Considering that the soundtrack is done by Yuki Kajiura, Awesome Music is a foregone conclusion.
Examples of Awesome Music for the third movie, Rebellion, go on its YMMV page, under the appropriate Awesome Music bullet.
Magia Record has its own page.
Awesome Music pages are Spoilers Off. Youhave Been Warned.
Examples from the anime
- "Magia"
("Magic"), performed by Kalafina. It functions both as Autobots, Rock Out! and the Ending Theme.- The Slow Version of "Magia" is simply magnificent. Bonus points for being a happy SHAFT accident: along with many animation errors, all the BGM used for the TV airing of Episode 1 somehow ended up being played at 92% speed and pitch. This ended up giving "Magia" a darker, more epic tone to it. The fixed release is sometimes seen as a downgrade.
- In the "Hikaru Furu" single, we get a string-filled remix of "Magia" called "Magia (Quattro)", and it is amazing.
- Amanda Lee's epic English cover of the same song.
- The Slow Version
- "Connect", the Opening Theme, performed by ClariS. Definitely counts for being creatively used by the series, since It Makes Sense in Context by Episode 10.
- Also the instrumental version/techno remix from Kyoko's DDR game.
- DDR X3 VS 2ndMIX defictionalizes this, though it uses the cover version of the song.
- Also the instrumental version/techno remix
- "Salve, terrae magicae" ("Welcome to the World of Magic") is the song that is played during next episode previews.
- "Credens justitiam" ("Believe in Justice"), Mami's theme, is just pure awesome and eminent victory music. And the NicoNico version, arguably the more well-known theme of the two. Who thought gibberish could sound so majestic?
- "Sis puella magica!" ("You Should be a Magical Girl!"), the theme of Kyubey and the Puella Magi, is wonderfully haunting and emotional.
- "Desiderium" ("Desire"), played during Madoka's mundane, happy scenes. If you listen carefully, a tiny part of it resembles "Sis Puella Magica!".
- "Scaena felix" ("A Happy Scene"), another song played during happy scenes.
- "Postmeridie" ("In the Afternoon"), played during school scenes.
- "Symposium magarum" ("Symposium of Witches"), the theme of the witch Oktavia von Seckendorff. Very dark and dramatic, and captures quite well the tragedy of Sayaka Miki.
- "Conturbatio" ("Disorder") is played when Sayaka is considering becoming a magical girl and when Mami reveals what she wished for. "Decretum" ("Decision"), Sayaka's Dark Reprise, is just as tragic-sounding. It is frequently lauded as one of the best songs off the Madoka Magica soundtrack.
- "Signum malum" ("Bad Sign") is the melancholic track that plays during the ending of the third timeline in Episode 10. If you listen closely, it sounds like a Dark Reprise version of "Sis Puella Magica!"
- "Venari strigas" ("Witch Hunt") plays during the hunt of Charlotte in Episode 3. Its dark tone is rather appropriate considering what happens...
- "Sagitta luminis" ("Arrow of Light"), Madoka's theme, and quite possibly the most beautiful song in the entirety of the series playing when Madoka becomes a god from Kyubey's wish in the final episode, and the culmination of everything that happened in the show. Like Madoka, it is the embodiment of hope, the sound of heaven.
- "Cubiculum album" ("White Room") is the beautiful song that plays in Episode 12, after Madoka makes her witch, during the scene where Homura awakens to see Madoka's witch descending on Earth, and Madoka destroying her.
- "Taenia memoriae" ("The Ribbon of Memories") is a sweeping and touching piano track, that plays when Homura meets Madoka's family on the river bank in Episode 12.
- "Surgam identidem" ("I Shall Always Rise"), Walpurgisnacht's theme and a Dark(er) Reprise of "Venari Strigas", and definitely one of the most epic songs of the entire show. The fact that it was played during a Moment of Awesome only makes it even more memorable.
- "Nux Walpurgis" ("Walpurga's Walnut"), another of Walpurgisnacht's themes, played when Homura hits her lowest point of despair. It is also rather well-known for its weird title, which is one letter away from "Nox Walpurgis" (Walpurgisnacht), and was generally considered a typo until the release of Rebellion, which depicted Homura's witch, Homulilly, as the "Nutcracker Witch", complete with lots of broken jaw, teeth, and nut symbolism. This led to much speculation that the song "Nux Walpurgis" was named such because, in the end, Walpurgisnacht was the one nut that Homura just couldn't crack, no matter how many times she tried.
- "Numquam vincar" ("I Will Never Be Defeated") is an epic, rocking theme that only got used once in the anime proper. Granted, that one time happened to be in Episode 10, when Homura abandoned her glasses and braids — which she saw as symbols of her weaknesses — and decided she would never rely on others ever again. It fits, given the name of the song.
- "Puella in somnio" ("The Girl in the Dream"), dark and mysterious, but with an unmistakable deep sadness. Incredibly fitting as Homura's theme song.
- "Inevitabilis" ("Inevitable"), Homura's other theme, and a sad reprise version of "Puella in Somnio".
- "Anima mala" ("Evil Soul"), Kyouko's theme. The slow, dark and foreboding violins fit her savage nature, and give us hints of what she's gone through in her past.
