Puella Magi Madoka Magica (Japanese:魔法少女まどか☆マギカ,Hepburn:Mahō Shōjo Madoka Magika), also known simply asMadoka Magica, is a Japaneseanime television series created by Magica Quartet,[b] and animated byShaft. The story follows a group of middle school girls, led by protagonistMadoka Kaname, who make supernatural contracts to becomemagical girls. In battlingsurreal enemies known as "witches", they learn of the anguish and peril associated with their new roles. The first ten episodes of the series aired onTBS,MBS, andtheir affiliates between January and March 2011, while the final two episodes were delayed until April of the same year due to theTōhoku earthquake and tsunami.
Amanga adaptation of the anime and variousspin-off manga have been published byHoubunsha and licensed in North America byYen Press. A novelization byNitroplus was released in August 2011, and a dedicated magazine,Manga Time Kirara Magica, was launched by Houbunsha in June 2012. A video game for thePlayStation Portable was released in March 2012 and another for thePlayStation Vita was released in December 2013. Amobile game,Magia Record, launched in August 2017, and a three-season anime adaptation produced by Shaft aired from January 2020 to April 2022. Ananime film series, beginning with two films recapping the television series, was released in October 2012. A third film featuring an original story,Rebellion, was released in October 2013. A sequel film toRebellion, titledWalpurgisnacht: Rising, has been announced.
Puella Magi Madoka Magica received widespread critical acclaim, with praise for its complex narrative, visuals, themes, and soundtrack, as well as its unconventional approach to the magical girl subgenre. It became a commercial success; eachBlu-ray Disc volume sold more than 50,000 copies in Japan. The series garnered a variety of awards, such as the Television Award at the 16thAnimation Kobe Award, as well as 12Newtype Anime Awards and the Grand Prize for the Animation Division at the 15thJapan Media Arts Festival in 2011.
In the fictional city of Mitakihara, Japan, a middle school student namedMadoka Kaname and her best friend,Sayaka Miki, encounter a small, cat-like creature namedKyubey. Kyubey offers them a contract in which a girl may have any wish granted in exchange for obtaining magical powers and being tasked with fighting creatures called witches. Meanwhile, a transfer student and mysterious magical girl namedHomura Akemi tries to stop Madoka from making the contract with Kyubey. Madoka and Sayaka then meetMami Tomoe, anupperclassman at the same school who is also a magical girl. Noticing their indecisiveness on whether to become a magical girl, Mami offers to take Madoka and Sayaka along on her witch hunts so they may learn of the responsibilities of being a magical girl.[5]
However, after witnessing Mami's death at the hands of a witch, Madoka realizes the life of a magical girl is filled with suffering and pain.[6] This is further enforced by the appearance ofKyoko Sakura, a veteran magical girl whose wish unintentionally caused the death of her family. Madoka also discovers magical girls give up their souls to form Soul Gems, the source of their magic. When a Soul Gem becomes too tainted with despair, it turns into a Grief Seed, which "hatches into" a witch. After learning that becoming a magical girl would allow her to heal her hospitalized friend Kyosuke, a musician on whom she has a crush, Sayaka decides to do so. However, her friend Hitomi Shizuki confesses her love to him first, causing Sayaka to become disillusioned and fall into an inescapable despair that turns her into a witch.[7] Kyubey reveals to Madoka that they are of an alien race that has been harvesting the emotions of magical girls for centuries to use as energy to counteract the spread ofentropy, and thus stave off theheat death of the universe. Madoka also learns that Homura is a magical girl from a different timeline who has repeated the same month countless times to try to save Madoka from a grisly fate.
Madoka and Kyoko attempt to reverse Sayaka's transformation, but the plan fails and Kyoko is forced to sacrifice herself to allow Madoka to escape, leaving Homura as the only remaining magical girl. Following this, an extremely powerful witch known as Walpurgisnacht approaches the city. Homura attempts to stop it but is defeated. She begins to lose hope and is on the verge of becoming a witch when Madoka arrives. With the past month's events in mind, Madoka decides to become a magical girl, despite Homura's efforts to stop her. Her wish is to stop the creation of all witches in the past, present, and future. The paradoxical nature of her wish causes her to transcend into apsychopomp form, called the "Law of Cycles", which is a new rule of the universe where magical girls are purified and disappear into a higher plane instead of becoming witches. A new reality is formed, and Homura is the only one who remembers Madoka. Homura vows to continue fighting in honor of Madoka and the world she cherished.[8]
While collaborating onHidamari Sketch andBakemonogatari,Akiyuki Shinbo toldAniplex producer Atsuhiro Iwakami he wanted to create a new magical girl series, beginning the development ofPuella Magi Madoka Magica. According to Shinbo, while talking with Iwakami, he had mentioned that there was still improvements for him to make to the genre from one of his previous series.[9] During the early planning stage, Iwakami decided not to adapt an existing work to give Shinbo more freedom in his directional style.[10] Another goal of the project was to develop an anime that would appeal to a wider audience than the usual demographic for media within the magical girl subgenre. Iwakami and Shinbo intended their series to be accessible to "the general anime fan".[11]Gen Urobuchi was suggested to be the writer by Iwakami due to his work with theFate/Zero light novel (which Iwakami gave Shinbo a copy of the first volume to),[12] and Shinbo askedUme Aoki to be character designer.[10] The series was Urobuchi's first time writing the screenplay for an anime on his own.[9] Takahiro Kishida was arranged to adapt Aoki's character designs for the television series.[13] The series' working title was, at that point,Magical Girl Apocalypse Madoka Magica (魔法少女黙示録 まどかマギカ), and the staff got used to calling itMadoka Magica during production. It was proposed that the "Magical Girl Apocalypse" part of the title be dropped and the series instead be titled simply "Madoka Magica", but Shinbo was adamant in retaining the "Magical Girl" segment of the title, which stuck.[9]
