Heartwarming / Symphogear

Symphogear

• This moment from Ep. 2 of the first season.
• Hibiki and Miku making up in episode 8. So sweet, it'll make your teeth itch.
• Tsubasa's return to the stage in episode 9.
• Genjuro convincing Chris that her parents really did love her in episode 10. This leads to the debut of Chris's second song during her Moment of Awesome — the lyrics reflect her character development.
• The last Ultimate Song and Hibiki's return in the final episode.
  • Also :Fine reverting back to Ryoko and wishing Hibiki good luck before she literally crumbles to dust.

Symphogear G

• The last few minutes of Episode 4 feature Chris singing "Kyoushitsu Monochrome" in front of the Academy during the school festival, while reflecting on how she became friends with three other students as well as Tsubasa, Hibiki, and Miku. This is especially heartwarming knowing about what Chris has endured for most of her life, especially when seeing her singing so happily and knowing that she has friends who rely on her. Even Kirika and Shirabe, their enemies, are moved by her performance. When she finishes the song, the auditorium erupts into huge cheers and applause.
• Episode 12 has a flurry :
  • Maria finding a sense of purpose in using her song to activate Frontier to remote control the moon back into its proper orbit, and broadcasting it to the whole world, apologizing for her acts.
  • Tsubasa reminiscing Kanade and telling Chris her place is at their side against all odds.
  • Chris finally calling Tsubasa "senpai", and affirming their mutual trust as they pull an epic fast one on Ver, and Tsubasa bailing Chris out.
  • Fine saving Shirabe by taking Kirika's Swan Song (a strike capable of slashing down to the soul) and asking Shirabe to pass on her message to Hibiki.
  • Miku cheering on Hibiki as she dons Gungnir after stealing it from Maria.
• In episode 13, hearing "Hajimari no Babel" sung by everyone, on the very same melody that used to be a death sentence. That's right, this song is a Triumphant Reprise of the melody used on every Swan Songs!
• The last segment of the first OVA: Chris prays for her parents at the Buddhist shrine she had Genjirou lug back to her apartment, telling them that even if she's not used to school life yet, she's beginning to enjoy it.

Symphogear GX

• The reason of the very first set of actions: The Symphogears went through all the trouble to secure Prof. Nastassja's corpse just so she can get a proper burial. Hibiki's reasoning seals it: As far as she is concerned (and the rest of the good guys), the Professor's heart is in the right place, she wants to save the world genuinely, so she deserves proper burial!
• A bit of Fridge Heartwarming; remember all of the trouble Tsubasa went through to get Chris to call her "senpai" back in the last season? Well, guess what Chris calls Tsubasa in her first spoken line of the season?
  Tsubasa: These things are as wild a ride as Yukine herself!
  Chris: Then show me how well you can handle me, senpai!
• In episode three, as noted under Funny, Kirika took a shop sign for an impromptu cape...which she then later uses to give Chris some modesty when she rescues her, wrapping her in it.
• Chris and Tsubasa, trying their Ignite Modules for the first time, are being overwhelmed by the negative emotions the system uses, all their psychological issues front and center and both teetering on the brink of despair. What keeps them from tipping over that edge and going berserk like Maria does in Episode 7? They grasp each other's hands and let the other hold them up. Awwww...
• A small moment comes in Episode 7 where Maria hands Tsubasa sunglasses to conceal her identity. These two used to be very fierce rivals in the previous season, so seeing them interact in a friendly manner really makes one smile.
  Tsubasa: You're sounding like a mother, Maria.
  • Heck, all the interactions between the F.I.S. Children and the original 3 Symphogear users can count as this. Maria, Shirabe, and Kirika definitely put Hibiki's extended hand of friendship to heart and now each respective side puts the other above themselves. Hibiki, Tsubasa, and Chris want to protect the F.I.S. Children from the backlash of the public while Maria, Shirabe, and Kirika want to make up to S.O.N.G. for giving them a second chance at life in whatever way they can. And these were once people who fought each other to the death! Character Development at its finest.
• Two moments in Episode 8:
  • First, when Shirabe swaps her apple juice for Kirika's black coffee, after the latter gets unlucky playing the vending machine lottery.
  • Secondly, when they realise that even though everyone was harsh to them on occasion, it was out of a desire to protect them.
• Episode 9 is one very big Heartwarming moment for the Kazanaris. Even though Yatsuhiro continues to give Tsubasa the cold shoulder, Maria points out that Tsubasa's room, despite the ostensible mess, has been kept clean and dust-free for ten years, something that Yatsuhiro wouldn't have done if he really hated her. Furthermore, seems like being Cruel to Be Kind runs in the family - the reason why Tsubasa was asked to leave the family mansion was not to ostracize her, but to allow her to pursue her dreams, free of encumbrances.
  • During the entire episode Maria has Tsubasa's back, chastising her father for being an irresponsible parent and genearally being concerned with Tsubasa's wellbeing.
• Episode 10: The truth about Carol using Elfnein to spy of S.O.N.G. has been revealed and Elfnein appropriately asks that she be tied up and put elsewhere so that she won't be of any more harm. Response? Genjuuro pats Elfnein on the head and tells her that she doesn't have to go anywhere, with Sakuya and Aoi agreeing wholeheartedly. Cue Tears of Joy from Elfnein.
• Episode 11: Hibiki's dad may be a complete ass throughout the series, but in this episode, he shows that in spite of his overall cowardice, he STILL cared for Hibiki, he used himself as a bait to Carol's blasts so Hibiki can escape and to fix their broken family she needs to survive, and proceeds to admit that yes, he's a Dirty Coward, but there's one thing he cannot hide from: being Hibiki's father and determined to protect her. And the real reason for that? Just to run to the dropped Gungnir relic and throw it back to Hibiki on instinct that she could be a Symphogear he watched back in G, and he's right. And from that point on, he decided that he'll stop running away and watch Hibiki's battles while cheering on her head on.
  • When Maria decides to assault the Château de Tiffauges, Kirika and Shirabe immidiatly joins up with her without being asked. These lines are from Kirika and Shirabe to Maria:
    Shirabe We may be dependent on LiNKER.
    Kirika But there's no time limit on our bonds!
• Episode 12: While fighting inside the Chateau de Tiffauges, Maria, Kirika and Shirabe finally feels like they are making up for their pasts and are worthy of fighting alongside the other girls. This is marked by them singing a combined theme song and giving their earnest thoughts to the other girls. Shirabe apoogizes for calling Hibiki a hipocrite in season 2, Kirika tells Chris that she's a good sempai, and Maria tells Tsubasa that she'd like to sing with her again.
• Episode 13: After the last battle, Hibiki comforts Elfnein in the hospital, who has fallen into critical condition, by telling her how fun summer vacation is. After they leave her room, she runs to the bathroom. Miku follows after her, which reveals her to have been crying. Knowing that she is essentially wanting to know why, Hibiki realizes that just punching things only solves the supernatural problems, not the ones that matter realistically. Miku, however, believes in her, holding her clenched fist, and believes that someday it will solve everything. We then get this exchange:
  Hibiki *hugs Miku* You really are my sunflower.
  • The Stinger also shows Hibiki finally reconciling with her family.
• In the second OVA Chris is cleaning her apartment before the others come over to see Tsubasa and Maria's concert. She complains loudly all the way how much of a bother it is but never once does she stop smiling. She also tells her parent's shrine that she's having some friends over.
• A debatable one from the third GX OVA, but when Carol tells Leiur to attack Elfnein so Elfnein could leave the Chateau faster, Leiur hesitates for a moment, saying that she feels sorry for the kid. This is despite the fact that Autoscorers aren't programmed to have a conscience or feel sympathy.
  • In the same episode, Micha needs Garie's help to fix her clothes, because she can't do it herself with her claws. She then apologizes for being such a nuisance, even though she's supposed to be the ultimate Auto-scorer. Then Garie tells her not to worry so much about it. Very sweet for being the two most violent characters in the series.

