Toybox REVIEW: ACT MODE Hibiki Tachibana

Release Date: April 2022

RRP: 8500 yen

After years of complaining, campaigning and crying out after every Wonderfest, Good Smile Company have finally heard the Symphogear fandom. Years after the Figma range abruptly stopped with only two releases to its name, the popular franchise returns as part of GSC's ACT MODE line. This relatively new line combines both action figure and model kit elements, presenting buyers with a fully painted action figure and model kit-style accessories. It's a place where the armoured magical girl style designs of Symphogear can feel right at home, and after months of delays it's finally to see it truly arrive with the release of ACT MODE Hibiki Tachibana!

Anime REVIEW: Senki Zesshō Symphogear GX

Although the Macross franchise is not due to make its return until the beginning of next year, anime studio Satelight found the perfect musical-themed action series to fill the void with. Since debuting back in 2012, Senki Zesshō Symphogear has gone from strength to strength, returning the following year for a sequel in the form of Senki Zesshō Symphogear G. Now two years later, the relic-powered armoured magical girls are back once again for a third sequel – this time under the name Senki Zesshō Symphogear GX. And with a tagline like “Believe in Justice and Hold a Determination to Fist”, it sounds to be just as ridiculously over the top as ever.

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.

Anime REVIEW: Senki Zesshō Symphogear G

Like I mentioned in my first impressions post a few months back, I was pretty surprised to hear that Symphogear was getting a second season. But despite its flaws, the series had definite potential and I was excited to see where a further 13 episodes could take it. Once again appearing as a joint production between animation studios Satelight and Encourage Films, Senki Zesshō Symphogear G takes to the stage once again for more music, monsters and explosive battle action.

Hibiki knows how to pull off the badass scarf look

The series continues with Hibiki, Tsubasa and Chris' battles against the Noise as part of the 2nd Division Mobile Response Disaster Corps. When a terrorist organisation naming themselves after the ancient Priestess Finé emerge, proclaiming to be saving the world from the incoming collision of the moon into the Earth (a result of the first season's final battle), the team find themselves with a new fight on their hands. Not only are there three new Symphogear users amongst them, but one of them is rising singer Maria Cadenzavna Eve - a user with a black Gungnir and calling herself the reincarnation of Finé herself!

As they struggle to battle them and their control over the Noise thanks to the evil Dr Ver, Hibiki's condition begins to change. Not only is she growing more powerful, but the Gungnir relic fragments embedded in her chest might just also be killing her...

Bad girls.

With a whole season of set up behind them, Synphogear G doesn't have to spend quite so long on establishing the mythos and can get right to the action. This is important to note as the show throws around a lot of names and descriptions for various relics, so if you aren't familiar with first season you may struggle to keep up. The main introductions are for our three new Symphogear wielders Maria, Kirika and Shirabe - girls brought up to be potential vessels for the reincarnation of Finé. With three team members on each side, it's nice to see how the relationship between the two sets of girls are paralleled. Though they may be "villains", there's a lot more to our new characters than that and they show just a strong a bond as our heroes, if not stronger. They are also joined by Nastassja and Dr Ver, whose backstories are a little thinner. Nastassja is simply a mother-like figure while Dr Ver is an utterly crazy bad guy (you should see the faces he makes) - that's all you need to know really.

He's a maniac, maniaaac!

However as interesting as these new characters might be, our old favourites are also experiencing changes of their own. While Hibiki may be the same happy-go-lucky girl she always was on the surface, underneath both her mind and body are harbouring some pretty dark secrets. Meanwhile Tsubasa is becoming much more of an mentor and team player, while Chris struggles to accept that she now has a stable life and a proper place to call home. Chris especially is one to watch in Symphogear G, getting all the best moments and arguably the most satisfying character development to boot.

DUN DUN DUUUUUN!

Symphogear G continues it's predecessor's tale of good vs. evil, but more the most part the moral ambiguity between the two sides is played up (at least for a while anyway). The episodes also feature a lot more twists and turns, with plenty ending on either cliffhangers or jaw-dropping moments. The Symphogear battle suits have received some minor design tweaks, as well as some flashy new transformation sequences. Your opinion on this may vary, but the fan service element has also received a boost too.The first season had its fair share of butts and boobs, but here it's a lot more noticeable when Chris' giant bust is taking up half the frame. That being said, the fan service doesn't get in the way of the story telling so surely that makes it the good kind right?

Obligatory final battle costume change

It's just a shame that for a series where music plays such a key part, that the soundtrack is rather forgettable. Don't get me wrong the thumping beats of the first Symphogear season are still very much alive and very fitting to the scenes they accompany, but none of the songs hold any lasting impression that will stay with you after completing the series. Symphogear G does have some nice little moments where the music isn't complimenting a fight (such as Chris' school performance), but if you're anything like me you'll only be remembering lyrics because you read the subtitles.

Despite still having a few flaws here and there, Symphogear G is still a massive improvement over its predecessor. The wider cast allows for a more diverse viewing experience, the plot has really been amped up and the animation is just as gorgeous as ever. While before I was indifferent to Symphogear getting a second season, now I'd quite like a third just to fix my issues with the music and make this a really perfect show.

First Impressions: Senki Zesshō Symphogear G

While I enjoyed the first season of Senki Zesshō Symphogear, I was quite surprised to hear it was getting a second season. While I thought the production values were great and the music above average, the story was often quite lacking. However it was obviously popular enough to return for an encore, and in my previous review I said I had hopes for the show should it ever come back. Has the first episode impressed me?

