Distinguished mages Nanoha Takamachi, Fate Testarossa, and Hayate Yagami now work as military personnel for the Time-Space Administration Bureau on the planet Midchilda, having completed their studies on Earth in the last ten years since the "Book of Darkness" incident.
One day, the three end up helping the Bureau respond to a severe airport fire, but their efforts are left unrecognized. A series of unfortunate events motivate Hayate to create the elite unit Riot Force 6, which handles cases involving public safety as well as dangerous magical objects known as Lost Logia. There the trio works alongside promising recruits Subaru Nakajima, Teana Lanster, Caro Ru Lushe, and Erio Mondial, who endure difficult training to fulfill expectations while overcoming hurdles and achieving personal goals.
However, carrying out their mission proves to be a constant struggle. Battling foes who exploit the Lost Logia and facing criticisms from within the Bureau, Riot Force 6 quickly finds itself stretched thin.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Comentários
Skadi
Well here I have arrived at the final season of Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha. It’s been a nice ride. The final season brings back most of my beloved characters, provides a decent story and action and lets me enjoy grown up versions of Nanoha and Fate. While I did find myself glued to my television watching this there was quite a bit about this series I found extremely disappointing. I will get into that further later, but as a sequel to the Nanoha franchise IMO this series fails. It just doesn’t feel like the originals, it also has a veryoverbearing military theme to it that just feels out of place for a Nanoha show. Taken though on its own merits this is a well crafted drama with good action and is fun to watch.
When you compare the story in StrikerS to the first two series then this show comes up short. When I started this series I thought wow they will do something amazing with 26 episodes compared to just 13! Well yes and no. They were able to construct a much larger and grander story than previously. Tons of new villains though without the shocking plot twists. It does however bring you through the entire spectrum of emotions, I cried at times, I laughed at others, and I was frustrated and angry too.
This reason I knock the rating down for this show is well this show is called Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha. It’s not called Magic Girls and sometimes Nanoha. There is shockingly little Nanoha in this show, sure she appears a lot has a few lines then vanishes from the screen for 10 minutes to make another couple minute appearance. In addition, characters I find to be important to Nanoha's world completely vanish from her life or are given basically cameo roles. What happened to her friends from her hometown? What happened to her family? Why does Yuuno who it is implied that perhaps a romantic relationship may develop there almost complete absent from her life? And talking Fate.. wtf is Arf? She was a very important figure in Fates life.. oh wait there she is in episode 18 or so? uh why is Arf now a loli? Hello! Story?! Can you please explain why the grown up and buxom fox spirit Arf now looks like she’s 8 years old? Oh you’re not going to explain that huh?
This anime is crushed under its own weight of a further explosion of new characters, most of whom are stupid and useless dead weight. The villains are mostly maddenly annoying and overpowered. Further frustrations include a silly restriction on Nanoha, Fate, Hayete, and her knights’ powers. The thing is, that this didn’t need to be a 26 episode story, it could have been told in 13 episodes just as easily and probably had a lot more effect and suspense. This isn’t because of filler really, almost every episode advances the main plot in some way but episodes feel like they are being stretched out for no reason than so they take up an entire episode. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the final battle which takes up about 7 episodes to complete. The action loses its bite and the drama is lessened because of the constant shifting around to all of the characters battles. This is what I mean about there being just too many characters for the shows own good.
Character wise though I still give this a good rating, despite my disappointment with the lack of beloved characters and too little screen time for Fate and Nanoha. The new Strikers are interesting characters though, particularly Tia and Suburu as they get the most development. As I said before I really loathed the villains and found pretty much none of them to be sympathetic in the least. I spent most of my time watching them hoping the episode would come soon that they were horribly and painfully killed by one of the strikers. The crushing weight of characters as I mentioned doesn’t help this show, and many I felt were just a waste of time and would have preferred their screen time go to Yuuno, Arf or one of the others missing from the series.
Voice acting is good not great though, the mains are all well cast but probably contributing to my disdain of the villain characters was that many of them had voice that grated on my nerves, in particular the evil doctor. The music is pretty good too, the first OP/EN themes are great but the 2nd songs for each are noticeably weaker.
Overall as a Nanoha fan I come away feeling a bit disappointed in this series, but still if you’re a fan this is still a show you’re going to want to watch. It was really nice to see Nanoha and Fate grown up and being adults and having adult problems and relationships. But in doing so something of the charm of that 9 yr old mage is lost. Taken by itself though this is a nice magical action drama with military themes. In that role it does a very good job. I think most people will like this series as I did but still feel let down at the same time.
Imperturbable
Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS indisputably falls under the mahou shoujo (i.e. "magical girl") genre-- heck, the words are even in the title. So it should come as no surprise when I say it's got transformation sequences, mascot animals, and a whole slue of magical girls (one of which is even a pink healing type). But what should come as a surprise is when I tell you this is a series with awesome, mind-blowing action. The action sequences are great, and never choppy. StrikerS's got the type of action that rouses excitement and gets your adrenaline pumping, not what you'd expect to getin mahou shoujo.
And perhaps a little background history is in order. The Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha franchise was originally created and geared toward seinen audiences who like their flat-chested loli girls. You can see the franchise succeeded admirably, given the immense popularity Nanoha and Fate (our two original magical girls) enjoy. I've also noticed that really hardcore fans of this franchise tend to prefer the original Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha and Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha A's a lot more than StrikerS; I see this as evidence of StrikerS falling into the opposite end of the mahou shoujo spectrum, setting it apart from its two predecessors. (Besides which, since StrikerS is set ten years after A's, Nanoha and Fate are no longer, ah, flat-chested loli girls.)
StrikerS has a solid and grounded plot. It's well-paced, mixing everyday life with the very hectic nature of our magical girls' (and one "magical boy") job duties quite well. You get to see them on their down time, in actual combat, and what's surpising is, you even get to see them training. You get to see them get bruised, exhausted, have arguments with their team members, and even screw up majorly. With that said, I can't say the plot's extremely original or anything; it's good, but not superb. The characterisation is very good, especially since we can see various characters' vulnerabilities and misgivings. Their motivations are clear as well (maybe not at first, but definitely by the end of the series you know why people do what they do).
Now, for sound. Check the seiyuu list-- you've got a lot of big names there, so you know at the very least the quality meets a certain standard. There are some emotionally-charged scenes, and they're executed very, very well by the seiyuu. The OPs are terribly uplifting and catchy, especially the first one. The EDs are very good, particularly on the basis that they offer suitable music to listen to after an episode, whether it was happy or gut-wrenchingly sad. There's nothing as bad as watching a sad episode and then suddenly having sugary happy music assaulting your ears before you've even had enough time being sad.
I've mostly had good things to say about StrikerS, so needless to say, I enjoyed it very much. I think StrikerS transcends the mahou shoujo genre and is just plainly enough, a series done well. I would recommend this to anyone who just wants to watch a good series and isn't too particular about genres. For people who are allergic to girly mahou shoujo, I would still ask you to keep an open mind and just try out the first episode (which, incidentally, has awesome action and isn't the least bit girly). If you like the first episode, I can almost guarantee you'll like the rest of the series. Those who are looking for romance in StrikerS might be disappointed though, since the only romance I really saw (if any) was subtextual f/f (which is worth watching for, in my opinion, if you're into yuri). So I wouldn't suggest this title to hardcore shoujo romance or harem series viewers.
I think StrikerS is different enough from its predecessors to watch on its own (it is, after all, set ten years after A's), but to truly understand the relationship between Nanoha, Fate, Hayate, and the rest of the older generation, you really have to watch the original series and A's. The first two series are very traditionally mahou shoujo though (but with great animation and vague hints of fanservice, due to its seinen-geared history) so please proceed with caution if you are allergic.
DragonsWhip
Story Nanoha StrikerS is set ten years after Nanoha A's. Nanoha, Fate and other characters they've met now work full time for the TSAB. We meet two new characters in the first episode: meet Subaru and Teana. They are mages who have Nanoha as trainer and they're trying to rank up as a mage. It doesn't take long and two new characters appear: Erio and Caro. Nanoha, Fate and Hayate must train these four mages to work together and to save the world from new enemies. The story is not longer that original if you ask me, but still, Nanoha StrikerS has things that makesit different than other mahou shoujo. ''What makes it more different than?''. It are the military and the political part of the story which makes the difference, but which also makes it sometimes harder to understand what it is about. Further is there the low amount of love that's in StrikerS. Love is in most of the mahou shoujo a must and yes, I missed it here. But this all isn't a problem if you're fan of mahou shoujo, action and of course fan of the characters that appeared in the previous seasons. The story deserves an fair 7.
Art
The characters are still looking fine, just as the weapons. The battles really show off at the screen : it looks great! Not to forget those unisons.. Just check them out if you're far enough. You'll love them, no matter what. The magic looks awesome, the summons are a bit less, but still cool. I want more transformation scenes! Missed them and they're part of the art too. For the awesome art an 9!
Sound
I loved the openings, what else to expect from Nana Mizuki? I liked the endings less, but they were okay. The voices of the characters fitted, but the voice of Arf, who has a really small role, has another seiyu. The voice is too cute for Arf: I prefered the Arf seiyu from the previous seasons. But further is was all okay. An 8 for sound.
Characters
Ah, the characters. I really loved them. You get to know the past about a lot of characters and that is one of the most important elements of this anime. Hayate per example, who has it tough, because not of people with who she must work trusts her. The characters are good developed, but I wished that some had more appearances! Despite that, it gets an 9.
Enjoyment
I really enjoyed this anime. The moment that a certain character went berserk and simply the emotional fights between characters. The battles are awesome, just as the characters and all the other scenes. The only scenes that were a bit boring were the training scenes, but not all of them... Enjoyment gets an 9!
Overall
You must watch StrikerS if you couldn't get enough of the previous seasons. If you dropped at the first season: pick it up again, just as I did! You're going to love StrikerS if you came through the first season and A's.
ktulu007
I've talked about Seven Arcs' Nanoha franchise twice before. Today, I'll be looking at the third series, StrikerS. First, let's do a quick recap. In the original series our heroine, Takamachi Nanoha, gained powers and used them to help her ferret friend, Yuuno, find artefacts called Jewel Seeds. Her rival in this endeavour was a young lady named Testarossa Fate. The two experienced their first feelings of romantic love and Nanoha was eventually able to help Fate escape her abusive mother. In the end, they weren't able to stay together as Fate had to face trial over her part in her mother's scheme. The secondseries saw the pair reunited under less than ideal circumstances. Yagami Hayate, no relation to Light, found a magic book that unleashed four guardian spirits who were stealing magic power from mages to fill the book in a desperate bid to save their beloved Hayate's life. The two were able to find the truth of the book, save Hayate, redeem her knights and, in the process, Nanoha and Fate fell even harder for one another. But maybe I'm over-stating it. It's not like they've adopted a child together or something. Let's look at Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS and see what comes next for the pair and their friends.
