Genei wo Kakeru Taiyou

Both darker Mahou Shoujo animes with deep storylines 

Magical girls that isn't all happy go-lucky. 

Both are not your average magical girl show, as they portray the dark side of that it really means to be a 'hero of justice'. Darkness exists because happiness exists. 

In both series, there is the concept of magical girls doing battles against the supernatural. The girls themselves have abilities that allows them to fight against their foes using sources of energy. Both series has a darker atmosphere than the traditional 'magical girl' theme series. There's that familiar feeling of sorrow and despair surrounding the characters. Meanwhile, they also incorporate some cute moments but most times are clouded by the darker tones. There's also some sort of destiny to be fulfilled and the girls tries their best to accomplish it despite the odds & consequences. 

Both are unusual mahou shoujo anime where despairing people are turned into surreal monsters. A group of very cute girls have to fight these monsters while they suffer tragedies. 

One episode of Genei Taiyou and two episodes of Madoka (and of course thousands of spoiler posts on Tumblr) has already led me to believe that the atmospheres of both are very similar. They both start out as a cutesy show and then it just turns super dark. I don't know the characters too well yet, but they seem very similar personality-wise. 

Similar dark themes of a magical girl genre. 

Both are a story about girls with magical powers both have a deep plot both are entertaining and exciting Both get really gritty and throw you off because of it Both have dynamic characters with their own reasons behind their actions and personalities. 

Both use the concept of mahou shoujo in a dark setting. Happy girls born with a power and a "destiny" to protect the world are because of this suddenly forced into a life filled with sadness and despair. A dark and refreshing twist to a cliche setting, while keeping a lot of the colorful and "cute" theme that comes with being a mahou shoujuo, creating an interesting contrast with the dull and gory world that is painted around them. 

Same feeling, and the girls all seem to be fighting for something/someone. 

Both have magical girls, magic, transforming and battling monsters, but at the same time deals with dark themes. Main girls awaken their powers. 

Deceptively cute at first but shows how dark it can be. The art in Genei seems to take the cuteness farther than Madoka though since it doesn't have dark backgrounds and the characters are very moe. However, Genei also shows in the first episode that it even has some horror elements while Madoka waits longer. 

they both have magical girls who fight monsters in a similar dark atmosphere 

You might think that it is "cute girls saving the world, with happiness," but it is the polar opposite of it. Fear, despair, sorrow, and emotions, all in a much more darker tone then other magical girls nowadays. In the story, the main characters are battling the humans who have "negative emotions" with a monster possess inside of them. The people who have lost hope, have transform into a horrible monster, which makes the main characters having a bad feeling when the battle is finished. There is not much of a difference, but Madoka Magica signs a "contract" to fight off these "witches." Day Break Illusion use cards to transform and fight off monsters. read more 

Both shows are dark magical girl anime. In Madoka magica, mahou shoujos get power from a special seed while in Day Break Illusion, they get their power from Tarot cards. Both shows deal with topics of death, misery, and suffering. Not meant for little girls at all. 

Both from the magical girl genre Both are genre breaking The monsters from the two animes are similar  

Both are about Magical girls, and both have Monsters they fight that were originally good people. Both have talking animals that guide the magical girls, and both fight in groups. Both have a happy innocent lead, and both originally seem cute but get darker as the show progresses.  

Both are the same in the way they tackle on the genre. Also like Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica, Genei wo Kakeru Taiyou ( English: Day Break Illusion ) both separate the characters personalities and focus on the way they think about their job as a Magical Girl 

*Both heavily incorporate the "Magical Girls" theme, and are fueled by the Supernatural & Fantasy genres. *Both have a much greater darkness/psychological aspect than the branding lets off *Both make similar defiant statements, to challenge your perception of the "Magical Girls" theme *Both regard the topic of fighting against evil, in the name of justice *Both have vibrant, high quality, and outlandish artwork 

* Both have annoying/happy go lucky main magical girl [ Madoka & Akari ] * Both anime have dark atmosphere around them, but our Main Girls nearly kills it instantly * Nice OP/ED songs... * Magical Girls with holy shit powers are awesome in both cartoons, just the main girls sucks a lot.... * EPIC fighting scenes at the end of the series 

Both anime shows that being a Magical Girl isn't as fun and happy as it seems to be.  

Magical girl series with colorful battle scenes and lots of 'darker' moments that show the characters' struggle. 

