I know its way too early to give a glowing review about the side story but if we are starting out this strong in the first episode, i wont mind doing that. I've been a PMMM fan since watching the main series in high school and was in love but of course I came into this already wondering if they will keep key plot points from the main series ( i.e in the third movie). while its a hope, I doubt much that they will. I like that the animators have stuck with the same feel of the series with the scenery, witch and character design, as well as keeping some of the same recognizable OSTs while adding a few new score tracks in as well. If you can't tell I am very very excited for this series and very much in love with it already. Its a must for all PMMM fans!

I was a bit sceptical, I'll openly admit. I've only seen the main series of this show, which I thought was absolutely superb in all fields. Animation, drawings, sound design, music, voice acting and most importantly, story.

"It'll be hard to replicate this, especially since we somewhat know now what awaits us" I thought. Two episodes have been released at the time of this review, and I must say, I'm already completely hooked. They caught the art style and animation flow of the predecessor show perfectly, and the story is already intriguing. I'm anxious for it to continue, and it's going to take a week for the next episode. Gnah.

If you're new to this world - watch the predecessor series first (Puella Magi Madoka Magica). Then, come join this ride. I doubt you will be disappointed by it.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica was an extremely interesting take on the magical girl genre. It built up a world where little girls made a wish and in exchange for that wish would fight enemies called witches. But, there was an extremely dark secret under that story...

8 and a half years later - we get Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story. Most of us who have watched the original series know the jist of what happened and what is going on. However, this is exploring something different from the original series and has the magical girls fighting something other then witches. Yet, 'whatever' it is they are fighting is still quite sinister.

Some initial thoughts to throw out regarding this entry - so far it seems decent. The tone is a lot 'lighter' in feeling compared to the original; but at the time of writing this review we are only 5 episodes in (and the original certainly showed it can rapidly go quite tense in tone all at once).

So I won't write much more here and just drop one final tidbit - why the 4 star rating if everything is quite good so far? Simply due to the fact that while this has a distinct feel to it - we haven't really seen anything as fantastical brilliant yet that was seen in the original. This anime is definitely good - good enough to recommend, but it isn't quite yet at the level of 'must see' in my opinion.

Edit:

Upon further viewing up to episode 6, I'm now dropping this down to 3 stars. Getting to what is usually the halfway point of a series, we get introduced to another character and begin to see another 'mystery' unfold, but nothing of the overall mystery is really being revealed. I'm fine with the occasional slow anime but this is moving far too slowly and is becoming more of a chore to watch. Hopefully in future episodes it will get better, but right now I'm neither recommending for or against on this one.

Writing this 6 episodes in, they seem to have captured sort of the same tone, but really this story just isn't that compelling. I don't really care about any of the characters. It's almost like taking this franchise and pushing it into the cliche format of "stuff happens then they battle the monster of the week and win". There's so many main characters, it's hard to really feel connected to anyone.

It really feels like it embraces the cliched genre the original only nominally was a nod to.

A classic mystery adventure in a fantasy setting. The story is set in it's own series of events so watching related shows/movies is not necessary to enjoy it fully, it is a true side story. If I had to say something good about this show it would easily be the art. Visuals is a treat to the eyes, with backgrounds, details, and adornments that create a very artistic environment at all times. Use of color is phenomenal, with art that bleeds beautiful hues of harmonizing light and darkness, creating very convincing themes and areas for characters to explore. Characters are well designed. An ample cast of lively and unique characters will hook you once you find a favorite. A high attention to detail is placed in character profiles, giving them distinct personalities and relationships that add depth. Voice acting is solid. Animation has it's wonderful moments as well as awkward ones, but at least characters move very fluidly. If I had to say something bad about this show it would be the pacing. What starts off as a linear story quickly grows into a messy adventure with so many different ideas going on. The story is constantly interrupted by side adventures that make following the main story a chore. At times it feels like there is no main character, as if each character fights for screen time rather than by all being sharing a role in the story. Animated action lacks excitement. It's done well but plays out far too simple, lacking the complexity that would normally make you jump out of your chair.
Overall it's a very old school mystery disguised as a magical girls adventure with impressive visuals. Trying to enjoy the story is a pain, but once you find your favorite characters I doubt you'll think about dropping this one. Favorite characters: Felicia, Iroha. I give it a 8/10.
TL;DR Version: Slightly dark fantasy mystery. Stunning visuals, quality characters. Story and pacing like a slow speed train wreck. Ending will make or break the show. The art!