History YMMV / PuellaMagiMadokaMagica

* EvilIsSexy: Again, Kyoko, who has her fanboys (and fangirls), though this is of the somewhat squicky variety because she's underage (which is par for the course for many series).

** While it wasn't bad in the earliest days of the fandom, especially after ''Rebellion'' do not ever attempt to redeem Kyubey or write him as a heroic or noble character at all if you don't want the fandom down your throat. The only possible exception being his incarnation in ''Tart''.

* EpilepticTrees: These started sprouting just after ''the first episode''. Some of those were ''[[IKnewIt right]]'' and some of them that were right qualified as WMG/PoisonOakEpilepticTrees ''right off the bat''.

* WMG/PoisonOakEpilepticTrees: It has been said that, regarding an Urobuchi work, "Think out the worst possible logical scenario that can happen, and Urobuchi will top it." [[spoiler:[[IKnewIt It turns out to be correct, many times over]]]].

** An interesting case with [[spoiler:Kyubey]]. If you've heard anything at all about this show, the first thing you're likely to have heard is that [[spoiler:[[TreacherousAdvisor Kyubey]]]] is the ultimate evil of everything that exists and should die in a fire, as their unique appearance and general performance is so iconic and memetic that many people know going in [[spoiler:Kyubey is the real BigBad]]. Ironically, [[BlueAndOrangeMorality it's not as simple]] as [[WellIntentionedExtremist it sounds]]]].

** A number of critical viewers have pointed out, in regards to the explanation that Kyubey contracts teenage girls because they are overly emotional--and thus have the most energy to harvest and exploit--that the show's crux (and the Magical Girl system in general) relies on the woefully tiring HystericalWoman stereotype. The inevitability of the witch process makes this even worse, as all it does is propel the notion that girls and women [[UnstablePoweredWoman are too weak-willed and capricious to handle power, and would only snap like twigs and succumb to their innate hysteria once it ultimately proves to be too much of a responsibility for them, wreaking havoc and suffering upon themselves and others.]] This is especially harrowing once you realize that MagicalGirl is supposed to [[FeministFantasy celebrate women with power]], not condemn it. And yet, despite the fact that Kyousuke is hospitalized, bedridden, and crippled, not to mention so consumed by grief and despair that (in the PSP games, at least) he attempts suicide, Kyubey never once approaches him with the prospect of becoming a Magical ''Boy''. Because apparently [[SarcasmMode only girls are susceptible enough to break and manipulate.]] Elaborated upon [[https://the-sun-is-up.dreamwidth.org/95051.html here]], [[https://ladyloveandjustice.tumblr.com/post/158563157552/i-cant-remember-if-youve-posted-about-this here]], and [[https://against.moe/madoka-the-profitability-of-lesbianism/ here]].

** More than a few US fans don't like Sayaka for being too [[{{Wangst}} angsty]] and [[NotBadassEnoughForFans unheroic]].
** A much more significant part of the American fandom thinks Kyubey [[spoiler:is inconsistent, with plans that work ineffectively long term for the sake of sadism, in comparison to the Japanese fandom.]]

* CompleteMonster: [[YMMV/MagiaRecordPuellaMagiMadokaMagicaSideStory Alina Gray]]. See that page for details.

** At the time of release, the DisguisedHorrorStory nature of the show was a big twist, with the studio going as far as to hide the involvement of known writer of depressing stories Creator/GenUrobuchi. But nearly everyone new to the series knows going in that [=PMMM=] is not the sweet magical girl anime it advertised itself as, since the brutal subversion and deconstruction of magical girl conventions is precisely what the series is famous for, in addition to the series popularizing the MagicalGirlGenreDeconstruction to the point that similar series which don't bother hiding their dark nature get called "[[FollowTheLeader Madoka clones]]". Google's suggestion feature makes it even more obvious, as if you type in "Depressing anime" or "Horror anime", Madoka comes up.

