Magia Record: Mahou Shoujo Madoka☆Magica Gaiden

Magia Record is a disappointment that seem to mostly focus on advertising the gacha game it's based on instead of telling a cohesive narrative. Unlike Madoka Magica, in thirteen episodes it says nothing. The story lacks focus and the pacing is not great. On paper, the mysteries set up by the series are pretty interesting from missing persons to a cult to a potential way to save magical girls. Those are really interesting and with how the world works it could work. But thanks to poor pacing and gacha advertising, those mysteries lost its complexity. Instead of answering at least some of its own questions, the show just asks more questions and stalls from actually saying something. Almost half the runtime was spent searching for a missing person that may or may not exist only to introduce a cult and new combat system last minute. The show also lost a bit of the dark edge the original has because everyone at this point already knew that being a magical girl isn't as great as many people think it is. The show could've up the danger of the job or use the new potential of saving magical girls to bring up some interesting themes like the struggle to change one's fate. In fact, the idea is close to the original's themes of the price one needs to take in exchange for a miracle because sacrifices will have to be made to change the laws of nature. Unfortunately, bad pacing and gacha advertisements has ruined those opportunities. Speaking of gacha, there were way more magical girls so the cast management is bad. The show thought it's a great idea to shove as many magical girls as possible when it just made them so flat. Madoka Magica worked because it only focused on a small group of characters so everyone--even seemingly plain Madoka has a personality. Magia Record, on the other hand, lacked that luxury. Iroha is so plain and lifeless that she reminds me of an insert reader character. Her only trait is looking for this important missing person, but that's it. Everyone else, friends and enemies are dull and would be replaced with a new set of characters every time. The OG characters are somewhat present, but they don't really make an impact. I know that this is just the first season and it's been confirmed that a sequel will happen soon, but that's no excuse for poor pacing and storytelling. The only positive things I will say is that the production is phenomenal. The modern technology is definitely taken advantage of. Artwork and animation are great though the former is poorly utilized due to the lack of compelling writing. The OST is great and I love the OP and ED. Magia Record is a disappointing addition to the series. Nevertheless, I still have hope for the second season and the gacha game looks fun.

It's almost impossible to judge Magia Record properly. Just the simple fact that it's part of the Madoka Magica franchise made and makes the expectations extremely high, and needless to say Magia Record is nowhere close to meet these expectations. If you're looking for something to fill the hole the original series left in you, then do yourself a favor and don't watch Magia Record. But that doesn't mean it's a bad anime. If you just look at it as a small extension to the universe you love, then this anime, won't be a memorable experience, but at least a positive one. First, it's very important to mention that the anime's "souce material" is a gacha game. This in itself guarantees that, no, we shouldn't expect a flawless plot or a small but very complex cast of characters. We all know how gacha games work, the story and the characters, the things that make an anime great, are just secondary after something we all know too well, the money. That being said, for a gacha game, Magia Record has a decent story, and can be adapted into a decent anime. Story: Honestly, the story in itself is quite good. I was definitely expecting something worse. I'm definitely not a fan of this new, more lighthearted approach they took, but there are more than enough mysteries and secrets to make the setting interesting. However, the problem lies in the writing and in the pacing. Sticking to the anime here, the pacing is just painfully bad. There were episodes where literally nothing meaningful happened and then there were some where they completely rushed the pacing. Without prior knowledge from the game, many things are hard to understand and can confuse the viewers because the anime doesn't take the time to explain these. It almost feels like they expected everybody to play the game before watching the series. Characters: Inconsistency is probably the best word to describe the cast of Magia Record. Certain characters, like Yachiyo or Mifuyu are, complex and well written participants of the story, but the majority of the cast is just extremely uninteresting, including our MC, and an uninteresting main character almost always forshadows the quality of the rest of the characters. That being said, there are very amusing and well designed characters, even if they aren't too deep. I have to bring it up again, "gacha game adaption".... Art: Now we're getting to the interesting part. We all know that SHAFT, more specifically Akiyuki Shinbo's legendary drug trip animation team was the one working on Magia Record so we're getting the signature trippy style of Madoka Magica. But that's not everything, SHAFT more or less left behind their bad habit and they made the background images unbelievably pretty, I'd even say, the backgrounds are more detailed than the characters or the things we notice first in the scenes. And have no illusions, those are very pretty as well. My personal favourites are the few extremely detailed close shots of the characters faces. One of the disappointing things was the very minimalistic and most of the times short battles but, without spoiling anything, you'll forgive those unmemorable fights because they saved like 90% of the budget for the last episode, where I can confidently say, I've witnessed one of the best animations from recent memory. Overally, the visuals of Magia Record astounding. Sound: It's almost impossible to live up to Yuki kajiura's legacy. The soundtrack she made for the og series is one of the finest works in anime. But even with that, the music of the anime is surprsingly good. The use of the tracks get quite repetative after some time but it doesn't change the fact that some of them are very memorable, and for the last third of the anime, it's almost like we got an entirely new soundtrack with even more memorable tracks being played. And just like the visuals, the music is also at it's peak during the last, 13th episode. It's obvious that they went all-out on that one. I'm personally not a fan of the opening, but I have no reason to hate it. It just wasn't really memorable. The ending on the other hand is great, both the song and the animation. There are quite a lot of hidden meanings in it, and the combination of real life shots and animation works surprsingly well. The voice acting is good, nothing outstanding but definitely one of the better voice actings we heard in recent memory. But I can't just leave the voice acting behind without mentioning Alina. She gets introduced in the last third of the anime, but her first scene is definitely one of the finest moments of the show, mostly because of Ayana Taketatsu's beyond perfect voice acting. Enjoyment: And that's the point I think is impossible to judge. I'm trying to be as objective as possible, but the experience is just so different, based on the mindset you had when you started watching Magia Record. Do you expect Magia Record to be the same emotional rollercoaster as Madoka Magica? To have the same heavy atmosphere? To be a more mature mahou shoujo anime? In general, do you expect it to be like Madoka Magica? If yes, you'll be extremely disappointed. The less you try to connect it to the original Madoka Magica, the better the experience will be. Magia Record has serious flaws but if you have no expectations, it's still an enjoyable anime. Final verdict: Magia Record is a perfect example what happens if a sequel/spin-off can't deal with the expectations, because of the legacy of the og show. It's not close as great as the diehard Madoka Magica fans (such as myself) wanted it to be, but not as bad as these disappointed fans say. I was also very disappointed in the beginning, but soon I had to realise, there is no point in comparing a tasty subway sandwich (Magia Record) to one of the finest restaurant dishes (Madoka Magica), and as soon as a I changed my mindset to a neutral one, it became a much better experience. The best way to watch the show is ignoring the "Madoka Magica" name in the title.

