Nanoha Takamachi, an ordinary third-grader who enjoys spending time with her family and friends, rescues an injured ferret that she had dreamed about the night before. The next day, the ferret cries out to her telepathically, asking Nanoha to save him. The ferret reveals himself to be Yuuno Scrya, a mage from another world who is trying to collect the dangerous 21 Jewel Seeds that he accidentally scattered across the world. He enlists Nanoha's help, gifting her the magical wand Raising Heart, and teaches her how to become a powerful mage.
Days later, after reclaiming a few of the Jewel Seeds, another mage appears: Fate Testarossa. Stronger than Nanoha, Fate refuses to divulge her reasons in trying to collect the Jewel Seeds. Nanoha senses a melancholy in her eyes, but Fate refuses to communicate. Directed by Akiyuki Shinbo, Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha is a story about the clash of emotions when goals collide.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Comentários
Skadi
As a fan of anime, the magical girl genre has not always been a favorite. Perhaps I have watched the wrong shows up until now and got a bad impression of it. Up till now, magical girls are usually extremely silly shows with way to many loli's, overly long and indecent transformation scenes, and perverted magic animals from other worlds or dimensions. Did I miss something? Happily, Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha is not one of those. Starting out there is nothing particularly original or extremely interesting about this show. Nanoha, an ordinary young girl gets magical powers from a magic usingferret from another world. (Pause while that soaks in a bit, boy does it sound silly when I read that) Overlooking the silliness of that, this ferret, named Yuuno has a mission to retrieve some magical artifacts that have slipped into the world so Nanoha agrees to help him. The story starts out pretty predicable and not all that exciting, with the first few episodes being a monster of the week kind of format. Eventually a rival emerges after the same thing as Nanoha but for more sinister reasons. This rival is Fate, and this is when the story really starts to pick up and become more exciting. By episode 7 or 8 I was on the edge of my seat as the action built up to the exciting climax. The story has enough twists and turns to keep you guessing and while some of the plot lines were predictable others came as a surprise. In the end I was left with many emotions as the story puts you through the full range from sadness to joy. It was very well done indeed!
Character wise, this show is truly outstanding. Fate and Nanoha are two of the most interesting characters I have seen. The story does a great job in developing them and growing them into what they become by the end. The two familiars, Yuuno and Arf are also fleshed out pretty well and are also very interesting and fun characters. The chief villain is also very well written, and while she is a mean and vile character I felt a wide range of emotions about her too. The supporting characters are pretty good, in a short series like this they don’t get a lot of development, which is ok because doing so would have taken away from the ones who deserved the screen time.
The cast is really good, especially for the main characters. Rie Kugimiya is one of my favorite actresses but shines in a small role as one of Nanoha's friends. The music is also great, the OP, EN songs are catchy, especially the opening. I found myself singing along frequently! Animation is good too, I loved the character models for the most part. Though I’m not a huge fan of how the men and boys were drawn but that’s a personal preference. I’m not a big fan of boys who don’t look like boys. Particularly Yuuno, if they hadn’t told me he was a boy I wouldn’t have known. Also as staple of magical girl anime is the transformation scene. Weeee! We get to see a naked 3rd grader changing into her magical outfit! Hooray! The problem is not so much that I had to endure this scene, it’s that for the first 7 episode or so I had to endure it EVERY TIME!!!!! The FULL SCENE! Come on we’ve seen it 8 times already I know Nanoha's body better than my own now how about the short version now and then?
Despite my frustration with all the transformation scenes for the first half of the show, in the end it didn’t damper my enthusiasm and enjoyment of it once the last episode was over. If you’re a magical girl fan, this is a cant miss show. And if you’re not, this is still a cant miss show.
Killuan
Nanoha is not spectacular in part, but as a whole it shines. I can explain this by saying that the animation, sound, story, and character development as seperate entities are nothing remarkable (with some deference to the opening sound track) - As a complete intertwining smorgasbord of sensual imagery, these elements form an exceptional, and enjoyable investment of time. The animation got me hooked in the first episode with two short lived but highly innovative sequences that are never again revisited in style or similarity. Lukily for me, that was not near as important in further episodes as I became further engrosed in the series.Overall, the animation is tight and beautiful, but that first episode has burned an image, of what anime COULD be like, in my mind for ever.
The sound is well placed, the voice acting is quite pleasant but the Opening song is well beyond my expectations. Innocent Starter" has found a permanant place in my 5 star playlist.
The story is your typical magical girl with a more mature touch (strange considering the youth of the characters). It does not fall in the trap of overly cute to the point of mindless "kawaiiness" that 99% of "Magical Girl" shows contain. That makes it new in my book!
The characters really shine, besides the robot like, ultra caring of Nanoha herself, she is defined like a "passive aggressive" (all things can be worked out with words before violence) but more than willing to kick some !$! if she has to, kind of character. The character "Fate" is the truly dynamic character entity of this story and her pain and suffering is eclipsed only by Nanoha's compassion. Such character development is undoubtedly rare in "Magical Girl" anime prototypes. Fate-chan is, and will forever be my favorite character.
This is an extremely valuable series, and a bargain at even the most outrageous prices of English Anime DvD's. If it is liscensed, I suggest picking it up with all due haste!
