Sunday 5 July 2015

First Impressions: Senki Zesshō Symphogear GX


If you'd told me back in 2012 that Senki Zesshō Symphogear would go on to have at least three seasons, I'd have probably laughed at you. While the first season was certainly interesting, I doubted it's staying power to become a fully realised franchise. But then in 2013 it completely defied my expectations, not only returning for a second season in the form of Symphogear G but also boasting considerable improvements all round. So building upon that success once again Encourage Films and Satelight have brought the show back for a third season -  this time under the monicker of Senki Zesshō Symphogear GX. Hopefully this is a good sign that the Symphogear formula will continue to be refined and perfected, but at the very least it's the assurance of another 13 episodes of thumping beats, mecha-style magical girl powers and ass kicking action.

After opening with Hibiki, Chris and Tsubasa rescuing a space shuttle returning Professor Nastassja's body to Earth (a direct follow on from the events of the second season), the story makes a three month time skip. In this time the 2nd Division has been reorganised into the global S.O.N.G. Taskforce, and Kirika and Shirabe have joined the rest of the girls at school.  However as they all sit down to watch Tsubasa and Maria perform at a concert in London, a new enemy emerges in both Japan and the UK. This time it isn't the Noise, but in Tsubasa's case at least - it may not be human either.

One thing I'll always admire about Symphogear is it's always trying to up it's own ante. The various attacks and moves the girls have are about as over the top as they come (especially in Chris' case), but nevertheless it's still always trying to better itself and raise that bar slightly higher. The first five minutes of this episode was more than enough to prove that the staff behind the show haven't lost their knack for this at all. If having the three girls blast into space to save a crashing ship wasn't enough, the sequence then throws in mountain smashing, forest clearing and all kinds of crazy collateral damage which the characters in this show are able to get away with. The rescue sequence is pure entertainment at its very finest, and easily justifies this episode alone as well as setting the tone for a season that is sure to mean business.

With the Noise gone, this also means GX has a new enemy stepping up to the fray. As expected the episode gives away very little about these so-called 'Autoscorers', other than the fact they're a force to be reckoned with. Tsubasa has her hands tied with a mysterious woman who can suck the life out of people, while Hibiki comes face to face with Carol Malus Dienhiem - an alchemist who promises to destroy the world. While admittedly Symphogear G also mixed things up with the introduction of a more established band of human antagonists, this looks to offer a much fresher take on things and a good sign that Symphogear won't be looking stale in its third season.

Between two short seasons Symphogear went from something I watched with passing interest to a series I was really excited to see more of. Symphogear GX looks like it'll certainly be offering more of the same excitement as it's predecessor, but this time with the opportunity to develop an even bigger cast of heroes and throw in some interesting new twists. Unabashed from the get-go, this first episode really delivered when it come to not only comfortably refamiliairising fans with the cast but setting a good tone for the series to progress with. 'Exciting' would be the best way to describe it, and it's certainly left me excited to see what's going to happen over the next few months.

4 comments:

rita said...

trimakasih infonya,,
sangat bermanfaat,,
salam sukses,,,

jaka said...

mantap bos artikelnya dan sangat menarik

tejo said...

makasih gan infonya dan salam sukses

sarmin said...

terimakasih mas buat infonya dan salam sukses