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1!!The franchise in general
2* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: See [[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica here]].
3* BrokenBase: See [[BrokenBase/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica here]].
4* CompleteMonster: The anime version of [[YMMV/MagiaRecordPuellaMagiMadokaMagicaSideStory Alina Gray]]. See that page for details.
5* HarsherInHindsight: See [[HarsherInHindsight/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica here]].
6* HilariousInHindsight: See [[HilariousInHindsight/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica here]].
7* MagnificentBastard: [[YMMV/PuellaMagiOrikoMagica Oriko Mikuni]]. See that page for details.
8* MoralEventHorizon: See [[MoralEventHorizon/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica here]].
9!!The 2011 anime
10* AlternateAesopInterpretation: Quite a lot arises from the conflicting themes of the show, from "hope triumphing over despair" to "think before you act" to "the road to hell is paved by good intentions" to other, more unfriendly ones. However, the whole series seems to at least go by the Aesops of "hope and despair always balance out to zero" and "selfless intentions always have a degree of selfishness to them".
11* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: See [[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica here]].
12* AlternateSelfShipping: A recurring theme in fanart is showing interactions between Homura [[FromNobodyToNightmare pre-contract and post-contract,]] often adding Madoka into the mix.
13* AmericansHateTingle:
14** More than a few US fans don't like Sayaka for being too [[{{Wangst}} angsty]] and [[NotBadassEnoughForFans unheroic]]. This has notably declined over time as the latter has been resolved with more moments for Sayaka to shine, reducing the gap between western and Japanese fans in regards to Sayaka.
15** 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,]] likely due to differing cultural norms about greater social duty, individual importance, and a tendency to be more suspicious of the truth of his words. As a result many more Western fans see Kyubey as outright evil than the Japanese fans.
16** Part of the reason behind Kyosuke's hatedom in the West is because since the West is less inclined to view people with disabilities as burdens. Western viewers are more likely to think that he should get over himself and stop wallowing in self-pity over being unable to play the violin.
17* AngstAversion: Knowing that the show is going to be a tragedy series can easily put people off, and if you aren't a fan of those kinds of stories, you aren't going to like this series as much as its fans will.
18* ArchivePanic: Well, first there's the original anime, then we have the movie trilogy (the first two movies adapt the show, while ''Rebellion'' is a sequel) and the manga based on the anime. But then we have '''ten manga spinoffs''', two anthology series, a magazine, ten licensed games (plus an anime based on ''Magia Record'', one of the games), drama [=CDs=], and a light novel. Whew. Good luck trying to get through it all.
19* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: [[AwesomeMusic/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica Now has its own page!]]
20* BaseBreakingCharacter:
21** Opinion is split on Kyubey. He's either a [[spoiler:disgusting, irredeemably evil monster, or an [[CuteIsEvil adorable]], yet [[NightmareFuel nightmarish]], [[TheChessmaster Chessmaster]] [[WellIntentionedExtremist with admirable goals]]]]. Then there's a third camp that thinks he's a logic defying caricature of a villain that makes Dick Dastardly look sane, [[spoiler: considering his ultimate plan has the human race exterminated in order to fill his quota (quota implies that the demand needs to be regularly filled and his plan destroys his supply so next time he needs energy, he won't be able to gain it).]]
22** Madoka herself, for not accomplishing much for most of the series despite being the main character, although [[spoiler: Episode 10 and onwards justify the entire matter, and show that she ''was'' an active, asskicking protagonist in previous timelines before her death in the first timeline and the later revelations that her being a magical girl would end with her becoming the most powerful witch in the world that's capable of destroying the planet. However, she [[RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap redeemed]] herself to a portion of the fanbase for ending the magical girl-witch cycle, but the ending itself is an entirely different matter.]]
23** The characters involved in the Sayaka-Kyosuke-Hitomi LoveTriangle are controversial as people have different opinions on who was to blame for the tragic results. One camp thinks that the main fault lies with Hitomi, who, while not knowing Sayaka's situation, told her that she intended to confess to Kyousuke, which helped put Sayaka on her downward spiral. Another group blames Kyousuke, arguing he didn't care enough for Sayaka as a person (e.g. not telling her when he was released from the hospital), and bringing up WordOfGod that he'd miss dates to practice his violin (he does the same thing with Hitomi in ''Rebellion''), meaning Sayaka made all those sacrifices for someone who didn't deserve or [[UngratefulBastard appreciate it]]. Another group believes that it was mainly Sayaka's fault for going so far for Kyousuke and expecting him to return her feelings.
24** Sayaka herself has garnered divisive opinions. Depending on the fan, she's either a very well-done and sympathetic [[FallenHero tragic character]], or a whiner who felt [[EntitledToHaveYou unnecessarily entitled]] to Kyosuke's love.
25* BigLippedAlligatorMoment
26** In the movie remake, before Homura's backstory is told, we are treated to a random scene of her in a red fog-covered graveyard with Kyubey after [[spoiler:the deaths of Kyoko and Sayaka]], replacing the backdrop of her house in the scene where they discuss the consequences of [[spoiler:Kyoko's death]]. The scene after that involves her walking [[LeaveTheCameraRunning very slowly]] across a strange white clearing in a forest, before a very out-of-place and weird-looking hair flip. All of this is never foreshadowed, explained, nor is it brought up ever again.
27** After Homura's backstory is told in full in the second movie, we're treated to a reanimated opening of "Connect"... in the ''middle'' of the movie.
28** One of the intro cards has [[Film/MadMax2TheRoadWarrior Lord Humongous]] taking up half the picture for no apparent reason. Nothing remotely similar appears in the episode, or the series for that matter.
29* BrokenBase: See [[BrokenBase/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica here]].
30* CargoShip: Kyousuke's haters tend to ship him with his violin. Several of them even wanted him to marry it.
31* CrackPairing:
32** Mami/[[spoiler:Charlotte]] is a ''little'' too popular. Even Creator/UmeAoki seems to ship it! Mitigated by ''Rebellion'', which gives us [[spoiler:Nagisa Momoe]], [[spoiler:Charlotte's human form]].
33** There's also a small but significant fandom that pairs Mami with [[NoNameGiven the nameless]] OfficeLady she saves in Episode 2.
34** Mami/Kyoko used to be considered crack, because [[ShipsThatPassInTheNight they never met during the story proper]]. Then the 3rd drama CD revealed [[spoiler:Kyoko and Mami used to be very close friends before Kyoko's family died]]. Later, the manga ''[[Manga/PuellaMagiMadokaMagicaTheDifferentStory The Different Story]]'' expanded upon their relationship. Now they're one of the more popular pairings.
