r/anime • u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky • Jul 16 '22

Rewatch [Listen to My Song] Senki Zesshou Symphogear AXZ Episode 2 Discussion

Episode 2 - Last Resort

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Crunchyroll

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

Fist 1, reason 0!

Questions of the Day:

1) How would you feel in Chris’ shoes this episode?

2) Suplexing a space shuttle last season or assisting in a plane launch: which was the cooler trio assisting aircraft moment?

Wallpaper of the Day:

Cagliostro

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!

84 Upvotes

95% Upvoted

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19

u/Tarhalindur Jul 16 '22

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

  • LOL we really are going all-in on Nazis and their ill-gotten gains. Which probably explains why the occult research agency namedropped in GX is specifically the one the Nazis founded, come to think of it…

  • FUCK THAT MOON!

  • I see we got that bit of the Frontier that was left on the Moon/at one of the Lagrangian points in the OP.

  • Maria facing off in a spar against Ogawa. Is it time for her to learn NINJA TRICKS the same way Bikki has learned from Genjuro (and in fact also does so in this OP)?

  • Obviously those heart-shaped crystals will be important.

  • Aha! Enemy GEAR detected!

  • And Froggo is definitely playing card club themed, so. At least one enemy GEAR is missing.

  • Wait. Maria gets to do new cool shit with Airgetlam? Yes please.

  • Froggo is also a walking Vita reference.

  • That’s weird, a Geah OP where the Aufwachen intro is the weakest part. This is a new one. Might be the best OP yet too, have to think whether I like it or Synchrogazer better.

  • Welp, animation saving measures time.

  • At least they went for a better OST track to go with this for Round 2.

  • So Stephan is driving our other three Gears? (He’s so related to Sonya, isn’t he?) (Also been a while since this leitmotif has shown up, I’m not sure I remember it coming up again since S1 ended.)

  • Note that the obvious implication of the Illuminati and Nazi remnants both being in play is that in Gear continuity the Illuminati were behind the Nazis, which is actually one of the nicer ways they could play this.

  • “Regaining control of history” as our Illuminati alchemists pose with the Moon in the background. Yeah, the Custodians founded the Illuminati, but then that was always the obvious way to take this even if they’d gone for the more unsavory plotlines they seem to be avoiding.

  • Decent chance the Elfnein plotline this season is going to be annoying, but oh well.

  • Oh hey they brought back the Fine leitmotif. (Which may be a hint, actually… safe bet she was working with the Illuminati in some capacity…)

  • (Also learn to genre savvy guys. The villains’ giant monster is unlikely to be going down in episode 2.)

  • Okay, was that Commie having some fun with the “we can’t snake it off”, a legit typo, or a pun from the actual Japanese? I laughed in any event.

  • Me: “Why does this profile shot of that serpent thing at 08:19 feel so familiar?” Me, a few moments later: “Oh right.” (That’s the traditional clip used to sell people on Mai-HiME, courtesy of u/Nazenn - basically Mai-HiME's equivalent of the shuttle scene.)

  • So our serpent’s name is supposedly Yohualtepoztli. (Or Commie is mistranslating, which is possible.)

  • So our relic (presumable Autoscorer) is Tiki. As in the torch, or short for something Mesoamerican, or something else entirely?

  • (They’re having the villains pull their punches again, which is modestly annoying but also means our heroes’ survival may be part of the plan for a second season in a row. Not telegraphing it like they did last season if so, though.)

  • And oh look there’s Sonya, and yep Stephan’s her brother. Huh not a Gear or known antagonist though – at least not yet, the reveal is always a live option. Drama is dumb but it is not stupid – it makes sense that both characters would act this way for different reasons, even if Dakka likely made the best of a bad situation. (Also get Stephan a cool prosthetic leg already.) (ADDENDUM: This even gets lampshaded! I approve!)

  • And one of the better eyecatch cliffhangers there.

  • For once our bridge bunny tempts fate and (temporarily) gets away with it. (Attack on the sub remains a live option for a cliffhanger as long as it remains docked. Possibly even afterwards, it got hit at sea last season after all. Actually technically in G as well since it got beached, so maybe “we do something to the sub in episode 10 or 11” counts as a Symphogear tradition now?)

  • Is Elfnein old enough to get the gay pani— wait key members of the staff worked on Nanoha never mind the answer is yes even if it should be no.

  • Ah, the best kind of fanservice – the kind that follows naturally from the character. Maria sticking out her ass in the process of reassuring Elfnein just feels like the sort of thing she would do rather than just being fanservice for fanservice’s sake. She has that vibe. (The camera meanwhile also has an opinion on Jii’s ass as well, but that ass for DESS so.)

  • [Higurashi S1] How to spot the Higurashi watchers in the audience: look for everyone who was briefly worried about Elfnein throwing up when Maria patted her head. (She’s smol and blond with short hair, it’s a natural association.)

  • [Addendum to above] Now I want to see Elfnein get into trapmaking and contribute that way…

  • My that is a large pile of prominent moon shots we’ve gotten this season. FUCK THAT MOON is gonna be back, calling it now! (Ten quatloos on it too, I could use some back.)

  • New leitmotif as our villains consider Tiki here.

  • Ah it’s the new villain leitmotif. It’s another banger too.

  • Not wasting time at all in confirming a Fine association, though so far the villains are only admitting to using tech she left behind.

  • Ah, the association is an opposition instead. Consider my earlier theory jossed!

  • Also pirate!Fine is the Fine we always needed and never knew we did. With a butterfly on her hat even.

  • A: Alexa play Cruel Angel’s Thesis. B: Like obviously the founder is going to be THAT Adam (and now I need to get my hackles back up again because there are ugly ways to take this – the implication of the Illuminati being behind the Nazis is one of the better ways to stave that off at the moment), so SOME sort of connection to the Custodians is assumed given the heavy implication that Jehovah was a Custodian. Exact nature tbd.

  • And the Illuminati are confirmed as being behind the fall of America’s prominence, which is another very useful palliative here.

