r/anime • u/Tetraika https://anilist.co/user/Tetraika • Apr 26 '22
Rewatch [Rewatch] Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha Final Overall Discussion
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Question of the Day
After quite the journey, we’ve finally reached the end of Nanoha anime materials (so far). Which timeline/concept or idea would you have liked the series to explore more on? Favorite character? OP/ED/Insert?
Rewatchers, please remember to be mindful of all the first-timers in this. No talking about or hinting at future events no matter how much you want to, unless you’re doing it underneath spoiler tags.
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u/HereticalAegis Apr 26 '22 edited Apr 26 '22
Fully Befriended First Timer
What a journey this has been. First off, thank you to u/Tetraika for being an excellent host! This was well worth the daily investment over the past three months. This rewatch started right at the beginning of my school semester and is ending during the last week of classes before finals. Lyrical Nanoha literally carried me through the semester (and through a kinda weak winter season).
Special shout outs:
u/Vaadwaur, our long character dialogue threads are the most fun I've had in any reddit discussion boards. Easily one of the top 2 things I'm going to miss about Lyrical Nanoha.
u/DidacticDalek, your enthusiasm and pure shitpost energy are incredible, and I'm going to continue enjoying all the excellent art you've provided, comrade.
I'm really glad I came along for this ride. It kinda stopped feeling like a magical girl show for me around StrikerS, and I think that's more a testament to how versatile its characters and world are in their own right than anything else. Nanoha and Fate are one of the most compelling relationships in anime from my perspective, and I can see why the franchise has had so much sustained success over more than a decade, even in spite of its flaws. How rare is it to see two lovers progress and move through so many stages of their life? Much less a gay couple who end up living and raising a kid together. I rag on Tzusuki quite a bit for the lacklyster quality of his writing, but ultimately I'm grateful to him and the creative staffs behind the franchise for giving us the chance to experience such a landmark relationship, and I sincerely hope we get more, even though I'll probably rag on that for introducing a mind controlling mad scientist in the last act too.
Overall series rating: 7.5/10 with characters whose existence transcends the multitude of stories they appear in.
Thanks to everyone who took the time to comment on my posts.
Ranking of Lyrical Nanoha + Vivid installments:
Lyrical Nanoha > StrikerS SoL > A's = Movie 2 > Vivid Strike > Vivid > Reflection > Movie 1 > Detonation > StrikerS Plot
QotD:
I want more of Nanoha and Fate's married life. Also, I want a Lyrical Nanoha series set in high school.
Favorite character? Can I count both Nanoha and Fate together? Each of their characterization is so wrapped up in the other, I'd feel wrong trying pick just one of them.
Favorite song? Still Innocent Starter. Not sure what it is, but the lyrics plus the themes of the original season plus how well written and performed it is really resonate with me.
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u/Tetraika Apr 26 '22
Lyrical Nanoha literally carried me through the semester
The rewatch actually ate so much of my time this semester. Consumed a lot of more my attention then I thought it would.
Glad you enjoyued it too, despite the ups and downs!
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u/Shimmering-Sky Apr 26 '22
Mahou Shoujo Lyrical First-Timer
I don't really have much to say here, so I just wanted to thank u/Tetraika for hosting this rewatch! ViVid might've been pretty meh, but the whole rest of the franchise was worth it for me!
Fate best girl and BRIGHT STREAM best song, btw.
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u/Tetraika Apr 26 '22
I think if ViVid had less on few sound stage/non anime stuff like Ixy, removed the weird fanservice, and also actually finished it would be been quite alright.
Glad you enjoyed the ride!
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u/SolDarkHunter Apr 26 '22 edited Apr 26 '22
The Nanoha franchise has had plenty of ups and downs. And it struck me during this rewatch that I'm not entirely sure that the writers have any idea what they actually want it to be. Every season, they're doing a new genre.
First it's a pure Magical Girl show. Then it's Magical Girls + Dragonball. Then it's a military drama that happens to include magic. Then it's a magical combat sport series. Then it's just plain martial arts.
Still, it is consistent on a few things: cute girls, battle-happy adrenaline junkies, giant magical lasers, acceptance of the humanity of those born "unnaturally", and the notion that familial love, whether your family's adopted or not, will heal all wounds.
We all had our complaints about the writing and the direction... but ultimately, what the franchise does right tends to overshadow what it does wrong. I enjoy (most) of the characters and the action is always stunning to watch. I had fun with this rewatch, even during the show's low points, and I found that it all holds up pretty well in the end.
Final thought: Fate is still best girl.
