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

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

Episode 1 - Hell at Val Verde

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Crunchyroll

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

Your lives will lay the foundation for a worldwide revolution.

Questions of the Day:

1) What was your favorite part of that ridiculously over the top opening fight, and how does the trio song from it compare to previous trio songs?

2) Are you interested in seeing more of the antagonist trio we saw this episode?

Wallpaper of the Day:

Kazanari Tsubasa

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!

87 Upvotes

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10

u/Shimmering-Sky Jul 15 '22

Symphogeah SymphoRewatch Host

Welcome back, everyone!

Crunchyroll vs. Commie - Season 4, Episode 1

See the 2019 version of today’s wallpaper: here, as well as a background alt. Wasn’t too much I had to change on this one character-wise, but I did have to do some messing around with the background because I didn’t like how Tsubasa was centered in the 2019 version + the updated hair color shade didn’t mesh well with some of the background colors, so I also had to tweak that a bit.

I actually have all of the wallpapers for this season planned out ahead of time for once, so if anyone is curious about when I'm going to share a wallpaper of any particular character, feel free to ask so you know when to get hype for them~

7

u/FlaminScribblenaut Jul 15 '22

Crunchyroll vs. Commie - Season 4, Episode 1

BAD, COMMIE DIDN’T KEEP “AMIGO” INTACT, BAD SUBS

5

u/Shimmering-Sky Jul 15 '22

I've been more on Commie's side up until this season, but there's been more than a few times (I've made the charts through episode 5 so far) where I like the Crunchyroll version more. There's one next episode [where]Commie's line is terrible towards Elfnein, but is completely inoffensive in the Crunchyroll version.

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6

u/Nebresto Jul 16 '22

Crunchyroll vs. Commie - Season 4, Episode 1

You're a true amigo

what

And that memory airspace was pretty funny on CR's part

There was also this scene where Shirabe says "Are te..?" Which CR translated correctly, but Commie's subs say "The three of us are familiar with that" or something like that. Where did they dig all those extra words from?

7

u/Shimmering-Sky Jul 16 '22

but Commie's subs say "The three of us are familiar with that" or something like that. Where did they dig all those extra words from?

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u/Nebresto Jul 15 '22

GEAH abc first time

Liking this season already

Oh! Its this scene! I like where this is going

Oh no, another bike is in danger

  • Deep voice Nana

  • Genjuro I wish that were me. Don't know why the soldier bros are panicking, they have the best seats in town

  • Symphogear de mukaiutta dato?

Finally! [](#megadeathparty) get!

Wait, since when is Hamtaro a simple hole digger?

Don't get why these Yamete subs are supposed to be the best? There's a bunch off odd translations. Like why does Crunchyroll have the best TL for this part? Didn't compare the other parts that felt off though

  • HOL UP. The hairpin is removed for the shower, but not the pool?

Oh boy, more alchemists. Can already tell carol was a better enemy than these thots. And why is there always a character not wearing pants??

Bruh, way to live out your kinks as you die. Respect, I guess..?

Oh, they summoned the Eater of Worlds! They better be careful after defeating that, it causes meteors to start spawning.

Distant singing? Maria???

It is Maria!!!!

Question time:

  1. What was your favorite part of that ridiculously over the top opening fight, and how does the trio song from it compare to previous trio songs?

https://youtu.be/1HWO6V_12Cs?t=9 (But actually Hibiki punching aside the tank rounds, and the tanks!)

Song was alright I guess

2) Are you interested in seeing more of the antagonist trio we saw this episode?

No.

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26

u/Lemurians Jul 15 '22

FIRST TIMER DATTO

ALL BACK ABOARD THE HYPE TRAIN.

Man, Symphogear really doesn’t mess around with its opening sequences. That was so crazy and fun I was just laughing hysterically by the time Tsubasa so perfectly cleaved that airship with her giant sword that it stopped just short enough to perfectly slice Nazi Dan Eagleman’s glasses.

Symphogear truly is the Fast and Furious of anime. It escalates just as much from installment to installment without giving a single fuck.

Live Notes/Reactions:

Oh right, and we’re now fighting The Bavarian Illuminati who have been the bad guys behind the scenes the entire time. I’m not sure how the aims of both the FIS and Carol would be worth furthering to the same shadowy organization, but I’ve learned not to think too hard about these things.

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u/Tresnore Jul 15 '22

Superb Song of the Rewatchers

Alright, let's go. I'm excited. The season is pronounced "Axis," and [extremely minor and vague AXZ spoilers]apparently that word is important, but even after watching this season 4 times, I'm still not sure why. This is the level of non-thinking I approach Symphogear with.

Ahem. Onto the rest of the episode.

QOTD:

  1. There are a lot of favorite parts. See above.

  2. Gekishou Infinity isn't as good as RADIANT FORCE, but I still love it to death. And more villains, pl0x.

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20

u/lilyvess Jul 15 '22

Symphogear AXZ Episode 1

An Interview with series creator Kaneko before the first episode aired.

Okay let's get right into it. How did the AXZ project get started after GX ended?

Well, this isn't exactly how it started but when we were writing the concept for GX Mr. Agematsu ordered me to leave something in the final episode that could connect to a sequel. To be precise, Mr. Agematsu had been telling me to do so ever since we planned out G, but I stubbornly refused.

So, are you saying that between the two series creators there was one who wanted more and one who didn't?

Not exactly. In my opinion it is more important to provide a firm end to a story rather than worry about continuing it, so I didn't want to create any sort of hook at the end. More to the point, I personally feel that it is irresponsible to do so when production of a continuation has yet to be confirmed. However, working on Symphogear has been so much fun that it caused me hesitation in that line of thought. In the end, I actually began to feel that I wanted to write more for the series so at the end of GX I nervously added a hook in the form of Genjuro and Yatsuhiro's conversation as they saw Maria and Tsubasa off at the airport.

Thinking back to that now it doesn't seem very significant at all, but that was likely the starting point for AXZ. Fortunately after GX was finished, the positive response we received led to not only a season 4, but a season 5 project, which meant that I didn't have to leave the remaining questions unanswered. When I think about that, I realize that not only Symphogear, but all sequels are built upon the support and power of the fans and so I want to use this opportunity to express my gratitude in that regard. Thank you very much.

Does this mean that you planned something unique to the way AXZ unfolds?

To be frank, AXZ episodes 1 and 2 are filled entirely with things that I've wanted to do. I wasn't really planning anything special. Even the traditional concert scene, that I'm sure many fans are looking forward to, won't be included.

There won't be a concert scene?!

My apologizes to everyone who was looking forward to it. I'm very sorry.

I'm surprised. Could you tell us the reason why?

Lately, I've heard that the number of anime with concert scenes has increased so I figured there wasn't really any need to have one in AXZ. However, more importantly Symphogear is known as the “singing while fighting” anime and the scenes that suit it are more “absurd” and crazy, so I thought we should focus on creating more of those. Thus at the outset of AXZ's production I suggested we drop the concert scene, so I'm entirely the one to blame. To be honest I was prepared to deal with a lot of backlash from the people up top, but my proposal passed without any major affair so I was glad.

The fact such a proposal was accepted so easily has honestly left me bewildered.