35** Mami/Homura, despite the fact that both girls have little in common. [[spoiler:Homura and Mami ''were'' on friendly terms... until Mami snapped and tried to kill Homura, followed by Homura's BreakTheCutie moment]].
36** Sayaka/Homura has been gaining steam despite these two having the most openly hostile relationship with each other and an inability for them to get along (much to Madoka's distress).
37%%** Mami/Kyubey.
38* DeathOfTheAuthor:
39** [[WordOfGod It has been stated]] that Shaft made the opening without input from Urobuchi or any of the other writers and that it carries no real meaning. Fans still believe that it does (for example, the [[CatsAreMagic black cat featured in the opening and the resulting witchery in-series]]). Given that WordOfGod has now explained the cat, this may be AscendedFanon.
40* DiagnosedByTheAudience: Alongside Homura's former heart condition, she shows a couple signs of being on the autism spectrum, such as her mostly unemotional face, monotone speech, and clumsiness before she made her contract. Her emotionless behavior could alternately be due to PTSD, since [[spoiler:she was much more openly emotional before she became a magical girl, and didn't become as emotionless until she went through numerous time loops where she failed to save Madoka and repeatedly watched her fellow magical girls die]].
41* DieForOurShip: [[spoiler:A portion of the fanbase now despises Hitomi for confessing to Kyosuke and, unbeknownst to her, breaking Sayaka mentally and emotionally which turned her into a witch and thus killing her and the person who {{Mercy Kill}}ed her]]. It's full of MoralMyopia because the major part of her haters insist on how [[spoiler:Hitomi's worth and goodness as a person relies solely on renouncing her own happiness, when Sayaka has the exact same flaw on her end -- in fact one of the lessons of her arc is that renouncing your own happiness ''leads to bad things'']].
42* DracoInLeatherPants:
43** Kyoko is a cynical, antisocial SocialDarwinist prone to AxCrazy moments and allows familiars to kill people so they can become witches that produce grief seeds. She mocks Sayaka's wish and goads her into fighting. [[spoiler:(She starts to show a softer side after learning the AwfulTruth and then trying to speak to Sayaka)]]... but the fandom adores her. This was from ''before'' her genuinely DarkAndTroubledPast was revealed.
44** Some of the actual ''witches''; it's understandable given TheReveal about witches [[spoiler: being fallen magical girls]], but the fans were {{Moe}}-ifying Charlotte long before any of that.
45** Hell, even [[spoiler:[[ManBehindTheMan Kyubey]]]] gets this: there are a good amount of fans who actually agree with [[spoiler:their [[WellIntentionedExtremist ends-justify-the-means mentality]]]] and see [[spoiler:[[AMillionIsAStatistic the sacrifice of human beings]]]] as [[spoiler:an [[ShootTheDog acceptable price to pay]] to save the universe from heat death]].
46* EnsembleDarkhorse:
47** Mami and Kyoko -- the two least important magical girls to the overall plot and with the least development, but the second- and third- most popular characters in many circles, behind the inevitable Homura. The latter even has a [[SelfDemonstrating/KyokoSakura self-demonstrating page]].
48** Out of all the witches, Charlotte has a respectable amount of fanart, despite appearing for all of two minutes. Even though she's an EldritchAbomination, many fans find her [[KillerRabbit adorable]]; having a face that wouldn't look out of place next to Franchise/HelloKitty helps with that. The biggest reason for her popularity is likely her status as [[spoiler:the KnightOfCerebus -- most of the artwork of her is with ''Mami'', albeit usually under a more benign setting]]. Also, with the revelation that [[spoiler:witches are corrupted magical girls]], there's now fanart popping up depicting what Charlotte might have looked like [[spoiler:as a human]]. All of this led to [[spoiler:Nagisa Momoe]] being introduced in ''Rebellion''.
49*** A close second is Elsa Maria, who is praised for having a unique ascetic of shadow puppetry to her fight and a terrifying death sequence which shows how far gone Sayaka is by this point.
50*** Patricia, the Class Representative witch is the most popular of the three witches who debuted in Homura's flashback and is among the most speculated of the series witches after the above two, mostly stemming from [[FridgeHorror the generally accepted horrific backstory her design hints at.]]
51** First Timeline/Original Madoka. She is brave, confident and so [[BadassAdorable badass]] that even when this is her first timeline and she hasn't gotten any power-up from Homura's time travelling, she is still powerful enough to defeat Walpurgisnacht, even when that costs her own life. It also helps that her introduction let people see that Madoka isn't just a so-called "weak" or "useless" girl.
52** A nameless, faceless classmate was the subject of an image macro, captioned "Poorfag is poor", because she was the only student who had no laptop. When the Blu-rays were released and the fans got a better look of "Poorfag", her popularity soared.
53** Another background character, a boy nicknamed "Failurefag", also became memetic, sitting behind Madoka while slumping in apparent frustration.
54** Yet another background character, a girl nicknamed "Tan Girl" or "Fake Sayaka"[[note]]偽さやか[[/note]], while not as memetic as the two above, has a fair share of popularity on ''Website/{{Pixiv}}'' due to [[http://www.pixiv.net/member_illust.php?mode=medium&illust_id=34891714 resembling Sayaka with a dark tan]].
55* EsotericHappyEnding: On the one hand, Madoka was able to stop magical girls from becoming witches. On the other hand, her solution is basically to make them disappear from the world forever. [[RetGone And she gets erased from existence to boot]]. The ending is still hopeful and optimistic, but it implies that the remaining magical girls won't last long in the new world, and [[TogetherInDeath Homura will only be reunited with Madoka in the afterlife.]]
56* EveryoneIsJesusInPurgatory: [[spoiler:Madoka sacrifices herself for humanity in the final episode and becomes a goddess. The episode first aired on Good Friday.]][[note]]This is because the final two episodes were delayed in release in respect of the tsunami that left some of Japan looking [[spoiler:rather like some of the endings of timelines in episode 10]]; that episode airing the same day.[[/note]]
57* EvilIsCool: Kyoko is portrayed as a minor antagonist at first and is also one of the more popular characters in the series, especially because of how badass she is in combat and due to the CharacterDevelopment she undergoes.
58* FandomHeresy:
59** While it wasn't as serious a fandom faux-paus in the earliest days of the fandom, nowadays, 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''.
