Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
l0v3st4rv3d_yuka
Sayaka is really relatable, I know that's a common sentiment shared among many PMMM fans, so it's nothing new when I'm saying it, but i genuinely see so much of myself in her, she's just so important to me oh my godd.... but Sayaka isn't the only loveable girl in the series, and that's what I really like about it! Every character is easy to relate to on some level, and you understand their motives and can easily sympathise with them, even if you don't understand why they react or do certain things at first. I genuinely don't dislike any of the characters (except Kyousuke but even then, you can still sympathise with his situation and understand where he's coming from on some level, same as Hitomi... I still don't like Kyousuke even if I understand him though LMAO but that's just me!). With…
Read at the sourcepruebalastunas
"If someone says it’s wrong to have hope, then I will tell them they are wrong every single time."
Madoka Magica is about growing up. Adult life is full of emptiness, where people only search for their own self-interest, and many live under nihilism. Growing up means losing innocence; we learn about death and those adult problems that make us live through hell. The answer to that is hope and love. Even if the message feels a bit cheesy, it doesn't feel that way in the final episode. the anime presents it as a leap of faith and an act of rebellion.
The script is so solid; the plot twist in episode 10 was foreshadowed in every single detail of the previous episodes. Every reaction of THIS character lets us see from the very beginning that they are not who we believe them to be. The rhythm…
Read at the sourcealexhendrix
It is impossible to write a review on Madoka Magica without giving away at least some of it, but it is equally impossible to convince someone to watch this show without spoiling some of it. Ideally, one ought to go in blind, but it would be hypocritical of me to ask someone else to do so. I will endeavor, then, to be as vague as possible, but it will inevitably give you an inkling of the overall direction of the show.
A masterpiece, to me, means that the work holds up after inspection and rewatch. All the choices in Madoka Magica appear to be deliberate and meaningful. The art style and sound choices work to enhance the experience (much as I abhorred the artstyle before watching the show). The only thing that did not warm up to me after finishing the work is the voice acting -- I still…
Read at the sourcemellowmine
This show manages to instill a sense of absolute nothingness, balanced equally by a profound reverence for the sheer scale of its tragedy. It is a masterpiece that breaks you, only to make you marvel at the beauty of the ruin.
This is the first of its kind I have ever watched. The art is unique, experimental, and stunning. The background art in the early episodes was sublime. It captured a sense of vastness and the ineffable beauty of the mundane. The music is a grounding force during more harrowing sequences. The story was too captivating for me to focus on anything else.
Read at the sourcePlasticDolli
It's not really that I DISLIKED Madoka Magica, but from the way people were hyping it up prior to starting and finishing the show, I really expected there to be a lot more time travel involved in the show. I don't watch a lot of magical girl animes in the first place so I feel like I can't really comment on anything else because I don't have too big a frame to reference. I did really enjoy the beginning though, it was really chill and made me want to look into more slice of life animes. Overwall I'd prolly have to give it like a 6, I think that for a magical girl show it's great and gets especially exciting with the darker themes, just might not really be my personal vibe. ^^
Read at the sourceTheEnjoyingCow67
Generally, I hate writing. It is not one of my strengths or likes. But when something is so effective in its delivery, I need a place to express my thoughts. Because this is by far the best first-watch of an anime I've ever done, and I don't think anything will ever come close to this experience ever again. Nothing will beat watching this for the first time ever. Absolutely nothing.
First off, what I was expecting. I thought this would be an anime of a magical girl's journey to learning how the world works, eventually finding the strength to defeat evil, over coming her personal battles, triumphing by doing what's right, etc. All of this does happen; however, the anime accomplishes so much more. You'd think it mostly wholesome and adventurous, with slice-of-life aspects, but it is as hard…
Read at the sourceWystaria
This was a strangely frustrating experience. On one hand, I'm glad I took the time to watch such a beloved show, but on the other, I almost feel robbed. Perhaps I would have enjoyed it more had I gone in with lower expectations.
