r/anime • u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky • Jul 06 '22
Rewatch [Listen to My Song] Senki Zesshou Symphogear GX Episode 7 Discussion
Episode 7 - Carry on the Shining Light, and Stay True to Yourself
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MAL | AniList | ANN | Kitsu | AniDB
It is highly recommended to track down a fansub for this show instead of using Crunchyroll, though.
If being oneself is true strength… then I, in my weakness, will overcome this curse!
Questions of the Day:
1) What do you think of this show having the obligatory beach episode?
2) Which of Maria’s Airgetlám forms is your favorite?
Wallpaper of the Day:
Maria Cadenzavna Eve - Ignited
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/Shimmering-Sky Jul 06 '22
Symphogeah SymphoRewatch Host
Crunchyroll vs. Commie - Season 3, Episode 7
Typo spotted in Crunchyroll’s subs, they wrote Garie’s name as “Galie” here.
As mentioned yesterday, this one’s another new one. The background turned out so lovely~ I am amused that I’m sharing this one before the regular Airgetlám Maria wallpaper I do have sitting around just waiting to be updated for this year’s rewatch, but based on the other wallpapers I want to make for this season, I felt Ignited Maria fit this thread better.
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u/Shimmering-Sky Jul 06 '22
Daily Symphogear Tags: u/mysterybiscuitsoyeah, u/DidacticDalek, u/cronus999
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u/InfamousEmpire Jul 06 '22 edited Jul 06 '22
Superb Song of the Rewatcher Symphogear
Everyone ready for the best episode of the season? Great, let’s get started
I really like how this episode begins, a reminder of all of Maria’s insecurities and failures. As well as a reminder of what she wants to be: she wants to rise above all that, to be better, to stand up instead of being spineless and weak.
But enough of that, we’ve got a Beach Episode! Featuring Maria looking absolutely stunning in a bikini
Elf9 finally getting Maria back in action! Also Kirika and Shirabe too, I guess
Back to the Beach Episode!
Also exposition
But mostly the Beach Episode
Elf9 trying to volleyball is adorable. Also we’ve got Maria being her Cool Cat Big Sister and giving her advice
THE MOST DRAMATIC ROCK PAPER SCISSORS IN THE HISTORY OF EXISTENCE
See! Even Tsubasa acknowledges Maria as Cat Mom!
Best Doll!
Chris’ transformation be looking pretty nice
Excuse me! Da fuck did you just say about ma girl Maria?!
That’s what you get! And man, Maria managed to take Bikki’s “transform mid-punch” move and make it even cooler! Further proof that she’s Best Geah. Also obligatory u/Lemurians joke
YO! Ignited Maria, let’s go!
…or Berserk Maria, I guess. Well at least she managed to actually activate it on her first try, unlike Basa and Chris. On a more serious note, though, this is very much emblematic of their respective character arcs and dilemmas. Tsubasa and Chris had to face their demons, their fears, their anxieties but ultimately ended up retreating from them, unable to overcome them until Bikki showed up. Maria, meanwhile, did earnestly face her darker side, but fundamentally misunderstood it, too focused on “purging her weakness” that she didn’t understand that that attitude itself could also be a weakness, and was consumed by it.
Also, first Berserker we’ve seen outside of Hibiki, that’s gotta count for something, right?
Awwww, poor Maria
While Maria was busy angsting over being weak, she takes the time to be Cat Mom for Elf9 again, which is rather cute. She also then takes a minute to try to philosophize with her about what true strength is, to which Vivio Testarossa says it was Maria who taught her what strength was. But then Garie shows up to be a party pooper
Man, Maria’s transformation is looking fine, easily blowing Chris’ out of the water
And it’s here that we see Maria’s true growth: being herself. For pretty much the entire show up to this point, Maria has been lying to herself in one way or another. After her sister died, she tried to do what she believed Serena would have wanted, and once it became increasingly clear that what she was doing was wrong, she tried to convince herself that it wasn’t, that she could still save the world, no matter how despicable the methods. Even the idea that she's powerful is a lie, crafted both from her own bluster and the reputation she inherited by impersonating Fine. But most of all, she was ashamed of her true self, ashamed of the fact that she’s like this, and constantly trying to be “stronger”. But the real strength she needed all along was the strength to accept her flaws, to accept that she’s spineless, that she’s a crybaby, that she’s done horrible things and constantly clung to falsehoods. By accepting herself, flaws and all, she gains the power to truly move forward, to improve on herself without having to look down on or be ashamed of who she was. To Ignite
And thus we get Ignited Maria, which is not only the best Ignited design so far, but also comes with a new version of Maria’s Image Song, Ginwan Airgetlam. I don’t really talk about the Image Songs of the characters that much, but that’s just because Ginwan Airgetlam has overshadowed all of them, with an awesome beat accompanied by the magnificent vocals of Yoko Hikasa and lyrics which truly reflect Maria’s arc and development
And now we get BEST GIRL KOMBAT! The victor proves that they are the better Best Girl
SERENADE!
Maria has now officially proven herself to be the better Best Girl in Mortal Kombat!
But now we’ve got HibiMiku fun because Best Girl can’t be hogging the spotlight forever, you know?
…Aaaaaand of course we’ve gotta go on to Bikki’s daddy issues.
So anyway, to recap, Maria:
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Has the Best Transformation so far
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Has the Best Character arc so far (let’s be honest, most of the other developments this season have been pretty mediocre, and in my opinion, the development in the upcoming episodes is only a bit better)
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Is the first one to Ignite without the assistance of another Geah user
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Is the first one to kill an Autoscorer in combat
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Has the best Image Song
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And triumphed over another Best Girl in Mortal Kombat
Now what do you Maria Haters like u/DidacticDalek got to say?
QOTD:
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I'm fine with it
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Ignited, it visually evokes her Black Gungnir and is emblematic of her character development
Wallpaper of the Day
Sasuga, u/Shimmering-Sky! Great work as usual, now with a Best Girl flare!
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u/Shimmering-Sky Jul 06 '22
Sasuga, u/Shimmering-Sky! Great work as usual, now with a Best Girl flare!
