Mahou Sensou seemed to have it all right off the bat. The art looked great, the story was new and the concept interesting. The story surrounding the MC's, Takeshi's, life was different and interesting. We got a love interest right off the bat, hell, he had a girlfriend! The best friend looked like a reliable goof, and then their world went upside down thanks to Mui and her magic. But the problem began with what seemed to be the shows strong point; the characters.
Takeshi is a wimp, plain and simple. Sure, he has a moment here and there where he sucks it up and acts like a main character, but only in the beginning of the show. Once the main villain is introduced, who is terrible as well because his reasons are so ridiculous and stupid, every time something bad is going to happen to Takeshi or his friends/loved ones Takeshi doesn't do jack shit. He has the magic, the weapon, the resources to be GOOD. But he throws it out the window because he still holds on to some incredibly naive and stupid thoughts.
Kurumi is just pathetic and frustrating, always going on about Takeshi. She gets mad at Mui for every little thing, and provides no support whatsoever. Mui has something going for her, and Kazumi is probably the most normal out of them all; trying to do something and fighting, instead of standing around. The whole show focuses on these horrible characters, so you can't even stop to appreciate the original concept of the show. You completely forget why you picked up this anime because the characters are so terribly done.