Manga differences

This page is to list differences between the original anime version of Madoka Magica, and the manga adaptation.

This page will need extensive cleanup before posting in main namespace, it's just a scratchpad now.

General/recurring differences

Character designs - manga characters have more traditional proportions, while anime is more liberal in treatment of other aspects of Aoki Ume's original designs.
- Sayaka has a double-bladed sword in the manga, and a single-bladed one in the anime
- Kyubey has bigger eyes and actually shows facial expressions in the manga

Shots of Madoka running through the corridor and stairs are not shown in the manga; the manga begins straight with Homura's fight with Walpurgis Night.
Manga panels are framed in such a way that Walpurgis Night is not visible to the reader.

The scene of Madoka waking up is shown before the opening sequence in the anime; in the manga, it is after the title pages of the chapter (which are after the prologue scene nevertheless).
Madoka's short conversation with her dad, and the scene of waking the mom are omitted in the manga.
Madoka and her mom's conversation during the morning bathroom routine is greatly abbreviated in the manga. Exchange of current love life gossips and Junko putting on her makeup are omitted. Only choosing Madoka's hair ribbons and the related conversation is preserved.

Conversation between Madoka, Sayaka and Hitomi is abbreviated in the manga. As Madoka was not talking about love life with her mom in the manga, there is no talk about love letters and alike.
When Madoka and Homura are going to the nurse's office, Madoka says that Homura is a pretty name in the anime. In the manga, it was changed that Madoka asks whether they've met each other before.
Depiction of Homura solving math problems and getting outstanding results during sports class is retained only as a single illustration to Sayaka mentioning it during the later conversation between the girls in the cafeteria.
In the manga, Sayaka, having heard about Madoka seeing Homura in her dream, is almost literally suggesting a romantic pairing of them, which is further emphasized by an imaginary illustration of the two of them holding hands. In the anime, such explicit suggestions aren't made.

The building where Madoka meets Kyuubey is much more plain in the manga, and not as dark as in the anime.
While Homura is very sparing of words during the chase after Kyuubey and subsequent talk with Madoka, she is not as much so in the manga. She mentions Kyuubey's "dirty tricks" and using expressions like "I don't want to hurt you, but if you wont move...".
Anthonies are more regular and geometric in shape, and have noses and mouths.
While Mami is having a short conversation with Madoka and Sayaka while still in human form, in the manga she appears already transformed. Likewise, the conversation with Homura after the fight is also omitted.
Mami summons just a single cannon in the manga, in contrast to her multiple muskets in the anime.
While Mami doesn't introduce herself to the girls until Episode 2 of the anime, she does so in the manga's Chapter 1.
While Kyuubey introduces himself in the anime, he is introduced by Mami in the manga.
Mami expresses suprise to Kyuubey's intention of making contracts with Madoka and Sayaka, The anime has no such line.

The scenes of Madoka's and her mom's morning bathroom routine, visit to Mami's apartment, and morning at school are intertwined in the anime, while they are presented one after another in the manga.
- The morning routine scene is also significantly abbreviated in the manga, leaving the Madoka's question what the mom's wish would be unanswered. In the anime, Junko replies that she'd "fire all but two of the staff" at her company.
- Mami's place looks smaller in the manga, but has nicer furniture and a "warmer" feel overall.
- In the manga, the conversation about Homura between the second-years and Mami happens before Mami proposing to go to a witch hunt together. In the anime, it occurs at the end of the visit.
The portion of the lesson shown in the anime is omitted in the manga.
Madoka's costume designs include a bow and arrow in the manga. There is no such thing drawn in the anime version. However, the anime drawings also include depictions of Mami and Homura. The other girls' reaction is also different - they are laughing at Madoka in the anime, but get "shadow faces" in the manga.
Sayaka's bat, upon Mami's spell, changes its appearance completely in the anime, but merely starts glowing in the manga.
Mami's final attack is called "Filo Finale" (フィロ・フィナーレ) in the manga, not "Tiro Finale" (ティロ・フィナーレ) like in the anime. Mami's cannon is also much smaller in the manga.

Mami's backstory and wish are only hinted visually in the anime. In the manga, she gives the thorough explanation and reveals her wish as "Save me..." (助けて・・・). However, in the anime, she talks about not regretting the decision - this line is omitted in the manga.
The scene of helping the drunk mother and talk with father afterwards is omitted in the manga.
A brief scene of talk between Mami and Homura is omitted as well.
In the scene where Sayaka and Madoka find a Grief Seed on the hospital's wall, Sayaka's thoughts (recalling Mami's warnings about Grief Seeds in hospitals, and worries about Kyousuke) are shown in the manga. In the anime, there's only a brief shot of Kyousuke's bed.
The talk between Madoka and Mami about Madoka's possible wish is significantly abbreviated in the manga, the most notable difference being omitting Mami's suggestions about "thinking how to benefit from the contract" and the "let's get Kyuubey to treat us to a cake!" line.
The second, caterpillar-like form of Charlotte looks completely different in the manga, being more traditionally scary than cartoonish. The shot of tearing Mami's head off is also much more gory in the manga.
The manga ends with descriptive words "None of us understood anything - neither what wishing for a miracle meant nor what had to be done in return...". Nothing like that occurs in the anime.