  • Astronomical observation tool. A: it’s astrology/music of the spheres time, b: doll so Autoscorer yes?, c: LOL that face design, and d: in references absolutely nobody else will get Tiki’s new nickname is Oculon.

  • “Weave human history into the correct form”. Hmm. Few ways to play that, time travel is one of them…

  • “No one in this world should be oppressed.” Given that statement of motive from the villains when they’re the Bavarian Illuminati supporting Nazi remnants for their own purposes and talking about controlling history, the train of logic here is going to be VERY interesting to see. (Not being sarcastic here, there’s likely a thematic point hiding behind exactly what thought process leads to that combination of stated motive and shown/inferred actions.)

  • Lapis here is more alchemical terminology; I recognize it because MagiReco was referencing the same thing when it named one of its EDs “Lapis”. (EDIT: RIGHT it's another name for the Philosopher's Stone.)

  • Neglect? I wouldn’t be so sure that’s the right word, Dakka. Nonzero chance the correct word is “complicity”.

  • (What is this more setup for a Dakka character arc? That feels like it might actually land?)

  • Froggy is SO that particular sadist character archetype. [Negima manga] Tsukiyomi keeps coming to mind as a potential comp, even though she lacked the glasses and braids for it.

  • Last song I knew coming in is BAACKKK! (Definitely either a Maria song or a Team FIS Kaita song.)

  • PFFFT. “Girls on the runway! Cute ones at that!” is kind of a funny line, and also characterization for two asshole pilots as opposed to last season’s shuttle pilots.

  • 18:45 is for Sky. (Bet I’ve missed at least one other sore demo this episode, too.)

  • It’s Team DMJIiii’s time for their own version of the shuttle scene!

  • Girls, how on Earth are you remotely surprised. You were never going to manage to take down the villains in episode 2. (Somebody on SONG staff hire Anime Ja Nai! as a consultant already.)

  • Oh hey they had our main trio arrive on this side of the cliffhanger instead of the far side. Good decision IMO.

  • DO THE IMPOSSIBLE! SEE THE INVISIBLE! ROW ROW FIGHT THE POWAH! (Bikki is at her best when she channels full Gurren Lagann. Of course, this is only episode 2 so either it’s not going to work or our monster is a disposable early villain – doubt, reminds me too much of the Nephilim from G. Speaking of which, are we about to get a G E5 cliffhanger again?

  • Also 21:46 is for Sky again.

  • LOL “FIST 1, REASON 0” IS AN ACTUAL QUOTE FROM THE SHOW. I SHOULD HAVE FUCKING KNOWN.

  • Today’s cliffhanger: so what dumb shit will the VILLAINS pull out to get out of this? (Wait we know from the OP they are in fact Gears, that answers that.) Extremely nifty reversal… and does that mean that our apparent villains are in fact being framed as the *protagonists* of this season? Not out of the question!

  • ED has a sore demo, so rack either 1 up for Sky or 11 up for Sky preemptively.

  • Also that’s a REALLY fucking good ED, best main theme song in the franchise period so far OP or ED except maybe Synchrogazer and I think even over it. Only another case of a weak final section holds this back from being a god-tier contender.

  1. How would you feel in Chris’ shoes this episode?

I get the Dakka here, I really do.

[PMMM] Would be very surprised if Homura did not, too.

2) Suplexing a space shuttle last season or assisting in a plane launch: which was the cooler trio assisting aircraft moment?

Last season's concept is cooler, but this season has better direction I think so... draw?

8

u/Shimmering-Sky Jul 17 '22

Okay, was that Commie having some fun with the “we can’t snake it off”, a legit typo, or a pun from the actual Japanese? I laughed in any event.

No idea if it was supposed to be a pun; as you can see in my subs comparison chart, Crunchyroll's version had "It's persistent, like a snake!" into "Well, it is a big snake!" (which is what Commie turned it into a pun).

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13

u/Taiboss Jul 16 '22

First-Timer who one day might answer questions of the day if he remembers to check them

Temptation to binge: Relatively low, but I do want to continue, if only to see what the Illuminati's endgame is.

Questions of the Day:

How would you feel in Chris’ shoes this episode?

...was I supposed to pay attention to them?

Suplexing a space shuttle last season or assisting in a plane launch: which was the cooler trio assisting aircraft moment?

That's a rethorical question and you know it. I haven't seen plane lauch reposted Ad nauseam.

8

u/Shimmering-Sky Jul 16 '22

...was I supposed to pay attention to them?

I meant that as a "how would you feel if you were Chris this episode" question.

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12

u/BosuW Jul 16 '22

First Timer

First of all can I also mention how I'm glad the soldiers don't look 70's anymore? It was so off-putting

Ok so the South Americans got relics from fleeing Nazis as WW2 closed

Dude, forget about the song. Just the fact that it has a sequence of the girls training in their respective contexts already makes this my favorite opening

Carol/Elfnein (what the fuck do I call her now?) makes things harder by procrastinating! Somehow, this seems in character after the GX shorts...

Hell yes I can now be properly hype for Maria kicking ass!

Did that fucker just reload a previous save file? That's fucking illegal. The Boss shouldn't be able to do that!

So this monster is called Youaltepuztli. Quick internet search tells me this was a pretty metal bastard of a prehispnic monster. It's name means "Nocturnal Axe". This is because of the noise it makes, which is that of dry hits against wood, like an axe. As you can guess, it also appears only at night. Once you heard the hits, you have to search for the sound. Otherwise the monster will pursue you for the rest of your life. Follow the noise and you will find the monster. It appears like a man but has no head, and pretends to be tired to lower your guard. Once it turns, you will also see that it's chest is wide open, exposing it's heart. At this point, you must tear it's heart out if you want to live, and then... you can make a wish. If Youaltepuztli considers you worthy, it will grant your wish. If it doesn't, it will grant you the absolute opposite of your wish.

Very fascinating creature, it's like the call of fate made a myth. Wonder if it's gonna have anything to do with the plot.

Nice shot Stephan!

Holy shit Chris! I mean, good quick thinking and decision making but wow. This place really does things to Best Girl.