I played the game both in US and JP version, I even watch all the anime and movie, I can conformity say that Magia Record anime isn't the best. The main problem is not the change in story or the overused music but the way it rushed the story. You will not find any happy slice of life or any dark stories, one of the things this anime does is rushed to get into the next chapter. When I say chapter, I mean it tries to fit very long stories that were into the game. Also, you get zero explanation on certain things, those are in the game not anime. Story: The story is not the same, it does not follow the game version. There is also no care to the world building, lore settings and small details. If you wanted to see something the anime is not the right place to do. Many new additions were added; some made up while others aren't. Anime and game version are clashing each other with facts based on Pulla Madoka series. I can not recommend anyone to trust Magia Record anime, it has the most inaccurate world building. Art: The art is perfect but many overlook the art and never consider looking deeper. Often times you may see odd things which is not a problem because Shaft is known to do that. However, if you looking for small details, forget it. Unlike Pulla Madoka and movies; Magia Record was rushed. There is nothing to zoom in or deep hidden easter egg. Music/sound: Certain music and sound effects are from Pulla Magica or the movie. This also happens in the game so don't expect original songs. A DVD came out with a few songs, all ranging under 2 Minutes. If you like long music or want something new from Pulla Madoka this anime will not give you anything like that. Characters: You will not fully understand the characters. The game version has the best way to understand them but when it comes to the anime characters you get what you see. The Best way to say about anime characters is that they just don't open up, what you see in anime is what you get. You also don't get to see certain characters, if you a game player and want to see a character you may not see them. One character a big one was never added, it didn't change my view of the anime score but I really did not like how Shaft treated her. Enjoyment: Hated but also liked the art so really can't go on liking it or full on hating it. Will not recommend it because it just way to inaccurate. You will also find things you hate compare to the game version that has better or funner events. I really can not find any reason anyone would like it, battles are under 1 minute or less, Iroha character is mistreated by Shaft and story will confuse new as well as older Madoka fans. Overall: I keep saying it but I keep saying has much has I can, I do not recommend Magia Record anime. The mistreatment of characters including my favorite is unacceptable. Story is inconsistent, you would need to play the game to understand what happen. The music is not original or brings anything new. Many made up stuff added to the anime for no reason. I just can't, I just can't give this anime any reason to make people watch it.

Most muggles are just comparing Magia Record to the original Madoka Magica. That is just purely comparing Superman's story and Batman's story in the same universe and say Superman's story is not dark enough because they exist in the same universe. Its just dumb. This is an unjust guideline to judge this amazing anime. They should wake up that Magia Record is Iroha's story and it just happened in one of the endless multiverse the Puella Magi series have to offer, that is if the most of the viewer understands the concept of multiversal storytelling at all. The only lacklustre here is the overly cramped pacing, which even the first arc itself contains multiple sub-arcs that are not well developed. Not only the main character's backstories are cut short, it completely skipped the otherwise interesting subplots of the hero's closest allies. Also, the lack of action sequences which are core to action anime is totally cut. Action sequences are useful plot devices to show a character's development, mental state, personalities and the level of bond they have with their teammates. Well the season finale was the saving grace of the entire season and I think Shaft have good amount of leg room for improvement of the show.

REPEAT WITH ME: adding a mystery atmosphere and sad backgrounds for the characters to a Mahou Shoujo DOESN'T make it a Madoka☆Magica story. Well, that's pretty much the description of this anime. Even if it's in the same universe and share lore with Madoka☆Magica, Magia Record feels like a generic Mahou Shoujo that completely fails in replicate the original's magic (no pun intended) We already know all the truth behind the mahou shoujos, so that element is understandably left apart in Magia Record. But it's original aditions are, although interesting, misused and unexplained so far. Do you remember the witches from the original Madoka☆Magica and how they felt special and unsettling? Here the witches (or they new variant) are episodic villains. They appear, have a nice animated scene inside their labyrinths and are dispatched without much effort or consequences. Other of the original's strong points, the plot twists, here are very weak. Both about the mahou shoujo's true nature (because we already knew that) and about the new elements. And in both cases, the characters reactions are just...nonexistent. To this point I already made clear that it's not a good "Madoka☆Magica" product. But let's analsyse the anime as their own. Story: 4 Iroha is the MC and she has since ep.1 a clear goal. But you are warned, this storyline will not have any pay-off (nor significant advance) in this season. In turn, it's only an excuse to make Iroha go to new places and meet a lot -really a lot- of new mahou shoujos. The first arc, the best of this anime, have a good balance between introducing new information/characters and advancing in a nice character-centric storyline. But the big problem is that after that, the anime turns slowly into an episodic plot. We meet a new character every 1 or 2 episodes, and each of they have a subplot/backstory that draws all the attention during her presentation. This leaves us with a slow paced and dull plot that lacks both cleverness and surprise. For last I must say, without spoilers, that there's a force behind all this (that have the most interesting contribution to the franchise) but with a very weak presence. Characters: 4 Trying to imitate the original serie's atmosphere, here we have absurdly depressed characters with sad backstories, but that's all the personality this girls have. During the anime I can only think about one character that had any progression as such (and then dissapear for almost the rest of the story) And if we talk about Iroha, our protagonist, the thing is no different. Starts as a determitated and good friend but weak mahou shoujo, and ends as a determitated, good friend and strong mahou shoujo. Directly from the shonen MC book (with a power up included) ********** MINOR SPOILERS No even the original cast characters that appears are much herselfs. ********** Animation/Sound: 8 If you are here, I can asume you already experienced and enjoyed the shit outa the original series animation and soundtrack. Well, in Magia Record you'll find and continuation of that, although you will be not surprised anymore. Enjoyment/Conclution: 5 If you fell in love with Madoka☆Magica for being a brilliant deconstruction of the genre (and anime in general), it's threedimensional characters and mysteries and plot twist... well, Magia Record doesn't have any of that. I know that this is a videogame adapation, and much of it's problems comes from that. But it only means that they do wrong the "adaptation" part.