Symphogear AXZ

• Episode 3: Tsubasa and Maria narrowly escape an attempt on their lives from the Alca-Noise and successfully make it back to S.O.N.G. headquarters. When Hibiki, Chris, Shirabe, and Kirika immediately run in to check on them, Maria tries to brush it off, saying that at least they succeeded in their mission, but Hibiki has none of that.
  Hibiki: That's not what we were worried about! You were attacked! I'm so glad you're okay!
• From the moment she officially joined S.O.N.G., Elfnein has received nothing but constant, positive support from all of its members. The Gear users, Genjuro, Ogawa, Aoi, and Sakuya all take time to make sure that she's not overworking herself and help cheer her up when she's feeling down or tired. Special mention, however, goes to Maria, Shirabe, and Kirika as their success as Gear users hinges heavily on the LiNKER that Elfnein creates, and even though Elfnein blames herself and her incompetency for not being able to decipher Dr. Ver's LiNKER recipe quickly enough, the three don't hold it against her.
  • As for Elfnein's reasons as to why she overworks herself? It's because she inherited her body from Carol and feels the need to do enough work for the both of them.
• The Pavarian Illuminati have some surprisingly heartwarming moments despite their status as villains.
  • Cagliostro and Prelati are wholly loyal to Saint-Germain and the amount of devotion and camaraderie they show towards her and each other serves to humanize them and paint them in a very sympathetic light. They're even willing to openly rebel against the Illuminati's leader because, as Prelati puts it, "it's not [Adam] or the Illuminati that we've sworn to follow." The following exchange from Episode 5 summarizes it best:
  Saint-Germain: I can't afford to reconsider the steps already taken, even if I have to struggle alone.
  Prelati: But you're not alone. Basically, we can't leave you by yourself.
  Cagliostro: It's thanks to you that we're here at all. Wherever you go, we go together.
  Saint-Germain: *silence, then smiles*
  • Even if he has little to no concern about the well-being of his other subordinates, Adam seems to hold a genuine soft spot for his Autoscorer Tiki. Tiki absolutely idolizes her master and spends nearly every moment clinging on to him in glee, and Adam doesn't mind her at all, patting her head in response and letting her sit on his shoulder from time to time. There's even one moment in Episode 7 where he holds her up to the sky and spins her around like a father and child.
• Miku recounting the story of why she quit track and field in Episode 7. Back then, the only thing she cared for was getting ahead of others and as a result she found it hard to consider their feelings because she only saw them as rivals. However, once she saw that Hibiki, despite being bullied and thus having "more reason to cry than anyone else", still worked to help others for their sakes, she realized that what she wanted was not to be behind or in front of others, but to walk side by side with them, and it's something that's stuck with her since.
  • Hibiki and Miku's relationship in this season in general is this because of how far they've come since previous seasons. When the franchise first began, Hibiki deliberately withheld information regarding her stint as a Symphogear user because she was afraid of straining her relationship with Miku, which eventually led Miku to feel worried that she won't be able to keep up with her. Three seasons later, Hibiki has no qualms about honestly sharing her problems with Miku and Miku always responds in kind, acting as her confidant and offering her words of encouragement and advice. Regardless of whether you support the Les Yay or not, it cannot be denied that the two have grown a lot since then.
• After trucks full of anti-LiNKER and the girls fighting fail to break the divine power's hold on Hibiki, they send in their ace in the hole: Miku.
  Miku: It's your birthday today, you know. But, you're supposed to be a part of it too!
  Hibiki: Someone's calling me. I know this voice.
  Miku: Hibiki... Happy birthday. Though... what I really want to say is "thank you." It's because you were born into this world that I learned how to run side by side with people.
  Hibiki: Miku...
  Miku: I realized that if I ran with someone else, I could reach goals I couldn't reach alone.
  Hibiki: Miku... My warm sunshine!
  Miku: Hibiki! My shining sun!
• The second half of Episode 13, in which Hibiki, after twelve episodes of buildup and delay, finally gets to celebrate her seventeenth birthday. After weeks of fighting for their lives, saving the world, and enduring many hardships, the main cast finally gets a chance to cut loose and have a good time, and it's worth it in the end to see them relaxing and acting as they normally do without having to worry about fighting anytime soon, if only for a moment.