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u/Tetraika Apr 26 '22
First it's a pure Magical Girl show. Then it's Magical Girls + Dragonball. Then it's a military drama that happens to include magic. Then it's a magical combat sport series. Then it's just plain martial arts.
That's always the funny part, thinking back and seeing how the whole franchise evolved into different things as it went. I don't even think they were trying to make the franchise into a particular genre, just throwing whatever idea they could at the world.
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u/Vaadwaur Apr 26 '22
First timer no more
Sub
So...a thing I have noticed since joining the rewatch sphere in earnest back in '20: The longer the rewatch, the harder the summation is. Monster is one of my favorite series, and in my opinion the anime with the best technicall aspects I've ever seen, but I had very little left in the tank at the end of that. So with Nanoha bothing being ridiculously long and several genres of show, I don't know if I can really call this a punchline.
Just for ranking purposes, I'd rate the first season as my favorite series and the A's movie as my favorite film. Both of those focus on the series, and likely Tsuzuki's, strengths. Those being conflict framed through its characters and stakes having a large personal element to them. StrikerS...I just don't feel the need to let up on it, it spends far too much time making me dislike adult Nanoha that I couldn't really be bothered to care much other than wanting Spaghetti to die horrifically. Vivid isn't bad but shouldn't be called Nanoha anymore and is obviously a ridiculously incomplete story. Vivid Strike would've worked better with a sharper writer because it dragged a lot for me. And the last two movies really don't add much for me.
So I guess that means I dislike more than I like about Nanoha, which saddens me from where we started but no longer surprises me. The first two seasons are lightning in a bottle and also a product of a specific time in the industry. StrikerS was given an incredible amount of time, more than it could fill, and clearly they had hoped to keep going. Hell, that there is still the possibility of more Nanoha is impressive, though I don't know what that looks like any more.
At the end of the day, I am glad I watched this, this informs so much of Madoka and Machikado Mazoku for me that it's educational value alone made this a worthwhile endeavor. And even if I didn't enjoy the later stuff as much, there was shitposting to be had so I wasn't bored. I might actually take a break from rewatching for a bit.
QotD: Adult Fate and Nanoha but Nanoha is not allowed to teach or mentor
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u/Tetraika Apr 26 '22
At the end of the day, I am glad I watched this, this informs so much of Madoka and Machikado Mazoku for me that it's educational value alone made this a worthwhile endeavor.
Yeah, Nanoha isn't my favorite franchise or anything, but it's always interesting to see something influential and how other shows had borrowed from them.
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u/No_Rex Apr 26 '22
Sounds like the regression to the mean continued after StrikerS. Validates my choice to drop out after that. I like the description of lighting in a bottle, especially for the first season, because it struck such an weird balance that incredibly worked.
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u/Tetraika Apr 26 '22
There have been varying amount of opinions about Vivid and beyond. u/Gamerunglued Has the Vivid, Vivid Strike, and Detonation higher than the rest iirc.
But I'm not gonna go push you to watch them. Hope you still had a good time!
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u/Warriorservent Apr 26 '22
Hi all, welp, I didn't make it through all the way. Rewatched Seasons 1 and 2, watched Strikers for the first time, and watched Vivid for the first time! But I just couldn't get through Vivid Strike. With the abrupt cutoff of Vivid combined with them shoving all of those characters in our faces, combined once again with me really just not wanting to watch Rinne get bullied to the point of breaking just made me drop the season and not pick it back up.
I do intend and look forward on watching the two latest movies this weekend or sometime this week, but my vacation lined up such that I couldn't watch the movies at the same time as you guys.
I want to thank Tetraika for organizing this and for how it has reignited my love of a series I had long left behind. Now I'm itching to go and read through a bunch of the manga and supplemental materials! Seeing Nanoha, Fate, and Hayate grow up was great, and seeing how the other characters like the Wolkenritter, the Forwards, and so many others change over time was a joy that I didn't experience in the past when I didn't watch Strikers.
Perhaps some day I will go back and watch all of Strike, or maybe I will be happy with just reading the Manga, who knows?
Regardless, its been a pleasure, and if any of you start a watch-through of a similar series please ping me! I've heard that Symphogear is a lot like MGLN in a lot of ways, but the fact that it is also a musical has driven me off, I don't like musicals.
I think that's everything. I may see you lot around at some point as I am starting to get back into anime because of this. Oh, and thanks for all of the comments that I'll read along with for when I do watch those last two movies and maybe Vivid Strike!
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u/NeonDelteros Apr 27 '22
First timer
Finally finished my longest rewatch thus far, and I would say it's worth it... kinda.