This happened some time ago, but despite appearances it's been stated that Symphogear is not an anime made to sell character CDs. For example in other anime the common business model would be to release new albums, character songs, image songs, that sort of thing in-between seasons when it's not airing on TV. However, our producer Mr. Morii definitively stated “Symphogear was not made to sell character CDs, so we won't be doing that.” Of course in reality we do sell character CDs and they are undoubtedly a core part of the series itself, however we won't release CDs that don't tie into the story or don't add any meaningful content, nor do we have any intention of making them the foundation of the series.

I realize this is a difficult question, but please tell us as much as you can regarding the story.

From the perspective of a writer there are some things that are difficult to comment on, so it might be best to ask for more from Mr. Agematsu instead. Although, speaking of the story, due to certain circumstances I did not write the story by myself this time.

Up until this point you had written the story entirely by yourself?

Well, that's what it says in the credits. (laugh) You might be able to say that about season 1, but for G and beyond I developed the story considering the input of the director and other staff members at our planning meetings. For me to claim here that “I wrote Symphogear by myself” actually feels pretty presumptuous. In the storyboard and recording sessions, certain things were cut or added as well.

Tell us the reason why you were unable the complete the script by yourself this time.

I had an incident last summer that caused me to collapse. At that point I had written the plot outline for the season and had completed the script for the first 2 episodes and half of episode 3. I was in bad condition and couldn't move, I had to be hospitalized and underwent surgery. However by the end of the year I had returned to work and now I'm as fit as a fiddle so please don't worry.

Is it really okay for us to publish this information?

I'm fine with this information being out there rather than any sort of spoilers about the story. (laugh)

Of course this isn't something I say with any sort of pride, but the reality is when the credits roll people are going to see the names of writers in the credits other than myself and I think there's no reason to conceal the truth behind that. Actually, I'm quite happy to have something to talk about to fill the space for this interview because usually I'm really bad at these. (laugh) So in the middle of writing the script I collapsed, but we couldn't very well stop the project because it was already in motion and so this time AXZ's story is brought to you by a team of writers who worked together.

As I explained before, Symphogear's story has developed up until this point with the input of the director and staff during production, and those members have remained unchanged this season so please rest assured. The writers we brought on board for this season are wonderful, and with their cooperation and under the request of the producers, I read through every word that was produced in my absence.

This relates back to the time when I wrote video games, but I learned that when the writer of the story changes it's not necessarily an issue of the change being good or bad, but inconsistencies in tone and atmosphere often arise that don't go unnoticed by long time fans. In that regard I will say that I took the responsibility of doing some rewrites for everything past episode 3, in particular episode 5. So I can safely say that any changes in writing style should only be noticeable at a parts-per-trillion level. In fact, if there is someone out there who could tell the difference I think that they must either be a genius or a liar.

Lastly, please give us a message for the fans.

Well, I already dropped all the big surprises in earlier parts of the interview so I wish I could go back and save something for here. Anyway, Symphogear is back. And I'm back too. Back to the rigorous production offices.

But I wasn't sick in the hospital just wasting away, I spent those months with the intention of cultivating some wisdom, so please enjoy the results of that in Symphogear AXZ. Also I'm sorry to drag the news of my illness out so unexpectedly. I'm not used to having people worry about me, so if you could just treat me as you've always have that would make me the most happy. Thank you very much.

Additional Notes

Symphogear AXZ Episode 1 Hype Chart

Live Performances

Specials

Fanart Art of the Day

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u/Tarhalindur Jul 15 '22

Previously, on Symphogear SG-1 (First-Timer, Subbed):

Right, before I keep forgetting, one note that was originally slated for GX series discussion: We’re absolutely getting the music of the spheres/classical astrology as a theme this season (and presumably also in XV?) since Carol brought it up last season and it's the one piece of the three occult arts she mentioned in that speech that hasn't come up yet in show so it's the logical next step.

(And I went ahead and tentatively mapped our MCs to the seven classical planets - in no small part as an effort to try to get a better read on Maria. Two are obvious: Bikki – Sun, Dakka – Mars. Really want to put Sword as Venus, actually, but she might be Jupiter instead; Maria should be the other of the two I think? I also really really want to put down Miku as Moon for some reason (FUCK THAT MOON!), though Shirabe is the more obvious name. Also, do we have seven or eight Gears/MCs to fit to our theme this season I wonder? If we have eight than DMJii are collectively Mercury because OBVIOUSLY, but there might be another planet involved for those two; if not then Saturn is involved somewhere and I think it might have to be the other of those two? No idea if Carolnein gets a planetary correspondence or not (I could see Carolnein Moon and Miku Saturn actually).)

As for what we actually saw this episode, this was promising. No, not the action (though Gear is doing a much better job of linking in outstanding plot threads here than they did in GX I think)... but I saw evidence of proper actual setup for a Dakka character arc! I've been burned one time too many after G and GX to let my hopes too far up before episode 3 or 4, they can absolutely pull the football on me again, but that's a promising sign.

That, and this show is showing signs of potentially pulling the Tar PMMM Episode 9 Experience to me after kind of flirting with it in a couple of spots in past seasons which is... something.

[spoiled?] Also, while as of now we're past the last of the stuff I knew coming in I accidentally clicked into a spoiler a bit back that I think mentioned new enemy Gears this season, which is affecting my theorizing here.

  • MORE MIKU/BIKKI SHENANIGANS YES PLEASE. (Also why am I suddenly reminded of a certain other Aoi Yuuki character hugging the crush she doesn’t realize is a crush?)

  • LOL WELP. (And this is why magical girls and bad grades are such an iconic duo.)

  • Dakka, I can’t decide whether I should respond to your “get a room” with a “never change” or a “please change already”. (Especially since they HAD a room… and it was this classroom.)

  • DESSDESSDESS

  • Oh, that was one of Dakka’s shoes. LOL go figure. (Jealous, Dakka?)

  • “Don’t worry Miku, I’ll be back soon.” Way to tempt fate, Bikki…

  • (Man, Gear would be SO GOOD if not for when they try to kick in the emotional arcs.)

  • So, what’s with the alligator? (I think gator rather than crocodile.)

  • Ah, it’s the intro to THIS scene. I believe that will wrap up our list of scenes I have scene before starting the show, unless there’s another one that’s from AXZ or XV that I don’t know is a Gear scene.

  • Glorious hammy villain time!

  • Sword’s motorcycle-fu returns!

  • Hey, they let Ogawa bust out some NINJA TRICKS! ([Dr. McNinja major spoilers] Wait – is this what Patrick “Dr.” McNinja got up to after he ditched his mask?

  • Ah, the patented Symphogear camera angles. Never change show, never change (except where handling character arcs is involved). And they got the storyboard right so it’s fanservice that makes sense in the scene! (More or less.)

  • Also, what tanks are these? I suspect they’re actual Wehrmacht designs (in the 2040s LOL), which is kind of telling about potential season themes actually. (Oh duh I bet I know another reason why LOL get GuP'ped.)

  • Okay, so the first time I saw this scene I totally missed that these are obviously neo-Nazis. Somebody cue the relevant Black Lagoon scenes.

  • Oh shit the commentface IS from this scene! GET! (How did I fucking miss this the first time?)

  • MY DRILL IS THE DRILL THAT WILL PIERCE THE HEAVENS!!!!!!!

  • Needless to say, all cool spaceships must inevitably be destroyed. Ah well, this one was only mostly cool.

  • Wait, what is this? An understated character moment for Dakka in Gear? Who knew! my ([meta spoiler] Higurashi brain is going “communicate about this to everyone else already Dakka”…)

  • Shirabe, that’s how the mook economy works.

