That isn't to say that the show is simply grimdark and to avoid it if you hate that type of thing, there is so much to be found no matter what type of anime you are into, but if you want an anime that is full of happy moments and light-hearted comedy, I don't suggest this. Madoka Magica is drama and psychological mindfuckery at its most intense.
Currently, the show is still airing and as I post this, we are on episode 9 out of 12. I believe I began watching it personally when it was on episode 4, maybe 5. I was told by a friend that the show is brilliant and not at all like you'd imagine if you looked at the cover. He was right. He also said you simply cannot criticize the show until you've seen up to episode 3. Again, he hit the nail on the head, as episode 1 and 2 are dedicated to covering the premise of what is actually a very expansive take on a very generic genre. When looking at the cover, pictures and reading the synopsis, nothing really stands out and the show just looks bland and unoriginal, yet one may check out the show if they enjoy Magical Girl shows. They would get a big surprise when they realize that the synopsis explains so little about the detail in this show. It's like taking a really dusty book, wiping the dust off the back of the book and reading only some of the words of the synopsis. I'm not exaggerating. Though the synopsis usually covers enough premise to give you a basic idea, it simply doesn't do this anime justice.
The artwork is a major turn off when looking at Madoka (Unless you're into those really cute designs). Saying that, it has been handled excellently by SHAFT. The animation is fluid and everything/everyone moves naturally. The scenes inside the "Witches traps" are unbelievable to say the least. Some may not like the cut-out style and think it looks out of place, but I'm personally happy with how it ends up looking. It reminds me of some of the set-pieces in Black Rock Shooter. It is another case of having to actually see it to believe it, as with the story. The art style is most comparable to other Magical Girl shows which was probably the intention as it contrasts in an interesting way with the darker setting that the show descends into.
The characters are the strongest point of the show bar story as is with many anime. We are introduced to a fair few characters in the first episode, including Madoka and her family, Madoka's friends Sayaka Miki, the tomboyish best friend of Madoka, and Shizuki Hitomi, a rather posh or high-class friend of Madoka. Soon after that we are introduced to Akemi Homura, a mysterious transfer student (NO SURPRISE THAR) who appeared in Madoka's dream at the beginning of the episode. As the episode progresses we are introduced to Kyubey who fills the role of small magical animal that a lot of Magical Girl shows seem to include, he is rather scary looking really though... Those eyes. Almost immediately after Kyubey we are introduced to Tomoe Mami, a quite frankly awesome Magical Girl who is almost a mix of the cute design of Noel Vermillion (Blazblue) and brutal grace of Bayonetta. That is another thing, the weapons aren't conventional Magical Girl weapons, there are weapons from guns and bows to swords and spears, which adds some interesting variety. Characters all develop a very unique personality as the show progresses, the character development as a whole is very well done.
The show has come a long way in 9 episodes and is quite frankly getting better and better with every episode. Every week I am hyped for Friday night with which I grab a snack, sit down and watch Madoka Magica, and currently it is the major highlight of my week, especially since we are coming up to the end of such a good series. I hope people who have read this will take a look at the show if they are interested, or if they weren't interested before, will give it some thought.
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