Symphogear Is Pure Concentrated Anime

[@thomashare6733]

So to mention something, Aoi Yuki first experience with being a singer in public usage was for Hibiki, it is why a lot of Hibiki season 1 songs sound off sometimes, and I believe she was worried she would sound the worst as she wasn't confident in her talent. This honestly makes moment where she is scream about singing and succeeding in it, Aoi Yuki truly is something special and almost the perfect one to be Hibiki.

[@NEETByNature]

Ah, my mistake. I went back to check her discography but didn't realize that her first album came out after S1 started airing. That makes sense, though. She does sound a bit nervous at points

[@piriri1162]

In symphogear live 2013 she mention it in stage about her traumatic

[@mattjones8713]

She musically got better in her character songs, going back and listening.

[@Kyouma.]

Well, of course she'd be worried. She sings along with people like Nana Mizuki, an incredibly popular singer

[@Rosseloh]

I might be misremembering the quote, but wasn't she only really sure of her role once S4 was done being recorded? I remember someone mentioning a quote from one of the live concerts, something along the lines of "we recorded S1 and I thought I was terrible, then we did S2 and S3 and I still thought they were making a mistake, and then we finished S4 and I listened to it, and thought 'OK, maybe I do actually belong here'". She's a gem. :)

[@Tarage]

I'm endlessly amused at people discovering Symphogear and realizing that it's good, considering it got 5 seasons over 10 years. The meme "WATCH SYMPHOGEAR" is the best.

[@PrisonMike196]

Huh, I've actually never seen that meme before.

[@Tarage]

Also the best part about the story of Symphogear's uniqueness is that the singing while fighting was a communication mistake. The creators wanted singing to be in the background, but the director thought they wanted the singing to be sung DURING the fights, and rather than correct him, they rolled with it. It makes all of the singing in the anime that much more authentic, because you FEEL them straining while singing.

[@Virjunior01]

Kanade's VA fucked up and started singing over the bg, and that's why it became a thing

[@richeetah5221]

I can't imagine Symphogear without the characters singing.

[@PrisonMike196]

@@Virjunior01 A happy accident, I'd say!

[@metalwolfzx]

To quote someone "There are no mistakes, only happy accidents."

[@pretentiousname01]

Symphogear is the best anime you’ve never heard of.

[@fusssel7178]

that was fast :D

[@pretentiousname01]

@@fusssel7178 I don't have a problem, i can stop whenever I want.

[@Bonny-2132]

-Also the Gayest.

[@erichfiedler1481]

@@Bonny-2132 no arguments here, it's gay AF and it's AWESOME

[@epiclinksam9805]

Symphogear is what happens when you blend Toku, Mecha and Magical Girl into one kickass combo. I love it so much.

[@joeavreg2254]

And don't skimp on the talent.

[@ThatGuyImortal]

Hey Sam

[@Dave102693]

And idol/musical anime

[@tanuki01]

Also, it borrowed an important element from Kamen Rider. It’s so, so gay

[@Flaris]

Honestly I think fun is the word I'd use to describe it. No one will say it's the best ever in a variety of categories. But the collection of elements just works! This is easily the show I've rewatched the most and one I can always come back to. Because it's just fun. One of my favourite anime of all time just because of the overall package and how I feel while watching it. The music gives it this wonderful niche that few other shows even try to touch. And because they incorporate the singing to fully into the action it has a "real" feel to it. The groans when songs are interrupted or the yells at the peak of an attack just lands even harder. Because it just has to with the characters actively singing during all of that.

[@hellochristiaan]

I think the best part of the singing aspect is that most if not all the singing done during fights is live recorded. It's not just a soundtrack playing; the VAs are adding the grunts and taking pauses where they would need extra breath because THEY'RE FIGHTING. It's a genius move and really adds to the uniqueness of the show.

[@broden4838]

An interesting picture I saw on Twitter is that it has a triangle consisting of Magical Girl elements, Mecha elements, as well as elements from Kamen Rider, with Hibiki (who represents Symphogear itself) in the middle of the triangle

[@Roadburner4]

Ah symphogear where the main characters cut the top off a mountain, cut down a forest and suplexed a space shuttle. And that was all within the first ten minutes off the first episode of the second season. This anime is silly in the best possible way!!

[@akiradkcn]

And stop a train by doing a yugioh reference

[@darkshado124]

@@akiradkcn SOME ONE ELSE GOT IT OTHER THAN ME! :D

[@coruscaregames]

Third. Third season. [Wipes tears] that scene was amazing

[@hijackdallas6052]

GX is the 3rd season

[@mrdaykurutakuchannel]

Symphogear is one of my top favorite animes since I watched it last year, and got hooked ever since! I love the transformations, awesome fight scenes, deep stories, wonderful music throughout, awesome premise of girls singing & kicking butt at the same time, and awesome characters (especially Tsubasa!)