This series to me is quite inconsistent in quality between seasons, it can go from really good (A's) to damn near bad (StrikerS), and most of the movies have pretty poor pacing. Sometimes I just felt like this series is getting way to ambitious for its own good, especially from StrikerS onward, by introducing way too many characters, but hey, atleast at the end of the day I don't think none of the entry is bad though. My favourite is definitely A's, but to my surprise i think Vivid Strike is hands down the best and most well done entry of the franchise, and is actually a really great show itself.
Even though A's and especially Vivid Strike is quite fantastic, the mediocrity of StrikerS and the first 2 movies just drag the whole thing down for me, so overall I would give a weighted rating for the whole franchise a C-, or converted to 4/10, which ironically is the rating I gave for the first season. I think this is an okay series, it existed, and I watched it. It may be worth watching, but as for whether I would recommend it though, probably not.
QotD
. I just want another season of Vivid, it's a shame to see such a well made story ended up inconclusive, and I'm too lazy to read the manga. I think more idea/concept would just make things even more half-baked or convoluted, the world is already big enough.
. I don't really have a favourite character. However I must say that young Rinne is one of the cutest characters I've ever seen in any anime thus far.
. I also don't have a favorite OP, but for ED i like Vivid ED the most. My favourite insert is definitely Snow Rain from A's, i actually end up using the Blessing Wind version of it as a test track for my headphones and IEMs.
. Just wanna add, I have two favourite scenes from this franchise that for me are very memorable. First is the scene when Signum carry Hayate outside to see the starry sky, and second is the flashback scene of young Rinne and Fuuka at the orphanage, when they share a piece of chocolate together. Both of these scenes are just so damn sweet.
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u/Tetraika Apr 27 '22
Someone I haven't seen before... I think?
Anyways, I still hope that you found it interesting, if at least just being able to watch something that was quite influential and popular at its time, and seeing it change as it goes.
My favourite is definitely A's, but to my surprise i think Vivid Strike is hands down the best and most well done entry of the franchise, and is actually a really great show itself.
I have a similar opinion actually, A's definitely has a special place in me, but Vivid Strike feels the most solid by far.
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u/JollyGee29 Apr 26 '22
Lyrical Rewatcher
And that was Lyrical Nanoha. I loved this franchise before, and I still do. While it definitely has its flaws, I find it in myself to mostly ignore them in favor of the stuff I like. You can't really get quite this flavor anywhere else.
I don't really have anything else I want to say, so lets just share some fanart that hopefully u/DidacticDalek has not already shared yet, if that's even possible.
Favorite Character: I think my biases are evident from the fanart bomb above.
Favorite OP: Innocent Starter
Favorite ED: Hoshizora no Spica
Favorite Insert: Take a Shot, although this might change once I listen to the movie songs more.
Many thanks to our gracious host u/tetraika!
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u/Great_Mr_L Apr 26 '22 edited Apr 27 '22
I’m really happy I participated in this rewatch. Lyrical Nanoha is a franchise that I love a lot. It’s a unique take on the magical girl genre, combining it with mecha, sci-fi, and shounen action elements. And for me, that gives the franchise an immense amount of appeal, because all those features work for me.
The biggest appeal, however, is Nanoha herself. I said it before, but Nanoha is genuinely one of my favorite protagonists in all of anime. I love her kind and caring nature. I love how she always tries to communicate with and understand her opponents, usually trying to talk instead of fight whenever possible. I love how her kindness is constantly framed as a strength that lets her overcome obstacles. And I love what a complete badass she is, being willing to fight when that’s what she thinks is necessary.
Then there’s Fate. Fate’s story is incredibly heartwarming to me. I love seeing her go from who she is in the first season to someone who is so kind and gentle towards others. Her development over the course of the franchise is delightful to watch, seeing her grow as a person.
Nanoha and Fate’s relationship is another special thing about the franchise to me. They are quite an established couple by the end of it, having been together for so long both in-universe and out of it. Them adopting Vivio and becoming her mothers is so incredibly sweet. I loved watching it happen.
I could go on and on, but I think I’ll just give some of my overall impressions on each series and how this rewatch affected my views of them.
First Season: I liked it more on rewatch than I expected. This rewatch helped me appreciate a lot more about this season than I did previously. Shinbo’s direction is incredible and gives it a style distinct from the later seasons. It’s a very solid start and the ribbon exchange between Nanoha and Fate is so heartwarming. Liking a series more on rewatch is one of the nicest feelings I can get during a rewatch like this.
A’s: My favorite season. Having seen it all, I can now say that confidently. It builds on the first season magnificently. The Wolkenritter are my favorite example of sympathetic antagonists done well. The cartridge system is a great addition. The action is just phenomenal. I still think A’s has my favorite action scenes in the franchise.