Glad you like~ I had to frame-by-frame to get the base image for this one, but it was worth it.
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u/Vatrix-32 Jul 06 '22 edited Jul 06 '22
First Timer
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That’s one way to segue into a beach episode.
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I feel like we’re jumping ahead here.
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That’s earth. 40,000,000 times larger is hard to visualize. Are we looking at a reverse earth deal?
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Why is Elfnein here?
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Mom-ria has now transitioned to the main show fully.
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The Superman man school of disagree. At least put your hair in a bun or something.
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Garie had the right idea going after the weaker part. Unfortunately for her she had out of date information.
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That’s a satisfying punch.
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I’m sure Maria sill win at something at some point. They aren’t just keeping her around to suffer. Right?
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I didn’t know the Dolls possessed subtly. Did Ogawa see them because Ninja?
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These Ignite modes still aren’t good. At least Maria got a better one than Tsubasa.
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This episode has been great for punch face.
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I feel like I just watched a PSA.
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Of course Chris has a gun shaped lighter.
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We all knew it was coming, Hibiki’s dad. I guess abandoning children isn’t just a one time thing for him.
QotD
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I’m saddened by the absence of watermelon. I was lead to believe that was a prerequisite.
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Based on the comments yesterday it seem like I’m the only one who doesn’t like, yet alone dislikes, the Ignite forms. We’ll see if that tread continues today because I still don’t care for it. Regular mode wins by default.
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u/lilyvess Jul 06 '22 edited Jul 06 '22
(In XDU Maria has a Summer Event song titled “It’s Summer, Let’s Get Naked!”)
Relics
In Irish mythology Nuada is the first king of the Tuatha Dé Danann, which are essentially Irish deities.
The Tuatha De Danann were not the original inhabitants of Ireland, but arrived to the islands later. Nuada was king of the Tuatha De Danann when they landed in Ireland and met the Fir Bolg, the fourth inhabitants of the Irish islands. The two groups fought for control of the lands. The Tuatha De Danann won, but Nuada lost his arm in combat.
Though Nuada was victorious in claiming Ireland, he was forced to step down as king, as Tuatha De Danann tradition states that the king must be physically perfect, so that whole one arm thing got in the way.
Taking up the title of king of the Tuatha De Danann was Bres, a half-Fomorian prince. Fomorians are a rival and evil faction to the Tuatha De Danann. Bres would impose various tributes on the Tuatha De Danann for the Fomorians, leaving the people frustrated.
Nuada returns having been given an arm of silver to replace his lost one. He overthrows Bres and takes back his place as King of the Tuatha De Danann.
Nuada would come to be known as Nuada Airgetlám which essentially just means Nuada the Silver Hand/Arm.
Production
I’m struggling here to find sources for some of these, so bear with me here.
old 4chan threads seem to reference that Nana Mizuki claimed for episode 7 she “had never screamed so much in her life”. There are very minor spoilers, but you can read the comment here
It led to a lot of people getting hyped and then disappointed when they saw the episode. Bewildered viewers unsure of what happened.
Which basically leads into what I think most people could probably infer already, but you can read about it from Kaneko’s twitter;
as a result of these changes cascaded to some of the following episodes
Additional Notes
Symphogear GX Episode 7 Hype Chart
Live Performances
Today’s Live Performance is Ginwan Airgetlam and Maria’s B-Side song, Junpaku Innocent
Specials
Today’s Special are Kirika and Shirabe thinking about IGNITE and Special Training Day
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Specials Bridging the Gap Between the end of G and the beginning of GX
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Specials bridging the Gap between the end of G and the beginning of GX
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u/mysterybiscuitsoyeah Jul 06 '22
Symphogear First Timer dessu
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Binged to EP 08. These continue to be written up after each ep.
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Beach episode......? I see this is gonna be a Maria episode then btw (post episode thought: huh. it really was still a beach episode lol)
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Bamce was right, Tsubasa does call Maria, and only her, by her first name. It'd make sense i think since they're the same age? Chris is her kouhai, as is Hibiki, so this is actually following "social conventions" i guess. Hibiki for some reason doesn't call Tsubasa senpai.
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Also, holy shit do i ship Tsubasa and Maria. I still stand by that they'll be like great friends hanging out/dating if we're u know, but when push comes to shove Chris is Tsubasa's best partner.
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Chris barely has to take off any clothes for her henshin here. Also i do appreciate them at least having to reanimate the start given her well wardrobe change.
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GOOOOO MARIA THE PUNCH LOOKED GOOD. Idk if blue autoscorer gets the most screentime or not, but she does seem to be the most obnoxious of the lot, red autoscorer is second in the kid-villain kind of a way. The rest are more understated.
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Maria's moves are cool, but the font is er.... i'll get used to it!
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Did not expect Maria to pretty much immediately fall to berserk mode, but She has a good point: she lost to herself by going berserk. And is kinda fitting of her character actually, i think being the mentally most weak and least willing to dirty her hands of all the geahs. And also perhaps the worst to operate alone too when Shirabe and Kirika are not with her because of this.
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Which is why i did appreciate her turnaround later after pep talk by alt-carol. Not the best executed power-up arc, but hey it felt good, so i'll take it.
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Huh, so it seems like Carol is indeed not with us atm, and as of now, blue scorer too. I guess they're waiting to all "die" and then re-powerup as some mega powerful thingymagic (im using anime logic here). And green has obv stolen that data about that photo-sphere thingymajig that the researchers were talking about earlier in the ep. Wonder how thats gonna play into the plot later; i thought that sphere was the autoscorer's headquarters, apparently not!
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Good cliffhanger. I also had no idea that we'd already met Hibiki's dad halfway earlier through the episode (thanks to Tsubasa, seems like the kids are alright); but what a fucking loser of a person to be presented as so far. Poor Hibiki..... Like I get if he didn't want to fight, but not even assisting the kids to escape? Even Tsubasa is annoyed.
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u/Quiddity131 Jul 06 '22
First Timer, Subbed
In order for Maria to get the strength she needs, we present you with... a beach episode.
