Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha: The Movie 1st

For a long time I avoided the mahou shoujo genre of anime like the plague, until a friend recommended the series Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha. After that, my perception of "magical girls" changed completely, and for the first time I realised the potential of the genre. Nanoha was like no other anime of its type, combining shounen action with a rather dark storyline, all packaged in a "cute" anime (complete with small fluffy sidekick).

It's unfortunate then, that the stereotypical mahou shoujo anime still reigns supreme.

The rather strangely titled Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha The MOVIE 1st (simply calling it Nanoha: The Movie would have sufficed as ... there's only one Nanoha in anime as far as I'm aware - feel free to correct me on this point though), is, as many anime fans may already know, about 9 year old Takamichi Nanoha, who answers a ferret's cry for help, obtains an intelligent device named Raising Heart (or Raging Heart, I'm still not sure which is correct), and becomes a magical girl tasked with finding "Jewel Seeds".

Cue the twinkly effects and soppy romance? Hell no! This is Nanoha, and she'd kick Sailor Moon's arse from here to the next dimension.

As far as the story goes, the movie is nothing more than a condensed retelling of the first series. Now some have tried to claim that the movie is a parallel history rather than a straightforward rehash (I'm looking at you Tsuzuki Masaki), however the differences between the two are very small indeed. While the movie takes liberties in an effort to condense information, the content is still pretty much the same (the major points anyway), so it puzzles me how anyone could consider this an alternative take on the original series.

Which brings me to a major problem I had with the movie. The plot flows rather nicely throughout the film, and the story has been compacted to a pretty good degree, however sacrifices have been made in order to accomodate the shortening of a 13 episode series into just over 2 hours. The biggest problem with the movie is that it has lost much of the charm the original series had, something which affects the characters in a big way. Granted there's more focus on the action, but one of the reasons why the whole Nanoha franchise works is because we see her grow from being a young, naive girl into the Ace of Aces, and much of that growth is missing from the movie.

Here's what I mean. Part of what I liked about the original Nanoha series was seeing how she came to terms with her new role and how it affected her relationship with her family and friends. Unfortunately, the movie doesn't have the time to go into this kind of detail so much of this is missing, and the upshot of this is that many of Nanoha's later actions, her fights with Fate and such, don't really have the same level of justification that they did in the series. The movie is nothing more than action for the sake of action, and the whole "alternate history" concept is only really noticable in a few small scenes..

But it's still enjoyable nonetheless :)

As for the effect of the shortened plot on the other characters, while the original series made some effort to round out certain individuals, the movie does nothing of the sort. Granted this is because of time constraints, however one can't help but wonder how fans of the series will take this distinct lack of characterisation and development, although in fairness to the movie, the viewer does get a good idea of Fate's motivations.

One thing that I did like is the fact that the cast from the original series and it's sequels have reprised their roles here, and their familiarity with the characters is telling as the performances are very good throughout. The only real downside to the acting is that there aren't too many opportunities for the seiyuu to display their talents because of the nature of the movie (i.e. it's far more action oriented), which limits their performances to a degree. As for the sound, the effects are exceptional throughout, especially during the combat sequences, while the music is very good not only in the scope of tracks, but also in their choregraphy.

In terms of looks, the movie is very clearly a reflection of the first series, and the characters and settings will be very familiar to those who have watched the original. The only real differences between the movie and the series are that the animation is, on the whole, better in the new version, and the action sequences are much more exciting now than they were before. Granted there are some minor visual alterations between the two, however these are nothing more than cosmetic changes to facilitate the belief that this is an "alternate history".

Now, did I enjoy the movie? Damn right I did. While I may not be a diehard fan of the franchise, Nanoha really did change my opinion of mahou shoujo, and while I may seem critical of the flaws in the film, that doesn't mean I didn't like it. The movie is very much an action based affair, and while this is an enjoyable romp in the realm of Nanoha, in all honesty I would much prefer to watch the original series. While the movie is a great way to while away a couple of hours, there is a distinct lack of character interaction that was part of the charm of the original series.

I doubt whether fans of the Nanoha franchise will find this a bad film as it enompasses a good deal of the plot from the original series. That said, while I enjoyed the movie a lot, there really is no competition as I much prefer the series. This isn't a bad film, not at all. It simply lacks some of the things that I liked about the original, and the fact that this is being pushed as an "alternate history" doesn't help matters.

In truth, while Nanoha: The Movie (see how much easier that is?), may be good, it's not the re-envisioning I expected or hoped for. The film could have been so much more if writer Tsuzuki Masaki, and director Kusakawa Keizou, had decided to follow one route only - either a complete alternate history, or a condensed retelling of the original series.

That said, this is a good action movie that suitably pays homage to the original, and while it can't really compare to the series in terms of depth, it will serve as a great introduction for new viewers who, like me, simply haven't realised just how good a mahou shoujo anime can be if done right.

Having just came back from watching Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha The MOVIE 1st at a movie theater and feeling very inspired, I felt like writing a review for it.

First off, as any Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha fan can tell by the title alone, Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha The MOVIE 1st is basically a recap of the first season. Things like reused elements to keep the whole feel of the series coherent, summarized version of the story to stay on track with the original, and on occasions seemingly reused portions from the original series... all of these are to be expected I guess. I'm pretty sure ... the creator(s) were aware of this, so in order to make such a recap interesting, they would have to make slight alternations and focuses to the storyline, put emphasis on the highlights or important parts from the original, subtract what is not extremely beneficial to give the intended feel or express the intended message, and add some stuff unavailable in the original series. Of course, I think keeping on track with the original is very important, yet it's easy to make it feel repetitive. So, the challenge for the creator(s) was how to make the movie feel different while still remaining loyal to the original. That said, I think the creator(s) did a pretty good job with most of it.

STORY - 9/10
A smooth flow from beginning to end, even though it was a combination of seemingly reused scenes accompanied with new stuff. The basic structure of the beginning and ending is pretty much the same as the original series, with Nanoha encountering Yuuno and becoming a Mahou Shoujo in the process, eventually leading to the emotional and inspiring scene at the end with Fate. However, the middle portion of the story was altered somewhat. In the original series, you get to see more of Nanoha and her life, while in the movie you get more emphasis on explaining Fate and Precia's situation which leads to a deeper understanding of the overall story if you have watched the original series before. I felt that the different perspective was definitely a nice touch, because in the original series it was easy to "get the logic" but not necessarily the "understanding", whereas in the movie it was easier to "understand" because you just get to know a lot more about Precia and Fate's past, with a few touch-ups like how Fate became the skilled Mahou Shoujo that she is and how Precia became the woman that she is because of loving her daughter so much.

