As this is my first review, I will use the rating system as a guide.
The story, while seeming like it would be your typical Magical Girl or Maho Shojo anime at first, was addicting and heart-stopping. There was more than one time where I would fight the strongest urges to watch it at school just to find out what happened next. Once you hit a certain point in the series, get ready for a long binge night - because you won't be able to stop yourself until you finish it!
The art style, while simplistic compared to other anime that came out the same year, was artistically simple as it made the viewer feel like they were watching an ordinary anime - rather than the nail-biting series that it is. I pleasantly enjoyed the use of the chairs in the series.
I personally found the opening theme quite dull, and skipped it every episode after I had watched it once. Standing from the perspective of a reviewer, I see why the opening was made in the way it was. As previously stated, without knowing the story one would think of this as an ordinary Maho Shojo, and the opening reflects it. The ending theme and battle song, however, I became addicted to! As I write this, I am listening to it. I feel that Magia by Kalafina is the best music that could have been put in the anime, it makes the battle sequences hair-raising and more intense.
As far as character is concerned, I absolutely adored Homura Akemi. I found all the characters charming in their own ways, and I felt that the anime would have been lost if even one was missing. I felt that Sayaka Miki's personality was lacking compared to others, and wished that it had been deepened. (that being said, I have not read the manga and am only speaking from the opinion of an anime viewer.) Madoka Kaname's ditsy and sweet nature, while can be very overused and a waste of a character in a lot of anime, is the perfect counterweight to the depth of the anime. If not for her compassionate personality, I feel the anime would have been too dark for the plot.
I first discovered this anime while I was surfing channels after dinner. I'm from Australia, and there isn't a lot of anime on TV. If there is, it's a bit overrated and boring. I came across it, and watched the scene of Mami Tomoe's first fight out of boredom. I didn't realise how much the visuals and music would draw me in, and quickly changed channels to save myself from spoilers. About 6 months later I decided to chase it up, and finished the series in less than a week (at the time I was a full-time student.) I wouldn't say that Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica is one of my favourite anime, but with a few more of my personal criteria it definitely could be one of them.
I would recommend this anime to someone who; likes Maho Shojo, doesn't have the time or the drive to follow a long series, enjoys unique character design, isn't afraid to have their heart broken, thrives for a good plot twist and loves watching friends fight for one another.
I rate this anime 9 sakura flowers out of 10.