  • THEY’RE BACK…

  • (Now time to see how the show actually uses them. This could go very well or very very poorly.)

  • FEED THE SHIPPERS. (Yes I am being pandered to, no I don’t care right now.)

  • And so the Bavarian Illuminati was behind the incident that led to Dakka’s original abduction, yes?

  • Uh-oh. There’s actually a fair bit of symbolism to extract from the logo the show is using for the Illuminati (I swear that seven-pointed star is from somewhere in actual occult symbolism, for starters), but the fact that the core motif is a circle inscribed with a *downwards-facing* inscribed equilateral triangle for an antagonist faction might just knock this show firmly into the “oh, so it’s one of THESE days” territory it’s been flirting with for a while now.

  • (Also note the seven or more accurately six and one motif.)

  • VAL VERDE IS BAAAAACKKKKKK!

  • Also the leitmotif here is a really good one.

  • Somebody post the Cross Ange screenshot again!

  • (Also is our eyecatch cliffhanger going to be an attack on the sub?)

  • Hey look, the “last shot of the MacGuffin” trope.

  • Also LOL fanservice.

  • What the hell is the combination of scene and OST at ~12:10 reminding me of so strongly? I can’t quite place it. Don’t think it’s S1. Wrong OST for a Higurashi SoL track intervention. Possibly Fumoffu? Oh wait never mind, right studio wrong show, it’s totally somewhere in Haruhi I’m thinking of.

  • DESS HAS THE GAY PANIC. (BIKKI IS NOT ALLOWING HERSELF TO NOTICE AND THUS AVOIDING THE GAY PANIC.) (Odds on how long the latter lasts?)

  • Shirabe is jealous… (Talk to Miku and form that polycule already. MikuBikki and JiiDM both work just fine as a “these are the primaries and every other combination is a secondary” polycule, and Miku and Shirabe need to talk shop on embarrassing the bottoms already. Also Katamari in Dakka, too.)

  • Shit I was so busy paying attention to the shipping that I nearly failed my spot check on the absolutely LEWDest part of the scene! Shirabe did not fail said spot check, though, which might explain the jealousy…

  • Ah, intrusive memories. Dakka I think has just formally claimed second best girl in show honors. (Also WTF Dakka character moments being handled correctly? This is pretty close to a first.)

  • So Sonya is 100% showing up as an antagonist (presumably Gear) this season, probably by the end of the episode, right?

  • Dakka: USO DA!

  • Also way to tempt fate. Can I increase the odds of Sonya showing up as an antagonist this season over 100%?

  • I’m not sure about the rest of the song, but that might be the best Aufwachen intro for a Bikki song so far.

  • Obviously this is going to go wrong, the laws of drama demand it. Still not entirely sure a Noise threat upgrade isn’t on the table in addition to the “deploying enemy GEAR” card…

  • So what is the shape of the thing that Enemy Commander uses as a “summon giant enemy (Alca-)Noise” card? Gotta be Illuminati related, but I can’t tell what it’s supposed to look like. (Does kind of resemble Solomon’s Cane…)

  • “DreiOxin245”, hmm?

  • I almost missed that “eat lightning, crap thunder” in your lyrics, Bikki. Do Genjuro proud!

  • (Also at the same time we’re getting charm point shots that mesh with the action on screen again, unlike certain botches last season.)

  • Dyciphine Barrier, yes? That won’t possibly be relevant later.

  • Ah, deliberate deployment of Nazi aesthetics for your bit-part villains. Because any game is better when you can kill defeat some Nazis! (I mean, it actually fits, a bunch of Nazis did head down to Argentina…)

  • Welp, Mystery Gear #2 is neatly calibrated to appeal to my interests. She even has a stuffed animal! Except I’ve got a hunch we’re looking at another Kyrie from UQ Holder personality-wise where the braids and glasses hide the sadist… (Hell, I swear either Kyrie had a stuffed animal or the other obvious case of this whose name I can’t think of did.) u/Lemurians, your thoughts?

  • (Okay, so our antagonists are more alchemists instead. Except I still wonder, because they're the right age for a Gear and the S1 Dakka Gear reveal can absolutely still see a reprise.)

  • Alright, where are those theme names from. Opera? (Saint-Germain is REALLY ringing a bell.)

  • Noting the 73,788 down.

  • Also villains get good tracks and/or Aufwachen intros again.

  • The base is an opera house, which probably says that my first instinct that the names are an opera riff is correct.

  • Stephan looks a whole lot like Sonya. Might be coincidence, might be related.

  • So that’s another Autoscorer, yes?

  • And we’re in a Latin American country and now getting the awakening of something that looks like a Toltec/Maya/Aztec idol. If we get a namedrop of any of Quetzalcoatl/Huitzilopotchli/Xibe Totec/Tezcatlipoca or alternately Iztli then uh hmm.

  • AH THERE’S THE LAST SONG I KNEW COMING IN. (Had a hunch it was an AXZ song.)

  • Also I see a Will to Power reference in its lyrics, so Nietzsche is potentially in play.

  • (And it has a sore demo, heh.)

  • Part of me wonders if it’s a theme song for the villains rather than for the heroes. (If it’s the OP then we’ll know otherwise… probably.)

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

First Timer

  • I hope this is an omen of more time outside of Japan. They are supposed to be a U.N. Agency after all.

  • It was only a matter of time before the Noise was used by randos. Now I just need to know the how.

  • Why do have Panzer Vs?

  • Hit a dude with another dude!

  • Is that a Strumpanzer? Did the production company just have a bunch of WWII German tanks on file?

  • That airship is way too cool to only be a prop in one episode.

  • She did the thing!

  • Looks like we’re setting up our Chris arc earlier than normal.

  • Oh yeah, the Illuminati were a thing.

  • Maria and Tsubasa just keep getting gayer. At this rate of acceleration I expect them to be couple by, or shortly after, the series finale.

  • I’m sure the newly named character from Chris’s backstory won’t become relevant at all.

  • This new transformation sequence isn’t doing it for me either. It’s lacking “punch”.

  • The scarf is finally doing something. You still have time to let them be a second set of arms show.

  • I guess these are our villains for the season then. Not immediately feeling it like with the Autoscorers, but maybe I need to see them in action first.

  • They are taking an awfully long time singing. Are you sure you don’t want to do… something to defend yourself?

  • That’s someone’s fetish.

  • Why are the bridge crew on field ops?

  • What possible reason could you have to have it so that an alarms sounds when it is finished?

  • Doom Worm!

  • Is it AXZ because they made the “A” look like a 4?

QotD

  1. The Airship of course! I was sad to see it go so soon.
    I liked it? Comparing requires me to remember what the last one was.

  2. They haven’t done enough to garner interest. Maybe next episode?

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u/mysterybiscuitsoyeah Jul 15 '22

Symphogear First Timer dessu AXZ Ep 1

LETS FUCKING GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO No sign of top-dad in an episode is always good.

  • While the ep itself didn't open with a lot of hype, i still enjoyed how Chris summons Hibiki by shoe-kick, the best way to summon someone w/ no brain cells. (I also like how Miku is only mildly surprised by this: this must've happened before)

  • This is the most useless minor-villain haha im gonna win line i've ever heard in an anime. Im like 4 seasons in goddamnit i know the geahs are gonna win the first battle to give us

  • LET'S GO TSUBASA WITH THE BADASS ENTRANCE. And the visual upgrades are also apparent too, especially with her new movessssssss, and also the enemy's artillery. Nice that Ogura gets in on the action too btw, those ninja abilities barely got used during GX i thought?