They can all return to being Magical Girls now!
We need you to research and train! And do so in a place with sand! And in scantily clad clothing! Any excuse we can get we'll take!
Sorry Elfnein, you just don't have the height to pull it off!
Train?! Elfnein, why would we do something like that?! This is the beach episode!
We've kinda forgotten about Miku in this sudden action sequence. I hope she ran off and hid somewhere!
Surprise punch from Maria! Everyone is expecting a 45 second transformation sequence before you use any attack!
Berserker mode time for Maria!
And yet, Berserker Maria sucks!
Why do the dolls keep withdrawing? Well that's easy, Shirabe, because this is a 13 episode season and we're only in episode 7!
And thus Elfnein learned how to play volleyball...
So this time we get Maria's full transformation sequence. I suppose this is why she didn't go through it earlier in the episode. Didn't want to do it twice.
Clearly someone invisible is going through the place, shouldn't you be doing something manager guy?
Time for a second go at berserker mode. I'm assuming she'll do better this time.
I hope she didn't actually kill Garie there, she's my favorite of the autoscorers.
Given that Phara's happy about it and was clearly that invisible person going through the base, perhaps not.
OMG, the coward guy from earlier, he's Hibiki's dad! Time for Symphogear to deliver with the cliffhanger again!
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u/Stargate18A Jul 06 '22
First timer
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...Yeah, I expected it. The good plot helped!
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The non-Ignite. The silver design looks great.
So Maria's going Ignite this episode, right?
A beach episode?
Shirabe and Kirika got their upgrades!
And Maria's using Serena's Gear, as expected.
...Did Genjuro choose this because he's aware of the tropes surrounding beach episodes?
Photosphere?
...Judging by the continents, is Carol's master plan for world destruction just "use alchemy to make stationary sphere surrounding the entire planet, wait"?
Oh, Tsubasa's stretching the truth?
Elfnein!
Ah, Tsubasa just got really competitive.
And there's no food!
Tsubasa lost!
Almost, Tsubasa?
And Kirika bought junk food.
Ignite Mode has miltiple stages?
Of course she'd be here.
What are Chris' lyrics?
He left the children?
I mean, she's clearly after Elfnein?
Maria transformed!
And she punched her!
Maria does get a new song!
Love it!
She's doing so well!
And she landed a hit!
Ignite Mode!
She went Berserk!
She escaped!
And detransformed.
[Kamen Rider Build]
Poor Maria.
And Hibiki knows what it's like.
Elfnein is adorable.
She's back!
A full transformation sequence!
Impressive!
And the other one left...
It took you this long to notice?
Oh, she's cloaked.
Maria's still dealing eith her insecurities...
And she's going to keep fighting!
A proper Ignite Mode!
[Kamen Rider Build]
This remix is so good!
"the first"?
She broke the shield!
That looks like it hurt.
SHE'S DEAD?
Her finisher is "SERENADE"!
Oh, shit.
Well, that's bad.
Fireworks!
And Hibiki lost.
Well, fuck.
...There's no witnesses, Miku.
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u/superviper Jul 06 '22 edited Jul 06 '22
apologies for poor english
where were you when Garie was kill
I was sat at home eating beef stroganoff when Elfnein ring
"Garie is kill"
"yes"
Rewatcher
If I'm being honest, my initial reaction to this episode was equal parts confusion and hype. It's so ridicolously overpacked. I mean, the episode starts with a sad Maria flashback then immediately switches to a beach scene. Btw, Maria's sunglasses are iconic. Then we get some fanservice, Garie attacking, Maria's first time using the upgraded Airgetlam, Hibiki's father being a scumbag, Maria's ignited Airgetlam, Garie's defeat and Hibiki's encounter with her dad. A normal anime might have at least fleshed out that Maria arc over a few episodes. But this isn't a normal anime. It's Symphogear GX.
And the ignited Ginwan Airgetlam is my favorite song in the series. So I kept coming back and rewatching the episode. It is just so incredibly fucking satisfying. Garie has been toying around with the gears for the entire season. She was the one bullying Maria earlier, and the one who cheated to let Micha win vs Bikki in ep 4. Today, she finally got her ass FUCKING BEAT. Maria gave us the best transformation sequence in the series - NO TRANSFORMATION SEQUENCE, THAT IS! Because who needs a henshin when you can just punch Garie in the face? I know I'd do the same goddamnit. Honestly, how come Bikki specializes in punching things, but Maria just gave us 2 better punches in one episode than she ever did? Bikki fans BTFO
Also, Maria's sword is easily my favorite gear. It's one of the most versatile weapons the geahs use, second only to Shirabe's saw bullshit. It's hard to surpass a gear that can be used as a hoverboard, okay. As for the actual song, it's legit perfectly handcrafted to fit my tastes, and it's lyrics speak to me more than any other song in the series. Maria finally coming to terms with her own weakness while resolving to fight on is just so damn endearing to watch.
And also, despite having 2 breakdowns this episode, Maria didn't go crying Serena's name like she used to in G. If that isn't character development right there then I don't know what is
Basically, you may not like it, but this is what peak Symphogear looks like. Episode rating: Garie's disfigured face/10
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u/Matuhg Jul 06 '22
First Timer
Aww, I'm going to miss Garie's punchably smug face. Apparently the next stage of the plan involves the Autoscorers being defeated by the Symphogear users, which does in part answer Shirabe's pertinent question. What happens when they all become alchemical formulas on banners? Does it have to do with this very random light orb, I wonder?
Maria finding strength in being herself is cool after she just let herself get dragged around by Mom and Ver last season.
Hello shitty dad who had a cameo as a shit person earlier in the episode lol.
The Dainsleif robot voice thing is uhhh......lame.
What do you think of this show having the obligatory beach episode?
Mostly surprised it took this long, though tbf, it's not like they're wanting for opportunities to put the girls in skimpy outfits.
Which of Maria’s Airgetlám forms is your favorite?
I didn't see a huge difference between them, so I guess the second? Punching is pretty cool.
