2-D heroines get a boost from 3-D perspective and an extremely talented fan.

The Puella Magi Madoka Magica television series and subsequent pair of compilation movies were met with near-universal praise, but opinions have been more sharply divided regarding the third theatrical feature, Rebellion. Detractors say that Rebellion’s central conflict, based on the relationship between protagonist Madoka and fellow magical girl Homura, felt forced, and that they would have been more satisfied had the franchise come to a conclusion after the events depicted in the TV series and first two movies.

But we think even fans who say they’ve seen enough of Madoka and Homura will make an exception for this amazing piece of artwork by Japanese Twitter user @mina_naya.

From this angle, it might only look mildly impressive, although even here the coloring is especially nice. But if you look hard enough, you can see that pink-haired Madoka is actually drawn on a separate piece of paper that’s attached to the lined base sheet. Fold that in half, and you’ll see what makes the illustration truly special.

Helping to sell the 3-D effect are the “shadow” beneath Madoka, which is actually sketched onto the paper. There’s also the eraser in front of Homura, which was also drawn by @mina_naya, and which many online commenters declared even more realistic looking than the two anime characters who look to be leaping right off the page. Oddly enough, @mina_naya says he hardly put any effort at all into sketching the photo-realistic eraser, leading us to think that even if he lacks the witch-slaying abilities of the Puella Magi Madoka Magica heroines, he has some magical art skills.

Source: Twitter/@mina_naya (1, 2)