Magia Rekôdo: Mahô Shôjo Madoka Magika Gaiden

Many anime fans and horror fans alike have universally considered Madoka Magica not only as an incredible piece of work, but I've met and seen a large portion of these two communities go as far as to say that Madoka Magica is one of the greatest anime's of all time, as well as one of the most disturbing.

I made a review on the show not long ago, and I have to admit, these claims aren't too far off as well, as I had very few faults with the original work, and I can definitely see why the show is as critically acclaimed as it is. Heck, the show was made all the way back in 2011, and even here nearly 14 years later and it still holds up.

Needless to say, it was a massive hit. But even with that in mind, many fans were-and still are shocked- that it was successful enough to get its very own spin off show. That brings us to Magia Record Side Stories, the prequel to everything that took place in the original Madoka Magica anime. That means we are now able to learn the origins of Magical Girls, the first ever occurrences of the witches, and past characters' wishes and intentions.

The thing that makes Magia Record Side Stories so much more interesting than Madoka Magica though, is the fanbases thoughts. With how influential Madoka Magica was to the entire "cute-to-scary" genre, it would be difficult for another anime to pull of something just as good. The overall view with this anime among fans is incredibly mixed, with the general opinion just being that the show is "mid".

While I've only watched the entirety of season 1 as of writing this review, I have to say... I was really surprised finding this out, but eventually also grew to understand where these fans are coming from. You see... Side Stories is a really strange prequel. It doesn't really feel like Madoka Magics, regardless with the numerous references and corelations with the original show.

To begin, I want to get out of the way the number 1 complaint the entire fanbase has towards this show... it's pacing. The way this show moves is MUCH faster than most things I have seen in shows before. Madoka Magica, while a short series, had this slow disturbing burns for viewers, which is what made so many scenes and moments incredibly shocking.

However, here, the shocking reveals happen in the span of 10 or so minutes per episode. Without spoiling, there is an episode that reveals certain characters for the very first time, and only around 15 minutes later, something alarming is found out about one of them. This can come off as incredibly strange more than anything, to reveal so much in such a little number of episodes.

Now, this is more of a personal opinion, but... I don't have too much of a problem with this. Yes, pacing can be a major problem in most shows depending on the situation, but the reason why I don't think the pacing in Side Stories is such a big problem is that fans should already have a good idea of what witches and Magical Girls are capable of.

We already know so much about Magical Girl powers, because Mami revealed so much during the first 3 episodes of the original show, and the true horrors of becoming a Magical Girl were extended upon during the last few episodes of the first show. If Side Stories were to go over this even more, it would feel like a tedious drag to hear something that your very much aware of.

Of course, I can understand the criticism that moving fast in the show can be seen as a major problem, but considering that we've learnt far beyond the basics of the lore, there isn't too much more that can be said when it comes to how daunting it is to be a Magical Girl. Maybe this depends on the person, and I can still see why you would disagree with this opinion, I just don't find it to be as big a deal as several fans have.

Then there's also the characters. As far as I'm aware, most fans don't necessarily dislike any of these characters, yet they don't seem to have any positive feelings towards them. Now, this is going to be an incredibly hot take, but... I actually prefer some of the characters in this show more than I do the original.

Reminder, I said "some". Mami, Madoka, and Sayaka are still the best characters in the entire franchise in my opinion still, but I'm shocked seeing how little Iroha, Tsuruno, and the two Amane twins are talked about. Not only do a lot of the characters add so much to the original lore that are necessary to the first anime, but I would go as far as to say the main characters in this series have a much stronger bond than the original.

I'll do my greatest not to spoil, but the original Madoka anime a lot of the time had the friendships become toxic, disturbing, and overall, the characters were overwhelmed with who should be trusted or not. When it comes to Side Stories, its so refreshing to see the main characters (Iroha, Yachiyo, Tsuruno) get along perfectly while still maintaining the anime's ominous genre.

Some fans may prefer the characters constantly anxious with having to build a strong bond while also not constantly fearing for their lives like in the original anime, but I personally prefer to see the characters have several wholesome moments as they each live together and even at points comfort them during difficult times (especially once finding out Iroha's intentions throughout the episodes).

Side Stories I feel as though shouldn't be swept under the rug, and should be watched by every Madoka fan who wants to know about much more lore, characters, and some of the first Magical Girls. But also... the hate seems very valid. It was really hard finding a verdict for this anime, because while I enjoyed it very much, it also made so much sense as to why so many fans have already forgotten about it despite the fact that it's still running.

It then made me realise something... Side Stories will never be Madoka Magica, it will never match a majority of what made the original one of the greatest anime's ever... but there's a good reason why. Side Stories is fun, its easy to understand, it can be enjoyed by almost anyone, even those who barley are aware of the original shows existence.

If you've never even heard of Madoka Magica, Side Stories feels like its own show, it doesn't feel at all the same as what it was extending upon. When comparing, the show really is just as "fine" and "okay" as most people point out. However, when really taking into account that the intention behind this anime was to have fans take a step back from several depressing scenes from the original, and instead focus on the friendships and trusts that come with sticking together as Magical Girls, then I genuinely believe its amazing.

Originally, I was going to give this show the same rating I gave Madoka Magica, but after a lot of thinking, I'm only going to give it one point lower. Because on the surface, this could be seen as a lot more soulless compared to the original, but that's what the problem is, it's the "comparing" that drives this anime away from fans seeing how great it is.

In another world where for some reason the original anime never existed, I truly believe this show would be rated much higher. The issue is just that since the original was such an influential masterpiece that is termed as one of the greatest shows of all time, this anime couldn't handle those same points. But on its very own, Side Stories is without a doubt one of the most enjoyable anime's I have ever sat through.