OG Show is perfectly described in the following sentence: "You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain." This doesn't apply to MagiaRecord which is nothing like the OG. What does it mean? It means we get a generic magical girl show with very simple-minded characters and shallow,nonsensical plot. CHARACTERS 1/10 They're essentially all the same. They only have personality in meaningless moments. One is going to act stoic, the other energetic, another optimistic and last one aggressive. But when serious emotional moments strike they act in the same way, respond the same, talk about their feeligns the same etc. This is your typical case of anime where overly optimistic speech will cure all the emotional wounds, trauma and PTSD that you suffered earlier and recover without any mental damage. Example?(minor spoilers) One of the girls' mother remarried to a man with 2 sons and ever since then she felt like she didn't belong. Her family not only didn't love or appreciate her but also severely neglected her. Due to her shy nature she didn't make any friends either. Because of some magic-girl-related stuff she disappeared for over a month. While she's being saved she's forced to kill the friend she made and spent time with all this time(month). The only friend she ever had. After that she goes to see her family and she finds out that they didn't even notice she was gone for over a month. THAT'S LITTERALLY IMPOSSIBLE HOW DUMB ARE THESE WRITERS? How dumb do they think we are? No one, not even authorities noticed that a middle school girl was missing? They didn't even bother to check if she's not decomposing in her room? Anyway, she takes her stuff and stands for a while on a dark street and that's when you'd think she'd transform into a witch from the despair caused by all the trauma, right? Nope. She remembers Iroha, a compelte stranger she's known for less than a minute and few others who were nice to her so she shrugs these off al nothing and lives happily with the girls in the house without any adult supervision. Lastly, Iroha is an annoying protagonist. Extremely generic, nothing remarkable and very one-layered. She's a female equivalent of male progonists in many shounen/harem animes. Yikes. The OG cast, which makes brief appearances, could as well not exist. They don't have any bigger roles, it's like they're there only to make cameos. Kyouko's character didn't even make sense. She was originally an anti-hero. Here she's a carafree, somewhat lazy hero. STORY 1/10 Nothing is answered or explained. The disappearance of Iroha's sister? No. What happened with her childhood friends? No. What's going on with the witch-like possession of magical girls? Oh you know, some magical girl created that. That's it. That's got to be one of the dumbest "explanations" one could give. How exactly she even gave that ability to magical girls without intercating with her isn't explained at all. A lot of places the characters find themselves in and the magical girl organization make no sense either. Apparently there's plenty of medival, European-like ruins under the city that are used by the said MGO. The witch plot twist as I mentioned earlier made no sense. It makes no sense how the whole "trick" exists and how it functions. it was never explained why Kyubey loses his consciousness after entering the city or what the young Kyubey is. ART&MUSIC 10/10 They're flawless. The visuals are beautiful but also the animation is smooth and beautiful. The music re-uses many of the old tracks from the OG with few new and it's great. The whole story is simply dumb. In the OG we felt the hopelessness and weight of the situation the girls had to carry on their shoulders. Here, we don't feel anything. Becasue no matter what happens and what these girls go through all it takes is an encouragement from a stranger to make them feel better and carry on like nothing happened. Their actions and their mental states don't have any negative consequences which leaves us with very infantile, naive and, at the core, generic story.

*SOME SPOILERS* On a per episode basis, my stance is as follows: 1- Amazing! A complete rewrite from Chapter 1. Yes, we don't see Kuroe again after this episode and when referencing the game, episodes 2 and 3 suffered compared to if the adaptation was direct instead of new, but I'm judging it as its own thing! Art, Sound, Enjoyment, all a 10! Character, (not including Yachiyo as this episode deliberately creates mystery around her,) 7, let down a little by Kuroe for previously mentioned reasons and a minor inconsistency in episode 12, but this only makes me want to see her more! 2- Too fast. Also depends on whether you're viewing the sub or dub as minor line changes warp the characters. i.e. sub Rena comes off as an abusive friend you can't help but hate, even after learning about how she feels. However, dub Rena is more immature and irritable, which makes how she feels actually touching. 3- Too fast. Pointless change to Friendship Staircase Rumour, now acting through a name being written on an actual staircase and appearing when it recognises a break up, instead of just the latter. This makes more sense on paper, but they don't answer the questions it brings, such as what happens if names are removed, altered after, or how the names get on the stairs in the first place due to the school's strong 'no graffiti' policy, but the biggest issue with this change is that, whereas the game had Kaede and Rena spiral out of control with eachother, it is now a deliberate act that Rena goes out of her way to do, knowing what will happen. Scratch, that, the biggest issue is Touka making a Perpetual Motion Machine. You can argue that she didn't, just know that you're wrong. 4- YES TSURUNO, SHE'S SO DELIGHTFUL! Besides a fight scene that didn't need to happen when Iroha's gem getting tainted could've easily happened in another way without it being forced, (a strong one given by the episode itself and expanded on next episode actually,) this episode is almost all Character, Art and Sound, 8! 5- Belongs with the original series, wow! Character, Art, Sound, all a 10 this episode! That reveal and showcase of (out of control) Giovanna was amazing! They actually fixed a plot point from the game too! In the game, Iroha lets her gem taint, not knowing of Doppels, death or apparently even Witchification being a consequence because... she's stupid? She gets guilt over how much she's actually helping and somehow convinces herself that she shouldn't take it despite clearly dying. Massive face palm. In the anime, its because she helps Yachiyo use a Seed and then the time to use Seeds is cut short, much more sense! The design change that the Commoner Horse went through to become the Commoner Dragon suits the Shrine theme much more appropriately. 6- Phoned in. Felicia is a good character but she only shines when she's with the rest, not alone. In the dub, Iroha and Yachiyo always talk like they're not trying, they are emoting but the voice never changes, like an energetic form of monotone. Pointless Misery Water change, instead of a countdown until massive bad luck, there is a quota of actions that can be taken before this happens. This removes all tension and makes every action of those affected annoyingly stupid when its clear that they simply should've stayed at home. Magius Member fight scene is teased as the stinger for this episode, but come next episode they supposedly left peacefully. (Pleeeeeeease be foreshadowing of something more later on, a Magius Member fight can be cool, give it a chance Shaft!) 7- Same as last episode, but this one moves towards action anyway, so its fine. Fighting Familiar hoards was something we haven't quite seen before, so it was nice to have an all-new kind of fight scene, changing it so that Giovanna is responsible for their victory, as well as Doppels being a way to win in general, will always be a win to viewers as just about all canonical uses of Doppels in the game don't exist or are extremely few and far between. The change in design to the Misery Water Rumour is... understandable. It looks like a bird bath with an owl motif, hence its name, instead of being creepily alive. What isn't acceptable is the watering down of the Amane Twins' fight with our main cast, their abilities and Doppel reveal. After further thought, Lucky Water breaks the show and I'm mad about a fate-breaking drink existing. 8- Episodes 8 to 10 actually take up a single Chapter, just as I wanted! Characters develop and story progresses! Still a little too fast, but nowhere near as bad as other episodes. Besides Iroha imagining herself in her place when the Invisible Girl rumour is being described, the parallels between Iroha and Sana are practically all lost. 9- Belongs with the original series. My heart shed a tear, its revealed that the Rumour monsters are a lot more people than monster, that despite their free will their tragedy is to be bound by instructions. Not only this, but we even get to see this fact put to action very well, Sana and AI's friendship won't be forgotten! Tarnished by Alina showing up, who is another example of a great character, but under time restriction, can only show off her crazy and not her calm. She does one attack to AI and then is teleported away by AI, sort of pointless when the amount of build this was given is considered, could her showing up not have been the stinger for next episode to allow for something more? Anyway, AI is beginning to corrupt and wants Sana to mercy her as the stinger instead. 10- Again, my heart throbbed in genuine emotional pain to see Sana and AI's last interaction, never forget! ...Really? Sana just happens to faint? Can't even say that she got a really small drop of the paint on her too? Or that her Gem tainted from feelings? Lazy writing. Speaking of, what are these Antennas? Why do they look like a Berserk reference? Why do they have a magnetic pull option? Were they holding up AI's Labyrinth? If so, why can't she do it naturally like others have proven capable of? Why are they so conveniently placed to save Iroha and Sana from falling even though they're not magnetic? They raise way too many questions and not in the good way. A WITCH ARMY?! HOLY SH- Oh, cut short? Lame, also, this means you teased the audience twice in a row and now they can't properly get excited for fight scenes, the very thing you keep shoehorning. This episode further characters Alina as all crazy and no calm, with her usefulness being, literally, striking a pose before whimpering away at a single well placed gunshot (scared off, she's perfectly fine). Thank goodness for this episodes latter half, Sana completes her arc by learning her place is with her new family after a quick trip to her house, as well as that much sought after family time between the 5 main characters! 11- Another 3 episode chapter, yes! We learn more about a single Amane Twin, Iroha is an idiot by inviting a high up Magius to her house, not that they were hiding their location but still. This causes friction with Yachiyo because its no other than Mifuyu, so the little mug mats they got go to waste because of foul moods. Everyone but Yachiyo then leave to the location they were asked to go for more info. Hate to be a hypocrite, but it felt like nothing significant happened this episode, just an excuse for the characters to be somewhere without their backbone. 12- Yachiyo realises that they've gone to the Memory Museum and springs to save them! Lots of backstory on Yachiyo, recap of the Puella Magi curse, as well as how the characters take it. Iroha didn't know any of this? How does she not? Can she really not draw lines between her occurrences of Doppelling and Witches? Wait... that means... she thought the bad part was the FIGHTING?! What was she talking about with Kuroe then? Were they on the same page or does Kuroe know? If they didn't want to fight, why didn't they say no? Again, way too many questions. Oh and Doppels are properly expla…