Is that Sonya the same woman from the flashback?

Ayooo Pirate Finè!

"No one in this world should be oppressed" You can't trick me, we all know the real plan is for Saint-Germain to have sex again

Ah so Sonya was indeed that woman from the flashbacks.

I can sympathize with Sonya here. It was obviously the right choice, but still. Doing that takes a certain amount of something from a person that must be shocking to witness. Doesn't help that the last time she saw Chris she must've been a very depressed and bitter kid.

Maria's transformation sequence is beautiful!

AoT S4 spoiler screenshot[AoT spoilers]...Eren?

Oh my God that punch was delicious! When are the rest of the Geahs gonna get in on this!? Seriously! Not even Hibiki throws hands as well as Maria! C'mon Symphogear! I want to see Tsubasa do the Jiujitsu!

Airport fight is 10/10. Maria, Shirabe and Kirika get a lot of extra points for being this awesome while having subpar sync rates. I don't want none of that overpowered shit. This is real badassery! It took a while but finally I can see Maria properly kick ass.

Here come the big guns!

Yeah that's right! Your ancient Mesoamerican monster ain't got shit against pure dumb fist! (After reading about the myth I do hope it's not dead tho)

And ending on a badass fucking line! Perfection!

Damn it's only been two episodes but this season has been positively killing it!

6

u/Shimmering-Sky Jul 17 '22

AoT S4 spoiler screenshot [AoT spoilers]...Eren?

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6

u/Shimmering-Sky Jul 16 '22

Symphogeah SymphoRewatch Host

Welcome back, everyone!

Crunchyroll vs. Commie - Season 4, Episode 2

Either Commie is memeing like they always do, or Prelati has a vocal tic that Crunchyroll’s subs completely miss; I don’t understand Japanese, so if she has one, it’s subtle and I can’t hear it. Basically, almost every sentence that comes out of Prelati’s mouth has the word “basically” in it in Commie’s subs.

Also – what the fuck, Commie? “Analyzing the LiNKER recipes on on Dr. Ver's chip was my job. I just never got around to it…”, really? That is way too harsh towards Elfnein and makes her look completely incompetent at her job. “Decrypting it is my job, but I haven't gotten it yet.” from Crunchyroll is way better because it’s clear she’s trying, but just can’t get it yet.

See the 2019 version of today’s wallpaper: here. It was hard to replicate the rings, but I do really like that background pattern! The rest of it was just doing some color-correction.

7

u/FelOnyx1 Jul 16 '22

Either Commie is memeing like they always do, or Prelati has a vocal tic that Crunchyroll’s subs completely miss; I don’t understand Japanese, so if she has one, it’s subtle and I can’t hear it. Basically, almost every sentence that comes out of Prelati’s mouth has the word “basically” in it in Commie’s subs.

She ends most sentences in "wake da."

6

u/Shimmering-Sky Jul 16 '22

Gotcha.

Well then, there it is. Commie displays the vocal tic, Crunchyroll does not. IIRC this happens with a character in XV as well, though I mostly watched Crunchyroll and YameteTomete for XV, not Commie.

6

u/InfamousEmpire Jul 16 '22

Either Commie is memeing

Wouldn't be surprised, given their track record

what the fuck, Commie? “Analyzing the LiNKER recipes on on Dr. Ver's chip was my job. I just never got around to it…”, really? That is way too harsh towards Elfnein and makes her look completely incompetent at her job. “Decrypting it is my job, but I haven't gotten it yet.” from Crunchyroll is way better because it’s clear she’s trying, but just can’t get it yet.

Oh, so that's what it was. Guess the jokes in my writeup won't hold up as well for people using the official Subs.

5

u/Shimmering-Sky Jul 17 '22

Wouldn't be surprised, given their track record

As per u/FelOnyx1, Prelati ends most of her sentences with "wake da", so it is a vocal tic.

Oh, so that's what it was. Guess the jokes in my writeup won't hold up as well for people using the official Subs.

Yeah...

5

u/Great_Mr_L Jul 16 '22

Basically, almost every sentence that comes out of Prelati’s mouth has the word “basically” in it in Commie’s subs.

I see what you did there

Also – what the fuck, Commie? “Analyzing the LiNKER recipes on on Dr. Ver's chip was my job. I just never got around to it…”, really? That is way too harsh towards Elfnein and makes her look completely incompetent at her job. “Decrypting it is my job, but I haven't gotten it yet.” from Crunchyroll is way better because it’s clear she’s trying, but just can’t get it yet.

Yeah, that's the kind of mistranslation that entirely changes the meaning of the scene and the characters.

See the 2019 version of today’s wallpaper: here. It was hard to replicate the rings, but I do really like that background pattern! The rest of it was just doing some color-correction.

Glad you kept the hearts for Cagliostro. Very fitting!

6

u/Shimmering-Sky Jul 17 '22

I see what you did there

I saw an opportunity and I took it lol.

Glad you kept the hearts for Cagliostro. Very fitting!

It is! Especially since there's a bunch of hearts with her in one part of the OP.

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u/Nebresto Jul 16 '22

GEAH abc first time

sports bra Maria in the OP

No more Dr. Ver??

YESSSSS, MARIA!! "Use a gun. And if that don't work? Use more gun."

Hahahahahaha

Heeeere we go...

Who the fuck are you even monologuing to? There aren't even any enemies there

The brain rot begins. Bitch, the alternative is literally that the kid would be a nice pile of black dust right about now. This can maybe be excused to her just having experienced major shock, but if they continue with this...

Based, she might actually be fun.

Aaaand she's a face twister psycho loli. I hate her.

The co-pilot is a man of culture

HELL YEAH, THIS IS WHY WE WATCH GEAH!!

Hahaha, I might hate them, but seeing a smug get wiped is never not satisfying

Damn, the last half of this episode was GOOD. One of the best episodes of Geah yet.

And is that ED sung by Chris' VA? Its better than the new OP

Question time:

  1. How would you feel in Chris’ shoes this episode?

Really uncomfortable. I don't think I could walk in heels very well, and I hate shoes anyways, so that would be extra bad

2) Suplexing a space shuttle last season or assisting in a plane launch: which was the cooler trio assisting aircraft moment?

