Puella Magi Madoka Magica–or as it is colloquially known, Madoka–is probably one of the most anticipated and intensely discussed anime since The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, if not Neon Genesis Evangelion. It’s easy to see why: it successfully balances a radical destruction and recontextualization of the tropes and metaphors typically in play in one of the most venerable genres of anime, the magical girl series. In fact, it would be no understatement to say that Madoka does for magical girls what Evangelion did for giant robots. As with Eva, you can even argue that certain doors were opened by previous works. Eva owes a debt to Space Runaway Ideon, and as bold as Madoka is, post-modern philosophy and magical girls collided in Princess Tutu years ago. Nitpicks and parallels aside though, Madoka is a breathtaking and provocative anime.
You just might see why Japanese otaku don’t flinch at these price points, especially in regards to Madoka.