In his role as producer, Iwakami took a mostly hands-off approach to the series. BecausePuella Magi Madoka Magica is an original series rather than an adaptation of an existing work, his main goal was "coming up with a high-quality piece of entertainment". After helping to recruit the staff, he allowed them freedom to develop the content of the story, providing minimal guidance. After viewing the character designs that Aoki created, he was sure he could trust the creative talent of the team. In an interview withAnime News Network after the series finished airing in Japan, Iwakami said, "I don't matter much; it's up to those talents to do their work. If something comes to a stand-still I might intervene, but they did an excellent job and I was very happy seeing the results in episode one."[11]
During the planning phase, Iwakami asked Urobuchi to make the storyline "heavy".[11] Shinbo specified it should contain copious amounts of blood and violence, elements that were rare in the magical girl genre. Iwakami also asked for many of the magical girl characters to be killed throughout the series.[14] Initially, Urobuchi was unsure of how to approach the work due to his lack of experience with the "magical girl" genre, as well as the fact that he was under the impression that the team consisting of Shinbo, Shaft, and Aoki was that of the "cuter"Hidamari Sketch franchise despite the fact that he had heard he was recommended throughFate/Zero.[12] He said that he had no trouble with these requirements, referencing his past reputation as a writer of very dark and somber stories, the extent of which Shinbo had not known;[15] but found difficulty in mixing the dark elements with Aoki's particular character designs and the genre itself, adding that it seemed like he was "bullying" theHidamari Sketch characters.[12] To help with the writing, Urobuchi readHidamari Sketch and noted its themes of "friendship" and then watched two of Shinbo's previous anime series:Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha, which was a magical girl series, as well asLe Portrait de Petit Cossette, a gothic horror series. He decided to mix the cute characters ofHidamari Sketch with the "disturbing" and "mysterious" atmosphere ofLe Portrait de Petit Cossette together in writing the series.[16] Eventually, when the production design duoGekidan Inu Curry, who had been working on a variety of Shaft works at the time, were added to the roster, Urobuchi said he believed that he could successfully link the two ideas together.[16]
One objective was for the script to contrast starkly with the way the anime was to be marketed. Shinbo planned to advertise the series innocently and purely so as to deliberately conceal its dark undertones.[17] For example, the title logo was rendered using rounded fonts that would appear harmless to audiences. Urobuchi further misled fans by using hisTwitter account to persuade them the plot of the series was innocuous. The true nature of the series was disguised because Shinbo wanted its dark themes to be a complete surprise to the viewers.[15] Inconsistencies in the script that neither Shinbo nor Urobuchi noticed would also later be caught by series directorYukihiro Miyamoto and film editor Rie Matsuubara.[9]
Shinbo granted Urobuchi a large amount of autonomy in writing the series and determining the path of the story.[18] In describing his interactions with Iwakami and Shinbo while working on the series, Urobuchi commented that "neither one is the type to show their hand, they would always wait for me to make the next move".[19] To create a successful deconstruction of the magical girl genre, Urobuchi studied aspects of traditional magical girl media that were "troubling or overlooked".[14] He also stated the plot development was heavily influenced by the character drawings by Aoki, and specifically creditedhorror fiction authorStephen King and Shinbo's previous aforementioned projects.[18] Later speaking on the series' success as the culmination of his works with the studio, Shinbo specifically mentioned fellow Shaft directorShin Oonuma'sEf series as a work which helped him understand cute and beautifully drawn characters mixing with a story featuring heavy themes.[20]
Urobuchi attributed his experience working on projects with screenwriters Ichiro Itano andYōsuke Kuroda as a major influence in his writing forPuella Magi Madoka Magica, and has referred to both of them as his mentors.[19] To set the initial pacing of the series, Urobuchi used a technique he credited to Kuroda; the first episode would throw the viewer into a later part of the story without any context. The second episode would define the rules governing the story's setting. The third episode would divulge a vital revelation in the plot to hook the viewer.[18] The twist in the third episode was determined during the project proposal stage and involves the death of Mami Tomoe, the main character's mentor. This decision was controversial; Urobuchi said production staff continually approached him and asked him to reconsider because of their fondness for the character. He refused and the plot remained unchanged during production. Urobuchi realized this progression could be very hard for viewers to accept and might hurt the overall series' success with some audiences; he said, "I always thought this is an age where entertainment basically is about soothing and healing, like adopting a style where unchanging day-to-day life is to continue forever".[17]
