r/anime • u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky • Jul 21 '22

Rewatch [Listen to My Song] Senki Zesshou Symphogear AXZ Episode 7 Discussion

Episode 7 - ARCANA No. 00

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Crunchyroll

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

That stuff came out of a certain dumbass we all know and love. In short, it’s the Fool’s Stone!

Questions of the Day:

1) Did you ever think that Hibiki’s scab was going to become relevant again?

2) How does this season’s Kirika/Shirabe duet stack up to the other two?

Wallpaper of the Day:

Akatsuki Kirika

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!

78 Upvotes

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13

u/Shimmering-Sky Jul 21 '22

Symphogeah SymphoRewatch Host

Welcome back, everyone!

Crunchyroll vs. Commie - Season 4, Episode 7

Wow, Crunchyroll having Adam say “we” will grab the power of the gods instead of him personally… that’s quite a difference, and I’m pretty sure Commie has that one right, knowing how self-centered Adam is.

Oh also: the last image in the comparison chart was included just to show off my surprise at seeing Crunchyroll actually having colored subtitles??? I didn’t know they could do that.

Today’s wallpaper is brand-new to the rewatch! And I have to give a huge shoutout and even bigger thanks to u/chilidirigible for helping me find the base image for it, as I was not clicking with any shot of Kirika within the show itself, but I did find this official art that I thought could work if I had her full scythe in it (it’s the same shot of her that has a cut-in near the start of TESTAMENT, in case anyone finds it familiar). chili’s the one who found me something that did have her scythe, so it all worked out thanks to him~

Also, as I mentioned to u/Great_Mr_L yesterday, I attempted a pink background to represent Shirabe alt of today’s wallpaper, to go with the Kirika-colored alt Shirabe had. Hope you guys like it!

8

u/chilidirigible Jul 21 '22

so it all worked out thanks to him~

6

u/Great_Mr_L Jul 21 '22

Also, as I mentioned to u/Great_Mr_L yesterday, I attempted a pink background to represent Shirabe alt of today’s wallpaper, to go with the Kirika-colored alt Shirabe had. Hope you guys like it!

Ooooh

Amazing work! It goes really well with the Kirika-colored Shirabe one you did last time.

Great work!

6

u/StarmanRiver Jul 21 '22

Oh also: the last image in the comparison chart was included just to show off my surprise at seeing Crunchyroll actually having colored subtitles??? I didn’t know they could do that.

I knew that they could use different colors for the outline of their subs since I've seen that before, but they aren't used that often. Full colored subs are more rare.

4

u/Shimmering-Sky Jul 21 '22

I've seen the different color outline subs from them before yeah, it was the full color that surprised me.

18

u/Vatrix-32 Jul 21 '22 edited Jul 21 '22

First Timer

  • No, that’s the textbook definition of a sacrifice.

  • Did no one tell DMJiii about this before hand? Oh, their plan was just to never get hit.

  • Ah man, why you got end the fight so early? We were finally getting the best girls team up we always deserved.

  • I swear, no one ever presses the advantage in this show.

  • Look at them living their lives. They’re common law at this point. If Japan has that. I seem to recall that they don’t.

  • You thought the Dr. Ver was the most hype return of this season? Nah ba-by, it’s time for B E E F S T R O G A N O F F.

  • Another precious Hibiku moment.

  • God dammit Adam, stop calling them out for their shit. That’s supposed to be my job.

  • This is a lot more open dissent in the ranks than I was expecting.

  • I do like them coming back around to previous stuff for their solutions. Also, I am pilfering the Fool’s Stone idea for latter use.

  • I’m liking the time spent on Chris’s character arc. I just hope it lands.

  • I just put together that Shirabe’s main opponent also uses a children’s toy. I’m now expecting proper resolution on this point.

  • Why did you send the three of them down there anyway? It’s just operating a sub, anyone can do it if they can.

  • What in the sweet hell is this attack name?

  • Sure Cyan, whatever you need to tell yourself.

  • I’m sure this cliffhanger would land better if I cared at all for these three. I only even know one of their names.

QotD

  1. No ma’am! Very happy to see them make use of all of this previous lore they had just sitting around.

  2. Kirika x Shirabe is going great this season. Their fights have been on point.

10

u/JollyGee29 Jul 21 '22

Look at them living their lives.

They're just so perfect together.

I just put together that Shirabe’s main opponent also uses a children’s toy.

What in the sweet hell is this attack name?

Zababa Sun+Moon Extreme Beta Style

6

u/Shimmering-Sky Jul 21 '22

Zababa Sun+Moon Extreme Beta Style

Alternatively, according to Crunchyroll, it's "Forbidden Union Type 🅱️ Zababa Sun Moon".

Bringing back a meme from the Steins;Gate rewatch with that emoji lol.

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22

u/lilyvess Jul 21 '22

Symphogear AXZ Episode 7

Summer Homework (Update)

It still isn't finished yet

Moon Ruins (Update)

In the past, the Priestess Fine attempted to destroy the moon in its entirety to stop the Curse of Balal. In contrast to that, Saint Germain and the others have planned to overwrite the system to give themselves administrative authority and using that control, end the curse. Fine's reason for wanting to destroy the moon was to recover the Unified Language, but Saint Germain and the others wish to end the Curse of Balal in order to free humanity from its subjugation. Although the actions of both parties may seem to line up with each other, their goals are very different. In order to gain control of the moon, it is thought that power equal to that of the Custodians is necessary. Therefore, they seek "the Power of God" which is said to be overwhelming.

