 The darker approach to the popular magical girl subgenre in Japanese anime and manga was also a point of high praise by reviewers . In its take on the series , the staff at Japanator remarked that this trope " added a level of depth and complexity to the genre that we haven ’ t ever seen , and I don ’ t think we will see again . [ ... ] Adding on that dressing gave the show a more perverse and cruel feeling to it , making it all the more compelling to watch . " Liz Ohanesian of LA Weekly attributed the genre deconstruction of Puella Magi Madoka Magica to the series ' popularity with older , male audiences , an otherwise unusual demographic to the genre . Furthermore , she commented on cultural impact that the series produced , observing that in both Japan and the US there has been incredible fan captivation surrounding the series . She credited the all @-@ star crew including writer Urobuchi , director Shinbo , and the Shaft animation studio as " hitmakers " and described the anime as " a series designed for acclaim . " TechnologyTell 's Jenni Lada warned that the show 's external appearance belied its true " darker and more twisted " essence . She recommended viewers watch at least three episodes in order to discover the series ' true nature . Production I.G 's Katsuyuki Motohiro watched Puella Magi Madoka Magica after hearing opinions that it exceeded Neon Genesis Evangelion . Upon viewing the series , he was so amazed that he began analyzing Urobuchi 's other works and was then motivated to request Urobuchi to write the crime thriller Psycho @-@ Pass . 