In an interview withUltra Jump Egg, Urobuchi gave insight into his writing philosophy, stating that he believed the overarching plot of a story was more important than its characters. He said he would first determine the actions and the ultimate fate of a character before even assigning them a name, and contrasted this with other writing methods that first focused on developing the characters and then creating a storyline for them to follow. He again defended his decision to have Mami die, saying this could have the effect of making the character more memorable, saying, "I think there are quite many characters who became immortal exactly because they died, likeCaesar Zeppeli inJoJo's Bizarre Adventure orRaoh inFist of the North Star. Precisely because of the way they died, they were able to live forever."[17]
Production designers Gekidan Inu Curry were also given an amount of freedom in rewriting certain parts of the script and storyboards.[21] Although initially credited as production designers (later changed to "alternate space designers"), they had freedom to insert new details and to modify existing ones from the original script, such as during a scene in the final episode in which the team added black wings to Homura—something that was not included in Urobuchi's script.[18] The themetic quotations and motifs fromFaust andThrough The Looking-Glass were also Gekidan Inu Curry's own ideas, according to Urobuchi.[9] Urobuchi praised this aspect of the production, commenting, "additions by the animation production team added more mystery and depth to [the] characters, and without them, it would have been very difficult to write any further stories in the world of the series."[18]
Urobuchi stated that Sayaka was his favorite character overall and that her storyline was the most enjoyable to write.[22] Shinbo believed that Sayaka's grim fate by the end of the series was a slightly unfair destiny, and asked Urobuchi if it was possible to change the plot so Sayaka could be spared. Urobuchi declined, saying her death was integral to the overarching story.[19] Shinbo then asked if she could be brought back to life, saying he had become very attached to the character. Urobuchi again refused, saying this would be impossible because of the already-established rules governing the story.[11] Shinbo acquiesced to this, but said he believed there may have been too large a burden placed on the characters who were young, middle-school girls.[19]
The alien character Kyubey was also envisioned and designed by Urobuchi. Iwakami stated that as one of the primary antagonists in the series, "the mash-up of cuteness and darkness is the central theme toMadoka, and Kyubey is an epitome of that theme".[11] A central goal in Urobuchi's writing was to highlight the moral and ethical dissonance between Kyubey and the young middle school girls, which was done through actions such as Kyubey eating their own corpse to regain energy.[18] He compared the character to monsters in the works of horror fiction authorH. P. Lovecraft, commenting of Kyubey: "he (sic) isn't evil, it is his lack of feelings that make him scary".[23] Urobuchi also remarked upon the moral ambiguity the series displays in an interview withAsahi Shimbun, stating "Al-Qaedabrought down the Twin Towers due to their self-righteousness. Justice for some people is an evil for others. Good intentions, kindness, and hope will not necessarily make people happy."[14]
Due to unforeseen scheduling problems at Shaft, production of the series was postponed for three years following the completion of its writing. Once the issues were resolved, production continued without further complications.[11] The animation studio led the conception and design of the witches, and created each one's individual backstory.[19] Urobuchi had originally envisioned the witches to be similar to conventional monsters such asGodzilla, but upon seeing the surreal concept art for one of the main witches, Walpurgisnacht, he said; "How can Homura possibly fight against something like this?"
Gekidan Inu Curry's art style and design work is largely Czech- and Russian-inspiredstop-motion animation.[21] In their initial meeting with Shinbo for the series, the director told them that the series would be unlikeMagical Girl Lyrical Nanoha and instead wanted them to think about the series as more of an extension ofLe Portrait de Petit Cossette.[9]
Although they were uncredited for the design work itself, animators Nozomu Abe and Tomohiro Kamitani were recruited as the series' weapon designers and supervised the drawings for all of the sequences they'd appear in as the series' action directors. Abe was responsible for the magical girl weapons, while Kamitani was responsible for all of the real-world weapons like firearms.[24]
Iwakami and Shinbo recruitedYuki Kajiura to compose the soundtrack for the series after Urobuchi recommended her. Shinbo had previously worked with Kajiura onLe Portrait de Petit Cossette; Urobuchi told of the inspirational effect the music from that series had on him while writing parts of the script. He also said that he had long been a fan of Kajiura's anime soundtracks and praised her work ethic, saying she would always familiarize herself with the story while composing for a series.[19]Japanese pop music duoClariS was also commissioned to perform the series' opening theme "Connect" (コネクト,Konekuto).[25] Iwakami involved himself in the song's development to ensure it would fit with the series, marking one of the few times he was involved in an aspect of the production.[11] Both "Connect" and the ending theme "Magia" byKalafina were revealed in a television commercial several weeks before the series' premiere in Japan.[25]