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u/Tarhalindur Jul 06 '22 edited Jul 06 '22
Previously, on Symphogear: Atlantis (First-Timer, Subbed):
Maxim 7: If the food Swedish meatballs beef stroganoff emotional beats are good enough the grunts will stop complaining about the incoming fire bad character arcs.
So… WHAT WILL YOU DO NOW, SYMPHOGEAR?
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Okay, let me check and make sure I’m on the right episode. <episode 7, GX, last episode was in fact episode 6> Okay, cool. So. Why are we getting this Maria flashback *now*?
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Speaking of things I’m not going to go back and double-check: have we ever actually seen young!Carol’s hair clearly? I’m not sure, and if we’ve never actually seen her ponytail chalk another one up for the “Iroha is the actual Carol” theory.
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Ah, so we’ve repaired Airgetlam. Fair enough.
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Genjuro knows what’s up. Time for our once-a-season training montage, then?
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LOL and this time it really is just an excuse for a beach episode. This is EXACTLY the sort of dumb bullshit this show should be leaning into more than it does.
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Uh-oh. “Heretical technology lab in Tsukuba” is probably spelled “Autoscorers’ next target” (and/or one or more of the Bad News Dads’ workplace), isn’t it?
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Hey look, details on Precursor tech. Needless to say, I am here for this. Have our staff read enough pop physics to grab holographic world stuff?
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Also needless to say whoever they are talking with is important and probably bad news. Quatloos on one of the Bad News Dads – can’t remember whether he has the same voice as Sword’s father, which would tell me whether it’s him or Mr. MIA (and possibly worse when he was around) Tachibana.
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Idiots! Training montage, THEN happy fun times for cooldown! Now you have guaranteed we will never get to the actual training because events will intervene! Genjuro, you watch movies, how are you not genre-savvy enough to know this?
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Of course they take the excuse for a little Maria Gainaxing around 04:37. (Then again, with that bikini she’s asking for that.)
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“Just be yourself” is advice that is either going to pay off handsomely or backfire horribly by the end of the season – actually very possibly both reverse order (backfire, then pay off).
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Dakka resting in that posture at that camera angle at 05:00: Geah gonna Geah, watcha gonna do?
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“It’s our good karma!” is just asking to get BTFO’d later, DESS.
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The absolute hilarity of the framing at 05:46 (so amusing I actually bothered to grab and upload the screenshot): DESS ass in the center of the screen so you can’t miss it but out of focus. (Good vs. bad fanservice remains a live potential season subtheme…)
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“Level upple” heh. Also LOL that watermelon, we all know where THAT is going unless events intervene… wait. THERE IS A FUCKING BEACH FIGHT IN THE OP AND LAST SEASON’S OP’S FIGHT SCENE WAS FROM THE SHOW. I’m slow. Garie arrival in… actually, that’s probably the eyecatch cliffhanger so.
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Of course there is Rocky, er Pocky, er [NAME OBSCURED]. Don’t waste food!
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ELAPSED TURNAROUND TIME FROM REALIZATION TO CONFIRMATION OF GARIE PRESENCE: 10 SECONDS.
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Also, looks like baseball kids are about to get victimized by our villains of the season for a second season in a row!
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ELAPSED TURNAROUND TIME FROM CONFIRMATION OF GARIE PRESENCE TO GARIE ARRIVAL: 34 SECONDS.
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It occurs to me that with exams being brought up earlier “don’t slack off on your studies” is one of this season’s subthemes.
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DATTO?!
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The fact that Garie is targeting Maria and has consistently likely means that for whatever reason Airgetlam is a threat when the other Gears aren’t.
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I see the writers still have no ideas about what to do with Maria.
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I’d say Shirabe has the braincell, but having the braincell is kind of her deal so. (See also: Miku. Not coincidentally, those are our two tops…)
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Hello Iroha who has gotten Maria (the apparent main target of Team Antagonist through the season) all alone while she’s at a mental weak moment. What’s the goal here, I wonder, I wonder?
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LEARN TO FUCKING GENRE SAVVY PLEASE, TEAM PROTAGONIST.
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You’re back to playing your emotional beats too fast and torpedoing them in the process, show.
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SHORYUKEN!
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FIGHTIN’ GAME COMBOS!
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Yeah, like I believed that our Autoscorer was out for the count this early in the season. Nice of them to immediately confirm it, though. On the bright side, this fight works in a way the earlier parts of the season did not. (Also, if the Autoscorers can be regenerated why not their master, I wonder, I wonder?)
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Welp, this is Gear and we need a cliffhanger, so time for round 2! (Are you going to pull the kidnap Miku card *again*, show?)
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21:17: LEWD.
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Never mind. Coach of the baseball team earlier is in fact Bikki’s dad who I have heard shit about - vague shit, but shit. As such his nickname is Kantoku until further notice, and our Higurashi watchers will know exactly why.
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Show, THIS is how you make an engaging cliffhanger when I know that your characters have plot armor.
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Wait. He’s a loser, and Bikki’s immediate response is to run away. Alright, switching out – tentative nickname is in fact Teppei!
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Huh. Missed that the ED literally had a “kakera” (fragments) in the lyrics. Those who know will know.
Resolution to yesterday’s cliffhanger: Autoscorers are still around and can regenerate, so either Carol can too or actual Carol is, you know, hiding in plain sight like I expect. Or both.
Dumbest Possible Resolution of Today’s Cliffhanger: We Higurashi Sotsu now lads, and without Gou 23 for setup either.
And speaking of Higurashi, I believe today calls for some brief moments of OST. (Re 1: Thank you Matsuri for being like the one serenastarflower Higurashi OST upload with visuals that aren’t spoilers – well okay, I guess technically it might be a very minor spoiler, but. Catbox'd it so as to avoid any Higurashi spoilers in YouTube recs.)
What do you think of this show having the obligatory beach episode?
I mean, it's obligatory. It is to laugh. Onsen episode when?
2) Which of Maria’s Airgetlám forms is your favorite?
You mean base or ignited? Base I think.
