And then you have the Magica Quartet, who got together one night and said, "gee, how has no one gotten the brilliant idea to blend cute, cheesy, pastel magical girls with the ever nihilistic Lovecraftian horror?"
And then...it worked.
Before you lays a story so seemingly impossible to get right, so outlandishly absurd, that as the episodes blend into each other - because no way are you not watching this all in one sitting - you find your arms getting sore from all the pinching you're doing to try and wake up from the dream it's woven. Don't worry, it stops by episode three, because by then you are completely invested, breathing in sync with the tense hum of uncertainty every moment brings you. The first three episodes? Just a sliver of the gut-wrenching glory that awaits.
Am I being overdramatic? Sappy? Nauseatingly poetic? Definitely - but only because this series deserves all the dramatic, sappy, poetic acclaim I can muster.
Here lays a tale of cosmological proportions, piercing the undefeatable terrors hidden in the stars, a truly Lovecraftian tragedy pitting man against a force it cannot hope to stop. Revealed through a splendid display of captivating backgrounds and fluid dance into battle after battle, five souls jump into the fray and shatter themselves for the sake of survival. Five girls, each with an astounding amount of courage and growth, put everything into their fight against an otherworldly being that to this day continues to linger in people's memories.
Okay, okay, fangirling aside, "Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica" is one of the greatest Lovecraftian horrors I've seen from the technical and creative standpoint. Period. On top of the aforementioned animation and soundtrack, you get gratifying character development amidst a highly enjoyable cast, intelligent pacing and worldbuilding, and a deeply satisfying finale, bittersweet and unsettling to the core - as all great tales of Lovecraftian influence should.
This is not a magical girl show for the faint of heart. You want the power of love and friendship mingled with fierce combat? Jump into any of the PreCure. Otherwise, sit back, take a couple deep breaths, and allow the magnitude of Madoka's journey into magic girl macabre wash over you.
And beware the cute...and whatever contracts it tries to offer you 0_0
