Story – 8/10
One thing that always manages to amaze me with the Nanoha series is the world the characters live in. It has always managed to draw me in because of the unusual combination of science and magic. Our characters live in a world which is technological far superior to ours however they still make use of magic as their primary military might – aside from the TSA fleet. Another aspect of the series I always find fascinating is how a Magical Girl anime aimed primarily at a younger audience, manages to tackle some pretty depressing topics, such as morality and loss. The story this season continues to build from previous seasons with Nanoha and company at the centre of it all. It isn’t a perfect plot, however it gets the job done. For the plot of a Nanoha anime to be well done – at least in my opinion – it should further enhance the characters of the anime as they are without a doubt the strongest part of the anime. It manages to accomplish this adequately as we can see how Nanoha, Fate, Hayete, Chrono ect; have matured of the course of the previous seasons.
Art – 7/10
For a rather dated series, StrikerS art style manages to keep up to today’s standards. Nothing exactly stands out, however nothing is done too lazily either. The character designs of the protagonists are all different and vividly colored. The various gadgets however were simply disposable tools with not enough variation however I am just full of shit. It is still a blast to watch Nanoha and co. destroy herds of gadgets with little to no effort. The “boss fights” were well made however I feel the duration of these fights were a little too short.
Sound – 8/10
I thoroughly enjoyed StrikerS soundtrack. The vocals for both openings and endings were beautifully sung and I could probably listen to it for hours on repeat, because that is just how weird I am. Unfortunately I can’t say the same of the OST. Even though it accomplished its goal of building atmosphere and personality within the series, many of the tracks – with the exception of a few – were completely forgettable. Voice acting on the other hand is fantastic for a large portion of characters, most notably Fate’s seiyuu. Just like in previous season’s her seiyuu gave Fate even more personality than she already has. Round of applause everyone.
Character -9/10
Sadly because of the gigantic cast of characters a lot of characters weren’t as fleshed out as in previous seasons, which is a real shame because I really enjoyed seeing the grown versions of characters from the first two seasons. Here to take their place however are bunch of children which joins the main trio in section 6. Weirdly enough I happened to really enjoy the introduction of Subaru, Tiana, Caro and Erio. Enough time was given to really flesh out these new characters and their motivations, which is always a plus as many continuing series simply introduce a new character and then immediately expect you to care for them. The best part was seeing grown-up Nanoha and Fate. To see them act like warm and caring mothers to their kouhai and later on sweet little Vivio, was absolutely heart-warming. We can definitely see that they have matured and how their past has helped make them the people they are today. Plus seeing grown up Nanoha and Fate express their concern for each other’s well-being , was sweet beyond words.
Enjoyment – 9/10
If you haven’t noticed already, I am not only a massive NanoFate fan but also a massive fan of the Nanoha universe as a whole. This vibrant world filled with characters you can not only relate to, but also cry for, will always have a special place in this rotten heart of mind. I adored seeing Nanoha and co. as adults. Even though this season wasn’t as well written as previous ones more Nanoha is never bad … unless you go and make fan service focussed spin-off by A1 pictures.
Overall – 8/10
Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS is an anime aimed at fans of the Nanoha universe. I wouldn’t recommend watching StrikerS if you aren’t familiar with the Nanoha universe as the bad pacing up until the climax episodes would drive the majority of people away from this otherwise great series. If you are a fan of the Nanoha universe please give StrikerS a go. It’s as flawed as most people however just remember the majority of us manages to find someone – who despite our inperfections – manages to love us.
Thanks for taking the time to read my review!
