Nanoha StrikerS: Looking back, 12 episodes after

This isn’t an episode review, but rather a general review of the series up to episode 12 (which I had just finished digesting a while ago). Thank goodness, the subs are catching up after a long while.

From episode 12, lol

Anyways, the general consensus about the first 10 episodes is that most of it just seems like filler. For almost 10 episodes we only get training and drone-busting action, which is pretty piss-poor by Nanoha standards. Of course, the pacing of the original and A’s comes into mind, as these series were only 13 episodes long, while StrikerS is as long as the two ones combined. Still, much more interesting material could have been injected in those episodes, and while they had had their share of touching moments, the least thing the people behind the show could do is to put A’s level of action there. Right now, it seems that A’s is doing what Zeta once did for the Gundam franchise: it set the bar for future works, and a pretty high bar at that.

A lot of complaints have also been directed at the lack of screentime given to the returning cast. As the first 10 episodes of the show focus on the development of the forwards (Subaru, Teana, Erio and Caro), it is understandable that the old crew are sidetracked in order to let viewers grow accustomed to the new people. But that’s not all: there has been an alarming lack of badassitude by Nanoha, Fate, Hayate and the knights. The only real awesome scene I’d remember at a moment’s glance is the infamous Signum Paaaanch way back in episode 9. Probably because of this whole limiter business going on, which basically doesn’t let Nanoha and company perform at their full power.

While I was never one to complain too much about animation quality, StrikerS makes me raise my eyebrow in disbelief at times. I haven’t really noticed any QUALITY animation at all since seeing screencaps of Musashi Gundoh and random /m/ QUALITY stuff (i.e. Hikaru, stretcho-Gundam, etc). Maybe it’s because of the near-boring pace the story goes (which has been remedied by the episodes after 10), one is driven to see other shortcomings of the show. I can’t remember if the original series or A’s had noticeably poor animation quality at times, nor the hell do I care. I simply watched them because they gripped you in a way that makes you more than willing to trade your sleep for a late-night marathon. At this point, StrikerS doesn’t have that capability.

I like the new characters. Hell, like is an understatement. I am in love with the Erio-Caro pairing, even if Erio is a real smooth pimp, and is looking forward to every Ginga appearance. Subaru is meh, although she is a walking homage of popular mechs like GaoGaiGar, Combattler V and Alt Eisen. Teana is one character I can’t decide whether to love or hate, but I’m liking her a lot better now since she’s removed the emo in her system (courtesy of Signum Paaaanch). Loli-Rider freaks me out though, as well as Scaglietti. After seeing the Numbers (who will most likely be the main enemies of Mobile Section Six), I’d love the villains to up the ante — there simply has been too much drone-trashing done in the first few episodes.

Dieci, one of the Numbers, who carries a big-ass gun.

Relatively new to the Nanoha franchise, I watch StrikerS with a more open mind than others. As there are more than a dozen episodes to go, I think that the show has great potential, if it banks on the new characters coupled with some beamspam.