So, what do you call a magical girl anime that mixed multiple genres, but has the nerve to be bonkers with flaws and well-balanced lore? You get Symphogear or what i call shojo in a nutshell.
''This is like an anime!'' - Meme Girl.
You know I am gonna be completely fair with everyone. I hated Magical Girls a lot while i was in High School and hated them a lot, this one, however, opens itself to me during it's original broadcast but it took me years to complete only to find out it's last two seasons (AXZ and XV) sucked like dog shit. Here is the thing. Magical girls are more of a sub-genre than a main one since most of them tend to be just silly and stupid depending on what it happens. While i am aware of Toei did to the Precure series over the years becoming it's cash cow like Super Sentai and Kamen Rider. Madoka and Nanoha are edgier twisted to put it politely. But, here is something i never expected to watch. A magical anime that actually has good writing for once. Symphogear is a well-made magical girl anime that took it's own in the industry and loves to be creative, but over the years it's fandom has become too annoying to tolerate and i don't want to into the full details i will not explain why.
Origin:
Around the time my final year in year in middle school started in 2011 and this was in development so i decide to check it out, since my favorite anime Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's came to a conclusion one year before this premiered which they share no connection since Zexal around it's time made me want to just rage quite at it's terrible MC who i still to this day hate i gave Symphogear a chance, but to be clear this was years ago so my memory is not 100% since it's been years. Anyway, it made developed by Studio Satelight. It was written by Akifumi Kaneko and directed by Tatsumi Ito. But here is where it's real problem begins.
Production hell:
For years, Symphogear has been thru mostly bad production hell and it took them about 7 years to complete it not that it was bad, but mostly the fault came in the production since it's the staff was passionate but mostly lazy to start work, it leads to it's first season knowing the most mix-bag in terms of production and yet Attack On Titan is so overhyped and turned to crap in the end! Anyway, when it came to Season it had mostly sub-par animation, pacing problems, plot holes and mostly bad writing left and right, so why do people blame it for it's translation but doesn't explain it's production hell? Because people always point out the most obvious shit. Blame whatever it's trending. Hell, i wasn't even sure why the fault always gets blamed on the sub-translation in a modern society where everything is just incomplete. To make a small list of reasons why production hell is a thing i got plenty of reasons because it either depends on the length of the show or it's success. Any hiccups before or after is common (Looking at you Pokemon Journeys), but what really makes it feel flawed it's it's staff understanding it to be what it's supposed to be and not some mainstream anime like EVA who turns out to be complete garbage or something like One Piece that doesn't ever end because pointless filler. Heck, what happens in a show's development is mostly animation problems and writing problems and not endless hell holes left and right, but to make it so good have people come back to it. The actual problem with most anime in terms of production is the whole ''miss information'' which is often the problem why anime can't be accepted with open arms. One can pinpoint the origin of anime production, but never accept it and only resolve to lie and lie about it - getting people made and accepting the false truth. Hell, people being mad at Symphogear is mostly Season 1 for it's bad production and late completion deadline since it was in development hell for months and unlike the later seasons, this one was in fact the most honest.
Let's divide this into smaller topics to understand what i am referring to, despite it can get messy from here.
- Plots are mostly bad because of writing problems in the staff due to budget cuts or heavy laking elements.
- Pacing problems are mostly made to be that way because it depends on the script and the writing as a while
- Animation is based off its resources and not it's money since most newer projects start off with less production quality
- Writing issues can be from either goofing off or being too pretentious and not lacking fundamentals to keep your staff in check
- Narrative problems can from mostly what the pacing or writing tends to become and not be allowed free staff
- Storyboard comes off either half-baked or semi-limited because it makes it more clear why it has to be sorta polished over time to not let it stagnant with lower C-tier production
The sole fault of a show depends on whether the writers or the director are not doing their job right can resolve in a show being made into literal shit in the end unless it's proven to be handmade by its producer.
Tatsumi Ito. Before his death in 2020 never worked on Symphogear again because he left due to his own reason or was hired prior to G because he kinda fucked up the first season due a rumor i first heard in 2019 he got into a fight with Katsumi Ono who also worked on the show and made things looks worse but it was either clear or confirmed since i can't tell if this true or not. Two if it's good episodes are the only thing that stand-out from the rest in terms of production quality. Heck, Ono Katsumi was original gonna be the director, but Ito was first. That would of mean something i call the paradox-loop.
The Cast is good:
Hibiki may be a mary sue, but she is not like Madoka or bad Precure leaders who are just terrible and fucking suck, she is based off a tragic character who suffers life crises after the incident in the show's opening round to the point she developed the most in terms of real guts. Aside from her. Yukine and Tsubasa are both likable but get sidelined in the for first half a lot.
The Music is Lit and it's good:
Do i need to point out how it's music is well made even for it being 11 years old? Sounds like modern music at its peak for once we get to listen to amazing soundtracks. Heck, you thought Metal Gear Rising had peak music, so why not get a load of Symphogear's music?
Final Verdict: Decent and well-made. Give it a chance if you're interested in memes and silly shojo with YGO-esqute hair styles.
