Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha

I hate to be the guy raining on everyone else's parade, but I found Nanoha profoundly disappointing. I've never been one for Hype Aversion; just the opposite, I gave it far more chance than I would have if it hadn't come with such high recommendations. I watched right up to the climax of the first season, at which point I concluded that it had missed every opportunity to catch my interest, and I simply couldn't be bothered to watch the resolution.

I can't help but wonder what everyone else sees in it that I don't.

...eventually, we will reach a maximum entropy state where nobody has their own socks or underwear, or knows who to ask to get them back.

Here's one thing: Vita. Not many Magical Girls fight with a sledgehammer.

Dude, Smokie, is that a dub-over of a Nanoha series transformation sequence with a Gao Gai Gar transformation sequence?

If so, that's freakin' hilariously awesome.

It is, because the transformation sequence is a blatant Shout Out at Gao Gai Gars Final Fusion.

Another WEG regarding Vita◊.

...I have too many pictures.

edited 29th Jul '09 11:23:57 AM by Smokie

The moment those fucking roller blades appeared I can only describe my reaction as Supercritical Narm.

EDIT: Also, WTF is the deal with the Gainaxing, seriously? Wear. A fucking. Bra.

edited 29th Jul '09 2:38:31 PM by Korgmeister

Again with the data mining, dear Aunt?

Yeah. I don't like the bouncing boobs either.

But this transformation sequences does look like a less-G-rated version of Mega Man ZX's transformation sequence. Which just makes me wonder more about their similarity.

See my thread in the Wild Mass Guessing forum for more info.

The rollerblades are indeed narmy. I mean... Fucking rollerblades man.

Didn't mind the Gainaxing though.

I haven't seen StrikerS, but I think I can confidently say that Nanoha doesn't have anything near the style or pacing of TTGL. GaoGaiGar, yes. And Gundam.

Nanoha doesn't get REALLY good until the second season.

The first season is a complete mess. There are some very good elements (the action choregraphy is impeccable throughout, the mid-season switch to SF drives the plot in an interesting direction, the torture scene is chillingly effective...), but it suffers from very dull characters, horrible planning (you DON'T switch plot directions twice in six episodes : it doesn't work), and three full Tastes Like Diabetes episodes of Card Captor Sakura knock-off at the start that are really painful to watch. Also, the Hot Springs Episode is terrible.

On the other hand, the second season starts more or less In Media Res, with the first episode alone having more awesome fighting that all of the first season combined. The plot is much more compelling, with antagonists that completely steal the show (and do have a point), and a genuine sense of impending doom. There are still some flaws (the actual ending is a bit disappointing, and Nanoha is dull as ever), but on the whole it works.

The third season is its own beast. There are some notable improvements (including, at last, some more interesting protagonists). The complete sidelining of our super-powerful former heroines in the fights is a bit jarring, but the low-key firepowers of the new recruits allows for some actual battle tactics that are much more interesting to watch than the DBZ-style aerial battles. On the other hand, the plot isn't very impressive, and the bad guys never reach the charisma of the Wolkenritter (are we really supposed to keep track of the Numbers ? Besides Quattro...).

So : A's is very good. Strikers is perfectly watchable, but is a completely different show. TOS is half-horrible, half-tolerable, and is only required watching because of the other seasons.

edited 29th Jul '09 3:12:35 PM by Jhiday

Agreed. A's is "FUCK YEAH" in all directions. Awesome battles everywhere, great characterization, especially regarding the antagonists, flawless pacing, a great climax and a bittersweet ending.

Some scenes gave me fucking goosebumps.

I honestly believe the show wouldn't be as popular without that season.

For the most part, I agree with the screencap. However, my opinion is more on the line of generally "meh," if anything:

Episode 1- 3: Meh, same old, same old. What else is new?

Episode 4: Hmm, things are starting to pick up.

Episode 5-8: Not bad, I guess.

Episode 9-12: Interesting. *nods*

A's: Nice. Almost as good as Gurren Lagann, even...

Strikers: ...Where did it all go wrong? To the Recycle Bin...

Experience has taught me to investigate anything that glows.

I've only seen the first season (13 episodes). Someone on IRC (named Metaziyan or E, depending on which channel you find him on) told me to watch it, along with Mai-Hime and Card Captor Sakura, as he has quite a taste for Magical Girl series. (I've finished this first season, and am in the midst of MH, but haven't decided to watch CCS yet.)

I haven't been sufficiently familiar with either the Magical Girl genre or the Mecha genre to have been able to say what other people have said, that MGLN is a mecha show disguised as a magical girl show. It definitely isn't a kids' show, though; I think it's more like a kids' show but seen through adult glasses.