60** [[HetIsEw Do not write any of the characters as straight]], except ''maybe'' Mami, if you don't want the fandom to skin you alive. The only character who can routinely be written as a happy and heterosexual couple in the entire franchise is Madoka's parents. Everyone else is either attracted to other girls or in denial that they are, and even then Madoka's mother tends to be written as bisexual.
61* FandomRivalry: A given considering the nature and tone of the series. Its fans not only quarrel with the fans of traditional MagicalGirl shows such as ''Anime/SailorMoon'' and ''Anime/PrettyCure'', but also the fandoms of fellow dark shows such as ''Anime/PrincessTutu'' and ''Anime/DayBreakIllusion''[[note]]and Sailor Moon itself can get pretty brutal, especially the original manga[[/note]]. The most contentious part is that Madoka led to a NewbieBoom of people who had never seen MagicalGirl stories before, and many of said newbies carry a fairly condescending attitude towards the genre despite many elements of Madoka being OlderThanTheyThink.
62* FanficFuel: The premise and setting gives a lot of fuel.
63** Magical girl [[OriginalCharacter OCs]] as Kyubey made contracts with a lot of girls before the main narrative.
64** [[spoiler:There's plenty of stories on the magical girl forms of the canon witches.]]
65** [[spoiler:Homura's constant timeline jumping also leaves people to wonder what she did in offscreen timelines.]]
66** [[spoiler:The finale provides fanfics with a post-Madoka world and how people deal with it, and the vague nature of the wraiths that replaced the witches. Some fans also ignore that Madoka's little brother Tatsuya [[WordOfGod eventually forgets about her]] in some fanfics.]]
67** It's popular to speculate about what Hitomi would be like as a magical girl, as the possibility never comes up in the series, and it also provides a good way to [[DieForOurShip kill her off so that Kyosuke and Sayaka can get together]] (or to prevent the triangle plot from interfering with Kyoko/Sayaka), or otherwise pair her up ''with'' Sayaka and outright boot Kyosuke offstage.
68** It's extremely popular for virtually any fandom to contain at least one or two crossover fanfics, which are often about the characters becoming magical girls/boys.
69* FauxSymbolism: [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial There is no way that]] Homura could be [[spoiler:Myth/{{Faust}}]], Madoka couldn't possibly be [[spoiler:Gretchen]], and Kyubey representing [[spoiler:Mephistopheles/Satan]]? Patently absurd. There are outright quotes, and symbols referencing [[spoiler:Faust]].
70* FountainOfMemes: Kyubey. Just type his name into Website/{{Google}} and see what comes up. If that isn't enough, he even has his own [[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/kyubey page]] on Website/KnowYourMeme.
71* FriendlyFandoms: Several of note given the series wide appeal:
72** ''Franchise/TouhouProject'', likely because of the combination of {{Moe}} designs and magical MoreDakka.
73** Other productions by Creator/StudioShaft.
74** Similarities with Homura and Kaworu have led to one with ''Anime/RebuildOfEvangelion''.
75*** With the entire works of ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' as well, so much that it would be regularly seen where both would be mentioned in discussions.
76** ''VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry'', likely for several reasons, such as [[{{Moe}} adorable]] character design combined with MoodWhiplash and NightmareFuel in many places. The parallel between [[spoiler:Rika/Frederica Bernkastel/Bernkastel]] and [[spoiler:Homura/Homulily/Devil Homura]] does not help.
77** Even with the FandomRivalry above, is also has FriendlyFandoms with other MagicalGirl series like ''Anime/PrettyCure'' and ''Franchise/SailorMoon.'' It helps that it actually introduced a lot fans to the genre.
78** Shockingly, ''Madoka'' fans are pretty amiable with fans of ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'', both series being {{Decon Recon Switch}}es of beloved genres, usage of the ClassicalAntiHero and DecoyProtagonist tropes, and the fact that Simon and Madoka share much more than a passing resemblance to one another.
79** Noticeably, the fans of ''Madoka Magica'' series are also rather amicable and cool with (if not vice versa) the fans of ''VisualNovel/SteinsGate'', given that the titular main characters of both series [[spoiler: (Homura and Okabe)]] have to endure the same kind of suffering and journey for their respective stories, namely [[spoiler: repeating and reliving the deaths of their best friends to find a way to save them.]]
80* GatewaySeries:
81** 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.
82** And for those who already ''were'' into anime (and some who weren't), it was a big driver of new attention to the J-horror scene.
83* GeniusBonus:
84** This show is crammed full of it, from the {{Shout Out}}s to obscure 19th century literature and musicians, mythological references, ''Myth/{{Faust}}'' quotes, and coded runic fonts. Sometimes you have to pause and zoom in on a tiny portion of a frame to find some of them.
85** Physicists will laugh when they realize that Kyubey is [[spoiler:Maxwell's Demon]].
86** The outside of Homura's house is reminiscent of a locale in the video game ''VideoGame/ShadowOfDestiny''. Some of the possible titles used before they settled on the final one were ''The Day and Night of Walpurgisnacht'', ''Days of Walpurgis'', and ''Time Adventure''. Sounds like a regular ShoutOut, no? The game is about a man who [[spoiler:travels back in time to prevent his death multiple times]], which it turns out is [[spoiler:very similar to what Homura is trying to do with Madoka]].
87** The witch Oktavia von Seckendorff [[spoiler:who was once Sayaka]]. Her name comes from Karl Siegmund von Seckendorff, who composed for "Der König in Thule", the poem that appears in Goethe's ''Faust'', as well as wrote a book called "Das Rad des Schicksals" (The Wheel of Fate). Oktavia fights by throwing wheels, and the word "Schicksal" appears in her labyrinth. Also, the Wheel of Fate (or Fortune) is a tarot card which symbolizes "possibilities, opportunities, new developments, sudden changes"; [[spoiler:a rather apt description of Sayaka's life after meeting Kyubey]].
88*** Those scores that float around her barrier while she fights Kyouko? They're actually a transcription of the main melody of Symposium Magarum, the song that her familiars play during the fight.
89** The [=DVDs=] add wind chimes to the foreground of a particular scene, one with a mermaid, one with a unicorn. The mermaid obviously represents Sayaka and the unicorn, Kyouko, but if you're familiar with unicorn myths, it's a deft bit of foreshadowing. [[spoiler:In the early middle-ages, unicorns were described as being impossible to capture alive, because they would climb up a cliff and then throw themselves off of it to land horn-first on their target, ensuring both their deaths]].
90* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff:
91** One of the only magical girl series that has a decent-sized fandom in America. On a character level, Homura is really well-received in the US (and for Higurashi fans).
92** Kyoko is the least-marketed magical girl in Japan (though she's still very popular there), but in America, she rivals Madoka in popularity, mostly due to her brash nature appealing to Western audiences. It helps that she's an expy to [[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion one of the most famous examples of this trope]].
93** In Japan, ''Anime/TigerAndBunny,'' a series that premiered around the same time, was more popular, as it [[http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2017-05-03/tiger-and-bunny-madoka-magica-love-live-top-nhk-best-100-ranking/.115640 outranked this series in NHK's Top 100 poll while this was ranked at number 3]]. However, in America, this series was more popular while ''Tiger And Bunny'' was a CultClassic at best.
94* {{Glurge}}: Some people think that episode 12's ending message falls under this, especially since Madoka becomes a [[MessianicArchetype Jesus figure]] and calls Homura "her very best friend" which feels like a slap in the face to Sayaka, Madoka's best friend since ''childhood''.
95* HarsherInHindsight: See [[HarsherInHindsight/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica here]].
96* HilariousInHindsight: See [[HilariousInHindsight/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica here]].
97* HypeBacklash:
98** Hearing all the hype about this series as a {{Deconstruction}} of magical girls can be annoying to people who have already watched series that have done that (particularly since a noticeable portion of Madoka's fanbase has SmallReferencePools regarding the genre). It turns even heater with the existent debate about whether ''Madoka'' is actually a deconstruction or rather an elaborated yet regular DarkerAndEdgier take on the genre.
99** This could be the case depending where you live in, as although succesful in both regions, the show is nowhere near as loved in Europe as is in US. Many people, especially the ones to which ''Madoka'' was not their GatewaySeries to anime nor their first {{Deconstruction}} series, believe that while the anime is good, it is definitely not as good as the sheer amount of fandom, reviews and promotion on the internet might lead to think, nor as deep or revolutionary as those reviews commonly advocate. It doesn't help that SHAFT capitalized on ''Madoka'''s uber-memetic status by launching spin-offs and merchandising nonstop, with the effect that the franchise was pretty much everywhere on the internet for many years yet at the same time it did not get actually developed beyond the 12 episode series - at least until the movies, which brought their own controversy to the table.
100** It also has to be noted the overhype caused by distribution companies when the anime was licensed in countries like Spain and France, where the series came out well after its jump to fame in internet and thus it didn't have the same impact anymore. With the exception of the spin-off mangas, which were generally well received, the licensed anime was underlooked by many people because it was being promoted as the next big thing when most of the ''Madoka'' craze had faded ''years ago''.
101* ItWasHisSled:
102** 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]]". It went to the point where trailers of its later works stop hiding the show's macabre nature or Gen urobuchi's name at all. Google's suggestion feature makes it even more obvious, as if you type in "Depressing anime" or "Horror anime", Madoka comes up.
103** Even people who haven't watched the show at all know that [[spoiler:Charlotte [[DroppedABridgeOnHim decapitates]] Mami]], due to it being the moment when the series drops the facade and a big meme.
104** Likewise, most people who've heard of the series are aware that witches are [[spoiler:former magical girls]], a twist that is revealed two thirds of the way through the series.
105** 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]].
106* JerkassWoobie:
107** Kyoko. [[spoiler:Her father founded a new church, but the general public dismissed his teachings as heretical, so Kyoko used her wish to brainwash the congregation into believing in her father's religion. After he found out about this, he [[GoneMadFromTheRevelation became crazy]] [[PaterFamilicide and killed the whole family]]. Probably the only reason Kyoko survived was because she was a lich by that time.]] Yep, she had to live through a lot of crap in her life... but it still doesn't justify how much of an ass she was at the beginning and neither does it excuse how she's used to bash Madoka.
108** Sayaka is also a hopeless girl who becomes a magical girl out of eagerness for Kyosuke's love. Though despite the fact that the aforementioned decision ends up being her own fault, at the end of the day, she's just a teenage girl who didn't deserve everything that happens to her.
109** Homura mixes this with StoicWoobie, as her cold attitude is a coping mechanism for all the tragedy she's gone through. By the end, though, she's just a full-on IronWoobie.
110* JerksAreWorseThanVillains: The mass-murdering Witches have their own supporters and redeeming qualities, especially after [[spoiler:what [[Recap/PuellaMagiMadokaMagicaEpisode09IdNeverAllowThatToHappen episode nine]] reveals]], and even the cruel, calculating ManipulativeBastard [[spoiler:Kyubey]] is generally enjoyed by the fandom for being so despicable, while also getting a few defenders as well. On the other hand, there are a few characters who do far less yet get far more straight-up hatred:
111** Hitomi and Kyousuke, Sayaka's friends, frequently get bashed in the fandom for, respectively, [[spoiler:giving Sayaka 24 hours to confess her love to Kyousuke and then becoming his girlfriend herself when she fails to do so, and for not returning Sayaka's love and freaking out when she becomes a hideous creature in the PSP game]], all things that have fairly reasonable explanations, because those actions finally drove Sayaka to [[spoiler:become a Witch and subsequently die]], even though [[LockedOutOfTheLoop neither of them could have possibly known]] that [[AudienceAwarenessAdvantage this would happen]].
112** Also hated are the StrawMisogynist duo on the train in [[Recap/PuellaMagiMadokaMagicaEpisode08IWasStupidSoStupid episode eight]] who do nothing to the story but talk politically-incorrect smack about their girlfriends and 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]].
113* LauncherOfAThousandShips: Madoka/Mami, Madoka/Homura, Madoka/Sayaka, Madoka/Kyoko, Madoka/Madoka, Madoka/[[spoiler:Ultimate Madoka]]. [[HilariousInHindsight It's slightly hilarious]] that the trope namer is ''Theatre/DoctorFaustus''.
114** Mami ended up being one too, thanks to her lack of a defining relationship in the series and to the fact that some people dislike her [[NoYay being paired with Nagisa]]. There's a contingent of people that pairs her up with Kyoko thanks to Manga/PuellaMagiMadokaMagicaTheDifferentStory, another that pairs her with Madoka thanks to their dialogues in the series, and some smaller groups that pair her with Sayaka and even Homura. She's even paired with people outside the franchise. At some points it gets... [[http://knowyourmeme.com/photos/694229-adolf-hitler bizarre]].
