Was a/the writer of Madoka Magica influenced by a specific anime that was broadcasting at the time?


I once read the following tidbit about the development of _Mahou Shoujo Madoka
Magica_ , but I cannot recall the other anime involved, and I cannot find a
source mentioning this.

As I recall, one of the writers or producers of _Madoka_ was watching a
certain anime as it was being broadcast, and it influenced them when they
either wrote the script for _Madoka_ or just got a certain key idea between
two episodes. This person later remarked that, had they finished watching the
anime before writing anything, the plot of _Madoka_ would have been much
different (possibly less dark?).

Is this true, and, if so, what was that other anime?




If you're talking about the lead writer, Gen Orobuchi, then yes. He was
[influenced](https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2012-01-29/madoka-
magica-writer-inspired-by-stephen-king-hidamari-sketch-nanoha-cossette) by the
works of American author Stephen King and Japanese director Akiyuki Shinbo (in
particular _Hidamari Sketch, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha_ , and _Le Portrait
de Petite Cossette_ ).