Story:
A decade after the events of A's, Hayate forms an experimental unit, Section Six, supposedly to deal with relics. She's joined by Nanoha and Fate as well as a group of four promising recruits, Subaru, Teana, Erio and Caro. Nanoha begins training the troops with the help of Vita, but their time is limited and the unit is quickly dragged into a mess involving a high level criminal named Jail Scaglietti and his maniacal machines. After a slight altercation they find a young abandoned girl named Vivio, whom Nanoha and Fate adopt. Canon relationship status achieved. The main narrative deals with the threat posed by Scaglietti and his minions.
I don't really have anything negative to say about the story. It's strongly paced, using slower character moments and faster-paced, dynamic action moments really effectively. It also has some great moments of heart-warming, particularly when it comes to Vivio. The series is also really good at keeping sources of tension and producing high stakes with credible threats to our heroines and it's good at using that to keep the audience invested. The build up for the various plot points is quite effective, being vague enough to keep you guessing but also concrete enough that you can trace where the hints were once something’s been revealed.
Characters:
The characters in this are really compelling and complex. With the time skip, Nanoha, Fate, Hayate and the others have change from the last series, but it's done in a way that's believable and you can see how the girls they were became the women they are. Similarly, you can fully understand how their relationships developed into what they are. The new major characters all get their own story arc, which informs and develops their characters. Vivio is adorable, and this is coming from someone who doesn't normally find children remotely cute. The character interactions are really good too. The villains are well crafted characters as well, albeit less sympathetic than the ones the franchise has previously provided. Particularly Scaglietti who basically comes across as a crazy person. Although, I will give them credit, he's not unrealistically or exaggeratedly crazy. He's the sort of nutter who has verisimilitude.
Art:
The art has a lot of good qualities to it. The character designs are really well done and there's a lot of attention to detail for the backgrounds. The action sequences flow really nicely and have a high level of intensity, in spite of the occasional slower, larger special attack. The big flaw with the art is the same one we've had with this franchise, the transformation sequence. Unlike most magical girl series where the characters' genuine shapes are obscured by whatever sparkly effect they're using, the Nanoha franchise lovingly details the bosoms so that you can pretty vividly tell what they look like. At least in this one most of the girls are grown women so it isn't quite as gross on that level, but they also make sure that the undergarments are really detailed for both Nanoha and Fate so that we can see what they're taking off of one another later. Seven Arcs, we don't need to know what kind of panties they wear. Even the sort of people who draw pornographic doujin have seen enough women's underwear that they can pick a design for their work. Okay, maybe they haven't, but I would still argue that those aren't the types who should be catered to.
Sound:
The vocal cast in this is stellar. Mizuki Nana, Tamura Yukari, Ueda Kana, Yuzuki Ryouka, Shimizu Kaori, Ichijo Kazuya and Sanada Asami reprise their roles. They all give strong performances. In addition to them, Nakahara Mai, Inoue Marina, Saito Chiwa Takahashi Mikako and Mizuhashi Kaori all deliver their own strong performances. Narita Ken makes a good villain too. Really, the entire cast from primary to secondary characters is superb. The music is fantastic as well.
Ho-yay:
This has a lot of les-yay, even for the Nanoha franchise. In addition to Nanoha and Fate sharing a bed, going on vacations together and adopting a daughter, as wives are wont to do, you have some really strong les-yay between Subaru and Teana. There's a little bit between Vita and Hayate as well, although not as much as there was in A's since they're less of a focus in this one.
Final Thoughts:
Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS, is a really strong series. While there are some things it could have done better, and it's transformation sequences are just awful, it presents a compelling story, strong characters, a stupendous cast, excellent music and great artwork aside from the transformations. My final rating on this one is going to be a solid 9/10. Next week I'll look at Wooser no Sono Higurashi.
slax
First up, I'll be honest, the primary reason I went into this show is because I heard it had some "mecha" relations, which is true, it does revolve heavily around cyborgs, and the secondary reason was because I heard that Subaru was a pretty awesome character. But that being said, I'm not an idiot, I realise that being a "Magical Girl" show, this probably had about as much chance as being /m/ as Dragon Ball Z, so I was willing to give it a shot to see if it was good for its own sake. And cudos to the first two seasons, they werepretty good. Nothing mind-blowing, but something that even I, despite it being well outside my realm of usual viewing, could watch (and heck, there were even mechs in the first series for a little bit).
But then I got up to this one, the one I actually wanted to watch, and man, it is poor.
Basically, there are no problems with the animation or sound or anything like that, the problem is with the writing. I'll break it down into three categories, 1- the premise of the show, 2- the new characters and 3- the old characters.
I'll start with #1, the premise of the show. First up, the title is abhorrently misleading, despite being called a "magical girl" show, it really isn't. There may be a bit lost in translation here, so I should elaborate, the "girl" in "magical girl" means "young/small/little" girl, so a more appropriate name would be "magical teenager" or "magical practically-an-adult" nanoha. The reason this is somewhat important is because of the themes that are connotated by the genre. Magical girl is all about being cute, gaining new powers and, most overridingly, must revolve around friendship. So much so that it is usually sickening to someone like me, who's not a fan of the genre.
But S1 did this pretty well, sure it was a tad cliche, but Fate and Nanoha's story was one that was watchable, and indeed, it was nothing bad. A's (the second season) was about Hayate, and even though I thought the "poor crippled orphan" plot was a little bit too over-the-top, it was understandable, as there was a good reason that she was a "poor crippled orphan" (explained in the show so I shan't elaborate). Nanoha making friends with them and helping them out was a perfectly good plotline.
But in this regard, what did StrikerS have to offer? None of the antagonists were in any kind of situation where they needed help/friends, bar Lu and Agatio, but both were already getting help/gotten help of their own free will in the series. This means the "friendship" was forced down their throat. I mean Fate having friendship forced down her throat was understandable, considering her circumstances in season 1, but as a gerneral rule, forcing friendship onto someone is just nonsense.
And that's pretty much the problem with this series' premise, it aborts from the themes established in the first two seasons and goes down a completely different track. This might not have been a bad thing, but, as per below, there were some deep writing flaws that turned it into one.
#2 is the most obvious, the new characters. As I already said, there was a good reason Hayate was a crippled orphan in season 2, and Fate in season 1 was the main subject matter, so again, there was a reason to have her in that situation. But what about this one? All the characters (basically) are orphans, with some deep emotional scarring. Why? Well, put simply, it is so that the writers have something to talk about in the numerous incessant personal reflections that go on. I'm all for a bit of backstory, when it is relevant. Entire episodes of nonstop backstory from characters like the helicopter pilot, who, as my description implies, is a completely and utterly minor character, is downright annoying. The only reason I can think that they have so many backstories is because the *actual* story is inadequate. I mean honestly, aside from training, the squad in this series partake in, like, all of three fights (with the last fight being a really long one, admittedly), and the plot is resolved in these three fights. This proves to me that the plot is very, very shallow. Now I wasn't expecting something deep, but good lord, was there really a need to fill the episodes with so much cliche overblown emo crap in the meantime?
This is the second serious complaint. The new characters were, essentially, only there because the plot wasn't interesting enough and the directors had 26 episodes to fill. I can easily see them simply removing half the cast and putting this into a 13 episode anime and it working just as well. The only thing having all these new characters did was to slow down the series to an absolute crawl. The pacing was terrible.
But now onto writing issue #3. The old characters. First up, Hayate didn't really do much in A's, so I can understand why they made her the "main" character and altered her, etc, that's all well and good, its the rest of the cast I have an issue with. Firstly are the "power limiters" they all suddenly got. These were only in there because the plot, which I already explained was stretched thin and needed boosting with new characters, was *so* weak that simply using the recurring characters would end it instantly, so they had to *construct* a reason to use the new cast. What better plot device than weakening the old cast, right? But in the end, what was the point of this? It would have been just as easy to have Nanoha and co. go one way and the others go another. Heck, that is *EXACTLY* what they do anyway. So why bother stripping away the power of the old cast? It was a pointless plot device that served no purpose other than to construct fake drama and pad the series out just a little longer.
Second up is the "overworking" sub-thread that applies to Nanoha. I shan't explain due to spoilers, but basically, there is this whole sub-thread about using too much magic power/effort, etc. Why is this even in there if you already have power limiters? The writers ALREADY padded the plot out with fake weakness to slow it down, but then they put in a fake danger *ontop* of that fake weakness. The writers should've taken this as a sign of way too much filler and not a strong enough plot. Alas, they did not, and I wasted my time with this rubbish story.
Third is the inexplicable removal of the minor characters. Fate's familiar is the most notable. Aside from a few brief shots in the background of the later episodes, and maybe one or two throwaway lines, its made like she never existed in the first place. Nanoha's family and friends are tossed out (understandable, but still evidence of how much this show detracts from the original genre) and Yunno is delegated to an utterly menial role. All this I could forgive if any of the new characters, antagonist or protagonist, (like Hayate or her Knights in A's) were likeable and/or relevant to the plot. Alas, they were not. Aside from Subaru's family, everyone else had nothing to do with the plot, and all the antagonists were, essentially, *troops*, not *characters*.
And finally is the Jewel Seeds. Remember them? Yeah, for being supposedly rare and powerful, for them to be suddenly found in stock grunts was just inexcusable. (Sorry if you think this is a spoiler, but if you watch the show, you'll realise that it isn't actually that relevant at all, which in of itself is part of the problems I'm writing about)
Basically, this show reads like a fanfic. The new characters are all Mary Sue's, despite having no relevance to the plot, and heck, some, like Caro, barley even have any lines (honestly, the whole lightning team, and Lu, could be removed and the story wouldn't even blink), some of the plot devices are retconns, which, depending on whether you think about it or not, usually don't even make sense and finally, the recurring characters were so utterly un-thought-out that they had to make up fake plot devices and introduce new problems just so the writers could fit the titular characters into StrikerS' new story.
And how on earth could they not see the problems with that?
If you're watching this as a stand-alone series, it's probably pretty good. As a franchise, this is a bad piece of writing that pretty much has nothing going for it. Worth a watch if you're a Nanoha fan, because fans can overlook poor writing and still be happy, but overall, Fate/Stay Night or something along those lines is a much better show, since the writers in those shows didn't insist on forcing their characters into a really weak plot and then stretching it out over 26 episodes, when 13 probably would've been too many.
Niacinamide
Lots of people didn't like how the general focus of the Nanoha series changed to Subaru, Teana, Caro and Erio in StrikerS. Well that and the fact that our favorite magical girls were no longer loli's. But the series picks up with some interesting (and plentiful) villains and some new characters that are also very cool. The multiple plot lines near the end is done very well and even those new characters you may or may not have liked in the begining become interesting and exciting as we get to our big StrikerS finale.
cossake
Nanoha, Fate and friends are back and they bring even some more friends with them. This time they have to face some bigger enemy than before. I won't say too much who they are going to fight but it will be revealed later on after some episodes in the story... I have to say that the pace of the story is kept thanks to the higher number of NOW 26 episodes pretty slower at the beginning...but around the half it is getting to the real plot and also increasing the speed. Before it was more like an introduction to the newer characters and how they trainor progress.
Don't get me wrong ;) everything is build up pretty nice for the final battles and they are also well executed...even though a little bit predictable.
To the characters...the old ones are all the same and I have to say that I personally like it. Don't expect any big characteristic developments or change of minds.
