Puella Magi Madoka Magica, released in 2011, revolutionized the magical girl genre by transforming cute tropes into a harrowing tale of despair, sacrifice, and existential horror. At its core, the series subverts expectations through intricate power systems tied to emotional turmoil, underdog protagonists fighting against overwhelming odds, and narrative twists that challenge the innocence of youth.
These 15 underrated anime, spanning from early 2000s classics to recent gems, deserve more spotlight for their bold storytelling, psychological depth, and innovative takes on similar themes, offering fans fresh ways to dive into dark fantasy without the mainstream hype.
1. Yuki Yuna Is a Hero (2014)
Current Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll, HIDIVE.
MAL Rating: 7.4/10.
Episode Count: 12.
Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Seiji Kishi at Studio Gokumi; written by Makoto Uezu.
Awards/Recognition: Nominated for Best TV Anime at the 2015 Tokyo Anime Awards.
Yuna Yuki and her friends in the Hero Club are chosen to defend their world from monstrous Vertex threats using magical powers granted by a divine entity. As battles intensify, they uncover the heavy toll of heroism on their bodies and minds.
This series mirrors Madoka Magica’s subversion of magical girl innocence through self-sacrifice and underdog resilience, with a power system that exacts permanent physical costs, emphasizing themes of friendship and loss in a deceptively bright animation style.
2. Magical Girl Raising Project (2016)
Current Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll.
MAL Rating: 7.0/10.
Episode Count: 12.
Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Hiroyuki Hashimoto at Lerche; based on Asari Endou’s light novels.
Awards/Recognition: None major, but praised for its intense survival narrative in niche communities.
In a game-turned-reality, 16 magical girls compete for survival by collecting “candies” through good deeds, only for the rules to twist into a deadly elimination battle. Alliances form and shatter as hidden agendas emerge.
Like Madoka, it subverts the genre with a brutal power system where wishes lead to betrayal and death, focusing on underdog survivors in a high-stakes underdog story that highlights psychological horror and narrative deception.
3. Black Rock Shooter (2012)
Current Streaming Availability: HIDIVE.
MAL Rating: 6.9/10.
Episode Count: 8.
Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Shinobu Yoshioka at Ordet x Sanzigen; character designs inspired by huke.
Awards/Recognition: Won Best Original Anime at the 2012 Tokyo Anime Awards.
Mato Kuroi befriends Yomi Takanashi, but their real-world emotional struggles manifest in an alternate dimension where their alter egos battle as armored warriors. The fights symbolize inner turmoil and fractured bonds.
It echoes Madoka’s themes of emotional power systems and underdog protagonists through its dual-world narrative, subverting expectations with psychological depth and a unique blend of fluid, high-contrast animation styles.
4. Magical Girl Site (2018)
Current Streaming Availability: Prime Video.
MAL Rating: 6.8/10.
Episode Count: 12.
Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Tadahito Matsubayashi at production doA; based on Kentaro Sato’s manga.
Awards/Recognition: Noted for its graphic intensity in dark anime circles.
Bullied teen Aya Asagiri gains magical powers from a mysterious website, using them to fight back against her abusers while uncovering a larger conspiracy of despair and survival. Her path intersects with other tormented girls forming uneasy alliances.
Similar to Madoka, it features a dark power system fueled by trauma, underdog redemption arcs, and genre subversion through gore and moral ambiguity, with gritty animation amplifying the horror.
5. Takopi’s Original Sin (2025)
Current Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll (upcoming).
MAL Rating: N/A (new release; manga rated 8.2/10).
Episode Count: 8 (mini-series).
Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by an unannounced team; based on Taizan 5’s manga.
Awards/Recognition: Manga won the 2023 Next Manga Award.
An alien named Takopi arrives on Earth to spread happiness but befriends a bullied girl, using time-manipulating gadgets to alter her tragic fate, only to unravel deeper sins and consequences.
This fresh entry subverts expectations like Madoka with time-loop power systems and underdog innocence lost to despair, employing a cartoonish yet disturbing animation style to explore guilt and redemption.
6. Princess Tutu (2002)
Current Streaming Availability: HIDIVE.
MAL Rating: 8.1/10.
Episode Count: 26.
Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Junichi Sato at Hal Film Maker; music by Kaoru Wada.
Awards/Recognition: Praised for fairy-tale innovation at anime festivals.
A duck transformed into a girl uses ballet-based magic to restore a prince’s shattered heart, navigating a storybook world where her actions rewrite fates amid dark manipulations.
It shares Madoka’s subversion of fairy-tale tropes through meta-narrative and underdog heroism, with a graceful animation style that masks psychological power struggles and emotional depth.
7. My-HiME (2004)
Current Streaming Availability: Funimation.
MAL Rating: 7.4/10.
