Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha (and A's and StrikerS, too.)

[RazorZKnight]

I can't believe nobody started a thread up on this.

I ignored this show for a long time, thinking it was "just another token Magical Girl show" of which I had seen enough. But when I went and watched it, well... Good god, how can a girl in a frilly suit kick SO MUCH a**?

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The plot starts quite "token," with twenty-one items of power, the Jewel Seeds, being accidentally thrown to Earth. A magician by the name of Yuuno is trying to gather them, but is defeated by an enemy, and has to turn into a ferret/ermine/rodent to survive. He's found by Nanoha, a normal ten years old school girl who takes him to a vet... But she starts hearing Yuuno's voice in her mind. Cue evil monster showing up, and Yuuno explaining that she has potential to use magic, and thus give her the Raising Heart, an artifact used to channel magic.

To his surprise, Nanoha starts displaying a lot more 'potential' than he first thought, and goes rapidly from barely being able to survive the first attack, to shooting down a gigantic tree from a few miles away, in a matter of days.

But then comes the misterious blonde girl "with beautiful, sad eyes" (Nanoha's own words) who complicates the plot a bit. She's not evil, but why is she exactly doing what she's doing? Before Nanoha can find an answer to that, cue inter-dimensional police squad coming to arrest them both for collecting dangerous artifacts.

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Well, all that intro besides, the show's one of the best I've seen. Forget about the gratuitous nudity (pseudo-nudity but nudity nevertheless) of the transformation sequences. Or the numerous panty shots during fights. Or the jokes at the expense of the (for once) non-pervert "pet" of the main girl.

The plot, the characters, the battles put it above one too many shows I've watched through my life. Even above my beloved Sailor Moon (I want them to remake Sailor Moon, Nanoha style. I demand that of Japan, damn it!) And for the first time ever, you have Nanoha, the girl who likes being a magical girl and strives to become better, even to the point of joining the TSAB (Time-Space Administration Bureau) to make defending the multiverse from evil her job.

Also, a girl that's willing to let her power be cut down by fifty percent just to be able to stay close to her friends and her love.

And ultimately, a girl that gives the words "Human Gundam" a meaning. Why bother piloting a mecha with the power to destroy planets? Be the one with that power, it's much easier.

Oh, and one thing I like is that even the "secondary" characters get their spotlight. Even characters you're not expecting to see anything good from end up surprising you.

Chrono, during the first season, is a prime example of this. You're focusing on how Nanoha and Fate are going to get to the Big Bad, so when Chrono comes in and blasts the crap out of a whole squad of enemies, you're left there, gawking at him. "But wait, sidekicks are supposed to just get beaten around and let the heroes shine!"

Nanoha A's just gets better... Because there's no way one can hate the antagonists, even for a second. They're all too human (despite what they really are) to be hateable. And they can also be rather amusing, like Vita going berserk and nearly killing her enemies whenever they dare touching/breaking her bunny hat.

Nanoha StrikerS is a lot more serious, but still has a lot of comedy going. And the chemistry between Nanoha, Fate and "their daughter" Vivio is both amusing and nice. Showing that the main characters had to get their powers cut down just so they wouldn't be put in different squads is also a nice touch. And you almost end forgetting what their true power is like... Until you see them pulling crap Son Goku would gawk at, without removing their limiters.

And then comes the final arc where they do remove the limiters. Cue many "Oh crap!" moments from the bad guys.

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Okay, long story short: If you like Magical Girl shows, you'll love this. If you hate Magical Girl shows you suck and I'll eat your hamster you will still love this. I think if there ever was a show I'd say every anime fan out there has to watch, this is the one.  

[Yuki_Nagato_SOS]

just wanna say that... SUBARU RULEZ xd  

[RazorZKnight]

Ah, Subaru.

Kick her around, she won't mind. Blast a few bits of her city to dust, she won't mind.

Mess with her sister? She's going into a cyborg rage.

Also, I kinda like girls who wake up their friends the way Subaru does to Teana...  

[Yuki_Nagato_SOS]

owh... that part, xd lol I hope that someone wouldn't do something like that to me though  

[RazorZKnight]

My favorite is Vita, though.

Back-to-stomach wound? Check. A hundred (and then some) cannons pointing at her? Check. Having to break through a seemingly unbreakable barrier to get the job done? Check.

Her one-liner before jumping to the literal sharkpool? "Bring it on." burning_eyes  

[Yuki_Nagato_SOS]

yeah, vita is cool too... she is such a strong willed woman that would do anything to save her friend even though she's already got hurt pretty bad 3nodding it's a really good thing for having a friend like her smile and for Chrono she's married with Amy right...? I saw their pictures together in Striker's  

[RazorZKnight]

Amy calls Chrono "anata" in Strikers at one point, which is a word only used between wife and husband, so... It's quite likely they are married.  

[Yuki_Nagato_SOS]

there is new manga of magical girl lyrical nanoha... there's two of them actually... I already read some of it but I don't know which one comes first  

[RazorZKnight]

I only know of A's, Strikers, Vivio and Magical Force Lyrical Nanoha something-or-the-other... And yes, that's the order they should be read (A's after the A's season, Strikers, Vivio and MFLN after Strikers)

I'm just waiting for MGLN: The Honeymoon (Fate and Nanoha's wedding, of course. biggrin )  

[Yuki_Nagato_SOS]

RazorZKnight

I only know of A's, Strikers, Vivio and Magical Force Lyrical Nanoha something-or-the-other... And yes, that's the order they should be read (A's after the A's season, Strikers, Vivio and MFLN after Strikers)

I'm just waiting for MGLN: The Honeymoon (Fate and Nanoha's wedding, of course. biggrin )

there's WEDDING!!! eek I'm shock totally but I'm gonna look for it too... 3nodding  

[Yuki_Nagato_SOS]

there's also mahou senki lyrical nanoha... even though the main character is a boy but he's had huge relation with subaru... 'cause subaru saved him and treated him like a little brother...