In the city of Mitakihara, a 14-year old girl named Madoka Kaname and her best friend Sayaka Miki are approached by a strange familiar named Kyubey. This creature offers a contract in which a girl can have any wish granted in exchange for becoming a magical girl tasked with fighting against Witches, manifestations of despair that are responsible for unexplained murders and suicides. Meanwhile, a transfer student named Homura Akemi tries to stop Madoka from becoming a magical girl at all costs. As Madoka contemplates becoming a magical girl, she learns that a magical girl\'s life isn\'t as glamorous as she thought and is filled with anguish, suffering and despair. Soon coming to learn the dark secrets between magical girls and witches and the burden it places on her friends, Madoka struggles to decide if there really is a wish worth risking her life for.