Note: Watch The Movie in place of the first season. The Movie keeps all the plot bits including the All There in the Manual stuff and is more like the rest of the franchise in terms of feel and consistency.
edited 6th Feb '11 2:15:38 AM by Servbot
Are you looking for a straight forward Magical Girl? Cardcaptor Sakura. If you're looking for a new one, Heartcatch Precure recently concluded, and said to be better than the other precures.
I second Nanoha... Madoka umm be warned dont watch if you want to see something happy.
Princess Tutu is very good as well as Revolutionary Girl Utena for the subversion (can be quite dark too like Madoka.
Zero No Tsukaima, Kore Wa Zombie Desu Ka are considered Magical Girl as well and are pretty good. Puni Puni Poemi for a good spoof (sort of continuation of Princess Tutu).
On the Shōjo side of things I have heard good things about Shugo Chara and Pretty Cure.
edited 6th Feb '11 5:31:21 AM by Raso
Sparkling and glittering! Jan-Ken-Pon!I'm not sure whether to recommend Nanoha myself; I can never decide whether I like it or not. Cardcaptor Sakura, on the other hand, I keep finding I don't like, and I'm not entirely sure why, when most other people seem to.
Princess Tutu is my gold standard. Of the Pretty Cure franchise, some seasons are more popular than others; Heartcatch seems to have a good reputation.
I'm not personally familiar with Sailor Moon beyond the R movie, but there's a reason it's still remembered today. I'm told that said movie is a pretty good representation of the show's strengths. (And, of course, I have to recommend [In Which I Watch] Sailor Moon.)
And I haven't watched any yet, but like others have said, Madoka Magica has garnered an excellent reputation. Still airing, though.
Puni Puni Poemy is easily my favourite magical girl show~ And it's only two episodes, so you can zip right through it! Just... Don't go in expecting anything less than complete insanity. Then again, it's a Nabeshin work, so you really shouldn't be expecting anything else.
Upon rewatching it, I found that it's a show that gets by primarily on charm. The overall plot is, frankly, ridiculous, and the background elements are rather underdeveloped. Instead, it focuses on a Card of the Week format with only minimal continuity between the individual episodes. Still, it's pretty entertaining on the basis of individual episodes and the Slice of Life elements, if that's the kind of thing you're into.
I just saw puni puni poemi. It was very bizarre but lots of fun lol.
Now I am watching Magical girl lyrical nanoha from episode 1
edited 6th Feb '11 2:22:39 PM by FallenLegend
Make your hearth shine through the darkest night; let it transform hate into kindness, evil into justice, and loneliness into love.You have to admit that for what it does do, it does very well. Cardcaptor Sakura, I mean. The (manga) ending was a bit of a cop out, but otherwise it is rather charming, as you said.
Also I REALLY don't think Madoka is what they're looking for.
edited 6th Feb '11 3:08:22 PM by Anarchy
It's been a long time since I read CCS, but how was the ending a cop-out Anarchy?
Revolutionary Girl Utena has been described as the Evangelion of Shōjo, so you might enjoy that.
edited 6th Feb '11 6:12:00 PM by Thenamelesssamurai
Imagine Rakan applying Calling Your Attacks to doing paperwork.~Anarchy Rakan for the hell of it COMMISSION THIS BRIDGE!~EHKThat made me laugh really hard. Thanks for that. I was describing Utena on what I've read on this wiki, anyway. I still have to see it myself.
Tell me how you like the movie. I've been meaning to check it out too, but I haven't had time since I just started reading Mahou Sensei Negima.
Imagine Rakan applying Calling Your Attacks to doing paperwork.~Anarchy Rakan for the hell of it COMMISSION THIS BRIDGE!~EHK

I don't know if I asked this before lol ( Deja vu?).
But I am looking for a good magical girl series. Preferably one with great action and great and complex characters thanks!
Make your hearth shine through the darkest night; let it transform hate into kindness, evil into justice, and loneliness into love.