Magia Record feels like a knock-off version of Hanako-kun with all its frustrating aspects, when it could have been distinct and so much more than a remembrance of the "original" Madoka Magica. Nevertheless, the Shaft style is ever so wonderful and serves the anime well. I will not be discussing comparisons with Madoka, but I have to admit that being a fan of that series has made me a bit more forgiving for the faults of this anime. Allow me to elaborate under a format. Character 4/10 Tropes. Tropes. Tropes. One after another. It has become rather annoying by the middle of watching, and how the anime continues to play along the lines of tropes for attempts of development. Not only that, the introduction of characters definitely felt rushed for what felt like there could have been more (also for fulfilling relationships!). Note that I haven’t seen the source material or anything. It's the frustrating kind of compressed and predictable, with the premise of a wonderful but barely utilized potential. There are some hints of better character dynamic from episode 7 onwards (simply because of better storytelling too) but they barely make up for the regrettably forgettable cast. Setting 5/10 The setting works because of the art style (which gets a separate rating), particularly the other side of the spectrum. Otherwise, it could have been very plain and basic. There is nothing much that serves to be actually memorable. This just shows that the color is more striking than what the rest of the setting can actually offer. Plus, with the rumor format as a plot device, it felt unnecessarily cluttered at times. Sound Design 8/10 Astounding and gripping. I cannot express just how much excitement this brings to the table. Definitely one of the best parts of the anime! However, I caught some instances when the transitions from one scene to another showed abrupt changes in this aspect. Not a deal-breaker but it was noticeable. Nevertheless, this universe with this sound design choice is really a match so fantastic to experience! Story 6/10 I thought things were laid out to be barely interesting. Then I just found myself compelled enough to simply know more along with the characters, like a "hmm I guess it can work." I think the setting works well to enhance the developments of the story. I took the story layout as more of a mystery-laden framework, rather than as a point of empathy for the characters, which is actually a significant minus for me (especially with the internal themes of magical girls) but works as a definition. Even as the anime introduced more complicated plot lines, the buildup and the resolution just did not serve much for a fulfilling watch. The anime did not have a consistent pace for the things it had to offer, and I feel like we could have gotten a way better side story for a season of 24 episodes. Art Style 9/10 I'm speaking as one who is familiar and a fan of the Shaft studio style. This works very well for the contrast of witches, magical girls and everything else. Unfortunately, I have to admit that I don't know how to introduce it for those unfamiliar with what Shaft does with its material. Classic unsettling angles with "clean" dynamic animation for scenes that are supposed to be striking. Captivating atmosphere. I have to admit that I saw some derp-ish frames, but the rest of it is just aesthetically astounding. Some other notes: I think it is unfair to enter into this material with expectations based from the Madoka. Give it a chance for what it is and its new characters. I wouldn't really recommend it for non-fans of the genre (as opposed to the buildup of Madoka), but it might pull in a few, especially with the consistently good presentation of the Shaft style.

