Review of Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story

This is a review of seasons 1, 2, and 3 I was wanting to rewatch Madoka Magica since it had been so long since I've seen it. But now that we know a new movie is in the works, I'll probably time my rewatch to be closer to that film's release. So then. What the heck is this thing? It's a non-canon side story based off a mobile game that I have no knowledge or experience with. It's not a sequel to Madoka, nor is it an ideal introduction to the series as a whole. It seems that even diehard Madoka fans don't really care forthis show. Can't say I have much to praise about it, either. While it still boasts the signature visual and audio style of Madoka, aka some of the absolute best music and visuals I've ever bore witness to in an anime, I just can't bring myself to get attached to this parallel world. There are a LOT of characters to keep track of and it can be very easy to get lost in it all. It's easy enough to follow the story in the moment, but I often found myself asking "Wait, how'd we get here?" "Who are they, again?" "How do these characters know each other?" "What happened to them?" I find it kinda pointless to get upset about things like this existing, because it's quite literally an extra. If you wanna ignore it and just focus on the main Madoka series, you can easily do so. But I guess I get if you REALLY love Madoka and have been frothing at the mouth for new content from this series, only for it to not turn out how you had hoped. All I can really say is that I'm looking forward to the movie.

5.5/10