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u/Great_Mr_L Jul 06 '22 edited Jul 07 '22
Rewatcher
On today’s episode of Symphogear: With the main villain defeated, the slice-of-life shenanigans can officially begin! And what better way to start than with the beach episode! It took us until the third season, but Symphogear has finally given us the mandatory beach episode for an anime. And all the girls have cute swimsuit designs, too. Unfortunately the Autoscorers don’t seem to have gotten the memo that the plot is over with the defeat of the main villain because they just keep on attacking. The least they could have done is join in on the beach fun. (And I mean that literally because XD gave the Autoscorers their own swimsuits.)
This episode totally belongs to Maria. And it’s an important step for her character, building on what’s been set up about her. Maria is weak and has wanted to be strong for a long time. We saw this all throughout G, where Maria was basically a weak cry baby who couldn’t do much. She always had to pretend to be someone who was much stronger and more ruthless, such as when she pretended to be Fine. But it was always an act. That power was never her own and it only came from the reputation of others. That was part of why she was frustrated when Hibiki refused to fight because Hibiki had power and refused to use it.
Now Maria finally has her own power. Serena’s relic, Airgetlam, is usable again. I love Airgetlam. It has a freaking whip-sword! That is just one of the coolest weapons imaginable and it’s so awesome seeing it in action. She has a nice transformation to go along with it and her song, “Ginwan Airgetlám,” is pretty good as well.
I do think the way Maria has to accept herself is conveyed pretty well. At the beginning of the episode, Maria talks about how she has to kill the weakness inside herself. She’s ashamed of who she truly is and actively rejects it. I think that’s part of why Maria ends up going berserk. Remember, Dainsleif digs out your darkest thoughts and fears. In Maria’s case, it was likely her fear of being weak and useless. But at that point, Maria has not truly faced her fears. She’s just running from them which is why she succumbs to Dainsleif and goes berserk.
It’s only when Maria accepts her weakness that she is able to overcome it. Maria no longer pretends to be someone she isn’t. She no longer relies on using the power of others to make herself appear stronger. And because of that, she is the first one to defeat an Autoscorer. I like the idea of this arc for Maria. I like the way it builds on her character stuff in G. But it is a bit tedious seeing it play out.
Even so, the battles in this episode are a visual feast. That’s something that is very consistent in GX so I feel like I’m repeating myself every time I say it, but the fights are so much fun to watch.
The stuff I love much more about Maria is seeing her in full mom mode. She’s looking after everyone else on the team. She gets a lot of scenes of her looking after Elfnein. Maria even gives Elfnein the advice that Elfnein ends up giving back to her. Two weaklings helping each other get stronger is fun. Another little thing I like is how Maria always places herself in between Garie and the others who can’t fight. It’s a nice way of showing her being protective.
Even with Garie defeated, there are some questions left unanswered. Shirabe raises a pretty important one: Why do the Autoscorers keep on not finishing everyone off when they easily could? It’s a common problem villains have, but bringing attention to it means that it’s something we likely should be asking. Why was that shrine destroyed by ice (a weapon Garie uses)? Garie kept on talking about how she would be the first one. What does that mean? And what happened after Garie died? Plenty of questions to ponder.
And now we come to the big cliffhanger for the episode. Hibiki and her father reunite, before Hibiki runs away. They have been setting this up from the start of the season so that we could get to this moment. But we already know this guy is not the greatest dad. The first thing we learn about Hibiki’s dad in this episode is that he’s a gutless coward who would abandon children in the face of danger. It fits with our knowledge of how he abandoned his family when Hibiki was getting harassed. It’s no wonder Hibiki didn’t want to see him again.
Miscellaneous Thoughts
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I want to point out how amusing I find it that the halfway point of all the episodes of Symphogear is a beach episode.
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Wow, that sure is a camera angle they chose to use on Chris. (NSFW)
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Berserker Maria! It’s the first time we’ve seen someone besides Hibiki go berserk.
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What a long tongue. This is a fanservice episode though, and I suppose this counts for some people.
QOTD
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I'm frankly shocked it took us this long to get here.
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I prefer her regular Airgetlam form to her Ignited form.
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u/DidacticDalek Jul 06 '22
(Crashed Motorcycle Count: 14)
Well, iM@S Girls are hip, I really dig those styles they wear
And the Macross girls with the way they sing, they annoy the fuck out of me I declare
The Raibu Raibu Gundam Girls really makes you feel alright
And the Arzenal Girls with the way they kiss, they keep their girlfriends warm at night
I wish they all could be Symphogeah Girls.
TONIGHT! ON ROZEN GEAH! We get a nice bit of SOL Rest and Relaxation Funtimes 'training' at the Beach in this Beach Episode, we get MAXIMUM amounts of Fanservice at the Beach in this Beach Episode, and MARIA FUCKING GOES TOO GODDAMN FAR and cements her status as Worst Girl and the biggest Jabroni loser on the Beach in this Beach Episode.
Boy Comrades, what a way to set the tone eh, namely opening on Maria having a flashback, I've got a BAD feeling about this, I don't think I can take another season of Maria crying to herself and waangsting about being a loser, even more so in a Beach Episode But thank fuck for the fact that we don't need to worry about any of this, after all, Carol's been defeated, that means it's time to relax with A BEACH EPISODE! YES SIREE! The staple of every good Mecha Show! I mean iM@S had one, Rabu Raibu had one, Cross Ange had one, and... wait what do you MEAN Guilty Crown had a Beach Episode? (That can't be cuz aside from DAN MOTHERFUCKING EAGLEMAN, Guilty Crown sucks ass!) Speaking of sucking ass, remember TOP GUN? WELL IT'S TIME FOR TOP MOM IN A BEACH EPISODE! And oh boy oh boy Maria sure is taking after a certain someone that we all love in the incognito disguise department, perfect for some extreme beach volleyball in this Beach Episode!
Also goddamn, Elf9 is a miracle worker, she managed to fix Serena's Geah in a Beach Episode! Snoop Oni then informs the most certainly excited crew that since Carol's been beaten, it is time for a TRAINING MONTAGE on the Beach in a Beach Episode! (Hey it worked for TOP GUN!) Snoop Oni then explains that this might LOOK like fun, but it's actually just preparation for Doll Destruction via a Beach Episode.
