Nanoha - Q&A

[spawnofthejudge]

What do we know about Amy's parents, if anything?

[Moczo]

So far as I know, nothing. Her only listed relatives I can find are Chrono and her children.

[RadiantBeam]

The year for Nanoha in season 1 is supposed to be 2009, right?

[Arkeus]

Originally Posted by RadiantBeam

The year for Nanoha in season 1 is supposed to be 2009, right?

Nanoha A's is supposed to be 2004, but it's only circumstencial- the calendar day we see in christmas ep (iirc) correspond to 2004, and it aired then.

[Koveras Alvane]

Originally Posted by Keroko

While we don't know of such a system, we don't have any confirmation that it doesn't exist either. Recall Chrono's quote in the A's manga about 891 confirmed classes of magic. Right now we only know off 2.

I am not sure, did he use the term "shiki" (式, lit. "formula, expression, ceremony, style", but usually translated as "magic system"), or some other word?

Originally Posted by Arkeus

Nanoha A's is supposed to be 2004, but it's only circumstencial- the calendar day we see in christmas ep (iirc) correspond to 2004, and it aired then.

Yet in the first episode (ca. 2:12 in), Hayate's watch shows "6/3 SAT": Saturday, June 3. June 3 fell on Saturday in 2000 and 2006. In 2004, it fell on Thursday and in 2009, on Wednesday.

[Mirron]

So... 2006, if I had to guess. Although it's entirely possible it isn't too important.

Also, could familiars use devices? I'd assume so, because Devices can use Devices (Rein and the Book of the Azure Sky), but it's something I'm curious about.

More questions.

1. We currently have six types of devices. We have Intelligent Devices (Raising Heart, Bardiche), Storage Devices (S2U, Durandal, Tome of the Night Sky), Armed Devices (Levantine, Graf Eisen, Klaer Wind), Unison Devices (Agito, Reinforce I and II), Boost Devices (Kerykion and Asclepius), and finally Devices (Schwertz-Kreuz). What are the benefits of each and the drawbacks, as well as the differences between each of them?

2. In Episode 06 of the anime, there is a larger Belka circle, as opposed to a triangle. Any full-blown diagrams of it, like the Belka triangle and Mid circle? Explanations?

[Koveras Alvane]

Originally Posted by Mirron

Also, could familiars use devices? I'd assume so, because Devices can use Devices (Rein and the Book of the Azure Sky), but it's something I'm curious about.

I am not sure, but Rein's ability to use her own Device may have something to do with her having her own Linker Core. Whereas circumstantial evidence points towards familiars NOT having Linker Core, instead using their masters'.

1. We currently have six types of devices. We have Intelligent Devices (Raising Heart, Bardiche), Storage Devices (S2U, Durandal, Tome of the Night Sky), Armed Devices (Levantine, Graf Eisen, Klaer Wind), Unison Devices (Agito, Reinforce I and II), Boost Devices (Kerykion and Asclepius), and finally Devices (Schwertz-Kreuz). What are the benefits of each and the drawbacks, as well as the differences between each of them?

Schwertkreuz is classified as an Armed Device AFAIK (doesn't look like it, but Klarer Wind looks it even less). As for differences, I don't have a source on this but it's basically boils down to how good the AI of the Device is:

- Storage Devices have least AI, are cheap to produce, so everyone and their mother are using them, except the named characters. They presumably compensate with faster spell processing, kinda like shell console is faster than a graphic GUI.
- Boost Devices are basically glorified Storage Devices, for all we know. Their only difference seems to be that they are optimized for buffing magic. Dunno why they are an extra category.
- Armed Devices are Devices that double as weapons. They are somewhere between Storage and Intelligent ones in terms of AI, though closer to Storage. Main advantage: they are helluva tough and optimized for combat. Originally, the cartridge system was only available for them.
- Intelligent Devices have considerable AI, but are all hand-made. Self-aware and capable of autonomous operation, as Raising Heart and Mach Caliber showed.
- Unison Devices are the pinnacle of Device AI evolution, possess their own Linker Cores and free will. They only existed on Ancient Belka and the only UD created in modern age is Rein II.