Along with more of Fate's side of the story, there were also a lot more (or in a sense, an abundance of) showdowns between Nanoha and Fate. This was one thing that I didn't mind but was also questioning. With intense battles, I think it's also a good thing to have some "quiet times", such that the audience can refresh instead of possibly starting to falter from being overloaded by the intensiveness thus possibly degrading the quality of a few of the battles. Thus I wondered if any of the battles can be taken out, and my conclusion was that ever single battle felt necessary. Through each battle, Nanoha gets her message to Fate little by little. You can't just have Nanoha finally realizing Fate's situation in a mere 2~3 battles. I think the amount of battles put into the movie was probably the ideal solution, but I suppose the fact that everything felt a little too compacted is inevitable in a movie that tries to compress a 13 episode series into a mere 2 hours, especially if more new scenes are added to it. The creator(s) did a very good job in my opinion, but the challenge was probably just too difficult to overcome completely.

ART - 10/10
I don't think there was anything to complain about the art. My view of the Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha series is that it's a cute series in general, and I think the character design, background, color choice, etc... all reflected that very well. It remained pretty much the same as the original series anyways. The magic battles were also magnificent, being very flashy and elegant, as well as powerful both visually and in the impressionistic sense; The shaking of the screen, details of the spinning magic circles, detailed animation of the weapon assembling and form changes, they were all well done, perhaps a slight level up compared to the original series. If you pay enough attention, you will also notice that both Raging Heart and Bardiche was slightly redesigned to make them both look a little more epic but still look very much like Raging Heart and Bardiche. There were redesigns with Nanoha's and Fate's battle costumes as well, though it might not be so obvious to notice for Fate if you've never studied her costume design (not like the difference of Nanoha's costume is that easy to spot either). Again, nothing to complain about, and the extra touches didn't feel out of place.

SOUND - 10/10
I never disliked any of the Theme Songs or OSTs used in any of the Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha series, so there was nothing to complain about this either. I'm sure some people might want to hear at least a few new soundtracks (unfortunately I couldn't tell if there were because there were some retarded anime fans that liked to yell or make idiotic comments while I was watching the movie), but I think more so than that, it's important to make sure every piece fills the puzzle nicely. I would of course actually be glad to hear some new soundtracks as well, but in a sense I'm just plentifully happy with refreshing my memory of the series with the usual soundtracks. The only specific flaw for me was when Arf marched towards Precia with a rage. The sound effect made it appear as though Arf was wearing iron boots. o_0 But, it was so minor I just decided to overlook it.

CHARACTER - 9/10
There's nothing new on Nanoha's side, but as said before there's a lot more emphasis, therefore character development, on Fate's side of the story. In a sense I was happy about this, yet in a sense I was somewhat disappointed. Nanoha is obviously the main character, so logically speaking it would be best to give her the most depth in the story. However, like said before it's probably a better idea to change the focus of the movie to make it not look just like a total recap of the original series. I suppose for people who have watched the original series before, the shift in emphasis would be beneficial. On the flip side, for people watching the movie for the first time, they might feel Nanoha a bit lacking in quality when compared to Fate, asides from Nanoha living up to her reputation of a "Magical Cannon Girl" as named by fans of the series. Nonetheless, I think character development on Fate's side was well done. You get a few more flashbacks of her or Precia's memories as new pieces of information to enhance the story. Characters were introduced as necessary, everyone felt like a necessarily component of the story, and every character was likable in their own way(s). At least, I found every character to be interesting. Even if they're are just minor characters, you can still get a general sense of their personality and their importance to glue the story together.

OVERALL - 9/10
I was more focused on the creator(s) decisions or evident differences of the movie when compared to the original series since I didn't expect much in terms of a different story, so that's probably why I'm giving Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha The MOVIE 1st such a high score. Basically, I enjoyed noticing and studying the differences, which in return I was amused by the amount of decision making put forth to making this movie. I guess another reason I gave a high score is because I'm a big fan of the Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha series. I felt that the original series was already pretty good, and the creator brought forth something different (it's different enough to me anyways) that was also enjoyable, so I didn't hesitate to stick a positive impression in my mind. Despite being so short, I still think the movie still manages to capture the whole feel of the original series well. Another thing is that I loved was the scene near the end where Nanoha and Fate conversed before the farewell. Nanoha said what I consider as perhaps one of the greatest quotes of all time, and Fate's reaction to it just makes me almost burst into tears while feeling so happy for her. That highlight was in the original series, and I was very happy that it was in the movie as well. Neither the movie nor the original series would've been as great without that scene.

Unfortunately, in the end I suppose I still suffer from knowing the general story beforehand. Even if has been over 2 years since I watched the first season of Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha, a few reminders from the movie allowed me to remember the general story very quickly. The upside of that was that I get to remember how much I liked the series to begin with. The downside of that was that if I wanted to enjoy the movie as I did, I couldn't just sit there and watch it like it was something I've never watched before. I was too aware of many things from the original series that I had to kinda tweak my mindset a bit in order to absorb everything fully. Either way, I still think Nanoha fans would be able to enjoy the movie. For people new to the Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha universe, the movie would probably be a great introduction to the series, except I'm somewhat under the impression that if you do watch the movie first, the first season might not appear as good. It's your call though. I would recommend watching the original series first, then jump to the movie as if it's a super long OVA that covers more details of the overall story. If you do watch the movie first though, you can still try the original series right after, or jump straight to the A's season without a problem. And of course, Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha The MOVIE 1st also works as a single story on its own.

As a big fan of Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha since its beginning, I have been anticipating this movie for a very, very long time. It did not let me down in any department. It's a recap of season 1 - so of course, many plot details are lost.

However, this movie was clearly designed for a target audience of people who enjoy Nanoha but want to see it in high definition with updated animation. For that, it succeeds greatly. As such, I would not recommend watching this movie in place of the anime. Instead, it should be treated as ... supplementary material for people who enjoy Nanoha.