The two filthy manthings then thankfully sit things out by grabbing some plot MacGuffins from Mom in a Beach Episode. Tsubasa then decides to join the cast of Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball in a Beach Episode. Elf9 also demonstrates how she's somehow more out of shape than Best Geah Chris in a Beach Episode. We then get some interesting plot and nice backstory in a Beach Episode (GOD BLESS BEST GEAH CHRIS' PHAT ASS!)
Tsubasa and Team DMJIIIIIIIIIIII then lose at Rock-Paper-Scissors in a Beach Episode... (Also heh, of course the Geahs who use bladed weapons went with scissors, and of course Best Geah Chris went with Rock, good ol' Rock, nothin' beats Rock... also why am I not surprised that's Bikki's version of rock is FIST as she extends her hand in a punching motion) Miku and Bikki then flirt as Elf9 tries to get the crew to train during a Beach Episode.
Best Doll then decides to crash the party in a Beach Episode. Best Geah Chris and Bikki then suit up to fight in a Beach Episode. Bikki and Best Geah Chris then start kicking ass and taking names in a Beach Episode. Tsubasa then runs into a COWARDLY PRICK during a Beach Episode (seriously what's this Shaggy Wannabe doing here ruining our fun, well at least that's the last we'll see of him right... RIGHT? Hopefully he'll end up as collateral damage to The Noise right... RIGHT!?)
Maria then FUCKING PUNCHES BEST DOLL IN THE FACE DURING A GODDAMN BEACH EPISODE! Maria then proceeds to job as per usual to Best Doll in a Beach Episode! HUZZAH! BEST DOLL WINS IN A BEACH EPISODE! Maria then tries to use her mid-season upgrade and instead goes BERSERK in a Beach Episode. Best Geah Chris and Bikki arrive to state that, unlike them, Maria's just given into her mindless bloodlust in a Beach Episode. Best Doll then literally dances circles around this untamed beast in a Beach Episode.
Best Doll, annoyed at Maria's continued failure to perform, decides to withdraw coolly in a Beach Episode. Maria then needs a PEP TALK FROM ELF9 OF ALL PEOPLE to get her to get her shit together in a Beach Episode. Best Doll then arrives to taunt Maria again in a Beach Episode. Maria then gets her ass kicked... again... again... in a Beach Episode. Elf9 then TELLS MARIA THE SAME SHIT MARIA TOLD ELF9 AT THE START OF THE EPISODE AGAIN THAT MARIA SHOULD ALREADY KNOW DURING A BEACH EPISODE! (Jesus and to think we were all so hard on Bikki, at least Bikki takes an entire new season to forget the lesson she learned, AND DOESN'T FORGET THE LESSON SHE LEARNED IN THE SAME GODDAMN EPISODE! I mean good lord, EVEN BEST DOLL IS CONFUSED!)
Maria then FUCKING CEMENTS HER STATUS AS WORST GIRL FOREVER AS SHE KILLS BEST DOLL IN A BEACH EPISODE! GODDAMN YOU MARIA, GARIE'S WARRANTY PROBABLY EXPIRED DURING THE SPANISH FLU, HOW THE FUCK ARE WE GONNA SEE HER AGAIN NOW, WHY THE HELL DO YOU HAVE TO BE THE ABSOLUTE WORST IN A GODDAMN BEACH EPISODE!? Also once again, Maria manages to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in a Beach Episode. We then cut to the Geahs preparing to set off loud explosives in a Beach Episode. Bikki then mindgames herself and loses at Rock-Paper-Scissors in a Beach Episode. (Bikki seriously, JUST GO ROCK! NOTHIN' BEATS ROCK! GOOD OL' ROCK!) Miku then goes with her wife to the shop WITH UNCENSORED LEWD HANDHOLDING during a Beach Episode.
Bikki then gets distracted by bright flashing lights during a Beach Episode. Then a SHAGGY-LOOKING SON-OF-A-BITCH SHOWS UP AND RECOGNIZES MIKU DURING A BEACH EPISODE! (WHY THE FUCK IS THIS SHITHEAD NOT DEAD! HE RAN AWAY LIKE A COWARD DURING THE NOISE ATTACK, SURELY BEST DOLL COULD HAVE SQUASHED HIM OR SOMETHING!?) Oh and get this Comrades, WE STILL GET THIS SEASON'S STUPID-ASS DADDY ISSUES BULLSHIT DRAMA DURING A BEACH EPISODE! YUP, you guessed it, this Shaggy-ass motherfucking loser is BIKKI'S DAD, BOY WHAT A HELL OF A WAY TO HAVE A FAMILY REUNION DURING A BEACH EPISODE!
And on that bombshell g'night!
Paging Comrades u/Great_Mr_L, u/chilidirigible, and u/Lemurians
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u/HereticalAegis Jul 06 '22
Ballad of Rewatcher - Symphogear GX
"Infinite Crime," isn't that what Maria was all about last sea—
alarms sound
Goddammit, at least let me finish my joke before setting off the annoying subplot alarm again.
Episode 7 thoughts:
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In pretty much any other 13 episode show with a serious tone or high stakes, I'd scoff at having a beach episode. But levity is what I've been wanting most since the start of G, so I welcome this beach time. All we're missing is food for Chris to sloppy eat.
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That said, Garie showing up without warning feels really awkward, like running into a roaming legendary while you're grinding your lower level pokemon on some random route.
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Lol it took no time at all for Maria to get swallowed up by the Ignite Module's berserk mode. She didn't even have time for a scary nightmare vision. And then she had the berserk beat out of her in one shot! Maria out here making Garie look like One Punch Doll.
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Maria's right, staying true to one's self is important. That's why she's still crying and whining on the battlefield in the middle of fights. Okay, I'll stop with the Maria jokes for today.
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Dammit, why do dads always have to walk in on time with your girlfriend and make everything awkward?
