New Madoka Magica Anime Reveals Release Window

Although Puella Magi Madoka Magica‘s original anime series came to a definitive end (although that depends on how you feel about the film sequels), the franchise has been living a pretty fruitful life through its recent mobile game spin-off set in an alternate universe from the original series. Fans were surprised to find out that Magia Record would be branching out with a new anime project of its own this year, but now it’s been confirmed that the wait will be just a little long than expected.

During a special event celebrating the Magia Record mobile game in Japan, it was revealed that the anime has been delayed from its initial release window of 2019 to a currently unconfirmed release in January 2020 in Japan. Studio SHAFT, the production studio behind the new anime, apologized to fans about the delay through its official Twitter account.

Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story is directed by Gekidan Inu Curry and original Madoka Magica series director Yukihiro Miyamoto for SHAFT. Takumi Ozawa is composing the music, Yota Tsuruoka is directing the sound, and the original character designs are provided by Ume Aoki. The anime series is based on the story found in the 2017 Madoka Magica Gaiden mobile game.

Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Gaiden follows a young girl named Iroha Tamaki as she searches for her missing younger sister Ui in the strange city of Kamihama, where various magical girls are gathering to do battle. Meeting with Madoka, the main character of the mainline series, as she’s searching for a missing Homura, Iroha becomes a magical girl fueled by a wish to rescue her sister from a strange illness.

The anime series will feature an original character, Kuroe, performed by Kana Hanazawa, and she joins the previously confirmed cast of Momo Asakura as Iroha Tamaki, Sora Amamiya as Yachiyo Nanami, Shiina Natsukawa as Tsuruno Yui, Ayane Sakura as Felicia Mitsuki, Yui Ogura as Sana Futaba, Mikako Komatsu as Momoko Togame, Ayaka Ohashi as Kaede Akino, and Kaori Ishihara as Rena Minami.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica was originally produced as a joint effort between SHAFT and Aniplex. Directed by Akiyuki Shinbo and written by Gen Urobuchi, the series follows middle school students named Madoka and Sayaka who happen upon a mysterious creature named Kyubey. It tells them that they can have any wish they want granted in exchange for imbuing them with magical powers meant to fight witches. The series is especially known by fans for twisting common conceptions of the magical girl genre and generally being a dark series contrasting with its art design.