As a big fan of magia record, I'm going to be very critical on this one. This anime seems to be a spin-off talking about madoka series and adaptes the main story of magia record, a gacha game with visual novel type story. This is important because this season is not bad itself, it's a very average writing with a pretty good animation but... That's all. The most sad adaptation I've seen in a while, most of the characters seem plain and their relationships are forced, some of them even feel like they're dumb asf (Iroha), Yachiyo is the 2.0 Homura but worst, they don't even get to know Madoka or Homura unlike in the original story... This isn't acceptable considering most of the characters on the original work are remarkable and interesting, way better than this anime. Also, you're going to see some background lore scenes time to time and even some minor spoilers for seemingly no reason all with scenes that don't appear in the main story and filler content that don't exist originally (The first episode is entirely invented lol) The principal villain organisation feels like the average villain "oh I make speeches because we're bad and manipulate people and we're bad... do you know we're bad?". The writing just goes lacking quality into all aspects. Seems that this anime tries to get the magia record characters in order to make Madoka 2 but the results are not good. It's a bad re-thinking of the original story. Fans won't like it and average new people are going to be like "it's ok, I guess". Very sad considering the game is very good. If after this you still want to watch it... Go ahead! Your decision, but instead I highly recommend watching the original game story. If it's so long for you, it's also adapted to the " magia exedra" game and ,besides deleting a lot of conversation and character building (understandable having in mind how long is the original game), it's loyal to the original work.

Magia Record: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica Gaiden is the Yuki Yuna is a Hero of Madoka Magica. The fact that this even exists is so nonsensicle that I'm beginning to think it was a joke to mess with Madoka fans in the same vein of the hilarious joke that was The 2nd Film. I'm not even the biggest fan of the Madoka franchise, but I respected it up until I watched this abomination of a series. The music is still great, but everything else in this series isn't worth your time. The game was much better, to be fair, but now that we don't even have that I don't see the point of this existing. Would not recommend.

TL;DR: DO NOT GO INTO MAGIA RECORD THINKING IT'S MADOKA 2. Even then, it's at most a gracious 5/10, and the worst side story from Madoka Magica yet. I've given out a fair bit of advice on this series around the internet, so I thought I might as well leave a review here. Possible spoilers for the game and anime ahead. STORY: The story is quite lackluster. We find out little about our main cast of the Villa girls due to a recurring issue: cameos and temporary characters stealing the spotlight. Several characters from the game appear and then disappear. This goes from Kanagi talking to Yachiyo on the phone (makes sense, and a cameo I enjoyed), to the HQ being turned into walking tropes. Sayaka is the morally correct justice girl, Mami is the depressed one, Kyouko is the feisty redhead, etc.etc. (Madoka and Homura are strangely absent from this season.) As someone who plays the game, I understand all of these characters already, but the fact that I have to play the game to understand their abilities is the issue. No anime should make you read other material in order to understand it. For example: Yachiyo and Iroha's relationship goes from enemies to forced friends to real friends in the game, while in the anime, Yachiyo practically opens up to Iroha and the others instantly, making little sense. This seems like a picky example, but the anime is filled with underdeveloped characters. I'll get more on that in the appropriate section. Art: Not much to say here. Expect the usual SHAFT stuff: beautiful focus shots, with memeable low quality backgrounds. Sound: The one thing that lived up to PMMM's legacy. An amazing soundtrack with great music. The sound design itself is acceptable, but the OST gets it a 10/10. Characters: Where do I start... Like I mentioned, the HQ from PMMM is incredibly dumbed down. Most scenes with them are fanservice and can be skipped with no repercussion. A lot of other characters have been bad too, mind you, but HQ is the worst offender here. It's tragic, because there were a bunch of chances for great moments like the original show, and MR anime could have matched up to the game. Overall: It's tough to review this without spoilers. I came to the conclusion that it's a 4/10 after alot of thinking, so I would recommend you watch it yourself. If not because you like Magia Record, because you want to see where it went wrong.

It would feel dishonest if I didn't start by saying that I consider Puella Magi Madoka Magica to be a masterpiece and one of the best anime ever created. Although this gets tricky because what would PMMM be without all the true-blue mahou shoujo shows that came before it? Similarly, what is Magia Record without PMMM? 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.

First of all, I didn't play the mobile game, so I can't compare both media. When Magia Record anime was announced, I didn't have too high expectations. A spin-off is rarely as good as the series of origin... But, I decided to watch it anyway, because a new Madoka series is not something to miss. Story: The plot seems interesting and innovative at first. However, I don't know why, but, it doesn't work. (spoil) In the first episodes, the research of Iroha's little sister mixed with the fights against rumors, and the mystery of Magius is nice to follow. As things progress, it becomes less and less credible. The revelations are weak (you understand in 2-3 episodes what happened to Ui and her friends). Sometimes, the Magius seems way too powerful, or very cliche and lame (a mysterious organization with girls in black capes...) Not everything to throw away, some rumors are cool and raises the interest of an episode. It's complex to define, but there is something wrong with this story. Emotions are mismanaged. It does too much or not enough. 5/10 Characters: There are too many characters. Many of them aren't memorable (I can barely remember their names). By introducing such a considerable amount of characters in 13 episodes, they cannot all have development or backstory (Except the five main characters minus the girl with fire fan) Consequence: it is hard to feel empathy for characters you know nothing about. A lot of characters are okay in a video game but in less than 5 hours, it is difficult to treat them decently. Plus, I think some characters are very similar to the five original Puella Magi. For example, I feel like Yachiyo is almost a carbon copy of Homura: a cold mysterious girl with a tragic past. I think this problem is due to the fact that many characters in Madoka Magica and Magia Record have a "generic anime cliche personality" (not a problem usually but when two characters have the same manga girl type, it is so noticeable). In the end, the characters are very plain. 4/10 Art: The art still is the same as the previous Madoka Magica series works. Witches' designs and animations are created by Inu Curry. They are as good as his previous creations for the series. Some scenes (mostly fights) in the first half of Magia Record are incredibly done (flawless and fluid animation). However, in the later episodes, the quality of the animation declines. The last episode is really mediocre (very static, many off-screen). It's unsurprising coming from Shaft. This is their big flaw in most of their tv series... 7,5/10 Sound: Unfortunately, the OST is not composed by the talented Yuki Kajiura. She is replaced by Takumi Ozawa for Magia Record. He follows Kajiura's footsteps, alternating calm/soothing music, and disturbing and strange choirs. Many tracks are brilliant (cf: "La gis sulva za Celow") even if some are a bit overused... The opening and the ending are ok (pleasing to listen but not breathtaking) 8/10 Overall: The bet was to create a series in the direct line of Puella Magi Madoka Magica. Was it a success? Yes. Was the anime a masterpiece? NO. Magia Record follows well Madoka Magica, visually and acoustically speaking. The story tries too, with characters with various personalities and a tragic storyline. But, it doesn't work. The feeling of surprise and novelty brought by Madoka Magica no longer works. It's a rather good "dark magical girl anime" but it's disappointing for a Puella Magi series. I hope this will not reduce the chances of having a potential follow-up to Rebellion. I cross my fingers so that season 2 corrects the script errors and weaknesses in order to have a real conclusion. 6/10

