, like 'End of Evangelion' - squeezing such apocalyptically dramatic events into a 20 minute episode was bound to leave things undercooked. Otherwise I have no complaints. This is, without a doubt, one of the best made stories in any medium that I've ever seen. It's arty but not pretentious, emotional but never clichéd, action packed yet thoughtful. It manages to hit hard without losing subtlety. Every character is believable, interesting and necessary. The art switches between clean and conventional scenes of the real world to portrayals of psychedelic lovecraftian destruction with total fluency - Madoka Magica is at every point incredible to look at. The soundtrack is well produced, emotionally versatile and never boring.

Even if you don't like anime or have never seen it before, if you like stories with originality, intellectual and emotional depth, themes of cosmic significance and painfully human characters, watch Madoka Magica. You will enjoy it.

Lasting intrigue and beauty

[cheekiechick88 · 10/10 · 23 January 2014]

This anime I truly believe is a masterpiece, however, it does not receive the review it deserves based on one misguided fact: that this is a series for children.

Madoka Magica, is dark in its themes, it struggles with the definition of good and evil, right and wrong and even the existence of the human soul. It takes on tough issues and sadly these are thrust onto young pure-hearted girls, but their reactions are what give a main strength to the series. Though they are too young to deal with things that even adults run from that leads to an incredible amount of admiration from older audiences.

However, though I said the series has dark themes, do not be mislead into thinking that it is not visually appealing, because it is. Oh god, it is.

Adorable characters, wonderful weapons, skillful imagery as well as the battle scenes, even the bad guys we're meant to hate, draw us into masterpieces of art. The visual stimulus here is incredible and undoubtedly one of its major draw-cards.

The story is skilfully done too, two young girls on the cusp of adulthood, open-minded and willing to do whatever they can to make the world a better place. But very soon they realise that 'give' results in 'take' and this new world they enter will give them a great gift, the power to fulfil any wish they desire, but in receiving the power to save the universe there is more sacrifice than they bargained for.

If you like good looking animation, done up cute, and something that really draws you inside a well-constructed world - then give this a go! I recommend this to every single 16+ girl and guy that likes a bit of good-looking mind-bendiness. Younger audiences I give them caution, it's a great show, nothing sinister, however it deals with issues that the characters should not have to deal with in reality. There's a bit of psychology here that young audiences might not only find difficulty with understanding, but may find confronting.

All in all - Ah - may - zing!!!

Best series of all time

[TimothyMcKann · 10/10 · 8 June 2013]

When I first heard about this series,I have to say that a lot of people have been getting into it. I have to say that after seeing people dressing up as the characters at Anime Cons,this is a show that I wanted to see. After watching the series on crunchy-roll,I really wanted to own it. But after buying it on DVD,and watching it in English,it feels like watching it on Crunchyroll again. It has a great storyline,and the characters were amazing,and the dimensions where the battles take place reminds me of .hack//sign. But what this series reminds us that we should be careful on what we do. We all need to take responsibility on our actions,and never be reckless on what we do. I do believe that the Magical girls in the show have tried to be careful on what they do,and what fate they have. But however,this is one of a kind,and I think you all need to get this show,it's the best.

The Greatest TV Series of All Time

[jose-cruz53 · 10/10 · 8 July 2013]

It begins very cheesy, as Urobuchi described as a healing series, however, what occurs in the first two episodes has the only purpose to manipulate your expectations. After the third episode the shows true nature begins to creep through and only in episodes nine and ten that the full nature of the whole fictional universe is revealed. Truly a marvelous piece of entertainment and also a work of art. Its a very rare accomplishment, a TV series combining artistic value and entertainment value.

I never cried watching TV, I never felt so affected that I was unable to sleep, but Madoka managed to affect me on a very deep level that no other TV series (including Evangelion) has ever managed to match. It set a new standard for what I came to expect from television: brilliant writing, memorable characterization, over the top visual style.

Definitely worth a watch, even if you aren't a fan of Magical Girls.