But the new characters bring some fresh air with it. Nothing new or spectacular for animes will happen just some typical sad background is included for them. But someone bringing up some interesting flair is included too. For example I'm talking about Teana who is new now and who uses some pistol like Device. Other are Caro who can summon dragons, Erio who fights with a spear like Device and Subaru using a rollerblades Device. - a side note, a Device is a magic tool for fighting and defending..
I enjoyed it quite a lot and it is staying truthful to the previous seasons. That is also a plus for me. Of course the battles improved and show some more action too, another thing that is nice.
For the music, I didn't pay too much attention to it but it was suiting and pleasant enough for the setting. 2 op's and ed's.
So then finally if you like Nanoha and co. then you can watch the 3rd season without any problems because it sticks to the friendship, magic and fighting themes. It is really enjoyable and looking also nicely drawn, don't miss it out if your especially a fan.
turkeymeister
Ah... the phrase "Magical Girl". It makes you think of a Shoujo anime, doesn't it? Soppy little transformation sequences, annoying mascot animals, ridiculously cute lolis... But make no mistake. Maybe people have the wrong impression from the title (which may account for the surprisingly low ratings), but StrikerS is, in fact, squarely in the Shonen denomination, and is a rambunctiously good Shonen to boot. Plot Lets have a quick summary. StrikerS is set 10 years after the previous iteration of Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha, in which the titular character has outgrown her loliness and become a full time Instructor, training the new generation of horribly underaged TSABrecruits. The cast is further expanded with the introduction of new recruits. As industry standard, a threat to world security soon arises, and Nanoha, together with her old friends from the previous season, as well as her new recruits, is responsible for stopping them, shonen-protagonist style.
When I say shonen-protagonist style, I mean, of course, "extremely violently and with great prejudice. The plot is par for the course, with a convincingly evil big bad, lots of cool henchmen, and lots, and lots of violence. It also manages to get some decent military intrigue going, and the last few episodes are a roller-coaster ride of emotions, where the action is fast-paced and gripping. It's a great step up from the previous seasons, and indeed, the complexity of the plot surpasses industry standard shonen, or even seinen fare.
Necessary recaps for viewers who have not seen the previous show are done extremely tastefully, telling just enough, but not totally spilling the beans, such that new viewers can jump right into the show, yet are still tempted to watch previous seasons. The continuation of previous plot elements to their conclusion in StrikerS is also done well, if a bit thuggishly at certain points.
Sadly, the show is hamstrung by its shonen trappings. I cannot talk any further to prevent spoilers, but suffice to say, the marvelous plot was, in the end, let down by the fact that the target audience for this show was, in fact, teenagers. Bit of a shame. It wasn't a deeply profound plot, but it was entertaining.
Aesthetics
The art is vey much the same as with the previous seasons, with one major difference: budget. No frame-dropping or awkward movements for us this time, no sirree! While not spectacular, the animation is nonetheless extremely high-quality, and the explosions are beautifully done.
Sound, sadly, appears to have taken a dip from previous seasons, even if still serviceable. The voice acting continues to be above-average, but sound effects have suffered slightly. The whimsical bassoon melodies from Season One and Two have disappeared, to be replaced by genericized faux-brass tunes. The character leitmotifs, however, remain as beautiful tunes.
Setting and Characters
To my surprise (and later, pleasure), the director of StrikerS has taken the ambitious step of rewriting the setting, dragging emphasis away from staples of the previous seasons (Familiars and Devices being the most obvious), instead putting the emphasis on political maneuvering and a certain degree of philosophy. The emphasis on human relations from the previous seasons remains strongly in force, and indeed, we continue to see well-rounded and strong characters, both familiar and new, grow and develop as the show progresses. It is extremely well done, and kudos should rightly go to the director for this.
However... again due to the shonen trappings of the show, the cast has gotten into a.. ballooning tendency due to their shonen protagonist invulnerability status. This leads to appearance issues, where a huge cast pool competes for limited airtime. While this is understandable, it is also regrettable, especially when characters whose deaths would have been perfectly placed to advance the plot stay alive.
Overview
The director has chosen to shunt the show to the mainstream, a smart and noble move. However, I do wish he'd have enough confidence to put down his artistic vision without fear of repercussion, although the realist in me tells me this will never happen. While I don't deny I enjoyed this show, it has the potential to be more, so, so much more. It's good, but calling it excellent would be a blatant lie.
8/10, very deservedly so.
PrimeSonic
:::INTRO Fast-forwarding ten years after A's, our little heroines are all grown up. PrimeSonic once again, here with the final part in my review of the Nanoha trilogy: Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS. Does the final chapter in the Nanoha trilogy live up to the hype? Well let's take a look. :::STORY Say goodbye to Japan, and Earth for that matter, as the entire story takes place on Mid-childa, home to the Time and Space Administration Bureau's main branch. All the supporting characters from the previous seasons that had nothing to do with magic or the Bureau are pretty much gone. Four years after the conclusion of A's, the girls have risenthrough the ranks, reaching the goals they set for themselves long ago.
At present, Hayate is leading a newly created section and, with the help of her friends, she's realizing her dream of being able fight for the people caught up in the Lost Logia cases.
In a general perspective, the story has two main focuses.
One would be the new recruits and their training with Nanoha while the other deals with quite possibly the first central antagonist the trilogy has ever seen.
:::NEW CHARACTERS
StrikerS gives us lots and lots of new characters as well as properly introduce a few that made only minor appearances so far.
To add to that, in this season it seems like almost everyone and their mother has a back story to tell.
So to keep things short, I'll just mention the more important characters in this review.
:Subaru Nakajima
Four years earlier, Nanoha rescued Subaru from an intense fire.
Ever since, Subaru has been determined to become strong like Nanoha so one day she can be the one to save a life in danger.
When she's not in combat, she can be the most childish of the recruits, and that's saying a lot considering she's probably the oldest.
There's also a bit of a secret to Subaru, but I won't spoil it here.
:Teana Lanstar
Of the four recruits Teana is by far the one that takes things the most seriously.
Initially she feels out of place, feeling like the only normal person surrounded by a bunch of elites and aces.
It's actually because of Teana that we end up finding out more about what happened to Nanoha in the years since she joined the Bureau.
She's reluctantly been friends with Subaru since they both enlisted with the Bureau and has had to put up with her ever since.
:Caro Ru Lushe
Even though she's the youngest of the four, Caro's support magic and dragon summoning are a big help for the team.
Her back story and inner conflict get resolved before anyone else's as it doesn't take her long to master her dragon summoning to protect her friends.
:Erio Mondial
The only lead male protagonist we'll be seeing, and it so happens that Erio is really just two months older than Caro.
He's very protective of Caro on the battlefield and has all makings of a modern knight. He has his own story which links him to Fate in a way, but I won't spoil it here.
:Vivio
About half-way into the series we meet Vivio. Very early we discover she's another child created through Project F, an artificial mage born in the same way as Fate.
This girl is made of concentrated cuteness, I swear.
She's the subject of much heartbreak, and it should be said, she's also the subject of blatant controversial fanservice.
You see, Vivio has two mommies. Uhm...wat?
:::ABOUT THE ANIME
StrikerS was the long awaited sequel that generated a lot of hype and even more expectations. Because of this, it got very mixed reactions when it first aired. It made plenty of changes to that way it presented the story while still trying to feel the way a Nanoha series should.
Some fans loved it, others only liked it, and others gave up on the series by the 4th episode and said they hated it.
One thing that becomes clear right off the bat is that Nanoha and rest of the main heroes from the previous seasons are now sharing the spotlight with a lot of new characters.
That's not to say we don't spend time with them, but for the first half of the series they are clearly acting more like supporting characters than protagonists.
One of the issues that brought up so many mixed reviews was how StikerS has more dialogue and side-stories than it does action scenes.
In the first half of the series, much more time is spent on the recruits and their training than actual missions or the returning heroes.
That being said, the plot is also far more complex and mature than before, taking everything from the previous seasons and placing it on an even larger scale.
There's plenty of time spent on character development for the four recruits, most of it given to Subaru and Teana, and probably even more than Nanoha and Fate had throughout both previous seasons.
I have to admit: I wasn't crazy about there being four new protagonists all at once, and it certainly wasn't a packaged deal like is was with the knights were in the last season; but after a while they did grow on me.
Looking at the lighter side of StrikerS, there's still a few funny and embarrassing moments to be had.
As far as the fanservice goes, it mostly comes from the transformation sequences. Don't expect much more than that.
Speaking of transformation sequences,the ones in StrikerS are much like they were in A's.
They don't come often, but when they do, you will know it.
It's kinda funny how the older girls all get elaborate and lengthy transformation sequences while Erio's and Caro's are done in half the time.
Not to mention that Erio goes instantly from his uniform to his barrier jacket without having to strip down first. Yeah, you can draw your own conclusions from that.
As far as action scenes go, they're relatively few and far between this time.
Still, they make the final battle in A's seem small in comparison.
Overall, the combat sequences are much more intense than they were before.
Expect to see e good deal of blood in later episodes.
:::CONCLUSION
StrikerS was certainly going to make or break the Nanoha series.
It gets off to a slow start, but after watching it in full, I can definitely say it was worth enduring the long dialogue scenes.
It's hard to put into words, but in a way, after watching StrikerS, A's just seems small, much in the same way A's made the first season seem small.
Even with all the changes in style, once you get into it, StrikerS doesn't make you feel like you're watching a completely different series.
Most of the themes are are taken directly from the previous seasons and even ten years later, Nanoha, Fate, and everyone else have remained largely unchanged.
I'm giving StikerS an above average 8 out of 10.
Personally I liked it, but some people might get bored with it before it gets to the good stuff.
I can't say it was excellent all around, but the ending was just amazing and certainly more intense than the ending for A's was.
Again I stress, to really appreciate the characters in StrikerS, having watched the first two seasons is a must.
To wrap things up: if you're a Nanoha fan, then you owe it to yourself to give StrikerS a try.
TiaanM777
When I first started watching the first season of Nanoha - being completely honest – I wasn’t impressed. It started of pretty badly and the awful pacing during the first seven episodes didn’t help much. But starting from episode 8 of the anime I was completely hooked. Fate’s story was such a sad one and it made the anime even more endearing. And here I am reviewing the final part of Nanoha and company’s journey. Boy has it been a fun one! Story – 8/10 One thing that always manages to amaze me with the Nanoha series is the world the characters live in. Ithas always managed to draw me in because of the unusual combination of science and magic. Our characters live in a world which is technological far superior to ours however they still make use of magic as their primary military might – aside from the TSA fleet. Another aspect of the series I always find fascinating is how a Magical Girl anime aimed primarily at a younger audience, manages to tackle some pretty depressing topics, such as morality and loss. The story this season continues to build from previous seasons with Nanoha and company at the centre of it all. It isn’t a perfect plot, however it gets the job done. For the plot of a Nanoha anime to be well done – at least in my opinion – it should further enhance the characters of the anime as they are without a doubt the strongest part of the anime. It manages to accomplish this adequately as we can see how Nanoha, Fate, Hayete, Chrono ect; have matured of the course of the previous seasons.