** Nearly everyone new to the series knows going in that [=PMMM=] is not the sweet magical girl anime it advertised itself as. Google's suggestion feature makes it even more obvious, as if you type in "Depressing anime" or "Horror anime", Madoka comes up.
** Even people who haven't watched the show at all know that [[spoiler:Charlotte [[DroppedABridgeOnHim dropped a bridge]] on Mami]].
** Likewise, [[spoiler:most people who've heard of the series are aware that witches are former magical girls, a twist that is revealed two thirds of the way through the series]].
** An interesting case with [[spoiler:Kyubey. If you've heard anything at all about this show, the first thing you're likely to have heard is that Kyubey is the ultimate evil of everything that exists and should die in a fire. Ironically, [[BlueAndOrangeMorality it's not as simple]] [[WellIntentionedExtremist as it sounds]]]].

* GatewaySeries: Along with ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'', this show has become one of the biggest introductions to anime for many newcomers to the medium in the early 2010s.

* HilariousInHindsight: See [[BrokenBase/HilariousInHindsight here]].

* HilariousInHindsight: See [[BrokenBase/HilariousInHindsight here]].

* BrokenBase:
** The ending made some people thrilled for being the most perfect ending that absolutely fits the themes and tones of the series, and left others wanting to kill Shaft for [[spoiler:making a non-GrimDark cop-out ending and Madoka a Jesus figure]] and making them wait weeks for it.
** Whether or not the anime is really a deconstruction, a plain darker and edgier take on magical girls, or a dark and edgy show masquerading as a deconstruction.
** Whether or not ''Puella Magi Madoka Magica'' can be considered a feminist series. Supporters of this idea argue that the series portrays the female characters in higher positions of power and autonomy.[[note]]Such as Junko being the main supporter of her family, and Kyousuke, the only male character with any noticeable impact on the plot, pushed into the role of the LoveInterest that is typically reserved for girls.[[/note]] Those who don't believe this will bring up ValuesDissonance regarding Japanese vs. Western feminism, where "girl power" that MagicalGirl tropes tend to favor actually enforce gender roles, and point out that ''Madoka'''s intended demographic was an older male audience.
%%** This series as a whole is divisive among the anime community.

* WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs: The witch's labyrinths. These things look like they come out of Terry Gilliam's nightmares.

* JerksAreWorseThanVillains: Although the Witches [[spoiler:and even HateSink Kyubey]] have their own supporters and redeeming qualities, especially after [[spoiler:what [[Recap/PuellaMagiMadokaMagicaEpisode09IdNeverAllowThatToHappen episode nine]] reveals]], the same can't be said for the StrawMisogynist duo on the train who do nothing to the story but talk politically-incorrect smack about their girlfriends and, by serve as the final catalyst for [[spoiler:Sayaka's transformation into a witch by shattering what little faith she had in her idealist mission in protecting Earth]].

* TrueArtIsAngsty: Not the case here. Despite all the trauma and hardship, there's [[spoiler:an uplifting and positive ending]].

** Shipping Madoka with protagonists of other MagicalGirl animes is fairly common; in particular, those who are pink-haired (or have pink as their main hue) and TheHeart of their group. {{Crossover Ship}}s include Nagisa Misumi ''Anime/FutariWaPrettyCure'', Nanoha Takamachi from ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'' (with whom she shares having lots of HomoeroticSubtext with the DarkMagicalGirl and being from the same production studio), and even Lux from the {{animesque}} Star Guardians Verse of ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends''. In a twist, Star Guardian Lux is said to be Madoka and Homura's (the aforementioned dark magical girl) love child because of Lux's having Madoka's hair color and hairstyle and Homura's purple eyes. So it'd be less Theme Pairing and more Theme Parenting.
** People pair Yuuna and Nagisa (aka [[spoiler: the magical girl Charlotte once was]]) as a ToyShip because both are the youngest magical girls associated with members of the main cast; they were adopted respectively by Kyoko and Mami. They are prevalent in fan works that ship Kyoko with Mami.

** More than a few US fans don't like Sayaka for being too [[{{Wangst}} angsty]] and [[WhatMeasureIsANonBadass unheroic]].