[@NEETByNature]

I had the same experience. Once I reached G it quickly shot up my list of favorites. Tsubasa doesn't click with me in some ways, but it's cool that you like her. I have to admit her sword fighting is sick and her songs are consistently some of the best. Mizuki Nana's voice is just too good.

[@mrdaykurutakuchannel]

@@NEETByNature true, I have a thing for badass swordswomen, and Tsubasa is one of my favorite anime swordswomen alongside the likes of Erza & Akame! The fact that she is sort of a reflection of myself, having similar personalities & things we've been through, and proudly wears my favorite color become some of the factors that attracted me to her! I also bought and ordered a Chelsea jersey as a tribute to both Tsubasa & her VA, and since Nana Mizuki aka Slash Wing (my nickname for Tsubasa) herself sang the Japanese national anthem in the last Japan F1 race, I got goosebumps listening to her singing in 1 of the best motorsport events and in SG Live listening to TK's fight song!

[@pikadragon6826]

Good news for those who haven’t heard! It was recently revealed that the new project announced in 2022 is called “PROJECT SYMPHOGEAR -next-“ and will include a theatrical film! Symphogear is finally getting the movie treatment!

[@kse3]

I keep meaning to watch it, ever since I heard someone describe it as "Nanoha crossed with Ar Tonelico".

[@JeSt4m]

and I love you for the fact that you know those obscure references lol. Yes that is true but it also adds a lot of goofy elements such as Kung-Fu magical girl and operate on full "Rule-of-cool" engine. If you want some grounded series then it's not for you but if you want to see shit like Car shadow clone jutsu, a kung-fu magical girl parrying tank shells or cutting Kilimanjaro in half then yes this is for you

[@fusssel7178]

21:42 one reason for this might be, that besides the fourth season (AXZ), all seasons were thought of to be the last one. Season 1 was a stand alone first but the reception in Japan was so good, they did a second one (that also was supposed to be the last) and so on. Only AXZ (season 4) and XV (season 5) were greenlit at the same time, so that might be why AXZ ending wasn't as spectacular as the other ones, since it wasn't the end of the show (for the first time).

[@NEETByNature]

You might be right. I did hear about that when doing research on the production of the show but I never thought about it factoring in to the quality of AXZ

[@Virjunior01]

Axz was the best. For real, the Cagliostro fight was the best combo of action and music in the show. "Change the Future" is the ultimate hype.

[@tylosenpai6920]

@@Virjunior01 So ebic that you commented on the video quite a lot of times...which i find interesting considering who is in your PFP and how most people who know her view her

[@Virjunior01]

@@tylosenpai6920 I honestly don't know what you mean. I haven't cared about Genshin (stopped playing almost 3 years ago now), and I like Qiqi because she was my first 5-star and dedicated healer, plus she's like a daughter figure. Is there a weird lolicon contingent or something?

[@tylosenpai6920]

@@Virjunior01 Nothing, just how Qiqi's often viewed as someone apathetic (Mostly because of her look)

[@striberx]

Jokes on you, I've known about Symphogear since it debuted! And its my fav anime of all time. I fully agree with you that it should be seen more. We had a close call with that, with the mobile game, XDU, being translated to the west. Sadly didn't even last a year before being shut down. :/ I too hope it gets more attention.

[@NEETByNature]

Well, you have me beat. Somehow I didn't even know the series existed until XV was airing. XDU failing in the west is pretty unfortunate, but I'm honestly not surprised considering how saturated gacha games are at this point.

[@striberx]

@@NEETByNature Very true, especially stuff like Fate always being some of the top gacha. :/ But either way, you practically gave the perfect explanation and review about Symphogear and its perks/flaws.

[@Virjunior01]

Capitalism will not allow for truthful enjoyment of anything

[@ShinkuDragon]

Same, when i started watching the show, there weren't enough seasons to think hibiki could survive the ending 😂

[@Christian-gr3gu]

I'm going to share this video to grow symphogear popularity.

[@NEETByNature]

I appreciate it! I've been meaning to make this video for a long time. Symphogear deserves more recognition.

[@Bonny-2132]

@@NEETByNature It was an excellently put together video. It covered all the essential info and then added extra details on top of that. This is the kind of Symphogear video I would have made myself if I had the time and skill.

[@NovaTherion]

Please don’t let’s continue to gatekeep so others don’t ruin it

[@Christian-gr3gu]

@@NovaTherion bruh

[@PrisonMike196]

@@NovaTherion You don't want Symphogear to get more recognition?