I found myself looking forward to each new episode, all the way through the series' completion. I was ready with my popcorn and soda, and even brought out my most comfy chair, providing myself with the ultimate enjoyable experience.
Overall - 8.5, could not use decimals so I bumped it down to a 8, only because It's sequel is even more innovative and exceptional.
Shini-tan
Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha (I'll abbreviate it to MSLN in the review for the sake of convenience) is an anime about a magical girl named Nanoha. Along the way, she meets another magical girl named Fate, and tries to help her with her problems. story; At first, MSLN seems very typical. There's a girl, she discovers that she has magical powers, and she sets off to seal the jewel seeds which have gone rampant. As I said, typical, right? But then, along comes Fate Testarossa, and the whole story changes. Around the second half of the series, the plot picks up its pace, and it's hard tostop watching. Despite its childish appearance, the storyline is anything but that.
art;
The graphics in MSLN are very nice. Nanoha and Fate's battle outfits and weapons are well designed; they are complex, with much detail. The animation is smooth, and the transformation scenes are well done. My only complaint is how the ending theme was done. Whoever did that was very, VERY lazy. You'll know why when you see it. But besides that, the anime was very eye-pleasing.
sound;
The voices were good; they all matched the personalities of the characters. The opening was nice as well, but again, I found the ending quite lacking. The ending theme was a bit too childish, and the voice bothered me. But it's easy to skip over, so I guess I can't complain. Lastly, I'll comment on the weapons themselves. I understand why they speak, and why they speak in english, but some of the phrases were unnecessary and gave a strange feeling. For example, Nanoha's Raising Heart actually says 'all right', when Nanoha issues a command.
character;
The characters were well developed, in my opinion. Nanoha's situation was introduced early on, and much attention went to Fate's situation. Nanoha is the kind, caring girl with the perfect family, and Fate is the sad, desperate girl with the not-so-perfect family. The characters are lovable, and it's fun to watch them.
enjoyment;
MSLN was very enjoyable to watch. The 13 episodes went by fast. The characters are awesome, the battles are awesome, and the plot is great. I definitely enjoyed watching this anime. Maybe it's because I haven't watched a magical girl series in a long, long time (ie. Sailor Moon and Card Captor Sakura when I was little), but the anime was a refreshing change from all of the dramatic romance I've been watching.
Overall, Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha receives an 8. It was a very worthwhile watch, and I recommend it. I can't guarantee that it'll be your cup of tea, but it was definitely better than I'd expected.
♥
jet2r0cks
5 WORDS OR LESS REVIEW: Mahou shoujo with some zing I watched “Triangle Heart ~Sweet Songs Forever~” before Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha, and personally, I’m glad that MSLN’s story is a lot different from Triangle Heart. Nanoha Takamachi was also a character in Triangle Heart, but she was sort of an extra character there. She takes the stage as main character in MSLN as a normal third grader who suddenly meets a ferret who is actually a mage from another world, and he asks Nanoha to help her collect Jewel Seeds that have scattered all over her world. It seems a lot like Card Captor Sakura, buteach MSLN episode isn’t as uniform as CCS episodes. The pacing is faster, which is good since MSLN only has 12 episodes. Also, Jewel Seeds aren’t cutesy like Clow Cards – they are way more dangerous and threatening.
There are actually two magical girls in MSLN, there is Nanoha of course, and there’s also Fate Testarossa. I happen to like Fate more, because sometimes Nanoha’s too nice that you get tired of it. Fate is sort of like a 9 year old Rei Ayanami with better hair, so I definitely like her more. Some characters from Triangle Heart have also reappeared for MSLN, such as other members of the Takamachi family. The only difference is that they’re all leading normal lives and not working as bodyguards or agents for secret services.
I’m familiar with most of the voice cast, but the names that stood out for me the most are Rie Kugimiya (Alisa Bannings) and Ai Shimizu (Suzuka Tsukimura). I liked their work in other series, especially Rie Kugimiya (Shana in Shakugan no Shana, Nagi from Hayate no Gotoku, Alphonse Elric from FMA), so I’m kind of disappointed that they got smaller parts in the series. Also, I like Raging Heart and Bardiche’s voice actors. I don’t know why but I like it when Raging Heart and Bardiche talk.
I’m a bit iffy about the visuals, specially the character design. Nanoha and Fate’s designs were both age appropriate and proportionate, but for the older women, I didn’t like the oversized chests and wide hips. It’s also a bit inconsistent, scenes from the first episode looked different compared to the latter episodes. All in all, animation was good.
Nana Mizuki did a great job in singing “Innocent Starter”, the opening theme. I wish it was more upbeat though, but since it was performed by the voice actor of Fate Testarossa, I guess I shouldn’t expect something more lively. I liked the ending theme more, “Little Wish ~Lyrical Step~” by Yukari Tamura, Nanoha’s voice actor.. It really fit Nanoha’s personality, and it was cute and catchy. I learned it right away.
At first I was hesitant to watch Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha, because I wasn’t really a fan of the Mahou Shoujo genre, thinking that most series of such genre was the same. Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha had something in it, which makes it worth watching.