- "Incertus" ("Uncertainty") is a mysterious, melancholic-toned song that perfectly captures Madoka's grief throughout the series.
- "Serena ira" ("Peaceful Wrath"), a very dark and melancholic cello piece fitting for Sayaka's funeral.
- "Confessio" ("Confession"), the peaceful music that plays in the scene after the above, when Madoka's mother and teacher are having their conversation, and more importantly, it also plays while Kyoko is telling what her wish was.
- "Pugna infinita" ("Endless Fight"), the haunting and foreboding theme that plays during Episode 6's Wham Line.
- "Pugna cum maga" ("Battle with a Witch") and "Agmen clientum" ("Army of Clients"), two more battle themes.
- "Gradus prohibitus" ("Forbidden Steps"), played when we were introduced to the world of witches for the first time.
- "Pergo pugnare" ("I Will Continue to Fight"), is the beautiful, hopeful and uplifting violin piece that plays during conclusion of the series, when Homura decides to continue on fighting for Madoka's sake.
- "Clementia" ("Clemency"), a calm, somber tune that only ever got used once in the entire show.
- "Amicae carae meae" ("My Dear Friends"), a wonderful and beautiful-sounding track, very peaceful and somber.
- "Terror adhaerens" ("Adhering Terror") is a very powerful, foreboding and epic song with an apprehensive tone, especially of the second half. It most definitely lives up to its name.
- "La Fille aux Cheveux de Lin" ("The Girl with the Flaxen Hair", No.8 from Claude Debussy's first book of Preludes for solo piano) is a solemn and beautiful piece, featuring the violin and the piano.
- "Vocalise Op.34 No.14" (by Sergei Rachmaninoff) is another lovely piano and violin piece that introduces us to Sayaka's crush and foreshadows her wish.
- Ave Maria serves as a kind of unofficial leitmotif for Kyosuke, playing at two important times for both him and Sayaka: when he regains the use of his hand thanks to her wish, and in the final episode when she watches him play it one last time before ascending with Madoka.
- "and I'm home", Sayaka and Kyoko's duet song, from the new Blu-ray ending of Episode 9. Well-known for being rather sad, yet upbeat, and also full of Ship Tease.
- "Mata Ashita" ("See You Tomorrow"), a song regarded as Madoka's character song and played at the end of the first two episodes of the Blu-ray release. Sounds sweet and peppy, like most Magical Girl anime theme songs, until you understand the lyrics, which tell about a lonely girl.
Examples from the first two movies and other media
- "Luminous", the new opening theme of the first two movies.
- "Mirai" ("Future"), a new version of "Credens Justitiam" that Kalafina made for the movie, shows us all the perserverance and hope that Mami Tomoe entails and how she keeps fighting for a better future in spite of her sadness.
- "Hikari Furu" ("Light Falling"), Kalafina's remix of the already beautiful "Sagitta Luminis".
- The opening theme from Madoka Online, the browser game, is breathtaking.
- "she is a witch" from the movie soundtrack. A beautiful track that gives one goosebumps when they listen to it. It plays at the culmination of one of the most heartbreaking and horrifying points in the anime, and captures not only the sense of sorrow and boundless regret, but also of the terrible and foreboding power that is the final destiny of all magical girls.
- "facing the truth #1", also from the movie soundtrack. A slow yet solemn piece that shows us the despair that Homura is dealing with in order to keep her promise.
- "Terror infinitus" (Unending Terror) from Puella Magi Portable, a very epic and upbeat boss battle theme.
- "Para, ite!" (Ready, Go!), also from the Portable game, replaces the track that normally plays before the battle against Walpurgisnacht, only this time Homura is joined with Mami, Sayaka, and Kyoko. This is the path to the Golden Ending.
- "Cubiculum Coniecturae" (Bedroom of conjecture), also from the Portable game, is calm and soothing. It also has a Remix.
- "Ubi eam" (Where should I go?) is a sad melody that plays when Mami turns into a witch, and when Homura defeats Walpurgisnacht, but is fatally injured and dies in the process, as well as other dark scenes.
- "Another Episode" and its remix "pulling my own weight" from the movie previews, by Yuki Kajiura. It's every bit as mystical and haunting as "Sis puella magica!" and "Decretum" were. Special mention to the rock remix, "for the next episode". Halfway though you get the impression that you're finally free, escaping, and the accompanying image in the video (which is a snapshot from Superego) suggests no less. It was also used in the Magia Record game as victory music.
- "I'll be with you", which played during Kyoko's sacrifice. Also related: "I miss you", which not only gives Kyoko's death even more weight, but allows the transition into Homura's backstory to be much more natural, given the movie is made up of the final episodes and doesn't have breaks.
- "her wings" and "rebirth" when Madoka and Homura have their talk before Madoka disappears.
- "fateful #1" from the movie soundtrack, a heartful piece made from Homura and Madoka's themes.
- "witch world #2", Elsa Maria's theme from the first movie, based on Sayaka's theme.
- "encounter", an epic piece less than a minute long which plays during Madoka and Sayaka's fight against Gertrud's familiars.
- The browser game Online is the only time Walpurgisnacht got a new track, instead of reusing one, as the battle theme, and it's epic.