I was really waiting for this anime, first because I already played the game and wanted to see my girls animated, but also because I wanted to see how they were gonna adapt it. To be fair honest, the first was disappointing. The add of Kuroe seemed useless, many great details weren't in, not as many developpment for the characters as in the game. But then, came the chapter 5. The whole scene with Ai and Sana was almost better than in the game. I felt all the sadness that I felt while reading the story in-game. The only bad point is that the Iroha/Sana whole point was almost skipped, but otherwise it was really good! And then, come chapter 6. My biggest fear. I was hopping from the bottom of my heart they wouldn't fail it. And let me say, I was blown away. The whole turn they took is amazing. It made me feel all the hype from when the anime was first announced. The way Holy Mami was introduced, the cliffhanger with Iroha and most importantly, the last scene. It gave me thrill about how better this end was compare to the end of the chapter 6 in-game. I feel excited to know what happened to Iroha, how will she deal with Holy Mami, but also how Yachiyo is gonna act, feeling the sorrow of not loosing only Iroha, but also Tsuruno, Felicia and Sana who went with the Magius. As in the game, Iroha was here to support her, in the anime she's not. Also another point that really hype me, it's Kuroe. I was extremely disappointed after episode 1, but seeing her at the end really excite me. Is she gonna play a part on saving Iroha, or maybe Tsuruno and the other ? I don't know, but I'm really excited to know. I wouldn't give a 10 for this anime, because the start was too slow and less developped compare to the game. But, for me, the end caught up the long and boring start.

Magia Record is not what I would consider a continuation of the Madoka series and actually follows the same path of revelation from Madoka, sometimes making it feel like a path already taken. This isn't helped by the 2 main characters amounting to replicas of the 2 main characters from Madoka, from the character design to the personality's. The show begins interestingly enough with a good hook but quickly disappears underneath a cover of what felt like filler content. Content that was meant to get you closer to the characters but fell short. That's not to say story threads weren't introduced and curiosity's peaked but explanations or reasons where left to the wayside. Maybe they will be answered in season 2, but season 1 as a standalone is left with a glut of story threads that lead to dead ends. There is barely any WOW factor as its bigger sister had in its story telling and really only begins to find some traction in the final few episodes as the story elements actually begin to move despite the Madoka retelling of some elements. The promise that Magia Record makes though is a second season of story and plans coming together after the first seasons long introduction of set-up. An introduction that could have benefited from more interesting development from both past and present characters to better explain circumstances and reasoning.

This anime is a prime example of a monkey paw effect. The community wanted more Madoka and they got it, except the wish was twisted just like Kyubey's wishes. I knew once a Madoka spin-off was announced, it wouldn't end well, unfortunately it has proven to be the truth. I have to start this review with stating the fact that I don't write reviews on MAL. This will probably be my first and last review I write, MagiReco was so atrocious that I simply couldn't stay silent. This review will contain spoilers. So let's start with the positives, because there's way less positive to say about this show than negative. 1. Gen Urobuchi is not involved with this project, which means nothing what you see in the show is canon and no way is tied with the original Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica and Rebellion. 2. The art direction is still fantastic. All environments still look beautiful, however the animation looks really off at times. 3. The soundtrack is great as well. (Aside from the part where they reuse some songs from the original series for the nostalgia effect). That's as far as positive things go. Now let's cut the chase and get to the actual review: This is honestly one of the worst anime I have ever seen, not just because it tries to be what it is not, but also because it tries to tie with the original PMMM series. I went completely open-minded into watching this series. I thought "if they want to make a spin-off instead of a sequel to Rebellion, that's completely fine as long as they don't try to tie it with the original series and characters", but what did they do? They did exactly that. They wanted to bring more money out of the fans by cashing in for the gacha by making this glorified ad for the gacha. Imagine if PMMM was a regular magical girl show where the characters have absurd plot armor, no consequences for their actions, no danger what so ever, hell I don't even want to talk about the "despair part" of being a magical girl, because that is non-existent in this show. This is exactly what MagiReco is. A tasteless, seasonal anime that nobody will remember, because it cannot stand on its own without relying on the achievements of the original series. They could've done a excellent spin-off if they tried, but they didn't. They have gone the easy route - by simply going along with gacha storyline that makes 0 sense outside the game. The pacing of the show is so off balance you feel like you're riding a roller coaster. First thing the girls are having a tea party and the next thing you know, they're fighting the elite illuminati group. You're well aware of the 3 episode rule in anime, but MagiReco takes it to another level. Instead of it having 3 episode rule, apparently it has one season rule. Where most of season 1 is nothing but filler and all the "good parts" if you can call them that, are saved for season 2. But mentioning 3 episode rule, I have to say, that at first I thought "Hey, this isn't so bad, perhaps there's a chance that this show won't suck." Oh how naive was I. Episode 2 is where MagiReco starts to show its true colors with how poorly the show builds up to action. The Staircase Rumor(yes, in this universe rumors are apparently more dangerous than witches) is said to be very powerful, and it has been hyped throughout the episode and especially the ending of it. And what happened next? It was destroyed in a blink of an eye in the next episode, as if it was nothing to worry about... Seriously? Expect this to happen a lot by the way. However Episode 5 is where my patience has reached its limits. I have never wanted to drop the show so badly before. That's where MagiReco has crossed the line of throwing the original plot device into the garbage can. You see, apparently there is no more danger of being a magical girl and turning into a witch when your soul gem is tainted with despair, in fact turning into a witch is a positive in MagiReco universe, you get to have "Stand Powers" from JoJo. And the best part? After reverting from the so called "Doppel" form your soul gem is purified! Wonderful! So what is the negative of being a magical girl you might ask? There is none here! You can basically ignore all witches, use magic all you want and when your magic reaches its limits, simply turn into a doppel and then revert as if nothing happened! Oh, and from this point on, original cast start to appear to "save the situation" so to speak. They serve absolutely no purpose other than fanservice. Nothing that the new cast couldn't have done themselves. They appear and disappear without a second notice. Iroha's doppel gets blasted by Mami's Tiro Finale and apparently she's fine. It has to be a running joke about plot armor in anime and games but MagiReco breaks all standards. Just when you think the situation is about to get interesting, you will once again get disappointed because god forbid something "bad" happens to the new cast. God forbid they will have to pay the consequences for their stupid actions. I am referencing Episode 6 and 7. Kyouko mentions her famous quote - "The balance between hope and despair comes out to zero." Apparently not. Not in MagiReco anyway. Here you can have all the luck in the world with nothing bad happening to you. I'm not going to describe every nuance and stupidity that this show brings because there is no end to it. But I do have to mention that apparently in MagiReco, some magical girls have learned to control witches. Yes, the uncontrollable force of nature that seeks to destroy everything it sees and traps within its labyrinth. Witches are reduced to a joke at this point. Also, apparently Iroha is a gacha master because she knows what she shouldn't. When Alina uses her "paint", Iroha states that "it makes you go crazy", when she had zero way of knowing that. This is her first encounter with Alina, Iroha had absolutely no testimony for that. Again in Episode 10 and 11 MagiReco shows how horrendous its pacing is. First thing you see is magical girls "fighting for their life" versus their arch nemesis and minutes later they're buying cute mugs and coasters as if this is some slice of life anime, I think this has to be on purpose, a running gag among the team who is responsible for this anime. But you know what's the best part about this anime? I have never in my life seen any anime skip a battle after making an epic introduction to the enemy. But long and behold, MagiReco is here to solve that problem. The last episode of this show is a trainwreck of its own, I don't even want to talk about it. Fun fact: One of the translators for the game refused to translate the story after reading the script. That's how bad it is. To cut chase, I want to advise you to never watch this show under ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. If you like what original series and Rebellion is, and treasure those series, then do yourself a favor and stay away from this burning dumpster as far as you can. However, if you hate PMMM for some reason and wanted a generic slice of life magical girl show, then you're in luck! Go ahead and have fun! There is nothing but regret after watching the show. And they're already planning for Season 2 as I type this review. And let me tell you, after some friends explaining what is to come, you better stay as far as you can. I have to disclose again that this is show is nothing but an ad for the gacha game. They didn't want to make a good Madoka sidestory, they wanted to rack as much money as they could. To lure people into buying "gems" or whatever they're called in the game so you can spend them all trying to obtain the character you like. It is upmost disgusting behaviour from Shaft and whoever is associated with this show. I hope I never have to hear about MagiReco in my life again. Story - 3/10 Art - 7/10 Sound - 6/10 Character - 2/10 Enjoyment - 2/10 Overall - 3/10