Reckoner
While perusing over titles in the magical girl genre it is almost impossible to miss that which is the Nanoha franchise these days. Touted by many as a revolutionary magical girl show with its Gundam like magical battles and its supposed expansive universe, Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha is certainly not lacking any hype. However, as reactions may vary, I found this show to be quite the disappointment. This show can definitely be split into two halves. The very beginning is typical enough for a mahou shoujo show, it certainly plays off the very roots of the genre with how Nanoha first finds and comes into contact withmagic, but what the show does after that is where the problems arise. The story is very mundane, and lacks any attractive force to it. Almost set up like a monster of the week show, Nanoha does very little to entertain. I was left questioning what was so damn unique about this show when everything about it just seemed so uninspiring, flat, and just frankly boring. One thing is for sure though and that is I couldn't see what so damn exciting or riveting about the fights at this juncture compared to other mahou shoujos.
The show however does become much better in its second half or so when the character Fate Testarossa arrives. I was reaching the point of insurmountable rage about how this show could ever be considered such a classic in the genre when everything about it screamed boring. Fate, probably the best character in the show as far as I can see, injected this show with much needed life. Finally the universe in this show finally starts to be explored, even if just a little bit. There's a tangible conflict beyond finding little jewel shards. The conflict is exciting, and the events that unfold were nice to see. The relationship that Nanoha forms with Fate also becomes a very endearing one to behold.
Another major improvement in the show was the action. Finally it started becoming more exciting. It wasn't the most riveting action ever by any means, but it finally achieved a standard of reasonably entertaining. I do however criticize the action in this show for lacking any sort of mental exercise. The action mostly consisted of beam spamming, shields, and binds, all which were executed at random intervals and varying strength. There is no real strategy to each engagement, so I can hardly consider it top tier action.
However despite my positive comments on the second half, the jarring contrast between these two halves of the show is quite stark. Everything before Fate was a very light hearted mundane affair, but one of the things we're treated to in the second half is much darker (Compared to the first half) and it is hard to believe that this is the same show. It never really felt like there was a transition to this sort of violence and such as the show went along. Worst, it was only at this point that the show seemed like it really wanted to take itself seriously.
The reason I take issue with the show suddenly wanting to take itself very seriously is that it becomes rather hard to hold a strong enough suspension of disbelief over the course of this show. I often quip that this show's title should be Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Therapist Girl Nanoha, because really, Nannoha displays wisdom way beyond her years. She's shown to be like an adult at the prime age of 9. The way she talks to both foes and allies displays a mental maturity beyond many adults you see in real life.
Further things that arise over the course of the show that one must question is the incredibly weird family situation that Nanoha is in. The way they accept her going out at night without much suspicion, the way the mother lets Nanoha leave for months at a time with strangers for no good reason at all, is mind boggling. If a story wants to take itself serious, I also expect them to take care of such details seriously as well.
Unfortunately, despite the major improvements in the second half of the show, it nonetheless concludes in a disappointing manner. The final conflict delivered isn't the type of conclusion I thought it deserved, and many of the characters were shafted. There were a couple of nice moments between some of the characters at the end, but everything felt rather underwhelming.
Overall, Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha isn't a bad series. If it had focused more on the elements presented in its second half, had better execution, and other such touch-ups, I'm sure I would've considered this quite the nice show. As is though, it skimps out on too many corners its story and presentation, and the first parts of this were extremely boring. It is hard to see this as a great show, let alone the classic that many tout it to be.
This is both an overrated anime and a mahou shoujo, but is not a waste of your time.
Jupiter05
Let me start off by saying that I am a complete fantasy maniac. In other words, I really love watching anime that include transformations, spells, and talking animals. This probably tweaked my rate on this anime up a little. If any of you like fantasy anime, then you'd be missing out on a lot of things if you didn't or are not going to watch this anime. Story [9] The story line for this anime was (in my opinion) exceptionally good. It was not as easy to predict as I thought it would be. I enjoy it when there are sudden plot twists or confusions becauseit keeps the one watching the anime on their toes. What would a story be if it would be easy to predict? Boring! I would spoil a lot of things for you here, but I know hat I am strictly forbidden to do that so I will spoil nothing!
Art [9]
It was not the best art in the world. Okay, I'm fine with that. I have seen better art, I'm not going to lie. But it was still amazing, even if their eyes were a little too big (even if it is an anime!) One thing that really got to me though was whenever Nanoha transformed. How exciting is it to see a 3rd Grader naked? Oooooh so cool. Ya right. It had more detail in it then Sailor Moon did! (Where, for your information, the characters were 14 years old!) I'm sorry to say this for those of you who are uncomfortable, but a child's boobs are not supposed to show yet at age 8!
Other than that, the art seemed to be perfectly fine.
Sound [10]
Now I was waiting for my chance to talk about the sound. One word; extraordinary. The music played in the background seemed to go perfectly with what was going on, and the voice actors didn't sound scratchy at all! I loved the opening, not as much as the ending, but that is just because my favorite voice actress was singing it. You people are probably too lazy to look this up (please take no offense to this. I say lazy in comparison to me who searches for hours about my favorite voice actors. I know, I'm a nerd!) but the voice actress for Fate, is Mizuki Nana, who also sings the opening to the anime. This is also one of the reasons why Fate is my favorite character. I also love her unique past and was shocked when a sudden twist about her came up.
