Magia Record primarily exists to help sell a phone game and provide a little bit of fan service to those who have been with Madoka through twelve episodes, three movies, a few drama CDs and games, and a hell of a lot of manga spin-offs. This is not to say it's not of quality, because the world of PMMM is far too interesting to not set a baseline of quality. Unfortunately, the genius of PMMM also comes from its structure—the chronology and pacing of those original twelve episodes—and something that's rooted is an episodic, endless mobile game makes this slightly more challenging to live up to and also replicate as a TV show.
Perhaps to talk about Magia Record, it would be notable to talk about differences:
Homura becomes more vulnerable a fighter once characters figure out she can do time magic. This is to say, you can't do the same trick twice and expect to fool your enemy. SHAFT knows this too. PMMM was famous for its "deconstruction" and bait-and-switch, being a significantly darker show than what was anticipated. This is not to say the suffering of magical girls is gone, only that it's very, very far removed. This difference is an interesting change. There are moments when I feel positive and receptive to the overall lighter tone, but there are other times when it feels like some of the stakes from the show were removed or lessoned.
This also isn't helped by pacing. There is an overall arc for the first season, which unfortunately isn't completed, contributing to pacing problems. The season more-or-less ends on a cliff-hanger, although it does continue to build slow tension up until the end. By contrast, the brilliance of PMMM is its structure. You think you're watching the story of Madoka, Sayaka, and Mami, but really you're watching a show about Homura. That being said, I find most of the problems to be pacing. The backbone of Magia Record, which feels very conspiratorial (i.e.: who are the Wings of Magius and what do they want?) provides enough new mystery to the world to keep me invested.
And this brave new magical world—well—Magia Record makes the universe of magical girls feel more inhabited than the original. Whereas Mitakihara felt sparsely populated (which makes sense, plot-wise, as Mami is the magical girl of Mitakihara and only a fool would cross Mami). This is a double-edged sword, because while it makes Kamihama City feel rich and full of culture (complete with background cameos), the number of magical girls—while not quite overwhelming—never get the on-screen character development you'd like them to.
Yachiyo, the Homura equivalent, is a stylish veteran magical girl, who much of the story secretly revolves around. She gets some of the most character development while others fall to the background. The dark horse character was truly Sana, whose episode with Ai was hands-down the shining examplar of S1 of Magia Record, which was bittersweet, because it reminded me of what the other episodes failed to aspire to. The show also is totally hinging on appearances from the Holy Quintet, and this does not disappoint, as three of the major players make appearances. While this comes together at the finale in an enjoyable way, it also makes you question the journey you're on with Iroha et al. That is to say, how much are we relying on PMMM and how much are we trying to develop our own characters outside of the canon?
The purpose of Iroha as a video game character partially makes sense: she's a somewhat flat character so you, the player, can insert yourself into her head. As a viewer of animation though, you might leave with wanting more from her character. You're no longer in her head, but watching her on screen, which is far less interesting. While an obvious parallel to Madoka (who I'd argue also isn't the most three-dimensionally developed character), she just isn't that interesting. Even beyond her personality, the creators can't fully decide who she is in battle. Is she a glass canon who can barely fight until her over-powered doppel emerges?
Oh right, doppels. Doppels and Uwasa. There are two new story additions, which are basically a fan service excuse to see more of Gekidan Inu Curry's creations on screen. Doppels are quasi-witch forms that emerge from magical girls and help them fight—a means to up the intensity of fighting in the world of PMMM that never fully feels as fleshed out as the mecha battles the show pines after—as well as Uwasa, which are NOT witches, but are totally 100% witches in design. That being said, the witches (and to some extent, Uwasa) that do appear are beautiful and captivating. From Box Wood and Zenobia in the first episode to cameos from PMMM favorites like Gertrud and Albertine. The creative animation is just gorgeous as Japanese animation is pushed against Czech and Russian influences.
The witches remind me of why I'm hooked to this fascinating world. If you love the world-building of PMMM, you will certainly get something out of this. The animation is enrapturing, even if the story pacing and character development and music often leave one wanting. At the time of this review, S2 has been announced, and it makes you wonder how much will be corrected or how much will just continue on course to help keep selling a mobile game. Even with all of its faults, I find the PMMM far too interesting to give S1 of Magia Record any less than a 7/10 overall rating. Yes, MR is certainly hanging on the laurels of its predecessor, but do you blame them? They're awfully nice laurels.