115* LesYay: [[HoYay/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica Has its own page]].
116* LGBTFanbase: While ''Madoka Magica'' is popular with [[YuriFan yuri fans]] of all genders and sexualities, it seems to have picked up an unusually large fandom of lesbian and bi/pansexual women. This may be because the relationships between the heroines are treated seriously, with LesYay used for drama and plot advancement much more than it's used as {{fanservice}}.
117* LoveToHate:
118** Kyubey. Most of the fans would love to see him die horribly, yet he's also a FountainOfMemes and the source of much humor and entertainment in the fandom.
119** In a somewhat lesser extent: Kyousuke, given that he ignores Sayaka and [[spoiler:even called her a monster in the PSP game]].
120* MemeticBadass:
121** Homura is a CrazyPrepared badass [[HyperspaceArsenal packing heat]] who can still find time to [[CharacterTic flip her hair]] while she kicks witch ass.
122** Junko Kaname is a [[MemeticBadass Memetic]] BadassNormal. She's among the few characters (from all media) the fandom assumes can take on Homura on even footing in fanart.
123* MemeticLoser:
124** Mami Tomoe herself served as a ButtMonkey for [[spoiler:head rolling-themed]] jokes.
125** Homura, friendzoned by a [[spoiler:god]] after 12 Episodes, 1 movie, several spin-off manga and games, and in countless timelines.
126** Hitomi, of a sort. After [[MistakenForLesbian mistaking Madoka and Sayaka for becoming a couple]] and vehemently declaring that "girls can't love girls", her statement came off as ''[[ArmouredClosetGay too]]'' strong and it became common to depict Hitomi as a closeted yuri fan.
127* MemeticMolester: Homura's dedication to Madoka is often exaggerated by the fandom, to the point of portraying her as a perverted stalker whose life revolves around lusting after Madoka. A lot of humorous fanart goes so far as to have Homura steal Madoka's panties and wear them on her head.
128* MemeticMutation: Has its [[Memes/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica own page]].
129* MemeticPsychopath: Homura is often portrayed as a [[MurderIsTheBestSolution trigger-happy]] stalker and paranoiac whose [[TraumaButton trigger]] is anything related to Kyubey.
130* MemeticTroll: Kyubey lends himself quite handily to fanon portrayals as a troll, given his manipulative and duplicitous nature in the series proper.
131* MisaimedFandom:
132** At one point during the show's airing, Yuki Kajiura tweeted that her mother had decided that the dark, dread-inducing ending song "Magia" was a good workout song.
133** Despite the fact that the entire latter half of the anime was supposed to showcase how awful being a MagicalGirl can be, there are still quite a few people who walk away from the series thinking it would be the [[DoNotDoThisCoolThing coolest thing in the world]] and wanting nothing more than to make a contract with Kyubey.
134** Sayaka Miki was supposed to deconstruct or at very least criticize tropes like LoveMartyr, UnrequitedTragicMaiden, and PatientChildhoodLoveInterest, as well as the unrealistic concepts of love and romance they rely on. ''Even at the start of the series'', when she implies that she wants to be a Magical Girl and use her wish to heal her crush, Kyosuke, [[ArmorPiercingQuestion Mami immediately points out the self-interest behind such an intention]]. Fandom, however, embraced Sayaka as a straight-up example of the tropes she was created to "attack", and still believe Sayaka is {{entitled to have|you}} his affection [[spoiler:and that he and Hitomi is the ONLY reason for her FaceHeelTurn]].
135*** On the flip side of things, much of Sayaka's hatedom outright portrays her as completely selfish and unreasonable, while her wish to heal Kyosuke had selfish elements, a key element of Sayaka is the fact that her desire to protect others and fight for justice is beyond genuine and that's what partially ends up causing her downfall, unlike Kyoko or Homura she's very naive and wide-eyed to the world around her and before snapping she's shown as a genuinely decent person who cares about her friends, yet it doesn't stop the inaccurate portrayal of her just being a mean spirited brat and her belief in justice a complete facade. This reaches the point where some completely blame her for [[spoiler: turning into a witch]] while ignoring that she was a victim of Kyubey, just like the rest of the magic girls.
136* MisaimedMarketing:
137** [[http://twitpic.com/5xd3fe This]] wishboard to be put up at [[FanConvention Otakon 2011]], where convention-goers can write their wishes down on pieces of paper mounted on the board. Maybe not quite ''marketing'' per se, but a strange promotion in context nonetheless - whoever was behind displaying it either hasn't watched the show, or they'd know [[FateWorseThanDeath what making a contract with Kyubey entails]], or it's some ''very'' BlackComedy.
138** Then there's [[http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2011-09-24/madoka-magica-kyoko-featured-on-guide-dog-poster this poster]] to raise awareness of training guide dogs featuring Kyoko Sakura. Even putting aside that they used a character that has absolutely nothing to do with service dogs ([[TheCape Sayaka]] would've been a better choice), the poster is to be displayed in elementary and middle schools. While it's a for a good cause, they probably be shouldn't be tying it into a series that is not kid-friendly.
139** They have ''Madoka Magica'' inner tubes. Including one shaped like Charlotte's mouth. Even if it didn't have the Charlotte one, it would still be strange because why would Madoka's target audience need an inner tube?
140** [=MasterCard=] Japan released a ''Madoka'' [[http://forums.animesuki.com/showpost.php?p=4284389&postcount=3393 credit card]]. Think about the ''Myth/{{Faust}}'' references in this show, and then [[CorruptCorporateExecutive the reputations]] [[FaustianBargain that big banks and credit card corporations]] have developed, especially since the 2008 sub-prime meltdown. This is also weapons-grade irony, folks.
141** And then there's the tag line on the box of Nendoroid Miki Sayaka, which also happens to be [[spoiler:her last words before [[AndThenJohnWasAZombie turning into a witch]]]].
142-->"I'm such an idiot."
143** There are also Soul Gem bath bombs. They come in a random assortment like capsule toys. [[spoiler:When a Soul Gem breaks, a magical girl dies. Nice work killing dozens of girls for the sake of the pins inside, YouBastard]].
144* {{Moe}}:
145** The promo materials made it look like the "adorable {{magical girl}}s have cutesy, sugary, light-hearted adventures together" type of {{moe}}, but it turned out to be the "adorable {{magical girl}}s have [[BreakTheCutie terrible things happen to them]], cry a lot, and desperately need a hug" type of {{moe}}.