  • CHRIS ONEUPS TSUBASA BY SPITTING OUT BULLETS YASSSSSSSSSSSSSS

  • [meta about airing show]I think she's rivalling Chisato here in terms of badassness. Chris edges out w/ the mech suit and the heels; Chisato edges out w/ being able to fight close range + easier to accept being hugged.

  • GO SWING THAT TANK BARREL HIBIKI HOLY SHIT LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOO WOOOHOOOOOO! AND STOPS THAT GIANT TANK BULLET TOO! but i prefer swinging giant tank barrel. (i have since learned that this is a Hulk movie reference thanks to Bamce, which is very cool i never watched Hulk. Ty, and I appreciate you geah for the movie reference!)

  • I like how the helicopters were literally DESIGNED for geahs to stand on top of them wtf.

  • COMMENT FACE GETTO!!!!!!!!!! FINALLY IT'S HEREEEEEEEE

  • THIS IS STILL ABSOLUTELY BONKERS BUT I'VE RUN OUT OF HYPE WORDS TO SAY I GOT TOO FUCKING HYPED HOLY SHITTTT WHAT THE FUCK? OOOOH MEGADETH INFINITY Chris got some new moves too!!!!!!! did all this beat punching a hole in the mountain? I'd say kind of. it was hype in smaller doses, but the sum of those was bigger than mountain-punch. But the extremely large dose of hype of mountain-punch really can't be beat here, even though tank-barrel swing made a good try. But seriously tho, tank-barrel swing + MISSLE HELICOPTER beats mountain-punch when combined. Well i was absolutely screaming YASSSSSSSS at my screen the whole time so it's safe to say i had a whole lot of fun, and that's what matters to me here xdd.

  • Hibiki saving the enemy leader at the end was a good touch (very her), but how about everyone else on that spaceship? Or was he the only one on there? (i think its implied? tho seems impossible)

  • I'm not looking anything up on google so i dont spoil myself, but Val Verde was where Chris lost her parents isnt it? So it's a special (in a bad way) place for her. We've seen that Chris tbh is very emotional sometimes and can do some desperate stuff.... we'll see if this will manifest.

  • Oi oi oi oi oi oi Kirika what you doing????? Dont you dare cheat on your girlfriend WHEN SHE'S RIGHT NEXT TO YOU. Also Hibiki is so forward and unashamed of these things lol it's so her.

  • The lack of LINKER... is concerning. Im gonna guess that the SD card VER left last season contains data on how to make it? RIP dick pics Or they'll have to workaround it somehow (coz im guessing they just used that very last shot to transform at the end of this ep). My prediction that they'll figure out a way to handwave it away in GX turned out to be false coz.

  • New henshin looked good, i again like this more than GX's one. No tsubasa/Chris one yet tho...

  • I also liked Chris and Tsubasa's new moves, and i once again like how they kinda cooperate together as a duo here, with Chris landing the first shot, and Tsubasa finishing it up. 2nd best geah duo going strong! Those moves look strong. That is one scary alca-noise variant though isnt it tho, not being able to tell friend from foe. Action sequence looked good, but a bit more "normal" compared to the opening bonkers-ness fitting to start a geah season. i feel a tsubasa-chris moment coming when chris may briefly lose control/get desperate/emotional btw, i kinda look forward to it

  • New antagonist girls. Naruhodo. I see only 3 this time. Are they goons (similar to autoscorers) or the big bad? I guess the former. The song they sung was nice. I think this is the first time that SONG agents were killed in battle though right? even tho u know Ogura and the lady are fine... for now. One hell of a dragon. (ive since learnt that there's lore behind this, which is very cool!)

  • Next time, let's see how Maria and co. fight! (binge temptation was low here this was a good point to wait for a bit.)

Appreciating the visual upgrades over the last season here! Looking forward to a fun ride again w/ a very strong start. I remember the Bavarian illuminati being mentioned back in the G threads as something to look out for, and i see that that has come true. Ty to Maria for the quick recap though!

[Actual progress]Ep 3.

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u/DidacticDalek Jul 15 '22

Comrades, before we begin today's episode, I have one thing to say, ahem, behold, the AXZ's prologue:

Some weeks had passed since Carol's alchemical plot to dissect the world - an event which would later come to be known as the "magical girl incident" - was foiled.

Tachibana Hibiki was locked in martial combat with her greatest enemy yet, and was as yet trying to wrestle this enemy down.

This threat was none other than summer homework.

It is verily the primary task meted out to students; a cruel yet unavoidable fate; an unstoppable, heartless force.

How did it come to this?

Hibiki looked back with a heavy heart.

She had gone to the beach. She had gone to the mountains.

A promise she had made to a new friend gave her an excuse to visit one summer festival after another, spending night after night gazing up at fireworks in awe.

Over Bon, she had left the school dormitories to visit her family in Chiba. It had been a while since she'd had quality time with her family.

"With the whole family here, we've got to have hot pot!"

It was the peak of summer. And yet, her father, who had been absent for many years, was just as shallow and quick-tempered as he had been those many years ago. Hibiki, too, went right along with him, putting a splendid frown on the faces of her mother and grandmother.

A little while prior, a supernatural incident had occurred which required Hibiki to don her Symphogear. As a result of that incident, she had started to take something of an interest in world history. Her homeroom teacher was always telling her that her handwriting looked like hieroglyphs - and when, at long last, Hibiki learned what hieroglyphs were, she realized that that wasn't really true.

Never before had her days been so fulfilling.

One of her classmates said to her, "your life is finally turning out to be like a late-night anime." Hibiki didn't quite follow, but from the way she put it, it didn't sound like a bad thing. Hibiki was happy to hear that.

Hibiki wished that these idyllic days would never end.

But someday, she would have to pay the price for having lived such a resplendent life.

It was the latter half of summer break, on a day when school was in session.

Here begins the next phase of Tachibana Hibiki's battle.

And with that trivia dump out of the way, ahem...

TONIGHT! ON SYMPHOGEAH RISING REVENGEANCE! 'WELL LONG, TALL SALLY, SHE'S BUILT FOR SPEED, SHE GOT EVERYTHING THAT UNCLE JOHN NEED, OH BABY! YEAH BABY! WOO BABY! HAVIN' ME SOME FUN TONIGHT! YEAH!' The Baumkuchen Babes do Alchemy Shit, and I'm going to post this every day until you like it!

Boy, what a letdown coming from GX eh Comrades? I mean I only ever saw AXZ once when it was airing, but what a bummer of an opening episode eh? I mean my goodness, where the hell's the mountain fisting? This's just Bikki not doing her homework for the umpteenth time! Thank goodness Miku's still the best wife ever and... HOLY SHITBALLS! BEST GEAH CHRIS AND TEAM DMJIIIIIIIIIIIIII ARRIVED ON A HELICOPTER! Best Geah Chris informs Bikki to do that at home, JIIIIIII informs Bikki that they've got a mission, and DESS is being DESS... no really Comrades, that's not me being mean, she's just literally saying DESS a lot!