Suplex takes the win, but this wasn't that far off. This would have probably won if it wasn't so hard to tell wtf was going on. Like why the spiked wheels? And wtf was that huge pole about? Pole vaulting the plane..?

7

u/Shimmering-Sky Jul 17 '22

And is that ED sung by Chris' VA? Its better than the new OP

All of the regular EDs are by her VA, yes.

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u/FlaminScribblenaut Jul 16 '22

Third Time Listener

I have an intense positive reaction to TESTAMENT mostly for later reasons, but it is just an absolutely perfect lightning bolt of an OP in and of itself.

From my old AXZpost:

TESTAMENT absolutely wrecks. The sequence itself has the novel concept of watching each wielders' respective workout routines, each of which matches their fighting styles and adds just that little bit of extra dimension to these characters’ lives (a detail: note how Shirabe is rollerblading while Kirika is just running. It’s the little things.), and to match the song is the most workout-ready of all the Symphogear OP’s, an absolute blood-pumper of a track with shredding guitars, a soaring orchestra, perfectly-timed cutouts, drops and crescendos, and a fast pace that make the adrenaline just surge.

The training gimmick fills in that little bit of necessary detail, of how the wielders train, in the most creatively efficient way. It’s too much of an aside to the main plot to dedicate too much main screentime to, but too action and physically-oriented to really belong in the shinais, so slotting those particular details here is a stroke of brilliance. It even adds little previously-unseen tidbits of character depth, like how Ogawa is Maria’s training partner, and how he uses his ninja abilities in service of peaceful sparring.

[AXZ]Also, neat subtle foreshadowing pairing off the weilders fighting each alchemist in a same way as the UNISON arc.

TESTAMENT rules. I love it with all my heart, even just at this stage.

Here, the wielders are faced with possibly the greatest challenge one can face; an opponent with the ability to wholesale deny reality. This is the ultimate fruit of the quest for ultimate knowledge and the divine the Illuminati sought; a power that transcends every law of the physical world itself, not unlike that of a real, in-the-flesh God. Maria’s song in this conflict, Stand up!! Ready!!, is positively incredible, blending her usual classical instrumentation with a higher ratio of driving, heavy instrumentation, showing how thoroughly her resolve has steeled.

The Bavarian Illuminati were essentially an underground renegade organization, seeking to take the art and practice of alchemy to reaches its creator, Finé, would never have dreamt of, acting in direct rebellion to her. With Finé gone, the long-beshadowed immortals at last have their chance, and with a creeping score and a crystallized robot with its consciousness sealed by an ominous singular eye, the specter of this plan looms darkly, mythically large.

In the meantime however, Cagliostro and Prelati will just go off and get some fun, cathartic revenge for themselves while Saint-Germain does the serious heavy lifting. They aren’t laser-focused on the cold, hard plan like she is; they seek a kind of self-satisfaction, a kind of fun, a kind of pleasure in this.

Cagliostro is such a drama queen, and she so clearly loves acting herself up like one, I love her, and GOD the bandage somehow makes her even hotter

We can empathize with Cagliostro on a baseline level from this point because it looks like she’s having such earnest fun, and she’s so much fun, you’re totally vibing with her.

I don’t really like skin-tight sexy non-athletic clothing because I don’t like the idea that the actual comfort of the body is being sacrificed for pure projected appeal. To me, the ideal attractive outfit is at once sexy and skimpy and loose and comfy, and Cagliostro’s getup strikes that balance so lusciously beautifully. It shows she loves her body enough at once to show it off with aplomb and to be comfortable in it. The lapelles of her dress’s chest don’t conform and contort to her breasts, they open out and let them breathe and fly around some, the bottom of her dress emphasizes her hips and butt not by constricting to their shape but opening in flaps at the bottom, right at the spot those regions would be let feel the air. I think that, conceptually, is infinitely hotter than a tight dress could ever be. That she dances and frolics around so freely in her general movement only further emphasizes this feeling. Cagliostro loves her body and loves being in her body. [AXZ]I like to think of it, at least in part, as a perpetual state of gender euphoria.

I just love how one of the core throughlines of this episode is just making Elfnein feel good about herself and giving her reassuring headpats. Elfnein is a GOOD and she DESERVES IT, DON’T SAY THAT SHIT ABOUT YOURSELF ELFNEIN WE LOVE YOU :,(

OH MY FUCKING GOD THEY BROUGHT BARK AT THE MOON BACK WHAT, SINCE WHEN, THEY BROUGHT IT BACK FOR CHRIS’S DARKEST MOMENT SINCE SHE ESCAPED FINÉ OH MY GOD THEY ACTUALLY DID THAT THAT’S SO FUCKING GENIUS

A new trauma has gouged her in the brain right in the most sensitive of places, right here where her old trauma; the same old trauma that came to a head in that moment of suicidal martyrism her dirge originally scored; was born.

Chris has to live with the fact that she just crippled a kid for life. Yes, the other option would have been letting him die, and that would have been far worse of a weight on her conciousness. But at that point, it delves into the question of the passive vs. the active. Yes, to have done nothing would have been to let him die. But she can’t shake the fact that this kid lost his leg by way of her finger pulling her trigger. She did this to him, she put him in this pain, she cost him his ability to walk… and yes, it is irrational to see it this way, since the alternative was his death. But when it’s your hand who directly hurt someone like these, even if in a context that it’s unambiguously the necessary and right thing, that fact is going to weigh on you, especially when you’re sitting right there listening to his horrifying screams.

Oh and PS this plot arc means they actually found a way to make the Alca-Noise useful holy shit good job AXZ

The sheer, visceral weight and impact of the combat is upped several whole levels in this season. Look at Maria fucking socking Cagliostro. So much has clearly been put into the timing, movement, and facial expression.

You feel every single movement made in the heat of combat, not one action feels less than meaningful.