Symphogear XV

• In the time between Episodes 1 and 2, Chris got to celebrate her 18th birthday with the other Gear users. Though we don't get to see the party itself, we do see a photo of the occasion, placed right by the shrine Chris dedicates to her parents. Furthermore, she wears the red gloves and scarf Hibiki and Miku got for her to school, even though she doesn't want to admit that she likes them to Hibiki's face.
• It's small, but Tsubasa asking Maria to sing with her at her return concert by bringing up Maria's parting words from GX about wanting to "sing with [Tsubasa] all night." It goes to show how far Tsubasa has come since she left for overseas; what was once a shy, broken girl who questioned her love for singing is now a confident, grown woman who is ready to spread her love for music to the world. It's a shame the concert ended the way it did.
• At the start of Episode 6, with Miku missing, feared dead, and Hibiki beside herself in near panic and worry, Chris comforts her with just a look and a hand on her shoulder. Words are not necessary.
• Episode 7 is laden with them for the Autoscorers:
  • Leiur taking stock of their situation and declaring they can do the boring thing and run, or the flashy thing and fight back.
  • Phara and Leiur stay back to hold the line against all three members of Noble Red while Micha and Garie escort Elfnein. Elfnein first apologizes for their sacrifice, then changes her mind and thanks them instead.
  • In a callback to the Zesshoushinai episodes from GX, Micha complains that her giant clawed hands mean she can't do things like hold her master's hand. Elfnein in response tells Micha that she thinks her hands are cool.
  • Garie, the foremost member of the Autoscorers and the most monstrous in her behavior during GX, now takes a bullet for Elfnein, then gives Elfnein an encouraging speech in her last moments.
  • Topping it all off, Elfnein's transformation with the Dur da Bla features a Freeze-Frame Bonus of all four Autoscorers reflected in the jewels of her helm, doing the same poses the Symphogears did (Shirabe’s, Maria’s, Chris’s, and Tsubasa’s, specifically) on the cover art of their GX music singles. Micha even changes her pose to Kirika’s between frames so they can cover every pose but Hibiki's, while Elfnein herself does the pose from Carol's single.
• Episode 8 has Carol take a look at the broken remains of the Autoscorers and think that every time, the things she had cast away wind up saving her.
  • Later on, Carol asks Elfnein to make sure that the Autoscorers are given a proper burial.
• Episode 10: Hibiki welcoming Tsubasa back to the team and holds out her hand, bringing Tsubasa to grateful tears. The two girls that have been with us since the beginning have come so far as not just allies, but friends.
• Episode 13:
  • Seeing all of mankind united in chanting "Take it back... our future". Including the reviled US president. An example that Rousseau Was Right in this series.
  • Tsubasa, Chris, and Maria get to reunite with their loved ones for a brief moment. We also see Carol Together in Death with her father.
  • The series ends as Hibiki and Miku are very likely about to confess their love to each other during a meteor shower, calling back to the beginning of the series.
  • The credits give a proper curtain call for the lead actors, including Miku.
  • And what's the final ending song? Another version of "Gyakkō no Flüge," titled "Ashita e no Flügel".

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