The animation is the most fluid I've ever seen for a battle mahou shoujo, and the action scenes are done masterfully. Each and every time action started up, chills ran down my spine. Seeing all of your favorite scenes from the first season come back to life in such a way is truly something to behold.

Sound effects and music were a strong point in the TV series of Nanoha (for its time), and they have only been enhanced here. During some scenes I just subconsciously kept turning up the volume, I hadn't even realized I reached max. I'd say that's complete immersion.

Many scenes are slightly changed in the movie, and there are a couple of additional ones. These subtle changes really add a lot to the experience if you're a big Nanoha fan. You can definitely tell the animation team spent a lot of work on each and every scene to make it feel complete. They have also expanded on the backstory of Precia Testarossa.

Overall, if you enjoyed the first Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha TV series, then this will absolutely not disappoint you. However, I'd steer clear of it if you are not familiar with the original TV series, and instead recommend watching that, then coming back to this movie.

"Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha: The Movie 1st" is, as stated in the synposis, a re-telling of all the major events that took place in the series, "Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha." While this movie does indeed cover all you really need to know about the overall story and plot, it's highly recommended that you've at least seen season one of Lyrical Nanoha before viewing this movie - mostly since the series touches on a larger variety of characters and gets you more familiar with the entire cast.

For the movie itself, I won't be reviewing it as a comparison to the series but as a standalone, ... mostly because it is possible to watch this movie without having any other knowledge of Lyrical Nanoha.

The story in the movie is pretty blunt and right to the point; basically, our main herione Nanoha gets involved with a young boy from another planet named Yuuno, and his quest to collect the scattered Jewel Seeds that have fallen to Earth. At the same time, another young girl named Fate is also after these Jewel Seeds. The two girls' conflicts, and own inner conflicts as well, are the major driving points of the story.

The movie isn't something that's very hard to follow or understand, however it does go a bit deeper then what you'd expect from a magical series. It's a pretty well written story that mostly focuses on the relationship between Fate and Nanoha. The story flows pretty nicely since it's mostly focused on the rivalry along with growing friendship between the two of them. Speaking of rivalry, you should know that there are quite a few fight scenes in this as well. The movie focuses a lot more on these scenes then one might expect, especially if you're already familiar with the show where these didn't occur as often. While the story could've focused a bit more on some other characters or even had the fights occur less frequently, you have to remember it's condensing 13 episodes worth of material into a 2 hour long movie. The movie basically covers all the events and relations between characters that you need to know.

The story itself is, like I said, more in depth then you'd normally expect. While the movie doesn't totally screw you over and ride along on the dark side like Madoka Magica, it does have it's fair share of moments that may leave you in shock, and also in awe. Everything flows smoothly together and these more or less shocking moments flow with it as well. Events in the movie are paced a bit faster then I'd like, but again - it's condensed material. Standing alone, the story is an easy to follow one that's driven mostly by its characters and their own actions.

As for the characters themselves, the movie mainly focuses on the two rivaling girls - Nanoha and Fate. Nanoha is a motivated, friendly, and overall likeable character and a very good fit for a magical girl movie lead. Fate, on the other hand, is a cold and distant girl who fights with loneliness in her eyes and determination in her heart. The two girls do indeed clash because of their own motives for the Jewel Seeds, but throughout the movie we get to see the relationship between Nanoha and Fate grow as Nanoha continues to work harder to get along with Fate and eventually become her friend.

While the characters aren't the most original, the way that they're presented and used in this movie is done so well that you almost forget that Nanoha is the nice-girl archetype while Fate is the emotionless girl one. It can easily bring a smile to your face to watch as Nanoha does her best to reach out and help Fate, and it's nearly heartbreaking to watch exactly what Fate has to go through and how hard she's trying to do what she thinks is best, even if it means being alone. The movie doesn't try too hard to flesh out the characters or anything like that either. The bonds and connections between the two girls is really just something you want to sit back and appreciate.

The only downfall with the characters is that no one else is really focused on or given much screentime other then Nanoha, Fate, and anyone else involved with the Jewel Seeds. Again though - condensed material. It's much rather preferred that this movie focuses on the major conflicts and relations between the main characters then the side ones.

As for the animation, considering it was made in 2010 and it is a movie it's only natural that you'd expect the most out of the animation, and that's what you get. The battle scenes are extremely fluid and really engaging to watch, along with the transformation scenes. (despite the fact that these were pretty infrequent.) Something that people may have an issue with is the really big eyes that are used on, well pretty much everyone, but it's something that can be easily overlooked when you consider the well-done (and improved) character designs and fight scenes that take place in this movie.

The soundtrack isn't something that I can say is the most memorable. While it is indeed there, most of the tracks aren't something that you're going to remember or really want to look up later on after the movie's over. Most of it consists of pretty average battle music and just some nice pieces to fit the mood. The seiyuu's all do a great job and fit their roles very well, but again it's nothing all too fabulous. One thing I will give you as a treat to the viewers though is, "Namae wo Yonde." Look up that OST. I can honestly say that it is the most emotional track in the soundtrack. You'll thank me later.

I have to admit, I really did enjoy watching this movie. It was nice to see the story more focused on the plot and two main characters as opposed to the series, which took a little while to really set the story forward. The only thing that brings down my enjoyment is the fact that I had already seen the series and knew what was going to happen, but thankfully this movie doesn't use the copy and paste formula when it comes to animation and gives you pretty much the same storyline, but with newer scenes (for lack of the better word) and better artwork as well.

Overall, if you're a fan of the Lyrical Nanoha series and you've yet to see this movie, I'd highly recommend you pick it up since I highly doubt there will be much to disappoint you. You can still watch this movie without seeing the series, but I wouldn't really say that's the best way to approach the Lyrical Nanoha franchise. If you do plan to watch this first and you enjoy it, at least go back and watch the original series as well. Both truly show how great a mahou shoujo can be when it's done right. & I can undoubtedly say that Lyrical Nanoha did just about as much right as one could expect.

"Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha" is one of the more true to form Magical Girl works that I've personally seen (the only other one being Madoka Magica), and personally I wasn't all that impressed. That being said Nanoha still manages to deliver on some level despite its quirks.