Prior to watching this I'd already played a mobile game so I thought for sure that I knew 100% what I was going to be getting into with this mobile game, but to my surprise there were some minor changes. But first, the majority of people watching this very likely jumped to this title because of the original TV series and that great 3rd movie. You're right in expecting something similar with this new series, but just remember that this is indeed a side story as stated in the title, and this will be one of those cases where if you go in expecting too much you'll probably be somewhat disappointed as this one is a little more slice of life-esque, but just know that it ISN'T a slice of life series. While this new series shares the name Madoka Magica with the original series, it manages to become it's own new thing while still carrying on the essence of the original series; the art is the same, the OST mostly feels the same, and the characters themselves feel like they belong in the world of Madoka, but the line making this and the original distinctive is the narrative. While Madoka had a complex plot and narrative following Madoka Kaname and her friends' lives in the world of magical girls, Side Story takes a more direct and clear route of Iroha Tamaki, a girl trying to discover more information about her sister. There is almost nothing that should confuse or really grab your attention in the presentation of Side Story's narrative, aside from maybe Shaft's usual abstract style of story-telling in a few scenes. And another thing regarding plot. Remember that one scene in the original with a certain girl that made everyone drop their jaw? Well, there is none of that here as Side Story is a more lax approach to the foreboding world of magical girls in this series, you'll learn more crucial details that play a heavy role in the entire role of magical girls at a more lax pace. NOW, about the characters overall. Character is probably a weak element in the presentation of this series because you're eventually introduced to a number of them, but because this adaptation moves a little faster than expected, you're not given much time to take more of a liking to them than some brief moments. One episode: meet Iroha, one episode: meet Yachiyo, one episode: meet Tsuruno, and it moves at that pace. Unless you've played the mobile game's character stories you unfortunately might not come to care for any individual character more than the other besides Yachiyo, who is a focus plot for the plot in general. The aesthetics of this show shouldn't disappoint however. Shaft did a good job at making this FEEL like a Madoka based series with the colorful and abstract visualization used to illustrate the narrative of scenes as with the original TV series and the soundtrack still feels similarly as well. While this season felt like it had difficulty maintaining focus and creating a more engaging story for the audience to want to further look into, it still leaves room for further development into it's plot at least. Additionally, this adaptation deviates in a number of areas from how it presents everything from the way the mobile game did. Some changes appeared to be for the better, some I wish would've remained the same, but it's understandable why various elements got changed in order to make everything flow with each other and keep an active pace. If the season interested you enough to wanna look further into it, why not give the mobile game a go. Yeah, you shouldn't feel like you need to have read/play the source material to an anime to be able to keep up with it, but in this case you don't necessarily NEED to, it would just simply enhance your perspective on this TV season a little more. I'd give this something close to a 7 overall. I think it makes for a good watch, but just comes off less compelling if you give it higher than necessary expectations riding off of the original Puella Magi Madoka Magica.

As a madoka fan, as a person that forced his friends to watch madoka magica. Anyway, this series is a standalone of madoka magica, it leagues worse then the original, but its not bad either. as the series are 24-26 episodes it seems because it ended on the middle of the story, this particular season is kinda mehhh... hopefully they will make the seconds part much better! my honest recommendation would be : Do not watch it at least untill second court ends/begins. the first 6 episodes are kinda good, but then it just to dragged out, with now that impressive characters! where is the deaths? where are the plot twist, where is the originality? The plot is meh to this point. it just average generic show at this point honestly iam not sure what score i want to give it between 6-7 but as a madoka fan it's gotta be a 7.

