Why do people keep ranking 2011's Madoka over the 2003 Key remake?

I keep seeing folks put Madoka Magica on their all-time lists and call it the best magical girl show, but nobody talks about the 2003 Kino's Journey TV series. That show had 13 episodes and a clear moral pulse, it never relied on shock twists. Am I the only one who thinks the quiet episodes like the one in the desert town hit harder than any witch reveal? What's the deal with the hype cycle on this?

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max_ramirez481mo ago

Is it just me or did that desert town episode feel like a gut punch that sticks with you for weeks? I totally get what you're saying, I watched Kino's Journey way after the hype died down and it honestly made me feel things Madoka never did. The slow pacing and the way every little choice mattered, not some big magical explosion, that's what I remember years later. I tried rewatching Madoka recently and the witch stuff just feels like a trick, you know, it's clever but it doesn't dig into you the same way. Kino just sits with its questions and lets you sit with them too, no rushing to a big twist. I feel like people chase the shock factor and forget that quiet stories can hit so much harder.