After watching A's, I know fully understand why this series is so beloved. Every possible flaw and gripe I have with the first season has been improved upon and polished to a sheen without being overindulgent or coming across as over-pandering.
Pacing is definitely improved now that there's no need to bait and switch the audience along. Right off the bat we have major plot developments, an interesting hook and a cliffhanger at episode 1, and the subsequent episodes don't falter either. Several cruel cut-to-credits moments are present here as well, making the wait for the next episode extra painful and yet so satisfying at the same time. And just like Symphogear G, that triple whammy of plot twists at episode 10 had me agape at the end.
Characterizations and characters are improved immensely as well. While I still struggle to say which character I liked most in the series, the newly introduced characters in this do latch on to you fairly quickly and are a great deal more enjoyable than those from S1. Maybe I like Vita the most, so there you go. Vita is best girl and Vita means life.
What A's does well, especially compared to most other anime of the same genre from the same time period, is its emotional core. It's cheesy yes, but I genuinely felt something in my heart near the endgame as the story wraps up (fairly satisfyingly I might add too, unlike S1). It's what makes it especially memorable and special for me, that A's has a heart and its antagonists are human too, not just maniacal monsters who want to see the world burn (though that itself is fine too, see Symphogear).
While it's not the ball-busting high octane action packed series I wanted it to be, Nanoha A's provided serviceable action sequences while reminding ourselves what it truly means to be human and the bonds of family go beyond the physical connection.
That sounded incredibly cheesy so I apologize. But so is Nanoha A's, which is incredibly charming nonetheless.
7/10