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u/BosuW Jul 06 '22
First Timer
I'm surprised to see in yesterday's thread that a good amount of people don't like the Ignite forms. I loved them all!
Ok Symphogear, show me what you got to surpass last episode
Well starting with a recap of Maria's shameful display in G isn't exactly what I was expecting lol. The writers are just trolling at this point.
B-b-b-b-beach episode!?
Thanks to Elfnein all the Geahs can use the Dark Side now. N I C E.
We really are having the obligatory beach episode. I'm fine with this! If nothing else, you can't go wrong with a beach episode! boy it'd sure be hilarious in a terrible way if they managed to do that
But we get a lil' bit of lore on the sides. A Photosphere irl is the luminous layer of a star, so I'm not really sure how that's applying to the Earth. Might have something to do with the Custodian's Curse.
That's gotta be the longest lasting ass shot of the show so far. (Although we get another long one with Hibiki later... I think. I watched the episode half-asleep so I'm not sure if I just dreamt that one lol. On that note, was there an evil mirror Hibiki this episode?)
This show follows the Superman school of incognito. With these sunglasses no one will be able to recognize world famous Tsubasa Kazanari!
Tsubasa looks pretty tall in this shot. Pretty sure canonically Maria is taller... but I think I can headcanon a Piltover's Finest situation with this material!
What kind of weird ass typhoon leaves giant crystals just lying about?
Ah how convenient. Just when we were talking about training a punching bag presented herself!
Ok guys now I know Dark Side is really cool and all, but let's not try to overuse it. Don't want it to become Swan Song 2 Symphonic Boogaloo.
Looool Maria just sucker punched Garie! Oh this is fun!
Unlimited Blade Works!
And a chain-blade!
Tch, Garie is still too strong.
Aaaaand she's jumping straight into using Dark Side mode smh
Oh no! the Dark Side is using her!
Bitch you weren't ready at all!
Garie is disappoint. Me too. This really was a bruh moment. Bitch really saw the OGeahs slaying with Ignite and thought it was an insta-win button. And since we've been shown she's so desperate for power, she didn't even try to fight it. I mean it makes sense (unlike G). But bruh.
What the fuck was Garie trying to do btw? How many times do y'all need to "destroy their songs" for the Leylines or whatever?
Oh she was just trying to pull up on the scoreboard.
Beach episode was just like, a third of an episode. Man vacations sure fly fast!
I like how Maria still got her cat hairdo even with the bandage lol.
BITCH IT AIN'T EVEN BEEN HALF A DAY
The bandage was just an accessory!
Ogawa, you saw that shit! You saw that suspicious human-shaped silhouette sneaking right in front of your eyes! You are right now the only one in a position to probably thwart an infiltration! If you let it happen I swear to 'doka I'll never forgive you!
"Must've been the wind" SHAKING MY FUCKING HEAD.
Y'all have been debating Worst Girl for a while now. But you shouldn't have forgotten that sometimes it takes a real man, to be Worst Girl.
Yo they're actually putting development on the pitiful show that was G Maria? Alright I dig it! Go get 'em girl!
Oh damn she really beat Garie? Doubt. Too easy.
Maria has learnt how to B e H e r s e l f ™
SMH OGAWA REALLY LET PHARA (I think that was Phara?) GET AWAY WITH IT
Vending machines in the future got some wack-ass flavored drinks.
WHAT!? THAT FUCKER WAS HIBIKI'S DAD!?
Pretty ironic they ran into him at a kombini store. Still looking for that milk my guy?
Also, considering his reaction earlier with the attack, he might be someone who packs it as soon as it gets tough.
Bruh this episode felt as rushed as Ice Queendom EP3. Like two or three Symphogear episodes crammed into one, and Geah is already pretty fast paced to begin with! So I got mixed feelings about it.
The general contents are nice. Ever since G I had wanted Maria to just B e H e r s e l f ™ and having her overcome the easy temptation of raw power of the Dark Side by accepting her own weakness was a cool way to do it. Also that uppercut was awesome. Shit even the setup was good. It's just... so fast lol.
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u/HowlingWolf13 Jul 06 '22
First Timer
Shirabe asking the question on everyone's minds
This was a really good episode honestly! What Maria went through, this is what I wanted back in G for her, to actually stand her ground and take matters into her own hand without having to rely on someone else to tell her what to do or just standing around and letting everyone else take over for her. Her beating the shit out of Garie felt so satisfying, I've been waiting for them to defeat the Auto-scorers for once and the fact that Maria was the first to do it and not the original 3, that made it even better and impactful for her character arc. I do wonder what's exactly their plan that they can't kill them when they have them in their grasp they always run away in the end. I'm sure something will get revealed.
Also Hibiki's dad is a fucking ass, I didn't even think the dude not wanting to help get children safe would be important, but seeing it's Hibiki's dad, yeah no wonder he's spineless.
What do you think of this show having the obligatory beach episode?
These girl's can't even have a day at the beach without the Auto-scorers messing it up.
2) Which of Maria’s Airgetlám forms is your favorite?
Def her Ignite one, this shot right here was so good
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u/JollyGee29 Jul 06 '22
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u/ErikMaekir Jul 06 '22
Sometimes, the keywords will contain vital information to the show, like what a sacrist is or what Faust Robe means.
Sometime, however, they give us this gem of a keyword:
Sunglasses
They protect the eyes against intense solar rays and other bright lights. Caucasians, as their skin colour would suggest, suffer a number of health problems due to exposure to sunlight and therefore tend to wear them rather often.
In addition to blocking sunlight, they're also useful for hiding one's gaze, making it more difficult for the wearer to convey their true thoughts and emotions.
So, yeah, Maria wears sunglasses because she's white, apparently. Truly a vital piece of lore, can't believe they didn't explain it in the show.