Story: 6

Execution wise the story could of panned out slightly better. Bogged down with pacing issues, and a few mechanical problems with the plot. These mechanical issues pertain to mainly: Nanoha herself (more on that later), some lack luster dialogue, and the powers of the girls. The overall tale lost impact due to some less than stellar writing, ... which is a shame considering what the story was trying to convey is touching. Thematically speaking (as simplistic as it was) Nanoha was still solid,but didn't effectively present its core themes. Moving onto the powers, or the magic. With something like this I don't really need to know the inner workings of everything, but a little would of been nice. This becomes an issue in the latter half of the show when the physical limitations of the characters are brought into question. With no guide lines or basic systems to how these powers work all tension is diffused. I never once felt like any of the characters were in danger, which is a problem since it devalues the overall struggle. "Struggle" being the key word, because it never felt like one. This is not considering inner struggles of some of the cast, which was quite real. I'm only commenting on the outer more physical challenges. With all of this said Nanoha still had some sparks of actual quality, and delivers on a fundamental level. Sadly nothing more. If you are generally a fan of the this genre then you will feel right at home with Nanoha's setup, and progression.

Art: 6

Nanoha's art falls short of ever being anything more than alright. Animation wise although nothing really spectacular was still fair, and did a decent job. The character designs were also decent, but left much to be desired for in appearance. Also the CG in almost every instance was jarring, and really took me out of the experience. Now on a more personal note I found the overall style of the show to be to clean, and incredibly bland. This is of course personal preference, but worth mentioning. Although I found it bland it still wasn't bad just not my cup of tea.

Sound: 5

I was initially going to give this a 6. Although the OST never really shined me on it fit into the background, and never really pulled me out of the show. But this is one of the first instances I've encountered where voice acting was actually an issue. Nanoha's weapon speaks, and dear God is it bad. Maybe it's the Engrish, the robotic nature of her voice, or she is just a bad voice actress. Either way it was so bad that I actually was praying for her not to talk. That aside there just wasn't really anything special about it, and the only really bad part would be that voice.

Character: 7

Here is one of the better parts of the film, but also one of the weakest. The strengths in this don't come from our main "character". I use character loosely because Nanoha isn't one, which being the title character this is kind of a problem. So much so that she almost becomes a side character in the end. This is the weakest part of the entire show, and the most hurtful. Luckily besides her, and her non existent friends (who also play almost no part) we have a group of likable side characters. They aren't really all that deep, but at the very least entertaining. Now time for why this is one of the better parts of the film. The dynamic between Fate, and her mother. I found Fate's struggle/journey not only more interesting then Nanoha's, but I think the film did as well considering that it pretty much becomes her show in the latter half. Also Fate's mother was an excellent villain. I really appreciate when you see where the villain is coming from, and can actually sympathize with them. These two characters had more depth, and had the most time devoted to them then any other cast members. Fun fact this isn't a bad thing. The only problem that arises with this was that I wondered why the movie wasn't called Mahou shoujo Lyrical Fate.

Enjoyment: 6

Even if this wasn't really my cup of tea I still enjoyed my time with "Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha". A few times it pushed my patients, but never to the point to where I wanted to stop watching.

Overall: 6.0

Overall with a somewhat generic story, but touching theme "Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha" execution made it fall short. If you are a fan of magical girl shows then I see no reason why you wouldn't enjoy this movie. For what it was I had some fun with Nanoha faults included. As always, thanks for reading.

I REALLY enjoyed this movie! It is basically an alternate retelling of the first season. Its hard to not give things away, but ostly rthe sounds were remixes of the first season score, which is why i gave it only an 8. And mkost of the events were those I had already seen (although much of the pacing flaws were repaired) so I gave it a 9. Besides that, everything is a 10! For those who have never heard of Nanoha before, go and watch this movie instead of the first season, and then watch the second! This was truly an excellent film, but it ... was hard to ignore that the rest of the audience was male. I was the only female, and 14-year old in the room (also the only AMERICAN female!) Besides that, I posted this film on youtube so that way everyone can watch it! It's raw though, so if you don't know Japanese and haven't watched the series, it'll be sort of tricky. But hopefully you'll enjoyit anyway!

befriend (v.) - to inflict grievous bodily harm in the process of proving the validity of your beliefs

If there was one word to sum up "Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha the MOVIE: 1st", it would be that. "Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha the Movie: 1st" (which will hereon be referred to as Nanoha: The Movie) is a remake of the first season of the Lyrical Nanoha franchise, featuring Nanoha as a magical girl who causes massive property damage in the process of befriending her adversaries, and a rival magical girl, Fate. Both of them are after the twenty-one dangerous artifacts known as "Jewel Seeds".

Let's sum up what ... a movie remake should be able to achieve: a movie remake should be able to condense the plot within the span of two hours, give or take an hour. For the most part, Nanoha: the Movie manages to tell the original story within its time span. Of course, there are issues with condensing the plot in such a short time. The biggest thing hit by this plot compression is the character of Nanoha. In the original, a big part of Nanoha's character was her desire to find something to do with her life. She was, at first, hesitant to collect the Jewel Seeds, and her character development stems from the realization of the weight of the responsibility she took. In the process of compressing the movie, this aspect of Nanoha's character is downplayed, and as a result, Nanoha lost some of her characterization. Much of the character interaction in Nanoha's daily life has also been lost, although it is understandable to trim off the slice-of-life segments to set the more action-oriented tone of the movie.

In exchange, the movie manages to excel in what the original somewhat lacked: effective characterization on the side of Fate, Arf, and her mother. Nanoha: the Movie greatly expands on Precia Testarossa's character and motivations. Precia is no longer simply an abusive mother -- she becomes a tragic figure who wasn't able to move forward with her life. In effect, it highlights the tragedy of Fate's family and makes their characters more effective.

Compression is also not enough in a movie remake; it should also be able to distill all the good parts of the original and concentrate it. Seven Arcs shows their stuff with the updated and more fluid animation: the fight scenes are incredible and breathtaking to watch, and the magic effects are fantastic. Lyrical Nanoha is not your standard magical girl series, in fact, the series can be described as a mecha show masquerading as a magical girl series. This movie manages to excel in distilling all the action and drama, making it fit into a tone more representative of the entire franchise.

