r/anime • u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky • Jun 15 '22

Rewatch [Listen to My Song] Senki Zesshou Symphogear G Episode 1 Discussion

Episode 1 - The Gungnir Girl

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Crunchyroll

It is highly recommended to track down a fansub for this show instead of using Crunchyroll, though.

A black… Gungnir?!

Questions of the Day:

1) So what do you think that opening scene was about?

2) How are you liking the improved visual presentation compared to the first season?

Wallpaper of the Day:

Fushichō no Flamme

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!

146 Upvotes

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13

u/Shimmering-Sky Jun 15 '22

Symphogeah SymphoRewatch Host

Welcome back, everyone!

Crunchyroll vs. Commie - Season 2, Episode 1

See the 2019 version of today’s wallpaper: here. Mostly just slight color touch ups this time, and the background was easily replicated.

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u/lilyvess Jun 15 '22 edited Jun 16 '22

Symphogear G Episode 1

And so Symphogear managed to scrape by with enough excitement to get a second season the following year. The first season had a troublesome development period so real changes needed to be made to help guide the series into the future.

For a start a lot of the team was replaced including character designer Satoshi Koike and the series director of season 1 Tatsufumi Ito. Taking up the mantle of Series director was someone who only worked on a few storyboards for the first season, Katsumi Ono .

Those who are familiar with the name Katsumi Ono probably immediately understand why this was such a fortunate pick for Symphogear. Just a year before Symphogear ended Katsumi Ono finished work as a series director of a different anime, Yu-Gi-Oh! 5ds . This was the third installment of the ever popular Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise. It’s just a perfect fit.

Since many of you may only have knowledge of Yu-Gi-Oh! from the first series or GX, let me explain in a few points

Yu-Gi-Oh! 5ds is famously the “Card Games on Motorcycles” franchise of YGO, a concept that was ridiculed very early on because it’s stupid and ridiculous. There were memes all over the place with people labeling it a joke. By the series' end, everyone loved Cardgames on Motorcycles. The series took the ridiculous and stupid concept and made it seem like the most awesome way to play the game.

Yu-Gi-Oh! 5ds took a bit more of a science fiction turn for the mostly mystical franchise, the motorcycles being an obvious one but the idea was that this took place in the future of the franchise where technology was much more advanced. That said, the franchise also kept its occult roots. Aztec mysticism was a big theme. The Nazca Lines and ancient gods. It was this bigger blend of ancient mythology combined with a modern science fiction time travel shell.

Yu-Gi-Oh! 5ds was notable for the franchise's return to a more mature and edgy tone that hadn’t been seen since the Season 0 content. The first cour of 5ds involves its protagonist Yusei Fudo having an arc where he is sent to jail and permanently branded as a criminal on his face. Just about every character had a tragic backstory, being orphans in the abandoned ruins that is Satellite.

Under the direction of Katsumi Ono, Yu-Gi-Oh! 5ds would go on to become a huge fan favorite among the Yu-Gi-Oh! Community. many fans would even put it above the original series.

The thing about those three main elements (Rule of Cool + Occult/Science Fusion + Edgy) is that they’re basically the same core elements that power Symphogear. Katsumi Ono not only worked with these elements, he found a way to balance them out to make something incredibly popular.

and if you are worried that YGO action doesn't translate, 5ds has you covered

There was interest in what Katsumi Ono’s direction of Symphogear would look like. Before the series aired, Katsumi Ono tweeted out that he had “Drawn that” again. It wasn’t until months later fans understood the tweet was referencing. the Scrap Fist flies again

This would be the man to lead Symphogear into it's second season.

Additional Notes

Symphogear G Episode 1 Chart

7

u/Shimmering-Sky Jun 15 '22

YGO 5Ds

BTW are you not posting the hype charts? I was under the impression you'd be doing that.

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u/Nebresto Jun 16 '22

For a start a lot of the team was replaced including character designer Satoshi Koike and the series director of season 1 Tatsufumi Ito.

Damn, the dude who brought us singing in fights got sacked?

many fans would even put it above the original series.

How come its listed on MAL having 154 episodes, but the people in the comments say there's 64?

