Puella Magi Madoka Magica is 3 different stories at once, and your opinion on the work and the characters will depend on which story you see as the main one. Most people seem to take the deconstruction of the magical girl genre as the main story. In this story Madoka is the main character in the Usagi role, with Sayaka being the best friend, Sailor Mercury, Kyoko, with her short temper and tendency to fight, is Sailor Jupiter, Mami, the experienced veteran, is Sailor Venus, and Homura, the mysterious one, is Sailor Mars. As a deconstruction, there are huge differences between these characters and the roles I have mentioned, for instance, Madoka's seeming passivity for the majority of the series.
As the series progresses, another story is revealed, this time one that centers on Homura and Kyubey. They are engaged in a chess match for Madoka's soul. As an analogy I would say that Kyubey takes on the role of Kira and Homura that of L, given Kyubey's explanations that his actions and the harm he inflicts are for the 'greater good.' In this story the other characters, besides for Madoka, are reduced to chess pieces that either player is willing to sacrifice for their own goals. They have their own arcs that are well done, but those are side-plots and vehicles for the grand chess masters.
At the tail end of the series, what I consider to be the true story of the series is revealed. A love story that crosses time and space. I don't necessarily mean romantic love, but it is definitely a pure form of love, and it is one of the best love stories I have had the pleasure of reading or seeing in any medium. Unfortunately there simply isn't room in these 400 words to give justice to this love story that develops across multiple timelines until it is stronger than fate itself.
The first 2 stories are good, and by the standards of the magical genre they are excellent. The character work is strong, the concepts thought provoking, and the art is visually interesting. But it is the story of Homura and Madoka's friendship and the lengths they will go for each other that elevate Puella Magi Madoka Magica above being just another good anime and into the status of the elites that will be remembered long after their runs are finished.
What is it about?
Puella Magi Madoka Magica is 3 different stories at once, and your opinion on the work and the characters will depend on which story you see as the main one. Most people seem to take the deconstruction of the magical girl genre as the main story. In this story Madoka is the main character in the Usagi role, with Sayaka being the best friend, Sailor Mercury, Kyoko, with her short temper and tendency to fight, is Sailor Jupiter, Mami, the experienced veteran, is Sailor Venus, and Homura, the mysterious one, is Sailor Mars. As a deconstruction, there are huge differences between these characters and the roles I have mentioned, for instance, Madoka's seeming passivity for the majority of the series.
As the series progresses, another story is revealed, this time one that centers on Homura and Kyubey. They are engaged in a chess match for Madoka's soul. As an analogy I would say that Kyubey takes on the role of Kira and Homura that of L, given Kyubey's explanations that his actions and the harm he inflicts are for the 'greater good.' In this story the other characters, besides for Madoka, are reduced to chess pieces that either player is willing to sacrifice for their own goals. They have their own arcs that are well done, but those are side-plots and vehicles for the grand chess masters.
At the tail end of the series, what I consider to be the true story of the series is revealed. A love story that crosses time and space. I don't necessarily mean romantic love, but it is definitely a pure form of love, and it is one of the best love stories I have had the pleasure of reading or seeing in any medium. Unfortunately there simply isn't room in these 400 words to give justice to this love story that develops across multiple timelines until it is stronger than fate itself.
The first 2 stories are good, and by the standards of the magical genre they are excellent. The character work is strong, the concepts thought provoking, and the art is visually interesting. But it is the story of Homura and Madoka's friendship and the lengths they will go for each other that elevate Puella Magi Madoka Magica above being just another good anime and into the status of the elites that will be remembered long after their runs are finished.