While the pre-production phase forMadoka Magica was underway, Miyamoto was directingArakawa Under the Bridge (which Shinbo was also director for) and humorously commented onMadoka Magica looking like a series that would end up stealing all of the resources for the show, as he saw some of its materials (including Gekidan Inu Curry's, who were old classmates and friends of his) around the Shaft office. Ironically, just a few months before broadcast, Miyamoto was also recruited and asked to be the series director.[26] His initial job as director was gathering materials for designs and the show's look alongside Shaft's animation producer Tadao Iwaki. He was also involved in the discussions regarding the action scenes with Urobuchi, Shinbo, and action director Nozumu Abe, such as solidifying the logic behind Sayaka's multi-jointed spear and how it would work in certain settings.[26] One of the aspects that had yet been undefined even as the series started airing was how Homura's shield in episode 8 worked. It wasn't until sometime before broadcast that Urobuchi came up with the idea while riding on a train one day.[26] Due to the workload at Shaft and a lack of production time, it was decided early on that Shaft would only produce episodes 1–3, 10, and 12 in-house, with the rest being outsourced to other studios and Shaft's staff intermittently assisting with them.[9]
Although Takahiro Kishida was responsible for adapting Aoki's designs for animation, he did not continue working on the project extensively into the production phase as a chief animation director (responsible for overseeing and correcting drawings and animation). Instead, animators Junichirou Taniguchi (from studioDoga Kobo) and Mika Takahashi were recruited as chief animation directors. Taniguchi mentioned being impressed with Shaft key animator Genichirou Abe's work on the series and also said that he was inspired with what he could do and how far he could go with the expressions byYoshiaki Itou, who was an animation director for episode 10 that Taniguchi had supervised.[27] Action director Kamitani noted difficulty in understanding Shaft's general style, as well as the "strange" structure that the anime's production had due to the involvement of Gekidan Inu Curry's material. Kamitani and Nozomu Abe often consulted with each other regarding the design work and their interpretations of certain scenes. In one scene, the storyboards for episode 11 had a fighter jet crashing into Walpurgisnacht which they believed to be too difficult to draw, so they consulted with Urobuchi and instead decided to use aTomahawk missile.[24]
The opening animation was directed byTomoyuki Itamura. Shinbo did not give him any particular orders but told him to make it catchy, which he thinks Itamura succeeded in doing. For the opening song itself, Shinbo was surprised that the lyrics matched so well with the anime, as they were written without the context of the story, and he considered it to be a fun coincidence. The ending animation was directed and animated by Hirofumi Suzuki, who had worked with Shinbo onLe Portrait de Petit Cossette, which also had a coincidental thematic similarity to the series.[9]
Some drawings featured in the series were not drawn by the anime's production staff, but rather by the voice actors. For example, Aoki found it difficult trying to draw the contents of Madoka's in-universe notebooks "realistically" as a middle-schooler would rather than a professional artist, so Iwakami suggested thatAoi Yūki, the voice actress of Madoka, draw the sketches herself. Shinbo then asked Yūki to purposefully draw the sketches worse than she otherwise would and joked that she was a better artist than he was.[28]
On January 7, 2011,Puella Magi Madoka Magica debuted onMainichi Broadcasting System (MBS),Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS), andChubu-Nippon Broadcasting (CBC) in Japan.[29] The first ten episodes aired weekly without interruption and were made available for streaming onNico Nico Douga andBIGLOBE's Anime One service. That March, the planned broadcasts of the last two episodes were halted because of the2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami; TBS also canceled its scheduled airing of the 10th episode so it could provide more news coverage of the natural disaster.[30][31]
Urobuchi apologized to viewers for the delays; he also said the postponements could be viewed in a positive light because they alleviated some production pressures on animation studio Shaft because of the tight broadcast schedule. Citing particularly challenging drawings for episodes 11 and 12, Urobuchi and Iwakami planned to have Shaft continue to improve the episodes up until their rescheduled broadcasts. According to Urobuchi, if episode 11 had been aired in its current state as scheduled, the result would likely have been disappointing.[30] On March 23, 2011, the broadcast for the rest of the series was indefinitely delayed, but the production team reported that they were continuing to work on the episodes and announced their intention to finish airing the series by April.[32] On April 10, 2011, the official website forPuella Magi Madoka Magica announced that broadcasts would resume on April 22. Episodes 11 and 12 aired back-to-back on MBS while TBS and CBC ran episode 10 together with episodes 11 and 12.[33][34]