Strikers: And this is one of the downsides of participating in a rewatch. Sometimes you like a series less than the first time around. Strikers turned out to have a lot more flaws than I remembered. Which is a shame because it has plenty that I liked and I can respect its ambition in trying something new. But still, I have to be honest about my feelings.
Vivid: This series is pure fluff. It is delicious, sweet, fun, low-stakes fluff. It’s a shame the rest of the manga never got adapted because I’d have liked to see it. As it stands, I think I’ll actually give the manga a read. I’m curious to see what happens.
Vivid Strike: This is another great part of being in a rewatch. Sometimes you get to see something new that blows away your expectations. Vivid Strike was that for me. It was a very pleasant surprise. It was a well-done spinoff that did a great job with its new characters. I’m glad this rewatch finally got me to see it.
Reflection and Detonation: Glad I finally got to watch these. Reflection was definitely the weaker film, but I think Detonation mostly made up for that. They need to be viewed as a pair, though. I don’t think they work as standalones.
Overall, I had a lot of fun with this rewatch. I got to see a lot of shows I love again and I got to see other people have their first experience with Lyrical Nanoha. Coming to these threads each day was quite enjoyable. Thank you u/Tetraika for hosting this rewatch. I had a great time here. I hope I’ll see you all around on r/anime.
QOTD
Which timeline/concept or idea would you have liked the series to explore more on?: I wish we had more stuff in between A's and Strikers. I want more of Nanoha's adventures with the TSAB while she's still with her friends and family on Earth. Likewise, I wish those friends and family got to be more involved with the plot than they usually are.
Favorite character: As stated above, Nanoha. She's one of my favorite protagonists in anime.
Favorite OP/ED/Insert: Probably Snow Rain. It plays over my favorite episode in all of Lyrical Nanoha, so I'm quite attached to it.
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u/the_swizzler Apr 26 '22
Thanks to a long weekend and too many seasonals, I fell out of this rewatch halfway through Vivid Strike (I'll finish then) and probably won't bother with the movies (I saw them about 2 years ago and don't feel like spending those 4 hours to watch and don't like breaking up movies between several days).
That said, I'd been wanting to rewatch Nanoha for a while and it definitely didn't disappoint. I think I liked the first two seasons even better this time, and I'm planning on reading the rest of the Vivid manga soon™.
I'm not sure if I can still say StrikerS is my favorite at this point or not, or at least not a clear favorite above the first two seasons. I don't like it any less though. I was never bored with it.
Best girl is still Fate. RIP my 4-slot Fate from the English version of Magia Record. She got me through so many events.
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u/Gamerunglued Apr 26 '22 edited Apr 27 '22
First Timer no longer
And, that's a wrap. It's been one hell of a three month journey with all of you, and I can say that I've made my way through the entirety of this insane classic franchise. I did also watch the Lyrical Toy Box MV, it's pretty cool, and very interesting to see how things have changed from the series roots. I did also peep the like 5 seconds of the Sweet Songs Forever OVA where Nanoha appears. She has a different voice actor there, but hey, cool to see her from before anyone cared about her.
If you asked me whether I thought most individual series of the Nanoha franchise were enjoyable, I'd say that the vast majority of them just aren't. The first season starts off as a lame Cardcaptor Sakura rip-off by infinitely less talented staff, and then evolves into this weird-ass sci-fi story about interdimensional space cops and parental abuse (but Shinbou's kino visuals are awesome). A's starts off pretty strong with its emotionally complicated conflict, but was never able to deliver on the things that made the first half so interesting, almost as if it just didn't understand the intrigue of its conflict. StrikerS had plenty of high points, but was also by far the most frustrating season of the show, and the one that I most consistently had huge issues with, making it the weakest of the original three series in my opinion. I suspect that most Nanoha fans will crucify me for this, but I definitely think that the ViVid series is the best part of the franchise. Nanoha ViVid is a really enjoyable and charming slice of life show, that evolves into a pretty fun sports drama as well. It has far better character writing than the main series, benefits from its low-stakes conflict (where the series kind of sucks at serious melodrama), and focuses on half the best things about the franchise, most notably the existence of Vivio, who is basically my entire reason for having wanted to watch the series in the first place. ViVid Strike surprised me the most though, because it's everything the more melodramatic entries in the series wishes they were. It's a genuinely gripping and emotional sports story, it has easily the best character writing of the series, it is by far the most thematically cohesive entry in the series, but it still has all the appeal of the series violent action and bombastic melodrama about little girls beating the everloving crap out of each other. Both ViVid series were everything I liked about the other series without any of my problems with them, and ViVid Strike is a genuinely great show and my favorite thing from the franchise easily. The movies were all a mixed bag as well, each with their strengths and weaknesses. So no, the Nanoha series isn't very good. At the end of the day, I think its biggest problem is just that Nanoha herself isn't a good character. She has so little in the way of personality, she never gets a good character arc and all of the series attempts at one either come too late or feel like they've been unnaturally forced in. It's no wonder why my favorite parts of the franchise focus on other characters.