I want to stress that this adaptation is NOT a continuation in any way, shape, or form to either the original Madoka Magica or the Rebellion movies.  This is its own, separate entity in its own timeline completely separate to what was in those pieces of media and most this series does not converge with anything to do with the original at all. Story: ♪ Uwasa, Uwasa.  Share your secrets, Uwasa.  Only meant for one, but who?  Shall I tell them just to you?  How about taking someone's hand and passing through?  Uwasa, Uwasa.  A single secret I bring... ♪   Have you heard of the rumor of the city of Kamihama?  The place filled to the brim with witches?  It's said that if magical girls go there, they can be saved.  Upon hearing this rumor, Tamaki Iroha ventures into the strange town following the rumor in hopes of finding clues about her missing sister who exists only in her memory.  After an encounter with some of the girls in the city, she comes to learn of the mysterious witch-like Uwasa and how truth can be stranger than fiction. Based on a mobile game of the same name, MagiReco (yes, I'll be using the game's shorthand for this) takes the game's first six chapters where every few episodes introduces another girl to add to the new 'holy quintet' and a new rumor of 'Uwasa' for the girls to fight and attempts to adapt it into a thirteen episode anime.  Now that doesn't sound too bad, until you realize that each major chapter of the game has on average five to seven episodes within said chapter, and each episode has about five to seven battles inside them, each of which sporting their own cutscene that contributes to the overall story of the game.  And it can take a good half hour to an hour depending on the episode length to get through one of the seven episodes within one of the game's major chapters.  So calling this adaptation 'rushed' is such a major understatement that putting into perspective just how many little details and conversations were lost moving the story from game to anime was warranted. Content-wise though, Magireco creates an interesting addition to the lore of the Madoka Magica franchise, though the original is kind of a prerequisite to understanding this series since a lot of the series's rules still apply here (plus any retelling of said rules aren't well explained here).  Much of Magireco's boon is adding to the overall lore by having so much of the show's latter half devoted to trying to break the curse of the Magical Girls with the series's antagonistic group, as well as the mysterious witch-like beings, the Uwasa.  Each Uwasa works like a school rumor spread by hearsay, and are just something I like conceptually because they're functionally similar to the Witches of the series, but exist as a completely different entity that functions off of different rules.  There's also the strange Doppels, an occurrence only achievable by the girls in Kamihama, which only add more to the mystery of this strange city overrun by witches and rumors. However as much as I like the concepts presented in Magireco, the execution is iffy, not just because of the horrendous pacing issue in the adaptation.  The Wings of the Magius, the show's antagonistic group set to 'save all Magical Girls' is a group that never reveals their plan.  That happens in chapter seven, which is a part of the story that this adaptation never covers.  As a result, much of Magireco is setup rather than payoff since the story follows a pattern of one girl plus one Uwasa per major chapter.  It feels lackluster in the end, and because of the pacing issue, becomes really hard to believe that these girls are as friendly as they are with each other because so little time is dedicated on letting their relationships unfold.  (Also the story ends at a really awkward moment that doesn't really mean anything in the end.) I still ended up liking the story in the end mostly because for me, it was like rewatching the events of what I've played over again with nicer visuals.  Since the 'player character' in Magireco is actually the tiny Kyubey that makes its rounds in each Uwasa the girls encounter, the story is allowed to be about the girls and how much Magireco conceptually expands on the Madoka Magica universe are things that can't really be taken away from it.  However, if this show was allowed to be twenty four to six episodes instead of just thirteen, I think this would've ended up far better because there is such a staggering amount of detail that was cut off for the sake of squeezing it all into this little timeframe.  I can't even imagine what it's like going into this blind without knowing anything. Characters: I want to squeeze the 'new' Holy Quintet together because there's really not that much to talk about with these bastardized versions of the girls.  Iroha, Yachiyo, Tsuruno, Felicia, and Sana all feel like they're going through the rounds with cliff notes on what their stories are without ever BEING their story.  For Iroha especially, it feels like she's being pulled around by the story and asking the question of whether or not people know anything about her sister, Ui, instead of taking an active part and driving her own plot.  Yachiyo's attitude fluctuates so much that it never feels like she's indecisive on whether or not she wants to be prickly or comfortably stern, and neither Sana and Felicia get enough time to let their stories pan out, getting at best one episode each.  Tsuruno's the only one of the five that feels like the made the position alright only because her story doesn't actually happen until a little later, and until then, she's kind of just the spunky genki girl.  And it's kinda hard to mess that up. The Wings of the Magius is also a group that I want to put together because their overall impact is really equivalent to one character instead of the multiple heads that they are.  As mentioned before, the Wings of the Magius have their motivations revealed but have no actual plan revealed, making much of what they're doing just empty words since not much impact aside from their involvement with the Uwasa is actually revealed or mentioned.  Their members are admittedly displayed in a fun way given how both the Flute Twins and Alina Gray are shown in the anime, as well as the connections some of them have to the new 'Holy Quintet', but all of them ultimately have minimal impact individually because again, not enough time is devoted to making them actual characters.  (Alina got like one scene.  And she's by far the most interesting of all of the Magius.  Why do her dirty like that?) Other girls in the series like the secondary team of Momoko, Kaede, and Rena are kind of just there to make their own contributions to the plot (however rushed they are), but really don't have much impact beyond that.  There's also the coordinator, Mitama, who is a fun character, but doesn't show up nearly enough times to be as impactful as she could've been.  There're a few others that're story relevant, but their presence is minimal beyond the story beat they're meant to show off (however little impact it may have.)  Thankfully this is the extent that the show decided to display its wide array of magical girls in Kamihama, because if we got to either the Azaleas or the any of the girls in the mirrors sub-storyline, I would politely ask Shaft to stop what they're doing. And of course you can't forget the original Holy Quintet.  Yes, because this is based on a mobile game, they also found a way to put them in the plot of Magireco, although with a vastly smaller role that still manages to intertwine with the story.  I do like how they're integrated into the story, although I kind of wish the anime committed more to actually having them since it feels like they half assed their anime counterparts with most of them not even appearing since I guess they didn't have enough time to establish anything significant. Aesthetics: With Shaft taking the reigns back as the only home …

I would like to begin this by saying that despite taking place in the same universe as Madoka, with the same power system (up till stuff later in the anime), this is absolutely a different anime. If you were expecting the same flavour of surprise and awe from Madoka, you'd likely find yourself amazed with how different it feels. The change in direction felt refreshing and definitely felt like they were trying to go for a new angle. The art, plot, and characters were pretty great. Additionally, I think how the mystery doesn't lean too heavily on Madoka's main plot gives this show a fresh identity. Sure, I think that there are some flaws with the show, overall it is certainly a side story to Madoka. In fact, I wish that we had more of the "slower" moments with the characters, which was something Madoka didn't really have the time for.