Iwakami later commented on this unique production experience in an interview with Anime News Network. He said Shaft was always pressed for time during the production process and only just completed each episode before its air time. After the earthquake and tsunami, he stated that many of the company's staff were upset by the incident and were unable to work effectively on episodes 11 and 12. He said, however, "a week went by, and two weeks went by, and the staff started saying that they couldn't stay in shock forever, that they had to keep on going, and then production continued".[11] The series was released on sixBlu-ray Disc (BD) andDVD volumes between April 27 and September 21, 2011, having been delayed by the earthquake from the original release date of March 30, 2011.[32][35]Drama CDs were included with the first, third, and fifth BD/DVD volumes. The sixth and final volume released on September 21, 2011, contains a director's edit of episode 12.[36] The series began streaming onCrunchyroll on February 15, 2012, as well as onHulu andCrackle.[37][38]
Aniplex of America released the series in North America, including an Englishdub, in three BD and DVD volumes released between February 14 and June 12, 2012. Aniplex also released limited editions containing the original soundtrack CDs and special items.[39][40][41]Manga Entertainment licensed the series in the United Kingdom and released it on October 29, 2012 on BD and DVD in a complete collection.[42][43][44][45]Madman Entertainment licensed the series in Australia, where it was broadcast on the children's channelABC3 on June 29, 2013, following an early preview on January 6.[46][47] The dubbed series began streaming onViz Media's streaming serviceNeon Alley in late 2013.[48] In Italy, the series was broadcast onRai 4 on February 5[49] until April 22, 2012.[50] On September 1, 2018, a television anime series based on the smartphone gameMagia Record was announced. It was originally scheduled to begin airing in 2019,[51] but it was delayed to a January 2020 premiere,[52] and began airing on January 4, 2020.[53]
In November 2011, it was announced in the December issue ofKadokawa Shoten'sNewtype magazine that Shaft was developing a three-part theatrical film project.[54] The first two films, titledBeginnings (始まりの物語,Hajimari no Monogatari) andEternal (永遠の物語,Eien no Monogatari), are compilations of the anime television series featuring re-recorded voice lines and some new animation. The first film, which covers the first eight episodes of the television series,[3] was released in theaters on October 6, 2012, while the second film, which covers the last four episodes, was released on October 13, 2012.[55] The first two films were screened in selected locations in the United States and seven other countries between October 2012 and February 2013;[56][57] they were also screened atAnime Festival Asia between November 10 and 11, 2012, in Singapore.[58] The two films were released on Blu-ray Disc and DVD on July 30, 2013, in standard and collector's edition sets and is being made available for import by Aniplex of America.[59] The third film, titledRebellion (叛逆の物語,Hangyaku no Monogatari), is a sequel to the television series, featuring a new story written by Urobuchi. It was released to Japanese theaters on October 26, 2013.[60][61][62] The film received a North American imported release on December 3, 2013.[63] The first and second films were re-released with an English dub on July 15, 2014.[64]
A short concept film for a new story, described as a "movie-based image board", debuted at Shaft's anniversary exhibition Madogatari on November 27, 2015.[65] Shaft representative director and president Mitsutoshi Kubota later confirmed in an interview inNewtype that the concept film will launch a newPuella Magi Madoka Magica project.[66]
At the 10th anniversary event held on April 25, 2021, a sequel movie toRebellion was announced, titledWalpurgisnacht: Rising (ワルプルギスの廻天,Warupurugisu no Kaiten).[67] It was scheduled to be released in Q1 2024;[68] however, it was later delayed;[69][70] a new opening date for the film is set to be announced in February 2026.[71]
Houbunsha has published several manga series based onPuella Magi Madoka Magica. A direct adaptation of the anime series was illustrated by Hanokage and published in three four-chaptertankōbon volumes that were released between February 12 and May 30, 2011.[72][73] The manga has been licensed in North America by Yen Press.[74] Aside story manga titledPuella Magi Kazumi Magica: The Innocent Malice (魔法少女かずみ☆マギカ〜The innocent malice〜,Mahō Shōjo Kazumi Magika: The Innocent Malice), which was written by Masaki Hiramatsu and illustrated by Takashi Tensugi, was serialized inManga Time Kirara Forward between March 2011 and January 2013.[72][75] A third manga titledPuella Magi Oriko Magica (魔法少女おりこ☆マギカ,Mahō Shōjo Oriko Magika), which was written by Kuroe Mura, was released in twotankōbon volumes on May 12, 2011, and June 12, 2011.[72] BothKazumi Magica andOriko Magica have been licensed by Yen Press in North America.[76] The first volume ofKazumi Magica was released in May 2013.[77]Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Wraith Arc (魔法少女まどか☆マギカ［魔獣編］), which was written and illustrated by Hanokage, began serialization in the 20th issue ofManga Time Kirara Magica released on June 10, 2015. The plot describes the events that happened betweenPuella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie: Eternal andPuella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie: Rebellion.[78] Yen Press will publish it in English.[79]
