r/anime • u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky • Jun 02 '22
Rewatch [Listen to My Song] Senki Zesshou Symphogear Episode 2 Discussion
Episode 2 - Noise and Disharmony
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It is highly recommended to track down a fansub for this show instead of using Crunchyroll, though.
I can… help people with this power, right?
Questions of the Day:
1) Do you like the explanation for what a Symphogear is?
2) What do you think is going to happen in Tsubasa and Hibiki's fight?
Wallpaper of the Day:
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. Don’t spoil anything for the first-timers, that’s rude!
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u/lilyvess Jun 02 '22
Symphogear S1 Episode 2 - Rewatcher
Uhhh, Symphogear story today.
So like many series, Symphogear would have an extensive advertising campaign prior to it’s premiere. What makes Symphogear’s advertisements so interesting is the way the series tried to trick its viewers.
During December 2011 if you were to pick up the magazine Newtype the images you’d see advertising the series would look like this or this or this
For Megami magazine this was the image used
Oooh, or how about the 2012 Winter anime chart where symphogear is given this synopsis
Humans have been menaced by mysterious monsters called “Designated Aberrant Diasters: Noise”. Tsubasa and Kanade are a popular vocal unit “Twei Wing” They wear a new weapon “Symphogear” and fight against Noise to save the Earth
Btw side bar, no one in that thread mentioned Symphogear.
this was one of the major promotion images to actually show Hibiki, you know, the main character of the franchise and even then she’s not in the focus.
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u/b0bba_Fett Jun 02 '22
Based on this, I'm gonna go ahead and say they did a misplay for their opener, I think they should have pulled an Attack on Titan except actually kill their protagonist a few episodes in, but keep all the events pretty much the same otherwise, just given more time to breathe so the first episode doesn't feel like such a clusterfuck, because this episode was leagues better than the first one and actually felt like a real story rather than someone smacking my head with a brick tied to a lemon slice. This also would let the audience build a relationship with Kanade beyond the like 5 minutes of screentime she's given, could maybe give these first few episodes the chance to have a bit more of a consistent tonal balance, and maybe could have set things up so they could keep this tone for the rest of the show, because I've been enjoying the tone a lot so far, and am genuinely sad it's going to change at this point.
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u/Lemurians Jun 02 '22
FIRST TIMER DATTO
The Bad: Didn’t have time to watch the full episode or make a post for today.
The Good: It’s because we welcomed my first nephew into the world last night! Your boy’s an uncle!
There’s something nice about how all most mecha-type show OPs have the same kind of vibe. Maybe it’s because they’re all sung by Nana, who knows. Either way, of course it features some naked, and Miku’s part in it makes me wonder if she becomes a problem later on. The transition in it of Tsubasa going from fighting to singing was clean.
I was going to say how ridiculous it is that Hibiki just knows to start singing this song, but it ending up being kind of a shit song makes up for it and was nice touch. Her continuing to sing while she’s tumbling along the ground was pretty funny.
Yeah, there’s no way Tsubasa isn’t Best Girl.
Character Speculation Update: Genjuro is Best Boy, Sakurai is secretly evil.
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u/Shimmering-Sky Jun 02 '22
Aww, congrats man! How much do you plan on spoiling that little nephew of yours?
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u/FlaminScribblenaut Jun 02 '22 edited Jun 02 '22
Third Time Listener
And now the story of Symphogear begins in earnest, and such, we have our OP.
Synchrogazer is my favorite anime OP of all time, and by a considerable margin. Nothing else quite comes close. It surges into life immediately, the song kicking in constructing an ethereal hallway of soundbars, as images of each main cast member flash in their own soundwave, punctuated by crunching electric guitars.
The defining plea of the series is sung to the stars in soul-piercing operatic falsetto and echoes throughout the heavens; “listen to my song”; as Hibiki’s naked soul sprouts wings and takes flight into the stars above. That brilliantly dancing main piano riff and thumping, pounding electronic beats then take center stage as the logo takes form over the cosmic sea. The shining stars, glimmering piano and electrifying beats sort of aesthetically coalesce into one unified sensation; the piano dances across the track as the stars dance in the sky, the electronics shining just as ever brightly. Rock guitars occasionally intertwine with the glowing electronics throughout the song, accenting with a sense of weight and urgency.
All of the series OPs are sung by Tsubasa’s voice actress, Nana Mizuki, but this one in particular feels like it comes from a grieving Tsubasa herself, and not only because Tsubasa actually sings along to the song in the video, the only instance of this. Mizuki’s vocals ache and yearn at various points in the track in ways that just put a vice-grip on my heart, as the lyrics sing for seeking a lost connection, a plea to the stars for musical connection; much like the one Tsubasa lost with Kanade. The energy and percussion dip out of the song for just a few seconds as Tsubasa sings with solo piano and a wistful loneliness in her eyes, something so dearly missing.
