About the characters being two-dimensional (I say two here because they're certainly not flat), I'd venture to say that while the characters are very important in this series, it's more story-driven than anything else. They don't get too much development because character development takes a backseat to plot development here, and that's why I find that argument somewhat null. It's a short anime, where the story is meant to grab you moreso than the characters, in my opinion.
I don't really understand the complaints about the characters; all of the main characters got fairly well fleshed out, and a sizable amount of the story was devoted to it. It feels more like the fans complaining about how they wish they knew more than a genuine problem with the work
Most works seem to be either story-driven or character-driven (with only a few managing to juggle both successfully.) This is of the former category and there is nothing wrong with that. These characters are fairly realistic - we just aren't given enough time to get to know them. And, as the reviewer said, had we been given more time to get to know the characters, the pace would have been disrupted and it probably would have looked more episodic with witches and the like than it was meant to be.
With that said, I do agree with most of this review, though I actually like how light and plain the non-witch world animation is for the most part. I thought it was smooth enough while the extra budget used for the witch areas made them seem properly Eldritch and otherworldly. It was a good contrast and, in my opinion, stylistically sound.
Also, definitely agreed on the music! Yuki Kajiura rocked this one.
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After Consideration
I will admit, I adored this series, and it did make me cry in the last episode. Therefore, when I went on the Internet for reviews and found so many fairly negative ones, I sort of wondered why. And yes, what many of them had to say was quite valid.
One of the very frequent complaints is that the characters were unbelievable, or one-dimensional. I found this to be somewhat true; the characters sort of have two facets: their personality and their driving force. For example, Sayaka is a very justice-oriented person who is a bit of a tomboy. Her driving force is making sure that everyone is treated right, and possibly Kyousuke. Everything she does stems from those things. The other characters are very similar, and it can make them seem one-sided. However, this anime is so short, there's not really enough time to add more - if they spent more time on discussing the characters, the impact would be lost.
The second frequent complaint is about the animation style of the non-witch spaces, which I think is limited because of what the anime is trying to do. The style is very common in the Magical Girl genre, which Puella Magi is ultimately trying to remind the viewer of. It does contrast quite significantly with the tone of the work, but depending on your point of view, this can either enhance the drama or detract from the seriousness.
My opinion? I understand completely why this series can be bashed, and being deconstructive or reconstructive doesn't make it the God of All Series Ever, being a genuinely good show makes it great to watch. Some of the problems could have been avoided if it were longer, but I think if it were longer, it would have slowed the pace, and this is a show that relies so much on its pace for its drama that a longer run would have made the series less enjoyable.
In short, I loved it. Even though the characters could have been fleshed out more, they always acted true to their personalities, which made it feel inevitable rather than stupid. The story itself was amazing and excellently paced, and don't start me on the music. I certainly enjoyed it more than any other Magical Girl anime I've ever given up watching.