Set three months after Hibiki, Tsubasa and Chris' final battle with Fine, Symphogear G picks up with the girls continuing to fight the Noise as Japan's main line of defence. This first episode sees Hibiki and Chris aid in the transportation of a relic known as "Solomon's Cane", while Tsubasa prepares for an upcoming concert with the latest pop sensation Maria Candenzavna Eve. However Hibiki and Chris' mission turns to failure when the base they were transporting the cane to is attacked, with the Noise taking both the cane and the Doctor working on it. 

Tsubasa on the other hand faces her own problems when Maria reveals control over the Noise at the concert, holding the audience hostage to prevent Tsubasa from transforming. Announcing her takeover of the world, Maria transforms herself using a black version of Gungnir, much to the three girls' horror.

So yeah, this was a pretty hefty episode in terms of setting up the plot threads for the season. As well as Maria we are introduced to a few other new characters, although their identities are kept as a mystery and their appearances in the shadows. However apart from these moments the plot was pretty standard fare, with a bulk of it being taken up by the Hibiki/Chris fight sequence and the Tsubasa/Maria concert. Thankfully, these are the areas that Symphogear has always shined in.

As a character, Hibiki has come a long way from the girl she was in season one. This Hibiki is a lot more confident in her powers, and straight away shows herself as a force to be reckoned with. Chris isn't all that different in terms of fighting prowess (although her boobs seem to have got even bigger), still churning out the over the top firearm attacks with hilarious names. However the transformation sequences suggest that this season has taken things up a notch in terms of fanservice. The transformations are a lot more standard magical girl fare - flashy, but with even more panning butt and chest shots than the show already had.

Meanwhile the concert was equally as impressive on the visuals. While the songs in the first season didn't really leave a lasting impression during my watching of the show, I have come to appreciate them more since. The songs that made their debut in this episode are similar in that respect, they felt a lot more subdued than the thumping bass lines of season one.

So plenty of mystery has been set up, some interesting new characters, good new songs and even flashier fight sequences. Symphogear G is off to a very promising start, and this could very well be the season that boosts the franchise's value in my eyes.

Anime REVIEW: Senki Zesshō Symphogear

Senki Zesshō Symphogear (translated as "Swan Song of the Valkyries: Symphogear), or just Symphogear for short, was a 13 episode anime series that aired between January and March of 2012. It was produced by Encourage Films, with production assistance from the anime studio Satelight.

Two years ago, a pair of superstar idols named ZweiWing fought against an alien race known as the Noise, using the power of ancient relics to control song-powered battle armour known as the Symphogear. During an attack on one of their concerts, one member of ZweiWing - Kanade sacrifices herself to save a young girl, Hibiki Tachibana. Move to present day, and ZweiWing's remaining member Tsubasa has been defending the world against the Noise all alone. When attempting to save a girl from being killed by the Noise, Hibiki discovers she too can tap into the Symphogear powers, and subsequently joins the 2nd Division Mobile Disaster Response Corps - an organisation dedicated to defence against the Noise.

The Symphogear cast: United by FRIENDSHIP AND MUSIC

Symphogear's first episode is somewhat deceptive, in that it displays a far darker tone than what follows in the next twelve. The story opens with Hibiki's best friend Miku visiting Hibiki's grave (suggesting that she won't survive the course of the show), followed by a flashback of ZweiWing's impressively animated 'final' concert and Kanade's death. The following episodes continue with Hibiki taking up Kanade's place as a Symphogear wielder, Tsubasa initially not accepting her as a partner. The plot moves very slowly during its mid-episodes, focusing mainly on Hibiki's struggle to keep her new life a secret from Miku while at the same time other cast members undergo some speedy personality changes when the plot calls upon it. The show's plot twist in terms of its main antagonist is highly predictable, but her reveal moves the story forward into a three episode-long final battle which recaptures the show's impressive opening.

Finé: Symphogear's big bad

Much like the plot, the animation also takes a dive after the few episodes. Episode three contains a sequence of Tsubasa walking down a corridor, however the animation is so bad it looks like the character has simply been pasted onto a static background. While this is the most notable instance of bad animation in Symphogear, throughout the show it both looks and feels clear that most of if not all of the animation budget went toward the fight scenes. These are undoubtedly the highlight of the show, featuring flashy visuals and the songs adding an extra layer that you wouldn't find in most other shows. The transformation and attacks feel very rooted in comic book fantasy, with freeze-frame panels displaying attack names in bold text.

Hibiki's transformation sequence

As for the music itself, the songs are enjoyable but not wholly memorable. Even if the viewer has no understanding of Japanese, the songs found in series such as Macross or K-On! have a far more infectious quality in that they can get you singing along even if you have no idea what you're singing. While arguably Symphogear's soundtrack seems far more ambitious than those, the lyrics themselves are often drowned out by the thumping bass. As stated earlier, they add an nice extra dimension to the action, but never really feel completely implemented (they're supposed to be singing while they fight, but a lot of the time the songs will be playing while they're talking/have their mouths shut). Given that the fight scenes are also the visual highlight of Symphogear, its also difficult to fully appreciate the music within the context of the shows when your eyes are so fixated on what's driving the show in the first place.

The Noise come in all different shapes and sizes

Symphogear burst onto the anime scene with a very promising first couple of episodes, but sadly fell into mediocrity quickly. It wasn't until the final few episodes that the series managed to recapture what made it interesting in the first place. While the first season was average at best, I believe there could be hope for Symphogear if it were to ever return for a second.