146** Two characters have won Saimoe Tournaments on separate occasions: Mami won in 2011 while Madoka won in 2013.
147* MoralEventHorizon: See [[MoralEventHorizon/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica here]].
148* {{Narm}}:
149** Considering that Kyubey's "charm" is his PerpetualSmiler traits, his [[https://i.redd.it/s24b8equ2vn31.jpg "Nightmare Face"]] from the manga (which he pulls when [[spoiler:Homura calls him "Incubator"]]) ''could'' come off as more overblown than truly scary, complete with BlackEyesOfEvil. [[https://wiki.puella-magi.net/File:Guidebook_Comic_04_TL.jpg Kyubey's voice actor was unimpressed]].
150** Charlotte's OneWingedAngel is a large worm that appears to be made out of candy and looks as though it has the face of a clown. It's something of the equivalent of [[Anime/CodeGeass Lelouch's pink sword]] in dramatic effect after it [[spoiler:[[NightmareFuel devours Mami]]]].
151** [[spoiler:Homura breaking down and crying in the last episode as Madoka is about to fade away. The last few times [[TheStoic Homura]] cried during the series, it was [[TearJerker genuinely heartbreaking]], and a real indicator of just how pear-shaped things had gotten. The last one, however, came out as a kind of [="Eeee...EEEEHUEEEEEEeeeeEEEEeeeeEEEE".=] It was...well, just a touch goofy]].
152** The movie version of [[spoiler:Mami's death scene]] will probably be narmy if you speak German, because the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j38ZeqBJzA background music]] is [[OminousLatinChanting Ominous German Chanting]] that translates to [[TrademarkFavoriteFood "Cheese! Cheese! Where is the cheese?"]] (Bonus points for it being ''literally'' cheesy). It doesn't help that the song lyrics also contain a slight translation error (the song should be "Wo ist ''der'' Käse" instead of "Wo ist ''die'' Käse").
153** The dub's usage of (slightly outdated) teen speak in serious conversations can easily trip up the drama and make it sound like the characters are joking. One example is in Episode 6, when Sayaka bluntly tells Madoka that there is no chance of her getting along with Kyoko (whom Sayaka had fought in the previous episode).
154-->'''Sayaka:''' That was a serious battle to the death ''for realz''.
155** The Spanish dub and manga translations get hit by this due to Mami's name, which is both written and pronounced exactly the same as "Mommy". This makes some sentences sound unintentionally funny, and can get a bit in the way of some emotional scenes. Specially considering that, in Spain, "Mommy" is not used very often (It's way more common to say "Mamá", or "Mom"), and when it is, it's usually only said by children ''under 7 years old''.
156* NarmCharm:
157** In episode 12, when [[spoiler:Madoka makes her wish and [[OutGambitted out gambits]] him]], the camera zooms to Kyubey [[http://i52.tinypic.com/33e7ytg.png making His Most Epic Face EVER]]. Unlike other cases, it ''works''.
158** In episode 10, during the scene where [[spoiler:Madoka asks Homura to MercyKill her]], Homura does a quick transformation... making a cutesy "Poing!" noise in the process. Only the fact that this is by far the most [[TearJerker heart-wrenching]] scene in the whole series keeps it from being regular old Narm.
159* NauseaFuel:
160** [[spoiler:A regenerated Kyubey eats the corpse of his body, which Homura had just killed]].
161** The manga version of [[spoiler:Mami's death]] is ''far'' worse and more graphic.
162* NeverLiveItDown:
163** If all the fanart and official merchandise showing them together is any indication, Charlotte will be remembered for one thing and one thing only -- [[spoiler:killing Mami]], and, to a slightly lesser extent, From all of her [[spoiler:deaths in Episode 10 and the end of The Different Story and her transformation to a Witch in the game]], Mami will be remembered '''only''' for [[spoiler:being killed by Charlotte]].
164** Thanks to [[Memes/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica a few memetic lines]], Hitomi Shizuki is considered the patron saint of [[HeteronormativeCrusader anti-yuri]]. Tell us, Hitomi, can girls love girls?
165* OlderThanTheyThink:
166** This is an anime that starts out as a lighthearted magical girl series, featuring a sweet main girl with two hair ribbons and associated to the color pink, her boastful best friend with free short hair and associated to the color blue, a more experienced magical girl with curly blond hair associated to yellow, a long-haired tomboy with an aggressive attitude associated to red or orange, and finally a quiet, gloomy magical girl with her own story who bonds with the first one (specifically for BecauseYouWereNiceToMe reasons). Endowed with powers related to femininity, all of them are forced to fight enemies that are older women whose own powers are twisted forms of the same elements, all of which turns sour when they find out the entity that gave the girls their powers is actually darker than he looks. It may look like we're talking about ''Madoka'', but not the case: it is actually ''Anime/CyberTeamInAkihabara'', a CyberPunk magical girl anime from TheNineties.
167** Most anime fans tend to think that this was the one responsible for the whole "grimdark magical girl" trend, with other similar series such as ''Literature/MagicalGirlRaisingProject'' and ''Manga/MagicalGirlSite''. But before that, there have been other dark and serious magical girl series, such as the mentioned ''Cyber Team in Akihabara'', ''Anime/RevolutionaryGirlUtena'', ''Anime/ShamanicPrincess'', ''Anime/MajokkoMegChan'', ''Anime/PrincessTutu'', and ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha''.
168** This isn't the first magical girl series where the MentorMascot [[spoiler:turns out not to be trustworthy and has ulterior motives for helping out the protagonist]]. In ''Manga/PhantomThiefJeanne'', which predates ''Madoka'' by about 13 years, [[spoiler:Maron/Jeanne's own MentorMascot, Finn Fish, turns out to be a FallenAngel and TheMole for the Devil himself]].
169* OnceOriginalNowCommon: It is not uncommon for the show to seem tame compared to later MagicalGirlGenreDeconstruction stories, as the deaths are few and {{bloodless|Carnage}} while the story maintains an optimistic tone by the end despite the horrible things that the girls go through. But at the time when it first came out, the idea of a magical girl show that put on a front of cuteness only to take on dark topics and examine the grim implications of the genre was nearly unheard of; main heroines actually dying and/or going insane, [[MonsterOfTheWeek villains of the week]] being actually scary and legitimate threats, and grayer, more complex morality were all genuinely surprising to see in a magical girl show to audiences used to the first ''Manga/SailorMoon'' anime, ''Manga/CardcaptorSakura'', the ''Anime/PrettyCure'' series, and similar fare. But ever since then, stories like ''Manga/MagicalGirlSite'' have pushed the bar so much and featured such dark and cynical storylines full of gore and dark topics that ''Madoka'' has somewhat lost its original punch, not helped by [[ItWasHisSled everyone going into the series fully expecting it to get dark]] (which was something the original marketing did its best to hide).