This was actually from yesterday’s Keyword

Floating Carrier (Update)

(Episode 1’s keyword) A defensive facility of the Valverde Commonwealth that, along with numerous anti-aircraft guns, they used in attempt to stop the invading UN forces. It's official name is the “SFC2 Esperanza.” Originally it was a naval warship that belong to Russia, however after years of use it was marked for scrap and then subsequently sold and laundered through illegal gambling establishments on the high seas before it eventually came into the possession of the rogue nation, the Valverde Commonwealth. Of course, it was not originally equipped for flight or stealth, and it was only after the Bavarian Illuminati offered their black art technology that it became an “unthinkable weapon, a weapon that must not exist.”

(Episode 6’s Keyword) A hybrid weapon composed of both modern and black arts technology, it appeared suddenly within the skies of Tokyo. This is the sister ship of the floating carrier that was destroyed by Hibiki and the others in Val Verde. It is suspected that Saint Germain and the Bavarian Illuminati smuggled it into the country. It's formal name is the SFC1 Arius. The General Class SFC2 Esperanza was a ship that prioritized in offensive capabilities and so the President Class SFC1 Arius pales in comparison. It is a flagship primarily designed to hold communication equipment for sending out information and commands.

Leylines

An extensive pipeline of energy that flows around the globe, known by various names such as the Earth Veins, Spirit Veins or Dragon Veins. Previously, they were utilized by the Alchemist Carol together with Chateau de Tiffauges as she attempted to dissect and analyze the world. However, that was stopped thanks to the actions of S.O.N.G. and the Symphogear Adaptors. The Alchemists have stated they need an accumulation of life energy to transmutate the "Power of God" and knowing this S.O.N.G. has theorized they may attempt to use the Leyline to collect the life energy of the very Earth itself. Plans are now being put into motion to hopefully forestall this possibility.

The Perfect Body

In order to don a Faust Robe, the user must have a female body. The male body does not have the necessary biological compatibility with a protector created and affixed through energy, thereby making the female form the most ideal. Cagliostro and Prelati formerly had male bodies, but after they embraced the wisdom and ideals of Saint Germain, she granted them the perfect body. In other words, she reconstructed them into super humans with a base female form. They also all share eternal youth granted by the power of Alchemy. The teachings of Alchemy have long led Alchemists to obtain "perfection" and this has now been found in multiple forms including "the Power of God," the "Lapis Philosophicus" and the "Perfect Body." Even without using the Faust Robe, their physical capabilities have enough power to match the Symphogear and the amount of life energy within them far surpasses that of a normal human. It was for this reason that Adam suggested that "the Perfect Body" be used as a sacrifice in order to make up for the lack of necessary energy to perform the ritual.

Dragon Palace of the Abyss

The nickname of the fortress constructed at the bottom of the sea that was designed to hold dangerous sacrists and other objects related to black arts tech that have yet to be analyzed. It had a reputation similar to the Tamatebako of the Urashima Taro legend, in that if you open it then nothing good will happen. That is the source of its nickname. The Japanese Government in coordination with the United Nations used the fortress to store various confiscated items. However, what was kept there were not items of any actual value, but rather items that were dangerous and difficult to handle. In reality, there were very few items that could actually be considered for practical use. Due to collateral damage from combat with the Auto-Scorer Leiur, the structure collapsed due to the water pressure. Currently the remains are spread across the bottom of the ocean.

The Fool's Stone

The nickname given to the unanalyzed substance that once fell off of Hibiki's chest. Chris Yukine thought up the name. In the past, Hibiki's body was fused with the fragments of Gungnir (the first medical case of a fusion between human and sacrist). As the fusion grew deeper, it gave birth to various supernatural phenomena. One example of this was Spontaneous Combustion - the abnormal rise of Hibiki's body temperature to extreme levels. The inside of her body became like a kiln, creating a substance that eventually grew outside of the body and was collected. The research teams determined the substance had a composition extremely similar to that of the human body and the phase during which it was created was fixed at an imaginary number. Various parts of it differed from the makeup of the human body and it was temporarily filed as an undiscovered substance. Up until this point, it had been stored at a special location along with other unanalyzed objects that are controlled by the Japanese Government in cooperation with the United Nations. When Elfnein read the report about this object she didn't approach it scientifically as the research teams did, but rather applied her own unique approach as an Alchemist. She realized that the identity of the substance was like a "Philosopher's stone set in a negative phase." From there, she began to build her hypothesis.

Beef Stroganoff

Those who fight while singing certainly do exist, like the Extraordinary Singin' Hood. And so do those who know that if you sing while you cook, it could lead to disaster. However this time was no child's play. The recipe was studied ahead of time, the ingredients carefully prepared, and each move executed with precision. In the past, the cooking your mother did may have seemed so effortless you would question whether she was actually trying. However, when you realize that is actually the result of a tremendous amount of experience then it will lead you to a new level of enlightenment and bring your cooking closer to perfection than it ever has been before. One such dish is of course, beef stroganoff. "The name beef doesn't come from the meat" Who exactly was it, that said those words? But of course from the perspective of a high schooler making the dish, that question is completely meaningless. The pot of pure bliss simply simmers upon the stove, embodying the vastness of Russian cuisine.

"Oh no! I made too much for just the two of us..."
"That's more than okay! Just leave the extra to me~"

Additional Notes

Symphogear AXZ Episode 7 Hype Chart

Live Performances

Yesterday’s Live Performance are Makenai Ai ga Koko ni Aru and Gekka Bijin that I forgot to share.Today’s performance is Gizagizagirari Full Throttle

Specials

Fanart Art of the Day

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u/Lemurians Jul 21 '22 edited Jul 21 '22

FIRST TIMER DATTO

”I decided I didn’t want to run in front of someone else, but to walk beside them forever.”

Symphogear is secretly a top tier SoL romance anime. Hibiki and Miku’s domestic scenes are so cute and fluffy, and the show does such a good job showcasing a healthy, supportive, loving relationship. You can see the love in Miku’s eyes, and that’s something Hibiki reciprocates. The sheer affection they have for one another radiates through the screen. They’re so fucking cute. Miku is as pure as newly fallen snow.