[bmcafee_98-257-960319 · 9/10 · 4 January 2016]

I normally read up on a series before I buy it, but I lucked into this one without doing any research at all, and I'm so glad that I did. I'm a 42 year old male, so you might think I'm outside the demographic for this show, and so did I. I've been collecting anime since 1988, but I've never been into Magical Girl anime. I loved Tenchi Muyo, so I was able to stomach some Magical Girl Pretty Sammy, so I'm not completely unfamiliar with the genre, but it's really not my thing. I only watched this because Christine Cabanos, the English voice actress for the main character was going to be at a local anime convention and I wanted to be familiar with her work before meeting her. I did absolutely no research whatsoever. After watching the first two episodes, it was headed in exactly the direction I expected it to be going, and I wasn't too excited to hit play on episode three, but I'm so glad that I did. The first two episodes aren't all that interesting to watch, but believe me, you will enjoy them a lot more when you re-watch them, and you will. Once you finish episode ten and realize just what has been going on, a re-watch is practically mandatory.

It is absolutely imperative to avoid spoilers, but you do need to know one thing: Give it at least three episodes. The end of episode three marks a major turning point. To say that the plot gets serious at that point is an understatement. Everything changes; the story loses its frivolous nature, the art, settings and even the music change to suit the new dramatic nature of the plot, and it's at this point that you should make your judgment on whether or not to finish the series. Don't get me wrong, this is a Magical Girl anime to the end, but if you are a fan of extremely well written stories, and I mean on the level of Shakespeare, Goethe, and classical Greek legend, then this is for you, regardless of whether or not you like Magical Girls.

Lets break it down:

ART: 8/10 I've seen better animated shows. Especially close-ups on the character's faces leave something to be desired, but still, this animation is above average. The use of backgrounds and lighting to set the mood for the scene is done with masterful skill. The use of a completely different art style to set the witch labyrinths apart from the real world is jarring at first, but you can't deny it IS effective. Every image is meaningful.

STORY: 10/10 This is the real selling point of the anime. I have never come across a better written show, bar none. Again, I'm not going to give anything away, so I'm just going to ask you to trust me here. I can say that if you have heard that this is a deconstruction of the genre, then you heard right. It asks questions that other shows in the genre don't ask, and plays out the consequences of the character's actions and choices in a fully serious manner. However, its more than that. It borrows heavily from the classics to give a surprisingly deep and well thought out story.

MUSIC: 10/10 If you have never really paid attention to Japanese composers, this show may change that. The music is absolutely perfect. Where the show wants to be light and uplifting the music does that quite well. Where the music really shines is in the dramatic scenes and the action where the music can set the tone for a scene equally well, if not more so, than the visuals. Previously, my favorite anime composer was Yoko Kanno, but after watching this, Yuki Kajiura is now top of my list and not likely to ever be deposed.

THE DUB: 8/10 Some other reviewers have given Christine Cabanos a bad rap, but I don't agree. She does a good job here as the main character Madoka. The role was demanding, with a LOT of emotion, and I think she delivered that emotion believably. Christina Vee does an outstanding job as Homura. Her character is almost the opposite of Madoka, with little emotion (at least in the first half of the series) and an intensity that doesn't really suit a middle school student, but once you have seen the full series, you will understand that this is exactly what her character called for.

OVERALL: 9/10 If you are looking for a light, fun piece of entertainment, then this may not be for you. I wouldn't recommend this for younger audiences either. It really is written for a more mature, discerning, intelligent audience, and may even be off- putting, if not inappropriate for young viewers. Hint: Parents, don't buy this for your eight year old daughter. Now, by inappropriate, I don't mean it has a lot of blood, gore, and sex. In fact it has no sex, only the briefest nudity (like during transformation sequences, as is typical for Magical Girl anime), and although it does have violence, it isn't all that bloody and definitely not gory. Still, the story deals with very serious material, and the realities of being a Magical Girl are atypical of the genre to say the least. This is a deconstruction of the Magical Girl genre in a similar sense that Unbreakable was a deconstruction of the Super Hero genre.

If, on the other hand, you grew up with Sailor Moon and would like someone to write a Magical Girl story for your now older and more refined tastes, with a story that will change the way you look at the genre, then get this. If you just like well written stories, that don't pull any punches and make you feel like you've been on an emotional roller coaster by the end, then this is definitely for you.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica

[Tweekums · 10/10 · 11 November 2012]

As this series begins protagonist Madoka Kaname is having a strange dream featuring a mysterious black haired girl; the next day at school a new student transfers into her class; Homura Akemi... the girl in Madoka's dream. Things get even stranger when Madoka and her friend Sayaka meet a strange cat-like creature called Kyubey; it makes each of them an offer; he will grant each of them any one wish in return for them becoming magical girls and fighting witches. These witches are unseen by ordinary people but their actions drive people to despair and suicide; only the chosen magical girls can defeat them. Madoka and Sayaka learn more about magical girls when they meet Mami Tomoe, a girl who has already become a magical girl. As they get to know her and understand what it means to be a magical girl they try to think what their wishes will be... one person is determined that they won't make a contract with Kyubey; Homura Akemi who is in fact a magical girl herself.

