History Franchise / LyricalNanoha

* ArbitraryMinimumRange: Has an aversion that proves the trope. The blast radius for the Arc-en-Ciel WaveMotionGun is greater than its maximum range, so a ship firing it must immediately jump out to dimensional space or be HoistByHisOwnPetard.

* ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha'' - TheOriginalSeries (2004)

** ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaTheMovie1st'' (2010) - an in-universe retelling of the first season
** ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaTheMovie2ndAS'' (2012) - an in-universe retelling of ''A's''

The series has a rather unusual production history. Nanoha first started as a TokenMiniMoe in a certain [[{{Eroge}} H-game]] named ''VisualNovel/TriangleHeart3SweetSongsForever'', part of a trilogy of such H-games. She was a very minor character, but proved popular enough to eventually get a mini SpinOff game where she becomes a typical [[TastesLikeDiabetes sickeningly sweet]] MagicalGirl. A few years later they decided to make an anime based on that, and so ''Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha'' was born. Said series proceeded to [[MixAndMatch throw in]] a bunch of tropes that would be more associated with HumongousMecha shows for good measure, simply because a production crew member noted that Nanoha's [[GiantPoofySleeves costume design]] made her look like a [[Anime/MobileSuitGundam Gundam]]. From there on she went on to become one of the most badass {{Magical Girl}}s yet to have existed.

** ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaTheMovie2ndAs'' (2012) - an in-universe retelling of ''A's''

* AlternateCalendar: Old and New Mid-Childan Calendar.

** Within the franchise itself we have TheMovie 1st and 2nd, which are considered an alternate retelling of the first and second seasons, with changes justified InUniverse as semi-biographical films, produced on Mid-childa.

* FlyingFirepower: The Air Mages, especially those who use the Mid-Childa style, which specialize at firing beams and other energy projectiles.

* HitSoHardTheCalendarFeltIt: The Mid-Childan calendar begins after the end of the Belkan War.

* MagicalForeignWords: Is a spell of Mid-Childa origins? Chances are good that it will be in English. Is a spell of Ancient Belka origins? Chances are good that it will be in German.

* {{Magitek}}: While using combat magic still requires some genetic predisposition, everyday technology on Mid-Childa is all magic based. The Ancient Belkans had an even more advanced fusion of magic and technology, to the point that even TSAB scientists don't know how most of their Lost Logia operate.

* OnlyFleshIsSafe: Mid-Childan combat magic is like this: you'd think that an energy beam that can pierce through layers upon layers of heavy spaceship armor would vaporize bare flesh instantly, but no, it merely knocks the target unconscious with not so much as a burn. Most cuts and bruises the characters sustain in combat actually come from secondary sources, like being slammed into a wall or caught under falling debris.
* OpposingCombatPhilosophies: The Midchildian mages focus on defensive barriers and WaveMotionGun tactics, while the Belkan Knights swarm up close with punishing melee attacks and cartridge-enhanced weaponry. There are exceptions to both rules like Fate, a melee-oriented Mid-childa style, and Hayate, a long-range SquishyWizard Belkan-user, and things get more complicated as the series goes on with mixed types, defense and support specialists, exotics like summon magic, curses and various forms of magical kung-fu.
** In ''[=StrikerS=]'', this difference is reflected in the transformation sequences. For Mid-Childan users their clothing disappears piece by piece, while it disappears all at once for Belkan users. This little detail was not carried over to ''[=ViVid=]''.

* PsychicLink: Belkan users can do this by themselves, while Mid-Childa mages need to use their Intelligent Devices.

* TranslationConvention: Messages displayed and spoken by Mid-Childa's Magitek devices are usually in English or German[[note]]Exceptions being humanoid Unison Devices such as Reinforce Zwei and Agito, Thoma's device Steed and Isis' device from ''Force''[[/note]], but all non-device characters exclusively speak Japanese. Since no explanation is ever provided, and it's possible that Mid-Childa could have picked up any or all of these languages through dimension-hopping shenanigans, it's unclear where the TranslationConvention is being applied, or whether it is being applied at all.

