Puella Magi Madoka Magica (2011)

12 episodes. Two ordinary middle school girls are offered a wish in exchange for becoming magical girls, and the bargain turns out to be far worse than it sounds. Do not let the pastel character designs put you off. The witches' worlds, designed by the animation duo Gekidan Inu Curry in a stop-motion collage style, are some of the most striking visuals in TV anime, and the story treats every wish as a contract with a cost. It is darker than it looks and moves quickly, with the big turn arriving early. Later films pick the story up again, but the series ending stands on its own, and plenty of fans stop there.