Character [10]
Okay, so I decided t continue in "Character" because I realized that I was slowly drifting away from the "Sound" topic. In only 13 episodes, I was able to connect with the characters and feel their emotions. This is splendid because there have been other anime where in the same amount of episodes, I was unable to truly understand the characters. *Cough cough* Dramatical Murder *Cough cough*
I know I've been talking about Fate a bit, so let me talk a bit about Nanoha. She is not your typical "bubbly, always cheerful, I believe that love only will save the universe" type of girl. No. She only cares for other's well being and she knows that sometimes, you have to fight to settle things. That is what I like about her.
Enjoyment [9]
I never fell asleep once while I was watching this. Let me tell you that this is a good sign. This anime also does not include any blood, gore, or horror scenes, so for those f you with sensitive stomachs, you're safe! I would say it was for children, but they might not fully understand it. I'm also not really comfortable with showing a 3rd grader naked to a child... I was really glad when, towards the end of the anime, they didn't show that transformation anymore.
Overall [9]
If you have read this entire review without getting bored, I congratulate you.
If you have read this review, and are now planning on watching the anime, then that makes me happy. You will not regret it! This was such an amazing anime that it would be a shame to miss out on it!
ktulu007
Welcome to the new year, everyone. It's time for magical girl anime month and let's open with a look at Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha. Nanoha is the first TV production of Seven Arcs. The same studio that did Sekirei & Inukami, both exceedingly stupid. So, how did their first foray into tv anime go? Story: Our tale opens with our protagonist, 3rd grader Takamachi Nanoha, getting a psychic message in a dream asking for her help. The next morning she finds an injured ferret on her way to school, hearing a call for help that leads her to it. She and her friends take it to avet. The three discuss what they should do with it, eventually deciding that Nanoha should ask her family if they can keep it, at least until it recovers. The discussion goes well but when she's about to go to bed she hears a voice in her head crying desperately for help. She runs back to the vet finding a shadowy monster attacking the ferret. He tells her that his name is Yuuno and that he came to her world searching for ancient relics called jewel seeds. He begs for her help, giving her a red jewel called the Raising Heart that enables her to transform and use magic. Using its power, she dispatches the shadowy assailant and claims the first jewel seed. At first, things are going fairly well but then a second mage appears, a girl Nanoha's age who she describes as having beautiful and kind eyes. A girl who wants the jewel seeds for her own purposes, leading to a conflict between the two.
The narrative is really good at setting up tension and at pacing. The story moves fairly quickly, but still manages to find time for breathing room and slower character moments. The short running time is used very effectively with good mix of character moments, action sequences and plot advancing scenes. Every element that goes into the final conflict and climax is introduced in an organic way before it's used there, which makes everything hold together very strongly. The only complaint I can really make about the story itself is that it does waste a little time with transformation sequences, which is admittedly an incredibly petty complaint especially when you consider that it uses that particular element less than most magical girl works. Frequently skipping it altogether.
Characters:
Sometimes a solid story can be diminished by weak characters. This is not one of those cases. The character building in Nanoha is really superb with every single character, including the minor ones, having verisimilitude except for in one scene but I'll discuss that a bit later. The relationship between Nanoha and Fate is especially good, with Nanoha's attraction being established instantly and Fate going from being somewhat apprehensive to liking Nanoha back more and more. Which culminates in four really excellent scenes near the end of the series. I also like that the main antagonist has a very well explained, very human motivation behind what she's doing. She does terrible things, but once you understand why you actually start to feel kind of sorry for her. It doesn't excuse her behaviour but it does make her surprisingly sympathetic. Which is really hard to pull off but it's done really well in this.
Now, let's go to my one issue with the characters. As I said, most of the time the characters have verisimilitude. The exception being when Nanoha basically tells her mother that she's going off into danger, without explaining anything about magic, and her mother just readily goes along with it because letting a nine year old go into danger is fine if it's what the nine year old wants. The basic idea could have worked, but they'd have had to have Nanoha show off her power a bit or have her mother see her in action at some point prior for it to work. As is it just makes her mom seem like a highly irresponsible parent which is not supposed to be the case.
Art:
Most of the animation is well done. The action sequences are intense. The character designs are interesting and the various bits of magical technology have a unique aesthetic. However, this is also where my biggest issue with the series comes in. Nanoha's transformation sequence is awful. I'm not talking about them having a transformation sequence, I'm talking about the actual visuals for it. They show her in her underwear and then starkers in a way that's not explicit but is pretty damn uncomfortable especially when you consider that she's nine. No sane person wants to see a nine year old starkers and I seriously question why they would show the audience so much of her body during it.
Sound:
They got a really amazing cast for this series. Mizuki Nana, Tamura Yukari, Kuwatani Natsuko & Mizuhashi Kaori make for spectacular leads and Igarashi Rei makes for a great villain. The music is really great as well.
Ho-yay:
There's certainly a strong element of les-yay, even more so than with most magical girl works. Nanoha develops a crush on Fate as soon as they meet and the two of them have a lot of really cute moments as their relationship develops. They're still young but it makes for a spectacular first love story. But maybe I'm over-stating it. It's not like they're going to adopt a child together when they get older or something else that moves it definitively into the realm of canon. But even early on it is a very strong element to the series so the ho-yay factor is going to be a 6/10 for this one.
Final Thoughts:
Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha is an excellent series. The story is compelling and well constructed. The characters are really superbly done, save for one scene. The acting and music are both amazing. Really, its biggest flaw is the way they do the transformation sequence which is just gross and disturbing. Still, it's not a huge problem. Check out the series and just look away when the transformation sequence is going. My final rating is going to be a 9/10. Next week magical girl month continues with Magic Knight Rayearth.