** This story would later be adapted into the anime ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha'', which changed many things heavily (including Nanoha's original MagicalGirl outfit becoming her school uniform, and Lindy and Chrono becoming human members of the [[SpacePolice Time-Space Administration Bureau]] who [[AdaptationalHeroism assist her]]). Most characters from ''Triangle Heart'' are reduced to MythologyGag cameos with no supernatural elements and fade into the background quickly, while the role of [[{{Kitsune}} Kuon]] is [[DecompositeCharacter split into a pair of new characters]], Yuuno and Arf. Partway through development, it was noted that Nanoha's sleeves looked like something out of ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'', and thus was born a {{Magitek}} MagicalGirlWarrior series with [[ReferenceOverdosed gratuitous references]] to automobiles and ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars''. Weirdly, the story actually drops back out of the MagicalGirl genre as time goes on, with [[Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaStrikerS the third season]] having Nanoha grow up and command a unit of military wizards in another dimension.

** The Nakajimas. With the exception of [[NonActionGuy Non Action Dad]] Genya (who lets his 108th Battalion do the talking), all of the members of the family are formidable fighters. [[ActionMom Quint]], [[BoobsOfSteel Ginga]], [[HotBlooded Subaru]], [[spoiler:[[BadassLongcoat C]][[EyepatchOfPower i]][[KnifeNut n]][[StuffBlowingUp q]][[YouShallNotPass ue]], [[{{BFG}} Dieci]], [[PowerFist Nove]] and [[SmallGirlBigGun Wendi]]]]. [[spoiler:Thoma Avenir]] will likely be joining them in the near future. And according to the First Movie Sound Stage, they consider [[TheGunslinger Teana]] part of the family.

** ''Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha The MOVIE 1st'' (2010) - an in-universe retelling of the first season
** ''Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha The MOVIE 2nd A's'' (2012) - an in-universe retelling of ''A's''

* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: Manageable in the first two series. Becomes quite unwieldy in ''[=StrikerS=]'', to the point that many of the antagonists receive almost no characterization at all [[AllThereInTheManual outside of the supplementary material]]. ''[[Manga/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaVivid ViVid]]'' and ''[[Manga/MagicalRecordLyricalNanohaForce Force]]'' also keep piling on the new faces while keeping many of the old ones and well, there's a reason the character sheet is split in seven.

** Alto of ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaStrikers]] is a mechanic in addition to a helicopter pilot. ''Audioplay/StrikersSoundStageX'' reveals that she also spends her spare time restoring vintage cars.

* WorldOfBuxom: There isn't much variety in breast sizes for the characters who are at least in their teens or are already adults (physically); the two most common sizes that you'll see are "big" and "bigger". They're realistically sized rather than being [[GagBoobs extreme]] like some examples of this trope can get, though. Downplayed in the first two series where a large portion of the female characters are children, but becomes more obvious after the TimeSkip to ''[=StrikerS=]'' since at this point most of the female cast are either in their adolescence or adults. However, the rule doesn't apply to everyone: characters like [[{{Bifauxnen}} Otto]] and [[ACupAngst Isis]] are flat-chested, [[TheNapoleon Caro]] is as well once she gets older, and Sein is the only character in the animated canon who has small (but not nonexistent) breasts and isn't physically a child. Once ''[=ViVid=]'' comes around the trope starts to fade a bit; while some of the new characters are still buxom, overall they have a far more diverse variety of breasts sizes. For example, Lutecia from ''[=StrikerS=]'' [[SheIsAllGrownUp shows up as a teen]] in that manga, and turns out to be one of the small breasted characters.

* PantyShot: Mandatory during transformation sequences. Otherwise almost non-existent, save for roughly one single inexplicable shot in each season.