Episode Count: 26.
Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Masakazu Obara at Sunrise.
Awards/Recognition: Influential in early dark magical girl trends.
Mai Tokiha attends a school where girls summon powerful creatures called CHILDs to battle orphans, but personal attachments lead to devastating sacrifices.
Mirroring Madoka’s themes, it features a power system tied to emotional bonds and underdog battles against fate, subverting the genre with high-stakes drama and fluid action animation.
8. Revue Starlight (2018)
Current Streaming Availability: HIDIVE.
MAL Rating: 7.8/10.
Episode Count: 12.
Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Tomohiro Furukawa at Kinema Citrus.
Awards/Recognition: Won Best TV Anime at the 2019 Crunchyroll Anime Awards.
Aspiring stage girls compete in surreal underground auditions using weaponized performances to claim stardom, revealing hidden desires and rivalries.
Like Madoka, it subverts performance arts with competitive power systems and underdog narratives, using theatrical animation and lighting for psychological intensity.
9. Symphogear (2012)
Current Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll.
MAL Rating: 7.0/10.
Episode Count: 13 (Season 1; multiple seasons).
Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Tatsuya Nagamine at Satelight/Encourage Films.
Awards/Recognition: Cult following for its music-action fusion.
Girls wield symphonic armor powered by songs to fight alien threats, balancing idol lives with brutal combat and personal growth.
It echoes Madoka’s underdog empowerment and subversion through musical power systems, with dynamic animation highlighting emotional highs and lows.
10. Daybreak Illusion (2013)
Current Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll.
MAL Rating: 6.7/10.
Episode Count: 13.
Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Keizo Kusakawa at Aniplex.
Awards/Recognition: Underrated gem in dark magical girl discussions.
Tarot-wielding girls battle daemons born from human negativity, uncovering family secrets and the cost of their inherited powers.
Similarities include power systems linked to fate and underdog subversion, with tarot-inspired animation adding mystical narrative twists.
11. Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka (2019)
Current Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll.
MAL Rating: 6.5/10.
Episode Count: 12.
Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Hideyo Yamamoto at LIDENFILMS.
Awards/Recognition: Noted for military-magical blend.
Former magical girl Asuka returns to civilian life but is pulled back into combat against terrorist threats using enchanted gear.
It subverts Madoka’s themes with PTSD-fueled underdog stories and tactical power systems, employing realistic animation for gritty action.
12. Selector Infected WIXOSS (2014)
Current Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll.
MAL Rating: 7.2/10.
Episode Count: 12.
Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Takuya Sato at J.C. Staff.
Awards/Recognition: Praised for card-game horror elements.
Girls battle in a card game where wishes grant powers but trap them in cycles of despair and rivalry.
Like Madoka, it features wish-based power systems and underdog psychological horror, with shadowy animation enhancing the subversion.
13. Wonder Egg Priority (2021)
Current Streaming Availability: Funimation.
MAL Rating: 7.5/10.
Episode Count: 12.
Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Shin Wakabayashi at CloverWorks.
Awards/Recognition: Nominated for Best Original Anime at Crunchyroll Awards 2022.
Ai Ohto enters dream worlds to rescue “wonder eggs” representing traumatized girls, confronting her own grief.
It mirrors Madoka’s emotional subversion and underdog resilience through surreal power systems, with vibrant yet haunting animation.
14. Flip Flappers (2016)
Current Streaming Availability: HIDIVE.
MAL Rating: 7.3/10.
Episode Count: 13.
Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Kiyotaka Oshiyama at Studio 3Hz.
Awards/Recognition: Acclaimed for psychedelic visuals.
Cocona and Papika explore illusionary worlds to collect fragments granting wishes, facing identity crises.
Subverting exploration tropes like Madoka, it uses dimensional power systems and underdog bonds, with wildly inventive animation styles.
15. Land of the Lustrous (2017)
Current Streaming Availability: HIDIVE.
MAL Rating: 8.4/10.
Episode Count: 12.
Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Takahiko Kyogoku at Orange; pioneering 3D CGI.
Awards/Recognition: Won Best TV Anime at 2018 Crunchyroll Awards.
Immortal gems battle lunar invaders, with Phosphophyllite’s underdog journey revealing existential truths about their world.
It shares Madoka’s themes of fragile power systems and subversion through immortality’s costs, highlighted by groundbreaking 3D animation.
Why These Anime Work for Madoka Magica Fans
These series captivate by twisting familiar magical girl elements into profound explorations of power, vulnerability, and unexpected darkness, much like Madoka’s own genius. They blend underdog triumphs with narrative surprises, often through innovative visuals or mechanics, making them perfect for fans craving emotional depth without the spotlight of bigger hits. Dive in to rediscover the genre’s hidden edges.