The first volume of an official anthology comic featuring illustrations by guest artists was released on September 12, 2011.[80] A dedicated monthly magazine published byHoubunsha and titledManga Time Kirara Magica (まんがタイムきらら☆マギカ,Manga Taimu Kirara Magika) was launched on June 8, 2012; it features various manga stories, includingspin-off stories ofOriko Magica.[81] A film comic adaptation of the series titledPuella Magi Madoka Magica: Film Memories went on sale on May 26, 2012.[82]Puella Magi Madoka Magica: The Different Story, another manga by Hanokage, was published in threetankōbon volumes between October 12 and November 12, 2012,[83][84][85] and was licensed by Yen Press in 2014.[86] The first volume ofPuella Magi Suzune Magica (魔法少女すずね☆マギカ), which was written and illustrated by Gan, was released on November 12, 2013, before being serialized inManga Time Kirara Magica on November 22, 2013.[87]Puella Magi Homura Tamura (魔法少女ほむら☆たむら), which was written and illustrated by Afro, is serialized inManga Time Kirara Magica; its first volume was released in October 2013 and was licensed by Yen Press.[88]Puella Magi Homura's Revenge! (魔法少女まどか☆マギカ ほむらリベンジ!), written by Kawazukuu and illustrated by Masugitsune, was serialized inManga Time Kirara Magica and released two volumes in December 2013; Yen Press licensed the manga.[88]
Hajime Ninomae wrote a novel adaptation of the series that was illustrated by Yūpon and published byNitroplus on August 14, 2011.[89] Pre-release copies were available atComiket 80 on August 12, 2011.[90] A book titledPuella Magi Madoka Magica: The Beginning Story, which is based on Gen Urobuchi's original draft treatment for the anime, was released in November 2011.[91]
A video game based on the series titledPuella Magi Madoka Magica Portable (魔法少女まどか☆マギカ ポータブル,Mahō Shōjo Madoka Magika Pōtaburu) was released byNamco Bandai Games onPlayStation Portable on March 15, 2012. The game allows players to take many routes and change the ending of the story.[92] Urobuchi returned as the writer and Shaft animated the title, while Yusuke Tomizawa and Yoshinao Doi produced it.[93] The game was released in two editions; a standard box including a bonus DVD, and a limited edition box containing a MadokaFigma, a bonus Blu-ray Disc, a Kyubey pouch, a 'HomuHomu' handkerchief and a special clear card.[94] Anaction game for thePlayStation Vita titledPuella Magi Madoka Magica: The Battle Pentagram (魔法少女まどかマギカThe Battle Pentagram) was developed byArtdink and published by Namco Bandai Games, and was released in Japan on December 19, 2013.[95][96] The game features an original story that was created with guidance from Urobuchi in which all five magical girls team up to defeat a powerful witch called Walpurgis Night.[97] Upon release, a limited edition version that included codes for additional in-game costumes and merchandise such as a CD copy of the game's soundtrack and an art book, was also on sale.[95]
A freesmartphoneapplication calledMami's Heart Pounding Tiro Finale (マミのドキドキティロフィナーレ,Mami no Doki Doki Tiro Fināre) was released on October 14, 2011.[98] Athird-person shooter (TPS) titledPuella Magi Madoka Magica TPS featuring Homura Akemi was released forAndroid devices in December 2011.[99] A second TPS title featuring Mami was released in August 2012[100] and a third featuring Sayaka and Kyoko was released on October 16, 2012.[101] A puzzle game foriOS devices titledPuella Magi Madoka Magica Puzzle of Memories was released on March 29, 2013.[102] Costumes fromPuella Magi Madoka Magica, alongside content based on other anime and games, are available in Japan asdownloadable content (DLC) for the PSP gameGods Eater Burst.[103] Costumes and accessories are also available as DLC forTales of Xillia 2,[104] and were available forPhantasy Star Online 2 in October 2013.[105] Another collaboration with the mobile gamePhantom of the Kill took place for an event that ran from August 8, 2015 to September 21, 2015. During that campaign, players had a chance of obtaining playable Madoka characters through in-game lotteries.Puella Magi Madoka Magica-themed missions, weapons and items were also available at that time.[106]
Apachinko game titledSlot Puella Magi Madoka Magica was released in 2013, and a second pachinko game titledSlot Puella Magi Madoka Magica 2 was released in 2016.Slot Puella Magi Madoka Magica 2 features the song "Naturally" byAoi Yūki andEri Kitamura.[107] Also in 2016, the smartphone gameGirl Friend Beta announced a collaboration withPuella Magi Madoka Magica in which players got a Madoka card as a log-in bonus.[108] A smartphone game calledMagia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story, was released in Japan on August 22, 2017.[109][110][111] The game features a new protagonist named Iroha Tamaki, who arrives in Kamihama City to search for her missing sister. The game features the theme song "Kakawari" (かかわり,"Connection") byTrySail.[112] An anime adaptation of the game premiered on January 4, 2020.[52]
A video game, titledPuella Magi Madoka Magica: Magia Exedra, was released foriOS and Android devices on March 27, 2025.[113] The game was initially scheduled for release in 2024, but was delayed.[114] For the game,FictionJunction performed the theme song "Lighthouse", with Lino Leia as the main vocalist.[113] Just before its release, it was announced that the game had reached 1 million pre-registrations.[115] APC version of the game, available onSteam, was released on July 17.[116][117]
Puella Magi Madoka Magica received widespread critical acclaim.Masaki Tsuji lauded the series'world-building and narrative as well as the character development, and called the series groundbreaking. Masaki went on to say thatMadoka Magica had reached a "level of perfection", and noted that the series was worthy of people's admiration.[118]UK Anime Network's Andy Hanley rated the anime 10 out of 10, lauding it for its deeply emotional content and described it as immersive and filled with grandiose visuals along with an evocative soundtrack. He recommended watching it several times to fully comprehend the complex and multi-layered plot. Hanley called it the greatest television anime series of the 21st century thus far.[119] Scott Green ofAin't It Cool News called the series "hugely admirable"; he praised the animation team's attention to detail, stating that the series "would not work nearly as well if the characters in general and as magical girls specifically weren't presented so spectacularly winningly by the production". Green also said he would highly recommendPuella Magi Madoka Magica to anyone with an interest in anime.[120]