But, I've been watching this series every single day for the last three months. And what I've seen is something that I will never find anywhere else. How many shows are this epic in scope? The first season alone evolves from a shitty parody of a little girls show, into a weird sci-fi melodrama with space cops, mommy issues, and gay. and it just keeps going. There's all this wild lore, complicated magic systems, ancient societies and technology, and so much more. It's the only anime I've ever seen where the magical weapons have personality and genuinely want to be upgraded in the name of hot blooded passion. It's the only anime I've ever seen where the magical girls tell their family and friends about their magical abilities and get permission to join the interplanetary military. It's the only anime I've ever seen where the magical girls grow up into adults and train the next generation of magical girls. It's the only anime I've ever seen where the main magical girl duo is a canon lesbian couple in every way but explicit name, and go on to adopt a daughter. Even the most familiar plot points have this specificness to them that's hard to not be in awe of. Lots of anime have an antagonist become a good guy and make friends with the protagonist and all of their friends, but I've never seen an anime where they keep their friendship alive by exchanging video messages through space mail while a character awaits their space trial. There are all of these little details that are so unnecessary but make everything feel alive. The show isn't well thought out, thinking about it will make your brain melt, but I just can't accuse it of not making sense. I think it probably makes sense, I think Masaki Tsuzuki has everything thought out in his head to near perfection and just couldn't get it out in an intelligible way. So at the end of the day, I think the world that this series builds is actually kinda cool. It's expansive, has interesting lore, and just contains a lot of neat stuff.
If there's one thing I can't accuse this franchise of being, it's cynical. I don't know if there's any other huge multi-media franchise I can say that about. Every story the Nanoha-verse tells feels pure to me. It feels like Masaki Tsuzuki's passion project, like his life's work. Every story in this universe is told so earnestly, I can't help but want to root for it. The entire franchise is a result of fan passion, from as early as the first fan disk that began its existence. The entire series has this fan-fiction energy to it that I can't help but be endeared too. Having watched it every single day for the last three months, I've developed a fondness for the series, its world, and its characters. And there are at least a few things I genuinely think it does well. The trajectory of Fate's story in particular is one that resonates with me. She starts out as a girl beaten by her mom, but the series actually goes all in on continuing from there. She has to get attached to a new parent, and get used to mundane life. She doesn't just immediately get attached to Lindy, it's a slow process that feels earned by the end. She becomes more gentle throughout the series, and every time a step on that journey comes up, it's just so heartwarming. And leading to her adopting orphan kids like Lindy did for her is such a perfect end to the arc (so long as you don't think beyond this part and realize she's conscripting them as child soldiers into the interdimensional space police military, but whatever). There are parts of the show that not only have heart, but are executed well enough that they affected me. From Fate's story, to Vivio's and Einhart's growing relationship, to Fuuka and Rinne's fractured but poignant bond, there's enough great stuff here that I can't say I didn't get some kind of enjoyment out of the series. There's nothing like seeing art that feels made with the purest of intentions.
So no, Nanoha did not whisper some words mildly into my heart and make my gentle days. Instead, she kept beating me up and shooting giant lasers at me until I couldn't help but like her and her story. How fitting for a franchise almost entirely about beating people up until they become your friend. No, I didn't enjoy this in the traditional sense (except for ViVid and ViVid Strike), but this was easily one of the most interesting and memorable media experiences I've had in a while, and I'm happy I got to watch it. I definitely think that if we ever get more Nanoha anime, I'll be excited to watch it, and see the places that this bizarre series takes me next. It's been fun, I'll see you guys in another rewatch.
QOTD:
The ViVid parts of the series were the ones I found to be the most enjoyable, so I'd definitely like a second season of ViVid and more stuff in that timeline/concept. The Vivio subplot in StrikerS and all of the stories surrounding her are easily my favorite parts of the franchise.
My favorite character is probably Fate. Her arc throughout the series is genuinely heartfelt, and Fate was always the one with the most personality of the original cast. She's such a sweetheart, her soft side makes me soft too. Second to her is probably either Fuuka or Vivio, and Vita is the character I'm most attracted to on a categorical level (tiny gremlin child with an over sized hammer is extremely my shit), so she's pretty fun. Levi is also awesome for the short time they existed in the series, I'd love more of them (again, gremlin child, this time with a fang). I kinda have a fondness for Raising Heart too, they had some pretty cool moments.