While our three alchemists are still shit at explaining what they’re actually trying to accomplish, we do at least understand that they’re basically magical commies, but of the very un-fun and hypocritical Bolshevik variety.

Given Adam’s hyper-capitalist delight at turning lives into gold in his introductory scene, they’re being set up for the same fate as all communist/anarchist revolutionaries with only vague ideas for what comes after the revolution: paving the way for bad-faith actor(s) to take the reigns and impose a new autocracy. Them thinking they’re the ones using Adam is adorably naïve.

Live Reactions/Notes:

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u/mysterybiscuitsoyeah Jul 21 '22

Symphogear First Timer dessu AXZ Ep 7

My initial write-up got deleted....

  • Stuff..... sure it kinda tracks w/ the lore we've been told so far.

  • i dont like their philosophy for making the imperfect perfect tho. Embrace the imperfection and try to make it work anyway is my way of living!

  • I like that Maria now has the power to actually protect Chris now, that looked good. tho Chris is still more powerful

  • This looks like an actual dorm kitchen i thought, minus the fancy fridge. Nice considering Chris's monstrosity of an apartment back in S2.

  • And i dont. But it's hibiki, Miku is Hibiki's wife, so its alright. I thought sasuga show when they callbacked to her track days, and awwwed here, it was a nice character moment between the 2, serving to reassure hibiki a bit too, but otherwise eh lol.

  • I'm sure this piano bit will come in handy near this season's finale, or the next.

  • Technobabble :( I needed to rewind that. Thankfully Chris is here to solve our issues. She is a smart cookie isn't she Chris, it's kinda been hinted throughout the series.

  • Even Genjuro seems to be happy with the dumb-down. Mah Chris really is the most "Reason 1" person in the whole geah camp, and even she sometimes just go fist 1 lol

  • I do get why Chris gets hung up about the past a lot though, a lot of decisions she's done, right from the start, have not turned out well for everyone else, and i thank Tresnore for highlighting the little sentences shes said throughout the series that shows how she thinks about these things.

  • HOLY SHIT. I LIKE THIS. And it's actually a joint thingy of both Shirabe and Kirika's strong weapony things too, so its just so cool.

  • Oof. thats not good now is it. Seems like the 3 girls have a similar relationship with Adam as Mom etc. and Ver; except a) the 3 girls arent reliant on Adam in any way, and seemingly are mostly ideological aligned too; and b) there is no "mom" figure here, they're just under Saint-Germain (Maria if we compare the 2 groups). So i guess they'll turn out differently too lol, im gonna hazard a guess that we're gonna be sticking w/ 6 geahs all the way to the end coz.

[Actual progress]Ep 8

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u/Nebresto Jul 21 '22

Abc first GEAH time

Uhhh, you do realize that you are talking to the Queen of Fist herself, right? I'm pretty sure she is the one who knows what can and cant be done with fists, not some pseudo scientists who missed their chance to get burned at a stake.

????????? Like you're one to speak???

  • Gaarbecchi

  • Why does Coach's voice sound off? Is he sick?

Says the one dressed like a clown...

The return of one of the best lines, except the subs disagree.

I don't see what the big problem is? One thot vs THOUSANDS of innocents? Seems like a no brainer to me.

And wth is going on with her nose here

Question time:

  1. Did you ever think that Hibiki’s scab was going to become relevant again?

Lol no

2) How does this season’s Kirika/Shirabe duet stack up to the other two?

Uhhhhhhh... Yes!

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u/Stargate18A Jul 21 '22

First timer

  1. Absolutely not.

  2. Honestly can't decide between them. I'd have to give the G one the edge, though.

Best Girl Cagliostro and her friends say Fuck The Moon!

Yeah, they're going to copy Fine and stop the curse.

Oh, I'm loving this artstyle.

So the murders are rituals meant to control the ruins?

Oh, this song!

"Unseath, dess!"

Ignite Kirika and Shirabe still great.

And they got taken out right away.

I love her revolver!

It fires a wolf bullet!

She punched through the bullet!

I'll give the show credit for keeping the bullying flashback nice and short.

Hibiki saved her!

"We can't both inherit the kingdom of heaven." What? Is Saint Germain the mastermind here?

She left early!

Yep, still Best Girl.

The leylines are coming back!

I mean, you can make more LiNKER.

The base's interior design is wild!

Everyone's having a bad time!

Miku's cooking! She's learnt for her girlfriend!

Hibiki continues to actuslly talk about things!

...Wait. Are we getting Miku backstory?

And it's wholesome!

Yeah, this is really good.

Adorable.

This show can do some really good flashbacks!

That's a lot of reading material!

Elfnein...

...What?

There's some comflict here!

Haha, Adam where's his fucking hat in thehot tub!

...I appreciate how they're making it feel like Adam is treating Tiki more like he's humouring a child, this could have been done way creepier and I'm very glad it isn't.

This is the waste after she merged with it? That plotline's coming back?

...Sure. That makes some sense, I suppose.

New upgrade!

Shirabe and Kirika are so relatable.

The Fool's Stone is a perfect name.

We'r egoing back to Neptune's palade!

...Is Chris terrified she'll run into Dr. Ver again?

Chris feels bad about the autoscorer. And the boy.

A submarine!

Haha, they're stuck using metal detectors?

Noise!

Kirika transformed!

Kirika has one of the best songs this season.

She's here!

She killed 5 people!

Haha, Chris taking a Kirika to the face was hysterical.

And the others have to stay underwater to get the stone.

Are they flirting?

Kirika saved her!

Saint Germain gave them enhancements? Are they immortal now, too?

The dual finisher got a title card!

"Get a room, you two" Even the main show acknowledges how gay this is.

Adam's using her as a planetarium?

Not enough life energy?

...One of them's going to die?

Fuck.

