This is going to be one of my longest reviews yet, but Madoka Magica is one of the best anime I have seen so far. It absolutely blew me away with its stunning plot twists, creative action, unique visual style, and especially it's brilliantly executed drama. From start to finish, Madoka Magica left me completely and utterly hooked.
Madoka Magica is a "magical girl" anime that takes a much darker and edgier tone from what you'd expect. Whether or not it deconstructs the tropes of the genre is up for debate, but there's no denying that it plays everything for a surprising amount of seriousness. Madoka Magica uses its genre-awareness to craft a unique and fleshed-out world that adds a terrifying twist to most of the tropes you may recognize. The witches that these magical girls fight are distorted and terrifying, pretty much anyone can die at anytime, the characters' emotional states can completely ruin their chances at survival, and the contract to becoming a magical girl comes with a lot of caveats. The characters suffer in this show, a lot, but it does a great job of making you care about everyone regardless in spite of how grim things end up getting, and the latter half of the anime is ridiculously grim. The story is dark and twisty, packed with shocking and devastating twists from Mami's death to Homura's backstory, but it remains compelling from start to finish due to the nice balance of lore reveals and genuine character drama. Even more, despite how dark things get, Madoka Magica makes sure to have an ending that feels satisfying, rewarding, and surprisingly hopeful, while still feeling earned at the same time.
The main story is about Madoka and Sayaka, at least at first, who meet a magical girl named Mami and get a chance to become magical girls as well, to stop these depression-inducing witches. However, there's another magical girl named Homura who doesn't want Madoka to do this, and as the show progresses, Madoka and Sayaka quickly realize that becoming a magical girl can lead to unbelievable misery (to put it simply, being meduca is suffering). I actually really like that Madoka takes so long to actually become a magical girl, it's a neat spin on the genre. All of the characters are really well-written, though, having their own motivations and problems that they need to work through. Homura is a particular highlight, as the realization that she's been one of the show's main protagonists the whole time is one of the best moments of the series. Even the "villain" is great, as Kyubey's neutral and unbiased attitude allows the show to deal with themes like utilitarianism and consent, which I totally didn't expect at first. I also admire that every major story beat has an effect on the characters, with Madoka and Sayaka needing pretty much an entire episode to grieve over Mami's death. Despite this, the pacing is great through, rarely feeling rushed or too slow outside of some necessary expository scenes near the beginning.
While the story is great and well-paced, it's the presentation that really steals the show here. The first episode hooks you in with this ominous scene with twisted backgrounds and a bleak operatic score, and keeps this high level of quality for the whole show. The action is creative and exciting, from Mami's many guns to Homura's fast-paced teleporting. The visuals are great too, the colors are bold, the simplistic sketchbook look to all of the characters is well-executed, and the labyrinths have these stunningly bizarre Monty Python-esque backgrounds that are terrifying in how much they clash with the characters. The silhouette sequence at the end of episode 7 is especially striking. The soundtrack is also absolutely phenomenal, from the background music by Yuki Kajiura, to the OP and ending themes. And even the voice acting is spectacular, especially for Homura in the last few episodes. There's one scene in Episode 10 that managed to completely stick in my memory just through the performances alone. Madoka Magica's presentation elevates an already well-executed story to something truly amazing.
It's hard not to list all 12 episodes and why I like them, but these are the most notable of the bunch:
I'm Not Afraid Of Anything Anymore: Yeah, yeah, I know, Mami dies in this episode, and it's a brilliant and devastating scene that finally pays off the ominous vibes of these first three episodes. But even outside of that, the action is spectacular, the added depth for Sayaka is welcome, and they do an amazing job of fleshing out Mami as much as possible in spite of her limited screentime.
This Just Can't Be Right: The big confrontation on the bridge this episode nearly gave me a heart attack like 20 times over, and the reveal of what truly happened to Sayaka and all of the magical girls is still one of the most chilling scenes in the series.
I Was Stupid... So Stupid: It's stunning how much happens in this episode, especially the last few minutes where we learn Kyubey has clones, Homura is a time-traveler, and magical girls become witches. But even with all that, the episode still focuses on Sayaka's quick and devastating fall in despair, culminating in one of the most iconic and devastating scenes in the series.
I'd Never Allow That To Happen: Kyoko slowly becomes more and more likable throughout the course of her appearances, but she's excellent in this episode, through her desperate struggle to save Sayaka, at least until her sacrifice at the end. We also learn more about Kyubey's motivations.
I Won't Rely On Anyone Anymore: Easily the best episode of the series, Homura's backstory is phenomenal and runs the full gamet of emotions. It's heartwarming, tearjerking, action-packed, thought-provoking, and even funny at parts. It's fascinating to see all of the unique alternate timelines, and it lends a new perspective on Homura's previously mysterious characterization.
The Only Thing I Have Left To Guide Me: Homura is amazing in this episode. The big battle between her and Walpurgisnacht is probably the best and craziest action setpiece in the whole series, her breakdown in front of Madoka is devastating, and the last few minutes of the episode are especially an emotional rollercoaster.
My Very Best Friend: An emotional rollercoaster of a finale that feels rewarding in an optimistic way without fully coming at odds with the dark tone of most of the show. Madoka's wish is creative, and I think it's interesting to see the world rewritten into what seems like the magical girl world you were expecting from the show's start. It's a bit confusing at times, but eventually you realize that everyone gets the satisfying ending they deserve.
Overall, you can tell from the size of this behemoth that I adored Madoka Magica. The characters, visuals, music, plot twists, and pacing were pretty much perfect, it felt like every episode was packed with new information, the ending was rewarding, and everything felt so well thought-out. Weeks later, I've still been thinking about Madoka Magica. It's probably my favorite anime of all time, at least along with K-On, and it's up there with some of my favorite TV series ever made.
5/5 Stars
Favorite Episode: I Won't Rely On Anyone Anymore
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