170* OneSceneWonder: Charlotte's popularity is inversely proportional to her screentime.
171* PeripheryDemographic: Despite being aimed at [[{{seinen}} older males,]] the show has gained a large female fanbase due to it being a MagicalGirl series. A lot of teenagers watch the show, too. As a result, the series is an extremely popular {{cosplay}} subject; due to the ImprobablyFemaleCast, most of the series' cosplayers are female (with [[Rule63 rare]] [[WholesomeCrossdresser exceptions]]), and some of them are even in the same age range as Madoka and her compatriots.
172* ParanoiaFuel: Witches are everywhere and they are responsible for suicides. What's worse, they are invisible to normal humans until you wander into their lair, wherein you will be killed in a horrific way. That friend of yours online that just killed herself? Could have been because of a witch. Wanna take that shortcut through the alleyway? Could walk in right into a witches' lair. You are never safe.
173* QuestionableCasting: While the Spanish dub of the series was generally well received, with critics noting that Creator/CarmenAmbros did an awesome job as Madoka and that Inmaculada Villalonga made it look like Creator/EmiriKatou had magically learned to speak Spanish like a native, Creator/AriadnaJimenez's Homura was widely criticized. People pointed out not only that Jiménez was heavily miscast from the start (she usually plays children and hyper characters, not aloof Byronian heroines), but also that her acting made Homura sound as if she had laringitis. Some came to the extent to suggest that she and Creator/CarmenCalvell (who voiced Sayaka) should have switched roles, given that Calvell has a long tradition of playing worldly female characters and would have probably nailed Homura.
174
175* ReplacementScrappy: As any fic writer will tell you, compared to [[spoiler:the witches]], [[spoiler:the wraiths]] are just kind of bland. Before the release of the movie ''Rebellion'', it was expected that [[spoiler:the wraiths would get more attention and exposition]] on in the movie, due to a lack of such from the end of anime; however, they do not make a ''single'' appearance in the movie, aside from mere mentions. Because of this, some have come to view [[spoiler:wraiths as a pointless, filler enemy]] that really just ends up being ''there'', because ''something'' had to take over the witches after [[spoiler:they all were erased at the end of the anime]].
176* RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap:
177** Madoka enters the show as [[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion Shinji Ikari]]. She comes out as [[MessianicArchetype Jesus]]. Eventually we learn the truth about magical girls and the reason why Homura actively keeps Madoka from becoming a magical girl: [[spoiler:it's a DealWithTheDevil that involves transforming into a lich [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor for a single wish that you are very likely to screw up]]. Madoka became savvy enough in one of the timelines to make Homura promise to keep her from becoming a magical girl]].
178** Sayaka. In an [[Website/FourChan /a/]] poll she was the least popular of the five main characters [[http://images.puella-magi.net/c/ce/Ep10_popularity_chart.gif?20110314214410 as of episode 10]], but the hatred for her seems to have cooled since the show ended. This is likely due to her [[spoiler:accepting her fate as a magical girl]] in the last episode.
179* RonTheDeathEater:
180** 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. In addition, these fans tend to ignore [[spoiler: Mami's]] repeated warnings about being cautious about their wish and instead focus only on how [[spoiler: desperate Mami is to have other magical girls in her life]], depicting her as completely unaware of the dangers and selfishly putting her own needs before others, despite the fact she was quite clear on the dangers. The only thing that made her different from [[spoiler: Homura]] was that she didn't know just ''how'' dangerous the life was, T didn't know about the [[spoiler: origin of witches and, presumably, the literal nature of Soul Gems]], or that [[spoiler: Kyubey]] was not a friend, factors that if she had known, [[spoiler: Mami would have told Madoka and Sayaka about given how willing to remind them on the danger of being a magical girl and the dangers of a poor wish she was.]]
181** 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.
182** Sayaka's parents, who only appear enough to confirm they are in fact alive and have no characterization, tend to be seen as, at the best, too busy to properly care for Sayaka but meaning well, and at worst tend to be written as the 'bad parents' among the cast.
183* TheScrappy:
184** Hitomi gets a ''lot'' of flak from the fanbase because she told Sayaka that she has 24 hours to tell Kyosuke her feelings (LockedOutOfTheLoop about why this wouldn't work for Sayaka aside, this is far too little time for such a decision), or else she will confess, or simply [[DieForOurShip they think Sayaka would be better with him]]. Meanwhile, the video game demonstrates what would happen if Sayaka took her advice (namely, Hitomi slapping her), heavily implying that Hitomi wasn't actually sincere about her offer and just wanted to intimidate Sayaka out of making a confession. Also doesn't help in ''Rebellion'', when fans feel she complains about trivial things (like her boyfriend not paying attention to her in favour of studying) when the rest of the cast are embroiled in life or death struggles.
185** You'd be very hard-pressed to find a fan who ''likes'' Kyosuke. At best, fans are neutral towards him. At worst, people loathe him for being a male in a show full of yuri subtext and being an [[DieForOurShip "obstacle"]] to Kyoko/Sayaka, not telling Sayaka that he got out of the hospital, or being a "dense idiot" who committed the "crime" of being ObliviousToLove and didn't deserve Sayaka ''or'' [[spoiler:Hitomi's]] love. Fans gained more reason to hate him when he reacts [[FreakOut poorly]] to [[spoiler:[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-na_Bzmvk4 Sayaka's appearance]] in a BadEnding of the PSP game]]. And because of this, many of the fans wanted him to '''''painfully die''''' from a possible KarmicDeath.
186* SelfFanservice:
187** Mami is a frequent one because of her...well, assets.
188** Likewise, Sayaka is also drawn with a slightly enlarged chest, but not in Mami's levels.
189* SignatureScene: [[spoiler:Mami's head getting chewed off by Charlotte.]] It truly marks the shift in tone from other MagicalGirlWarrior shows, and on a more crass note, has [[MemeticLoser become the main thing]] [[spoiler:Mami]] is remembered for.
