Alright, I suppose it’s time for me to start the spring blogging season with StrikerS and another 2 a.m. post. Sorry for the delay in getting this post up, it actually wasn’t a result of school work or laziness, I just couldn’t find a decent video file. The first release was of poor quality and in the subsequent subbed releases I couldn’t manage to screencap the scenes I wanted without subs getting in the way, so I ended up downloading the HD RAW and using that.

First impressions for this anime are looking really good, the first episode introduced a few new characters while matching the fast paced action template that worked so well for A’s. I still miss loli fate though =(

Episode Rating: 9/10

OMGIMINAFIRE

StrikerS starts off with a flashback…err, sorta, it’s a flashback relative to the StrikerS timeline, but the future relative to A’s timeline…you figure it out. Anyways, I digress, in this flashback we’re introduced to an unfortunate loli trapped in a fire which has just consumer the rest of her family. Her tear filled wandering proves to be dangerous, as she ends up in the path of a gigantic collapsing statue. Seconds away from death, Nanoha to the rescue! She bind spells the falling statue and comforts the angsting loli in distress…

Load Silver Cartridge…Lute!

…and then proceeds to tear a hole in the roof to make their escape. I would argue that a simple barrier allowing them to walk out the front door would have been just as effective…but then again Nanoha has never been an advocate of self restraint.

Flash forward to the present and our pitiable loli is all grown up, vowing to grow stronger so that she can do more than just cry in the face of adversity. With friend and partner Tea in tow, the two prepare to take the exam to up their mage ranks from C to B rank.

A quick briefing from the ridiculously moe Reinforce Zwei and they’re off. The exam consists of an obstacle course where they go around destroying sentient targets and cross the finish line before time is up. All is going well until Tea sprains her ankle covering Subaru, right before the final obstacle, a scaled up version of the robots they’re been facing.

Tea tells Subaru to go ahead and complete the exam without her, but the next evaluation is half a year away. So instead Subaru comes up with a dangerous plan, using Teana to distract the target with clones, Subaru plans on charging head on and destroying it in one blow.

The plan works and the two make it to the finish line in time, but are scolded by Rein for being so reckless, crossing the line at much too high a speed and needing to be saved by Nanoha. She congratulates the two for making it to the end as Fate and Hayate stand by, waiting for Nanoha’s pass/fail verdict.

Thoughts

A great way to start off the spring season. While it’s still too early to say whether StrikerS has lived up to my expectations or not, this episode was by no means a bad start. However, to truly succeed, StrikerS has to do more than copypasta the techniques from A’s, it has to find some way to surpass it.

The first episode doesn’t give us any indication on what direction the plot will be going in, but I suspect that the typical threat of worldwide destruction will do.

The new characters were the highlight of the episode for me, Teana and Subaru look like they’re the main characters of the series, a FateXNanoha paralleling if anything. Both are interesting characters, Teana has your typical cool and collected perfectionist type personality, while Subaru is more of the reckless daydreamer. I’m leaning towards Tea as my favourite of the duo, mostly because of my unnatural love of all things tsundere.

But I have to admit that Subaru’s weapon is 10x as badass as Tea’s. Unlike most other mages who rely on projectile attacks or long reach melee weapons, Subaru uses gauntlets! While it does limit her ability in long rage combat, it’s awesome to see the sheer destructive force of her close range attacks. She also takes a page out of Nanoha’s book and copies her Diving Buster attack.

Not to discount Tea though, that gun is still awesome and I must have watched her cartridge reload technique a good five times XD

On the subject of weapons, it’s interesting how all the Space / Time Administration Bureau mages have adopted the cartridge system. Poor velka knights had their technology stolen =( imagine how much money they would have made if they patented it! (my inner engineer talking)

Further on the topic of weapons, who can forget Reinforce Zwei, Hayate’s unison device. This thing had me rolling on the floor, writhing in moe. I mean…come on, she’s 30 cm tall!

And so despite the loss of loli Fate, StrikerS is proving to live up to the hype. I just hope the new lolis don’t phase out Nanoha and Fate completely, the return of the Velka knights is a must as well, and by Velka knights I mean Signum @_@

I don’t know why everyone calls her MILFate…she’s only 19 -_-

lawl, yuri undertones, I like :3

Btw, what’s the verdict on Tiana vs Teana as the official name?

~ Shirukii ~