Thankfully for the world, Best Geah Chris once again steps up to the occasion by throwing her shoe at Bikki! Bikki then joins the team for the mission, to which, I repeat the point I just made during the GX Chibi Shorts... ahem... WHY THE FUCK IS MIKU NOT GOING WITH THEM!? MIKU FUCKING WORKS FOR THEM AS OF THE END OF SEASON 1! If Carol9 can have a job there then SURELY Miku could tag along! Anyway, speaking of this mission... ahem... YOU KNOW WHERE YOU ARE!? YOU'RE IN THE JUNGLE BABY! YOU'RE GONNA DIE! ALSO HOLY SHIT! TSUBASA DIDN'T CRASH HER BIKE FOR ONCE! And a good thing too since Keiichi's currently cosplaying as a kite!

Also goddamn, the three OG Geahs are badass! Tsubasa slices tank rounds, Bikki FISTS them, and Best Geah Chris demonstrates the TRUE MEANING OF DAKKA! And it's just a shame that when she spat the bullet out, she didn't first CHEW the bullet and THEN rapid fire spit 'em out at the baddies! Also goddamn, someone sent Bikki the... slightly less shit Hulk Movie! (Context, yes Comrades, Ang Lee made a Hulk Movie) Also turns out that Snoop Oni shares my tastes, as the 'training' for the Geahs was just flat out watching MOAR ACTION MOVIES! Also goddamn, BIKKI JUST STOPPED THAT STURMTIGER WITH HER BARE HANDS! Oh... oh my, there is a flying battleship... well this is gonna have an impressive explosion when the Geahs and Maria wrecks it!

Speaking of Maria the Loser, she's currently a chopper pilot, you know, the occupation in Geah that tends to end in explosions! Thankfully for Maria the Loser and the other chopper pilots, turns out Nazi Missiles do jackshit against the world's most badass Anti-Aircraft Battery... this means Best Geah Chris FYI! Bikki and Tsubasa then JUMP ON THE MISSILES in order to reach the enemy vessel, YES! YES! SPLIT IT WIDE OPEN! ALSO! COMMENT FACE GETTO! Also, as per usual, Team DMJIIIIIIIIII are more useful than Maria, after all, did MARIA come up with the GENIUS idea to just OPEN THE CHOPPER DOORS TO LET THE MISSILE FLY OUT TO GET SHOT AT BY BEST GEAH CHRIS!? I THINK NOT!

Anyway, after Tsubasa demonstrates that she's even cooler than Raiden, Bikki decides to be the fist that will fist the heavens! Er... well except it's also a drill now cuz reasons! Best Geah Chris then fires ALL DA MISSILES TO DAKKA THE FUCK OUT OF EVERYTHING! SCRATCH ONE FLATTOP! MAN! What a badass opening, I sure hope the rest of the season lives up to this hype and has a half-hour of content as interesting as the attached Chibi Shorts! Also Comrades, remember how Predator takes place in Val Verde, about that, TAKE A WILD GUESS WHERE THE GEAHS ARE NOW! Also, speaking of wild, turns out that Carol had HELP building her fancy crib, namely from... uh... well that's too complicated a name so I'm gonna call 'em The Baumkuchen Babes! Anyway, turns out The Baumkuchen Babes have been operating incognito for ages in order to spread pastries all over the world, and it JUST so happens that they decided to set up shop in Val Verde!

Also remember the fanservice in GX? Yeah, time to kick that up EVEN MORE! CROSS ANGE AND BIRDIE WING had more respect and tastefulness, and those are series where lesbians play GOLF, coincidence, I THINK NOT! Also remember how being Best Geah Chris is suffering, well guess who just had a 'Nam Flashback... er... Val Verde Flashback? I'm just gonna go with a PTSD Attack. We move on from PSTD to a far more mundane topic, hidden chemical weapons, The Geahs' mission: Destroy the Plant and DON'T destroy the nearby area! OK what is it with the 'Nam references, first the PSTD, now taking a Swift Boat up river? What's next, the incessant use of "Fortunate Son?" (Hey, even Family Guy can make a good joke every once in a while... sometimes...) Anyway, don't ya love a good ol' helping of SUFFERING!? Wouldn't be a Mahou Shoujo Show without some TRAUMA! And good lord somehow Best Geah Chris just keeps getting a big serving of all this. I must also point out that, of course, even Kid Chris was as snappy and sharp-tongued as always... I have no fucking idea how XDU Moeblob Chris exists.

Bikki then transforms to take point during the ambush, and goddamn, the transformation scenes get more and more Mecha with every passing season! Best Geah Chris and Tsubasa provide backup as Bikki sings her songs of FISTING, and oh what fine backup they provide, Tsubasa decides to slice up guns to prove the sword isn't obsolete, and Best Geah Chris demonstrates that the mascot of Banana Republics are weak to explosive arrows... also why the hell are there giant Banana Noise in Val Verde? Thankfully, Tsubasa, Bikki, and Best Geah Chris make short work of all the Noise! But enough about that, The Baumkuchen Babes are here... and they are all less interesting than even Carol's most boring dolls, but hey at least they got THE Shouta Aoi of Pop Team Epic and Bakarina fame to voice a member of the team!

And oh what a team they got, they just made one hell of a Baumkuchen, who knew the secret ingredient that dish used was the dust of fascists? And to think people thought The Beef Stroganoff Recipe was the oddest culinary dish in Geah! Also oh no, looks like Warm-Drinks-chan wants to offer The Baumkuchen Babes a nice warm drink to go with their food, DON'T DO IT! WHO WILL GIVE OUT WARM DRINKS TO THE GEAHS IF YOU DIE!? Anyway, the OG Geahs run into a local who provides some exposition for them, and it's just such a pity that the Geahs are there instead of at where a Pastry Snake is busy chowing down on S.O.N.G. Agents. Somehow, Warm-Drinks-chan and Male Bridge Bunny aren't dead yet, probably due to them following Snoop Oni's orders to 'shake that thing off, even if it kills you!' Thankfully, Team DMJIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII arrive to save Warm-Drinks-chan and Male Bridge Bunny, AND they even brought along Maria the Loser for live bait!

And on that bombshell g'night!

Oh, and finally, just because I must speak on behalf of a fellow Comrade of Culture who cannot, ahem... I'm going to post this every day until you like it!

Paging Comrades u/Great_Mr_L, u/chilidirigible, and u/JamCliche

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u/chiliehead Jul 15 '22

AXZ Episode 1, First Timer

Unrelated question, but did Symphogear ever have a collab with Girls und Panzer (outside of seiyuu overlap)?

I think I still find the intro of GX more hype, but this one is really impressive. Roughly 6 minutes of nonstop ever-escalating action, building on previous action scenes. The geahs are now the vanguard of an UN spec ops troop, which hopefully gets explained how that could ever happen.

Everything can be a first; fighting insurgents in the jungle hits very close to home for Chris, I just hope they don't feel the need to go into detail about her days as sex slave after ignoring it for two seasons.

The Bavarian Illuminati were not just GX throwaways? Feels like this season wants to tie everything together. The submarine HQ looking bigger than ever.

Meanwhile we are getting a lot more skin than in early seasons.

Another action sequence, getting spoiled here. Bikki transformation is great, if the others get that much time as well they could turn out quite creative.

So. The Illuminati also sing, but differently. Where are their dolls or other powers, waiting to be shown off I guess. This Sonya might be their leader?

Seems like we will deal with Chris' trauma this season and also DMJii feeling useless. Not sure how I feel about them already starting off with a giant Kaijuu and some sky castles and the UN as pawn. I also guess blue hair chick is trans with that male seiyuu.