[@FourteenthAngel]

I literally stumbled upon your channel by pure chance. I still need to watch Symphogear esepcially as someone who's into Tokusatsu, Mecha, and Magical Girls. I don't have much to add but I am commenting to boost you in the algorithm. Keep up the good work!

[@pretentiousname01]

Doooooooo iiiiitttttt!

[@NEETByNature]

I'm glad you enjoyed the video. You should definitely give the show a try! It sounds like you'd like it

[@StripesChaosGremlin]

I too was introduced to symphogear by seeing the season transformation sequences Carols in particular and the absolute beat down she delivers while singing had me looking up the entire series and I was not disappointed but yea the fanservice does make it hard to recommend it to people. Also I would love to see a symphogears fighting game or dynasty warriors style game. Smacking down armys of noise and alcanoise would be so much fun.

[@varonjr]

I think one of the main points i keep waching symphogear was Hibike's berserk mode, I don't think in my life I will ever be able to forget the image of her regenerating her arm and then breaking into pieces the monster that was super strong and almost trying to kill a person in cold blood, that berserk mode just gives me a boost of energy.

[@NuGundam_]

I remember watching the first few episodes years ago and was kind of blown away with how over the top and epic each episode was. It put into perspective why Symphogear has a small but passionate following.

[@christianstephan7301]

Season 1 was really rough. I watched the series with a friend and I think this helped me a lot to stay focused on the series, because you can talk with someone about what happend between sessions. It was also very helpful in the sense that we always said to watch the first episode of the next season before calling it a day if we finished a season. Just to keep the ball rolling. And this was perhaps the saving grace for the series. The quality difference between S1 and S2 was so vast, that I actually showed some other friends the difference between S1 and S2, just because I was so blown away by this change, but also very convinced that the series was actually as good as it felt, even if it didn't seemed like it. Like. You sit down and think about what happened and realize that it was actually really stupid on paper. But watching it was just pure fun. The intense kickoff for season 2 manifested for me, that it didn't matter. Anime is entertainment and sometimes the feeling to be entertained must not necessarily make sense. A show can be compelling with the easiest toolset, if you know how to work with it. Watching the series was fun itself and I found myself actually being hyped to SEE transformation sequences, because they switched between characters with the episodes. So in todays episode we see Hibikis transformation, in tomorrows we see Chris and in the next we get Tsubasa, for example. Also the scenes changed with each season and got better every time, while also being playful and fun to watch. It had some kind of personality and was the total opposite of what transformation scenes were known for: To save money / screentime. Because most of the time they used the same footage and sometimes even multiple transformations in tandem. Symphogear didn't really do that, which is why I was never bothered by it. Okay, maybe S1 helped with the first transformation of Hibiki by beeing really ridiculous. Reminded me of this one transformation in Kill la Kill, where we see the transformation from the outside in realtime and it just looks painful (which is what someone actually commentet in that scene). Symphogear is fun, because of HOW much the series is aware of itself. It knows what it can pull off, what is ridiculous and where it goes overboard. They literally have a character just to mention that something can't be happening, because this isn't an anime. Giving us character themed songs is hype the first time we hear it, so we get used to it. But then they go and introduce the idea of interrupting the theme or overwhelming it with another theme song, where the themes themselves are standins for the current conflict. Hearing a song is not a guarantee for the character to succeed. And we still get the hype of theme songs playing when a new song is introduced. Miku's song still lives rent free in my head, especially since I was always enchanted by the realization that the voice actress of Index with her kinda squeaky voice sings incredibly beautifully (also sings openings for Danmachi for example). So getting to hear her sing was like a real "let's f**king go!" moment for me. The series is very, very hard to recommend, because there is nearly nothing you can SAY why someone should watch it, because Symphogear is very much about the experience of watching it. That's why I'd say that it is criticlly speaking not perfect, but still one of my all time favorite series around. Flaws are secondary if you are having fun.

[@TottoB]

I love Season 1 now BUT the first 2 times i tried watching it... i could not get past episode 6 or 7. Years later with the anime reactions from teeaboo i coud finish and actually enjoy S1 to the point of loving it. I can whole heartedly recognize symphogear's plot issues and still love it with every part of my heart. I have re watched it like 10 times, i hear the songs at least once or twice a week.

[@metalwolfzx]

I find it BAFFLING how and why this series hasn't become famous because of its music, it has, and I mean sincerely, the BEST music I've ever heard in an anime. I also find it hilarious that Hibiki's VA also voices Hina from Dodonpachi Saidaioujou. (Mainly because I imagine Hibiki saying Hina's infamous line)

[@pikadragon6826]

26:27 honestly agree. During a rewatch that I did shortly after P5S came out, I started imagining a Symphogear game in a similar style to that game, and I realized that a lot of the attacks in the show would look amazing fighting a horde of enemies.

