Doom-laden girl wields sword against uncanny foes, bound by her family duty. Will she kill the one she loves, out of love- I read a couple of “official” reviews before purchasing Ga-Rei and it's pretty clear the official reviewers watched no more than episode one. Ignore them. This one-season prequel to a manga is about how a young girl, Kagara, is taken under the wing of an older girl; and the doom that destroys everything. They both ‘work’ for the ‘Ministry of Environment’ but much more relevantly both are members of ancient spirit-bound families who guard against unclean spirits. Real evil stalks out of the netherworld and brings misery upon them and all around them. There are virtually zero comedic moments in the entire season (unlike the manga, which offsets the angst with some comedy).
It may sound like I did not like the series. In fact I did, but it is full of misery. In fact I have raised it from Good – the overall quality – to Excellent, because of episode one, which plays against all expectations. I can't say more without spoilers. Enjoy.