Also, there are three categories that are not Devices but play a similar role:

- Inherent Equipment are Combat Cyborgs' gadgets that they use similar to Devices. They range from weapons like Due's Piercing Nail, through parts of the girls' own bodies, like Sein's Periscope Eye, to almost Device-like things like Nove's Gun Knuckle and Jet Edge.
- EC Dividers look like Armed Devices with built-in anti-magic capacity, but their true nature is to be revealed in Force. Whatever they are, they are not ordinary devices.
- AEC Armament also look like Armed Devices but they can't be used for casting most magic, only to blow shit the hell up.

2. In Episode 06 of the anime, there is a larger Belka circle, as opposed to a triangle. Any full-blown diagrams of it, like the Belka triangle and Mid circle? Explanations?

Which of the three seasons are you referring to?

[Kaijo]

All you wanted to know about devices but were afraid to ask!

[DezoPenguin]

Originally Posted by Koveras Alvane

Yet in the first episode (ca. 2:12 in), Hayate's watch shows "6/3 SAT": Saturday, June 3. June 3 fell on Saturday in 2000 and 2006. In 2004, it fell on Thursday and in 2009, on Wednesday.

I believe that's March 6, not June 3 (the Japanese, IIRC, use European date order, with day/month instead of month/day). March 6 was a Saturday in 2004.

[spawnofthejudge]

Originally Posted by DezoPenguin

I believe that's March 6, not June 3 (the Japanese, IIRC, use European date order, with day/month instead of month/day). March 6 was a Saturday in 2004.

June 3rd. Slightly before that, it says 6 (month) 3 (day) as a subtitle/crawl. (Well, it's 6 (Moon) 3 (Day), but that amounts to the same thing )

Which means that all of this either takes place over multiple years (2000-2004 would be possible, but really long) or in no possible year at all.

Where is the day of the week for Christmas confirmed? I don't remember that.

[DezoPenguin]

Originally Posted by spawnofthejudge

June 3rd. Slightly before that, it says 6 (month) 3 (day) as a subtitle/crawl. (Well, it's 6 (Moon) 3 (Day), but that amounts to the same thing )

Which means that all of this either takes place over multiple years (2000-2004 would be possible, but really long) or in no possible year at all.

Where is the day of the week for Christmas confirmed? I don't remember that.

Darn, and it was such a good theory, too. Ah, well, facts are facts.

[al103]

Originally Posted by Koveras Alvane

- Armed Devices are Devices that double as weapons. They are somewhere between Storage and Intelligent ones in terms of AI, though closer to Storage. Main advantage: they are helluva tough and optimized for combat. Originally, the cartridge system was only available for them.

Nah. Armed Devices are named so by function. They AI can be anything from nil (Revolver Knuckles, Swerz Kreuz) to near/full ID level (Strada, Laevantein, Eisen). Second one is easy to miss as they don't talk much, but they owners generally don't talk much too - and some dialogs do confirm they full intelligence, like Laevantein-Signum "Who the hell do you think I AM!!!" in Aces.

Originally Posted by Kaijo

All you wanted to know about devices but were afraid to ask!

Wiki = fail.

Also IIRC there are also Utility Devices, like Subaru's first set of rollerblades. I think firefighting equipment from 2nd ep. of Stikers and which Subaru/Teana used in manga also in that category.

[Kaijo]

Originally Posted by al103

Wiki = fail.

Then feel free to update it if you have more correct information. :P Wiki's will always be fail unless people add to, or correct them.

Also IIRC there are also Utility Devices, like Subaru's first set of rollerblades. I think firefighting equipment from 2nd ep. of Stikers and which Subaru/Teana used in manga also in that category.

They might be a device on some basic level, just to allow mana to be used on them (thus how Subaru can keep moving without actually skating; movement magic), but I think they'd just be called storage devices, which seems to be a catch-all for the lowest tier of "dumb" devices.