* MoralEventHorizon:
** The fandom is divided on Kyubey, but the most commonly believed MoralEventHorizon crossings are either when [[spoiler:he misled Kyoko into believing that Sayaka could be saved after turning into a witch, thereby leading to her HeroicSacrifice and leaving Homura as the only magical girl to fight Walpurgisnacht - all in hopes that Madoka would contract with him]], or [[spoiler:his casually delivered line asking Madoka to give his kind a call when she'd be ready to die for the universe]].
*** [[spoiler:A more agreed upon point is in episode ten. In one timeline, Madoka becomes a witch powerful enough to destroy the earth, but Kyubey doesn't care as [[YouHaveOutLivedYourUsefulness he got enough energy from humanity]] to halt entropy]].
** [[spoiler:Kyoko's father killing his entire family after finding out that his older daughter's wish was the only reason for his popularity, and then killing himself too. Kyoko survived but ended up bitter and amoral]].

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation:
** Some suggest that Madoka's [[spoiler:self-sacrificial nature]] comes from a sense of [[HeroicSelfDeprecation self-worthlessness]]. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__q9fsZa5vk Madoka's]] ImageSong adds to this, with lyrics indicating her as a StepfordSmiler.
--->''But the truth is I'm not really that strong.\\
Both the scenery and the city are the same as always\\
Even though I expected nothing would change,\\
I still think I'm the only one who is small.''
** Many witches are implied to have very tragic back stories. Because of this, several people like to DracoInLeatherPants them, especially [[EnsembleDarkhorse Charlotte]] before [[Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagicaTheMovieRebellion her backstory]] [[VideoGame/MagiaRecordPuellaMagiMadokaMagicaSideStory was officially revealed]].
** Is Walpurgisnacht laughing or crying? Or [[CryLaughing both]]?
** Sayaka Miki: A self-absorbed girl who thought she was [[EntitledToHaveYou entitled to someone's romantic love]]? A normal girl [[BreakTheCutie who was caught up in horrible crap and simply was unable to handle it]]? Or both?
*** [[spoiler:Is Oktavia von Seckendorff really as powerful as she seems, or is that just because Kyoko was reluctant to fight her at full strength, not wanting to kill her but revert her back to her normal self?]]
*** [[spoiler:Was Kyoko's SuicideAttack the only way to take Oktavia out because she had gotten that powerful, or did Kyoko decide to go out on her own terms after learning the AwfulTruth about magical girls?]]
** Kyosuke Kamijo: Is he a stuck-up, painfully ObliviousToLove jerk who is too wrapped up in the loss of his musical ability to appreciate his friends' well meaning gestures, or similar to Sayaka, a BrokenBird who's been denied his life's dream and sees himself as useless (especially since Japan has less societal tolerance for the disabled), or a little of both?
*** Similar to Hitomi, his actions in the PSP game have exacerbated this debate; after he [[spoiler:finds out [[BodyHorror what the MG process did to Sayaka]], and [[KickTheDog calls her]] a ''"disgusting monster"'' to her face... on the other hand, the bonus route goes the opposite end, with him approving of Sayaka being a magical girl]] (and one must remember the first set of circumstances basically had him face-to-face with Sayaka ''while half of her body had decayed'': one could hardly blame him for freaking out).
*** ''[[Manga/PuellaMagiMadokaMagicaTheDifferentStory The Different Story]]'' shows that [[spoiler:[[GaveUpTooSoon had Sayaka waited just a few more days]], Kyosuke would have thanked her for all the time she had spent taking care of him at the hospital and admitting that he should've done it sooner.]]
** There is a hefty fandom subset that believes Kyubey planned out the ending despite the fact that it goes against his character [[spoiler:of being canonically emotionless and thus having no sympathy at all for the magical girls that are turned into witches. He even mentions that witches would be a more convenient way for him to collect energy.]]
*** There's also a branch that doesn't believe his [[spoiler: VillainsNeverLie claims and think everything he told Madoka about his motives, how his efforts have aided humanity, and how he's emotionless are complete bullshit. He's canonically a ConsummateLiar in all but the most technical sense anyway.]]
