History YMMV / MadouMonogatari

** ''How'' powerful Schezo's magic abilities and aptitude are is hard to pin down. Thunderstorm and his signature Areiado/Areiado Special seem to be his only consistent spells, with games like ''Madou Monogatari: Tower of the Magician'' giving him Fire Storm, Ice Storm, and Diacute, and straight up has Fire and Ice Storm when he's close to Arle's canon age in ''ARS''. This is also only accounting his repertoire in the Madou games, as the ''Puyo Puyo'' games blur the lines further.
* AudienceColoringAdaptation: ''Madou Monogatari'' is frequently described as a "dark" series thanks to the PC-98 version of ''Madou Monogatari 1-2-3'' and the ''Shin Madou Monogatari'' timeline. Even with those enties, the series is a CerebusRollercoaster at worst that is loaded with silly monster design and {{Narm}}-laden voices.

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: The infamous Schezo beheading scene from the PC-98 port of ''Madou Monogatari II''. The scene never explains how Schezo's head just manages to fight on its own, serves no other purpose but to extend the fight in a bizarre, creepy manner and is not present in any of the other ports, making for a nasty surprise for anybody who played the other versions before this one. No subsequent games ever bring this up either, especially when the series went for a LighterAndSofter approach that would make referencing this really difficult.

** Witch, whom started life as just a common {{Mook}}, soared in popularity, to the point of gaining spotlight in the [=DiscStation=] games. She's the protagonist of ''Comet Summoner'', has her own scenario in ''[=PuyoLimpics=]'' and the deutragonist of ''Tower of the Magician'', a game specifically made to not have Arle in it (and shared with Schezo, who is also a beloved character). Her popularity carries over to the ''Puyo Puyo'' series, with her extended absence being met with lament and criticism.

** The vast majority of the characters carried over into ''Puyo Puyo'' come from ''1-2-3'', and the majority of those originating in the original [=MSX2=] version of the game as opposed to the ports. There are a grand total of six (out of close to ''fifty'') characters to grace a traditional ''Puyo Puyo'' game that debuted in a ''Madou Monogatari'' game other than ''1-2-3''[[note]]Kikimora hails from ''Michikusa Ibun'', Archan, Kodomo Dragon and Honey Bee are from ''Bayoeen Wars'', and Succubus and Doppelganger Schezo are from ''A-R-S''[[/note]], with Sega giving Demiserf a nod in ''Puyo Puyo!! Quest'' to add one more.

* MoralEventHorizon: Schezo's first big role as the BigBad has him kidnap a 16-year-old, with intent of stealing her power and [[WouldHurtAChild killing her]], [[FateWorseThanDeath or worse.]] Not even getting decapitated stops him from trying to kill her one last time. Every appearance Schezo has made since then portrays him as a lot more honorable, to the point where his ''VideoGame/PuyoPuyo'' incarnation doesn't even resemble the monster he was back then. That said, we learn he became the way he is because he's under the influence of [[EvilSorcerer Runelord]], who corrupted Schezo as a teenager. Runelord is undead after [[TheHero Ragnus]] killed him, but not before Runelord killed Ragnus' girlfriend and cursed him. That, along with everthing Schezo did under his control, is essentially one big leap over the MEH for Runelord.
* {{Narm}}: The PC-98 version of ''Madou Monogatari 1-2-3'', while boasting slightly more traditional monster design and pushing itself as a DarkerAndEdgier version of the trilogy, still uses goofy voice acting fit for the SuperDeformed [=MSX2=] version.

* EvilIsSexy: Schezo, especially when running with his debut in ''Madou Monogatari II'', is frequently depicted him as domineering and seductive, especially when Arle is involved. The Dark Prince also enjoys a similar treatment.

* EvilIsCool: Both Schezo and Satan in ''Madou Monogatari II'', particularly the former for the SurpriseCreepy of the PC-98 version's fight.

* MoralEventHorizon: Schezo's first big role as the BigBad has him kidnap a 6-year-old, with intent of stealing her power and [[WouldHurtAChild killing her]], [[FateWorseThanDeath or worse.]] Not even getting decapitated stops him from trying to kill her one last time. Every appearance Schezo has made since then portrays him as a lot more honorable, to the point where his ''VideoGame/PuyoPuyo'' incarnation doesn't even resemble the monster he was back then. That said, we learn he became the way he is because he's under the influence of [[EvilSorcerer Runelord]], who corrupted Schezo as a teenager. Runelord is undead after [[TheHero Ragnus]] killed him, but not before Runelord killed Ragnus' girlfriend and cursed him. That, along with everthing Schezo did under his control, is essentially one big leap over the MEH for Runelord.

* MoralEventHorizon: Schezo ironically inverts this. His first big role as the BigBad has him kidnap a 6-year-old, with intent of stealing her power and [[WouldHurtAChild killing her]], [[FateWorseThanDeath or worse.]] Not even getting decapitated stops him from trying to kill her one last time. Every appearance Schezo has made since then portrays him as a lot more honorable, to the point where his [[VideoGame/PuyoPuyo current incarnation]] doesn't even resemble the monster he was back then. That said, we learn he became the way he is because he's under the influence of [[EvilSorcerer Runelord]], who corrupted Schezo as a teenager. Runelord is undead after [[TheHero Ragnus]] killed him, but not before Runelord killed Ragnus' girlfriend and cursed him. That, along with everthing Schezo did under his control, is essentially one big leap over the MEH for Runelord.

