It's been a while since I last sat down and watched Madoka and it's movie, and, as my score for it would state, I didn't end up retaining it too well. Moments of the story I can still recall but it overall didn't leave as much of an impression on me as it has other people. I have a feeling this manga is likely to be the same. However, it was still a damn fine read.
The art in this is actually sort of a standout for me. Many of the battles in here were a spectacle to read, and their energy was always fun to sit in as they went. Without spoilers, the last battle was a genuine treat that I sort of wish could end up getting somehow animated just to see it in motion.
While the whole thing was enjoyable story wise, I do feel like the first volume was the best of the three. While the remaining two volumes of story are a good read, the first volume felt like a plenty complete story that I enjoyed about as equally on its own as with the rest attached. It being an adaptation of a drama cd, It makes me interested in seeing what the cd was like hehe. Even then though, I still retain a general feeling about volume 1 alone that I share with all of madoka so far, that I just don't really vibe enough with the story being told to have it become one of my favorite pieces of media. Regardless of that though, there are a few standout elements here that I do think the manga has that the show doesn't necessarily share.
A lot of my enjoyment stems from how much we get into Mami's head. Her constant struggle with loneliness was a feeling I could connect with, making her perhaps my new favorite character in the cast, originally being Homura. I also enjoyed getting into the headspace of Kyouko, and while I personally can't get behind her philosophy, I have a much better grasp of her as a character compared to how I felt walking away from the anime. Really the manga revolves around these two's relationship, with Miki acting as a driving force with her own tragic arc. If this were included in the show, I could maybe have seen myself walking away with a better memory of some of the characters beyond the obvious for those who know the show.
The only reason that this doesn't hit with me harder is less because of a flaw in the storytelling and more a difference in taste. The whole thing reads really nicely and is a worthwhile addition to someone's experience with the anime. I just don't have a taste for these characters and this story the same way other's do. Regardless, I'll likely be bullied into experiencing the remaining madoka media before the fourth movie comes out so we'll see if my feelings are swayed by any of those
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