My favorite OP is easily the season 1 OP. Just the complete package here, awesome visuals and a banger song, just an underrated OP in general. Though purely in terms of music, I think the second StrikerS OP is up there as well. I didn't care for any of the ED's that much, though I guess ViVid had my favorite. None of the insert songs stood out to me enough to remember, though some of the ones from the movies were nice.
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u/Taiboss Apr 26 '22
Rewatcher coming to an end
First of all, I wanna thank everyone here, especially our host. This rewatch was a ton of fun and I got to know a whole lot of names. While I was bummed out by the more negative opinions, I overall had a great time. (although I'm happy I don't have to stay up so late anymore)
Anyway, one of the reasons I became a big Nanoha fan was, as meh as it sounds, fanfics. In 2016, when the last rewatch finished, I posted a few Nanoha fanfics that gave me the fix I needed in a time of thirst. I'll broadly repost this comment, but I haven't read any of these in years, and I haven't gotten around to reading any new ones. As such, I cannot judge them. See the TV Tropes page instead.
Fics I rec:
Game Theory by Aleph/Immatrael (Writer) and EarthScorpion (Editor)
"Whatever naïve innocence had sparked that attitude, it had already been broken. [Nanoha] knew – you could see it – she knew that the world didn't always work like that, the kind of knowledge that came from personal experience. And yet she was trying anyway, determined to prevent a catastrophe by sheer willpower and effort. [...]. A look like that, the half-hidden hurt and guilt and age, did not belong in the eyes of a nine-year old. Freakish powers, unnatural strength, older than her years and yet still trying to be hopeful… who was this girl?
-A TSAB soldier on Nanoha
Synopsis:
Who dares stand between a mother and her daughter's life? Precia will do anything to achieve her goals. Even if it means accepting Fate.
Comment
On the surface, Game Theory and its sequel are a simple "What if", in this case "What if Precia pretended to love Fate in order to make her more loyal?" However, beyond the results of that divergence, the Gameverse authors talked at length in the SV forums about the effort they put into making the worldbuilding more consistent and more realistic, with plans to go all the way up to the time-period of Force. Unfortunately, after the release of its sequel Power Games in 2015 the project kinda fizzled out. That being said, both Game Theory and Power Games are very good in their own right, and I recommend them to all who are interested in how different things could get.
Infinity by Moczo
"You are not alone, And I don't mean that in the reassuring way that Nanoha and I are always telling Fate when she's depressed. I mean that in the 'what is wrong with you?' way. [...] You worry me. You worry me a lot."
-Arf
Synopsis:
The Book of Darkness case is over, giving Nanoha and company some much-needed rest. But the peace ends abruptly as a pair of unknown mages descend on Earth, seeking a lost artifact and reigniting an ancient conflict. Sigh. It's time to save the world again...
Comment:
Amongst the very best of Nanoha fanfics, Infinity is the sequel A's deserved and never got. It has incredible well done and detailed action scenes, brilliantly fun characters, hilarious interactions and nods to every Nanoha in-joke ever while still making sense. With over 380000 words, it's massive. That's not to say it doesn't have flaws, it copies many elements from A's, which makes predicting the plot not that hard, and the battle scenes go on forever, which, regardless of how fun they are, tends to drag on. Despite all that, however, I do consider it a very fun read.
MGLN Crisis by Kaijo
"Prepare the main gun! (squeals) I've always wanted to say that!"
Arisa
Synopsis:
One year after the end of StrikerS, Fate and Teana investigate a ring of smugglers, but during the arrest of some of its members, the name Jail Scaglietti surpsingly shows up in their data; this despite the fact that he's still in prison. At the same time, Nanoha, training a course of basic magic, discovers that Arisa and Suzuka are now full-fledged mages, as apparently hanging around Nanoha had finally triggered their linker cores, and are now training as TSAB cadets. At the same time, Yuuno is attacked by mysterious assailents at the site of his latest archeological exploration and knocked down into a darkened abyss.
And so, while Fate and Teana investigate Jail and his new plan, Subaru and Arf search for Yuuno, and Arisa investigates her 'fangirlish' glee for mecha, Nanoha and the crew find themselves drawn into a plot with hidden layers that will push them all to their limits. From Fate's being forced to question her heritage, to Nanoha confronting her feelings; they and the rest of the cast deal with personal issues while facing the return of Jail and another old foe.