While most people would not see this movie as a full substitute to the original, it still manages to highlight the best parts of the series. It is a great remake of the original, and is a must-watch for fans of this series. Nanoha: the Movie is highly enjoyable for all the things it does better than the original, and while it doesn't have the same charm as the original, it's not something that can detract a viewer from enjoying this movie.

I wouldn't call myself a huge fan of the Lyrical Nanoha franchise, but I still found this movie an enjoyable, action-filled ride. Whether you are a huge fan of the Lyrical Nanoha franchise or a casual viewer, your two hours will not be wasted in watching this movie. Expect much of what the Lyrical Nanoha franchise is known for: action and drama on the levels of a mecha series, and massive property damage resulting from the power of friendship.

The movie is a retelling of the first season for the Nanoha TV series. For those that don't know about Nanoha, the story is about the young protagonist, Nanoha Takamachi who comes across a magical device and must hunt for magical treasures before the bad guys get to them. However, this seemingly shallow and typical story hides its true nature which contains very well defined character interactions, relationships, and giant beam cannons.

Story: The story is far more coherent than its tv series part. It has essentially been streamlined and the boring filler parts have been excised. The story quickly establishes a focus on ... the central conflict which happens with Nanoha and Fate, the antagonist who is a young magical girl just like her but is actively opposing her. The story focuses on the events of the conflict as well as the background and thoughts surrounding them.

I will have to say that certain parts feel extremely rushed, because of the movie formats, so some of the fight segments are going to leave you with very little transition time.

It just feels like at certain points that Nanoha is constantly at battle, which is nice for those fond of the cool fights, but can be jarring for folks that would want to know more about the character's when they're not blowing crap up. There are also flashbacks that take up a good amount of time and I felt that they could have been placed and paced better.

Despite all of this, the last parts of the movie come together extremely well, much like the TV series.

Art: I'm no expert in this area, but naturally with the bigger budget, the movie looks great. The character outfits have been changed quite a bit, and they look much cooler. The battles in the movie are also more intense and feature extremely fluid motion. And the explosions! Who can have an anime of this nature without having some great looking ones?

Sound: The sound is mostly passable being a remix of the show's, though it seems like it's stuck on the serious/sad ones. It pretty much is there to do the job.

Character: Character interaction and development have always been a strong part for the Nanoha series. The way the relationships between characters grow feel natural and well planned. Fate's terrible relationship with her mother is disturbingly realistic.

In general, the movie captures aspects such as Nanoha's naivety and idealism as well as Fate's despair and her longing for reaching out (but being unable to). Unfortunately, development for the side characters tended to lopsided towards the antagonist's side. It's welcome since the tv series didn't go over them much, but Nanoha's family, friends, and especially her ferret assistant Yuuno suffer a lot which weakens Nanoha's character a bit as well.

But given the time constraints, the characters are still very likable and easy to feel for (except the villain of course-- as it should) and the movie does well with the characters it does focus on.

Enjoyment: Although the fact that this retelling hasn't changed the story very much, I did appreciate most of the "fixes" they made to the story. The rather jarring loli stuff is almost nonexistent here, which I think it's a good thing because it turned away quite a few folks since that was very annoying in the first few episodes of the tv series.

I can't say it was ground breaking, but the fights were cool, and the last part of the story is just as heartwarming and emotional as the original-- the scenes near the end are easily some of my favorite in all of anime, so it was fun to watch them in its big budget glory.

Overall, this was an enjoyable movie and many scenes were just as good to me as I saw them the first time. I've always seen the first season of Nanoha to be fairly average but saved by some exceptional parts-- the movie makes it better. If you don't know anything about this series, the movie will give you a good introduction. If you liked the first season but hated certain aspects of it like I did, watch this movie ASAP.

I've actually completed BOTH the original anime series and this, but I've decided to review this first because this movie is how I was introduced to the Lyrical Nanoha anime franchise.

STORY:
Superb. That's all I can say for the story. Not only did the movie tied up a lot of loose ends which was a major flaw in the original anime series, it also included additional details such as the creation of Fate's weapon, as well as her magic teacher. It also explored more in-depth on the relationship between Fate and Precia Testarossa. Unnecessary elaboration from the original anime series was removed which made the plot ... moved smoother. The pacing was done well too.

One minor complain I have about the movie that hesitated me to give it a '10' is the appearance of way too many deus-ex-machina abilities (Mr. Screenwriter, you mean that Nanoha can create dozens of new skills in such a short span of time?)

ART:
Again, the art was tiers up from the original anime series. No more inconsistent use of animation (in Episode 1 of the original series), everything was done smooth and well. The fight scene between Nanoha and Fate was brilliantly animated. It gave me hopes for the famous fight scene between Vita and Nanoha in the next movie (A's).

SOUND:
One of the very few anime OSTs I have in my iTunes is the OST of this movie. Others include the Neon Genesis Evangelion OST and Puella Magi Madoka Magica etc. So, you can see how I love the soundtrack of the movie. Some of the best pieces from the OST include Raising Heart Set Up! (Nanoha's theme) and of course, Blitz of Gold (Fate's theme).

Besides that, the vocal pieces used in the movie are also good too. It was a bit of a disappointment since I did not get to hear Take a Shot, but this was compensated with not one, but TWO Nana Mizuki's vocals, Phantom Minds and Don't Be Long. Yukari Tamura's My Wish My Love is another insert song used in the movie, and among the three, Don't Be Long is the one that appeals to me the most. Probably because of the fact that it was used in one of the most epic scenes of the movie.

CHARACTER:
This movie should be named after Fate instead of Nanoha. As this suggests, the main character of the movie is actually Fate rather than Nanoha. Throughout the whole movie, it was Fate who got the most development. Arf as well, since she was the familiar of Fate. Precia Testarossa of course gets a lot more screentime and development than she had in the original anime series. Nanoha and Euno, on the other hand, their development was badly scrapped because of the shortening of the story. Nevertheless, being a biased person who prefers more Fate than Nanoha, I still give the 'CHARACTER' part of the movie an 8 (lol).

OVERALL:
Whoa! What a great ride! I thoroughly enjoyed myself during the course of the whole movie. Though not as top-notch as other anime movies such as Rebuild of Evangelion and Spirited Away, overall Lyrical Nanoha is still an awesome movie. I would expect such a wonderful experience again when I watch the 2nd Nanoha movie next year, especially since A's was the best series out of all the three in the franchise.