I had heard that this series was something special long before I watched it and feared the hype would be difficult to live up to; especially as I'm not particularly familiar with the magical girl genre. As it happened I was hooked from the start with the strange nightmare visuals in Madoka's dream which turn out to be those of the witches' dimension. I'm glad that I had followed the advice to avoid spoilers as the series evolves in a way that reveals much of what we have been told was misleading; this leads to a series of reveals as the true nature of the magical girls is revealed to us and them.

If you think the magical girl genre is just for young girls then think again as much of what happens in this series would give children nightmares; every day brings chances of death and despair; the cute art style just serves to amplify just how tragic things are at times. The story progressed nicely with the various reveals being spread through the series in a way that meant we'd just come to terms with what one meant for the girls when another was sprung on us. At only twelve episodes in length there is no time wasted on filler material. In case you haven't guessed I thought this was a really great series that every anime fan should watch.

These comments are based on watching the series in Japanese with English subtitles.

Trippy animation, arthouse writing, but entertaining concepts

[trcky1 · 7/10 · 27 July 2021]

The packaging is definitely off brand for the series. The cover art and opening music theme portray a series that looks like it'll focus on teen romance and relationship drama. And magic i guess. The show then becomes a journey into fantasy/sci-fi and fatalistic existentialism. The art is interesting, as various scenes into the witches' territories are a bit psychedelic. The story was a bit loose and jumbled, but it evolved with enough interesting concepts of mankind's place on earth and in the universe that it kept me sufficiently entertained through the end.

If you're expecting this series to be the greatest series ever or a masterpiece due to the other reviews, well, don't raise your expectations too much. I guess it might be, depending on your taste, but if it isn't, well, you can always throw Death Note or Food Wars on standby.

This Series is Exceptional

[arorashadow_2003 · 10/10 · 15 August 2011]

The deconstruction of the Magical Girl Genre of anime has become one of this years smash hit anime series as well as another personal favorite of mine. Puella Magi Madoka Magica jumped to be my favorite of the winter season and most likely it will go down as my all time favorite of 2011. My interest in this mostly stemmed from a like of Magical Girl Shows and sealed by Yuki Kajiura's involvement because when she makes the music you can't go wrong.

First impressions were "yeah okay they have all the magical girl tropes Yuki's music is good enough; hey where's the ending theme?" but the show for sure got more interesting when it got darker by episode 4 and considering Mami was for sure not coming back from the dead in any kind of deus ex machina as well as the torment the other characters go through as the series progresses.

This is one of the darker Magical Girl Shows I've seen, I guess I should have expected it from the creator of Phantom of Inferno (adapted into Phantom ~Requiem for the Phantom~) as for the director Akiyuki Shinbo, who I'm not overly familiar with but I did some reading on him. From what I gathered all I was really expecting was some artsyness which made me go "oh cool an artsy magical girl show." But again wasn't expecting anything overly groundbreaking and invigorating.

After episode 10 Home Run Homu Homura-chan easily became my favorite character from the series as well as one of my favorite anime characters of all time. The fact she continued to reset time and try to save Madoka only to have to watch her friends die over and over again....She's got moxy! Really that can't be healthy....The other characters even managed to stand out as well. You have Sayaka who loses it when the one she loves and makes her wish for goes for another girl, the bomb drop of the purpose behind the Magical Girl, Kyoko's own tragic past and Mami's as well. Sadly perhaps the only character who didn't get as much attention was Madoka however I will give praise for the fact she had to wrestle with the idea. While she is the titular character it becomes more apparent afterword that the series is really told from Homura's point of view.