ZachM
In 2011, director Akiyuki Shinbo teamed up with Studio SHAFT and writer Gen Urobuchi to create an anime by the name of Puella Magi Madoka Magica. Prior to Madoka, Shinbo was known to have only directed one other series from the Magical Girl genre. That series was Seven Arcs 2004 anime, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha Now, why do I bring up Madoka you ask? Well its because they are extremely similar (as most anime directed by Shinbo are). Heck, if it wasn't for Gen Urobuchi turning Madoka into a deep dark pit of death and despair, I'd think they were the same show. But Nanoha, being alot less psychologically intense, gives it a lot more of an audience to appeal to. Then again, that also hurts the anime. As many "mature" anime fans would think, "Why would I want to watch a show about a 9 year-old magical girl searching for Jewel Seeds?"
Well that's what I'm here to tell ya
STORY: 7/10
(Short Summary) The story of Nanoha, starts off with 9 year-old Nanoha Takamachi, living her daily life, when suddenly, she discovers an injured ferret on the side of the road. She is worried about this ferret and wants to help it. But it turns out, that the ferret is a shape shifting mage that was sent to Earth to complete a specific task. This ferret, being injured, cannot complete this task, therfore he bestows upon Nanoha magical powers enabling her to transform into a Mage and fight off impending danger and collect items known as Jewel Seeds.
Now, that kind of a story doesn't sound like the most unique and interesting kind of story, but it's how Nanoha builds off of something so simple and turns it into a very interesting journey headlined by the characters and how they develop moving forward. It uses some run of the mill magical girl themes tied with uncharacteristically dealing with real social problems throughout the series. It ends up turning into a very unique series that is fun and awesome to watch.
CHARACTERS: 9/10
The characters in Nanoha go through many trials and tribulations throughout the series, in which they must find ways to deal with. Our lead Nanoha Takamachi is a bright and cheery young girl who's easy to love right from the start and became one of my more favorite female lead characters in anime. She starts off as anyone would in her situation, surprised, scared of what may happen, and hoping that she is able to do all that she is asked to do. And eventually comed to terms with her situation and finds that she now wants to do this instead of being forced to.
The other characters are memorable, and very well fleshed out. None more so than the second female lead, Fate Testarossa. Fate develops almost the most in the show, and is a really cool character to see go through her obstacles.
I found every character very enjoyable to see on screen, and was very happy with how they all turned out.
ART/ANIMATION: 8/10
I honestly loved the character designs for this show. There was just something about them, blending classic animating styles with new age ones, paired with wonderful use of colors and lighting. Considering this show was made 10 years ago back in 2004, by Studio Seven Arcs, I was impressed. It was an unexpectedly very well done.
SOUND: 8/10
The soundtrack gets the job done, and it gets it done well. It knows when to be serious, it knows when to be intense, and it knows when to be sad. And the tracks fit the show well. The Opening Theme was very good as well. The OP, like the soundtrack, fit the show near perfectly.
As for the voice acting, I also thought they excelled for every role. Nanoha was portrayed very nicely by the wonderful Yukari Tamura. But the best voice in the show, would be of Nana Mizuki's portrayal of Fate Testarossa. She hit that feel of dread in Fate's character perfectly. All the voice actors left nothing for me to complain about and did good jobs all around.
ENJOYMENT: 10/10
OVERALL: 9/10
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha is an anime that at first glance, probably doesn't look like something you'd enjoy, but underneath the surface, lies an underrated anime from the Magical Girl genre that I feel is absolutely worth seeing by anyone who feels they'd like to see it. For me personally, I loved this anime. I loved every second of it. From the first minutes of episode 1 to the lasting minutes of episode 13. I had been holding it off for a while and after finally watching it I can honestly say that it met all of my expectations and excelled in every category. It is truly an anime that I won't soon forget.
Splitter
How does something that starts with a load of magical girl cliches end up transcending the entire genre by the end? Nanoha starts as a thinly-veiled Cardcaptor Sakura ripoff, yet by the end, it stands as an anime unlike anything other "magical girl" anime out there and quite possibly the most well-thought-out of them all. Despite the three episodes of classic magical girl exposition, the character Fate appears afterward and instigates the series' rapid evolution into something much more respectable. The elements of the plot become darker with the passing of time, especially parts of the plot that regard Fate and her reasons for fighting. Soon,the plot twists fly left and right and by the end, Nanoha is nothing like the series it was when it started. And that's a very good thing!
Though Nanoha may scream "Sakura clone" at first, she quickly separates herself from her predecesors by taking up a buster rifle and a no-nonsense unhesitant attitude toward her new duties. Supporting characters Fate and Arf also contribute heavily to the narrative and are enjoyable characters in their own right as well.
Nanoha's first season was directed by Shinbo Akiyuki, infamous for his inventive animation style, but don't expect any kind of surreal post-modernism here. Do expect surprisingly fluid, almost movie quality animation that stays relatively consistent throughout. Not to mention the extended transformation sequence is one of the most amazingly lavish of the genre.
The soundtrack is highlighted by a beautiful Nana Mizuki number as the OP, though the BGM and ED aren't nearly as impressive. The BGM works without being obtrusive but it's nothing that requires any more thought.
Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha is an ironic title, as after the first three episodes, everything it does separates itself from the "magical girl" moniker. It's darker than most, and far more well-thought-out in terms of narrative. The first installment to the now cult-status franchise, Nanoha is far more enjoyable than you'd be led to believe at first glance.
Overall I give Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha an 8 out of 10
ZeroReq011
A few episodes into this series, I couldn't quite tell what exactly was especially grim about this series, it being one of the quintessential dark magical girl narratives. Fairly ordinary girl meets fairly odd ferret. Fairly odd ferret provides her with a charm of sorts, granting her magical abilities to fight off malevolent creatures and contain arcane energies plaguing her hometown. Fairly standard magical girl setup. Then, several episodes later, I understood. Beside the universe that the events of the story that takes mostly in place in are other dimensions. Within these other dimensions exist legendary artifacts of power known as Lost Logia. Several of theseLost Logia in the form of Jewel Seeds inadvertently made their way to Nanoha Takamichi's space, in Nanoha Takimichi's city, where their unstable potentials are reeking havoc. The mage-archeaologist who accidentally triggered their migration makes his way to Earth and Japan, taking the form of a telepathic ferret and enlisting the help of a native with an unusually high magical potential, aka, Nanoha Takamichi, to retrieve them, or seal them, before they fall into the wrong hands. Produced by Seven Arcs, directed by Akiyuki Shinbo (before he went completely Shaft), conceived and scripted by Masaki Tsuzuki, with character designs by Yasuhiro Okuda, the show's first half is a pretty textbook example of magical girls in action.
We're introduced to Nanoha, a third-grader with a loving family and equally loving friends in a “Meet _____” sort of sequence. We're introduced to magic as Nanoha explores the berth of her newfound abilities via a “Monster of the Week” sort of scenario. And during this time, Nanoha develops into her position, from one who reluctantly took up her staff, to one who wields it consciously and confidently for the sake of others, in spite of numerous opportunities to retire and return back to her safe life.
And then we're introduced to Fate Testarossa, a character who, in many respects, is the titular character's opposite. Aloof as opposed to affable, reserved as opposed to sociable, yet, if only by the look of her eyes, full of sadness rather than frost, she is also, in many respects, the titular character's equal, a person, a girl, gifted, but battered, yet otherwise normal, who wants to be loved by the one person in her life who is supposed to cherish her. And so the second half leads its audience from sunny peaks to dark valleys as the show explores Fate's sickening backstory and Nanoha's increasingly determined attempts to reach out to her from her tortured shell.
It's also at this point where the story branches out of its preset genre boundaries by blending narrative elements of sci-fi, bringing the story to a grander plane while simultaneously moving the plot. But perhaps the most consistently prolific sci-fi elements in the show, and arguably one of the most impressive things, are the magic staves, which simply ooze this sense of weightiness whenever they crackle into existence, crash into formation, and steam into and out of being. This, in turn, adds weight to the kinesthetics of the attacks. The attacks, in other words, look powerful and feel meaningful.
The OP “Innocent Starter” by Nana Mizuki uses a mixture of electronic keyboard, electric guitar, and steady drum beat, and vocals to imbue melancholy in an otherwise dynamic movement. The singer flexes her talents pretty expressively at the music's climax, weaving between one octave and another. The OP's visuals do a decent job highlighting the differences between Nanoha's and Fate's situations before having them confront stare down the other in a decisive flourish. The ED “Little Wish ~lyrical step~” by Yukari Tamari, on the other hand, is one note saccharine both to the ears and eyes, and potentially immersion breaking, given that it plays after every episode, even after the serious ones.
The main problems with this show are predominantly found in the aforementioned first half. The animation's fairly inconsistent from episode to episode, some of it due to Shinbo's idiosyncrasies, which were present in his direction even back then, but the rest probably due to limited budget. In addition, a significant portion of what is consistent is padding, stock magical staff and girl transformations, plus one episode dedicated mainly to... hot springs? Yeah, let's go with that. It's a non-issue by the second half, where it's clear where much of the budget went. But by far the most egregious dilemma is the show's generically formulaic beginnings. It's, perhaps, enjoyable for individuals who are fans of the genre, but to me, it's trends toward being too safe, too sappy, too simplistic. It's only later on when Nanoha's family and friends are explored in more depth.
Regardless, Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha is one of the first magical girl series that proved that the genre could handle mature issues without losing sight of what distinguished the magical girl genre to begin with, outside of, well, magical girls, themes such as righteousness and friendship, even if Nanoha has to “befriend” you to get that point across.
I give Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha a 7 out of 10.
FFViper
This would be my first review, so I'll get straight to the point... Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha stands by its names as a magical girl show in the sense of girl discovering magical powers with near-nude transformation and such, however it has several points that place it apart from it peers. It has action that is on par with Shounen with its battles and a more realistic plot then most magical girl series. The show itselfs is short and goes by quick and lacks the 'slow' nature of most magical girl animes. The biggest thing about Nanoha is its straight to the point, we don'twaste time battle random villains till the real villain reveals their FINAL plot in the last episodes. We get a straight story from episode one with no side-trips. The staffs the character's use are really interesting, I would explain more but its best for you to watch it and see for yourself.