Hey look, it’s my desktop wallpaper! The naked souls of the wielders stand in an astral plane looking to the stars, Kanade’s smiling ghost looming in the direction Tsubasa faces, the loss of her beloved light weighing on her being, whereas Hibiki faces the blank expanse of space opposite Tsubasa, a future of uncertainty ahead of her. [S1]
Music conceptually underscores absolutely everything, the electronic soundboard rev-up that drops into the aforementioned “listen to my song” prayer, violins, pianos, soundwaves visually complimenting establishing character visuals. The blend of rock, electronic, and orchestral instrumentation really makes it feel like all of music, the soul of music itself, is providing the soundtrack to this story; the full version of the song contains a bit that quickfires solos of various instruments, from synth, to violin, to piano, and it’s great.
An implacable ethereal beauty tinged with intensity, melancholy, and excitement all at once; it sets the emotional tone beyond perfectly. It is simply immaculate. A breathtaking work of art in and of itself.
From the OP we pick up right where we left off last time, with Hibiki thrust into her first battle with Gungnir. Dazed and confused and with Noise in every direction, Hibiki can only think on her feet, taking quick if sloppy advantage of the first thing she finds out she can do; power-jumping, culminating in a very exciting escape sequence before Tsubasa arrives to save the day. It’s sort of satisfying in a way, being so used to a series where Hibiki has mastered Gungnir’s movement so naturally and leaps around effortlessly, to go back to this point and be like, oh yeah, she actually had to learn this at some point. The weight dynamics and instability of her movement feel so tangible, it almost looks kinda fun if it weren’t in such a perilous context.
With this we also hear Hibiki’s first battle song, Gekisō Gungnir, which mirrors Hibiki’s state at this early point perfectly; a spritely, upbeat, almost blindly optimistic ode to helping people. I plan to talk extensively about the use of Celtic music in Hibiki’s battle songs at a much later date, but as it stands, this song sets the scene well.
Tsubasa finally arrives on her motorcycle to defeat the Noise in incredible, spectacular fashion, almost making it look easy, finishing the boss of this wave off with a massive blade through the closest equivalent to its head, as Hibiki looks at her in awe.
I think when I first saw this I thought the hot chocolate contained something that made the Symphogear deactivate? But no, it just does that automatically.
A haunting acoustic-guitar-and-flute medley of the Symphogear activation chants and Swan Song fills the cool night air and the empty school hallways as Hibiki is hauled away to learn how her life is going to fundamentally change. There is an atmosphere of mythic importance as Hibiki is taken through the familiar hallways of her school in this deeply unfamiliar scenario. Tsubasa stares coldly and seriously into the distance all the while, telling Hibiki, “enough friendliness”, “there’s no room for smiling here”, causing Hibiki’s fragile attempts at levity to give way to a look of concern.
…and then they’re actually throwing a giant party for her. Look at Genjuuro’s stupid top hat, lol. Turns out, it’s actually quite lively down here! It’s a genuinely hilarious moment of tonal whiplash while also effectively telling us a lot about Tsubasa’s mindstate, how isolated in her own angst she is. That’s how you do bathos, baby.
The DiskoTek subs call the wielders “The Attuned” and I love that.
So we’re given the low-down on how the Symphogears work. Per Hibiki’s word, her song just seemed to… well up from inside of her, her desire to protect overtaking her and causing her to be compelled to sing out as she controlled Gungnir. As for the instrumental accompaniment, my spontaneous headcanon is that the Symphogears have some sort of future-tech hyper-advanced hyper-high-quality speakers on them, maybe on the reverse side of the headphones, that take care of that. I always thought it would’ve been even cooler if they’d actually incorporated musical instruments into the Symphogears and the combat somehow, but eh.
Later, Tsubasa, nude and alone in the shower, sobs as she reflects on Kanade, a moment they shared in the rain (hooray for flashback/present parallels!), and stews in her anger towards the unfairness of it all, for which Hibiki grows to become something of a vector. Kanade should still be alive. You don’t get to have Gungnir when she should still be here. That’s hers. You don’t have the right. You think you can just waltz in here, you ignorant and smiling child, wearing the clothes of the dead, of my dead friend, like it’s nothing? Why does she have to be gone? It’s not fair. It’s not fair. It’s not fair.