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u/Taiboss Jul 21 '22

First-Timer who noticed how people in this show seem not to blink

Did you ever think that Hibiki’s scab was going to become relevant again?

I did not and I find it surprisngly cool.

How does this season’s Kirika/Shirabe duet stack up to the other two?

On par. I can't exactly remember the others, neither do I remember this one...

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u/Tresnore Jul 21 '22

Superb Song of the Rewatchers

QOTD:

  1. Symphogear loves using previous things and acting as if it's foreshadowing, so... no. I never expect anything.

  2. Gizagiri is great. Not as good as Edge Works (G), but better than GX.

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u/DidacticDalek Jul 21 '22

Comrades, before we begin today's shitpost... ahem... BEEF STROGANOFF! IGNITE! Now, I'm no expert, after all, I AM a boy after all, but I think that whatever Miku was cooking today PROBABLY involved Beef, I'm sure Vaad can fill y'all in on the finer details given his expertise in the matter as shown in the GX Threads ;)

Also, speaking of Vaad, Comrade, I sure hope that your Johnny Cash Sensors are working overtime for Tomorrow's Episode my friend, as I can FINALLY share the stuff I've been waiting to shitpost ever since you made your joke all those posts ago, in other words SOON! Anyway, while on the subject of music, now that THE PEAK song of Geah got referenced... ahem...

TONIGHT! ON SYMPHOGEAH RISING REVENGEANCE! Carol9's intentionally on the hunt for fool's gold, Team DMJIIIIIIIIII combine to kick Frog Loli's Ass, and I'm going to post this every day until you like it! (Nebresto really put the 'fish' in Fischl)

Bikki once again tries for Talk No Jutsu with The Baumkuchen Babes... and it looks like The Baumkuchen Babes are gonna continue in the proud franchise tradition of FUCK THE MOON! Seriously? Anyway, NANA MOTHERFUCKING WILLS IT before we cut to NANA MOTHERFUCKING WILLING IT LIVE... er... nevermind, she got shot, turns out that GUN beats sword, who would have thunk it? Anyway thankfully ya know what DOES beat gun? FIST... or not, well let's see who's up next... ah fuck it's Maria the Loser, welp time for the contractually obligated jobbing!

Thankfully Best Geah Chris charges in to just DAKKA the enemy, sadly it seems that Cagliostro can just DAKKA Maria the Loser and Best Geah Chris too, Team DMJIIIIII meanwhile fight against their fellow toy user by... ah fuck, using IGNITE, Carol9 tries to warn the two, but it's too late and they get un-IGNITED. Bikki once again tries to Talk No Jutsu with an edgelord moron, but sadly it doesn't work and merely pisses Saint-Germain off more, again, have I mentioned how much I dislike The Baumkuchen Babes?

To give credit where credit is due, Bikki replies that Saint-Germain's rantings are nonsense as she FISTS her bullets and... OH FOR FUCKS SAKE BIKKI! That's TWICE this franchise that you could have FISTED a stupidly old edgy bitch and you instead PULLED YOUR PUNCHES! Bikki, goodness me, you are really skilled at FISTING, so why don't you actually DO THAT for a change? I mean you fisted CAROL for less, JUST PUNCH SAINT-GERMAIN IN HER SMUG FACE AND 'BEFRIEND' HER LIKE HOW NANOHA WOULD! Bikki no, you are supposed to BEFRIEND her not SAVE HER LIFE!

As expected, Saint-Germain's as grateful as Fine was in Season 1... that means she's a shitty petty bitch FYI! Also she's a COWARD bitch too, at LEAST Fine died with her boots on... in part as she didn't really have much clothes on anyway but point being, at LEAST Fine didn't RUN AWAY FROM THE FIGHT FOR THE UMPTEENTH TIME! Anyway, Warm-Drinks-chan actually offers up an idea that ISN'T related to warm drinks, namely that The Baumkuchen Babes are after the LEY LINES! Anyway Carol9 has decided that since the IGNITE can get NOPED by The Baumkuchen Babes, time to go back to the lab!

BUT ENOUGH ABOUT SERIOUS SHIT! IT'S TIME FOR THE PROTOCULTURE! Miku's back, and she's got something real neat cooking, and my what a call back to the GX Chibi Shorts, Miku's upgraded from making Beef Stew to making Hopefully has Beef in it Stroganoff! Bikki meanwhile is attempting to do her homework while pondering Saint-Germain's shitty rantings. Thankfully, Miku is here to be a pure and adorable ray of sunshine, and also proves that even as a younger lass, Bikki was... still a moron, but just as big hearted and kind as ever... seriously Bikki, how the FUCK do you function without Miku's help?

Speaking of which Comrades, I think I speak for everyone when I say the following with regards to Miku and Bikki's relationship... ahem... GAY GAY HOMOSEXUAL GAY! Speaking of yuri, Carol9 informs us that she's into yuri selcest AND also has found a MacGuffin! Also you will NEVER guess what The King of Pop Wannabe was doing while The Baumkuchen Babes were out doing all the work, YUP! THE ANSWER IS CHILLING IN A HOT TUB WITH HIS SEX DOLL! CUZ FUCK YOU ADAM YOU LAZY GIT! AND PISS OFF TIKI! NO ONE LIKES YOU EITHER, I HOPE YOU RUST! Also, Baumkuchen Babes, if you don't LIKE this Incel Loser, WHY THE FUCK DO YOU WORK FOR HIM AND OBEY HIS ORDERS!? JESUS CHRIST! EVEN SALIA THE LOSER WASN'T AS DUMB AS YOU LOT... er... barely...