190* SlidingScaleOfSocialSatisfaction:
191** Categorized as "Knowledge is forbidden". The Incubator's system only works because they purposefully refrain from giving key information to the magical girls. For example, [[spoiler: that their Soul Gems can become tainted not only by using magic but also feeling negative emotions. And when it's totally black, they don't die, they turn into the very witches they fight.]]
192** Gets upgraded to "Revolution is the Key" at the end of the anime and even more in TheMovie: ''[[Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagicaTheMovieRebellion Rebellion]]''. Thanks to [[spoiler: Homura]]'s shenanigans, [[spoiler: Madoka]] gets powerful enough to become the Law of Cycles and rewrite the universe to [[spoiler: save magical girls from their bleak fate.]] She rebels against the Incubators by making a wish that backfires on them. Then, in ''Rebellion'', [[spoiler: Homura]] takes it to the next level, rewriting the universe again so the Incubators have to suffer the pain they've inflicted upon magical girls.
193* SuperCouple: Madoka and Homura. Just ''look'' at the amount of fanart and fanworks...
194* SuspiciouslySimilarSong: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcgEHrwdSO4 Decretum]] can easily be seen as a DarkReprise of ''Greensleeves''. There is in fact a version that [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x17Vn6EzkWE combines the two]], which requires some knowledge about both melody lines to distinguish the two.
195* TearDryer: In the penultimate episode, Homura is reduced to tears over her inability to defeat [[TheJuggernaut Walpurgisnacht]] and save Madoka. She sobs and confesses to Madoka that she failed to save her and all her attempts have only made everything worse. This happens just before Madoka ascends to godhood and becomes the literal concept of hope, granting everyone a happy ending.
196* TheyChangedItNowItSucks:
197** Some of the [[EnhancedOnDVD DVD edits]] haven't been well-received.
198*** All soul gems have been changed from hand-drawn to [[TwoDVisualsThreeDEffects CGI]]. While this fixes [[NotDrawnToScale the scaling problems]] the soul gems had all over the place in the first few episodes, it's... conspicuous.
199*** Mami's soul gem now has little flowers fluttering around it. These flowers also appear during her transformation and general use of her powers. It's both Narmy and unusual considering no one else's soul gems do anything similar.
200*** Mami's apartment has been changed from having the most basic pieces of furniture and a blank hardwood floor to being decked out with pastel upholstery and stuffed animals everywhere. Detractors argue that the minimalistic version did a good job of highlighting Mami's [[BrokenBird depression]] due to complete lack of friends and family.
201*** Among various architectural edits to the town, the school rooftop's chainlink fence was replaced with a very ornate white one. There would be no problem if they had re-drawn Sayaka's hand as she clutches the fence; the orientation of her fingers makes no sense with the new fence.
202*** The Sayaka/Kyoko fight gets better shading, but in every other aspect the new artwork is worse.
203** Some of the changes in the movies are not well received, such the removal of certain scenes and changing of music (for example, "Nux Walpurgis" in Eternal Story being changed to a second playing of "Surgam Identidem", possibly diminishing the emotional impact of the scene). Some of the arguments are rather ridiculous, though; apparently the focus of a broken pipe in an alley dripping water is much more important to the series than Mami's backstory.
204* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot:
205** Given the confirmation that Homura went through ''nearly 100 loops'', there are those who felt that more than four previous timelines should have been shown.
206** The Witch system is incredibly intricate and thought out, with [[AllThereInTheManual supplemental information]] detailing all kinds of information about how Grief Seeds and Familiars can generate additional Witches under certain conditions. Even the Witches themselves each have unique personality traits. This never comes up in the series at all, which instead focuses on the interactions of the magical girls themselves; after a couple episodes, the Witches start fading into the background, with some battles being done entirely in montage.
207* TooCoolToLive:
208** [[spoiler:Poor Mami. She's a CoolBigSis and LadyOfWar who can summon a sky full of muskets. She dies in the third episode]].
209** Just as she [[spoiler:starts to get over her {{Jerkass}} tendencies]], [[spoiler:Kyoko]] dies.
210* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic:
211** Even people that don't hate Kyosuke usually don't think he comes off as sympathetic since a decent chunk of his screen time consists of him being a {{Jerkass}} toward Sayaka out of frustration over his injury. Realistic, yes, but people usually don't sympathize with somebody they don't see being remotely likable. Another common criticism is he could have at least told Sayaka he was leaving the hospital.
212** Hitomi, due to her actions [[spoiler:unintentionally leading to Sayaka's demise]] and not really living up to the "best friend" title Madoka and Sayaka supposedly claim she is.
213* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForLittleGirls:
214** Hey, look at this show where the cast are all cute little girls who wear cute dresses and can do magic -- [[spoiler:did that girl's head just get ''eaten'' by that clown-caterpillar creature]]?! It gets worse from there.
215** It should be noted that even the official Creator/{{Netflix}} description for the anime hides its dark nature, merely calling a "new story of magical witch girls".
216* TheWoobie: ''Everyone'' in the whole series (aside from Kyubey) makes the viewers want to give them a big hug and tell them that all will end well.
217** Special mention goes to Homura for being an '''IronWoobie'''. There's a reason her FanNickname is [[spoiler:[[VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry Homurika]]]], you know.
218** Sayaka due to [[spoiler:her heartbreaking breakdown, but also because WordOfGod has declared that she [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption can't be saved]] in any timeline. Poor girl]].
219** Kyoko's backstory implies she's an IronWoobie herself. It's impressive [[spoiler:she didn't immediately turn into a witch after her family was murdered by her freaking out father]].
220** [[spoiler:The witches themselves count as a WoobieSpecies because they're fallen magical girls]].
221* {{Woolseyism}}:
222** At the end of the series, in the original Japanese [[spoiler:the new monsters that replace witches are called "''majuu''", which literally means "magical beast"]]. The fansubs for the anime simply translated the world as [[spoiler:"demon"]], but the official subtitles use [[spoiler:"wraith"]] instead. Not only does the latter better fit their appearance, it also preserves an additional meaning in the original Japanese: the word [[spoiler:"''majuu''"]] is very similar to [[spoiler:"''majo''"]], the Japanese word for [[spoiler:witch]], reflecting the idea that the former are a replacement for the latter. In English [[spoiler:"wraith"]] and [[spoiler:"witch"]] also possess some of this similarity; they both [[spoiler:start with "w", end in "h", and have an "it" in the middle]].
223** In the English dub, "Girls can't love girls!"

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