The character Nanoha never quite got to me. Sure, she's the main character and such, but she always did seem to be far too savvy and (mentally) mature for a 9-year-old—which is why I criticize her as being like a 20-year-old.

The main thing I remember about the show is Fate. Yes, she's deliberately meant to be a woobie, and the writers succeeded at that very well.

The show seems to have too much stuffed into too short of a time. It has lots of nice, epic story elements, but it would have benefitted from less hectic pacing. It almost felt like they were intentionally stuffing a story with lots of things. You had the ordinary-person hero randomly gifted with a special ability and dragged into a plot, and the anti-hero rival whose backstory tugs at your heartstrings, and elements of magic and magical lore, and elements of sci-fi interdimensional police-work, and the good guys storming the big bad's dark castle of monsters, and the hero trying to balance "normal" daily life with this crazy stuff, and such. I just felt there was too much happening in too short a period of time.

I quite liked the original series once it actually hit its stride (re: once Fate showed up), and A's was just as FUCK YEAH! as everyone has said. Strikers, though, is interesting. I actually haven't finished watching it- I'm right before the finale and sorta lost interest, but I do quite like all the new characters (with the exception of Vivio, who does absolutely nothing for me, Saint Church mumbo-jumbo or not). So overall, I'd rate it good. A's is anime perfection, though.

My Blog thing

How can you stop at the finale, it's pretty much the only FUCK YEAH Strikers has to offer.

Fuck yeah Vita, Fuck yeah Signum, Fuck yeah Fate and FUCK YEAH NANOHA moments.

*Sighs* Everybody criticises Nanoha for her precocity.

But proselytising on behalf of the show isn't necessarily the best way of selling it, in this case.

If you're intentionally looking for opportunities for derision, allow me to draw your attention to the following:

• Their Intelligent Devices are basically roided up magical wands. However, you'd think that they were the second coming of Voltron, given how much sound and fury is present during their assemblage. Easily the most inappropriately amplified sound effect since Morpheus clicked open his Nokia.
• The dialogue between said devices and their owners become less sparse as time goes on. This is not necessarily a good thing.
• Everybody tries their best. At least twice an episode, (especially in StrikerS).

Make of that what you will...

edited 29th Jul '09 9:06:42 PM by zeroplusalpha

Play Again? Y/N

No, no, the Intelligent Devices are fucking awesome. Especially the ones of the Wolkenritter.

EXPLOSION

RRRRRAKETENFORM

SCHLANGENFORM

JAWOHL!!

And I'm gay for Bardiche's voice.

edited 29th Jul '09 9:09:46 PM by Smokie

The Devices are awesome, I agree, but a dedicated snarker may find much that is narmful for precisely the same reasons.

It's like TTGL: I love the operatic hot-blooded exhortations to go Beyond the Impossible, but they still make me crack up.

edited 29th Jul '09 9:22:47 PM by zeroplusalpha

Play Again? Y/N

I thought Bardiche sympathizing with Fate was just a great "aww" moment.

Anyway, I'm the kind of audience member who is perfectly willing to explain their behavior as AI. Granted, I also haven't seen the second or third seasons either, so I haven't seen them "talk more".

(As I mentioned in the other topic, they could be an alternate universe of precursors to the human-like biometal A.I.s of Mega Man ZX.

edited 29th Jul '09 9:50:44 PM by GlennMagusHarvey

Their behaviour is perfectly explicable, but the grammar becomes a bit mangled when they speak (and they are a lot more verbose in A's and StrikerS).

It's probably just because the writers are Japanese, but I wonder why the voice actors (who actually are native English speakers) didn't point out the inaccuracies in the script.

Play Again? Y/N

The best moment between Fate and Bardiche was in A's when she was in that dreamworld thingy of Reinforce and was ready to break out. Their dialogue was awesome.

"Bardiche, we're getting out of here. Can you change into Zanber form?"

"YES, SIR."

"*smiles* That's a good boy."

But the entire scene was moving and awesome. The music was awesome. Fuck, I love A's.

edited 29th Jul '09 10:17:30 PM by Smokie

For some reason I find the fact that Subaru's Power Fist is an ancestral artifact incredibly silly. Is Subaru's loopy fashion sense inherited, too?

What clothes does she wear? I only know her Nanoha-style Barrier Jacket, the brown uniform, the training clothes and the normal clothes in that one episode, which had a fur collar that looked cool.

You know what's really silly? A talking helicopter. Seriously?

You can't even write racist abuse in excrement on somebody's car without the politically correct brigade jumping down your throat!

If a talking car works, this should, too.

It doesn't help that it was also an ugly-ass helicopter.

And Subaru's outfit is Daisy Duke cutoff shorts, a jogging bra or something, a white Barrier Jacket, her rollerblades, and a white headband with a big pretty bow in the back. Oh, and short purple hair.