Art – 7/10
For a rather dated series, StrikerS art style manages to keep up to today’s standards. Nothing exactly stands out, however nothing is done too lazily either. The character designs of the protagonists are all different and vividly colored. The various gadgets however were simply disposable tools with not enough variation however I am just full of shit. It is still a blast to watch Nanoha and co. destroy herds of gadgets with little to no effort. The “boss fights” were well made however I feel the duration of these fights were a little too short.
Sound – 8/10
I thoroughly enjoyed StrikerS soundtrack. The vocals for both openings and endings were beautifully sung and I could probably listen to it for hours on repeat, because that is just how weird I am. Unfortunately I can’t say the same of the OST. Even though it accomplished its goal of building atmosphere and personality within the series, many of the tracks – with the exception of a few – were completely forgettable. Voice acting on the other hand is fantastic for a large portion of characters, most notably Fate’s seiyuu. Just like in previous season’s her seiyuu gave Fate even more personality than she already has. Round of applause everyone.
Character -9/10
Sadly because of the gigantic cast of characters a lot of characters weren’t as fleshed out as in previous seasons, which is a real shame because I really enjoyed seeing the grown versions of characters from the first two seasons. Here to take their place however are bunch of children which joins the main trio in section 6. Weirdly enough I happened to really enjoy the introduction of Subaru, Tiana, Caro and Erio. Enough time was given to really flesh out these new characters and their motivations, which is always a plus as many continuing series simply introduce a new character and then immediately expect you to care for them. The best part was seeing grown-up Nanoha and Fate. To see them act like warm and caring mothers to their kouhai and later on sweet little Vivio, was absolutely heart-warming. We can definitely see that they have matured and how their past has helped make them the people they are today. Plus seeing grown up Nanoha and Fate express their concern for each other’s well-being , was sweet beyond words.
Enjoyment – 9/10
If you haven’t noticed already, I am not only a massive NanoFate fan but also a massive fan of the Nanoha universe as a whole. This vibrant world filled with characters you can not only relate to, but also cry for, will always have a special place in this rotten heart of mind. I adored seeing Nanoha and co. as adults. Even though this season wasn’t as well written as previous ones more Nanoha is never bad … unless you go and make fan service focussed spin-off by A1 pictures.
Overall – 8/10
Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS is an anime aimed at fans of the Nanoha universe. I wouldn’t recommend watching StrikerS if you aren’t familiar with the Nanoha universe as the bad pacing up until the climax episodes would drive the majority of people away from this otherwise great series. If you are a fan of the Nanoha universe please give StrikerS a go. It’s as flawed as most people however just remember the majority of us manages to find someone – who despite our inperfections – manages to love us.
Thanks for taking the time to read my review!
The_Raptor
Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS: I loved this season, this is how you do a time skip. We see our beloved cast all grown up as working adults and how the events of the first 2 season shaped them growing up. The new cast members were also great additions, especially Subaru and Tiana. All the characters get some great development. The shows has themes of motherhood, family, the importance of discipline and accountability as well as the burdens of leadership and command. The stand out as always are the well executed relationships between the characters. Like in the previous seasons the OST is outstanding. We alsoget some updated animation and art style. The direction is good as well with some well thought out action choreography.
The biggest weakness of the show is the antagonists, with the main one being just a generic mad scientist.
Overall this season was a great watch with a lot of powerful emotional moments, as well as being a lot more mature than the previous ones. It was fun seeing where and what newer shows borrowed from and got some of their influences and inspirations. My favourite season of the show so far, and I highly recommend everyone gives the series a try.
P.S. OP1 is great, Nana Mizuki never misses.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QisptZEIPTA
JuneNephthys
This is an anime series where two, adult female characters actually ※tie the knot, and then they raise an adopted child! Despite this series breaking conventional norms and being a full thirteen episodes longer than the two series prior, the plot had a lot of problems, and perhaps, the world building got a little bit too out-of-hand... after all, there are now over THIRTY reoccurring characters to keep up with, not to mention over TWENTY antagonists that are thrown in the fray! This is like the weirdly named extensive cast in U.C. Gundam's continuity, except if many of them weren't as colorfully designed and haddrab personalities!
※This isn't explicitly stated in the script, but there is official art of them in wedding dresses together. Not to mention that they're living together intimately and are raising a daughter. How much more subtext do you need?
⚠️ This review of Mahō Shōjo Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS will contain light spoilers ⚠️
—Story/Characters
The first half of the series had me hyped: all of the old characters are ten years older and taking a group of younger characters under their wing, AND they're raising an orphaned child as their own! After Fate Testarossa's acquired adoration for conventional, little girl things, i.e. stuffed animals and dresses, after the end of her first arc — I kind of expected her to be the more traditional, stay-at-home mother figure; but, NANOHA actually ends up taking that position, while Fate is more work oriented! I mean, I guess it isn't like Nanoha is any less feminine than Fate, she just has the most broken power level and skill set in the universe!
This installment has an atmosphere that screams what if the "Muv-Luv" militia had magic powers, instead of mech suits! Some of the skills that were used as final attacks in the first two seasons, like Nanoha's Starlight Breaker, are now used more conventionally, like instead of charging up to fire a huge laser beam at a bad guy, Nanoha will just use it to blast through walls. She could be a magical girl firefighter, with that level of practicality! Despite Hayate having god-like abilities in "A's", she seems to be more designated to the role of an office worker in this season.
I thought the plot point with Vivio being a clone of "Sankt Kaiser" and being used as a vessel to activate the Saint's Cradle was kind of lame; it seemed like forced drama to have Fate and Nanoha become attached to her, and then have her kidnapped and used as a damsel. The inheritance of all of that power also seemed translucent with its attempt to make the all-powerful Nanoha and Fate's daughter have a way to somehow adopt a portion of their magnanimous abilities, despite not actually being related to them! Maybe, I've just consumed too many other fictional stories, but I kind of rolled my eyes at that point, because it appeared to be thinly veiled, sequel bait.
More than anything this series felt like an extended universe bookend, that was saying "here's references to the previous series with the characters that you liked all grown up, now we'll dump a bajillion more girls and effeminate boys for you to fawn over in the up-coming sequels"! It reminds me of all of the Marvel crossovers! I get that this franchise is acting as an enterprise, by branching out and showing off how cool the world is, but can we just get one really good story with a few new characters? Not a gaggle of generic background characters, that each have their own individual backstory in the canon, I mean, even the 東方Project girls were released in a series of individual game installments!
Luna's Favorite Works by Each Respective Creator = ✅
Keizō Kusakawa (director), notable works:
* Action Heroine Cheer Fruits
* Ahiru no Sora
* Aho Girl
* Akuma no Riddle ✅
* Asura Cryin' (series)
* Campione!: Matsurowanu Kamigami to Kamigoroshi no Maō
* Dog Days (Season One) ✅
* Fūka ✅
* Genei wo Kakeru Taiyō ✅
* Happy Sugar Life ✅
* Inukami! ✅
* Inukami! The Movie: Tokumei Reiteki Sōsakan Karina Shirō!
* Jūō Mujin no Fafnir
* KanColle Movie ✅
* Kantai Collection: KanColle ✅
* Mahō Shōjo Lyrical Nanoha A's ✅
* Mahō Shōjo Lyrical Nanoha: The Movie 1st ✅
* Mahō Shōjo Lyrical Nanoha: The Movie 2nd A's ✅
* Mondaiji-tachi ga Isekai kara Kuru Sou Desu yo? ✅
* Rō-Kyū-Bu! ✅
* Rō-Kyū-Bu! SS ✅
* Rō-Kyū-Bu! Tomoka no Ichigo Sundae ✅
* Sekirei
* Sekirei: Pure Engagement
Commentary: Mr. Kusakawa is less celebrated than he should be; the man can direct some very visually striking animation scenes — if you haven't watched the "Kantai Collection" film, I would suggest giving it a try, it is a gorgeous, hour-long slice of animation! I would say that his lack of popularity with English audiences is partially due to his focus on leading very niche projects, that are more popular with the "moe otaku" crowd, rather than appealing to your everyday, run-of-the-mill, anime-watching normie. The original GAME for "Kantai Collection" has never even received an international release, and I doubt that it would garner much of a following if it did, since "Azur Lane" has already wormed its way into the hearts of EN players! Despite being a very talented director, he doesn't normally land projects with highly-skilled animators or writers; that's the whole reason why "Akuma no Riddle" sunk! And he is typically designated to lower budget studios, but when he is granted a large sum of expendable income, like with the repackaged "Mahō Shōjo Lyrical Nanoha" films, his finesse really shows! Keizō Kusakawa is an incredible director, I would suggest "Mahō Shōjo Lyrical Nanoha," "Rō-Kyū-Bu!", or "Kantai Collection" as an entry point into his shows ("Mondaiji-tachi ga Isekai kara Kuru Sou Desu yo?" is pretty dang enjoyable, too)! The fight scenes are polished in the film and the emotional scenes brought me to tears, so kudos to Mr. Kusakawa and his animation team for the amazing amount of strife that they put into the project!
Good Seiyū Work = ✅
Really Enjoyed the Seiyū's Performance = ✅ ✅
One of Luna's Favorite Performances OF ALL TIME = ✅ ✅ ✅
Yukari Tamura as Nanoha Takamachi, notable roles:
* Michiru, Air
* Mine, Akame ga Kill ✅
* Mayu Watanabe CG-3, AKB0048 ✅ ✅
* Remon Yamano, Ano Natsu de Matteru ("Waiting in the Summer") ✅ ✅
* Asuha Tōhara, Astarotte no Omocha!
