I absolutely love Madoka Magica, and Magia Record, as part of the franchise, also falls within that adoration. I played both the American and Japanese versions of the game, and I remember my time with them dearly. This means I experienced the story firsthand, so I feel I can understand what the studio was trying to do here.
For starters, despite all critiques and issues I might have towards it, I actually enjoyed the anime a lot! It went down a much darker path than the original game, but for anyone familiar with the franchise, that’s nothing new. The game leaned more toward hope, with the expectation of continuing its story, while the anime chose to end on a far more ambiguous and bleak note. It really tried to portray the inevitability and despair that comes with becoming a Magical Girl. I also noticed that the Holy Quintet played a much more active role in the anime’s plot than they did in the game, and I was all in for that. After the movie’s endless delays, I’ll take anything if it means more time with my girls.
The series clearly suffered from production issues. COVID caused problems across the industry, and SHAFT was no exception. Combined with staff shortages and other ongoing projects, the cracks were especially visible in season two (looking at you episode 6 lol.) Still, it felt like the team chose to prioritize visual symbolism and thematic weight over fluid combat and polished character animation. Some episodes looked awful, yet still managed to remain surprisingly interesting.
Despite all their efforts sadly, the story still felt rushed. Even with my prior knowledge of the game, I sometimes struggled to follow what was happening, so I can only imagine how confusing it must have been for someone watching the anime blind. That said, I genuinely believe the story could have worked within the 24 episodes it had, if two major issues had been handled differently.
Kuroe
She was adorable, and her costume was simple and cute. However, she should have been removed entirely. As an anime-original character, her inclusion made very little sense and ended up being a major mistake. Since Magia Record is based on a gacha game, it already has a massive cast, many of whom appeared as cameos, which was perfectly fine. Those characters worked as background presences without major narrative relevance. Kuroe’s screen time could have been better spent fleshing out the Mikazuki Villa girls’ relationships or adding breathing room to the story. The cast was already large enough, and dedicating so much time to her felt unnecessary. She was later added to the game because of the anime, but my point remains.
Connects
The inclusion of Connects should have been handled more naturally. I understand that, since the anime is based on a game, the staff wanted to incorporate gameplay mechanics, but this needed to be done gradually and from the start. Instead, Connects were suddenly introduced in season two, which made them feel forced, convenient, and, worst of all, dumb. Conceptually, they work as a counterpart to the Doppel system, especially since the anime darkened Doppels by making it irreversible after repeated use. It’s important to remember that similar skills had been used previously, we saw Madoka and Mami using something very similar in Rebellion actually, so it’s not something that couldn’t have been handled with more care. Unfortunately, Connects ended up feeling like a cheap “power of friendship” solution that resolved conflicts too easily, especially when saving girls from their Doppels.
All in all, despite its flaws, the Magia Record anime was a strong addition to the franchise, and I enjoyed it a lot. For anyone who wants to properly explore these girls’ story, I’d recommend playing Magia Exedra. It has already adapted the Magia Record storyline and continues to expand the universe with stories that have yet to be animated.
