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Old 2013-02-21, 02:22   Link #445
Sansker
Manus ad Ferrum
 
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Costa Rica
Age: 33
So since we are stock on who is the one who endures the most we can also bring something else here. Overall the past argument just serve the purpose of making half of the people talk about the series while also bringing thoughts on others here that didn’t really add anything. Impossible to reach a conclusion maybe is time to move on and just keep, as Keroko says, being constructive. So I decided to be just that and voice something different. What I like of the series.

Overall the Nanoha franchise as a whole was never the perfect anime but why I find it good? Two main reasons: Characters and emotion. You see the plot of the first series is easy to follow, doesn’t really goes beyond regular magical girls and it does deliver an ok execution with some elements here and there making it a little different but overall and ok series. The reason why I care and actually watch more was the two main characters in the first season: Nanoha and Fate. Where everyone else just kind of sit in the background and really had nothing more going on the two started a dynamic relationship that even send the original plot to the side line as in the middle of the first season I was more interested in how Nanoha and Fate will resolve their problems than what will happen to the Jewel Seeds.

And the story also gives you that impression as most of them are actually get off camera and then bet in a “final” battle between both girls. So I will be lying if I say I didn’t see how that was going to end but later on the story gives something more if I think was lacking a better action climax. The villain and the final trouble were kind of deal with in a less dramatic way than expected and the ending was a sad if heartwarming scene in a breach with the phrase “we will see each other again” that has been done several times and will be until the end of times. So really all that was there in the end reduces to one simple fact: did you care about the characters? Because if you don’t then this will not be that good and like I say I did care. Without calling it the best execution and develop ever we did get to see Nanoha and Fate in their scenes, how this affects them and how they were determinate to win no matter what. Is the passion on them that I get what makes me care and watch this to the end. Not to say the other characters were just waste of space but just don’t stand out that much and others like Yuuno or Arf fall in to strong side characters or weak main ones in case of Yuuno which role is always reduce as the series moves forward.

So with that in mind the sequel to the first season A’s, use the same formula. And is really obvious how they repeat the same idea twice: lost logia that can do something, people who wants to use it and need to be stop but they aren’t that bad. We can pretty much guess where this is going right from the start so really again they need to use what save the other season: characters. Sadly even when tiny bits are dedicated to Fate’s development those are just too short and too spread across the 13 episodes to be as good as they should and Nanoha, while still good, also suffers from this to make room for new characters: the Wolkenritter and Hayate.

And I am just going to say this but I am not that much of a Hayate’s fan. I get her just fine but she seems to be just bland in the sense she is good, she is going to die and she seems pretty much ok with this. We don’t focus the story on her and how she feels now with a loving family just see her happy and knowing she probably won’t make it to her 10th birthday. In the end while I get her feeling she remains too much in the background not just unknowing her knights are doing things but also we don’t focus on her side of the story that much. We spend most of our time with the Wolkenritter but that is just fine. In the end what makes me care here are Vita and Signum the ones who get the best screen time and the characterization, a little basic, but characterization.

My problem with Hayate is that her character just remains too basic and without the passion or focus Fate had in the first season so really we do see more of how Vita cares than why Hayate does and we get more of how Signum feels about doing bad things than how the others do. Maybe that is why I tend to see this as a package. The characters do their jobs but like I say they fit their roles without stand out: Hayate is the cute, adorable and motherly little girl (I still consider odd that she as the age of 9 was the “mother” of the Wolkenritter) and is obvious the Wolkenritter will fight to protect her and while I like Reinforce she should be present more to make her tragic final stand all the more tragic. In the end they get the job done ok and there is when I stop is just fine but is not great.

Overall A’s is enjoyable and I will always agree to that. The action did improve and the little mystery help the plot with the masked guys even if it just sort of end and that was it. Chrono’s reveal was really spoil to us early and the fact the twin cats were the masked guys as well. But none the less I still care for some of the new characters, not all, but I did care about Vita, like Signum enough and just of make room for Shamal. Zafira really… not a big fan, too little scream time to really get anything from him. Nanoha and Fate in reduced roles still were the ones who make me watch this and seeing Fate’s get over its familiar problems and get family and friends was nice. A’s was really an enjoyable anime.

Now with all this comes the question: why I didn’t like StrikerS? Well even when some of the elements I enjoy where there this anime was fill with so many other things I didn’t care all that much and too many new characters that didn’t receive enough screen time to make me care enough to put them above the old favorites. When I consider what Fate and Nanoha went through in two seasons only to find their role reduce in the third to make room for 4 kids I never seen until that point I was not really looking forward to the anime. Overall I find StrikerS boring and that is its biggest crime to me but don’t focus on this last part and please try to read what I just say I did like.

Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha was, to me, full of heart and while using just cute little girls to tell stories and some fan-services it did make something I enjoy for what it was. A cute simple adventure about two girls becoming friends and then fighting more possible friends is not an epic duel of legend but more a simple adventure with some human elements to it that while not complex were indeed relatable.
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