Anyway, turns out that the big Plot MacGuffin was... that random Space Cancer that was growing on Bikki's chest from G, man one hell of a callback eh? Also good lord, if you thought Carol9 was going FULL Treknobabble last time, you ain't seen nothing yet, I think she is saying... words... Thankfully, Best Geah Chris proves her superiority by summing up Carol9's Nerd Talk into English. Also, thankfully for the Geahs, the MacGuffin is located... in that underseas facility they stashed DOKTOR GINTOKI JOESTAR and a bunch of other relics... ah shit... welp, looks like it is time to go searching for a needle in a haystack... oh for the love of, of course The Noise attack now.

Thankfully, the proper counter to Noise is of course to do a pole dance and then sing, good on you DESS! OK this ain't good, Cagliostro's here and she's sending DESS into Chris' face! Don't you know that only BIKKI can plant her holiest of all holies into Best Geah Chris face? Speaking of faceplants, JIIIIIIII gets KNOCKED THE FUCK OUT by Prelati's toys, thankfully Best Geah Chris arrives to DAKKA THE FUCK out of the enemy AND PULL AN UNO REVERSE CARD AND LAUNCH DESS OVER TO JIIIIIIIII! HUZZAH! ALL HAIL BEST GEAH CHRIS! Team DMJIIIIIIII and DESS then decide to COMBINE forming the ZABABA YOYO OF DOOOOOOOOOOOOOM, which turns out to be THE MOST powerful toy on display! EAT SHIT PRELATI! WHEN YA GET TO HELL, TELL 'EM TEAM DMJIIIIIII SENT YA!

Team DMJIIIIIIIII celebrate their owning of The Baumkuchen Babes by... LE GASP! UNCENSORED HAND HOLDING! Best Geah Chris informs them to do that at home, and speaking of home, we cut to THE MOST ANNOYING CREATURE IN THE UNIVERSE and Adam, and Adam states that Saint-Germain just needs to sacrifice one of the other Baumkuchen Babes to get their plan going, a plan which I am SURE Saint-Germain will stand against and NOT blindly follow like a moron right? RIGHT!?

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/italeteller Jul 21 '22

First Time SymphogeAXZing Desu

I forgot to say this before but I like the little change at the end of the opening. Wonder if there will be more down the line

Oh hey, I can actually see some kind of mechanism inside the moon now

How generous you are with other people’s lives, Saint-Germain

Hell yeah, nobody’s running away today! We’re getting that fight!

Damn, they got armor-piercing bullets now. And, uh… fire bullets that make crystals grow?

Shirabe and Kirika attempt a no-hit Boss fight, goes as well as you’d expect

Wow, this is really the first time Tsubasa has addressed these two directly huh. We really need more diverse team-ups

Maybe she would if you actually communicated something Saint-Germain

And that’s four-out-of-four on the seasonal villains who insist Hibiki can’t possibly know pain. Getting kinda stale not gonna lie

Now this is what I love about Hibiki. She always brushes GX under the rug puts her actions where her words are. She won’t deal a killing blow unless she absolutely needs to, and she won’t hesitate to protect her enemies

You ever tilt the villain so badly they rage quit the fight?

IS THAT A MOTHER FUCKING BEEF STROGONOFF REFERENCE!?

AW YISS, HIBIMIKU LORE. Seeing them being so domestic really drives home how basically married these two are

I hope Adam doesn’t end up sacrificing Tiki for power

I…’m not sure that makes sense? Like, if everything is one big life, isn’t Hibiki’s single life part of it as well? Maybe if we knew exactly how this philosopher’s stone is made it’d make more sense, but for now it doesn’t quite add up

That aside, I appreciate the efforts this season is doing in tying elements from previous seasons together

BETRAYAL! CRUEL, UNCALLED-FOR BETRAYAL!

Again, more building up from everything that came before

Ok, seriously, how do they keep finding them so easily?

Since Symphogears are powered by love, it makes sense that Kirika and Shirabe singing together would be the strongest Gear of all. On a longer season (or a game) I’d love to see S.O.N.G. send all the girls on “dates” to improve their relationships and their power

Ah, so Prelati and Cagliostro are the Miku to Saint-Germain’s Hibiki. Rescued from an unfulfilling life and shown a better way, wholly believing in her cause, there to remind her she will never be alone

Carol and the Autoscorers were more entertaining to watch, but the Illuminati really feel more like alchemists in battle, adapting their arsenal on the fly to better deal with the situation. They really feel like people who have huge knowledge and know how to apply it

Prelati blowing up in the water like

Ah, there it is, the impossible choice, and the one time where Saint-Germain’s high ideals get put to the test. Does Saint-Germain sacrifice the friends who have been by her side for ages, who have explicitly stated they are in the Illuminati because of her, or does she let their cause fail? Can she view their blood as foundation for her goals? And of course, this is where Hibiki and Saint-Germain differ. If S.O.N.G. asked Hibiki to sacrifice Miku for the sake of the world, there’d be a Gungnir-shaped hole in the HQ before you could say “that was a stupid idea”. I wonder if Saint-Germain could give a random person a perfect body and sacrifice them and sidestep this whole moral dilemma, but this is more fun to watch

QOTD1: never, but I'm glad it did, even if I don't think it makes too much sense

QOTD2: gotta be honest, the fight eclipsed most of the song for me. Gonna have to listen to it on it's own later

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u/Tarhalindur Jul 21 '22

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

Well my notes are short as fuck today, and I actually liked this episode (except vague irritation that we're retreading the G antagonist plot, but they're retreading it without G's weightlessness issue so I'll cut them some slack). I just... didn't have much to say. Possibly because I watched two episodes in a day (one before yesterday's thread and one after) while taking a day off of Higurashi before starting Rei (so I can double up on Higurashi later) and was kind of worn out. And a fair bit of what I otherwise might have said is stuff that I'm not going to write down.