*** Similarly, there are those who speculate if Kyubey is able to manipulate events in order to induce contracts, and if so what events in the backstory were genuinely accidents and bad turns of fate and which ones were orchestrated by Kyubey to get girls to contract.
** Homura Akemi: Was [[spoiler:her wish to redo time to protect Madoka]] out of a genuine desire to [[spoiler:save her best friend]] or simply to [[spoiler:validate her own existence]]? Or a mixture of both? This can also generally apply to all her actions afterwards.
*** And was Homura really doing a good thing by [[spoiler:wishing to redo time to save Madoka]], especially since that [[spoiler:Madoka had already accepted that she would die defeating Walpurgisnacht]]? On this point, there is at least one timeline where [[spoiler: Madoka asked Homura to use her time powers to prevent her from even making a contract with Kyubey in the first place.]]
** Kyoko's behavior and her motivation for following Sayaka around surprisingly makes a lot of sense if you imagine that she has a one-sided crush on Sayaka. Alternatively, her interest on her stems from both having made their wishes for someone else and trying to help her in not committing the same mistakes as she did.
*** More on Kyoko: when she [[spoiler:sacrificed her soul gem to [[TogetherInDeath die alongside Sayaka]]]], was it also because [[spoiler:she wanted to die on her own terms instead of becoming a witch]], or [[spoiler:was simply tired of her suffering and wanted to die]], thus [[spoiler:using Sayaka as an excuse/outlet]] to do so? And was she well-meaning or misguided in this action, especially since the result [[spoiler:leaves Homura as the only magical girl left to combat Walpurgisnacht]]?
** Did Hitomi directly cause [[spoiler:Sayaka's death]]? Is she a generally decent, if a bit oblivious, person who made an insensitive remark at exactly the wrong time? Was she really in love with Kyosuke, or was she just trying to help her friend confess? Was her time limit of twenty-four hours an acceptable window of opportunity for Sayaka to make the first move, or much too short of a time for Sayaka to confess within? The [=PSP=] game really doesn't help, due to it showing what happens when Sayaka actually ''takes'' her advice: [[spoiler:Hitomi slaps her, implying that she was possibly trying to psyche Sayaka out of making a confession to begin with.]] On a less serious note, many wonder if she's actually in the TransparentCloset, as she was quick to claim that homosexuality is forbidden love when she ended up arriving to the conclusion that Sayaka and Madoka were lesbians.
** Are witches monsters, or are they misunderstood creatures who want other people (especially magical girls) to avoid their same fate? To get a little more specific, did Charlotte kill Mami because she's a heartless monster, or did she MercyKill Mami so that she wouldn't become a witch herself?
** Pastor Sakura is often subject to this. On one hand, Kyouko remembers him fondly and describes him as a [[GoodShepherd good and honest preacher who genuinely wanted what was best for his flock]], but snapped under the horrible revelation that he had unwittingly been brainwashing his followers. On the other hand, reading between the lines can give the impression that he was a {{Cult}} leader (which Kyouko admits one could get the impression of seeing it from the outside) with all the horrible implications that entails, and that Kyouko's recollection is colored by her guilt and still being indoctrinated by her father.

!!The franchise in general:

** A big part of the fandom took [[spoiler:Mami's FreakOut]] in a horrible way, declaring that she's only a mass murderer and nothing else.
** The fandom and even ''Portable'' tend to exaggerate [[TheScrappy Hitomi and Kyousuke's]] flaws, respectively making them out to be a BitchInSheepsClothing and DomesticAbuser. In reality, they're more [[UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom Unwitting Instigators Of Doom]]. While the surface-level social conflicts in their LoveTriangle are painful on their own, Hitomi and Kyousuke are completely unaware of the additional stress Sayaka feels due to magic's role in her corner of the triangle. But many people tend to ignore that in favor of their more soap opera-ish version.