"The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents. We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of the infinity, and it was not meant that we should voyage far.”
-H. P. Lovecraft
With that being said, the first thing that viewers must know about Mahou Shoujo is the fact that it touches on some very complex subjects that require utmost attention in viewing so as to be able to grasp them at least to a minimal extent. Expressing what the anime is about in overly simplified terms is basically this: how man's wishes (or a woman's wishes in this case) can affect the simple balance of life and their future/destiny.
It starts out simple enough: grasping the viewer in a beautifully drawn world, with the cutest characters you could possibly imagine. In the aspect of artwork, you will not be disappointed. The mostly female cast is well animated to the extent that we can grasp their emotions without fully understanding what's going on. There is extensive use of color that helps attribute personality to each of the characters. For example, Madoka, which is our main protagonist, has pink hair and red-pink-ish eyes. In her everyday attire you may see more hues of red present, depending on the episode. This free use of coloring aids in pinpointing specific characteristics on each of the characters, which helps make them more memorable. Memorability is the main topic of Mahou Shoujo's protagonists. They all contribute with their own personalities, emotions, and above all, their circumstances. Their individual experiences are strong enough to make anyone feel sympathetic with them. These aren't your everyday schoolgirls with schoolgirl problems.
At first, our cast, composed of mostly girls, seems light-hearted and carefree. We may even feel that there is no seriousness to the story. This changes early on when we witness the type of situations and dangers (which appear to be nonexistent to the protagonist's childish eyes) the characters are getting into, and how their decisions and behavior affect their own safety. We soon learn that these light-hearted girls are much more serious and harbor deeper, more complex feelings towards their surroundings than thought possible. Again, memorability...
As far as animation goes, we witness various exhilarating fight scenes filled to the brim with detail that keep you on the edge of your seat. Not just that, but each character has their own body-language that we learn to interpret throughout. These aspects, and a few more which I know I'm leaving out, add to the memorability.
And then story-wise, it grasps on to you like a parasite and doesn't allow you to be free until you are left scratching your head in utter bewilderment. There is much mystery surrounding our main characters, and what is really going on around them. Mahou Shoujo's case (story-wise) is a complex one and an emotional ride that delves deeply into friendship, love, psychology and psychoanalysis, time-travel, and cause-and-effect, all while leaving you with a sense of despair and confusion. Nearing the end, you start to question whether or not the main problem can truly be resolved.
...And this is where things go downhill for me. I found the wrap up to the seemingly impossible-to-resolve conflict completely perplexing and upsetting. It seems as though it was too well thought out to the point where they should write a science book about it, because the viewer is left in a limbo of juggling a myriad of whats, hows, and whys. I dare not criticize originality because it is original to a certain extent (the ending), but it is so mystifying that you aren't really paying attention to its originality. Sure, the conversations between the characters (in the wrap-up) show some important insight into what's happening and why it happened, but it all seems so labyrinthine and impossible that it doesn't make up for how much despair the viewer is put through during the rising action.
The reason I gave enjoyment a "7", is precisely because of the ending. I'd rewatch it only to skip the last 2 episodes to avoid getting myself entangled in more unanswerable questions.
All in all, I recommend Mahou Shoujo to anyone that isn't like me that despises sad or bitter endings. At least, that was what I felt in the sense of the protagonist. I always cling on the main protagonist and feel that the ending must justify his/her actions, but still provide a bit of relief, that "everything will be ok in the end". If you don't care much for the main protagonist's story conclusion, then give Madoka Magica a nice long watch. You're a fool if you don't try it, at the least.
And with that, I wrap up my first review ever.
Cheers.