As I mentioned before one of the reasons I jumped right on this as opposed to waiting was Yuki Kajiura's involvement. Ms. Kajiura who has written solid classics in the past such as the .hack// OST, Noir, MADLAX, El Cazador de la Bruja and Tsubasa Chronicle once again was able to step up to the plate. The music is wonderfully written but suffers from a few generic pieces in the mix. You have wonderful tracks with a strong emotional grip which can evoke the images of the series but you have the dull everyday tracks which feel more like scratch. If I had to rank it with some of her past works I'd put it with Elemental Gelade which was a good OST but not one of her very best either. Regardless the OST is more than worth a look at especially for fans of Kajiura's music group Kalafina which delivered the stunning ending theme "Magia." The art and animation will strike you a bit strange with a combination of unusual designs. Even I wasn't sure of what to make of the cotton balls with mustaches as well as the acid trip design scheme for the Runes. Each Rune gets more elaborate and strange as the series goes on and many are quite creative. Sayaka's witch form which takes the environment of a full symphony orchestra is a brilliant example of environmental symbolism. Homura's apartment alluding to her time manipulation skills. The art direction is solid even of the characters designs look sketchy and unusual. You have a mix and match of landmarks from around the world from a glass prison to a giant oil refinery to a wind farm, this will be an art student's orgy.

Of course things got complicated for enthusiastic watchers during the 2011 Northern Japan Earthquake and Tsunami putting the anticipated finale on hold but happy to say it was creative and daring. The series almost reconstructs itself on the spot with Madoka's final wish and creatively shows Magical Girls from around the world.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica easily one of the best series of the season if not of all time. The same way Hideaki Anno's "Neon Genesis Evangelion" deconstructed the Giant Robot Genre. Shaft/Aniplex's Madoka deconstructs the Magical Girl Genre. And like Evangelion this series is quickly becoming a marketing and franchising juggernaut with toys, even books talking to fans of the show including acclaimed filmmaker Mamoru Oshii, shops and other materials dedicated to it.

This is the first deconstruct of the Magical Girls genre of anime that I have seen personally, I don't know if Princess Tutu or Akiyuki Shinbo's other magical girl series "Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha" falls into that. Puella Magi Madoka Magica doesn't fall into a lot of the old traps seen before and it doesn't try to model itself too much to other successful series in the past such as "Sailor Moon" or "Cardcaptor Sakura" though it certainly plays with the staples established by those series.

If there is a sequel and there are talks of one, I wouldn't mind a reconstruct but it would be nice to keep it relatively dark and dangerous. Hopefully no earthquakes will complicate things this time and hopefully it can be as good as this, the original.

I Was Disappointed, This isn't a Great Show like People Say. (Read before you Watch)

[ACollegeStudent · 6/10 · 6 April 2021]

Rating: 6.8

This is a rare example of something with good writing: (they explain most major lore questions even if the answers are bad Kyubey literally said magical girls defy all explanations when commenting on their origins) that is just lacking in the engagement department. It just felt meh. Madoka's character was stale up until the last episode, and I just didn't care about anyone besides Homura and Sayaka. There are also notorious plotholes such as Homura letting Kyubey live initially despite having the ability to stop time, Sayaka saving Madoka despite not knowing where Madoka was, world governments not doing anything about magical girls despite Kyubey stating they literally evolved humanity and have been around since ancient times (so magical girls existence isn't a secret), Madoka's mom letting her "brave the storm" in episode 12, ect..

I tried something new ended up not liking it.

Good enough

[PennyReviews · 5/10 · 17 September 2017]

I've came to this show with high expectations, especially after hearing the dark element that everyone was talking about, but this one was just fine for me. It's a nice story, with the magic girls saving the world by killing witches. The story goes further than that, with the girls experiencing death, despair, hopelessness, heartbreak and such. The main character experiences major character development and the mystery behind that long haired girl who tries to save her was intriguing. But, the action scenes were so so and the art was a bit odd and not my cup of tea. So, 5 out of 10.

A Masterpiece!