[@TrollingKiwi]

Rarely have I ever agreed so much with a KZbin video. We may disagree on some small aspects, but overall, the CORE of why we loved Symphogear was exactly the same. Adored the show, loved your take on it, and liked the video. Great job!!!

[@KudaGeatsune3821]

Symphogear is what happens when somebody asks where's the background music coming from? And the answer is that's how they power up~ and it only gets better as they grow stronger its crazy its full of heart and everybody is gay(seriously there's 2 really precious Yuri ships in this amine) Except Chris but she's not used to love yet so she's undecided

[@Draconilian]

Chris is the third to every ship. She is close friends with miku. She is more mature like Maria and Tsubasa, and she mentors Kirishira so she gets to be in every three some

[@FubukiKnowledge]

I think the chrisxtsubasaxmaria can work

[@Bonny-2132]

Great video, we needed a video like this! Symphogear will take the West!

[@ngchloe4877]

Couldn't have said it better myself. Might have to send this to my brother, cause I tried to show him Symphogear but I don't think he got it

[@BranwenOWynter]

When I first watched Symphogear, I had to pause season 1 because despite checking off some of my favorite ridiculous niches, it didn't really click. I kept on hearing good things about the following seasons, so I gave it another go to try them out. I almost marathoned the whole series back to back, only pausing before the last season because I didn't want it to end. It's very much a series you need to give an honest chance and forgive it's rough start, because once you do it becomes such a blast until the last second. Now I really need to rewatch it...

[@raululti-mate9803]

Symphogear stole my hearth and I don't regret It.

[@Christian-gr3gu]

Hell imma suscribe, if just to spread the love of sympho gear lol. Of course I'll watch the rest of your stuff, but I love symphogear

[@TheAzureGhost]

Ahh yes, the Battle Bard Girlband xD Started Season 1 on release soley by checking out the first few episodes of all kinda of new anime back then and was about to drop it the moment i first saw hibiki transform. A feeling stemming mostly from her combatsuit coming with the addition of those stupid "battle heels". But then they actually showed the struggle of that sort of shoes in the situation she was in and her getting rid of them which kinda sparked my interest in the series as a whole. While i'm not a big fan of most of the outfits, i really liked the combination of singing and fighting which reminded me of Macross (Mechaanime) and the Bards in Fantasy RPGs

[@MrJuniorzaaa]

YES YES YES !!! I got caught by the 3rd season EP 1, the theme song was so climax the girls' mech armour and a Super robot vibes. Also last month Symphogear XD JP server got collab with Kamen rider Faiz

[@Kirika_SG_i02Igalima]

Symphogear deserve more attention it's really great and good work on making this awesome video ❤

[@LEO_BURNSTEIN]

My favorite season is G, watching Symphogears vs symphogeas was exciting for me. I enjoyed the next seasons for the Maria's grow, leaving a someone with many troubles to be a great leader, friend and person. I hope the next project will be a sequel, the XV final was very unsatisfactory for me. Nice Video bro

[@akiradkcn]

NEW PROJECT ANNOUNCED WOOOOOUOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[@logdolinki]

Man. I love this show. Its my favorite

[@broden4838]

Good thing I got the entire series during a time span of late 2022 and early 2023

[@IbukiNatsume]

I still get goosebumps from re-watching just a few days ago with friends that I tried to recommend Symphogear to. Gotta love Miku so much The moment Shenshou Jing was released, kino was served. Saint-Germain was one of the best villains introduced all throughout the series, well fleshed out story and Hanasaku Yuki -Amalgam- is easily one of my top Symphogear songs it's truly insane especially when she offered to lend a hand to Hibiki before Noble Red's Daedalus End activates. That scene got me so hyped it's one of the best moments EVER.

[@wendra3676]

26:12 Whywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhy Why have you said this Now i wont be able to sleep at night peacefully unless i know what this new project is

[@NEETByNature]

I'm sorry I've cursed you with this knowledge. Hopefully they'll say something about it soon

[@fusssel7178]

26:26 I think of a street fighter / tekken game with sing star vibes. You can just fight but doing karaoke via the audio input boosts your attacks. Could be a fun party game.