There were many things I did like about this, certainly. The art direction is generally quite beautiful, and I love the blend of various animation styles particularly within the context of the witch barriers. I found little fault with the music, and it is worth noting that I have been listening to some of the soundtracks for years before I even finished the series ("And I'm home" will always have my heart). The concept, as a whole, holds a lot of promise, and I must confess that I harbor a bit of particular fondness for the idea of magical girls overall. I will be…
Read at the sourceDefineOutside
I don't even know what genre of anime this is. I only started watching it because I thought the idea of an anime girl having a gun with funny. I neither read the plot or knew the English title to this anime.
I liked the beginning of the anime. All the characters felt quite complicated with their own motivations, both working against one another and towards their own goals. The world and worldbuilding was believable. It's surprisingly dark. It's more similar to the like of other philosophical animes like Evangelion. The one negative is that I felt like it was rushed.
Read at the sourceMod_Dawn
Madoka Magica is one of those shows that completely changed what I think a story can do, and with just 12 episodes. The show has so many incredible themes and allegories that it absolutely just nails. The themes of abuse, misogyny, and child predators are all there and are shown in such a brilliant way. Not to mention the Christian allegories that the show handles masterfully.
It’s one of those shows that the more you watch, the more you notice. Little bits and pieces of foreshadowing, scenes that further drive home the messages it’s trying to send.
And it manages to deconstruct the magical girl genre in a way that does not feel distasteful. You can tell that the creators have a deep respect and appreciation for the genre and that they’re not trying to rag on it by being more “adult” or…
Read at the sourcePizzaPieDoom
(REVIEW THAT ISN'T AN ESSAY + NO SPOILERS)
So basically, it's one of them shows that seems chill and cute until it gets pretty dark. Honestly can't accurately describe the themes and genres here, aside from it being strange but it works pretty well. The story makes sense with a bit of thinking and attention to detail.
Starts kinda slow but definitely begins to cook as more information is revealed as it goes on. By the end of it, you'll probably realize how much it was cooking and it's a vibe. Also has some really unique and memorable scenes and distinct characters.
I acknowledge and respect the questionable substance usage needed by the creators to think up and create some of the stuff in this show and story. So basically, if you think you'll like it, you probably will. Good music as…
Read at the sourceasymmetrq
I was not a fan of this anime, I also did not enjoy watching it, i was miserable but I dragged myself 'til the end so I could complete the full experience. I agree with a lot of critics about this show. The pacing was slow, and even with such a small cast, its hard to feel bad about any of them, they're kind of unrelatable and unlikable in a way compared to other anime characters. Its not that they dont have anything in common with most people, but I just didn't have the usual viewer connection to the character where i could put myself in the in their shoes. However, i think its an anime that grows on you. It left an impact on me because its an anime i could personally reflect on. As time passed by after watching it, I cant help but see the characters as symbols that reflects what I see in…
Read at the sourceEyrith
I’ve rewatched this series again (probably my 5th or 6th time by now). I also revisited the two recap movies and the third film that serves as a sequel, and even read the manga—all right before the fourth movie releases this upcoming summer after 13 years. And I can still confidently say that it remains one of my all-time favorite series. It absolutely deserves every single minute you can invest in it.
That said, the movies do take away from the experience a bit. One of the series’ greatest strengths is its soundtrack, and in the films, that impact feels somewhat diminished. In the original series, however, it’s nothing short of phenomenal from start to finish.
As for the art style—its somewhat childish look combined with those creepy, unsettling “cutout” sequences—I personally think it’…
Read at the source-Sad-
this is a masterpiece i like the story although it is pretty easy to figure out the twists however it is a nice 12 episode anime that isnt afraid to break main characters to the story and chose that nothing comes without a price and how others may manipulate by telling you the truth just without enough details. even tho i liked it the author is into some weird sh** why in the opening theme there is a picture of madoka on night dress and showing her in an underwear and showing her with the red headed girl naked?
over all i think it is enjoyable
Read at the sourceAgathapraga
It's great. You know, it's easy to say that when you're talking about a anime that's already established, but it took me a long time to actually want to watch it, a few years, but now that i've seen it all, i'll just tell you one thing: watch it.
The story has a good pace, the art style has personality, and the plot is genuinely touching. It may not be perfect, i understand, but it succeeds very well in what it sets out to do. I even almost cried a few times while watching.
