Magia Record: Mahou Shoujo Madoka☆Magica Gaiden (2024)

SunlitSonata

Not Recommended

An underappreciated factor when looking at any individual anime series is the nature of its source material, provided it has one. Original anime (like the original Madoka series) are practically guaranteed to have a beginning, middle and end, but when based on a source, there’s certain elements that become byproduct by the source’s nature.

When anime are produced based on ongoing manga, one can exact lingering focus on iconic shots and a tendency to go on and on as long as it takes. Light Novel adaptations tend to feature basic protagonists bereft of the thought focused complexity their written works offer. Videogame based anime often have ...

MozillaFennekin

Recommended

Magia Record is not Madoka 2.0.

I feel like that really needs to be said. Despite “side story” written in the title, being a part of the Madoka franchise comes with huge expectations--expectations that Magia Record never attempts to meet. This is not a sequel to Rebellion, nor an attempt at recreating the magic (heh) of Madoka. After all, the original was practically a statement for mahou shoujo and was such a groundbreaking and well-acclaimed series, you only really get one of it per genre.

This doesn’t excuse all of Magia Record’s potential faults, but I think a large wave of backlash towards it ...

Casul_Noob1997

Recommended

This is an anthology series set in the Madoka universe. Okay> >

But believe me, I wanted this to be another impeccable entry in Madoka Magica’s ever-expanding library of consistently high quality spinoff titles (except for Suzune). I wanted this to be a bonafide 10/10 for me.

Sadly, as you might see in many reviews, this series suffers from pacing issues that unfortunately buries any of the genuine Madoka-esque greatness that is there to people who aren't as passionate for the brand. While this story isn’t nearly as bad pacing-wise as the original Oriko Magica, nor does its narrative and characters stoop to be as collectively ...

KillTheFuture42

Not Recommended

Preliminary (4/13 eps)

As a big fan of studio Shaft and the original Madoka, i realy wanted to love this one. Not seeing Gen Urobuchis name anywhere near the project had a little red light going off in the back of my head, but i thought Shaft would still handle it in a decent way.

The structure is odd and switches from a fast to a very slow pacing, seemingly at random. Heavy dramatic scenes are followed by parts that seem to ignore the moments before, sometimes with the same characters in new locations, a light hearted feeling and nobody even mentioning the dramatic stuff that happend just ...

Ellenwitch

Recommended

Preliminary (4/13 eps)

I wanna start off this review by saying I'm not sure why some find this to be either boring, or not interesting??? Like I really don't get it.

I find this completely interesting, and I love the themes within it. It keeps me interested on a week by week basis. Instead of starting all cute and calm like how Madoka was, this comes off strong for me right from the get go. Which sets up the show nicely in my book. It really makes you think with everything they've set up so far. I also adore the main girl, her story is not only ...

Bixxbite

Not Recommended

This review of Magia Record contains spoilers to both Magia Record and some plot points of the original Madoka Magica!! For anyone who has not seen Magia Record, there will be a spoiler free TLDR at the end of this review.

Let me preface this review with a disclaimer as well. I will be comparing and contrasting some aspects of Magia Record with the original Madoka Magica, which I know is a point of contention among some viewers (though I will not compare it to Rebellion, because I feel it’s unfair to compare a TV anime with an anime movie because of the scheduling constraints TV ...

Isvi_Berserk

Mixed Feelings

-Note: English is not my native language, I apologize for possible mistakes. (This review does not contain spoilers)

This was one of the most anticipated releases this year, the love I have for Madoka is enormous, so my expectation for this spin-off was perhaps too exaggerated for something that ultimately turned out to be nothing more than a long commercial or advertising for the game with the same name.

I'll start with the good things of Magia Record. As always, SHAFT studio work is just from another planet, beautiful shots and scenes, continuously well-kept visual work, along with beautiful OST at all times, characters have nice design, ...

seiraseira

Recommended

Preliminary (4/13 eps)

FOURTH EPISODE IN.

The art is amazing. Coming from playing the game, seeing the witches animated is such a satsifying and terrifying experience.

Yachiyo is looking great. Hot damn, that White pants and blouse combo has me sweating.

I appreciate that they adapted the story to make it fit the animated format. So far all the changes have been really good and keep the tone of the story as it was originally. I think they have actually managed to make it even more surreal and creepy.

I dont reccomend watching this as your intro to Madoka Magica.

Sound is good. A lot of it sounds like ...

Aisetra

Recommended

Preliminary (4/13 eps)

To begin this review, I'd like to say that I've seen the entire original Madoka Magica TV series and all three movies and am also a player of the Magia Record game, although I play the EN version and am not caught up on whatever events have transpired in the JP version.

For this review, I am focusing mainly on the anime (and not the game), but I may comment on some choices the anime makes in adopting certain aspects of the game. This review contains a few spoilers, but nothing too major. Take caution in reading it though.

STORY: 6
Magia Record doesn't come close to the ...

Tanooshii

Not Recommended

Preliminary (6/13 eps)

2011: I want to be a magical girl to help others!

2020: I want to be a magical girl to save my dear sister who basically doesn't provide empathy for the viewer to care.