[@NEETByNature]

I always imagined a Guilty Gear style airdasher game. I'm not sure what the best way to weave in the music would be. Maybe something like Rise's super in Persona 4 Arena

[@Draconilian]

All I want in life is a symphogear fighting game

[@lucygirl1111]

for me the best part of season 1 is the hook it litterly starts by showing you the grave of the main character its allso a bonus since aoi yuuki and nana mizuki are like my two favorite voice actresses

[@BrushpointJ]

I think the most telling thing about Symphogear's quality is that the most popular meme about it is just "Watch Symphogear" and that's probably what most people know it for, lol

[@Volume52]

Symphogear is my absolute favorite anime and I'm just hoping and waiting for the day someone actually knows what I'm talking about

[@JeSt4m]

The thing is tho.. symphogear have a lot of context that kinda need to keep in mind while watching each season. For example did you know that this series is supposedly be a one and done series at conception? The producer had to absolutely break the bank on the VA roster just to convince the board to greenlit this project by firstly convince Mizuki Nana to join as lead singer and signing up Yuuki Aoi at her most popular phase. Most of the production budget is spent on the first episode and back then people been lamenting the quality drop as bait and switch. However regardless of that the CD sales of each character song is basically went through the roof and the board decided to release a second one to capitalize on this popularity which is G. G from beginning, again are designed to be the final season of Symphogear, this time they try to cash in by bringing another 2 big name veteran VA Nanjo Hoshino, Yoko Hikasa and another up and coming VA Kayano Ai (God I'm fucking old). BTW Nanjo Hoshino (Shirabe) is the real attraction here since she's like Nana Mizuki, is both VA and succesful singer which is why she's the first to defect into the hero team. GX is basically the same song and dance but AXZ and XV are greenlit at the same time with all the song marketing done in AXZ so that XV can focus on plot. Generally speaking AXZ and XV should be treated as one 2 cour series. However GX and AXZ suffers from what I say "Corporate meddling", the pacing for those series are horrible because they want to jam in as much music to sells as possible. I'm just glad they're done with that in XV. Holy shit I have to stop here before I went full Geek on Symphogear. I'm one of the few that actually loved the OG as it aired and never expected to get luxury treatment such as 5 season of pure Hibiki awesomeness.

[@kingjgamer5977]

I wish the mobile game comes back to the rest of the world... but I do like how the mobile game still manages it's own identity within its music (I haven't played it or have read any translation videos, but the Ost on the music stores are absolute bangers for me)

[@martinvoelkl91]

Symphogear addict since season 1 here: Peak Symphogear rly is, when they actually re-enter earth in S3 EP1 on top of the Space Shuttle

[@NovaTherion]

Symphogear forever, even when I’m dead I will still love it. Carol is the best girl💛

[@namikazenoaeris]

I love them since i watch 1st season till XV ❤. Glad i found these series.

[@Draconilian]

Imagine the moment in the last episode when the tension is at max and the opening music starts to play. Now imagine a show that does that every. Single. Episode. And it works. That's how I always describe symphogear. Otherwise in short, singing and screaming lesbian explosion festival may be another good way. But I'm glad someone else put a similar description in their review of the show! 17:44

[@piriri1162]

Best anime live concert. Even Better from love live concert

[@DuskyPredator]

You called out the Autoscorers as bad, bit I personally love the aesthetic. They are not full people, and bring to mind something like a wind-up music box. They are more of an extension of Carroll.

[@Kyouma.]

Am I the only one who was like "Nah, that's not it. That was just the warm-up." after season 1?

[@joeavreg2254]

You have to respect a show about a girl whose main problem is punching and the solution is punching harder. I hope the thing they are making isn't a prequel, when it comes to prequels they really have to set it way too far back in the past for it to really reflect on the stuff that has already been made or it's automatically got dozens of issues dealing with continuity. If it is a game I'd be down for a Musou style game though since the show is just Musou anime.

[@eh9618]

Personally a good way to introduce symphogear...is through the shuttle scene. You know what i mean

[@Kurto.]

I'm a huge symphogear fan and every once in a while I like to look it up on youtube to see what new contents been made. hats off to you, this is by far one of the best reviews out there for it.

[@fusssel7178]

Watch Symphogear, Nana wills it! :D

[@mrdaykurutakuchannel]

That's the reason I watched last October's F1 race, since Nana Mizuki aka Tsubasa herself sang the national anthem (I love Tk, she's like my avatar in a way!)

[@nadejdateriokhina1817]

Thank you for your video. I've viewed symphogear from the first season and it's just THE anime for people who like magical girl, music and an original lore. I regret that I don't know Japanese to play the only game that they produced. Plus he concerts that they filmed are only in Japan and there isn't that many song from the concert on KZbin.

[@darkkingpk2]

So much for xv being the final season. A new symphogear project is apparently in the works.

[@Yoyocreative]

I found symphogear around 10 years ago! (2013-2014 ish). I had been playing ar tonelico a lot (a game where girls/women can sing to use magic) and got this show recommend by a friend on a forum. Man... I can't believe it's been a decade! 😅

[@Lulu-ut9pv]

The fact that nana muszuki sings in this anima multiple times is a bonus for me

[@Nostalgik]

YESSSSS More Symphogear Love

[@lokey478]

Symphogear is still considered Magical Girls

[@JJNWSGHOST0299]

I spent the majority of August marathoning Symphogear. It doesn't always work, but I overall had a fantastic experience with this show.