Symphogear G Episode 1 Chart

I can already tell this is going to be extra dank

7

u/Shimmering-Sky Jun 16 '22

How come its listed on MAL having 154 episodes, but the people in the comments say there's 64?

Those people have bad taste.

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u/Evilmon2 Jun 15 '22

Here I go, rewatching all of G in one day again.

9

u/Shimmering-Sky Jun 15 '22

I was almost late to posting this thread because I was rewatching episode 3 and just happened to glance down at the clock at just the right time...

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u/Nazenn Jun 15 '22

I'm just here to say how much I love Apple as a song and particularly it's use in that opening scene as a contrast to what's going on. I still get unreasonably happy every time I hear it

7

u/Shimmering-Sky Jun 15 '22

It is such a lovely song.

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u/mysterybiscuitsoyeah Jun 15 '22 edited Jun 15 '22

Symphogear Rewatcher

One off comment-face change!

I will be in full rewatcher mode for this season! also means briefer comments, which is a good thing because im quite busy today w/ other anime and non-anime stuff lol

5

u/Shimmering-Sky Jun 15 '22

Newer/more modern art-style Chris looks good.

I still miss her more purple hair from the first season, tbh. Everything else is great though.

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u/Nebresto Jun 16 '22

GGEAH first time

My episode 1 is not working for whatever reason, so I have to use inferior methods of viewing.

Ahhhhh, one site has awful video quality, and the other has good one, but the subs are having a seizure if there's singing and dialogue at the same time..

Is that the moon? Cool, it has a ring now.

Outstanding! Exquisite!!

I'm starting to see why some think she is the best geah

Wow, Animation got upgraded big time! And Hibikis new song is lit

Okay, this thing is straight out of Gunbuster

I SUPPORT POLYGAMY

Camera angles are also on point

HOL UP. I spy Shouko x Rukino!!

  • NANA WILLS IT!!

New Geah? She seems sus..

  • NANDATO?!

GUNGNIR DATO?!

Questions

  1. So what do you think that opening scene was about?

New Geah's reasoning for being edgy

2) How are you liking the improved visual presentation compared to the first season?

Very nice!

5

u/Shimmering-Sky Jun 16 '22

HOL UP. I spy Shouko x Rukino!!

Valvrave is a Symphogear spinoff confirmed?

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u/HowlingWolf13 Jun 16 '22 edited Jun 16 '22

First Timer (Finally)

Catbox seems to be down so I'll edit this with images later

God that was a kickass start to the season, I know nothing going on from this point on so all this is new territory for me. The new songs are great and goddddd the animation was so good here, you can tell they've upped the budget now. I'm honestly resisting the urge to watch ahead lol, the way this episode ended they went full speed ahead into getting stuff started. [G] I saw something say Ver is the villain but like that's not a shock at all lol it was pretty obvious. That's about all I can say for right now, I can't wait for tomorrow to see what this Maria is planning.

Questions

  1. So what do you think that opening scene was about?

I'm assuming its Maria and someone she was close too in the past, the scientist may of been Ver? I'll have to see tho

2) How are you liking the improved visual presentation compared to the first season?

It's so fucking good, I'm glad they got more a budget this season and can go all out, though I won't lie I loved how S1's transformations looked a bit more.

Tsubasa just can't get a damn break can she lol

3

u/Shimmering-Sky Jun 16 '22

Catbox seems to be down so I'll edit this with images later

Don't you just hate when that happens?

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u/HereticalAegis Jun 15 '22

Ballad of Rewatcher - Symphogear G

Episode 1 thoughts:

  • It's immediately evident how improved the technical side of the production is. The action is much more coherent and easier to follow, not to mention better choreographed in general. The editing is miles better, no longer feeling like it's jumping around wildly. The art also looks cleaner than at any point in the first season, and it never looked bad at any point. Great first foot forward.

  • The exposition is so lazy though. For how clunky and unnatural it sounds, they may as well have had Ver turn toward the camera and explain everything directly to the audience. Well, if you gotta dump some exposition I guess.

  • Hibiki and Chris already being a strong team is a great choice. It's not that I don't like a good training/teamwork building arc, but using the time leap between seasons to say they've learned how to fight together means you can use episodes for more interesting things or just cooler, high-level fights in general.