* CharacterClassSystem: From ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaStrikers'' onwards, there's an established Class System squads of mages try to assemble either in full or split into subunits:
** Front Attackers are warrior types that specialize in close-quarters combat, make great use of magical-enhanced attacks, and overall prefer the Modern Belkan magic system for its effectiveness in one-on-one melee combat. As the Front Attackers' role is to cut into the enemy lines and protect the squad, defense and survival skills are important to increase attack time and reduce the need for support. Characters in this position: Subaru, Vita, Ginga, Nove, Vivio, and Einheart. Probably, also Signum and Zafira.
** Wing Guards are rogue types that rely on hit-and-run tactics, tend to be fragile speedsters, and abuse energy blades (protruding from their Devices) to slash or sword-beam the enemy. High mobility is needed so they can quickly shift from protecting the Center Guard or aiding in breaking the stall for the Front Attackers. The Midchildan magic system may be the weaker in terms of melee combat, but it grants energy blades and along with elemental magic, a Wing Guard can get a solid close-quarters combat. Characters in this position: Erio, Fate, Rio, and possibly Vita.
*** There's a variation called Wing Back that is virtually equal to the Wing Guard but being positioned between the Center Guard and the Full Back instead of between the former and the Front Attacker line. Furthermore, it seems to be less mobile than its counterpart as it mainly aids the Center Guard and protects the Full Back. There's only one known character occupying this position: Corona -- she possesses a rare skill and uses the Midchildan magic system. Wing Backs don't appear to be rogue types but more of combat-oriented support types.
** Center Guards are nuker types that overlap with ranger types because while their task is to deal as much damage as possible, a remarkable degree of accuracy is also needed. As they fight only in mid-to-long range, they gain the best scoping position which explains why the team captain or the best strategist often fills this position. Although this comes with the cost of it restricting their mobility and needing protection. Their spells of preference are shooting, bombardment and area-of-effects. Center Guards usually employ the Midchildan magic system for its effectiveness in long-range combat. Characters in this position: Teana, Nanoha, and Hayate if she ever learned to tune down her literally nuke-level spells so her allies don't get caught in the crossfire.
** Full Backs are support types that rarely engage and instead focus on providing transport and casting increase (healing and boosts) spells on their allies as well as restraining and casting decrease (debuffs and dispelling) spells on the enemy. Other types of support include communication (e.g. telepathy), investigation, rescuing (e.g Holding Net), sealing, and shapeshifting. As such, Full Backs favor the Midchildan magic system for its wide variety of effects and applications. High mobility is required and more often than not they are aided by a Boost Device. Characters in this position: Caro, Lutecia, and Shamal.

* BigBraToFill: In-universe example. When trying on the Wolkenritter's costumes in the 2nd movie Sound Stage, Miura and Rio comment that their adult forms aren't big enough to fit into Signum and Shamal's outfits.

* ATrueStoryInMyUniverse: Both ''The Movie 1st'' and ''The Movie 2nd A's'' are produced when Nanoha and Fate are adults (post-StrikerS) and the Sound Stages include their thoughts (and their friends') while each movie is being produced and the audio commentaries include them commenting on the various situations they lived as children and how they felt as they watch the movies.

It has been noted by TV executives that MagicalGirl series usually have MultipleDemographicAppeal -- not only are they popular among [[{{Kodomomuke}} 4 to 9-year-old girls]], but also among [[{{Seinen}} 19 to 30-]][[TestosteroneBrigade year-old males]]. Shows such as ''Franchise/PrettyCure'' attempt to please the first demographic. ''Nanoha'' is [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForLittleGirls made exclusively for the second]].

It has been noted by TV executives that MagicalGirl series usually have MultipleDemographicAppeal -- not only are they popular among [[{{Kodomomuke}} 4 to 9-year-old girls]], but also among [[{{Seinen}} 19 to 30-]][[TestosteroneBrigade year-old males]]. Shows such as ''Franchise/PrettyCure'' attempt to [[MultipleDemographicAppeal please both demographics]]. ''Nanoha'' is [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForLittleGirls made exclusively for the second]].