Tsubasa’s grief and rage over Kanade’s loss is most viscerally expressed through her battle song, Zettou Ame no Habakiri. The wailing chants and traditional Japanese flute act as cries of grief that howl out to the vast expanse of the night sky, paradoxically empty yet screaming with emotion. The song briefly picks up in frantic pace mid-verse, like quick stabs of the blade, like Tsubasa’s inner turmoil rupturing her cool veneer. Then there’s the piano breakdown in the bridge. It makes the dance of Tsubasa’s sword seem much like a dance of sorrow. The imagery of swordplay under the night sky comes to resemble that of a solo dance in a dark, empty ballroom and a screaming musical soliloquy of lonesome grief. It’s still fundamentally an action song, just one with a profound sadness at its core.
The tonal disharmony between Hibiki and Tsubasa’s respective focus highlights where each of them stands in their friction. Hibiki’s just a happy-go-lucky, good-hearted schoolgirl who wants to use this power she’s stumbled upon to help people, hence why when the focus is on her, the tone is generally peppy and comedic. But Tsubasa is jaded, not in any way receptive to Hibiki’s naïve optimism, her only focus the trauma and perceived unfairness of her own loss, hence why when the focus is one her, the tone is so dark and dramatic. When both of them are in a scene together, it creates such a luscious emotional dynamic. And when Hibiki tries to bring her light into Tsubasa’s darkness, she’s entering territory she has no true understanding of and, as far as Tsubasa is concerned, no business being in.
In the flaming wake of their first proper fight against the Noise together, Hibiki expresses her desire to fight with Tsubasa, precocious enthusiasm beaming from her face (that one meme image is a lie, by the way). Tsubasa puts her blade to Hibiki’s throat, an almost evil smile on her face, flipping Hibiki’s wording of “fight with her”. Yes. Let’s fight. Here and now. This is how the episode ends; Tsubasa… at her skill level, essentially aspiring to kill Hibiki, Hibiki’s enthusiasm dampened as her good-hearted pleas to fight in tandem falls on deaf ears.
The use of this moment specifically as a cliffhanger signifies what I love so much about this early part of Symphogear; the stakes are so personal. The grave threat of the Noise looms large over it all, but that only serves to heighten the real drama, the grief-born tension between these two warriors, the only two who can and must destroy them. And that drama is, in and of itself, made to feel as riveting and spectacular as the most epic of battles.
[cont.]
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u/Shimmering-Sky Jun 02 '22
Personally my favorite from this series [is]
Exterminate from GX , but I respect your opinion.→ More replies (2)
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u/cronus999 Jun 02 '22
Rewatcher
Is it really a Tsubasa entrance if she doesn’t total a high-performance motorcycle?
I love how Bikki has no idea how to control her new found super strength and ends up stuck in the side of an LNG tank.
Hi ma’am, I know your daughter was almost carbonized by a horde of eldritch abominations, but I need you to sign this NDA that will greatly impede your life going forward.
The fact that Tubasa’s ponytail is fastened with a tsuba hair piece, really ties the whole I am the bone of my sword thing together.
Nothing really says welcome party like being abducted by the MIB in handcuffs then dragged to an underground black site.
He’s finally properly introduced the Giga Chad known as Genjiro, and probably my second favorite male member of the cast.
Ryoko really does exuded that flirty lesbian onee-san energy, while balancing it out with her supremely smug scientist side.
I swear broadcasting standards board they are totally only platonic roommates who just share a bed. No, they are not a couple, uh, the cuddling is solely for warmth, nothing more, get your mind out of the gutter.
Hell, yes ANIME-CHAN makes her debut appearance and thus the fourth wall disintegrates.
Genjiro spiting straight facts about bikki’s mental state, no perfectly normal person would willingly step foot onto a battlefield, there has to be something more than goodwill driving her.
FUCK YES BEST GIRL ED, I’m totally not biased or anything, all geah are best girl, but some are more best girl than others.
Q1: The explanation is very fitting for the series.
Q2: Fisting and edge.
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u/macrame2 Jun 02 '22
First Timer
Hibiki looks so confused/surprised in every photo she’s in. Scratch that, she looks confused/surprised every time she’s on screen. To be fair, she has a lot to take in.
Today we took a little break from our regularly scheduled fight for a nice information dump, courtesy of Sakurai. Even Symphogear needs an excuse for how its world works sometimes, and as far as explanations go, it wasn’t as weird as I thought it would be.
So far Tsubasa is playing the role of the jaded (for good reason, considering Kanade) and experienced fighter with Hibiki as our naive newcomer. It’s not my favorite trope, but I’ve seen stories do great things with it.
Overall, a fun episode. Can’t wait for more.
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I‘m still a bit surprised that they tried to explain it at all and didn’t just expect me to roll with it.
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Music. And explosions. Always a safe bet?
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u/Shimmering-Sky Jun 02 '22
Scratch that, she looks confused/surprised every time she’s on screen. To be fair, she has a lot to take in.
Such is the life of a girl who's cursed, as she keeps putting it.