The only downside is your left wanting more development of the smaller characters. It latest only 13 episodes and leaves no room for secondary character development and cause of that it suffers a bit in storyline and character. However considering how much plot they stuffed in 13 episodes I don't think many would complain about this.
Review Recommendation: If you like this title then It's sequel, "Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha A's" will impress you even more. It has even better battles, more actions, with a deeper plot.
DragonsWhip
Ah, Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha. When I first watched it, I dropped it. Untill recently! I came to the conclusion that the first episodes are so typical mahou shoujo, but I continued. Indeed: it turned out to be a good anime if you like mahou shoujo in any way. The story is, like I already said, very mahou shoujo. Girl meets unknown person, person needs help with collecting stuff, girl helps the person. Yeah, very typical. The story is in the beginning very Cardcaptor Sakura like, but later on the real and interesting story begins. The real story is interesting and emotional. The art of the animewas nice. The character art is very nice: Nanoha, Fate and the other characters are well done. The battle costumes are awesome, but the normal scenes are not that pretty. Think about the background art etcetera. Despite that, I give it a 7!
The sound was all right. The opening is just beautiful : I never skipped it an episode! It's so catchy... The ending was okay. The backgroundmusic and effects are nice too.
The characters looked pretty, but not all the characters had the time to develope themselves emotionally. A pity! The outside of the characters are very cool, especially Fate. The costumes look great, the hairstyle was nice and the weapons are awesome. The only character that was not pretty was the real villain, but hey, that's what you can expect...
I crawled through the first episodes: they are way too typical mahou shoujo. But then a part of the story finally starts and thinks start to happen : awesome fights. The characters looked nice, just as the sound was and the art was so-so at some moments. Despite the fact that the story only started for real at the last episodes, I enjoyed this series till the last moment. Enjoyment and overall an 8!
Da_Nuke
Before watching this, remember: MSLN is *not* a magical girl shoujo anime. It's a 100% straight action series. In fact, when I describe it to my friends, I describe it as "equal parts Sailor Moon, Dragonball Z and Star Trek, of just the right length". The first few chapters are typical magical girl fare, yeah, but that's just a bait and switch story that paves the way to a completely different story that focuses on the conflict between Fate's superiors, her relationship with Nanoha, Nanoha's own life issues, her new career as a magical girl, and the powers that are behind Nanoha's job. And all ofthat is carried on with the most awesome fighting scenes you'll ever see. I'm not talking about just magical girls throwing powers; I'm talking about real badasses duking it out!
The story is flawless, the voice acting is great, the story starts out clichéd but that's before the real story kicks in halfway through, the animation is awesome especially during the fight scenes (I could swear they poured a blockbuster-like budget on this!), and overall, this is one of the best of the best anime series I've watched in my life. I'm definitely looking forward to A's and Strikers.
Honghan1995
As the series opens, Nanoha Takamachi is presented as an ordinary girl, living with her family, taking the bus to school and playing the gold-hearted average girl to her multimillionaire best friends Alisa Bannings and Suzuka Tsukimura. However, she always felt like a third wheel; her parents had each other, so did her siblings, and so did her best friends, while Nanoha had no such close companion. Additionally, she says she feels her life has no direction, as she has no plans for what she wants to do with herself. When she finds the injured Yūno in ferret form in the park, she brings himto a nearby veterinarian for care. Yūno later calls Nanoha telepathically as an unstable Jewel Seed attacks him, and he then gives her the red gem around his neck, known as Raising Heart. With his instructions, Nanoha activates Raising Heart, and discovers her own magical ability. Her powers blow Yuuno away as she is able to create attacks quickly, and senses Jewel Seeds more easily than he can. Even with all these powers, she is still learning and must fight off her rival (later dearest friend and partner) Fate Testarossa, although Nanoha is more interested in befriending her. Needless to say, she succeeds in befriending Fate, however her methodology has lead to an interesting pun.
Nanoha lives at her home in Uminari City with her family. She balances cram school, regular school and hunting for Jewel Seeds with ease, although Yuuno fears that it may be too much for her in the long run. Although she tries to hide her identity from her friends and family, in contrast to many mahou shoujo series, she blatantly advertises it to Fate.
Later on, the series focuses not on the collection of Jewel Seeds but on the eventual team up of Nanoha and Fate, which does happen in the second-to-last episode as Fate comes to terms with her and her mother's identities. Nanoha and Fate must part as Fate is arrested for the work she did for Presea Testarossa, but they part as friends and promise to reunite, as Fate will likely be acquitted of all charges.
Tekky99
Length: 13 Episodes Original Airdates: 10/04 - 12/04 Demographic: Unknown (betting on Shounen) Genres: Fantasy, Magic Also Known As: Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha, MGLN Plot Synopsis Yuuno Scraia is a mage from a distant planet working to fix the problem he started when Jewel Seeds were accidentally spread around the world. In a failed attempt to seal a seed properly, he winds up on Earth in the form of a ferret. However, his battle with the seeds did not end upon reaching the Earth and he needs somebody else's help to seal the seeds for him. Takamachi Nanoha hears his telepathic cries for help and comes to his rescue. When sheis given a pearl known as the Raging Heart she is able to transform into Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha and wield a staff to fend off the evil that lies within the Seeds. In order to help Yuuno complete his mission, she needs to seal all 21 Jewel Seeds away, but Fate may be playing a hand in the matter to prevent Nanoha's goals.
