 The darker approach to the popular magical girl subgenre in Japanese anime and manga was also a point of high praise by reviewers. In its take on the series, the staff at Japanator remarked that this trope "added a level of depth and complexity to the genre that we haven ’ t ever seen, and I don ’ t think we will see again. [...] Adding on that dressing gave the show a more perverse and cruel feeling to it, making it all the more compelling to watch." Liz Ohanesian of LA Weekly attributed the genre deconstruction of Puella Magi Madoka Magica to the series'popularity with older, male audiences, an otherwise unusual demographic to the genre. Furthermore, she commented on cultural impact that the series produced, observing that in both Japan and the US there has been incredible fan captivation surrounding the series. She credited the all-star crew including writer Urobuchi, director Shinbo, and the Shaft animation studio as "hitmakers" and described the anime as "a series designed for acclaim." TechnologyTell's Jenni Lada warned that the show's external appearance belied its true "darker and more twisted" essence. She recommended viewers watch at least three episodes in order to discover the series' true nature. Production I.G's Katsuyuki Motohiro watched Puella Magi Madoka Magica after hearing opinions that it exceeded Neon Genesis Evangelion. Upon viewing the series, he was so amazed that he began analyzing Urobuchi's other works and was then motivated to request Urobuchi to write the crime thriller Psycho-Pass.
