WARNING: Possible spoilers ahead.

So...where to I start? Puella Magi Madoka Magica is one kind of an anime. You know, you always get these cute magical girls, where they have to fight some malevolent dark force and always emerge victorious with the power of love, or friendship. You'd think it'd be the same for Madoka Magica, but, let me tell you. You are about to witness some great tale.

Story
Let's start small. We have main protagonist Madoka Kaname having a peaceful life, with friends, family, nothing could go wrong, right? Well, if it weren't for that dream which occurs to her one night - a black haired girl fighting an abominational creature which are refered her as "witches". After waking up and going to school, she realizes that exactly that girl is now in her class. Hearing a help call from a small, cute creature named Kyubey, Madoka and her best friend Sayaka quickly find themselves in the crossfire of that very girl - the mysterious Homura Akemi, which is revealed to be a Magical Girl. After escaping, they find themselves in a witch barrier but soon get saved by another magical girl, Mami Tomoe. Kyubey then offers Sayaka and Madoka a great chance - they get any wish fulfilled, no matter how crazy. In return, they will become Magical Girls and dedicate their life with fighting witches. And so, a new tale is set in motion...which may or may not end into a catastrophe.

Characters
For one, we have Madoka - the protagonist. A cute and loving pink haired girl which is always upbeat and happy. Shortly after, we have her friend Sayaka Miki, a blue haired, cool and tomboy kind of girl. Homura Akemi is the third character, the mysterious magical girl, who seems to have her reasons for hunting down Kyubey. Mami Tomoe is the fourth girl, a high leveled student at the same school Madoka, Sayaka and Homura go to - and also a magical girl. Last but not least, the fifth girl, later introduced - Kyouko Sakura, a somewhat vicious red haired girl who is naive and wouldn't hold back to kill you if you would get in her way.

Kyubey rounds the character line up - a small cat like creature, the one who contracts girls to make them become magical girls and granting their wishes. Of course, there are some important side characters, like Madoka's mother and Hitomi, a friend of Madoka and Sayaka.

Music
The music is flawless and perfect. It fits for every scene. The opening song is a typical upbeat song with dark lyrics, but hopeful, while the first ending song seems like the chill track you would expect, but changing with Episode 3, the second ending song arrives, which does not know mercy - at all. Dark atmosphere, dark lyrics and orchestral-guitar driven. What else can you ask for?

Art
The artstyle is...special, to say the least. Sometimes, it feels very weird and derpy, but mostly, it is cool drawn. The anime seems to take a lot of influence from german mythology, which is interesting. The magical girl designs are pretty and how the last scenes of the anime are portrayed is breathtaking. Very well done.

Overall
Overall, Madoka Magica is one hell of a great anime. It has it's epic moments, it's heartwarming scenes, it's cruel and crazy atmosphere sometimes, but all rounded up, it has that epic feel you are looking for. I suggest you to go and watch it, to get an look for yourself of how the magical girl scene can be deconstructed. The anime is available per DVD, but is also available on Netflix in some countries.