[@SouthSideOdaiba]

I started the series this week. Thanks for the recommendation.

[@NEETByNature]

Nice! Hope you're enjoying it

[@SouthSideOdaiba]

@@NEETByNature I’m halfway done with season two.

[@pretentiousname01]

So, how are you doing now in the post watching symphogear life? @@SouthSideOdaiba

[@SouthSideOdaiba]

@@pretentiousname01 I finished the series and got all seasons on Blu Ray.

[@SouthSideOdaiba]

@@pretentiousname01 I got all 5 seasons on Blu Ray.

[@draketheduelist]

Symphogear's mecha aspects also give it some common ground to stuff like Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha. Nanoha is _the_ mecha gateway drug into the magical girl genre, and it's a classic for it. It was ultimately Season 2, Nanoha A's, that upped the mecha feel with the _supremely_ satisfying Belkan system, combining the existing magic wands (Raising Heart and Bardiche were practically characters in their own right, maybe even Graf Eisen if you're feeling generous) with cartridge ammunition. There's nothing like watching Nanoha dump an entire mag into a single shot. Nanoha also had a super edgy girl voiced by Mizuki Nana who sang most if not all of the intros. Not a _complete_ copypasta. Currently about half through Season 3, wherein Hibiki seems to be going through a phase of not wanting to use her symphogear to throttle other people. This is a notion that has literally _never_ occurred to Nanoha in her entire life, with her "nuke the villain, befriend what remains" doctrine being one of the fandom's most beloved memes. Another spiritual peer to Symphogear might be the Neptunia franchise, mostly the games, best summarized as the IRL 7th gen console war told through the medium of magical girls with Tron wardrobes in place of frilly dresses. Neptunia similarly takes the mecha musume transformation sequence to a science, particularly by VII ("V Two" to the uninitiated, short for "Victory 2", sequel to Victory) and the Next Forms therein. All the talk of phonic gain and the critical importance of singing to the power levels seems very reminiscent to the role that share energy serves in not just Neptunia's plot, but its very worldbuilding and even _politics,_ similar to how Symphogear doesn't chicken out of mentioning real-life countries and the complications of global politics caused by the advent of the Noise and the Symphogears. Both also have a semi-recurring adult woman antagonist, Arfoire in Neptunia's case. Depending on the continuity at play, Arfoire can be either a disappointed mother, a crime lord, or a world-breaking eldritch god, though she tends to take a back seat when far more powerful entities take the stage (the Atari 2600 in Victory, the Sega Dreamcast in VII). Kirika and Shirabe give me CPU candidate vibes, what with how they _can_ fight like the other symphogears, but lack full combat capabilities. And while the symphogear trio lacks a clear Vert analogue (unless you count Maria... and considering both are tall busty spear wielders with noticeably more Western aesthetics than their peers...), Hibike, Tsubasa and Chris all map personality-wise pretty close to Neptune, Noire and Blanc respectively. The big major difference is that Neptunia is a comedy at its core, even if just about every major arc ends on a big dramatic (or tragic if you botch 100% completion) fight to save the world.

[@MaresGuyver]

Symphogear is definitely an under appreciated gem of an anime series.

[@thuranz2773]

Looking back since I watched it a few years ago, I think the one element of G that really bothered me was just how long it took FIS to fragment. Specifically, how Maria spent almost the entirety of the season angsting about working with Dr Ver when she'd seen first hand that he was a diabolical madman who couldn't be trusted; instead of doing something about it. And (if I remember correctly) she also gave him the green light to sick noise on the ship in the second half of G. I'd be lying if I said she never really lived it down entirely for me.

[@craytherlaygaming2852]

Hibiki is what you'd get if Touma and Othinus from Toaru had a kid Traumatic childhood and is considered a bane of the home town? check Crippling self worth issues and saves people not just because they feel it's the only value they have but also because they want to? check Connection to Odin? check! First girl they meet/best friend has a safe mode where they become a murderbot and is voiced by the same VA? check check and check (edit) Technically, Norse and celtic cultures are heavily intertwined so it's way easier to mix them up than it is to mix gungnir up with Loginius. (A detail that gets brought up in Symphogear's later seasons where they exlicitly state that Gungnir is *not* loginius. And that it was merely mistaken as it by the germans, in fact it being a true godkiller which fits the mythology,) (Final edit) The redemption arcs bit is one of the more clunky aspects, but one I don't mind as much, its another thing is oddly shares with my favorite lightnovel series Toaru. Although the fact Toaru has a overall more serious tone in generally likely makes it easier to focus on the actual redemptions unlike in Symphogear.

[@amythestmuse22]

I love this show to bits.