If any of you have been around the anime block for the last six or so years, you've probably heard of a franchise called Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha. This is a series of anime tv shows, movies, manga, audio CDs, video games, and other stuff about a girl who gains a magical relic and uses it to fight bad guys. Yeah, I know, that sounds exactly like the premise for Sailor Moon or Cardcaptor Sakura, but what set Nanoha apart from other magical girl series was: 1) the "Magic" is really more like highly advanced technology from other planets. 2) There's a greater emphasis on ... action than other mahou shoujo series. and 3) there is a LOT of lesbian subtext in this franchise. My friend Archon_Wing has already reviewed this movie, but I before I go on, my thoughts on Nanoha.

Calling me a fan of Nanoha would be inaccurate. I tried to watch the first season of Nanoha about 2 and a half years ago via fansubs. I didn't like it. Short version: the animation was lackluster, all of the characters (barring Fate) had no personality, Nanoha was too mature for a nine year old (you may as well make her middle name Mary Sue), the voice-acting (in Japanese) was listless, there was WAY too much sexual fanservice, and it was too slow-paced. I dropped the series after the 5th episode. However, some of my friends are big fans of this franchise, and one of them said if you didn't like the series, you might like the first movie more. Though I had to pirate this movie in order to watch it, I can say I like it more than what I saw of the series, though what do I make of it?

Story:

Nanoha Takamachi is a 9 year old girl living a peaceful life with her friends and family. That is, until she had a dream of a boy fighting a strange monstrous creature. The next day, she finds a ferret . . . that can talk. And the monster from the dream is attacking. The ferret introduces himself as Yuuno, and hands Nanoha a red gem called an "Intelligent Device" named Raising Heart. Using Raising Heart, Nanoha develops a cool dress to wear in battle, and can employ abilities that would appear to be magic to the viewer, including flight, energy shots, energy shielding, more energy shots, et cetera. Yuuno explains that there are things called Jewel Shards that have scattered onto Earth. They are highly dangerous; controlling animals, messing with nature, and essentially serving as boss fights (if this were a video game). Nanoha must recover these jewels, but another girl with an Intelligent Device, Fate Testarossa, is also recovering the jewels, and she won't cooperate with Nanoha.

Alright, let me be honest; Nanoha the franchise is essentially Dragonball Z and its ilk, but with girls following the moe aesthetic doing the fighting. The movie is fight scene, a little exposition, fight scene, a little more exposition, repeat until the end. Fortunately, unlike the show version, there's no long wait between battles, and battles is what Nanoha is best at. The movie is a little more than two hours in length, and in that time, it does a passable job of introducing the world, and some character development along the way. And the last third or so of the movie is quite enjoyable, mixing in a gripping backstory amongst more action scenes. However, if you want something other than pure action, this isn't the best movie to watch. It's entertaining, yes, but it's not likely to blow your mind away. But unlike the series, I did actually find myself watching it from beginning to end. 7/10.

Art:

This was one thing wrong with the series; outside of the character art, it was nothing special to look at. This isn't the case here. The visuals have been majorly improved: most of the animation is fluid, the characters look great, backgrounds are well done, coloring is good, action looks nice. It's not quite as impressive as some other anime movies, but it is a treat to watch. Although, I will say, I do love the character art, but I swear, in some shots, the eyes look too large to be plausible. But whatever, it's a big improvement over the series. 9/10.

Sound:

Word of warning; this movie is LOUD. The sound effects are good, but they are LOUD. Much more so than the series. The music is alright, and I like the vocal songs, but it's not mind-blowing. Still, if you got a good sound system, it'll make for a worthwhile watch.

The voice-acting, only available in Japanese at the moment, is, I think, a lot better than the first season. When I tried watching the series, all of the characters sounded bored of their minds. Not so here. Now it sounds like the voice actors have a better grasp of their characters. The Devices, unlike in the series, are now voiced by people fluent in English, and it's a noticeable improvement. And of course, I must give a shout-out to Nana Mizuki, for her awesome portrayal of Fate. Even though Fate's the same age as Nanoha, Mizuki didn't give Fate a stereotypical moe voice like nearly every other young anime girl of the last decade, and I appreciate that. 8/10.

Characterization:

Okay, maybe my claim of Nanoha being a Mary Sue was harsh. She doesn't feel like one here. Sure, she's really mature for her age, has a perfect family, and takes to magic really easily, but she's also reckless. She is so idealistic, she will risk herself for the best in any scenario. Yuuno makes for a good mentor, who is also skilled with magic, but can't take down enemies like Nanoha. However, much like the series, minor characters like Nanoha's friends and family get little to no screentime. They are practically superfluous. We never see what the family makes of Nanoha's behavior, and her friends don't have much influence on the main plot.

But then again, we all know who the REAL star of this movie is. That's right, my favorite thing about the franchise, Fate Testarossa. She has real depth, and a more complex personality than most of the other characters. At first, she is harsh and cold toward Nanoha, yet she is sweet to her fox familiar, Arf. She and Arf are retrieving the jewels for her mother, Precia. Precia is so driven in her goal, she has lost her humanity, and her behavior toward Fate explains the daughter's personality. It is tragic, yet the most intriguing part of the movie. Arf is also lovable; she treats Fate with more respect than her mother, and the two of them have an inseparable bond that is evident. Later, an interdimensional military group of sorts appears to try to stop Precia. Most of these characters outside of the captain have little personality, but they help to drive the plot forward. 7/10.

Enjoyment:

This isn't something I'd recommend if you want more than just beautifully drawn girls shooting magic at each other. Outside of the last third of the movie, there's nothing truly groundbreaking about this film. It's basically a summer action flick. Also, if my friends are to be believed, the second season of the series had the best characters, and, well, none of those characters are here.

With that said, most of my issues with the first season are fixed. It's much prettier to look at, the characters sound better, the pacing is better, there's much less sexual fanservice (but they just haaaaaaad to get in two nude transformations, didn't they? Watch out for the lolicons), some of the action scenes are really well done, and the ending is a good ending, and leaves itself open for continuation. And there will be a movie of the second season in 2012; which I now feel like watching it.

So, am I a Nanoha fan now? Well, I wanna see the next movie, but I'm not exactly gonna run out and blow money on any merchandise. However, I will be a little more respectful to the franchise now.