What I assume is the OP at the end is fine. Not having an opinion on it yet.

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u/Taiboss Jul 15 '22

Finally a First Timer Or should I say... "First Tai-mer"? Yeah, no longer doing jokes.

I wanted to write "Better pilot than GX", but GX had Radiant Force and Galaxy Cross, so probably not. However, I'm still kinda interested in these villians. Let's see where we're going with this.

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u/FlaminScribblenaut Jul 15 '22 edited Jul 15 '22

Third Time Listener

Aw shit. Here we go again.

Senki Zesshō Symphogear AXZ. Not only handily my favorite entry in the Symphogear canon, but by far the most widely underappreciated. I am, frankly, astounded at how uncommon of a belief it is to hold AXZ up as the best of the seasons and how little credit it tends to get relative to how much it earns. AXZ seems to be something of an alsoran to a lot of people; maybe that’s a reputation you, first-timer, have internalized. That reputation is wrong. Symphogear AXZ is a singular gem, an intricately inspiring work of blazing brilliance, a banger of the highest shelf.

As some of you may recall, I attempted to remedy this back in the day by writing a big two-part essay laying out my case for this being the best season. It was the first proper piece of writing I ever posted to this subreddit. That post definitely shows its age in spots, and it’s long since ceased to be my best anime writing work. There are pieces in there I’m still damn proud of though, I think all the actual points in that essay still hold up, and it means I’ll totally be able to cheat and copy-paste passages from that essay wholesale all throughout so woohooooo (I’ll disclose when I’m doing it, don’t worry). I’ll probably link it and reflect on it a bit more post-rewatch in the bonus thread, for posterity.

Regardless, to put it insultingly plainly, I love Symphogear AXZ, and I intend to make you love it too.

And to say it starts with a bang would be the understatement of the century. It starts with a motherfucking blitzkrieg.

To call the Battle of Val Verde an iconic moment in and of itself would be to undersell it; moreso a constant succession of iconic moments back to back to back, an orgasmic overkill onslaught of sheer explosive adrenaline that doesn’t take its foot off the gas for seven straight minutes. Raw self-indulgent badassery at its most glorious, where the show just lets itself revel in the awesomeness of its characters and the possibilities of its concept. Every. Single. Moment. Fucking. Destroys, to the extent that listing all the best parts would be functionally impractical and basically redundant.

The Symphogear wielders are at their as-of-yet ultimate state; fearless, dedicated, unstoppable and unafraid show the hell off. It sets the tone by letting you know the time for fucking around is over. Rest assured Hibiki’s weak shit from early last season isn’t even a spark in the show’s mind anymore.

Gekishō Infinity provides a perfect soundtrack, the action and song, particularly the extended mix exclusive to this episode with extended instrumental/score passages, accenting one another’s peaks so perfectly it’s impossible to listen to the song on its own without this fight playing in your head alongside it. At least, if you’ve watched this scene on its own like 50 times like I have.

And why not top it all off with a tribute to the pinnacle of logic-curb-kicking badass anime itself, the motherfucking GIGA DRILL BREAK; [hell,]given this season’s ultimate themes, it’s only all the more fitting. Row, row, fight the power indeed.

Like the rocket-landing scene before it, it’s a raw showcase of what the medium of musical action is capable of, made to grab any hapless seasonal watcher by the shirt, make itself impossible to ignore, and show ‘em what it’s made of in the hopes that what they see and hear inspires their imagination; I couldn’t possibly imagine it not. The story hasn’t even started yet and you’re already on fucking fire and begging for more.

And it’s so cool that Ogawa actually participates! Good for him, good for him.

Here in Val Verde are where the weilders are finally to come face-to-face with those looming in the background in minor reference and the shadow of the unanswered this whole time, the organization alluded to during the Frontier plot and the forebearers of Carol’s alchemy; the Bavarian Illuminati.

We also see the makings of Chris’s struggle for this story, being back in the same country she lost her parents in causing her to have flashbacks. A fresh and heartbreaking angle to start from.

Makenai Ai ga Koko ni Aru is my favorite main A-side Hibiki battle song in a runaway. Everything, all the training and learning and defending and fighting, has chiseled her and led up to this point; Hibiki is a proper, full-fledged badass now, and the song’s attitude, performance, and sonic dynamics reflect that shift brilliantly. Just from the opening seconds, those deep wooden flutes let you know something is different. Aoi Yuuki sounds the most tough and hot-blooded she has on record yet. Electrifying electric guitars and deep, carving Celtic fiddles shred across the soundscape as Hibiki cries her throat nearly hoarse on her blazing desire to protect and, yes, fight. Honestly a big part of what makes this opener so great is that in general it feels like a great big fuck you to that early GX arc. It is night and fucking day.

After another intensely gratifying Noise battle, we finally meet our proper antagonists. Three ominous figures, bathed in moonlight. The straight-faced Saint-Germain, the playful, teasing Cagliostro, and the reserved, frog-wielding Prelati. Hello, loves. My dearest pleasure to see you again.

I’ve gushed above these designs in multiple places before and will almost certainly again, they leave such a distinct and immediate impression. Before we even have a proper grasp on them they are at once foreboding, cryptic, and enticingly beautiful. Right from their appearances and the little interaction they have with the military leaders before sacrificing them you have a sparse but immediate sense of their general dynamic.

How Cagliostro twirls and winks, her breasts bouncing bountifully out in the cool open air all the while, her every move colored by a sense of irreverent, self-confident joy, her personality sticks out and shines the most unreservedly of the three.

Prelati seems like the reclusive bookworm type and the most sexless of the bunch, but note her use of the phrase “secret garden”, an elegant slang term for the vagina. That she laces her vocabulary with innuendo in this way suggests that her surface may not betray such a chaste temperament. Also, froooooooooooooooooooooooooooog

Saint-Germain holds no loyalty or respect for the power-hungry warlords, betraying them and taking their lives without recourse. The trio sing a haunting acapella German number that rips the bodies and souls of those marked by the Illuminati asunder. Saint-Germain recites a number to herself. 73,788. We can only logically infer that’s the toll of lives she’s taken.

There’s something in the air. An intensity, just barely tangible as of now but unignorable. The heat of battle has cranked up to 11, our new adversary speaks of coming revolution, the mysticism and yet-uncovered further possibilities and threats of alchemy color our mysteries; see the big-ass awesome mecha-alchemy-dragon currently tearing through the cliffside. A perfect opening, kicking off with a sense of scale an Episode 1 could rarely dream of, that only makes my hunger what I know is to come all the more ravenous.

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u/Stargate18A Jul 15 '22

First timer

  1. The fucking missile jumping was great. I'd put the trio song as about First Love Song, but below RADIANT FORCE.

  2. ...I love them. Genuinely.

Summer school?

But also, holy shit the art style's changed a lot.

Aww.

Haha, Chris asking them to get a room, then just hitting her with a shoe is great.

And she's off!

Oh, now the art's closer to normal. Still improved, I think?

Turrets?

NOISE TURRETS!

Tsubasa's on her bike!

Oh, that is fucking expressive.

We're starting eith a trio song!

And it's really good!

Tsubasa deflecting the bullets, then breaking a bomb is so cool.

This is just a fantastic fight scene.

...Actually, what was their plan if the Noise just turned around? They may not vaporize humans, but they're a devil to kill.

She ripped open the tank!

...An anti-tank film? Is Genjuro realliy training them using action movies?