* Chihaya Ikaruga, Asu no Yo'ichi! ("Samurai Harem")
* Yamada, B-gata H-kei
* Koko Ninna-Nanna, Bōkyaku no Senritsu
* Fear Kubrick, C³
* Honey Kisaragi, Cutey Honey Universe
* Sakura Kisaragi, Da Capo
* Kaoru Tsunashi, Danna ga Nani wo Itteiru ka Wakaranai Ken ("I Can't Understand What My Husband Is Saying")
* Nia, DearS
* Dōnyatsu, Dōnyatsu
* Moro, Dotto Koni-chan
* Hikaru Saitō, Futarigurashi
* Chiharu, Fūun Ishin Dai☆Shogun
* Ranpha Franboise, Galaxy Angel ✅
* Saki Hanano, Gintama ✅
* Rino Rando, Gokujō Seitokai
* Io Euclase, Granblue Fantasy the Animation ✅ ✅
* Rika Furude and Frederica Bernkastel, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni ✅ ✅ ✅
* Rika Furude and Ōka Furude, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Rei ✅ ✅ ✅
* Ruru Amour, Hug tto! PreCure
* Ai, I: Wish You Were Here
* Iori Minase, iDOLM@STER Xenoglossia —stand-in for Rie Kugamiya
* Maiko Tamaki, Interlude
* Tabane Shinonono, IS: Infinite Stratos ✅ ✅ ✅
* Rinne Ohara, Island ✅
* Haruka Minazuki, Kaitō Tenshi Twin Angel
* Mai Kawasumi, Kanon ✅ ✅
* Tomari Kurusu, Kashimashi: Girl Meets Girl
* Togame, Katanagatari ✅ ✅
* Nui Harime, Kill la Kill ✅ ✅
* Komaki Asagiri, Kujjibiki Unbalance
* Excel, Kurokami the Animation
* Elizabeth Midford, Kuroshitsuji ("Black Butler") ✅ ✅
* Yotsuba, Kyokugen Dasshutsu Adv: Zennin Shibō Desu Prologue
* Choco, Last Period: The Journey to the End of the Despair ✅
* Finis, Last Song
* Midori Sugiura, Mai-HiME
* Lu Amano, Miami Guns
* Ink Nijihara, Moetan
* Nightingale, Monster Strike
* Shuri Wakatsuki, Myself;Yourself ✅
* Muromi-san, Namiuchigiwa no Muromi-san
* Tenten, Naruto ✅
* Jibril, No Game No Life ✅ ✅
* Ringo Kinoshita, Nōrin ✅ ✅ ✅
* Kanako Kurusu and Meruru, Ore no Imōto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai ✅ ✅ ✅
* Masuzu Natsukawa, Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru ("Oreshura") ✅ ✅ ✅
* Akazukin, Otogi Jūshi Akazukin
* Zesshi Zetsumei, Overlord II ✅
* Misha, Pita Ten
* Clala, Quiz Magic Academy: The Original Animation
* Priscilla Barielle, Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu ✅ ✅
* Kanami Yuta, s.CRY.ed ✅
* Chiyo Yumehara, Saiki Kusuo no Ψ-nan ✅
* Hayari Mizuhara, Saki Zenkoku-hen ✅
* Beatrix Brehme, Schwarzesmarken ✅
* Eva-R, Seikon no Qwaser
* Tiriel, Shakugan no Shana ✅
* M4 SOPMOD II, Shàonǚ Qiánxiàn ("Girls' Frontline") ✅
* Ellis Valentine, Shinkon Gattai Godannar!!
* Kazane Shishidō, Sora wo Kakeru Shōjo
* Suzuha Amane, Steins;Gate (series) ✅ ✅ ✅
* Saku Tōyama, Tantei Opera Milky Holmes
* Ai Kunugi, Teizokurei Daydream ("Ghost Talker's Daydream") ✅
* Frederica Bernkastel, Umineko no Naku Koro ni ✅ ✅ ✅
* Michiru Munakata, Uta-Kata ✅ ✅
* Hisako Ichiki, X-Men
* KōRyū, AnRyū, and TenRyūJin — Yūsha-Ō GaoGaiGar Final
Commentary: Ms. Tamura is an incredibly talented seiyū; as a testament to their legendary performances in the "Lyrical Nanoha" franchise, both she and Nana Mizuki (voice of "Fate Testarossa") received honorary voice actor Nendoroids, that Good Smile Company released after the original production of the Nanoha Takamachi and Fate Testarossa figures! Their collection performances (in the first two series particularly), are just that monumental! I would compare Ms. Tamura's role in "Lyrical Nanoha" to her roles as Michiru Munakata ("Uta-Kata") and Io Euclase ("Granblue Fantasy the Animation"), though Ms. Tamura is one of the most versatile voice actresses, when it comes to the variety of characters that she's voiced over the years! Fantastic work with the character!
Nana Mizuki as Fate Testarossa, notable roles:
* Nanase Kotobuki, "Bungaku Shōjo"
* Allison Whittington and Lillianne Aicasia Corazón Whittington-Schultz, Allison to Lillia
* Akiko, Aoi Bungaku Series
* Oboro Iga, Basilisk
* Kururu, Binzume Yōsei
* Saya Kisaragi, Blood-C
* Angelise Ikaruga Misurugi, Cross Ange: Tenshi to Ryū no Rondo
* Misaki Kirihara, Darker Than Black: Kuro no Keiyakusha
* Nanami Takatsuki and Ricotta Elmar, Dog Days
* Hannah, Dragon's Dogma
* Sieglinde Baumgarde, Dragonaut: The Resonance
* Cisqua, Erementar Gerad
* Wrath, Fullmetal Alchemist ✅ ✅
* Bi Fei, Gin no Guardian
* Lydia Carlton, Hakushaku to Yōsei
* Tsubomi Hanasaki, HeartCatch! PreCure! ✅ ✅ ✅
* Yu Minamoto, Ichigo 100%
* Kotoko Aihara, Itazura na Kiss
* Tsugumi Shibata, Jigoku Shōjo ("Hell Girl") ✅ ✅
* Sora Yamato, Jikū Tantei Genshi-kun
* Tiz, Jū Ō Sei
* Yin Fu, Ken En Ken: Aoki Kagayaki
* Roya, Kiba
* Yuno Rukina, Kiss Dum: Engage Planet
* Alois Trancy, Kuroshitsuji II ✅ ✅
* Janice Quatlane, Layton Kyōju to Eien no Utahime ("Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva")
* Nyamo Naamo, Love Hina
* Sayaka Mizushiro, Magical Canan ("Magical Kanan")
* Fate and Alicia Testarossa, Mahō Shōjo Lyrical Nanoha ✅ ✅ ✅
* Hotaru Shirakawa, Memories Off
* Mizuki Hibara, Mokke
* Magaret Liones, Nanatsu no Taizai ✅
* Hinata Hyūga, Naruto ✅ ✅
* Kaho Serizawa, Natsu-iro no Sunadokei ("Hourglass of Summer") ✅ ✅
* Shinobu, Ninin ga Shinobuden ✅ ✅
* Ann Takamaki, Persona 5 ✅ ✅
* Rue Kuroha, Princess Tutu ✅ ✅
* Yufa, Ragnarök the Animation
* Rin Ogata, RideBack ✅ ✅
* Moka Akashiya, Rosario to Vampire
* Pandora, Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas ✅ ✅ ✅
* Tsubasa Kazanari, Senki Zesshō Symphogear
* Mave, Sentō Yōsei Shōjo Tasukete! Mave-chan
* Nana Suzuki, Shichinin no Nana
* Kanon Seena, Shining Tears X Wind
* Utau Hoshina, Shugo Chara!
* Morinas, Simōn
* Aria, Sister Princess
* Suzu Edogawa, Tactics
* Colette Brunel, Tales of Symphonia the Animation ✅ ✅ ✅
* Sylvette Suede, Tegamibachi ✅ ✅
* Neju Na Melmas, Tenchi Muyō! GXP
* Chizuru, Tokyo Marble Chocolate
* Sunao Konoe, Tsuyokiss
* Matsuki Akino, Wakaokami wa Shougakusei! ✅ ✅
* Maria, Witchblade
* Rina Ogata, White Album ✅ ✅ ✅
Commentary: The one word that I would use to describe Nana Mizuki as Fate Testarossa is: heartfelt. Ms. Mizuki is able to alter her glass masks between the abused, little girl to the fiercely, cold magic user in a matter of seconds; despite Fate's fractured persona, the performance came off as organic and natural, and nothing seemed forced. I would say that this was Ms. Mizuki's "career-defining" role, and the adulation and recognition that the character receives is well-deserved! Compelling character!
Kana Ueda as Hayate Yagami, notable roles:
* Paladin, Bikini Warrior
* IF, Chōjigen Game Neptune, localized as "Hyperdimension Neptunia" ✅✅
* Rin Tōsaka, Fate/stay night ✅✅✅
* Momo Kawashima, Girls & Panzer ✅✅✅
* Chikage Izumi, Hagure Yūsha no Aesthetica, localized as "Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero"
* Yūko Morigaya, Hina Logi: From Luck & Logic
* Neon Nostrade, Hunter x Hunter (2011) ✅✅✅
* Hazumu Osaragi, Kashimashi: Girl Meets Girl
* Yuiko Hawatari, Loveless ✅✅
* Yumi Fukuzawa, Maria-sama ga Miteru, localized as "Maria Watches Over Us" ✅✅✅
* Kurumi Momose, Paniponi Dash!
* Anastasia Hoshin, Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu, localized as "Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-" ✅
* Honami Takase Ambler, Rental Magica
* Luna Shirogane, Ryūsei no Rockman, localized as "Megaman: Star Force"
* Saki Miyanaga, Saki ✅✅✅
* Fumika, Shigofumi ✅✅✅
* Heidemarie W. Schnaufer, Strike Witches: The Movie ✅✅
* Kareha Suzuka, TOKKÔ
Commentary: Ms. Ueda is known for having a very youthful, yet mature presence. This is the character of Hayate Yagami in a nutshell, she is very naïve and pure because of her age, but her terminal illness has given her an emotional complexity that makes her wise beyond her years. I would compare her role is "Nanoha A's" to her roles as Fumika ("Shigofumi") — I will avoid going into spoilers here, though this explaining the character of Fumika is difficult without stepping into a minefield of them, but put simply, she is a Shinigami that lost her mortal life at a young age and has seen a lot of things... there, I simplified it to the best of my ability, now go watch "Shigofumi"! I would also compare her performance as Hayate Yagami to Neon Nostrade ("Hunter x Hunter"), if you know how brutal the world of Hunter x Hunter, you would know that a cute girl would simply not just exist within that realm, and Saki Miyanaga (the titular character of "Saki"), she comes off as boyish and unsophisticated, but she's actually a mahjong genius! Incredible performance!
Kaori Mizuhashi as Vivio, notable roles:
* Purple Thorn, Accel World ✅
* Taeko Minazuki, Ai Yori Aoshi ✅ ✅
* Ai Aino, Aria the Animation
* Minami Shimada, Baka to Test to Shōkanjū ✅
* Altines, Busō Shinki
* Len, Carnival Phantasm ✅
* Pepper, Chicchana Yukitsukai Sugar ("A Little Snow Fairy Sugar")
* Ayumu Aizawa, Circlet Princess ✅
* Vivian Jones, Eikoku Koi Monogatari Emma ✅ ✅ ✅
* Sara Shirogane, Futakoi
* Chika Ogiue, Genshiken ✅ ✅ ✅
* Michiru Matsushima, Grisaia no Kajitsu (series) ✅
* Miyako, Hidamari Sketch ✅ ✅ ✅
* Kasumi Haruno, Kasumin
* Akane Suzumiya, Kimi ga Nozumu Eien ("Rumbling Hearts") ✅ ✅ ✅
* Haruto Mizushima, Kin'iro no Corda: Blue♪Sky
* Mifuyu Kiba, Koi to Senkyo to Chocolate
* Yūno Scrya, Mahō Shōjo Lyrical Nanoha —series ✅ ✅ ✅
* Mami Tomoe, Mahō Shōjo Madoka★Magica ✕ Magia Record: Mahō Shōjo Madoka☆Magica Gaiden (TV) ✅ ✅ ✅
* Laharl, Makai Senki Disgaea ✅ ✅
* Janet van Dyne ("Wasp"), Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers
* Tio Plato, Minna Atsumare! Falcom Gakuen
* Ōgi Oshino, Monogatari —series ✅ ✅
* Pikaia, Pikaia!