Nanoha is a bit of a strange franchise, it took the typically girly magical girl and injected into it a dose of gundam style action and a much grittier story than common for this kind of series. The result was something of a mixed bag, the early episodes were almost indistinguishable from many other mahou shoujo's. As it went on though the story improved and it turned into something that while no masterpiece could certainly hold its own.

So how does this movie version compare? Quite well. With a much shorter length the story has been compressed and streamlined down cutting out much of the early ... stuff. In fact it seems that almost entire episodes were removed and they certainly took out many of the jewel seed encounters. For the most part this is a good thing. This version of the story gets to the point much quicker and doesn't waste time on filler that did little to advance either story or character.

Unfortunately with the filler has also gone some stuff that really should have stayed. While losing the earlier battles isn't a problem, losing nearly all of Nanoha's quieter time is. There is a significant lack of time spent on fleshing out her character, nearly all the scenes of her with friends or family have either been cut or reduced. True one could claim that as characters they were rather minor in the series itself but they helped to flesh out Nanoha, to show her as something more real. In short whereas before Nanoha was a girl who happened to be a magical girl here she is only a magical girl. In many ways she feels like she's there really just to move the story along.

The other big change (and whether it is a problem will depend on your preferences) is the shift in focus from Nanoha to Fate. This is much more Fate's story and the emotional centre, has shifted over to her. Whereas Nanoha has suffered in the character stakes she has prospered. Fate's story remains the same as before but there is much more focus on her as a person rather than just as the rival. We get more time with Fate and her family, more time to properly understand their feelings and the emotions behind their actions. Precia too seems to be more real in this version, her actions are still deplorable but they come across as more understandable, as with Fate we get a fuller picture of why she has turned out this way.

Is this shift of the emotional centre a good thing or not. It really depends on which character you prefer if like me you find Fate to be more interesting then you'll probably like the change if not then you may feel that too much emphasis has been placed on her leaving Nanoha (who is meant to be the lead) to be rather less interesting in comparison.

Another difference between with the film is that there is much more concentration on action. Though this is less a result of having more battles between Nanoha and Fate and more to do with there being less of the quieter scenes. At times it can feel a little bit like it's going for action for its own sake but most of the battles do actually serve some purpose beyond the visual exhilaration of watching these two girls fight. Each encounter brings them closer to an understanding of each other and helps move the story towards its conclusion.

In terms of art this is unsurprisingly good with improved animation especially notable in the battles but it can also be seen elsewhere, even if it has nothing else it certainly looks good. Sound too is impressive with the old cast returning to provide some excellent performances and the sound complements the action well. The music too compliments the story and the songs being not just impressive in their own right but also helping to make the emotion behind the story resonate more.

You can probably tell that I like this movie and while it certainly isn't the greatest out there it is very entertaining. Yes I do have some concerns, but I'm willing to forgive most of them for what it does right. It cuts out much of the standard magical girl stuff and gets to the point much quicker. It's a pity that in doing so Nanoha suffered a distinct decrease in her quality as a character and that is the only real problem that I can't easily overlook. Still on the whole even this doesn't actually ruin it just makes it less than it could have been.

Do the things it does right make up for the loses? I would say that for the most part yes but I'd rather I didn't have to make that choice. Still you should check this one out. It not only works well as a retelling but is also a good entrance point for those new to the franchise.

Mahou Shojo Lyrical Nanoha: The Movie 1st. The movie is great in all level. As a fan of Mahou Shojo, this story, is just outstanding. The movie takes a different approach from the series and changes in outfit: like Nanoha have more robotic arms instead of all cloth; the fighting scene have more flying than the original series, and it's also widescreen to fit our modern monitors; along with different audio improvements; and different story transition. However, having said all of that, story is the same as the original series. I tend to enjoy the original series a bit more as how the author depicted ... Nanoha as regular girl a little better. Not to mention, I'm not too much a fan of flying a lot though Danmaku is still an awesome idea regardless.
Personal opinion aside though, the story takes a twist like the original series. You learn the truth of everything and how the character deals with such truth and trauma and how the character continues to strive forward; that's a real art of heroism depicted well. Magic development could not be stated any differently. Nanoha initially turned out to be a beginner, who knew nothing about magic, but she wanted to grow. She wanted to improve. She wanted to be the best she can ever be - thus she continued to train.
I have felt many tears watching this movie. I will continue to watch, rewatch, and cry over and over in the world of Mahou Shojo Lyrical Nanoha. There is nothing like it! I give 10 in everything.

It's no secret at this point that I'm a big fan of the Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha franchise, except for Triangle Heart but that barely counts as connected to the rest. And since Nanoha and Fate are one of my favourite anime couples, it seems like an ideal time to look at one of the films. We'll start with the oddly named Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha: The Movie 1st. 

Story:

The film basically gives an abridged account of the first Nanoha series. As such, I'm not going to worry about giving spoilers since I've already reviewed multiple series of Vivid and anyone who's read my reviews regularly ... knows basically how the first series ends. But for those of you who don't and don't want spoilers, consider that your warning. 

We open with Yuuno escaping a jewel seed created monster, turning into his ferret form and being found by our gayby heroine, Takamachi Nanoha. She quickly learns how to transform, beats the monster that was chasing him and decides to hunt for the jewel seeds before their power can hurt anyone. This leads her into conflict with Fate Testarossa, another mage who's also after the seeds. 

Like I said, same story as the first series. About the only big difference is the in depth background scenes of Precia and Fate's magic teacher, Linith. Linith wasn't in the original series at all and the events surrounding Precia's descent weren't nearly as thoroughly covered. 

To be fair, these scenes do add some nice background and they flesh Precia out as a character beyond what the original series did. The main series kind of relies on the knowledge of her situation and brief glimpses into who she was before the accident to demonstrate what happened to make her the way she is. Which does work in its own right, but this does strengthen that. 

The worst thing I can say about this film is that it's kind of unnecessary. If you've seen the series, you've seen all the big scenes, twists and all the cute, hugely homo-erotic scenes. There are also some scenes that feel rushed in this because it is an abridged account and there's not nearly as much time to devote to pacing. 

Characters:

The major characters are still strongly written. Nanoha, Fate, Arf and Precia especially. Like I stated earlier, Precia actually benefits from having her back story detailed more strongly.  She still comes across as a villainous person who mistreats her daughter when all Fate wants is her love, kindness and acceptance of her future marriage to the Takamachi girl. 

