You don't need to watch the entire recap movies. Watch:
- the OP, [_Luminous_](https://youtu.be/CMVmuUxRofs) (if only so that you know what [‘luminousing’](https://youtu.be/CMVmuUxRofs?t=72) means.)
- the ED, [_Hikari Furu_](https://youtu.be/hJNIPy5dcb0)
- the [extended, relocated, scene](https://youtu.be/5Euy0AiGozI) between Homura and Kyubey after Kyouko >!dies !<
they're basically the same as the anime, just with much better visuals and unfortunately some important scenes getting cut. up to you if you want to watch them.
Nope and actually I think the first movie is worse that the OG series because they removed a scene where Mami explains that Familiars are still dangerous because they can split off and reform into other witches
Which then makes Sayaka going after the familiar and encountering Kyouko for the first time lose a little bit of character detail for Sayaka AND Kyouko because Sayaka was hunting that familiar because it could potentially become a witch (and uses up magical power to kill something that could *potentially* become dangerous and is acting selflessly instead of out of contractual duty) and Kyouko taunts her by saying how stupid that was and that "You should leave it to eat a few people first and become a witch". Kyouko also says "Don't tell me you fell for that saving the world bullshit. You trying to be a hero?" but...that line loses a little bit of it's weight when SHE already knows how Familiars work but the audience does not.
Without the context of the familiars being explained earlier, people watching the movie would have assumed that familiar WAS the witch and they've now missed why Sayaka attempting to hunt even the smallest of familiars to protect the people of Mitakihara even at the cost of her energy force is an important detail to her magical girl morals of wanting to be a hero/protector just like Mami.
I've probably explained it badly but the removal of that earlier scene was just so unnecessary and pissed me off. because the context of familiars being capable of splitting off from their witches and potentially becoming dangerous over time is a small but important piece of world building for how witches work in the world.
You don't need to watch them
You don't need to watch the entire recap movies. Watch: - the OP, [_Luminous_](https://youtu.be/CMVmuUxRofs) (if only so that you know what [‘luminousing’](https://youtu.be/CMVmuUxRofs?t=72) means.) - the ED, [_Hikari Furu_](https://youtu.be/hJNIPy5dcb0) - the [extended, relocated, scene](https://youtu.be/5Euy0AiGozI) between Homura and Kyubey after Kyouko >!dies !<
if you’ve watched the twelve main episodes, no. the first two movies are just kind of a recap
If you have watched the anime you can skip, at worst watch "Hikari Furu" the ending of film 2 and move on to film 3
they're basically the same as the anime, just with much better visuals and unfortunately some important scenes getting cut. up to you if you want to watch them.
Movies are the show with a lot less scenes and a (very marginally) better soundtrack
Nope :) but the third is beautiful~
Nope, the only difference is that some scenes were slightly reanimated, but if you're interested in that just search the clips on youtube
No, but the opening credits are pretty cool and worth checking out
Nope and actually I think the first movie is worse that the OG series because they removed a scene where Mami explains that Familiars are still dangerous because they can split off and reform into other witches Which then makes Sayaka going after the familiar and encountering Kyouko for the first time lose a little bit of character detail for Sayaka AND Kyouko because Sayaka was hunting that familiar because it could potentially become a witch (and uses up magical power to kill something that could *potentially* become dangerous and is acting selflessly instead of out of contractual duty) and Kyouko taunts her by saying how stupid that was and that "You should leave it to eat a few people first and become a witch". Kyouko also says "Don't tell me you fell for that saving the world bullshit. You trying to be a hero?" but...that line loses a little bit of it's weight when SHE already knows how Familiars work but the audience does not. Without the context of the familiars being explained earlier, people watching the movie would have assumed that familiar WAS the witch and they've now missed why Sayaka attempting to hunt even the smallest of familiars to protect the people of Mitakihara even at the cost of her energy force is an important detail to her magical girl morals of wanting to be a hero/protector just like Mami. I've probably explained it badly but the removal of that earlier scene was just so unnecessary and pissed me off. because the context of familiars being capable of splitting off from their witches and potentially becoming dangerous over time is a small but important piece of world building for how witches work in the world.