Anime Review Puella Magi Madoka Magica Volume 1

Longtime anime fans know the "magical girl" concept like the backs of their hands. An ordinary girl is offered the opportunity to wield great power against bad guys, transforming from her everyday appearance into a doubly-cute avatar of all that's good and innocent.

Shows like Sailor Moon codified the concept; shows like Cardcaptor Sakura expanded on it. Now comes the U.S. release of Puella Magi Madoka Magica, the first magical-girl show in some time to take the idea and push it into some unexpected and surprising new directions.

Madoka Magica has been garnering quite a bit of attention long before its release in English (courtesy of Aniplex USA). Aniplex have been pushing the show hard, with English cast interviews posted on their official YouTube channel and an in-person meet-and-greet with the voice cast held in California today.

The first episode of the series has gone live on popular (legit) anime streaming site Crunchyroll, with one new episode set to go live each week. (Check Aniplex's streaming calendar for other venues in the future, too.)

Now check out our review of the first four-episode volume and find out for yourself what all the excitement's been about.

Image: 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica Volume 1. Image courtesy Pricegrabber.