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Story: (10/10)
The story of Madoka Magica centers around a girl named Madoka Kaname. She’s pretty much your typical teenage girl who doesn’t have any special talents, but is rather cheerful and treasures her life, family, and friends dearly. But when transfer student Homura Akemi questions her about actually treasuring her loved ones, she also warns Madoka to not do anything crazy to change that. This warning becomes more prominent when Madoka stumbles upon a creature by the name of Kyuubey, and she enters the dark world of magical girls and witches.
From the get-go, the story of Madoka Magica seems like the typical magical-girl stuff that you’ve probably seen in an anime like Sailor Moon. However, anyone who is familiar with the works of Hans Christian Andersen knows that this anime is more than meets-the-eye. If you asked anyone who has watched the show about the premise, they would say that it deconstructs the tropes that are common in magical-girl anime, taking everything you know about that genre and beating it to a bloody pulp, throw it off a cliff, and bring it back up, only to just repeat the process. This anime shows that being a magical-girl does come at a price. The writing of Madoka Magica is absolutely fantastic, putting in so much detail about every little thing, and doing it in only 12 episodes. I think that’s quite the accomplishment. As a fan of psychological-thrillers, I was instantly hooked while watching a couple of minutes of the first episode. While this story can be confusing, and does require using your head a little to fully understand the situations going on, it didn’t bother me one bit.
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Art/Animation: (10/10)
Is there really anything I need to say about the animation that hasn’t been said before? It’s absolutely amazing. From the real world to the witches’ labyrinths, there is just so much detail and quality put into these visuals. The action scenes’ animation is consistent and fluid, and some of the scenery is just breathtaking. I also love how the labyrinths look very unique, especially the one that looks like a concert hall during an orchestra concert. The city also compliments Madoka Magica’s changing tones: bright and colorful at first, but slowly turns ominous and bleak as the show progresses. And let’s not forget the “sideways glance” that’s pretty much a staple in EVERY Shaft anime. Long story short, the art of this anime is some of the best I’ve seen in a LONG time.
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Characters: (10/10)
Having a great story and an amazing art style, does Madoka Magica have a great cast of characters? My answer to that is: Yes, yes it does have great characters, despite the number being rather small. This gives each of the five main characters the right amount of time to develop all throughout the 12 episodes of the show, and you can see why they act the way that they do. I could understand why Madoka is hesitant to grant her wish at first; I could understand why Homura acted cold at the beginning of the show, and I could also understand why Kyouko told Sayaka the things that she did tell her.
Each character (except for one) had that certain attachment that grew onto me. Though I could disagree with some of their motives, some of their stories are some of the most tragic that I’ve ever seen in modern media. I REALLY wish that I could say more, but I can’t because I’d be revealing major spoilers for the show. Let me just say that every main is fantastic and unique in some way, shape, or form.
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Music/Sound: (10/10)
Being a huge fan of Yuki Kajira (who also did the soundtracks for Pandora Hearts, Fate/Zero, the Kara no Kyoukai movies, and Sword Art Online), I absolutely LOVED the soundtrack of this anime. The opening song, “Connect”, is not only a great song, but it also does an amazing job of hiding the darker tone of the show. The background music is just as amazing, fitting every scene perfectly, whether it’s to add tension or lightheartedness to it. Some notable songs include “Sis Puella Magica” and “Decretum”; they are by far my favorite songs of the entire soundtrack. Needless to say, the soundtrack is absolutely amazing. Seriously, go listen to it as soon as you can.
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Enjoyment: (10/10)
Overall, Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica was an absolute blast to watch. From beginning to end, I was always on the edge of my seat, waiting to see what would happen. There wasn’t a single time while watching this show where I was ever bored. It was an absolute thrill to watch.
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Overall Score: 10 out of 10
Madoka Magica is one of the best anime I have ever seen. From the amazing story, the relatable characters, the beautiful animation, to the spectacular soundtrack, this anime has EVERYTHING to love in a good anime. If you haven’t watched it yet, please do yourselves a favor and go watch it. I promise that you won’t regret it!