Michael Pementel ofBloody Disgusting calledMadoka Magica a "fascinating work" and lauded its dark atmosphere and horror elements. Pementel highly praised the show's aesthetics and wrote that the "pacing in revealing twists" is one of the "show's most exceptional qualities" and also commended the characters' tragic arcs, particularly those of Sayaka and Homura. He further praised the series for offering a "unique, grim twist that not only seeps the show in despair, but subverts the subgenre", concluding thatMadoka Magica "stands as one of the best works of anime horror, presenting characters that must strive to find hope through profound darkness."[121]THEM Anime Reviews reviewer Tim Jones called it "beautiful, well-written, and surprisingly dark", and gave it four out of five stars. Jones also commended the unique animation and design of the backdrops shown during witch fights, which he described as "surreal, beautiful, [and] trippy".[122] In his review of the three Blu-ray volumes of the anime series, Zac Bertschy ofAnime News Network characterized the story as very emotionally dark and one of the most ambitious and beautiful anime series in recent memory. He awarded each of the volumes ratings of A or A+ overall, and stated, "Time will tell us whether or not this show will be remembered as fondly as it is regarded by the fan community now, but it feels like a masterpiece, something to be appreciated again and again. It is a must-see for anyone remotely interested in what anime can accomplish as an art form".[123][124][125]
Awarding the series five stars out of five,Common Sense Media wrote that the "animation style is full of fluid motion and attention to detail that makes it a uniquely pleasurable experience to watch" and "the main characters [are] well developed and its hard not to get attached to them as the story progresses".[126] Reviewers highly praised the series' darker approach to the magical girl subgenre. In its review of the series, the staff atJapanator said this trope "added a level of depth and complexity to the genre that we haven't ever seen, and I don't think we will see again ... [a]dding on that dressing gave the show a more perverse and cruel feeling to it, making it all the more compelling to watch".[127] Liz Ohanesian ofLA Weekly attributed the series' popularity with older, male audiences—an otherwise unusual demographic to the genre—to the genre deconstruction ofPuella Magi Madoka Magica. She also commented on the series' cultural impact, writing that there was incredible fan interest for the series in Japan and the US. She credited the all-star crew including writer Urobuchi, director Shinbo, and the Shaft animation studio as "hitmakers" and described the anime as "a series designed for acclaim".[128]TechnologyTell's Jenni Lada wrote that the show's external appearance belied its true "darker and more twisted" essence. She recommended viewers watch at least three episodes to discover the series' true nature.[129]
According to Sara Cleto and Erin Bah, the subversion of the magical girl genre "draw[s] attention to the question of narrative power"—particularly in the use of alternative timelines—as the characters fight for their survival.[130]Production I.G'sKatsuyuki Motohiro watched the series after hearing opinions that it exceededNeon Genesis Evangelion. Upon viewing the series, he was "amazed that there was a person who could write such a work" and began analyzing Urobuchi's other works; he was motivated to ask Urobuchi to write thecrime thrillerPsycho-Pass.[131] In issue 103 ofNeo, journalist Matt Kamen wrote, "With its daring approach to a dated genre,Puella Magi Madoka Magica essentially does for magical girls whatNeon Genesis Evangelion did for giant robots".[132] Writing forKotaku, critic Richard Eisenbeis hailed the series as "one of the best anime" and wrote, "It deconstructs the magical girl genre and builds an emotional narrative filled with memorable characters".[133] Joshua Greenberg ofThe Daily Bruin described it as "a creepy, deconstructionist take on the [magical girl] genre."[134]
The firstBlu-ray volume of the series sold 53,000 copies in its first week, 22,000 of which were sold on its first day, breaking the record held by the sixth BD volume ofBakemonogatari.[135] The second volume sold 54,000 copies, breaking the first volume's record.[136] Each subsequent volume sold over 50,000 copies in their first week.[137][138] As of October 2012, the total sales of BD and DVDs of the series exceeded 600,000 copies, which was unusual for a late-night program at that time.[139] This was despite controversy over the pricing of the volumes, which some considered to be unfairly high. The staff atJapanator stated they could not recommend the volume to their readers due to the prohibitive cost.[127] Bertschy concurred, writing that the "limited episode count and high price of entry make the show inaccessible to an audience unwilling to shell out".[123] The 2017 compilation albumPuella Magi Madoka Magica Ultimate Best ranked at No. 4 onOricon's weekly albums chart, having sold over 13,500 copies.[140] By the end of 2017,Ultimate Best was the 29th best-selling anime CD album of the year.[141]
Japanese newspaperNihon Keizai Shimbun reported thatPuella Magi Madoka Magica had grossed over¥40 billion ($400 million) from the sales of related goods within two years of its release.[142] A live broadcast of the entire series was streamed onNico Nico Douga on June 18, 2011, garnering around a million viewers and surpassing the previous streaming audience record of 570,000 held byLucky Star.[143] According to Google Zeitgeist,Madoka Magica was the most-searched and fastest-rising search query in the anime category of 2011.[144]