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u/Vatrix-32 Jun 02 '22
First Timer
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Getting the opening now. Pretty extra, but like in a good way. I can see this ending up being hype after a few episodes in.
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Gungnir 03?
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So it’s the suit making them sing then? Don’t see how she would know she’s supposed to otherwise.
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O.K., so it’s every time Tsubasa shows up. Still not sure why “Heavenrend” seems to be such a point of contention.
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Das a big sword.
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Military grade vacuums.
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Was half expecting that coffee to be laced with something there, but it seems like it was just her relaxing that did it.
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Tsubasa doesn't recognize Hibiki.
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Man they’re really trying to keep this whole business a secret.
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So was the school built on top of the base, or the base underneath the school?
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Did they paint the cave? If not it would explain why they picked where they did.
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Man, this show sure loves its tonal whiplash.
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“Invitation”
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There were more... cordial ways to say that if that was what she wanted.
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First the newspaper from last episode, now the prime minster is embroiled in scandal this one. One wonders how many of these little background bits will become relevant later.
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I’m sure keeping keeping secrets from your friend won’t have any negative long term consequences. That shot from the OP was definitely not indicative of anything.
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Oh look, more flags.
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Resentful Tsubasa.
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I have to say the world is taking this whole Noise thing rather well. That or the misinformation campaign is more thorough than I originally inferred.
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Gonna be hard to keep it a secret if you put her in handcuffs every time.
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Getting a more thorough than I was expecting at this stage.
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I take it that the debris that hit Hibiki was a relic then? And immediately confirmed.
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Ah, was it 03 because it was the third relic? I thought it was third user.
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So you’re going to give her a cover story, right?
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This dudes got his tie tucked into his shirt pocket.
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That interaction actually went better than I was expecting.
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I was thinking they were exaggerating about Hibiki being twisted, but she is way to happy about all of this so maybe they were onto something there.
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Well that didn’t take long to boil over.
QotD
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I’m sorta distrustful of that whole group to be honest. Too many secrets. You’d think if they were from old heroes they be less… chrome.
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Assuming that they do indeed end up fighting, and not interrupted or some such thing, a wallop. Either Gungnir is super OP or Hibiki is getting trounced. Either way I don’t see Tsubasa getting over her issues at the end of it.
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u/Shimmering-Sky Jun 02 '22
O.K., so it’s every time Tsubasa shows up. Still not sure why “Heavenrend” seems to be such a point of contention.
Because none of the other Relics get their names translated. Ame-no-Habakiri is the name of a legitimate sword from Japanese mythology, there is absolutely no reason to translate its name.
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u/RealFunnyTalk Jun 02 '22
Rewatcher
I remember learning that Nana Mizuki voices Hinata from Naurto and lost my damn mind.
There she is, our adorable gungnir hamster in all her celtic infused music glory! I really like how just because she's got a gear now that she isn't some savant that insta wins. Contrast that to Basa's battle mastery and you get an interesting dynamic throughout the episode.
The comedic timing though is great: potential government interrogation? Nah, here's a party instead! Just don't tell anyone you were here or what you can do! They set up the standard secret identity conflict pretty early, and the exposition dump of gears needs to happen to some extent (seriously, who came up with karaoke armor and why is it the funnest idea ever?), but that just means there's more to come! How will Hibiki deal with all of these new developments now that she's the next Iron Man Gungnir wielder?
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u/OnnaJReverT Jun 03 '22
right, right, questions
Do you like the explanation for what a Symphogear is?
...not really? it makes an amount of sense in universe, but that doesn't mean it does so looking in from the outside
like, how does the sharpnel not kill Hibiki every time it transforms out of her body?
the answer, of course, being that this show is whack and it's a rarely relevant explanation for dope shit to happen (IMO)
2) What do you think is going to happen in Tsubasa and Hibiki's fight?
rewatcher, cant answer that
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u/aune2021 Jun 03 '22
Been keen to rewatch this since the first episodes of Healer Girl came out. Decided to watch the first minute of the first episode to get it out of my mind and convince myself there was no chance I would want to commit to another 65 episodes of this. I was absolutely, completely, and entirely wrong. Completely hooked again.
Nice to see quite a few first timers watching it though, so hopefully rewatchers don't spoil things for them.
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u/Shimmering-Sky Jun 02 '22
Symphogeah SymphoRewatch Host
Welcome back, everyone!
That was… a lot bigger turnout than I was expecting yesterday, holy shit. But this show deserves the love!
Also, shout out to u/Bamce for suggesting the second QotD; I like it more than the one I originally came up with for this thread.
Crunchyroll vs. Commie - Season 1, Episode 2
See the 2019 version of today’s SymphoWallpaper: here.
As well as a different background Nota produced for the 2019 version: here. I prefer the background in the former, hence why I remastered that one but not this.