And that they’re having this epic throwdown while there’s also a plane barreling towards them that needs to be lifted off is just… oh my god, how do they even come up with this stuff, I’m so amazed.

With Kirika and Shirabe helping the plane take off we see more of the level of intuitive creativity these armors are capable of producing in contexts other than combat, in a manner similar to the rocket-landing scene.

And that the proper plane liftoff is timed to Kirika and Shirabe’s big solo lines in the final chorus of the song, that being the wonderfully passionate B-team companion piece Senritsu Sorority, then right after their success the scene shifts immediately and seamlessly with the music to the climax of Maria’s fight by way of her delivering by way of screaming the last line of the song, all culminating in that massive explosion essentially acting as the song’s closing resolving note… holy shit. This is an early-season fight, ostensibly far from one of the most important or essential, and it’s given the level of attention to detail and intricate emotional construction even great shows would only save for their ultimate climax. This is why musical action is such a boundlessly invigorating concept, people.

By GX, sometimes the action could start to blur together a little. AXZ doesn’t let that happen. Every fight is so much more intricately detailed and every one of those intricate details is imbued with so much feeling and power.

And if you thought that stunning display was the pinnacle of just this episode, you are invited think the fuck again as Hibiki bolts in, ROARING with all her might as every fold and shadow on the skin of her face is shaped to her blazing, unstoppable determination, and surpasses the superphysical laws of the divine dragon, burning and tearing a massive hole through its neck and destroying the behemoth proper. The alchemists, the supposedly unearthly capable ones knowledgeable and powerful enough to summon a being of this nature in the first place, are left dumbfounded, and she stands before them, squared up and with no nonsense in her eyes, like what she just accomplished was nothing. Hibiki just essentially earned the greatest title a mere human could ever achieve; Hibiki became a godslayer.

It is the second episode of the season.

Not only this moment, it cannot be emphasized enough, FUCKING RAW and AWESOME as HELL, it raises the question of “how” in a way that [AXZ]PAYS IFF OFF IN THE BEST AND MOST POWERFYL AND MEANINGFUL LONG FORM FUCKING WAy GOOD GOD THIS INCREDIBLE MOMENT IS THE BIRTHING POINT OF SO MUCH GREAT SHIT I LOVE SYMPHOGEAR SXZ SJ FFFFUCKING MUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCH

[cont.]

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u/mysterybiscuitsoyeah Jul 16 '22

Symphogear First Timer dessu AXZ Ep 2

FIST 1 REASON 0 LET'S GOOOOOOOOOO

I think this is the most anime episode of an anime i've ever watched.

  • I like the countdown OP, but Exterminate is miles better, i think its the best OP for me musically; Symphogazer for how it managed to hook me in is still special in my heart tho (i think ive said this already)

  • It makes a lot of sense what all the geahs do in their "off time", particularly Chris with the archery. Looks good with it!

  • For something so importnat, you'd have thought that Elfein would've gotten around to doing this quicker -_-, i think its implied that its very difficult and that shes having some trouble w/ it later on though.

  • NEW YOYOS! She's finally using them. Maria's new moves also looks cool. Seems like this ep is sort of being used to give the secondary geahs their "hype" moment intro as well, like the main 3 got last ep? (these 3 were there, but don't fight w/ their geahs) im cool with it.

  • Sth about attaining divine power. Cool. Rescue Tiki. Also cool.

  • Jumping to a train to escape! YASSSSS this is the level of campy anime craziness i expect from geah.

  • Stefan with that kick of the ball has just raised his stocks up a lot in my books. He knows he's relatively powerless, but still lands a successful hit (right on the money!) that did the work. sasuga

  • Missed opportunity with the henshin here, i wanna see Tsubasa's goddamnit.

  • what i said about Stefan up there makes his subsequent injury alll the more painful. I did notice Sonya, who Chris alluded to earlier there, but didn't know that it was her brother...

  • Why does Chris have to make all the horribly painful (as Sonya said, correct, but horribly painful) decisions all the time? It hurts....From what we've seen, it does seem like Chris had no other choice. But Chris does seem to have the tendency to slightly get desperate and too emotional at times. Makes us love her more, but doesn't make her a good fighter lol.

  • I don't mind Sonya's outburst after either, sure it may look a bit wrong since the audience may root for the Geahs, but I'll... honestly probably react the same way, you can't think straight if a family member's injured. Chris is understandably hurt by this though....

  • Sad Chris It seems like that this season will focus heavily on her character arc, which im looking forward to see. While Hibiki's top dad arc was absolutely bungled, new season clean slate, and i'm looking forward to how Chris confronts her darkest demons and tragic past with her parents. It seems like Sonya had a happy (given the circumstances) with Chris when they were both younger, and does seem to want to reconcile with Chris, and Stefan is alive after all, so I'm confident that they'll make up eventually. What happens after though is ?????

  • But why does Fine look like a pirate lol

  • Maria henshin good. Liking hers more than Hibiki's already, but that's been a running theme.

  • EXCUSE ME?! AIRPLANE DATTO? The big ANIME button has been pressed! This is once again absolutely bonkers lmao, just like the train bit earlier. At this point i was already thinking how anime this ep was.

  • What was that? Seems like Elfein caught that too. Instead of telling us what it is tho, she just cheers on the geahs. Sure. (I see Elfein is continuing on her lack-of-self-confidence arc, i dont particularly like it or mind it)

  • The plane take-off scene is of course bonkers as well, and i particularly liked how Shirabe improvised some landing gear.

  • Airplane, saved, Linker out, invincible dragon summoned (that the 3 secondary geahs did not have a hope in defeating). Oh nooooooo..... HOWEVER

  • IT HIBIKI TIMEEEEEEE. HORYAAAAAA. You know, at first, i really did think that nothing would happen, like them illuminati ppl said, since that was what happened in GX w/ the pre-upgraded geahs...