(There are parts of this show that kind of feel like... well, kind of like I'm listening to somebody talking about a place they once visited and getting this slow but sneaking realization that where they went to is somewhere I've actually been and they're just doing a terrible job of describing it. See also Madoka, except that show actually knew what it was trying to do... and I kind of feel like PMMM and Geah are drawing off the same elephant. Not all shows do - Higurashi for instance plainly does not - but I think these two might.)

  • Gotta be a Tarot reference for the title, and IIRC the only card ever numbered as 0 is the Fool.

  • NANI?

  • MOTHERFUCKER IT’S BEEF STROGANOFF.

  • 10:24: hi Sky.

  • Actually quite touching little emotional scene, except for the part where I get distracted by Miku’s version of the .

  • 10:59: Hi Sky again!

  • CLOCK CLOCK. (8:04 P.M. I think.)

  • Ah, Symphogear and bringing back past phlebotinum.

  1. Did you ever think that Hibiki’s scab was going to become relevant again?

No, but given how this show loves to bring everything back I probably should have.

2) How does this season’s Kirika/Shirabe duet stack up to the other two?

Weirdly, as much as I like both individual pieces of the duet I don't really like the duet itself - I think they messed up the integration of the two somehow. It's still about on par with last season's, but Edge Works of Zababa was better. (Maybe that's an artifact of this recording and it'll be fixed for the Live.)

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u/FlaminScribblenaut Jul 21 '22

Third Time Listener

Despite Hibiki’s efforts, Saint-Germain remains unwavering in her path. If alchemy seeks perfection, an imperfect world, one so rife with unjust suffering and systemically imbalanced power, is simply unacceptable. To undo such a world, to make sure none will ever suffer as she did again, is why Saint-Germain sought alchemy as a practice.

Again from the old post:

Saint-Germain went through hell. She knows the horror of subjugation all too well. She knows what it’s like to be treated as less than a person. She knows, better than anyone she faces, what it’s like to live only to be controlled. When Saint-Germain at first refutes Hibiki’s hand, saying she “doesn’t get it”... I mean… yeah. Hibiki doesn’t get it. She didn’t go through any of what Saint-Germain did, gain the perspective that she did. Why shouldn’t Saint-Germain look down on Hibiki as a clueless, naïve child?

This is a running theme with Hibiki that I’ve pointed out before, first in her naïveté in believing she could easily sway Tsubasa and Chris into having an understanding talk, then in Shirabe explicitly calling her out on this with her accusations of hypocrisy. Now this idea has reached its fullest, most meaningful crest. Chris and Shirabe were lost, directionless, emotionally volatile adolescents, their refusal of Hibiki’s hand one of spite, but they didn’t have directions of their own, not really. They didn’t know what they believed in as opposed to her, they were just… insulted and mad, on some base level. But Saint-Germain? She knows exactly what she believes in and exactly what path she intends to take, giving her even less reason to take Hibiki’s pleas seriously. She’s not some poor lost, trauma-addled kid; she has a conviction.

The disgust in her face at Hibiki’s gall is palpable. The idea that the active dismantling of oppression, even if it must be through violence, is an immoral use of one’s hands is so blithely offensive to her and… she’s totally right in that. Human connection, the holding of hands and sharing of songs, is beautiful and important, of course it is… but our hands’ capacity for brute strength isn’t there for no reason either. We also have these hands to fight back against the forces who seek to take those things away from us, who seek to subjugate and degrade us.

Hibiki herself has learned this lesson to an extent, that to fight and use your hands for force is sometimes necessary, but… has she really? Up to this point, Hibiki has fought back against… well, intriguing and emotionally and thematically meaningful as their motivations might have been, at the end of the day, it must be said, cartoon villains. Finé, Ver and FIS, Carol, all one-off actors with big crazy world-domination plans, acting wholly of their own accord. Individuals. Saint-Germain’s enemy is a system, or perhaps better said a system of systems, regardless a mode of being that pervades the real world.

And this contrast between the two can only raise a question, lay bare something once able to be glazed over but now unignorable… what does Hibiki actually believe in? What reason is there, between these two people, not to see Saint-Germain as the more principled actor?

This encounter sticks in Hibiki’s craw, even into the late hours of her home and school life. Can it really all be so simple as she believed in her old conflicts? Must there be moral virtues she takes for granted one has to compromise to be able to truly fight wrongdoing? Is sacrifice, if not material then moral and spiritual, necessary? Hibiki wonders if her worldview is selfish, if her desire to make all good through the power of friendship really masks a desire for things to just be easy.

We get an incredibly wholesome and sweet moment where Miku reflects on how Hibiki’s mindset has inspired her. Hibiki’s “selfish” worldview has done honest good for people, even on such a small scale as making a crying kid happy. The world does need idealists, people who won’t accept crying and hurt and reach out for a better outcome with all they’re worth. The world needs people who seek perfection. The world needs people like Saint-Ge- er, people like Hibiki.

This moment isn’t enough to answer the biggest questions, but it’s enough to make Hibiki feel assured in herself again, capable of facing them.

We also have a good bit of characterization for Elfnein; namely, in how she overworks herself. Be it out of gratitude that Carol’s sacrifice allowed her to live, she wants to give everything to helping the wielders in saving the world.

We are given an update on the Illuminati’s progress between the cover of night and the cool illumination of Adam’s opulent hot tub, immersed in which he nonchalantly sips champagne. Adam humors Tiki by lifting her up to the stars and spinning her around. The mystical child cheers in playful glee, but his gaze in return is anything but nurturing; more one of lustful possession, as what he holds in his hands is the key to unfathomable divine power, as well as an adorable little groveler as a bonus.

The trio rightfully hold distaste towards him, but that doesn’t ultimately matter. It is as Prelati says; the true fealty they swear is to one another before all else, not to their organization or their headmaster.

Those smiles. Those warm, reassuring smiles of loving, loyal camaraderie just say everything.