Btw, now that i've finished, i definitely can't understand some criticisms about this anime being "unnecessarily shocking" like, no. What appears to shock you has a purpose beyond that. It's not a work of gratuitous violence.
Just one piece of advice: Don't research the anime's story before you finish it, protect yo…
Read at the source-Sunn_
Madoka Magica is, in my opinion, extremely underwhelming for such a popular anime.
I went into this anime expecting a masterpiece and found something that’s just mid. It’s not horrible or anything like that, but I don’t think it deserves all of its praise.
Let’s start off with the good parts, since I do truly think that this anime isn’t pure bad:
Sayaka Miki. Sayaka is one of the best, most interesting characters I have ever had the pleasure of learning about. I think that I would’ve rated this anime a 9/10 at least if she was the main character. I don’t want to get into spoiler territory, since she is much less impactful of a character if you know a lot about her, so I won’t say too much about her. She is just the only character that I feel like is written properly. She has a goal, she…
Read at the sourceKrohanar
In short:
If you want an anime that is fast-paced with magic, cute girls, and a dark story, go for it. If you don't like the "shoujo" aesthetic and want something that takes itself more seriously, I don't think you will enjoy this.
Intro:
Madoka Magica is one of the most important anime for the Mahou Shoujo genre. It changed the way Mahou Shoujo is made and brought a darker theme to it. Its importance isn't just that the story is deep (because, honestly, it feels a little generic nowadays), but because our expectations as viewers get totally subverted. Let's get to the scores:
Animation: 8
It is well animated. The style of the anime changes between the "cute girls" aesthetic and an exotic, almost surreal art style when they are fighting. The framing and the speed of the fights are really…
Read at the sourceUrielly
As always, I want to start by saying that this is purely my personal opinion and my own experience with the anime, I’m not claiming to be an expert in anything.
Even though I’ve watched it twice, I’ve never been completely convinced by it (just to see if the older me would change her mind). I’ve always found it excessively slow. It’s not that I expected too much, but the plot develops at a snail’s pace and often lingers on scenes that don’t really add anything. The core idea is actually very interesting, having the typical magi/witches but with a darker story surrounding them gives the series a lot of potential. It’s just a shame that it ends up turning into constant melodrama: endless whining and crying, sometimes over almost nothing, and far too many drawn-out conversations while the sc…
Read at the sourceMerlin17
Madoka Magica is the skeleton of a potential anime masterpiece, however covered with the malnourished body that is the actual product. The plot is compelling with a promise of subversion of typical magical girl media, introducing themes of despair and death when one would expect joy and safety. A world that tickles the viewers mind in how it operates and what lies in store for our heroines. It is one of the shows greatest strengths and yet not leaned into almost at all. Information is not treated as desirable to these characters, they have no interest in what they have wrapped themselves up in. Instead information is treated as a milestone for when the show needs to get more disturbing. Normally this would be reserved for mystery plots, where information is one of the only resources so the…
Read at the sourceRCHPX
What wish would you stake your soul for? What would you sign a life-long contract for?
Can the innocence of girlhood survive into womanhood? Or they are bound to never reach it?
Great questions and I do see some interesting questions popping up from the anime. 2011 is crazy for this quality of animation. It definitely aged well. The more research I have done the more I realised – it was a well thought out characterization. The visually interesting witches apparently have a backstory related to their lives and their design corresponds to their stories and world literature. Hans Christian Andersen themes made an appearance but then apparently the whole narrative was inspired by Faust ...which for sure guarantees I will return to Madoka. Then someone mentioned that Kyubey is a character rep…
Read at the sourceviolet_sakura
This anime is everything I would want in theory, magical girls, absurdist art, existential themes, doomed yuri. My biggest struggle was getting past the sexualization of these girls, why ruin a good concept? But that's all this show was, a concept of a plot for a bigger story. It introduced some really compelling plotlines in the last few episodes, finally revealing the secrets. I want to see more of Homura and Madoka's affection for each other; Homera comes off as a completely unnoticable character in most of the show so I didn't begin to care until the end. I want to see more witch battles, I want to see more of Madoka's beautiful transformed dress and bow that showed for a few frames in the last episode and her using her invincible power. I really want to rate this higher, and be more o…
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