[@princesssparrow4530]

yoooooo that intro was hype!

[@pretentiousname01]

My fellow Gearhead, I didnt see any footage from the Ovas. Did you not watch them?

[@NEETByNature]

I probably wouldn't have used footage form then even if I had seen them, but I haven't. I did pick up the blu rays when making this video though so I might give them a watch

[@pretentiousname01]

@@NEETByNature You totally should. They are full of the 'deep lore'

[@NEETByNature]

Well I have to watch them now. I'll take a look when I get the chance

[@Bonny-2132]

@@NEETByNature The OVAs are essential viewing material! They flesh out the characters and villains more.

[@silverchan9999]

I'm a American who Loves it a lot the songs are insane, Also it got me into the Classic shonen Anime- Saint Seiya, because they did that Event Crossover in their Mobile Game. Totally a Perfect Match Ever for a Crossover Event since they Match with Magical Armor, and kicking butt....

[@craytherlaygaming2852]

Symphogear is what you get when your playing a mecha-style DnD campaign Except everyone chose the bard class

[@ColossatronProductions]

Just finished watching it and man, I would give my life for HibiMiku...

[@jeanpaulcardales5760]

This is the only anime I can watch without a dub version. Im not a fan of japanese voice acting BUT Symphogear would always be my guilty pleasure.

[@owned1nthedome]

i recognize that jet set radio future music

[@NEETByNature]

The Jet Set Radio games have crazy good soundtracks. I use their songs all the time

[@somerandomuser5155]

Hibiki is the only girl strong enough to 1v1 with Ryuuko and Akame She is exactly opposite of Shinji and female version of Kamina

[@erichfiedler1481]

I've known about Symphogear for a couple of years, and I now have all 5 seasons on Blu-ray thanks to the GOATS of anime distributors, Discotek Media. Also, i love how the series is basically the anti Madoka Magica in so many ways

[@NEETByNature]

Discotek has been doing a lot of good work with niche shows recently. I'm a fan of that for sure. I can't say I'm sure exactly what you mean about Symphogear being the anti-Madoka though

[@erichfiedler1481]

@@NEETByNature well for one thing, the girls from Symphogear grow and have character development, meanwhile the cast of Madoka Magica rarely develop, and when they do, it's usually for the worse

[@NEETByNature]

Yeah Symphogear is definitely a lot more positive than Madoka generally and in how the characters develop. Especially with the direction Rebellion goes.

[@erichfiedler1481]

@@NEETByNature plus there's the fact that communication and companionship is a key factor in Symphogear's narrative (I mean it has to be in a musical anime), and while Madoka became a Goddess by the end of her story (until Homura took that power from her for herself our of "love") Hibiki fights all kinds foes from the Noise to FUCKING GODS

[@EphemeralPseudonym]

the anti-Madoka is YuYuYu

[@Syrenos183]

I stumbled onto this series when I was still into RWBY by watching a random AMV, quickly looked up the anime and became hooked. Season 1 really is a pain point when recommending the show to people since I know it changes so much when you get to season 2, but I feel a lot of what is brought up prior has a good payoff later on. Sure you could just skip it and put the pieces together on your own but I don't know if that'd be a better experience than just watching the first season. That aside, I'm super glad to see more content trying to bring attention to this series for those who may have never heard of it or just ran into the same issues you laid out. Fingers crossed regarding that announcement being a game that isn't just another mobile one. I'd die happy if it were a fighting game with good netcode. But I'd even take a game that's in the style of the Musou games, I'm sure I'll be in the minority of that opinion, it's just that the general nature of the show kinda fits well with how those games tend to play over time.

[@Scaevola9449]

I was worried when you went "okay 4 out of 5 seasons are enjoyable", thinking that the series was gonna fall apart in XV or something, but hearing that S1 is the weakest was a relief. I speedwatched some of the episodes but I didn't have truly severe issues with it. My Anime Bullshit Tolerance is just too high, and I like Tsubasa's ankle swords.

[@Mir_Teiwaz]

Personally, I'd prefer a DMC-style game for Symphogear over a fighting game.

[@serse8455]

Tsubasa's dumb design is a charm point

[@KajiRider1997]

4:57 I never noticed this when watching the first season but that is the most undutch news studio ever. We like big round tables or small speech podiums. Sometimes we only show the torso and head of the news reader like in the usa. lmao. I have no idea why both Twitter and YT try to remember my of this anime but I am happy to be here. Also Golden Gugnir Hibiki needs a figure. any figure

[@sinofsanity6593]

watched the end of it again like 2 weeks ago. it really does keep getting better season after season. things like music and characters are a bit more subjective and sometimes fights look like someone's just pulling unestablished BS powers out of their whatsits, they are, they really are. the visuals are usually going for what's more over the top compared to last time my favourite is probably GX, even if it does spend a lot of time with the autoscorers that never really have their own arcs carol is definitely one of my favourite villains. possibly the closest out of the villains to getting what she wants and she barely remembers why she wants it. even when the plan's foiled she doesn't stop even though all she has is unreasonable revenge. it's just a character whose tough enough to be built by piss & vinegar carol's transformation also makes her look like a witch, which is cool

[@verorosas9241]

I like how symphogear is in the near future

[@Bonny-2132]

Wait, how could you not mention best wife Miku!