* Fel, Prism Ark
* Mimika, Puka Puka Juju
* Elina Vance, Queen's Blade (series) ✅ ✅ ✅
* Meiru Sakurai, Rockman.EXE ("Megaman.EXE")
* Yagyū, Senran Kagura ✅
* Agnes Bōlange, Shukufuku no Campanella ✅
* Aya Fujisaki, To LOVEる ✅
Commentary: Fate and Nanoha's daughter have the same voice actress as Nanoha's ferret companion, Yūno Scrya, from the ※first series! Ms. Mizuhashi has a talent of making the child version of Vivio impossibly adorable, while the adult version can kick some major butt! I would compare her voice as child Vivio to her roles as Michiru Matsushima ("Grisaia no Kajitsu") and Akane Suzumiya ("Kimi ga Nozumu Eien"), because they're more youthful-sounding, whereas Vivio's older self can be comparable to roles like Mami Tomoe ("Mahō Shōjo Madoka★Magica") and Miyako ("Hidamari Sketch"). Great job with the character!
※He's in all the other iterations, too, but he's more of a pivotal character in the first arc.
Chiwa Saito as Subaru Nakajima, notable roles:
* Konoha Inōe, "Bungaku Shōjo"
* Yona, Akatsuki no Yona ✅ ✅
* Aika S. Granzchesta, Aria the Animation
* Schierke, Berserk (2016) ✅ ✅ ✅
* Miina, Brave Story
* Sigyn Erster, Break Blade
* Paya Livingston, Dai Mahō Tōge ✅ ✅
* Yuki Saegusa, Dance in the Vampire Bund
* Aoi Asahina, Danganronpa 3 ✅ ✅
* Neneko Izumi, DearS
* Nanoha, Double Circle
* Chloe von Einzbern, Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya ✅ ✅
* Kirie Kojima, Girls Bravo
* Inugami, Gugure! Kokkuri-san ✅ ✅
* Tatenashi Sarashiki, IS: Infinite Stratos ✅ ✅
* Chroniko, Kaiba ✅ ✅ ✅
* Tama Hitotsubashi, Kamichu!
* Chitan Tsubōchi, Katte ni Kaizō
* Kemeko, Kemeko Deluxe!
* Natsumi Hinata, Keroro
* Kokoro, Kokoro Toshokan
* Riko Aida, Kuroko no Basket ✅ ✅
* Lavie Head, Last Exile ✅ ✅ ✅
* Nureha, Log Horizon ✅ ✅ ✅
* Homura Akemi, Mahō Shoujo Madoka★Magica ✅ ✅ ✅
* Louise Halvey, Kidō Senshi Gundam 00
* Hitagi Senjōgahara, Monogatari (series) ✅ ✅
* Ayame Akimo, Mōsō Kagaku Series: Wandaba Style
* Nancy Lee, Ninja Slayer From Animation
* Adele Roland, Nishi no Yoki Majo: Astraea Testament
* Rebecca Miyamoto, Paniponi Dash!
* Anita King, R.O.D -The TV- ✅ ✅
* Kotori Kanbe, Rewrite ✅
* Komachi, Samurai 7
* Tsurugi Yagami, Sasami-san@Ganbaranai ✅ ✅ ✅
* Chihiro Uomi, Seitokai Yakuindomo
* Imu, Senran Kagura ✅
* Mao, Shining Teas X Wind
* Honoka Mutsu, Stella Jogakuin Kōtō-ka C³-bu
* Francesca Lucchini, Strike Witches ✅ ✅ ✅
* Hazuki, Tsukuyomi: Moon Phase ✅
* Tenko, Ueki no Hōsoku
* Futaba Yoshinaga, Yoshinaga-sanchi no Gargoyle
* Miku Miyama, Zettai Shōnen
Commentary: Ms. Saito has become a very famous voice in the industry, her voices as Homura Akemi ("Mahō Shoujo Madoka★Magica") and Hitagi Senjōgahara ("Bakemonogatari") are the roles you can mention to the majority of people, and they'll be able to identify her voice! Ms. Saito's voice in "StrikerS" is very spirited and tomboyish, I would compare her performance in this series to Tatenashi Sarashiki ("IS: Infinite Stratos") and Francesca Lucchini ("Strike Witches"), both are energetic girls with masculine energy, though Tatenashi tends to be more on the promiscuous side! Great voice actress, to my surprise, I actually preferred Subaru over the other new protagonist, Teana, despite the fact that the MAI NAKAHARA plays her character!
Mai Nakahara as Teana Lanster, notable roles:
* Rena Kunisaki, .hack/Legend of the Twilight Bracelet ✅
* Chitose Nanbu, Amaenaide yo!!, localized as "Ah My Buddha"
* Hatsune Otonashi, Angel Beats! ✅✅✅
* Akagi, Azur Lane ✅✅✅
* Felli Loss, Chrome Shelled Regios
* Nagisa Furukawa, Clannad ✅✅
* Chisa Yukizome, Danganronpa 3: The End of Kibōgamine Gakuen ✅✅✅
* Thanast Useim Ruki Miu Sia Nostal Ren Naguregyug ("Miu"), DearS ✅
* Haruka Niekawa, Durarara!! ✅
* Juvia Lockser, Fairy Tail ✅✅
* Reika Rikudō, Fate/Apocrypha ✅✅
* Rena Ryūgū, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, localized as "When They Cry" ✅✅✅
* Watashi, Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita, localized as "Humanity Has Declined" ✅
* Karin Hanazono, Kamichama Karin ✅
* Nanami Yasuri, Katanagatari ✅
* Mai Tokiha, Mai-HiME ✅
* Yui Takamura, Muv-Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse ✅✅✅
* Anna Aoi, Chōjūshin Gravion
* Aono Morimiya, Sola ✅✅✅
* Nagisa Aoi, Strawberry Panic ✅✅
* Morgan, Tears to Tiara ✅
* Reimu Hakurei, 東方 Niji Sōsaku Dōjin Anime: Musō Kakyō ✅✅✅
* Morgan, Tears to Tiara ✅
* Yashirō Shimogamo, Uchōten Kazoku, localized as "The Eccentric Family" ✅✅✅
* Yuzuha, Utawarerumono ✅✅✅
Commentary: The feminine sharp-shooter, as Ms. Nakahara is with all of her other great roles, she delivers with Teana Lanster! I would compare her role as the more pragmatic and thoughtful of the two girls in the buddy cop duo, to Reimu Hakurei ("東方Project"), Reimu is honest and pragmatic to the point of being seen as a jerk, and Yui Takamura ("Muv-Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse"), the First Lieutenant in Japan's Imperial Royal Guard that also descends from a distinguished, samurai family... meaning that she's a hard cookie to crack! Amazing performance, as always!
Mikako Takahashi as Caro Ru Lushe, notable roles:
* Hitomi, Appleseed VIII
* Louise Bubby, Chocolate Underground
* Tuile, Chōjūshin Gravion ✅
* Leerin Marfes, Chrome Shelled Regios
* Ayaka, Crystal Blaze
* Sakura Mizukami, D-Frag!
* Rebecca Anderson, Dog Days (series) ✅
* Reverie Metherlence, Erementar Gerad
* Nanami Moriyama, Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya 2wei Herz! ✅
* Suzuha Amanosuzu, Future Card Buddyfight (series)
* Tsu Terakado and Sadaharu, Gintama (series) ✅✅✅
* Yuzu Koyama, Girls und Panzer ✅✅
* Rushuna Tendō, Grenadier: Hohoemi no Senshi
* Ayumi Yamada, Hachimitsu to Clover ✅✅✅
* Rika Akiba, Hanbun no Tsuki ga Noboru Sora ("Looking Up At The Half-Moon") ✅
* Ayumu Nishizawa, Hayate no Gotoku!
* Shirayuki Hotogi, Hidan no Aria
* Elena and Eeta, Hunter x Hunter (2011) ✅✅
* Hakugen Rikuson and Teni Shizen, Ikkitōsen (series)
* Sayo Tomoe, Keitai Shōjo
* Izumi Makihara, Kemeko Deluxe!
* Rosalie Claudel, Mai-Otome and Mai-Otome Zwei
* Ayako Takasu, Mamoru-kun ni Megami no Shukufuku wo! ("Venus to Mamoru!")
* Chisato Tanuma, Maria-sama ga Miteru (series) ✅✅✅
* Nyami, MonHun Nikki Girigiri Airō Mura G
* Saya and Saizō, Peace Maker Kurogane
* Nowi, Queen's Blade (series) ✅✅✅
* Adelicia Ren Mathers, Rental Magica
* Kuniko Hōjō, Shangri-La ✅✅
* Jun Shiomi, Shokugeki no Sōma ✅✅
* Rodoreamon, Simōn
* Kusuha Mizuha, Super Robot Taisen OG the Animation (series)
* Tsubasa Watatsumi, Tactical Roar
* Sakuno Ryuzaki, Tennis no Ōji-sama
* Akiho Sairenji, To LOVEる✅✅
* Patchouli Knowledge ("Pachurī Nōreji"), 東方 Niji Sōsaku Dōjin Anime: Musō Kakyō ✅✅✅
* Rita Sior, Wellber no Monogatari: Sisters of Wellber
* Montmorency Margarita la Fère de Montmorency, Zero no Tsukaima (series)
Commentary: Ms. Takahashi can wear a variety of glass masks, ranging from the subdued and cynical to the face of a spirited, young girl! In this anime, it is the latter, as she plays the adorable, young Caro Ru Lushe! I would compare the role to her voices in "Queen's Blade" as Nowi and "Hunter x Hunter (2011)" as Elena and Eeta! Great work!
Marina Inōe as Erio Mondial, notable roles:
* Kyōko Kōda, 3-Gatsu no Lion ✅
* Tsukasa Kiryu, Akaneiro ni Somaru Saka
* Chloe Morisu, Akanesasu Shōjo
* Valt Aoi, Beyblade Burst
* Momo Yaoyorozu, Boku no Hero Academia ✅
* Yozora Mikazuki, Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai ("I Don't Have Many Friends")
* Narvi Stryze, Break Blade
* Tsubasa, Busō Shinki Moon Angel
* Ibuki, Chaos Dragon: Sekiryū Seneki
* Meguru, Chōjikū Robo Meguru
* Kakeru Todoroki, Chōsoku Henkei Gyrozetter
* Cossette d'Auvergne, Cossette no Shōzō ✅
* Ami Kawamura, Danbell Senki
* Nana, Darling in the FranXX ✅
* Tōka Yatogami, Date A Live ✅ ✅ ✅
* Tagiru Akashi, Digimon Fusion
* Chiffon Fairchild, Freezing
* Mutsuki Uehara, Gakuen Utopia Manabi Straight!
* Mina Tsukuda, Getsumen To Heiki Mina
* Asaemon Ikeda, Gintama
* Iba Himuro, Gokujō!! Mecha Mote Iinchō
* Haruka Nanase, Hagure Yūsha no Aesthetica
* Rei Miyamoto, High School of the Dead ✅ ✅
* Kirihime Natsuno, Inu to Hasami wa Tsukaiyō ("Dog & Scissors")
* Laura Bodewig, IS: Infinite Stratos ✅ ✅ ✅
* Natsuru Senō, Kämpfer
* Monaka Noguchi, Kite Liberator
* Inaho Enoki, Kyochū Rettō
* Sakura Mamiya, Kyōkai no Rinne (TV)
* Mio Tsuzuki, Loups=Garous
* Matsurika Shinōji, Maria†Holic ✅ ✅ ✅
* Kana Minami, Minami-ke
* Sodachi Oikura, Monogatari series ✅ ✅ ✅
* Iroha Tsuchiura, Onii-chan no Koto nanka Zenzen Suki ja Nai n da kara ne!! ("Because I Don't Like My Big Brother At All!!")