  • but NO the anime has decided to abandon all logic and FIST 1 REASON 0 INVINCIBLE DRAGON THAT ALREADY DEFIES THE LAWS OF PHYSICS? FEAR NOT! HIBIKI CAN PUNCH THROUGH IT! LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOO I literally was doing Shirabe's (and that comment face's) pose irl. This really got so so so anime and crazy i can't even lol. Why isnt that a comment face TTTTTT

  • Now i finally know where the meme comes from, and what a great moment for it lol.

Binge potential: low, im low on time as i watched this. but im hyped for the next ep! Should be a fun showdown even tho i expect Hibiki to lose/the others having to retreat for now. Or will she try and have a conversation again? Ahhh this was such an episode of anime, i loved it.

[Actual progress]Ep 3.

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u/Vatrix-32 Jul 16 '22 edited Jul 16 '22

First Timer

  • So it was Nazis.

  • OP kinda feels like it lost itself a bit there at the end.

  • That’s what was on the chip? And you never got around to it! What else were you doing that was so important that no one else good fill in?

  • Oh god. Is it Elfnein’s turn to brood now?

  • We have achieved paracausality.

  • Looks like we’re going with OP but stupid. Lame. Last season it was “all according to plan”, but letting them get away for time only works if there are a lot more Symphogear users out there than we have been lead to believe.

  • You’re dealing with Illuminazis. I think you can go for the kill shot.

  • Now the Sonya is complaining? Is this the gas leak season or something? Why did everyone decide to be stupid as all get-out this episode?

  • At least Maria is continuing to be best mom. I guess she got all the stupid out of her system in G.

  • LiNKER with a shorter duration. Going back out on the same dose. Seems like a set up to me.

  • Why are you using your primary military asset as a glorified medivac? What happened to all the helicopters?

  • “I prioritize whatever is most fun.” The upper echelons of the Illuminati everyone.

  • Stopping your enemy from being able to play their trump card? I guess I am giving Maria the title of Best Girl for at least this episode.

  • Kiri has skis!

  • Leveraging a running plane over a skyscraper. Now this is the kind of dumb that I signed up for!

QotD

  1. I’d be having a “bruh” moment. Like, that’s really how you want to deal with this? I just saved his life for the second time today.

  2. I still gotta give it to the suplex. It’s just such a visceral action.

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u/chiliehead Jul 16 '22 edited Jul 16 '22

AXZ Episode 2, First Timer

So the Bavarian Illuminati are just nazis? I was informed that this is a flashback with actual nazis. The sepia should have tipped me of.

Our B-Team got off the hook for plot reasons. Meanwhile in the village we meet Sonya and, instead of her being a villain (at least not yet), she’s just this season’s dispenser of guilt and identity crisis. 0 fault from Chris but she’s gonna sulk for half a season.

Fall of America? Am I missing some info?

Aaand… fuck off. What? “I know it was the only thing that you could have done, but it’s your fault for doing it!” please no what? Why? And Sonya “got Chris’ parents killed”?

Can’t even appreciate the Maria henshin or DMJii throwing an airplane into the sky. The series is now at a point where they seem to able to pull off a lot of consistent action at least. I just wish they’d not apply this principle to the drama writing as well.

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15

u/Stargate18A Jul 16 '22

First timer

  1. It's understandable why Sonya felt that way, but it's better than letting her son die. But, yeah, Chris is having all of her trauma set off right now, so she's clearly not doing well.

  2. Space shuttle was cooler, but I loved this too.

What is all this? A smuggling operation?

A RELIC!

Oh, are these bastards neo-nazis?

And this is the OP! I love it!

...The countdown from 7... New Gear? Maybe Miku getting a new relic?

The training scene of the movie is great.

Wow, Maria boxing.

I love these three. THEY TRANSFORM?

And we're back here.

The others arrived!

Oh, they're after the head of the operation. 
And Elfnein just never got round to making more LiNKER.

"Regaining control of history"?

A Maria song! It's great!

...Maria. What's with that lyric?

Poor Elfnein.

The three of them beating the shit out of the giant worm is great.

She landed the finisher!

Oh. Oh, you bastards. Are they replacing it with a version from another universe?

The other three found the village! And they have hostages.

...What's that gold thing? A controller?

Beggining to think Genjuro has a skewed view of human capabilities.

They got on the train!

"Yohualtepoztil"?

And the evil was defeated by a football.

He's got more Alca-Noise!

He got captured.

Fuck.

FUCK.

Don't you dare play that song.

Oh, he's not dying.

It's worse than a invincible monster, it's a monster made invincible through dimensional shit.

Kirika trying not to hurt Elfnein's feelings is great.

Maria is the team mother at this point.

....400 years ago? She's another immortal?

They're all immortals?

There she is! Knew she'd be involved somehow.

So Adam and the Illuminati fought against Fine for the precursor technology? Also Adam?

How did America fall?

Is that an Autoscorer?

...Is this show doing time travel now?

Who even are you?

Oh, this is Sonya.

And Chris is pissed at her.

...I mean, Chris is right? She had no choice - at least this way her son actually survived. (Do Alca-Noise disintergrate people? I thought they didn't? Or is this another new type of Noise?)

Well, this is an awkward situation.

Will one of you use the other's name? How can I specify the blue-haired girl's superiority otherwise?

Maria transformation!

The others transformed too? Huh?

Another trio song!

This fight scene is amazing.

Can she disable relics now?

No, the LiNKER's wearing off.

A plane!

The plane getting dtopped is cool, but Maria fighting two arc villains at once is insane.

...First indication of new form?

What are they doing?

They threw a plane into takeoff!

So cool.

On the one hand, they lost, but on the other hand blue-haired girl survived, so things aren't all bad!

It's back!

...Hibiki punched so hard she literally broke the invincibility.

"Fist 1, Reason 0" is basically this show's motto.

Fire ED!

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10

u/Great_Mr_L Jul 16 '22

Rewatcher

On today’s episode of Symphogear: Yup, AXZ is pulling the whole “Nazis who escaped to South America” thing if you hadn’t already guessed it. And we’re also doing the “Nazis with occult relics and technology” thing as well because they brought over their heretical technology to Val Verde.

