Wasn't the real reason Madoka became so popular because pretty much all the other anime that debuted in that season was pretty bad?

I remember that for a while both it and Hokago no Pleiades where consider by otaku the best current anime, and Pleiades is pretty a standard Maho Shoujo show

Also as pointed out otaku aren't known for not watching "sparkly pink girly stuff" and I know that Pretty Cure And Sakura have a huuuuge otaku fanbase, so why compare them with people that refuse to watch MLP because is for girls?