In fact I recognize all the merit that Madoka has for his original production, ideas and characters, even though some are plot devices, but he was still daring and ventured in his narrative to surprise, it is something that few shows that want to work on a dark theme of a genre can do it. I admit I don't like Urobuchi's writing, but I still recognized his potential in Madoka's first anime in ...

salarx

Recommended

Preliminary (3/13 eps)

Being a fan of the Original series and the movie Rebellion, I was excited about Magia Record as soon as I found the game is being adapted into the anime. Being a side story, this is not intended to surpass the original, but give a whole new experience which is not dark and shocking as the original storywise, but this doesn't make the story bad at all, which we'll see as the plot progresses.

STORY : 8
The story focuses on new characters. You'll see the usual enemies of Magical Girls, along with some new ones. The pacing might feel slow or fast depending on whether you've ...

FalkenT

Not Recommended

Allow me to preface this by stating - Madoka Magica is one of my favorite anime of all time. Even so, I went into this with tempered expectations, knowing it was tied into a gacha game. Even so, I was still disappointed.

Story: 1
Seeming like something out of a fanfiction at the best of times, and the ramblings out of a middle schooler's first creative writing project at the worst of times.

Art: 7
The art is decent most of the time. All of Curry's art is still absolutely wonderful to behold. But an over-reliance on blatant 3D as well as several animation errors easily pull you ...

Piromania

Mixed Feelings

Preliminary (4/13 eps)

As a huge fan of the original Madoka Magica tv series and the movies I was really hoping forward to watching a continuation or side story to the already existing material, but this feels like a botched attempt to replicate Bakemonogatari.

What I liked:
-It looks and sounds mostly like the old anime, although the music doesn't stand out as much as the original
-It still has that crispy unique artstyle that changes to borderline absurd when the witch fights happen
And thats it

The issues:
-It keeps shoving characters in my face that I don't care about, like, they introdouce 5 characters in 1 episode and expect me to ...

matrograde

Recommended

I will start by saying that I think any kind of art review should be able to first and foremost consider the piece of art in question on its own. It would be simple to just compare this series to the original Madoka Magica, which was the original work upon which this series spins off. However, that would not be fair nor, in my opinion, helpful to people who are reading reviews.

Magia Record is better than most anime out there in every way. The art and sound, as virtually everything created by Shaft, is of the highest quality. It's creative and elicits strong emotions in ...

faeryghost

Mixed Feelings

For a mobile gacha game, Magia Record’s story is serviceable. It’s the perfect breather in between gameplay, and it’s constructed in a way that allows many characters to coexist. Overall, it keeps the player coming back thanks to the pull of the mystery, as well as the ever-growing roster of magical girls to collect.

As the first anime installment in the Madoka Magica franchise since the Rebellion movie, Magia Record needed to be more than serviceable. The original twelve episode series, as well as its movie, are extremely well-regarded thanks to their iconic characters, intriguing plot, and immaculate pacing. It’s been a long seven years since ...

Batena

Not Recommended

Preliminary (4/13 eps)

I am a huge fan of the original story " madoka magica" i had high expectations for the side story didn't even play the game and waited patiently till 2020
And here is what i think about the show:

1- the major problem with this show that it's too fast, they introduce you to 3 girls at once in one episode and forget about a girl we saw in the first one ! What is going on ! Are they supposed to be humans or just walking figures ,
they also force these emotions they try so hard to make it sad and dark, there is no ...

julbee

Recommended

I feel like there's a lot of people who said this show was "fine" or "average" because it's not as groundbreaking as the original Madoka, which I think is kind of unfair. Why would you expect the same kind of mindblowing revelations from this show that Madoka had, when it literally says its a spin-off set in the same world? Too much drama in the same vein as Madoka would make it feel cheap, in my opinion.

Personally, I enjoyed this show because it introduces so many characters (which I admit can get annoying to follow for some people), giving the viewer insight towards ...

Marinate1016

Recommended

Let me make this clear. Despite being apart of the same universe and franchise, MagiReco is not a Madoka sequel nor does it offer the same type of story and deconstruction of the genre like its predecesor.

MagiReco is very much its own story, driven by character interactions and development rather than shock value and fear like Madoka. That doesn’t mean it’s not as good, it’s just a different type of story. Do not come into this expecting people to lose their heads. Despite the differences, I enjoyed this more than the original.

MagiReco and FGO both aired during the same time and provided very ...

Topknot

Not Recommended

I was really excited for this when it was first announced. I then watched it weekly, to completion. And then at some point forgot that I'd completed it and watched the whole second back half again, picking up on the last memorable episode, and wondering, "Have I seen this?" It was only on the second time watching the last episode that I could be sure I'd seen the whole show already.

The original Puella Magi Madoka Magica is special to me, as I know it is to a lot of anime fans. For me when I think back on the show, what sticks best in ...

yat282

Not Recommended

Preliminary (9/13 eps)

I have the original Madoka Magical series a perfect 10. This is nothing like that series. Aside from a few very superficial connections, they aren't related at all, or really even similar in any manner. Without getting into the events of the original show, which I highly recommend, it doesn't seem possible that this show could even cannonicly exist in it's universe.

I could not follow the story of this series. The main character is searching for her sister, but never actually tried to do anything that would lead her to find her sister. It's not really clear how she lives, or why anything related to ...