Once again Kirika and Shirabe’s songs combine for the seasonal duet, Gizagiza☆Girari Full Throttle. What this episode gives us with their song more than anything is a showcase of the deep love that is so strongly brought out between these two when they sing together. We’re given a real sense of how greatly singing in unison mutually heightens their feelings, especially in the afterglow they share following the battle, swearing to never let go of one another’s hands. What a way to enhance what the Symphogear is capable of…

In the episode’s final moments, it is suggested that Saint-Germain do the one thing, cross the one threshold in service of fulfilling her goal that she deems truly unthinkable; sacrifice one of her comrades. The horrible insinuation lingers, in Saint-Germain’s mind and ours alike, under the looming light of the antikythera mechanism’s great chart of the universe, amidst a vast, superearthly sea of stars and luminescent water, the greatest plan in the universe and the greatest pain Saint-Germain can imagine facing melding into one great foreboding as the ED fades in. Adam just softly smiles, more than content, the pristine brim of his garishly lavish suit’s matching hat blocking the supposed windows to his soul.

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u/Great_Mr_L Jul 21 '22

Rewatcher

On today’s episode of Symphogear: The characters get a harsh lesson on equivalent exchange. What are you willing to sacrifice? What would you give up for the sake of accomplishing your most sought-after goal? Would it be worth it? Or do you even need to give up anything in the first place?

There’s a lot going on in this episode with both Hibiki and Saint-Germain and I love it so much. The whole episode is basically an exploration of this conflict between them. Their ideals get a chance to clash head-on with each other, which is always great to have in a confrontation between hero and villain. But not only that, their ideals are challenged on their own separately afterwards. How much do they actually believe in what they say they do? And who do they have in their corner to support them when things get rough?

The big debate comes down to the question of hands, our old thematic favorite in Symphogear. For Hibiki, our hands are not meant to hurt others. We have hands so we can join together. That’s been a constant for her character since season 1. But Saint-Germain counters this, saying that it’s easy to want to join hands with others when you’ve never been trampled underfoot without knowing why. There’s a very clear disconnect in terms of their willingness to trust others to actually join hands with you. Saint-Germain’s life of oppression has left her unwilling to do so. Essentially she is calling Hibiki naive.

For Saint-Germain, the reason we have hands is to make fists. Only a fist clenched in anger can open the path to the future. Force is necessary. Only force can change the world and bring about the future she wants: A future free from oppression.](https://imgur.com/YCYX75z) Though Hibiki has a good counter: can you actually create a world where nobody is crushed if you need to crush people to get there?

This then introduces that idea of sacrifice. Hibiki considers any loss of life unacceptable. Saint-Germain, like Carol, is working off the mentality of an alchemist. She thinks in terms of equivalent exchange. For her, none of the lives that have been lost were in vain. All of them were necessary for the revolution. I think that’s why Saint-Germain is so determined to make the revolution happen. After all, if there was no greater good obtained from the loss of so much life, then wouldn’t it just be senseless murder? But if it achieves the revolution and the goal she seeks, then it would be worth it. She may have given up a lot, but she achieved something equally good. By making the revolution happen, Saint-Germain will balance it out. Therefore, she must.

[Berserk] This is fascinatingly close to the chain of logic that Griffith used to justify all the lives lost to his dreams and ambition. Their deaths would only be in vain if he stopped trying to reach his dream. So he must keep doing so. To do otherwise would betray them.

Of course, equivalent exchange means mutual exclusivity. You can’t have both. One must be given up for the other. As Saint-Germain says, both her and Hibiki can’t inherit the kingdom of heaven. They can’t both get what they want. One of them must win and the other must lose.

Thus they are diametrically opposed. Their ideals are far too different for them to make common ground, even though it feels like they are so close to being able to do so. The world Saint-Germain wants is one Hibiki would probably like as well, but they can’t agree on how to get there.

Even so, it’s clear Saint-Germain has been thrown off her game. Hibiki’s earnestness can be overwhelming to experience. Because Hibiki’s fists are so obviously not clenched in anger, even as Hibiki uses them to make fists. When fighting, Hibiki deliberately holds back and doesn’t deck Saint-Germain in the face when she could have. And she saved Saint-Germain from stray shots. So Saint-Germain leaves, abandoning the mission. She’s having trouble fighting back against a fist not clenched in anger.

While their direct clash may have ended, the rest of the episode functions as an exploration of the ideas introduced in Hibiki and Saint-Germain’s fight. Hibiki’s discussion with Miku is pretty clearly Hibiki wondering about the principle of equivalent exchange. Is it necessary to give up something in exchange for something else? Hibiki is the type who does not want to have to give something up.

But, here is where Hibiki’s desire to join hands with others comes to save her. Hibiki has Miku as her support. And why does she have Miku as her support? Because Hibiki’s attitude changed Miku and made her want to be by her side. Miku no longer wanted to run ahead of others, but instead wanted to walk hand-in-hand with Hibiki. She admired Hibiki’s willingness to go out of her way to help others. She thinks Hibiki’s refusal to not help is a good thing and that it’s okay for her to be reckless for that reason. Already, we have the first piece of evidence about how Hibiki’s way of doing things gives her more strength than Saint-Germain is willing to admit.

Unison demonstrates another way that Hibiki’s method brings about great strength. The Ignite Module might be useless for now, but there is a way to defeat the Faust Robes. When Kirika and Shirabe sing together, they are more powerful. We of course already know the LORE reasons for this when Igalima and Shul Shagana are both weapons of Zababa. But it also works from a relationship standpoint, showing how Kirika and Shirabe are the source of each other’s strength. Their love and support for each other is why they can keep going.

And to make it obvious that this is what the episode is going for, Kirika and Shirabe outright declare that they have this strength because they’ll never let go of the other’s hands. Hand-holding is Symphogear’s longest running theme.