Mahou Shoujo type of anime and girls faces a new life of action which they hesitate to do at first. 

Both are about magical girls, and both have a happy protagonist who likes to help people. Both face monsters who want to destroy the world. Both have the happy protagonist posses special abilities and qualities different from the other magical girls. Both have best friends who go down the wrong path, thinking it's the only way to protect her. Both start off light and fun, but get darker and darker as the story progresses.  

To me, these anime are similar because - Mahou shoujo (Magical girls) - Both get abit emotional - Both have good OP and ED (In my opinion) The biggest reason I have is the ending of the series, but since telling how they end would be horrible of me, you'll have to watch and find out! So if you've seen one of them, consider watching the other. Or if you haven't seen either, well I don't think either of them are bad, so give them a try :) 

Both seem to be your typical happy-go-lucky anime but have a dark twist at the start of the season.  

Both animes are magical girl shows that take a turn for the worse. Basically a deconstruction of the magical girl genre, meaning you won't get just your usual child-friendly show like Precure where the worse that could happen is losing a friend, we're talking about something even more darker. Both are promising magical girl shows with amazing visuals and dark undertones. Both also feature a main protagonist who want nothing more but to make others happy, and who live for the benefit of others. I promise you that if you've enjoyed either of these shows, you will enjoy the other.  

Both are magical girl anime that quickly become very dark and dramatic. Expect a lot of violence, gore, and dying. If you like dark magical girl shows then these both fit the bill! 

Both are Magical Girl Anime with a very dark twist. Both have magical girls dying or going MIA while they are on duty.  

A girl becomes a magical girl. It may seem cutesy on the outside but gets dark!!! The powers she gets comes with a price. 

While these two series may seem like the typical magical girl series at first, they have some differences in terms of presentation. For instance, both series takes a more serious approach in terms of dealing with enemies. Then, there are the main characters who each get their spotlights through development mainly in terms of their roles in the story. Some of these characters plays roles involving saving others while some deals with how to get by their own problems. These problems sometimes involves emotions and has a more serious approach to the magical girl genre. Also more noticeable is the OST for both series.  

In terms of main characters, Symphogear's Hibiki and Genei's Akari resonate each other's inner struggles and development to become the worthy main characters that they are, apart from a bit of inconsistencies and story progress. But whatever. If your pick is a notion of sticking to the main character's point-of-view magical shoujo-ness with bright lights and effects with antagonists that seem to have personal vendettas, these two anime are for you. 

Genei wo Kakeru Taiyou keeps the friendship theme, but surrounds it with a world and plot that actually make sense. While a notch below, the fight scenes are still solid. 

Both shows feature a large, all-female cast of main characters that fight the bad guys to save the day! Both are also pretty dramatic (sometimes a little over the top, and not very subtle), and both have some very nice character designs and smooth animation. 

Like magical girls? Well, Cardcaptor Sakura and Genei wo Kakeru Taiyou adapts the theme quite well in terms of this concept. As such, both of these series deals with a young girl who possesses magical abilities. They become gifted with magical powers in order to accomplish their goals. The premise of both series are a bit different but both of them retains that magical sense of magical girls. The main female character from both series are also kind and willing to help others. At first, they are unsure of the responsibilities given to them but through experiences, they are able to adapt. Both series' magical combat concept also involves cards. read more 

The magical girl genre covers more territory than is often noticed. It doesn't stop at pretty girls wearing pretty dresses. As such, Genei wo Kakeru Taiyou intersects with Mai-HiME in ways beyond mere choices of stylish appearances. In either anime, you'll find heroines struggling with new lives introduced by newly awakened powers. You'll find them defining themselves through their friendships and personal conflicts with one another - and against collectives guided by powerful individuals who only want to bend our heroines to their wills. If you're interested in seeing characters persevering through all the turmoil that a newly awakened life can bring, then these magical girls of differing styles may be for you. read more 

Both have moe character designs but also have horror elements. The characters can go from looking cute to looking psychotic very quickly (much more so in Higurashi though as GwKT has much less horror overall). Aside from the art styles, they do not have very much in common though. 

Both shows are mahou shoujo anime in which young magical girls get their power from cards. The magical girls also travel to alternate dimensions to fight enemy monsters. Also, the protagonists and both shows are very cheery, always trying to lift the spirits of those around them. Neither show is directed towards an audience of little girls.