* Makina Sakamaki, Plastic Nee-san ✅
* Yūta Iridatsu, Punch Line
* Rio Rollins Tachibana, Rio: Rainbow Gate!
* Chiri Kitsu, Sayonara Zetsubō Sensei ✅✅✅
* Rebecca Randall, Seikoku no Dragonar ("Dragonar Academy")
* Tsukiumi, Sekirei
* Alicia Melchiott, Senjō no Valkyria ("Valkyria Chronicles")
* Pheles, Shakugan no Shana
* Armin Arlert, Shingeki no Kyōjin ✅ ✅
* Kyōko Mogami, Skip Beat! ✅
* Nao Midorikawa ("Cure March"), Smile PreCure ✅ ✅
* Rakuta Koga, Suteki Tantei Labyrinth ("Fantastic Detective Labyrinth")
* Yōko Littner, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann ✅ ✅
* Iku Kasahara, Toshokan Sensō ✅
* Jessica Ushiromiya, Umineko no Naku Koro ni ✅ ✅ ✅
* Yumiko Miura, Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru. ("My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU") ✅ ✅
* Shigeru Kanmuri, Yakitate!! Japan
Commentary: Ms. Inōe usually plays beautiful, young women but, in "StrikerS", she plays a little boy! The only other little boy role that I can recall seeing her in, is when she voices Armin Arlert in "Shingeki no Kyōjin", and I would say that the inflection that she uses with the two is quite similar, since they are effeminate and can be feisty, when they get angered. Incredible work!
Conclusively, the main problem with "StrikerS" is that it was too ambitious and didn't have a linear direction. I usually don't mind stories like this terribly much, after all I'm a fan of franchises like 東方Project and Kantai Collection, I like shows with a lot of characters, but each character has to have a memorable arc and a time to shine; you can't just garbage pile THAT many character onto us and expect us to care about ANY of them. Apart from the returning cast members, the only people that I actually did have an investment in is a) the original cast and b) Subaru and Teana — the other characters just gravitated around them, like trash orbiting around a planet! I give "Mahō Shōjo Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS" a 4/10, I enjoyed parts of it, but it was too overzealous and tried to do too much, instead of sticking to a core component of a single narrative!
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
bluerain41
Mahou Shoujo Nanoha first and the A's have been great. The character development, magic upgrades in the dire pinch, and finally working together after the rival fighting have been very attractive. However, StrikerS lacked all of them. Nanoha is supposed to be a typical elementary school girl with two friends back home on Earth. There's no Earth; there's no family (which she had bother and sister), and a house she lived in. She's already a fully grown adult at 18 years old, living at Magic central station Honbu (Home Station). Nanoha is no longer the main character who we get to feel, listen, and be,it's about building the perfect team called the StrikerS against the great scientist. Thus the focus of the story has been on Nanoha building the team, along with stories on all of the other characters instead of Nanoha. The authors should have called it Mahou Shoujo StrikerS. This anime was supposed to be Nanoha's stories and her contributions to the world, not the Team. I have to say, StrikerS has been a huge disappointment.
Next, Nanoha had magic upgrades when raging heart was defeated. In StrikerS, Nanoha already had the powers; all they did was restrict her magic as she (and few others) were far too strong. This already made them out to be a supernatural monster who have enough powers to destroy anyone without training and fighting and challenge. Where's the growth without challenging other more difficult situation? You can't suddenly attain over limits as it has been in the first two series. It's absolutely inconsistent and story lost its quality completely.
Finally, Nanoha had the power to turn the enemy as her own friend and fight with her to the end for the same cause. StrikerS made it clear that their goal was to destroy the plan of the unstable machines that's running amok and stifle his/her plan. She did not have enemies, she befriended nor did she have to help players, nor talk to them. Her goals were clear and straightforward. Build a strong, supportive, and trusting team, so that they do not have to rely on the very slow reaction of kanrikan.
The artwork is great along with sound. But story was just barely decent and characters were mediocre at best. StrikerS is the beginning of a decline of my support for any future Nanoha series if they continue on this road.
Hectotane
Back when Bandai Visual USA had their blog open, I argued with the guy who run it about me being an "anime historian." Because I noted the audience-approved "degradation" of character creation and plot execution. And there is no better example of said "degradation" than Lyrical Nanoha. Let me start: * Triangle Heart (an h-game turned h-anime) * Triangle Heart Sweet Songs Forever (which I didn't watch) * Lyrical Nanoha (magical girl becoming Gundam Wing) * Lyrical Nanoha A's (Gundam Seed-esque lesbian magical girls) * Lyrcal Nanoha StrikerS (Gundam Seed Destiny -esque lesbian magical girls) Now all of this would be fine and dandy (as "magical girl spin-off" material) if LyricalNanoha wasn't ripping off Gundam Wing and blasting lasers of cute pink destruction. But since the people behind it are lacking in creativity, originality, and bravery (ala creating a male lead who's of the same age as the featured girls and doesn't sound like a female voice actress is voicing him), it gets worse.
By the time we get to LNS, it's "Gundam Seed Destiny for the magical girl crowd." Not only are the weapons of cute, pink mass destruction continued to be used. But we're re-introduced to Nanoha's other form; the "White Devil." She then proceeds to "school" one of the new characters by blasting her with pink-yet-creepy cuteness.
Well... Tenchi Muyo's Pretty Sammy spin-off was better. The show took the established characters and atleast tried to be good without resorting to the "all is happy," "cherry blossom from the trees" ending.
Or, what's the best way to say it? Stories about mutants and "bump in the night" creatures are better to tell (and sell) than anything about "magical girls." Atleast the former isn't so reliant on "pandering to the otaku-base."
CountZeroOr
This review previously appeared on my blog: https://countzeroor.wordpress.com/2017/03/06/anime-review-nanoha-strikers/ The Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha franchise has been interesting when it comes the Magical Girl genre of anime. The original series was something of a conventional Magical Girl vs. Dark Magical Girl show, like the Pretty Cure franchise, with the difference being that the battles between Nanoha and her opposite number, Fate, played out a lot like a superhero fight. The later series played up this concept, with the second series, Nanoha As setting up a battle of superhero teams (or superhero and super-anti-hero teams), with Nanoha, Fate, Arf, taking on a team of opponents with more-or-less similar abilities.The series also played down the school adventure side of the traditional magical girl story, with Nanoha’s school friends, who were very much a prominent part of the narrative for the first series, being pushed to the side very early.
Nanoha StrikerS dumps the “civilian life” side of the equation entirely, with series protagonists Nanoha Takamachi & Fate Testarossa working as, basically, state-sponsored superheroes, and spending all of the series well away from Earth. Previous series had introduced the Time Space Administration Bureau (or TSAB), the bureaucracy behind it, and that the government that it answers to is based on a world called Mid-Childa. StrikerS spends almost the entirety of it’s runtime there.
The premise of the series is that it’s set a little over 10 years after the events of Nanoha As, which would put Nanoha and Fate in their early-to-mid 20s. Nanoha and Fate have become part of a special unit as part of the TSAB, lead by Hayate, the befriended antagonist of As. The objective of the unit is to hunt down Lost Logia, lost pieces of magitech which can be incredibly dangerous in the wrong hands. As part of this unit, Nanoha, Fate, and the Wolkenritter (Hayate’s now-less-dark Magical Girl superteam from As), are also training another team of, for lack of a better term, Magical Superheroes.
From a narrative position this setup puts the audience in an amazing position to see how the protagonists who we’ve followed through the last two series have matured, and it’s certainly successful at that. In particular, Fate and Nanoha have become the de-facto parental figures for two kids who are now part of their unit, Erio and Caro. While they were not actually adopted by Fate, they were adopted by Fate’s stepmother – Lindy, with Fate helping to raise them in a maternal/older sister role.
This leads to Fate & Nanoha. The writing of the first two series loosely implied that the two were homosexual. StrikerS, on the other hand, strongly implies that the two are in relationship with as strong a subtext as you can get without actively crossing over into text – like, stronger than the handhold in Legend of Korra.
The new protagonists, Erio, Caro, Subaru, and Teana, are generally well written, and have really strong chemistry. Erio and Caro, and Subaru and Teana have some romantic chemistry, which is read stronger for me with Subaru and Teana.
The overall story of the series serves to bring back together some plot threads going back to the original series. Hayate’s team, Riot Force 6, ends up coming into conflict with a mad magical scientist named Jail Scaglietti, who has been engaging in genetic engineering to create artificial mages and cyborgs for combat. The research he’s working on is similar to that that was done by Fate’s birth mother, Precia, in her attempts to raise her deceased daughter, Alicia from the dead – work that lead to the creation of Fate. The level of conflict here is nice and personal, and gives the conflict a strong direct tie to our protagonists that makes up for the lack of any real civilian life our heroes have.
That said, the animation doesn’t quite back up the story. This is a 2007 anime from studio Seven Arcs, who animated the earlier Nanoha series, along with the Triangle Heart OVA, and somehow, I can’t quite say why, but the animation here doesn’t feel quite right. The Digicel animation feels a little overly flat and stilted, particularly towards the end of the series. Now, it’s been awhile since I watched the first two shows, and maybe they’re just as bad, but with this series it feels like it stands out more, especially towards the end of the show.
There are also some weird decisions with the animation that seem to make little sense. The show cuts around some early stages of some very emotionally significant fights later in the series, showing the aftermath of the action instead of the action. Now, when we hit the climaxes of those fights, we see the full conclusion, but with this particular fight, the early stage was really important, and it was really disappointed with the fact that we didn’t get a chance to see it.
There are some issues with the costume design. The designs for the TSAB staff, and Riot Squad 6 are fine. However, there is Jail Scaglietti’s team of combat cyborgs, The Numbers. They wear these skin-tight outfits that leave as little to the imagination as the animation budget will allow, without actually showing skin. It’s the kind of outfit that 90s comics were mocked for putting female characters in, with boob socks and precisely defined butt-cheeks. The plugsuits in Evangelion didn’t go nearly as far in their form-fitting nature.
I enjoyed the show enough to finish it, but it was the characters who kept me coming back for the rest of the show, and in particular the fact that I’d come to appreciate these characters and their stories through the last two series. If it wasn’t for the writing and the characters, I probably would have dropped the show due to my issues with the animation.
That said, with how the show wraps up, considering the fourth series, Nanoha Vivid (focusing on a character that Fate and Nanoha adopt in this series), has not yet gotten a US release, StrikerS does make for a decent conclusion to the Nanoha series.