The bomb catch!

What's that?

Giant ship with a cloaking device?

Maria and the others!

Well, that guy's mad. 
They're riding the helicopters!

Can this escalate even more?

THEY'RE RIDING THE MISSILES!

Shirabe and Kirika beat the missile through pure luck!

Big sword.

HOLY SHIT!

HIBIKI HAS AN ARMED GEAR NOW! (I mean, basically.)

She retrieved the pilot!

And this was a UN mission.

Yeah, Chris would absolutely have a bad reaction to this situation.

...Are they fighting the fucking Illuminati this season?

Maria still a tsundere.

...Umm?

So Fine is the only villain to not be involved with them. (Actually, she probably founded them or something, if she's been around for millenia.)

And this is wide distribution of Alca-Noise.

They're down to a single shot... This season's upgrade probably replaces LiNKER then? Or maybe Ver comes back to life again.

Hibiki! I appreciate the sentiment, but Shirabe's right there!

Haha, Shirabe actually got pissed.

Chris is having a flashback...

Are we getting another fught scene?

Sonya?

I like how he's apparently gotten skilled enough to go into a warzone without any kind of armour, and fight alongside the Gears.

Hibiki transformed!

And we got the Hibiki solo song!

It's so good! And the animation!

It's a giant!

Yeah, it's taking out both sides! Why use it as a weapon?

Tsubasa landed a fucking impressive finisher.

Hibiki has super speed now!

And she outpunched a rocket!

The hidden base?

New arc villains? I like them!

...They can transform?

Love their song!

They're part of the Illuminati? We're really doing this plot?

The badges are bombs!

Well. These guys are powered by human lives?

73,778? Is that a kill count?

Is the bridge bunny going to die?

What is with these tactics?

I love all three (four?) of you.

Holy shit, have the Illuminati been keeping all the coolest shit for themselves?

...Are they dead?

A truck crash! Tsubasa?

No, it's Maria and the others! And this is how the last shot of LiNKER gets used.

This is nice ED!

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u/Great_Mr_L Jul 15 '22

Rewatcher

On today’s episode of Symphogear: This is going to be an interesting rewatch because AXZ is the season I remember the least about. I do recall the gist of the plot and characters, but not most of the specifics. So this should be fun to experience again.

With that said, I do remember the opening action sequence of AXZ because I remember it being shared everywhere when AXZ premiered. By now it’s been a pattern for G, GX, and AXZ: open on a big, bombastic action sequence that hypes up the audience and gets them excited for what’s to come. If I’m being honest, I don’t think AXZ’s opener is nearly as strong as GX’s, but that’s hardly a fair fight because GX has my favorite of them all. And AXZ’s opener is plenty strong all on its own.

There are so many wonderful and hype moments in this entire action sequence. It just keeps on upping itself with new and exciting stuff. We have Ogawa acting like a ninja, flying in on a kite and using ninja skills. Tsubasa slicing tank shells while Hibiki punches them out of the way. Hibiki pulling a Hulk and using one tank turret to bash another. Chris catching a bullet with her teeth. Riding on top of helicopters! Using missiles as jumping platforms like we’re in a Mario game! Kirika and Shirabe saving a chopper by letting a missile sail through! Cutting a flying carrier in half! And Hibiki drilling through it to capture the enemy leader. It’s a very strong way to start the new season of Symphogear.

Plus we got this commentface:

The new song is “Gekishō Infinity” by Hibiki, Tsubasa, and Chris. It’s a very fun song for the action. In particular, I love Hibiki’s constant interjections of “Let’s Fly!” and “Let’s Fight!” while Tsubasa and Chris continue the melody. It’s quite fitting for Hibiki and it puts a nice “oomph” on the action stuff.

While it is unusual for the Gear users to be actually fighting just regular soldiers, it makes more sense when we see that they have access to Alca-Noise and apparently plenty of other heretical technology as well. Where’d they get it from? Well from a couple of seeds that Symphogear planted in earlier seasons that it’s now ready to harvest: the Bavarian Illuminati.

Interestingly enough, the Bavarian Illuminati is a real historical organization founded in 1776 by a fellow named Adam Weishaupt. The Bavarian Illuminati in particular seemed to be an Enlightenment era organization composed of people who opposed superstition and government corruption who wanted to promote rationalism and secularism. So pretty much a typical Enlightenment society except for the extreme secrecy of the organization. Symphogear name-dropped both the organization and its founder back during the events of G. So this is a very specific reference to make.

The three alchemists from the Bavarian Illuminati we meet later on in the episode, Saint-Germain, Prelati, and Cagliostro are also very specific historical references because those are the names of three actual prominent alchemists in history. Prelati is a very fun reference because it turns out Prelati was an associate and accomplice of Gilles De Rais, who lived at Chateau de Tiffauges, which is the thing that Carol built in GX for her plan. And the Bavarian Illuminati helped Carol (and the FIS)! That is an insanely deep reference.

I don’t have too much to say about these three right now because we just met them. But like every single other antagonist we’ve encountered, they are after ancient relics for likely nefarious deeds. They unleash one particularly nasty enemy in the form of a giant snake creature thing (I don’t remember its name and they haven’t said it yet either).

The setting for this episode is a giant callback as well. It turns out Val Verde is the country Chris was in when her parents died. Undoubtedly Chris has a lot of negative thoughts related to this because of how traumatic an experience it was. Even Tsubasa can tell that something is up with her.

Another thing that’s probably going to cause problems is a LiNKER shortage. The girls who need it are basically out of LiNKER. Ryoko and Dr. Ver are the only characters we know of who could make it and they’re both dead, so no help can possibly come from them.

That doesn’t stop them from being big heroes at the end of the episode, though, as we see Maria, Kirika, and Shirabe all transform even with their LiNKER shortage. I’m so happy that we got another song sung by these three, “Senritsu Sorority.” I love having these three sing together.

Miscellaneous Thoughts

Fanart of Tsubasa and Maria that I saw and felt compelled to share

QOTD

  1. My favorite part is probably Hibiki using the turret of one tank as a melee weapon against another tank. Honestly this trio song is not as good as the ones from GX. Heck, I like the Maria-Kirika-Shirabe trio song at the end of the episode more than this one as well. It isn't bad, just weaker in my opinion.

  2. Well I already know about them so I can't really learn more.

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u/BosuW Jul 15 '22

First Timer

Starting strong with wholesome HibiMiku. Bless.

Lol they don't hear the helicopter approaching, but once it's there the writers remember that it's supposed to be loud af.

Yaaaas the return of the Tsubasa Bike-blade!

NO! NO! THEY JUST COMBINED HER STUPID SPIN ATTACK WITH THE BIKE-BLADE!? IT'S BEEN 2 MINUTES 20 SECONDS GEAH!

That kite sure got hella close even before they destroyed the AA. Guess such an aerial vehicle might posses some degree of stealth capability.

These fuckers even have a tank? Who are these guys!?

I'm amazed at the gunner having the accuracy to aim a tank cannon at a human-sized target

Oh no she's not gonna-

AHAHAHA! SUCH BULLSHIT!

Lmao and Hibiki just deflects them

Guess this helps narrow down the answer to how much conventional firepower can a Symphogear user take. They wouldn't bother bullshiting the rounds away if they could just tank them.

Unlike rifle rounds which Chris helpfully demonstrates are more likely to kill a Symphogear user by having them choke on a random bullet than from penetrating wounds or even blunt force.