A lot of the side characters aren't so well handled. Nanoha's family is barely present in this Her friends, Alisa and Suzuka, have a decent sense of character but it's not nearly as strong as it was in the anime proper but, to be fair, they're condensing the events of the anime into a two hour film. 

Art:

The artwork still looks really good with the same exception as the series proper. The transformation sequences, though we don't see them a lot of times, are pretty horrendous. I don't know who the asshole at Seven Arcs was who decided the franchise needed fan-servicey transformation sequences for third grade girls, but they belong on some kind of watch list.  

Sound: 

Mizuki Nana, Tamura Yukari, Igarashi Rei, Mizuhashi Kaori & Kuwatani Natsuko are all really strong in their roles. Really, all the performances are well done. The music is excellent as well. There are two ending themes sung by our leads, Mizuki Nana & Tamura Yukari. They're both superb songs and Tamura's seems designed as a NanoFate love song with the way it's used. Rather like Spiritual Garden was in A's. 

Ho-yay:

There's a lot. For everything they do abridge, they seem determined to keep in as much NanoFate as possible. Which I vehemently approve of. 

Areas of Improvement:

Rework it a little more so  it doesn't feel so much like a re-telling. I'm not saying the aesthetic needs to change or that there should be less NanoFate, but since this is supposed to be an alternative version, it would be nice to see some substantial changes. Maybe Precia could be less terrible and get saved in the end. Maybe Fate could openly rebel without being tossed aside first. There are plenty of options. 
Lose the fan-servicey aspects to the transformation sequences. They are still decidedly not cool. 
Lose a few scenes with side characters who don't do anything for better pacing. As much as I appreciate all the side characters in the franchise, you clearly need to make some sacrifices to turn a thirteen episode series into a two hour film and I think that stuff is the most expendable. 

Final Thoughts:

The big question on my mind is a simple one. Is this film worth watching? Because it does come so close to being an abridged retread of the series proper and the few new scenes don't add all that much. And I would say, it's worth watching if you're a huge Nanoha fan or if you've never watched the anime and you'd like an idea of what it's like before committing to watching it. If you don't like Nanoha or you're a more casual fan who liked it fine but isn't all that interested in re-watching it, you're probably not the audience for the film. For myself, I'm giving it a 7/10. Because even if it is largely a retread, this story is still entertaining and the characters are still endearing. 

To be perfectly honest, I never really gave the Nanoha series much of a look at. So I decided to rectify that by watching the first of the three movies.

Well, color me intrigued show.

Story (8/10): From what I've heard, this is pretty much a recap of the whole first 13 episodes, with some bits cut out. It worked fairly well, to be honest. I think that the whole 'collect the Jewel Seed' plot was just rushed out as quick as possible so that they could get to the better parts of the story, but that's fine since the rest of the movie was paced ... well and the story came together as a whole in the end.

Art (9/10): I'd be lying if I said that this movie didn't look just short of damn pretty. I personally thought that the transformation and fight scenes were the best of the whole movie, along with just the whole thing looking great.

Sound (7/10): Meh. I really didn't notice anything too stand out worthy here, but it wasn't bad.

Character (9/10): Ah these characters. Even non-fans have heard of the great befriending magical girl Nanoha and her once-Dark Magical Girl friend Fate. And I'll be fair in saying that the movie portrayed them fairly well and made them seem like actual characters. Yuuno and Arf were good as well, along with our main villain Precia being a tragic and creepy person in general. But beyond these 5, I don't really remember any other characters.

Enjoyment (8/10): While this movie was definitely made for fans of the franchise, I liked the movie just fine, along with it making me interested in the next couple of seasons. I will say though that this movie is waaay too long. Like I feel that they could have found a way to shave off at least 20 minutes.

Overall, the movie was fairly good and I'm glad that this was my introduction to the Nanoha property. :) Onto Nanoha the MOVIE 2nd A's~

Perhaps I'm just a sucker for high quality animation and the big budget production value that animated films have over their weekly counterparts, but I somehow found myself thoroughly enjoying this way more than I did the first season of the show. Maybe it's just that I've spent enough time with these characters at this point that I was more emotionally invested in their struggles. The story is exactly the same, so if you've already seen the first season of the show there's nothing new to be had there. I still think it's worth watching anyway.

For anyone completely new to the series I think this ... honestly can serve as a total replacement to the TV version. Usually I recommend watching the entire thing because a movie version always has to cu stuff out to keep the runtime brief, but I think they trimmed just all the fatty unnecessary parts leaving only the meat of what makes this show work. The story is honestly all the better for it, much more streamlined in the very best way.

So combine that with the stunning new visuals and you've got a surprising 9/10 on a show that I use to think was average at best. Really great work and I hope the sequel can delivery just as good a product.

Lyrical Nanoha Movie - The 1st is an excellent movie that acts as an all-purposes recap/reboot for the first season of the eponymous anime. In my experience, rebooting a TV series or season can be a mixed bag: sometimes it can suffer from lack of originality or feel like it's simply re-hashing the plot. Sometimes, it gets worse than this even and can feel like pure pandering or simply trying to cash in on the franchise in a quick and lucrative way. While not necessarily a bad thing in itself, these can be detractors from the enjoyment of the movie.

It is with much joy then, ... that I say that Lyrical Nanoha The 1st does not fall into this category, as it is a thrilling experience. The series is redefined in full and has plenty of new information to prevent itself from falling back into the same flaws the series proper suffered from. Namely, pacing is no longer an issue here: thanks to not being restricted to an episodic format anymore, the plot can develop and flow much more naturally. This also allows leeway to put off unimportant storylines or elements that didn't go anywhere interesting in the series and re-focus on the main characters and plot, an opportunity which is not wasted. A prominent character from the series whom had an already decent backstory was expanded on more, allowing much more investment in the plot.

By extension, this not only allowed more investment in the plot, but created opportunities for character development and even enabled a different light to be shed on events which the series was rather black-and-white regarding. The visuals and audio are both very impressive, being a massive improvement from the actual season, complete with a few new scenes. Whether you're just getting into the franchise starting with this movie or you've seen everything else before, this is definitely worth a watch. 10/10.