[mercfma · 10/10 · 24 April 2015]

What would you give for any desire you could think of? *Note: I've seen the entire TV series & the sequel movie "Rebellion". I put this title off for months because every time i'd see the thumbnail for it, its these cutesy magical looking girls and my thoughts were how bad and stupid it would be, i was so wrong i wish i watched this when it was recommended to me! This anime really makes you think on such a deep level, its so beautiful from artwork to story line. Lets start off by saying this is NOT your average "magical girl" genre, its not some PG crap child aimed anime. This show is definitely for the older audience. There is so much substance in this show, its very hard to go into detail without spoilers, so lets talk about the music. The songs and audio for this show are amazing, you can just feel every scene so perfectly. The artwork is some of the most magnificent drawings I've seen from any anime, from the perfectly detailed city's to the amazing detail to the designs on the windows & side walks its all spectacular but what really blows me away is the labyrinths, every time they enter a witches lair the world becomes all trippy. Quite literally if you've done larger(?) amounts of acid at once(by yourself) then you'll probably find the visuals even more amazing because it captures exactly what being on large amounts of acid is like. This show is amazing from the first episode to the last movie(rebellion), it will surly stay in your heart and will remain a favorite for anyone willing to give it a shot without prejudging its "girly/cutesy" look.

5/5: Why perfect? Watch it(the movie too) and find out, its one of the few who earned perfect. I can't think of anything bad to say. The movie also has about twice as much trippy-ness as the TV show. **For those who've done acid, i'd say 3-4+ hits done by yourself would be enough to understand what i mean about the visuals of the labyrinths. Why do i say by yourself? When tripping with anyone and become completely alone are two completely different things and you probably haven't touched the vale if you haven't tripped in your own solitude.

Not your typical magical girl series

[Rectangular_businessman · 8/10 · 29 August 2012]

At first, I thought that this anime was going to be something like Sailor Moon or Pretty Cure, since the artwork and the characters designs looked cute and colorful...However, against everything that I was expecting, this series was actually pretty dramatic, having several dark plot twists (At least in comparison with what normally could be expected from a magical girl series)

Fortunately, this series is also very interesting and well made, having an unpredictable plot, good action sequences and excellent animation (Being the most impressive aspect of it the strange and surreal appearance of the witches and the witches "otherworld", which apparently had some inspiration from Russian and Czech animation, giving it an appropriately nightmarish appearance)

The contrasts between the cute aesthetic used for the characters, with the darkness of some of the sceneries (and several parts of the plot) is pretty effective, keeping a good level of mystery during the whole series. The plot moves very fast, avoiding any kind of shallow or filler material, something that helps very much to the overall rhythm of the story.

In my opinion, the conclusion was satisfying enough, fitting with the overall mood of the series, giving an appropriate glimpse of optimism without being something corny or patronizing.

Even if "Puella Magi Madoka Magica" isn't the best anime ever made, I appreciate as a different kind of magical girl series, which is able to use some of the most common archetypes from the genre in order to create a fascinating and unique series, which was surprisingly much better than I was expecting.

A genre turned on its head.

[iifun124 · 10/10 · 9 November 2013]

>warning this may be a bias review< Possibly my favorite anime of all time, even topping that of 'Evangelion' and 'Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood'. This is an anime that turns the 'magical girl genre' on its head and deconstruct it. Most magical girl anime's star a generic girl with little to no personality and give them powers to battle some generic evil. This anime however take this rather childish genre and gives it a unique twist (that several other reviewers have said but fail to realize that that is a spoiler to this show). I would highly recommend watching the first 3 episodes (specifically) before disregarding it at the first or second episode. This is best watched after watching something like 'Sailor Moon' or any other generic 'magical girl' anime (don't have to watch many episodes just enough to have an impression on the genre in a whole). This is NOT a perfect anime, but still one of the best anime has to offer.

One of the best anime I've ever seen in my life

[dgrayman · 10/10 · 18 July 2011]

Very deep story, nice characters, great action scene and awesome background music, opening and ending song. if you know and love Avengelion, this show really suits for you. there will be also two things that might be a little awkward perhaps the characters and monsters designs, but still it wont bother you a lot. this show really tells you that it is not easy to be a magical girl, there will be consequences that you have to pay for being magical girl. "in great power comes great responsibility" really fits the story. Maybe it's a little bit similar to "Bokurano". I watched this series nonstop from episode 1 to 12 in 1 day because the story really will make you curious and you cant stop watching it unless you finish it. Moreoever, you cant guess what will happen till the end, even for me, I didn't expect the ending would be that good.

the best I've seen

[electropaspi · 10/10 · 30 April 2020]

The story of madoka magica is above any other story I've seen, way better than marvel movies, way better than game of thrones or other mainstream series, is able to get a 8.3 in IMDB with only 12 episodes, it's a ride full of emotions, a ride that you won't be able to predict, it's unique, there's no filler and everything makes sense, it makes you use your reasoning to understand the plot, it treats you like a capable person.

it is a master piece that you won't regret watching.

if you want to watch it you can watch the series and then the movie rebellion.

you can also watch the trilogy, the movies beginning and eternal witch are a recap of the series after that watch the third movie rebellion.