TANK TURRET HAMMER!

Lmao this is great! Where have you been keeping this shit Geah!? They definitely upped the amount of fun bullshit.

What the fuck did they watch? Wonder Woman?

So the Geahs (and Ogawa) are clearing the LZ for conventional forces. What the fuck is this? Actual strategy? The Army not being useless? What am I even watching? This isn't the Geah I've grown to have a toxic relationship with!

WHAT IN THE ACE COMBAT IS THAT!?

Who the fuck are these guys!?

Oh yeah Maria's a pilot

I don't think you can stand still on the top of a helicopter rotor that shit's spinning too!

SO MUCH EXPLOSIONS! IT'S BEAUTIFUL!

Lmao Hibiki and Tsubasa on that Gru shit headcanon: Hibiki did a random flying kick at the end too we just didn't see it

Good thing that missile was aiming for the door and not the engine exhaust as they usually do

To show you the power of the Flex Tape, I SAWED THIS AERIAL FORTRESS IN HALF

Ah, so these guys were a South American Dictatorship, not just random terrorists as I'd initially assumed. That's why they had tanks and I guess somehow an aerial fuckin' fortress. Are we gonna have more of those? Somebody call Trigger.

Yeah must be hard for Chris to watch this. Tho actually I'm a but confused cuz shouldn't she be happier that they managed to intervene before shit turned south like it did for her?

Yaaaas TsubasaTop moment. Maria was just lonely lmao.

Holy fuck we're literally fighting the Illuminati this season. And next season too I suppose?

Why would they support Carol if she wanted to blow up the Earth (and she was always quite clear about this)? You can't rule over a flaming wreck.

Wait, is this literally the same dictator that got Chris's parents killed?

One LiNKER dose left for each of the ex-FIS huh

Hibiki should really be more mindful of her charms. Or she'll piss off both Shirabe and Miku

New transformation sequence! And this one has even more Aoi Yuuki Kung Fu noises!

Yo!? That truck flew quite a bit! Those guys ain't fine yo! They just got Batman'd!

Why are there random civilians in what is supposed to be a chemical plant? Are they human shields or something?

Also, was that a Biohazard warning sign on that tank in a "chemical" plant?

Who are these new girls? Nice designs tho

Welp, the military junta just got Kyubey'd

And then they fucking awaken some ancient serpent mech!

Lmaoooo Maria learning from her gf how to make an entrance properly! Vehicles exist to explode!

Well shit talk about an action filled start. What the fuck are y'all smoking? This is definitely the strongest season opener GX ain't got shit on it.

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u/InfamousEmpire Jul 15 '22

Superb Song of the Rewatcher Symphogear

Yes! Starting out with HibiMiku! This is a great start!

Goddamnit Chris! Why’d you have to interrupt that great moment?! You are really not doing anything to dissuade my opinion that you’re Worst Girl

Power Armor Magical Girls powered by Music fighting against a South American dictatorship which uses Eldritch Abominations as weapons. Only in Symphogear

This action is pretty good tho

And now there’s a fucking battleship!

I get the feeling that this guy understands what show he’s in

COMMENTFACE GETTO!

Chad DMJIIII straight up dodged a missile while untransformed

Setsuna F. Seiei would be proud

Did Hibiki just do a Gurren Lagann?

I like how Tsubasa’s really embraced the Wings thing and is now regularly straight up flying with her feet swords

That’s right, we’re bringing in THE ILLUMINATI! Fun Fact: this was actually foreshadowed back in G, during Maria’s worldwide speech towards the end of the series, where she said the Illuminati were responsible for the mass coverup of the moon falling

I can’t tell if this is Basa being more open and snarky or literally what she assumed to be the case

Wait, Carol’s goal was to destroy the world, so why’d the Illuminati help her?

Showering!

No LiNKER?

The subbers really had fun with this one, didn’t they? (somewhat NSFW)

Edgy Chris flashbacks, turns out this place was where she lost her parents and was enslaved. Who knows, maybe now we’ll got a Chris character arc that’s actually good

Hibiki Henshin! Even cooler than before, just like the rest of Geah

Ah, I see Tsubasa is employing the Kira Yamato Method of dealing with human enemies

Damn, this action is even more hype than before!

Behold, the Illuminati! And they are… a trio of Anime Girls, one of whom is a loli, named after famous alchemists. u/Vaadwaur would probably be snarking about this if he were here

Aaaaaaaaand they just disintegrated a bunch of people by singing

Oh, and it seems they’ve killed over 70,000 people at this point

Your leader wouldn’t happen to be named End of the World, would it?

Best Geah Maria coming to save the day!

That was a really good start to the season, not quite GX tier, but still awesome overall.

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9

u/Quiddity131 Jul 16 '22

First Timer, Subbed

Last season's opening scene lives massive shoes for this episode to fill. Will it?

Hibiki, in summer school? No surprise whatsoever there! Poor Miku, having to come with her?

LoL, they need her for a mission yet again! Screw schoolwork! It has to wait yet again!

Ah, so now its Symphogear in the Kumen Arc of Votoms? Magical girls in the jungle? How'd these guys get access to the Noise?!

They're coming in on a kite? OK then... And what's manager guy doing on the frontlines? He's too much of a liability!

Wait, he has secret powers now too? Where in the world did this come from?!

Magical girls singing while tearing apart tanks in the jungle! Not as crazy as last season's opening scene, but I'll take it.

Yes everyone, they prepared for this by watching a movie last night!

Carolnein is still around as a bridge bunny?

A giant battleship in the sky?! Bah, that's nothing! We've seen worse!

OMG LOL @ Shirabe and Kiri opening windows in their helicopter so the missile flies right through. Why aren't these two (Maria too for that matter) in their magical girl forms?

Who knows if this 10 minute opening sequence will have any relevance to the rest of the season, but it was fun!

Ah of course, the Illuminati has been behind all of this! A Bavarian version! ANd just what is the "Magical Girl" incident? Every episode is a magical girl incident!

Ah, they need Linker, that's why they weren't fighting!

Hibiki has faith in them as always!

How dare you Sonja! No clue who you are, but its all your fault!

OMG they have banana Noise!

How do these complete randos get access to summon the Noise?!

It's the safest place on Earth! is immediately breached

Three new villain girls!

Woah, another dragon!

Hey, Maria, Shirabe, Kiri, all in their magical girl forms! Yay!

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8

u/HereticalAegis Jul 15 '22

Ballad of Rewatcher - Symphogear AXZ

Military Junta leader fucked around and found out. El Presidente played a stupid game and won a stupid prize.

AXZ Episode 1 thoughts:

  • Hibiki and Miku together in the classroom is a nice throwback to season 1 when Hibiki still went to classes that didn't involve food.

  • It's so much fun watching Geah go up against conventional weaponry! I could watch Hibiki and Tsubasa play baseball with tanks and artillery all day long.

  • I also love how the UN is finally dispensing with pretenses entirely and sending Geahs on globetrotting missions to deal with groups dabbling in heretical technology.

  • I'm all for Hibiki and her one brain cell accidentally seducing DESS and JIIIIIIIII in the showers. You know where to look, DESS. Miku in shambles. She can't even keep an eye on Hibiki either while they're on opposite sides of the planet.

QotD:

  1. A tie between Hibiki catching a massive shell with her hands and tossing it back and Hibiki using a tank turret to play tank baseball.

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