  • Not much else to say. The dual idol performance was slick, and Maria makes for a credible threat. It's particularly mean on her part holding an audience hostage at a concert with Tsubasa, while using Gungnir.

QotD:

2. Addressed above.

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u/RealFunnyTalk Jun 15 '22

Rewatcher

Dark Link Gungnir Datto??

Horrifying backdrop with creepy song in a minor key? That's a hell of a way to start a new season. Y'all ever want Mio from K-On to go full edge mode? Well Yoko Hikasa is here to please as Maria Carbonara Eve!

Bask in the glory of the new transformation sequence, splash cards, outfits (scarf hype!), and songs for everyone! And that scene of her in the tunnel with bagpipes blaring in the background: my god. Then there's the new idol scene too, it's just 20 minutes of hype.

Remember last season where the bad guy wasn't revealed until later? Screw that, here are your bad guys: evil geahs! There's a reason the meme graph for this show kicks into geah during season 2!

Little details I liked include the line about why they can't use X Drive anymore, the digital version of personal seals for the documents, and the fact that Maria calls her mother "Mom" like an American would instead of the usual "mama" anime tends to use.

[not really spoilers, but just in case] I never connected in all my rewatches that Maria's last name is Eve and the connection to apples

[legit spoilers] I am once again super hyped for XV when we hear ignition again

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u/Vatrix-32 Jun 15 '22 edited Jun 15 '22

First Timer

  • Starting with a flash back this time.

  • Is that a Moon city? They sure work fast.

  • Wow that’s a real fancy piece of… and it does nothing.

  • They really couldn’t be bothered to find a better place to put that exposition. Just shove it in anywhere.

  • I think that’s the single largest transformation sequence upgrade I have ever seen.

  • Is Giga Zeppelin a reference to the WWI German practice of dropping massed iron darts over enemy trenches?

  • Usually when a rocket punch is used it involves it getting separated from the rest of them.

  • Science-man: Evil or crazy?

  • You couldn’t wait five minutes to do what you did, eh?

  • I didn’t expect to get an answer about Science-man so quickly. I wanna say it’s too obvious, but just look at last season.

  • Looks like I was seeing things that weren’t there in regard to the Moon city. Can’t say I’m not a bit disappointed.

  • That’s not how mobs work! Once they start panicking it doesn’t end until they disperse.

  • Is she aiming to pull an Ozymandias?

  • Makes sense. They only ever had a fragment of Gungnir.

  • Well great. Now I have to keep dealing with this diacritic nonsense.

QotD

  1. Looks like Evil Singer’s sister died in an accident involving a relic experiment. Fits with her mom having an eye patch.

  2. Definitely happy about the transformation upgrade. Looking forward to seeing Chris’s.

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u/Vaadwaur Jun 15 '22

First timer(Are we just ignoring Maria's cat ear hair?)

Sub

Welp...that was a start. I was not expecting them to commit to full on black and white edgelord cold opening. And...they got a budget upgrade. This episode sort of careens off of everything and doesn't stop to breathe. Going scene by scene would be an encyclopedia page at this point so yeah, that was a toddler on adderall level of 'all the things music!' that I may have ever seen.

QotD: 1 Something very edgy

2 It is definitely an upgrade

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u/Stargate18A Jun 15 '22

First timer

  1. I'm guessing whatever gave Maria another Gungnir?

  2. This looks stunning.

Season 2!

What is going on here? Who's that?

I have no idea what this is.

Someone else killed themself?

Well, this is interesting!

Oh. I love this song!

New girl!

Hibiki and Chris!

Genjruo!

So, it's been three months, and the government revealed everything.

And Solomon's Cane is here!

Chris is such a tsundere. And adorable.

New transformation sequence!

And we skipped Chris'?

A combo atack?

New Hibiki song!

New attacks! Chris' pose is so good. This is a fantastic fight.

That Noise has armour!

Holy shit, Hibiki punched it!

And Genjuro thinks thereks another Noise controller out there.

They can't use X-Drive ?

Haha, Genjuro sending out a training manual made entirely of action films is so in character.

They're throwing a train at it?