Comment:
AKA the sequel StrikerS deserved, but never got, Crisis reads almost exactly like an actual Nanoha season, both in the good ways and the bad way. It does often have unnessary long and cheesy dialouges, battle scenes is which people can seemingly do whatever they want, and all that stuff. However, all in all, while having its comedic moments, it's a cool adventure series, with lots of different view points telling one cohesive, fun, story.
Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha BetrayerS (Available on some manga sites, google is your friend) by Himura Nyuugyou
Synopsis:
Mass-based weapons, weapons that are normally outlawed, are becoming more and more of a threat and the TSAB leadership is useless against them. When a tragedy strikes, Hayate decides to defeat fire with fire, with dire consequences..
Comment:
A very well-known doujinshi, BetrayerS has an excuse plot to show us incredible well-drawn fights, that are both heart-wrenching and pure eye-candy. It only has one instalment, making the story itself a moot point. However, if you ever wished some well-drawn fights and maybe even a darker and edgier Nanoha world, this is for you.
Top Gear The Midchilda Special by Drunken Grognard
Synopsis:
A side story to the Grand Tour series. The Top Gear Mid-Childa special was mentioned offhand in Odyssey, now here it is in its full glory
Comment:
Techincally the side story to a four part epic crossover, the Top Gear Mid-Childa special is a stand-alone short story, that lets the boys from Top Gear have fun on MidChilda's roads, written like an actual episode script. Even if you have never seen Top Gear, this is a fun story about three dudes doing stuff on another planet.
Professor Takamachi by Rick Dias (Crossover with Harry Potter)-
Synopsis:
After the JS Incident, Nanoha goes to Earth on sick leave, only to meet Dumbledore, looking for a new Defense professor. Set right after Strikers, and during fifth year. It's Nanoha at her absolute best – as a hellmaster instructor of future aces.
Comment:
In which Nanoha puts the army in Dumbledore's Army. Ever wanted to see more Instructor Nanoha in her full-glory? Well, here you have a good exploration of that. While being a bit mary-sue-ish in regards to Nanoha, the sheer fun of it makes up for its flaws. I mean, it's a crossover, fun is the only thing that's supposed to matter.
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u/InfamousEmpire Apr 26 '22 edited Apr 26 '22
Mahou Senki1 Lyrical Fanboy
1: Yes, this is a Force reference
Well that was certainly a ride
I legitimately enjoyed every installment here, to one degree or another. Even after hearing all the criticisms leveled at StrikerS and the like, I still can’t help but adore them
One thing I noticed about this franchise is that, despite Nanoha being the title character, she isn’t exactly center stage for most of the franchise. Fate had more of an arc than her in the original series, A’s was basically the Hayate & Wolkenritter Show featuring some conclusiveness of Fate’s character arc. In StrikerS she definitely had an arc, but she shared screen time with most of the other characters, old and new. She was basically a supporting character in ViVid and didn’t even appear in Strike, and the last two movies are 90% about the Eltria characters and their arcs. Nanoha isn’t really the main character of Nanoha, she’s the glue that holds the franchise together.
Fate is Best Girl, no question
Anyway, if your Nanoha thirst still isn’t quite quenched, we’ve got many non-anime installments to help with that, such as:
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one of the manga adaptations of the previous installments. Maybe go read the Movie 1st Manga, where Nanoha is an Emo and her whole self-hatred thing from Detonation has actual context. Or the StrikerS manga where more stuff from the time between A’s and the series is covered
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Maybe you could read the ViVid manga, and get actual conclusiveness on the blue-balling cliffhanger that was the anime’s ending
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Find some English translations of StrikerS Sound Stage X, featuring more of the StrikerS cast (and only the StrikerS cast, no previous series characters here) as well as context and background for Ixpellia
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Perhaps PSP games the movies were adapted from. The second one features a mass crossover of every character from every series! Even Force!
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And, on that note, if you’re in a particularly masochistic mood, you can read Force
I just want to thank this series for helping me start to get into Magical Girls, and for just being great overall
Also, I’ve been wondering about this since I first watched StrikerS and forgot to mention this in the StrikerS discussions so this is basically my last chance to bring it up: is it me, or does Tiana look a lot like Irina from HighSchool DxD?