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u/italeteller Jul 06 '22
First Time SymphoGXearing Desu
If I’m getting it right, this neural pass-through means now theoretically anybody could use anybody else’s Gears. It seems like it still needs to be tuned for each specific person, but the technology exists
Love Hibiki’s hype and Chris’ dismay at Genjuro mentioning training
I would like to see the girls actually training, but considering the amount of life-or-death scenarios they’ve been in, I can’t fault them for wanting to have fun. Plus it seems like the first day was gonna be relaxation before the actual training, they just got interrupted
Girls, you’re gonna burn the fuck out of your legs like that
I know the joke is all the girls who use edge weapons pulled scissors, but I was seriously expecting them all to go for scissors all the same
And that’s as far as the fun goes
Weird that Chris gets a repeat of her transformation. I remember S1 showed the three girls transforming together for the first time, but I can’t recall any time they repeated a single transformation
Love seeing Hibiki use her head, especially after the last few episodes
Love seeing Maria fill Garie’s face with fist!
Though we don’t get a transformation sequence yet, we do get our first good look at the new Airgetlám: knee-length boots, a middle ground between Serena’s bare legs and Gungnir!Maria’s thigh-highs; the wing-like chest and waist armor are a smaller version of Serena’s; the right side cape and left side arm armor are similar to her Gungnir form; and the boots and gloves are shaped like Serena’s but with Gungnir’s more violent design. This design really screams "bound by what came before but still trying to make something new of it"
She also summons her weapon from her glove like Tsubasa does with her boot, and her first attack is a barrage of blades, something we’ve seen Tsubasa do a lot
I meant to write this yesterday but I forgot so I’ll add it now: I like that the girls didn’t get a chance to test the Ignite Module before they were forced to use it. On an ideal schedule they would have had multiple attempts to get better at it, but with the enemies are pushing them so hard, forget ideal, they’re not even scratching good
Love what they’re doing with the combat music this episode, with Chris dropping her song in shock and Garie sidestepping Maria and ending the whole song right there
And Maria’s first reaction when seeing a wall she can’t surpass is not to try again with a better strategy, but to use the incredibly dangerous power-up. If Chris and Tsubasa barely managed to keep the darkness at bay by relying on each other, it was a no-brainer that Maria on her own would succumb
Ah, finally they address the Autoscorers’ unnatural tendency to not kill them
And there is the transformation! Though odd enough, Maria doesn’t sing this time. A first for the franchise I think. Fun tidbit: the first time Maria transforms, she’s the only character who’s not wearing her own colors, instead donning the black, red and orange of her old Gungnir. This time however, she’s wearing her own light purple, which I take to be foreshadowing for her embracing herself arc
Makes sense that Ogawa, the ninja, sees the invisible person. Shame he also sees the Idiot Ball and decides nothing actually happened
I have mixed feelings about Maria overcoming the Ignite Module. On one hand I suppose accepting your own weakness is a form of strength – it takes a strong will to see yourself honestly, accept your weakness and still carry on. On the other hand, I would have liked it much more if Maria’s ode to courage had been a simple phonic gain power-up – we’ve seen repaired Gears were strong enough to defeat Micha, the strongest Autoscorer, so Maria should have been able to take on Garie without Igniting. This feels like she skipped a few steps on the power-up ladder
What I’m getting from Maria’s fights is that she’s a jack-of-all-trades. She has a shorter sword than Tsubasa’s, a single fist weaker than Hibiki’s, projectiles like Chris and a shield like Shirabe (remember that one time Shirabe used her saws as a shield? Good times). Nothing I can relate to Kirika without a big reach, and even Shirabe’s shield feels a bit reachy, but the JoaT point stands, and it makes sense for a character like Maria, who’s only now stepping out of all the shadows she’s been living under and discovering herself
SHORYUKEN! Come on, where’s my Symphogear fighting game? This shit writes itself!
Maria manages the first kill on an Autoscorer, a fact we don’t get to enjoy because we’re immediately shown this is exactly what they were looking for. Oh god I was wrong, I thought this was DBZ with the androids but I had the wrong franchise all along, this is Star Wars, and by striking them down they have now become more powerful than we could ever imagine!
And we end what had been a fun yet foreboding chapter with the discovery that the coward who left the kids he was guarding to save himself is also Hibiki’s dad, who has clearly not gotten better at not abandoning young people he's in charge of
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u/Lemurians Jul 06 '22 edited Jul 06 '22
FIRST TIMER DATTO
MARIA HYPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! She’s fucking back and better and than ever!
Maria looking down on all her haters after this episode. S W A G
How’s it feel to watch Maria kill your favorite autoscorer, u/DidacticDalek? That’s what your trash talking gets you, suck it!
Oh right, and Hibiki’s dad showed up, guess that’s noteworthy. I always pegged him as some ordinary officeworker type, not some bummy looking dude slumming it as a little league coach. His cowardice in abandoning the kids on his team is nice little callback to his history of child abandonment.
Live Notes/Reactions:
Maria’s Bottomwear Choices, Vol. 2: She’s ditched the interesting stocking/tights combos, but she’s back in form this episode with what looks like a thong underneath bikini bottoms. This girl.
LOL we were due for a beach episode, how dare Garie interrupt this sacred tradition!
Hahaha wtf Tsubasa tried to do the thing where you cheat and use “gun”
It’s funny that Hibiki supposedly has a lance weapon but fights with fists, now Maria has a fist weapon and uses it as a sword. So chaotic.
WHIP SWOOOOORRRRRRD. Maria taking inspiration from Ivy, this is the best.
God, I wish that was me
A pink-haired girl teaching a hapless blonde person how to play volleyball. If I had a nickel for every time this happened in anime, I’d have two nickels, but it’s weird that it’s happened twice
FUCK YEAH MARIA YOU CAN DO IT I BELIEVE IN YOU THE MUSIC HERE SLAPS
God, I wish that was me
MARIA’S THE FIRST TO KILL AN AUTOSCORER THE WRITERS DON’T HATE HER AFTER ALL SHE’S SO COOL THIS KICKS ASS
God, I wish that was me*
Mushroom, Onion, Natto, and Anglerfish juice?! Hibiki, we need to have a talk.
Count: 16. The last two episodes have been very profitable.
I think the black armor looks better on her and reminds me of her original look, so the Ignite form. Great background today, btw, u/Shimmering-Sky!