SanaeK10
Oh boy where do I begin with this. StrikerS marks the point of no return for the Nanoha franchise. What began as a more thoughtful take on the dark mahou shoujo genre has morphed into a mindless action mecha romp with minor mahou shoujo elements in it. It marked the turning point for when Nanoha would finally begin its downfall and fall from grace. StrikerS was still entertaining for different reasons though, and I'll go through them with you in the following review. By far the biggest change is the season's shift in focus to more base primordial emotions. What I mean is, where theprevious seasons focused more on emotions such as reflection, redemption, sacrifice, guilt, regret and sense of belonging, StrikerS instead focuses on anger, revengeance and impulse. While previous seasons featured more sympathetic villains (well it only really worked in A's), Dr Jail here is irredeemably evil and hammy. Not that that's a bad thing, (again see Symphogear), but it does mean this season lacks the nuance of say, when the Tome of the Night Sky chooses to have herself executed by firing squad so the people she loves will no longer get hurt. The tonal shift is jarring to say the least. This extends also to the action sequences, now more bombastic and higher in density than before. Where beam spam is ever present and the slow methodical battles of the past are no more. One crucial thing from the previous seasons (A's especially), was that the meaning behind each battle was given just as much prominence as the actual fighting going on. Wolkenritter fighting the gang in A's was more meaningful than whatever given conflict in this.
Not to mention the pacing. Dear God the pacing. The first half is a slog. No meaningful character or plot development, just training sequences and bad SoL sequences. When S1 had the first half be traditional magical girl shenanigans, it did so to prove a point. Namely to accentuate the bait and switch genre shift midway through. It also helps that the filler content in S1 was at least somewhat entertaining.
But when it gets going it really does get going. The second half of StrikerS is very much enjoyable. It's fun, frantic and Subaru's determination to fist makes you wanna yell and scream along with her. The new mains are pretty good. Despite hating them initially, Subara and Teana do complement the original duo (trio) well and their interactions with the cast and the world are nice to see. What isn't nice to see are Caro and Erio which can be easily removed from the plot with minimal impact and who do nothing but to frustrate you as they steal precious screentime from Nanoha and Fate. While Fate doesn't get any development or even much screentime in this, I do appreciate how they developed Nanoha as a character. The timegap meant that Nanoha can have her character branch out in a way that avoids standard sequel trappings where characterization is recycled. Instead Nanoha is going through parenthood and her struggles and journey of being a mother is genuinely nice to see. It's one of the few moments where it's closest to the first two seasons in tone and focus. Vivio is indeed a welcome addition although I wished it didn't take them half the season just to even bring her into the main plot.
I enjoyed StrikerS (half of it anyways) for very much the same reasons as I enjoyed Symphogear. Where the latter refined and tuned everything StrikerS had to a mirror sheen, StrikerS I find feels like a prototype Symphogear, or a spiritual predecessor. With very much a lot of concepts that Symphogear would later outright nick from, from fisting to screaming to impulsive decisions to a hammy mad scientist with funny faces.
And sadly ever since Nanoha's time in the spotlight has shifted to Symphogear. This town ain't big enough for two mecha mahou shoujo franchises. Not ever since Nanoha became a housewife supporting character. Reflection and Detonation attempted to salvage it, but by then the creative staff had forgot what truly made Nanoha, well, Nanoha, and instead both films fell flat on delivery and execution. But that's another story for another day.
StrikerS is still a fantastic show (half of it at least) that's balls to the wall fun. Just don't expect to feel any emotions beyond hype and excitement for most of it.
6/10
lamaraptor
Yeah who doesn't love anime time-skips? It's a cheap and easy way to do lots of character development and not have to the leg work of actually showing it. Avengers Endgame did it and it made the most money of any movie ever so it must make for good storytelling, right? Honestly, though, I think this is the best entry in the series so far. There was a lot of boring stuff to slog through still but the ending had a strong emotional core thanks to the introduction of one character: Vivio. I think without the addition of a cute, young anime girl you immediately wantto protect there wouldn't have been nearly as much investment in the villains boring generic evil plan.
I think there's no measure of how effective a villain is greater than how good it makes you feel to see them get brutally murdered. When the smug glasses girl gets blasted through the whole ship by Nanoha's biggest energy attack and she's actually freaking out and has that look of dread on her face I almost actually did a guts pose air fist bump of happiness. She was the worst.
Nanoha and Fate being lesbian moms together is an interesting direction to take the show. Sorry ferret boy, you had your chance. I didn't really like how many characters the show tries to introduce and make you care about, ensemble casts are hard to make work well when you have limited time to spend with them. You have to introduce them sparingly a few at a time or the audience won't have time to really care about who they are because you're throwing like 20 new characters at them all at once. There were just a lot of people to keep track of and my attention span is so short I kept having to go back and watch sections of episodes multiple times because I missed some line of exposition or something.
Anyway overall it was good enough for an 8/10 magical girls.
Digital-Destiny5
I've watched the Nanoha series but the movie I havent still need to tackle that, but overall my favourite series of Lyrical Nanoha seires is the second season Lyrical Nanoha A's its also the season I started with before watching season 1 which I quite enjoyed, but season 3 (Lyrical Nanoha Strikers), I didn't like it as much I was quite happy that it wasn't 13 episodes and we had more episodes which makes it more pleasurable to be fair, but some of the characters for example Tiana Lanster I beleive she could've been better I dont really know how to explain it butlike in battle I feel like that character had more potential I guess especially since she was abit in a duo with subaru and their always together we see in the first episode they work together I also feel like Tian had Daggers after in the end she could use them in a really cool way also since she has 2 guns, I just dont feel like there was much character development and all I feel like more couldve been done with the battle scenes since they have so much potential that kinda bothered me I felt like it couldve been better.
As well as the story it self there are things that I didn't fully understand like how Hayate would get removed from the TSAB because of the book of darkness incident, which I find somewhat stupid since in season 2 the guardians from the book of darkness were taken to court and it went well everything was justified in the end so she was clear and she was a child, so I found that when they added that to season 3 it bothered me really which made me not like the show as much, as well as there is also the issue about them talking about pushing their magical abilities that could potentially hurt them because of the cartridge load system which I'm glad they explained why it was dangerous, but when they showed parts of season 2 showing nanoha fighting, saying how much nanoha pushed herself i suppose that yes she did and she was a child but she was doing her best to fight also back season 2 they didnt rlly care they new nanoha was very strong and it never really was an issue, but the way they showed it towards Tiana Lanster because she was putting herself down I kinda feel like it was wrong and wasnt the way they should have tackled the issue of Tiana putting herself down because she just as good I dont have the right words to explain but what I'm getting at is that I feel like lyrical nanoha strikers could've been better in terms of character development and how something happened and I feel like the characters couldve been better portrayed as well as the battles. I feel like some characters acted abit out of character I do understand this takes place 10yrs after I believe but I think strikers had more potential to be better, also I'm not saying its bad its just coming from season 1 and 2 and what I'm used to and how season 2 was I kinda feel it was abit more intense the way the story was done and more enjoyable, strikers is okay for me and well I still love the series very very much but I feel like strikers was mediocre or perhaps above mediocre well it was alright
There are many other things that bother me about Strikers but I dont wanna elaborate too much but season 3 overall the writting of the story was not that good
couldve been better since many of the characters have alot of potential honeslty I kinda wish they would remaster as in remake strikers really but that would ruin the contiuity since then you have season 4 lyracal nanoha Vivid, or at least fixed the writting keep the story but fix like how the characters were somethings like how they mentioned hayate being removed form TSAB and the character development honeslty as well as the battles thinking about it that I think itd be abit more enjoyable and keeping the concept of season 3 but yeeeee
thewiru
Imagine that you have to make the last arc of a long-running series, but from zero, without previous arcs, and in only 26 episodes. This was the challenge and building block of Nanoha StrikerS, finding a way to show the tip of the iceberg of it's universe that exists inside it's creator's mind, investing heavily in having cool character designs and interesting concepts, and winning in terms of quantity what it can't in terms of quality, with it's end result being similar to reading a Wikipedia article about a huge war in terms it's huge amount of participants, their different origins, motivations and conflicts. StrikerS first coupleepisodes might seem difficult to watch due to slow pacing and the plot barely moving, mostly consisting of training episodes with barely any glimpses of our villains. Despite our incredibly large cast, such episodes are not about introducing them, half of the cast being introduced (Sometimes with only a name drop and two lines of dialogue, which surprisingly works) in "action episodes" (Starting around the end of episode 11), which are the strongest point of the season.
Regarding it's themes, StrikerS is built around three: Growing up, legacy and bureaucracy, which — just like the myriad of character plots — are linked to one another like Borromean rings.
Our characters grew up, and are now adults that have taken the mantles and positions of their seniors. No longer Nanoha lives on earth or sees her family and school friends, and rarely does she sees Yuuno or Chrono now. No longer is Fate in need of the reassurance from Lindy or Arf, no longer is Hayate a crybaby who can't do anything, no longer is Nanoha simply about being a mahou shoujo story, the events of the first two seasons are closed. This season is about Subaru, Teana, Erio and Caro growing up to eventually follow the steps of our previous protagonists and of Vivio learning to (Literally) stand up on her own.
Which is not to say that everything that happened before has no meaning, for here is where the theme of "legacy" comes in: Fate saves lonely children for she once was one and needed saving, she feels connected to the artificial mages for she is not only one, but also the origin of them all. Nanoha trains her pupils so they don't commit the mistakes she did in her past, and is sympathetic to the cyborgs because it was never relevant for that Fate or Hayate's knights weren't human, likewise Fate being sympathetic to them because she too once was only an artificial being unemotionally acting in search of acceptance from her creator.
Finally, bureaucracy: Our characters work for a literal bureau, and while since season one we had some concepts of protocols and due processes, in this season this reaches another degree of magnitude, with now each character responding to a different one of the at least half a dozen named agencies, groups and branches. EVERYTHING is bureaucratic, for Midchilda is born from the trauma of "mass weapons" and the misuse of magic and relics that destroyed entire worlds, so the research and development of magic is limited, each one of our characters has their powers limited and has to request permission to use them, with even Nanoha herself internalizing that logic and admonishing Teana for trying to find "dangerous shortcuts".
That isn't to say that such bureaucracy is perfect, for in a way each of our "big-players" tries to find their way around it: Hayate creates Riot Force 6 because she feels that the current system would be unable to quickly respond to major incidents, no different from Regius' rationale (And therefore the rationale of the council who ordered him) regarding cyborgs and artificial mages (Which are reminiscent of Ishinomori Shoutarou's recurrent concept of "jinzō ningen"). But while they might be similar in ideas, they aren't in methods: At the end of the day, Riot Force 6's still stood by the rules of the system, while Regius looked for shortcuts which would eventually bite him back. Finally, Scaglietti represents wanting the complete breakdown of the entire bureaucracy and the search for absolute power.
Once again, you won't find very complex character dynamics:
Erio and Garyuu's entire gimmick is being knights of someone they want to protect, Caro and Lutecia's is being summoners in search of family, Zest (+Agito) and Signum (+Reinforce) their pride as knights and Unison Devices, Teana and Vice about seeing themselves as failures, Subaru about how the circumstances of your creation should not define who you are, but rather what you choose to do with your life, etc
But it's this myriad of "small wishes" and the constant cycling between the sub-plot of each character what makes StrikerS succeed, against all odds, at being "the last arc of a long-running shounen series, but from zero, without previous arcs, and in only 26 episodes".
