Being a fan of Madoka Magica, I was looking for another dark mahou shoujo anime to get into. When I came across Genei wo Kakeru Taiyou it was described as a very dark mahou shoujo that hit hard and had no reservations. I was a little skeptical that it might just be an attempt to jump on the hype of Madoka Magica but I gave it a try. What I didn't expect was for the first episode to hit me like a semi truck with the grim nature of the magical girls and their fight against the Daemonia. As I watched, I was drawn in by the unabashed chuun, the unique tarot card based approach to magical girls' abilities, and the unusual characterization of some members of the cast and their families, including the main heroine Akari Taiyou. Some other characters were not as original but were strong enough to support the narrative and undergo interesting character development themselves.
I like Genei wo Kakeru Taiyou because it goes all out to create a dark and chuuni mahou shoujo story and I believe it holds up on its own. It pulls no punches in its grim story and bloody battles, and the characters' development is both natural and important to their growth. The end goal is in my opinion the weakest point, being somewhat rushed at the end of the show's running, and is more shallow than most other conflicts throughout. Genei wo Kakeru Taiyou did a good job of making me despise the antagonist, as they acted purely evil for the sake of evil, but gave very little in the way of revealing their humanity or motivation like they did for random Daemonia.
Overall I give Genei wo Kakeru Taiyou 8/10 for its unique approach to magical girls, unapologetic chuun, and its very fun dark and brutal battles.