* UncannyValley:
** ''Madou Monogatari: The Final Test'''s artstyle is unsettlingly different from the other Windows installments. Arle's got eyes that stare deep into you, [[NoodlePeople the anatomy is noodle-y]], and the clothes everyone wears just looks ''off''.
** Arle's face sprite in the beta version of ''Madou Monogatari II''. Unlike the final version where she changes expressions depending on her health, she always stares at you with the same unnerving expression throughout the whole game.

* AdaptationDisplacement: In regards to ''Madou Monogatari 1-2-3'', the PC-98 versions of those games often overshadow their original MSX versions often due to their overall darker tone and jarringly realistic art style.

* AdaptationDisplacement: In regards to ''Madou Monogatari 1-2-3'', the PC-98 versions of those games often overshadow their original MSX versions often due to their overall darker tone and art style.

** Arle, being the heroine and the face of the series, naturally falls under this, with her pairing choices going from childhood encounters in Camus, Lala or Devil, to FoeYay with Schezo, Dark Prince, Witch, Rulue, and even Doppelganger Arle.

* MoralEventHorizon: Schezo ironically inverts this. His first big role as the BigBad has him kidnap a 6-year-old, with intent of stealing her power and [[WouldHurtAChild killing her]], [[FateWorseThanDeath or worse.]] Not even getting decapitated stops him from trying to kill her one last time. Every appearance Schezo has made since then portrays him as a lot more honorable, to the point where his [[VideoGame/PuyoPuyo current incarnation]] doesn't even resemble the monster he was back then. That said, we learn he became the way he is because he's under the influence of [[EvilSorcerer Runelord]], who corrupted Schezo as a teenager. Runelord is undead after [[TheHero Ragnus]] killed him, but not before Runelord Ragnus' girlfriend and cursed him. That, along with everthing Schezo did under his control, is essentially one big leap over the MEH for Runelord.

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TFjZPiXRGE "Fiend Empire"]] from ''ARS''. It's the very first tune you hear when you start wandering in the forest as a very young Arle, and has only ever been given three additional renditions from ''Final Test'' (which is of questionable quality), ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eW4mklCLw-c Waku Puyo Dungeon]]'', and a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1dwN-o6c9k Tanaka Katsumi Greatest Hits]] rearrange.

* NightmareFuel: %% Just putting this as a placeholder to make a Madou-based Nightmare Fuel page.
** [[http://jellipuddi.tumblr.com/post/160721360901/you-passed-congratulations-congraaaats The face melting illusion scenes in Madou Monogatari I.]] Not only is there copious amounts of BodyHorror, some versions have either BlackEyesOfEvil or worse, [[EyeScream no eyes at all!]]
** Even if it was unintentional, Arle straight-up ''beheading'' Schezo in the PC-98 version of Madou Monogatari II is definitely this. This all happens [[https://twitter.com/zoniken514/status/1185734250177298432 on-screen]] and is about as gory as an 8-bit dungeon crawler can allow, with blood pouring down the front of his cloak (though this is somewhat nullified by [[AssholeVictim Schezo being a straight villain in this game]] and the fact that he doesn’t particularly seem to actually be affected that much, what with his decapitated head [[LosingYourHead still attacking the player]] as if nothing happened).

* {{Tearjerker}}: A major plot point in ''Madou Monogatari: Chaotic Final Exam'', is when Schezo, later Arle and Rulue, have a HopelessBossFight against Phantom God. Arle is severely injured, Rulue is seriously hurt too, and Schezo is barely active enough to try and save at least Arle from certain death. Schezo ends up taking the brunt of Phantom God's magic, and is the last thing Arle sees before ending up in another labyrinth. While Arle managed to escape her fate, Rulue presumably didn't, and Schezo presumably didn't just ''die in front of her''. Though she has Carbuncle, never has she felt so alone without them. She does eventually reunite with Rulue, but for the time between then, her perkiness is completely absent.

* {{Tearjerker}}: A major plot point in ''Madou Monogatari: Chaotic Final Exam'', is when Schezo, later Arle and Rulue, have a HopelessBossFight against Phantom God. Arle is severely injured, Rulue is seriously hurt too, and Schezo is barely active enough to try and save at least Arle from certain death. Schezo ends up taking the brunt of Phantom God's magic, and is the last thing Arle sees before ending up in another labyrinth. While Arle managed to escape her fate, Rulue presumably didn't, and Schezo definitely didn't when he ''died in front of her''. Though she has Carbuncle, never has she felt so alone without them. She does eventually reunite with Rulue, but for the time between then, her perkiness is completely absent.

* FanonDiscontinuity: Zigzagged with the CanonWelding ''Madou Monogatari Chronology'' timeline from ''Shin Madou Monogatari'': the first time the international fanbase discovered it, it was largely dismissed for being [[CerebusSyndrome out of place for a lighthearted puzzle series]]. In the late 2010s, after multiple {{Newbie Boom}}s, it "evolved" into [[BrokenBase base-breaker]] status; some found the dark and edgy timeline to be an interesting change of pace and enjoyed the sense of continuity between series, while others disliked the implications that the timeline has on the ''Puyo Puyo'' series and claimed that it was trying too hard to connect a series that they believe is fine having mostly NegativeContinuity. Then in 2020, a Japanese fan crossed the language barrier to point out that the Japanese fandom tends to take the stance that ''Shin Madou'' is "official fanfiction" on the basis of Kenji Oda's comments that ''Shin Madou'' is merely "his" take on the series. The initial reactions to said fan's statement were...colorful (it was brought up in the context of Shipping, and [[Administrivia/RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgment we'll leave it at that]]), but after the dust settled there has since been far less confidence in the legitimacy of the timeline.