By the by ... generally agree about your impressions regarding the Barakamon anime adaptation. The manga source material was much more enjoyable in my case. Gin no Saji was a similar case for me, though some might say the adaptation stuck closer to the spirit of the source material. I could not finish either one, unfortunately ... a pity.
Also regarding Mahouka ... yes, the novels are not material that adapts well into anime format. At all. First of all they are not very well written, but they have a very detailed world that can suck the reader in and lots of detailed characters - both of these factors are presented in a rather infodump'ish manner that requires a lot of quiet inner imagination and thinking ... in other words, it is pretty cerebral and "book'ish". Which means not ideal for anime adaptation.