[@NEETByNature]

I do like Miku, but I tried to keep the video's length from getting to out of hand. Maybe one day I'll make a more comprehensive video on the show

[@lunixiastray4634]

You could actually put the music you use in the background in your video description so that more people can enjoy Touhou music c:

[@sylnz97]

I wish I could watch symphogear for the first time again

[@D4rkn3ss2000]

Symphogear is the most underrated anime ever. It is also on my top 3 anime of all times.❤❤ Edit: HOW DARE YOU TRASH ON TSUBASA'S GEAR AND LOOK? I feel personally insulted. Edit2: Although Adam was indeed kinda underwhelming as a big bad boss, there is no way in hell I can hate a character voiced by Shin'ichiro Miki. ❤ besides, Adam was more like a plot device person to set in motion the event of XV

[@The-Almighty775]

You know it's not the best anime of all time, but it was worth taking a look even if The West doesn't appreciate it as much, but we all have our own tastes and preferences. thank you, it's because of you that I was able to truly understand how good this anime is

[@thierrydecker8110]

If you ask me, Symphogear's gimmick is just honestly the perfect combo. It's a shame there's nothing else like it if you ask me. Which I'm guessing is because it's a concept you simply can't convey in manga or light novel form, so it would have to be original like Symphogear. It's an awesome concept, but it really only works in anime and maybe video games.

[@richeetah5221]

I heard Yuki Yuna is pretty similar.

[@thierrydecker8110]

@richeetah5221 I watched both. They have some things in common, like having a punching magical girl as main character, which is the best kind if you ask me. But I wouldn't say they are that similar.

[@Flaris]

I know what you mean. It's a concept that really needs to be anime in order to work. But it absolutely works in that medium. And with so much anime being adaptations it isn't the kind of perfect storm that will be repeated too often. Just so lucky that they made this at all. A great example of what original series can be.

[@octapusxft]

I know it is finished, but I would have really liked more of this show. Maybe as a movie

[@KuzeHibikiYGO]

Agree, especially "The lost song" storyline (which Hibiki fight against Edgebiki, another version of her who lost her Miku)and Gjalahorn arc, if they make it into a movie , i will 100% watch it

[@BelieveOneGod]

They beat the freaking illuminati bruh ☠️

[@akirandrake414]

I've been interestedin starting this, but I'm not sure where to start.

[@Bonny-2132]

Start with just Senki Zesshou Symphogear Season 2 is called ''G'' Season 3 is called ''GX'' Season 4 is called ''AXZ'' Season 5 is called ''XV'' Don't skip seasons, it's all connected.

[@akirandrake414]

@@Bonny-2132 I didn't WANT to skip seasons, I just didn't know where to start before. Thank you.

[@花野楽章]

シンフォギアを真面目に語る外国人は初めて見た めっちゃ嬉しい😊 I love so much symphogear Do you like characters of symphogear Maria is the best🎉

[@NEETByNature]

残念ながら、日本以外でシンフォギアはあまり流行ってない。だけど外国人のファンも結構情熱的です。 僕はマリアがとても格好いいと思うけど、響とクリスが一番好きです。

[@花野楽章]

@@NEETByNature日本語上手いですね 日本語の歌キャラソンとか言語の壁もあるし難しそうですしね～

[@mariuskatutis2687]

The Earth Defense Force of magical girl genre

[@electricant55]

Really good video, but could use fewer spoilers

[@NEETByNature]

Oh my bad. Sorry if you felt spoiled by the video. I'll keep that in mind for future ones

[@oxdaman1]

Oh shit, this vid is 8 months old and I'm just watching it. Ahem. Anyway~ I can agree with this review, it was very fair in all points, even the more opinionated ones. I really need to go watch the series again myself and I really, really need to do something about my JP language skills.

[@Symphobit]

Symphogear is absolutly shoud have more ears and eyes upon it

[@SherlockONI]

Well thinking in the technical aspect it is actually posible for arc system works to do it i mean unless they want to add different versions of the same character they characters alone have less then 20 more than 15 a good fighting game and for dlc can add different versions like chris with fine armor, dark hibiki, another version of miku, i dont know a lot of transformations and even character that i didnt cout like maria, or carol from xv