As was pointed out to me once before, though, this thread is for verifiable facts. And while wiki may not be 100% at times, it's the best gathering of data in a "makes sense" form that I've seen.

[Random Wanderer]

Hmm... question. I've seen folks here mention that Alicia Testerossa did not have much in the way of magical power. and I was wondering how we know that.

[Arkeus]

Originally Posted by Random Wanderer

Hmm... question. I've seen folks here mention that Alicia Testerossa did not have much in the way of magical power. and I was wondering how we know that.

'not much' is a good way to say 'Precia mentionned Fate's magic being different'. I can't remember if we know if different is less or just different though.

Also, Fate's magic registered the same as that of the 'Incident' in color and maybe even scans.

BAD FATE!

[Mirron]

Episode 6 of A's. It's only seen with the Book of Darkness, so I'm guessing it's a unique circle for it, but it would be nice to see a full picture of it, for one, and see if it has any unique purpose beyond that.

When I looked at the character cards for Strikers, it just had Shwertz-Kreuz listed as (Rod), no / or anything, which is how all the other devices are listed. That's why I'm guessing it's in it's own category, because it doesn't follow the pattern every other characters Devices do, it just has the shape of the device. I'll see if I can find it, but no clue where I saw it last.

And I have read the wiki. I'm mainly asking for more info, given how little there is sadly.

[Kaijo]

Originally Posted by Random Wanderer

Hmm... question. I've seen folks here mention that Alicia Testerossa did not have much in the way of magical power. and I was wondering how we know that.

We don't really know; those are just guesses. Well, for the series at least. It's entirely possible Alicia had some magic power.

For the movie 1st, they specifically have Precia say that "Fate is better at some magic that Alicia was." So in that AU, we know Alicia had magic; it's just that Fate was better in some areas. I think one of the movie materials had her listed as E rank, too, which kinda makes sense for a 5-6 year old. It's entirely possible she could go much higher with training.

Originally Posted by Mirron

When I looked at the character cards for Strikers, it just had Shwertz-Kreuz listed as (Rod), no / or anything, which is how all the other devices are listed. That's why I'm guessing it's in it's own category, because it doesn't follow the pattern every other characters Devices do, it just has the shape of the device. I'll see if I can find it, but no clue where I saw it last.

And I have read the wiki. I'm mainly asking for more info, given how little there is sadly.

Hayate's Shwertzkreuz is basically a staff, and functions much the same way as the other staves. Hayate technically has 3 devices: Two storage devices in the form of Shwertzkreuz the staff, the Tome of the Night Sky book, and Rein as a unison device. However, the first two are kinda linked, and thus more like a single device in two parts. I remember in one scene in StrikerS, she brings out the cross-shaped device and activates it, forming the book. I think there is some sound stages where Hayate talks a bit about it, saying she preferred to have a book to hold in her hands, but I can't be arsed to recall it at the moment.

My own personal theory is that the book functions as the repository of her spells, and the staff just helps focus her mana to use them. It's why she chants her spells. Most ID's allow you to skip the chanting as they help directly with casting, such as Nanoha needing a chant for Divine Shooter in A's ep 1 when not using RH, or Reinforce using a chant for Starlight Breaker. So Hayate device really does seem to work a lot like a spellbook, allowing her to store a number of spells in the form of a chant.

[Mirron]

I was primarily asking what it's purpose was, and how it was different from other Devices. All I remember about it is that it was lacking all the extras other Devices had, due to the nature of Hayate's spells. In order to actually cast them, it couldn't have any of the neat features an ordinary device would have, so it made me curious wha a Device at it's core did. Guess it's hard to say what on average it is though, simply because Hayate is an out of the ordinary case.

[itanshi1]

I suppose a device at its core contains spell data that can be accessed by a spell user. Hayate has the best when it comes to that basic feature.

[Nanya01]

Well, I just like to think of them as fancy calculators...

...

Oh great, now imagine a TI-95 putting up some calculations and boom, everything around you explodes.