(Source: ANN)
Personal Opinion
In my recent ventures into the Mahou Shoujo genre, I had heard favorable reviews about Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha. So, I decided to watch it.
Referring to MGLN as a Mahou Shoujo anime, will lead to many misinterpretations. When I hear "Magical Girl", I envision an cute elementary school girl wearing short skirts and firing off attacks that are littered with hearts. Don't expect that in MGLN.
MGLN in a Magical Girl anime in which the lead characters engage in fights that are usually reserved for shounen animes. This probably was the main reason I could watch this anime.
I mean story-wise, It's very simple... almost generic. The first half of the show moved incredibly slow and I contemplated a few times if I should drop it. It's a good thing I didn't because the 2nd half of the show was filled with intense action. After episode 6, I was sucked in. MGLN can be quite emotional when it needs to The show has an antagonist who is really easy to pity.
So overall... It didn't quite meet the expectations that I had for it, but I enjoyed it nonetheless (Especially the 2nd half)
7/10
Similar to...
- Bleach
Instead of Shinigami's firing of huge attacks and surviving the impact... it's 9 year old elementary school girls.
- Noein
The concept of multiple worlds makes an appearance in both
malvarez1
When I heard about this anime, I thought it sounded generic, but fun. I was kinda right. If you've ever watched any magical girl show where the main heroine fights monsters, then its probably like this. But still, it can be fun. In this anime, the main 9-year-old heroine, Nanoha, finds a talking animal that gives her magic powers, and now she must find these "Jewel Seeds". However, another young girl, Fate, is also searching for them. One major problem I had was Fate's motivation. I won't spoil it, but it felt lame. Her reasons were so dumb, I couldn't believe it. The fan-service can be annoying.I mean, these are under-age kids. WTH? The gay-undertones were a bit heavy, most notably in the final episode.
These gripes aside, this is a fun, simple magical girl series, and fans of the genre should love it.
Ringrose
I have heard about the Nanoha franchise for many years now, so I checked into it. While I’m not blown away, it is entertaining enough to keep my attention, which is rare for me. The story essentially follows the adventures of Nanoha becoming a magical girl, collecting the jewel seeds with her animal sidekick, which is standard fare. The plot takes an odd turn when science fiction is thrown into the blender. Yes, Nanoha is not a pure magical girl show. I happen to be a sucker for sci-fi, so this was a pleasant surprise for me. However, I have to admit this element hasits drawbacks. It abandons the consistency of a magical girl monster of the week plot.
For another, it diminishes the importance of the Earthling characters, which is unfortunate. However, all the characters are interesting and easy to understand, which is a good point. Nobody is too annoying.. even the main villain is sympathetic to an extent.
While nothing is really egregious, Nanoha is a brief series. And so nothing stands out too much either. I’m aware of the many other seasons. I feel like Nanoha's stakes rise way too fast, and would have benefited from more episodes to develop the story.
Overall, Nanoha is a solid series and is about what I would expect from the beginning of a franchise. I recommend checking it out if you like magical girls or science fiction.
Animelover875
Lyrical Nanoha (season one), in a few words, is a series that's very difficult to recommend, but if you can deal with the negatives, it could be worth investing time into. Let's start with the positives. The series starts as a typical magical girl series with a focus on a "collect the items" mission and turns into something different by the end. There are a lot of great visuals and original songs here, and character designs tend to be mixed; Nanoha and Fate look great, but other characters fade into the background. The series somewhat mixes the slice-of-life genre with the magical girl aspect by givingNanoha a rival in Fate, though this is later subverted. For what it's worth, Fate makes a great character for a variety of reasons; her character arc is extremely interesting and she gives many of the series its best moments. Her morality is genuinely questionable and human at times, and all of the actions in the series feel like they take place for a reason. Even Arisa and Suzuka are subverted early into the series and play a good role at providing an emotional core.
Nanoha's key goal (to become Fate's friend) is a very simple and innocent one and tells much of both girls' character through their reaction to the events in the series that unfold. It's also interesting that we see that despite being Nanoha's alleged rival, she doesn't seem to be battling out of freewill, nor out of resistance, and the reasons why become more complex as the season progresses.
Unfortunately, Lyrical Nanoha (Season 1 at least) is subject to a few issues that call into question the aforementioned positives. The show deals with mental and physical abuse at times, which can be disconcerting as some scenes are very graphic. There's also a considerable amount of nudity and fanservice given the young ages of the protagonists, which could be a factor that deters away some audiences as well.
Nanoha also suffers from pacing at times; despite being only 13 episodes, there is a great quantity of exposition in the series, as well as some filler episodes that don't really amount to anything or at worst, a minor character development that's never brought up again. However, I believe that Nanoha was able to pick itself up by the end, and episodes started to somewhat improve in various aspects. The first season receives a 6/10.
the_bici
bence biraz çoçuk işiydi sihirli kız türünde gene de ii iş çıkarmışlar karakterler felan epey cool du hele ki fate epey iyidi onun dışında savaş sahneleri hoşuma gitti zaten büyü çemberi meraklısı olduğum için izlemeye başlamıştım hemencecikte bitirdim sıkıcı değil hatta diğer bölümde ne olcak diye merak ettirdiği sahneleri de var