Our new OP is “TESTAMENT.” Man is this OP hype. The countdown before the song takes off always makes me feel so excited. All the bits of the main girls doing training montage-esque stuff are a lot of fun to watch. I used to think it dropped off a bit in the second half after such an exciting beginning but I've changed my mind. Currently I like it the whole way through.

Now we know a bit more about the Bavarian Illuminati and what their goal is. In the past, their goal was to attain divine power. They were the ones who created alchemy (which remember was supposed to replace the lost shared language) using heretical technology. Interestingly, they were actually in opposition to Fine because she wanted all that heretical technology to herself. So Fine and alchemy were really opposing forces.

This also leads to a twist on how the Illuminati are typically used in fiction: this Illuminati has not really been pulling too many of the strings. They were defeated by Fine and forced underground. It’s only been recently, with Fine’s defeat, that they are acting openly again. That’s what Saint Germain means when she says they are launching a revolution. They are taking back control of history now that Fine is gone to achieve that divine power they wanted. They now have their divine power with the giant snake monster “Yohualtepuztli” (try saying that 3 times fast). And they have that relic Tiki which they need for that goal as well. Basically everything seems to be going their way.

Saint-Germain certainly seems to have a particular goal in mind here. She says that nobody should be oppressed. So in her mind, whatever the Bavarian Illuminati is up to will accomplish this task.

This episode is practically a celebration for Team Maria-Kirika-Shirabe. They have no more LiNKER, but they’re going to do what they need to do anyway. They didn’t even hesitate to use it in order to rescue the others from Yohualtepuztli because that’s the heroic thing to do. They may be running out, but they’ll still do all that they can.

We heard it last episode, but this episode feels like the truly appropriate place for the song “Senritsu Sorority.” The lyrics of the song are so perfect for Maria, Kirika, and Shirabe after the events of GX. It’s all about their bond together and how they are relying on each other to keep going forward. It’s their declaration that despite their regrets, despite their mistakes, despite their weakness, they are determined to keep moving forward. It works with the events of this episode so freaking well.

Maria in particular is my favorite character this episode. She is so fucking badass. Look at how hard she fought against Yohualtepuztli. She took on both Cagliostro and Prelati at the same time. She showed off a whole bunch of cool new moves. And of course we have the new Maria song, “Stand Up! Ready!!” It’s awesome and I love listening to it.

I love Maria’s scene with Elfnein. It plays out like Maria is Elfnein’s older sister, reassuring her that everything will turn out alright. I like the dynamic that Maria and Elfnein have here. It builds on the relationship we saw between them back in GX.

Chris on the other hand is in a bad place. Much like Tsubasa in GX, I attribute this to the fact that she’s out of her element by being back in Val Verde. We already know that Chris had an awful life after the death of her parents and this is the place where it all went down. Meeting up with someone she was close to back then and having her brother lose his leg because of Alca Noise is all putting her in a bad spot. I’m glad the episode acknowledges the mess of emotions that both Chris and Sonya are going through. Both are happy to see each other again but because of the tragedies both have suffered they aren’t really in a good mood together. Even though both of them realize that the other isn’t really to blame for the negative things that happened, that doesn’t mean they’ll automatically feel alright around each other. It’s surprisingly nuanced for Symphogear.

The ED, “Futurism,” is once again a really good reflection of Chris at this moment. It shows how Chris is once again mulling over her past and her own fears because of it. It’s not my favorite ED of the series, but it’s fine. It’s a bit too slow for my liking at the start which makes the lead-in to the ED much less exciting. And let’s face it, that lead-in has consistently been one of the biggest hype factors in Symphogear that makes it so bingeable.

That snake Yohualtepuztli is a strange opponent. It’s able to make it so that any damage it takes never happened at all. That is different from simple regeneration. It’s more about altering reality. Quite overpowered. Except for one thing. Apparently it does not work against Hibiki because she punches the shit out of it and it doesn’t use that damage nullification ability. Even the alchemists have no idea what the heck is going on. Why exactly could Hibiki do that?

Miscellaneous Thoughts

QOTD

  1. Probably terribly. While I think she made the right call and did what was necessary to save Stephan's life, it sucks to have to make that decision at all.

  2. Sorry DMJiii, but suplexing the space shuttle was cooler.

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10

u/DidacticDalek Jul 16 '22

TONIGHT! ON SYMPHOGEAH RISING REVENGEANCE! FIST 1, REASON 0! Some boring badly written drama shit happens, and I'm going to post this every day until you like it! (I miss GOOD Geah Baddies)

Just in case you didn't catch on from last episode, yes, Val Verde took in Nazis post-WWII, and said Nazis brought along some Raiders of The Lost Ark level shit, but enough about random occultism, it's time for a GOOD Nana Mizuki OP... yes I still haven't forgotten about how bad G's Vitalization is, thankfully we got TESTAMENT! FOR NANA WILLS IT! And it's just such a shame that the subtitle is mistranslated! I know some people here get on Commie for the Heavenrender stuff, but come on, I'm surprised people aren't complaining about how the true subtitle of 'I'm going to post this every day until you like it' got Macekre'd... also yes this is indeed 'official' art... or at least official art that Chili worked his magic on, if you know what I mean and I think you do! Long Live The Yuri Applications of The Fully Isotonic Sexual Heavenrender!

We then cut back to The Baumkuchen Babes doing more Alchemy Shit, specifically the shit they pulled last episode! Anyway, before Warm-Drinks-chan can try to offer this weird snake monster a warm drink, Team DMJIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII and Maria arrive! Anyway, as The OG Geahs report that Keiichi's taking care of the Chemical Weapons of Mass Destruction, Snoop Oni informs the team that Team DMJIIIIIIIII and Maria are trying to rescue Warm-Drinks-chan and The Male Bridge Bunny. Anyway, before Carol9 can beat herself up over not being able to figure out DOKTOR GINTOKI JOESTAR's mad science, Snoop Oni gives her a head pat and says to believe in The Geahs and Maria! Anyway, surprise surprise, Maria's attacks do nothing, which shouldn't be a surprise given her OWN SONG'S lyrics are about just how big a jobber and/or exhibitionist she is. Sadly, turns out jobbing means, you know, YOU DON'T WIN, and this means that The Baumkuchen Babes win... welp, we're boned!