An masterpiece!

[thecatchloe · 10/10 · 3 December 2018]

This show is the best show anyone could see, you should see this, All the characters are awesome, especially Kyubey, he's my favorite character! This is worth watching!

Magical Girl Madoka: Stretching the limits of what "great" means.

[joshtaylor6-1 · 6/10 · 24 May 2017]

I watched this series after seeing it on Netflix and reading a few reviews about it - most of them shining endorsements that oversold the actual product. Upon finishing the series, I looked for some more reviews to see how my opinion added up to others, and found it somewhat different.

Most of the reviews on here laud this show as "the best thing on television" and a "masterpiece". This is far from the truth.

Don't get me wrong. Madoka is good for what it is - a 12 part miniseries that can be binged in a few days. The plot, while it does contain some interesting surprises, I found largely predictable. At times I even caught myself wondering at the seeming lack of common sense of the characters, especially after the first major twist, but I guess that's what suspension of belief is all about.

The animation style is good, but not quite on par with what I've seen in other series from the same time period, and sometimes it just gets plain weird. The music I can't really fault, as it's every bit what I expected from a Magical Girl anime. The plot starts thin as cheesecloth, starts getting darker as you go (there is one moment that really made me go "whoa...") and ends with fluff again.

Ultimately, go into this one with a grain of salt. It's good - I watched the whole thing - but there were times I struggled to maintain interest. With the right expectations, it will be an enjoyable experience.

A very emotional magical girl anime I gotta say!

[Irishchatter · 8/10 · 14 April 2019]

I finished watching this recently but literally, it was such an emotional rollercoaster! I would never expect an anime that has the magical girl genre to be so dark! So far, I haven't seen good magical girl series but boy, this is up my street!

Definitely give this one a watch folks if you need a "wow" moment or even a cry, it is sad ! Enough said lol...

Cute girls doing cute things, but it's extremely dark.

[masonfewel · 7/10 · 30 April 2021]

I don't know why I liked this anime so much, but I did and that's what matters.

Terrible

[bonanue · 4/10 · 18 January 2013]

I didn't like it at all. The humor is for kids. Sailor moon came to my mind more than twice. The music wasn't for adults or even teenagers. I've seen nothing special in this series... and I prefer not to say anything about the "enemies" that appear... dear lord If you are tired of the new anime generation where there's a little girl that is reaaaally shy, the dialogs are meaningless and supposed to be funny, this is not for you. The plot may be interesting, but they have choose a very poor way to tell it. Also the powers are lame. The 5 first minutes looked good but then they started with the yelling, the "smiling to the camera", the huge pistol trick with shining rays.. no thank you

Very good, A+

[jameszijianguo · 9/10 · 1 September 2021]

Ignore the comments saying it is scary, those people don't have logic. And don't just watch a couple of episodes and see. And most comments, as far as I see, are just internet trolls attracted by the smell of blood. If you expected this from a magical girl show, then I am concerned about your mental health. Of course, this is not the best. While not being the best, it successfully made it into my top 10. It has well written storylines, normal characterization, and decently good character development. Also, if you complain about animation style, you really don't deserve to watch animes, being sooo concerned on the least important part. And for those complaining about music, maybe get some artistic cells and learn to listen. Or, just clean your ears. The music was well written and combined well with the piece. This is very worth watching, and it is strongly suggested for you to NOT listen to comments online, including me, and see it yourself.

The best series of all

[TheGreatGreenBadger · 10/10 · 28 December 2021]

This is top tier quality anime, Puella Magi Madoka Magica has every right to be as popular and famous as it is. It is the inspiration for one of my favorite genres of anime, it's characters are memorable and are authentic, making us hurt when they are hurting, making us smile when they are smiling, and making us cry when they are crying. The story is well thought out and very put together, the soundtrack is amazing and the animation is top tier! This is an all-time favorite that is one for the books!