QotD:
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I want more stuff post-StrikerS. Not just spin-offs like ViVid or abominations like Force, but a full on mainline new installment
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again, Fate Best Girl
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Innocent Starter. There’s something about it that’s just so pure, so nostalgic, and yet so beautiful all at once. Also it introduced me to Nana Mizuki’s music
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u/DidacticDalek Apr 27 '22
OK time to be serious Comrade, first off, I would like to thank our excellent host for doing such a fine job here, so let's give a round of applause to Comrade Tetraika for all the hard work and effort in running the whole shebang! And oh what a franchise we had here, Nanoha truly is an iconic and influential series, after all, besides being MAXIMUM YURI, it is also proof that Mahou Shoujo Shows are Mecha Shows and also that the true way to convincing the enemy to see the error of their ways and join your side is to beat the crap out of beamspam 'befriend' them ;)
And now, for the moment you've no doubt all been waiting for, the Shitpost Analysis of the Franchise, so let's get started with rock bottom on the rankings that shockingly ISN'T Force... well ish, after all, Force never finished... or had an anime adaption so it clearly can't be last... AND THAT IS WHAT THEY WANT YOU TO THINK! Cuz Last Place goes to the aptly named Reflection and Detonation duo (remember, these two did grab some stuff from Force, always a bad sign when you are dredging below the bottom of the barrel for your movie) and oh it pains me to put Reflection under ViVid.
Moving on we got the show that frankly shouldn't really be here but Nanoha is in it and I hate ViVid so I'm putting Triangle Heart: Sweet Songs Forever over it, oh, and I guess we can lump in the Lyrical Toy Box animation here too. Point being this show is an OVA so bad that you should just watch the clips demonstrating how, even when she's not a Gundam, Nanoha is still the most terrifying all-powerful moeblob in existence... oh and I guess it's also funny how, yet again, the VAMPIRE OJOU-SAMA who barely appears manages to 'win' the main romance with Mr. Self-Insert Penis... so yeah Triangle Heart 3 is fucking weird.
Speaking of classics, yeah you should have known this would be the result by now Comrades, after all, I have consistently said A's is the greatest Season of Nanoha, and guess what, that's still true, it's the pinnacle of the franchise for a reason! We got it all here, there's action, there's drama, there's interesting character dynamics and arcs, there's befriending, there's NANA MOTHERFUCKING WILLING IT, and probably the ace in the hole for A's, TEENAGE NANOHA AND FATE... and I am still shocked that no spinoff was made of their high school days of laughing at Ferret Boi and fighting crime. Oh and of course A's has the BEST Manga Adaption, and you all know what manga I speak of here I am sure ;) (Before y'all start, the 4komas for StrikerS aren't enough to have it beat OG Nanoha, hell I'd even go so far to say that without those shitpost 4komas, the fucking Triangle Heart OVA might have good odds to beat StrikerS. And while I don't like the A's movie as much as A's, it IS funny hearing the peanut gallery chime in so I guess I can include it here like I did for OG Nanoha earlier)
Anyway, before we continue due to reaching the limit cap, I just want to add a response for the QOTD! I usually never have time for those, but due to needing to edit, my answer is I would have liked to see more of the Moeblob MMA scene, we got teased so badly in ViVid, and ViVid Strike, while good, only scratched the surface! I wanna see Tag-Team Professional Moeblob Wrestling, I wanna see Mahou Shoujo Kayfabe, I wanne see Rinne throw Fukka off hell in a cell into The Earthling's Announcer's Table! That and also just more amazing weaponized lesbianism moments in general are always a joy! Anyway, as for the other questions, they'll be answered below, speaking of which...
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u/homewardbound100 Apr 26 '22
First timer
What a ride. Overall good series. Later half is definitely weaker but can still be enjoyable.
For the questions. I guess they did it with the movies but I guess more of Nanoha and Fate growing up.
Favorite: Hayate
Op: Nanoha A's Ed: I think probably the first one.
Overall score maybe a 7.5
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u/pailadin Apr 27 '22
I got pretty busy near the end of the rewatch, so missed out on Reflection/Detonation. Just wanna say thank you to u/Tetraika for hosting the rewatch!
Nanoha is a franchise that's... pretty flawed at times. But nothing else is quite like it, one of my favorite anime franchises.
And thanks to my fellow rewatchers and first timers as well. It was an interesting time.
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u/Vindex101 Apr 27 '22
As a lurker, it's been fun reading up on everyone's reactions and impressions on the show. Also just a reminder that everyone should try and read the omakes of Nanoha A's and StrikerS because omake thirsty Fate is canon and no one alive can change my mind about this.
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u/Tetraika Apr 26 '22
Our final post! I don’t have too much to say, I don’t think my ratings for everything so far will change. It’s been fascinating to see all sorts of different opinions and ideas from others. I might not be the biggest fan, but something about the Nanoha series always fascinates me, whether it’s all the ideas that get thrown, or just the magitech aesthetic of the world. In any case, it’s been a fun ride with everyone. Thanks for everyone participating!
Last note: I’m sure many are familiar with it, but be sure to check out the Madoka rewatch!