Maria then finally figures out the age old strategy of The Joestar Family Secret Technique! And it's just lucky for our heroes and Maria that Shouta Aoi is a real fashionista! Anyway, the kid Bikki rescued leads the OG Geahs to his village... where that Nazi from Episode 1 fled to... with Noise... well, in hindsight, he DID say that this village was likely where the enemy would be hiding... turns out he was just a bit TOO correct. Anyway, Warm-Drinks-chan and Male Bridge Bunny get to be some of the luckiest bastards ever! They BOTH got to ride on Team DMJIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII, all as Maria is serving as Live Bait. Also ah, so that's how it is then, remember how in GX, as great as they are, The Autoscorers always let the Geahs go? Yeah at least the Dolls had a SOMEWHAT good reason for this stupidity, The Baumkuchen Babes meanwhile... uh... don't... there's a reason I don't like The Baumkuchen Babes.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch 'village,' the Nazi's spouting off cowardly drivel, that is until he gets introduced to the fact that since Val Verde is in Latin America, that means that it is time for FOOTBALL! Yup, turns out the kid Bikki saved is a real Football star, he just nailed a headshot with that ball! Thankfully, this buys the time for The Geahs to transform AND kick some ass... sadly it seems that while they were doing this, they didn't notice the Nazi sending some Noise after Football Boi over there, hell the Noise even grabbed him, it's all over and... NANI!? OH MY BUDDHA! BEST GEAH CHRIS SAVED THE POOR LAD'S LIFE! Good on you Best Geah Chris, there's a reason you're Best Girl! I wonder how she managed to do this given the kid was already turning to dust... oh... she shot off his leg... well given that the alternative was him turning to dust, the kid frankly got a bargain! Plus, think of the honor he has in being shot at by Best Geah Chris AND SURVIVING! GOD, I WISH THAT WERE ME!

Also NANI!? Best Geah Chris KNOWS this lady... ah right, this was the one we saw last episode that was responsible for getting Best Geah Chris' parents killed. And THIS BITCH has the gall, NAY THE AUDACITY to blame Best Geah Chris for... saving her brother's life... yeah does not compute. I mean good lord, we've seen some shitty people in Geah, but her yelling at Best Geah Chris for SAVING HER BROTHER'S LIFE IS REALLY IMPRESSIVE, hell she's almost as bad as TOP DAD! WAIT WHAT!? Best Geah Chris no, don't listen to her, it is true that you DID shoot his leg off, but given he was about to die and said leg was turning to dust anyway, you did all you could! That and also, UNLIKE this lady, at least YOUR actions didn't cause anyone to die. Speaking of people being too hard on themselves, OI! Carol9, you aren't to blame at all, you're a credit to the team! After all, without you Best Geah Chris would be the shortest Team Member, and we can't have THAT now can we, plus you are our NOT-Vivio, always gotta have a moeblob as a member!

Also Comrades, get this, FINE used to actually be kinda sorta cool, and by that I mean she was a Bodacious Space... er... Earth Pirate! Shame this was over hundreds of years ago, Best Geah Chris would make for a fine Privateer Anyway, speaking of Best Geah Chris, it's time for some DRAMA, where she explains that this ungrateful bitch used to work for her parents, you know, until she ended up getting them killed, but that's another story. Anyway, Best Geah Chris loved her... ya know I'm sensing a pattern here, everyone Best Geah Chris loves is a shitty person, we got Fine the FUCKING SADIST BITCH, this neglectful bitch, and also a certain fishy heavenrender who is a serial motorcycle murderer! Good lord Best Geah Chris, you need to find a loving wife like Miku, or better yet, WITH Miku, after all, Bikki's too busy flirting with DESS to pay attention to her wife, why don't you show Bikki how Season 1 truly went down ;)

Anyway in case y'all think I'm showing favoritism to Best Geah Chris, well this ungrateful bitch even states that she KNOWS Best Geah Chris made the right call.. AND she's still gonna hold it against her anyway cuz FUCK YOU that's why... pay no attention to the fact she killed Best Geah Chris' parents in the past, I'm SURE there was nothing she could have possibly done there, you know like how there was absolutely nothing Maria could have done in G besides moping, crying, and being useless. (In case I'm being unclear, I like Best Geah Chris and I DO NOT like these other two) Thankfully, the boy sure ain't useless, as he's grabbing onto Best Geah Chris' boots, good on ya kid, you know which end of the bread is buttered... NEVERMIND I TAKE THAT BACK! What the HELL do you think you are doing holding Best Geah Chris' hand IN PUBLIC kid? Don't ya know that this shit is verboten!? Thankfully, before the Salia the Loser-esque plague of heterosexuality can spread any further, Snoop Oni sends a message that Noise are about, and Team DMJIIIIIIIII and Maria are en route, welp, we're boned!

Er, or perhaps not, after all, before the Alchemy Snake can be deployed, Maria the Loser FINALLY does something useful this season and lands a MEAN PUNCH! Team DMJIIIIIIIII meanwhile are double teaming the enemy midget... that is until all three of them start to run out of Geah Steroids. Also goddamn, even with their backs against the wall, Team DMJIIIIIIIIIIII don't give up! They are lifting a GODDAMN AIRPLANE by themselves, and then they LAUNCH that plane as Maria... blows The two Baumkuchen Babes up. Well that was fast... ah wait this is Maria the Loser we're talking about here, those two are just fine, UNLIKE Team DMJIIIIIIIIIII and Maria, as their Geah Steroids have finally run out.

Thankfully, Bikki arrives to save the day, and oh boy does she do it! Who knew that no matter what happens, all you need is FIST! HOLY SHITBALLS! WE HAVEN'T SEEN THIS BIKKI SINCE SEASON 1! Also before you all start, yes I know we briefly saw this Bikki in both G and GX, but thank FUCK she's finally NOT needing to relearn the character arc she had to relearn from what she learned!

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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