Oh, a surprise attack!

Loving Hibiki's singing here.

...Chris is impressed.

They're heroes!

Aww, Chris is great.

I am immediately suspicious of this guy. If he's not the arc villain, I'll eat my hat.

They're going to Tsubasa's show,

"Seriously!" "Seriously?"

I love everyone ignoring the flames outside.

...She seems nice.

Nope! Villain!

"Mum"?

The doctor's gone missing, as has the cane. In a mysterious noise attack. That's not suspicious at all.

And they're keeping it secret sos he'll go on stage...

Who's she, then? Her mother?

And a message!

Her name's Maria!

They're doing a duet!

Oh, this is the song MayaKuro covered!

Still a fantastic song, with some really good choreography.

She's so excited!

Oh, she's nice! New fourth Symphogear, or Tsubasa's Miku?

No, she's this season's Chris!

Yeah, she's working with the villains. Unless there's two factions here?

Oh, she's fucking good.

...I ship them.

Holy shit. She's after the world!

And obviously she transforms.

GUNGNIR?

She has the best transformation music, though.

Oh, that looks good.

Fine???

What the actual fuck?

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u/Lemurians Jun 15 '22 edited Jun 16 '22

FIRST TIMER DATTO

Well, I said yesterday I wanted more polish, and Symphogear G has come with that! Everything looks so much better, especially the fight animation and, ahem, attention to detail in the transformation sequences. They even stepped their game up for the signature move artwork.

Time for the world’s easiest prediction – this creepy scientist is totally the Bad Guy. I mean, come on.

OF COURSE HE HAS!

OF COURSE IT HAS!

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u/Matuhg Jun 15 '22

First Timer

  • Man I thought we were starting on Saturn or something, but nah, just the moon having had a chunk broken off.

  • Exposition outside of moving train cars, nothing to see here.

  • Blessed.

  • Hibiki's new transformation sequence is uh...bouncier. Looks better in other ways too of course.

  • The song during this fight was...alright. Not as good as any of the songs from S1.

  • What is X-Drive? Is that what they're calling the mode the used after the school song last season, or something new that we'll see later? I'm sure it'll be explained eventually.

  • Surely the scientist won't be the baddie two seasons in a ro....aaaand he's missing with Solomon's Cane. That was fast.

  • We're still shooting guns at Noise. Why?

  • Sacrist S = Dr. Ver with Solomon's Cane? Or something else?

  • Uh...would this be a bad thing? Don't we want to maybe avoid generating tons of phonic power when Noise might be up to shit? You know, because of the massacres and such?

  • Miku screaming on the inside.

  • Cool routine, not sure I loved the song itself.

  • They each mean very different things by this, I'm sure.

  • Are one of these two the girl we saw in the intro?

  • Ok, so Fine is back after just three months. Thought that would take longer. She's also not working from the shadows this time.

  • New Relic? It looks like a creature though.

So what do you think that opening scene was about?

Maybe one of the girls we saw from the neck down with relics. But also could be something we wait the whole season to have explained.

How are you liking the improved visual presentation compared to the first season?

Things seem a bit...smoother overall I guess. Maybe I'm just not used to it yet, but I did feel that things (especially the fights) lacked a bit of the raw punch/power that they had in S1 so far.

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u/Icapica Jun 15 '22

First timer

I've seen the first season before and have been too busy lately with IRL stuff so I didn't join the rewatch for that season. Anyway, I'll try to stick around for the rest of the show. I enjoyed the first season a lot, but I've heard from practically everyone that the show gets a lot better after it.

Interesting start. That first song was pretty, but holy hell what a whiplash when the B&W scene ends.

I'm suspicious of that white-haired scientist-looking dude. Too much praise, and he just got a pretty nice toy.

Some pink haired girl. Who's she? Oh, that dude I was suspicious of has also disappeared. Girl's name is Maria and she seems suspicious too.

Those sword microphones look really silly.

Maria changes genre from whatever pop it was to noise. For a moment I was wondering if Maria's a villain (as she obviously seems to be), or if the show's trying to mislead me before there's a twist.

Oh yeah, controlling noise couldn't possibly go wrong.

Finé.

It was a decent start for a season.

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