Puella Magi Madoka Magica won the Television Award at the 16thAnimation Kobe Awards,[145] as well as 12Newtype Anime Awards,[146] and the Grand Prize for animation in the 15thJapan Media Arts Festival awards, making it the first and only original anime television to win the award, with the jury describing the series in their justification as "an outstanding animation with an ingenious magical scenario" and commended the "ambitious" show for "skillfully setting critical traps that shook the very foundations of the genre".[147][148] It was nominated for the 32ndNihon SF Taisho Award[149] and won the 2011 Bronze Prize for Kyubey's catchphrase.[150] It also won three 11thTokyo Anime Awards in the categories of Television Category, Best Director and Best Screenplay,[151] and the Selection Committee Special Prize award at the 2012 Licensing of the Year awards.[152]Madoka Magica was awarded a 43rdSeiun Award for "Best Media" at the 2012Japan Science Fiction Convention,[153] and was also awarded a Sisterhood Prize at the 11thSense of Gender Awards.[154] In 2015, the show was awarded the inaugural 1stSugoi Japan Award Grand Prix, Japan's nationwide vote for manga, anime, and novels considered as cultural assets that have the potential to be beloved all over the world, among all of the works published since 2005.[155] In 2017,Madoka Magica was selected as the best anime of 2011 by the Tokyo Anime Award Festival.[156]
Multiple media publications have hailedPuella Magi Madoka Magica as one of the best anime series of the 2010s, includingPolygon,[157]Thrillist,[158]Looper,[159]IGN,[160]Crunchyroll,[161] andAnime UK News.[162] The Brazilian websiteLegiao Dos Herois listed the series as one of "10 most successful anime" of the 2010s.[163]
| Award/Category | Recipient | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15th Japan Media Arts Festival Awards | Grand Prize | Puella Magi Madoka Magica | Won |
| 16th Animation Kobe Awards | Television Award | ||
| 11th Tokyo Anime Awards | Television Award | ||
| Best Director | Akiyuki Shinbo | ||
| Best Screenplay | Gen Urobuchi | ||
| 2011 Newtype Anime Awards | Grand Prize in Television | Puella Magi Madoka Magica | |
| Best Director | Akiyuki Shinbo | ||
| Best Screenplay | Gen Urobuchi | ||
| Fictional Character Award in Female | Homura Akemi | ||
| Fictional Character Award in Female | Madoka Kaname | Ranked 2nd | |
| Fictional Character Award in Mascot | Kyubey | Won | |
| Actress Award | Aoi Yūki | ||
| Supporting Actress Award | Chiwa Saitō | ||
| Supporting Actress Award | Eri Kitamura | Ranked 3rd | |
| Supporting Actress Award | Emiri Katō | Ranked 5th | |
| Theme Song Award | "Connect" | Won | |
| Accompaniment Award | Puella Magi Madoka Magica | ||
| Photography Award | Puella Magi Madoka Magica | ||
| Art Award | Puella Magi Madoka Magica | ||
| Character Design Award | Puella Magi Madoka Magica | ||
| Color Setting Award | Puella Magi Madoka Magica | ||
| Sound Award | Puella Magi Madoka Magica | ||
| Trailer Award | Puella Magi Madoka Magica | Ranked 2nd | |
| 32nd Nihon SF Taisho Award | Grand Prize | Puella Magi Madoka Magica | Nominated |
| 43rd Seiun Award | Best Media | Puella Magi Madoka Magica | Won |
| 11th Sense of Gender Awards | Sisterhood Prize | Puella Magi Madoka Magica | |
| 19thAnime & Manga Grand Prix [fr] | Best Hope Award | Puella Magi Madoka Magica | |
| 20th Anime & Manga Grand Prix | Japanese Anime of the Year | Puella Magi Madoka Magica | |
| 34thAnime Grand Prix Editors Choice 2011[164][165] | Anime of the Year | Puella Magi Madoka Magica | |
| Female Character of the Year | Homura Akemi | ||
| 1stNikkan Sports Anime Competition[166] | Television Award | Puella Magi Madoka Magica | |
| Award of Queen | Madoka Kaname | ||
| Guilty Dark Character Award | Kyubey | ||
| Theme Song Award | "Connect" | ||
| MIP Female Voice Actor Award | Aoi Yūki | ||
| 6thSeiyu Awards | Actress Award | Aoi Yūki | |
| Supporting Actress Award | Emiri Katō | ||
| 2011Top Buzzword Award [ja] | Bronze Prize | "Make a contract with me, and become a magical girl." | |
| Licensing of the Year 2012 in JAPAN | Selection Committee Special Prize award | Puella Magi Madoka Magica | |
| 1st Sugoi Japan Award | Grand Prix | Puella Magi Madoka Magica | |
| Best Anime | Puella Magi Madoka Magica | ||
| NHKNippon Anime 100 [ja] | Best Television in Men's Vote | Puella Magi Madoka Magica | |
| Best Television in Comprehensive | Puella Magi Madoka Magica | Ranked 3rd | |
| Best Theme Song | "Connect" | Ranked 11th | |
| NHK Selection to Commemorate the 50th Anniversary of TV Anime | Favorite Actress | Homura Akemi | Ranked 2nd |
| Favorite Actress | Madoka Kaname | Ranked 7th | |
| Heisei Anison Award [ja] | Award | "Connect" | Won |
The radio stationTokyo FM reported thatPuella Magi Madoka Magica had developed into a social phenomenon in Japan.[167] Toussaint Egan ofPaste magazine stated that the series was "widely celebrated by fans and critics alike" upon its release and that the show is "a postmodern reconfiguration of genre tropes rife with plot twists and existential malaise on a cosmic horror level".[168] The Spanish film directorCarlos Vermut has citedMadoka Magica as a large influence on his 2014 filmMagical Girl.[169] The series was referenced in theHBO seriesEuphoria.[170] Anime directorHiroyuki Imaishi said that darker-toned series likeMadoka Magica are an "industry trend".[171] The series also inspired a Nigerian magical girl franchise,Adorned by Chi.[172]
監督の新房昭之さん、脚本の虚淵玄さん、キャラクター原案の蒼樹うめさん、そしてアニメ制作スタジオのシャフト。この4者が原作集団「Magica Quartet」となり制作したアニメオリジナルのテレビシリーズです。
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