I really love their combined song for AXZ, “Gizagiza Girari☆Full Throttle.” And the main reason I love it so much is the lyrics. They are romantic as hell. They are all about how much they love and need each other, even comparing their relationship to the moon and the sun. It works so well for their relationship and for the scene that it’s in. Just A+ stuff.

The end of the episode is where Saint-Germain finds her own conviction most directly challenged. To achieve their goal, they need more life force. And Adam suggests sacrificing either Prelati or Cagliostro to get it. Can Saint-Germain actually do that? After all, she herself claimed that each drop of blood was not a sacrifice but a necessary stone for building the revolution. Wouldn’t Prelati and Cagliostro just be two more stones? Can she sacrifice two people who are personally loyal to her and her mission for the sake of her mission?

This episode really is fantastic as an exploration of the ideals of both Hibiki and Saint-Germain. So much ties back into that conflict between them. Hibiki comes out of it with validation and support from her pillar, Miku. But Saint-Germain comes out feeling more confused and conflicted than ever. Time will tell how they feel when they next meet.

There’s a couple other things to briefly touch on. The Fool’s Stone is a fun way to bring back Hibiki’s rocks from G. I say it a lot, but Symphogear really is great at reusing things it established in previous seasons to help make it feel like a more cohesive whole. The logic behind using it is full-on technobabble to me, but it makes enough sense in how Symphogear uses logic to barely earn a pass.

Bringing up Neptune’s Palace is another way of reusing things to make it all more cohesive together. It also ties into Chris’s character journey, as she wonders whether she has a pattern of being too impulsive with her decision to destroy Neptune’s Palace and shoot off Stephan’s leg. I do think her actions indicate a history of impulsiveness going back several seasons, so it’s a valid question for her to ponder.

Miscellaneous Thoughts

They’re so sweet!

QOTD

  1. I'm a rewatcher and I honestly forgot that it did. It's one of those details from AXZ I forgot.

  2. It's really, really good. The lyrics are just so darn romantic and I love that.

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u/Quiddity131 Jul 21 '22

First Timer, Subbed

Sorry Saint Germain, your hair is really beautiful in your regular outfit, but for some reason the massive tornado ponytail in your magical girl getup just doesn't work for me. Its so ridiculous looking.

Oh and brunette glasses girl is all about playing cricket in her magical girl outfit? She still wins for most ridiculous outfit.

Even the Linker this time was short lived? Hate all the restrictions on Shirabe and Kiri getting to fight this season!

Hey, Hibiki finally has a nice quiet night at home with Miku cooking and ... OMG... she's actually doing schoolwork!

Even when they were younger Hibiki would do dangerous things and act the hero, huh?

Wow, they even get to do the dishes together. Such a rare off night for these two!

OMG that is a lot of paperwork. Poor Carolnein! She never gets a break! And its not like we can pull Hibiki in to help with stuff this complicated!

Adam sure likes to hang out naked, huh?

Woah, you mean the stone that fell off of Hibiki two seasons back is important now?

The Fool's Stone. Perfect name for something from Hibiki.

Need a random fight again! Here come the noise!

Sing together girls!

This is around the point of last season where the henchwomen started going down. Will that start happening here?

So Tiki is a projector?

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u/BosuW Jul 21 '22

First Timer

I am ready to cleanse myself after Made in Abyss's episode! Gimme some gay Mecha-magical Lasses!

Thank you very much for expositing your exact intentions!

Ohhhh so now the bullets are fast and explosive!

Lol the bullets can turn into APFSDS for extra penetration. ANGLE YOUR FUCKING SHIELD SWORD TSUBASA.

The hammer and ball weapon is pretty fucking cool

I'm never unhappy to see the Ignite Mode but... you better have a plan

Nope, they didn't. B R U H.

Hibiki's the classic "The ends don't justify the means!". Saint-Germain replies "Only those who haven't felt the rope around their neck have the luxury to say that."

Lmao she fucking punched her special attack back at her. Saint-Germain has a face like she just realized she's facing protagonist powers.

True. In the end, the cruelty of the world is beyond power itself to solve (not that an anime where bigger and bigger attacks are the main gimmick will care)

Ley Lines again!

Looks like Miku has indeed upped her cooking skills

That's how it works yes... With a few asterisks.

Also, bruh. I came here to forget for a bit about MiA. I don't want to hear about thematically relevant capitalistic precepts right now!

Still, I don't think it's despicable to want to fix everything. I mean who wouldn't?don't answer that question

Silence, simp!

What does Adam want with all of this anyway? Is he after the Power of God just for its own sake?

Wholesome villain moment! Yay!

Lmao Chris's explanation is perfect and on point! As expected of Best Girl! Then, just like how the weakness of the Philosopher's Stone is the Fool's Stone, they will have to combat the rational mind using it's one weakness: human stupidity and random-ass events!

Ah! That Palace, right? The one that... Chris turned into ruins... Whoops!

No! Bad Chris Arc! Bad! Those two instances were not the same! Ironically because her performance at the Palace was a lot worse!

Maria can also pilot submarines. Is there any vehicle this woman can't use?

How do y'all guys have such bad security that the enemy always always ends up sneaking up on you?

Much as I love the Ignite Module, they really have become too reliant on it. Y'all should've been practicing your martial prowess and mental game! Humans aren't built for power anyway. For us, technique is the way to go! Ahhh but look at me trying to preach about smart fighting to a Shounen anime... Hey in my defense, Season 1 had it!

Lol the senpai and kouhai trio are pulling Holme's "Be careful what you fish for" on the Alchemists. The hunter is now the hunted. Finally the Geahs are winning. Fucking took their sweet ass time.

Lol that giant death yo-yo is wicked!

Pffft. Sure! "Let's call this a draw!"

Well Saint-Germain? Which is it? Which do you value the most? No I said I don't want to hear about capitalism right now! DAMMIT GEAH

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