I'm sorry to disappoint you, but Madoka Magica is an unalloyed masterpiece. I was "eh" at Episode 1, "hmm" at Episode 2, and by the end of Episode 3 I was fully engaged, entirely absorbed, and giving it my complete attention. The ending explains too much and drags out a bit. I recognize that's cultural in many ways. It's also entirely necessary to start it the way it does - slow and banal - in order to entrench the viewer in its world. I'll be watching it again, and watching it again soon. I would say it doesn't just rank highly amongst Anime - it's easily the best anime I've ever seen - but highly amongst television. The plotting and story are absolutely top-notch. Thanks for the recommendation. I was completely blown away. EDIT: mk - it is breaking my heart that I cannot embed this gif.
Would you like to make a contract? Hell yeah, I'm glad you liked it! It's always fun seeing someone react to the show for the first time. They just released Rebellion, a film continuation of the show's story that I didn't even realize I wanted or was necessary until I had seen it. It also contains one of the best animated fight scenes I've ever seen. If you ever end up watching that, let me know what you think of it as well. And that soundtrack. Unf. Edit: The second rewatch really changes your perspective on the entire show. I watched it again with my sister, it being her first watch, and it's like watching an entirely different show that time around. Episode Ten: I Won't Rely On Anyone Anymore, is one of the best episodes of a show I've ever seen. Totally didn't see it coming.
I haven't, but my sis and I have got a #SummerOfAnime2014 thing going on, so it shall be added to the list posthaste. I will let you know what I think after I've seen it. I think you recommended My Name Is Earl, btw, thanks for that. It's a nice balance switching between that and the League, as the League has a cast full of assholes, while Earl gets some nice character development per-episode. Both are hilarious, though.
I had a coalgirls rip, but when my server went down (after neglecting to inform me it hadn't been backing up for a month) I somehow managed to not restore it. Fortunately, Lain is now on bloody Hulu so that's pretty hilarious. Raising Hope ain't bad, either. Earl is better.