After being knocked out by Nanoha’s Crossfire Shoot during the morning mock battle, Tiia finally wakes up at night; Shamal noting that her exhaustion due to extra training contributing to this. The Doctor deploys new flying gadgets and the flight-capable Nanoha, Fate and Vita head out to deal with them - not before Signum punches Tiia for [edit: implying favouritism in selecting the others and how she didn't need that, wanting to prove herself by getting stronger even if it kills her.] Signum, Shamal and Shari show recap footage, SUNRISE-style, mainly from the first season to the forwards about how Nanoha’s been there, done there and got the t-shirt at the tender age of nine.
However, two years later, on a retrieval mission, her body finally couldn’t take the strain; she had been pushing herself too much in her use of magic and the dangerous cartridge system and our eponymous heroine was nearly crippled, only recovering and attaining her current idol status after much painful rehab. Nanoha is cutely embarrassed by the revelations of her ‘big failure’ but has a heart-to-heart talk with Tiia (and the other forwards watching from behind bushes).
Nanoha finally manages to achieve the Tiia turnaround when she shows how her device incorporates a ‘Mode 2′ that sets up into Dagger Mode - in anticipation for her use as a melee weapon when she eventually does become an Enforcer. But due to the current team’s order of battle (and Tiia needs to level up first), Nanoha’s been sticking to ranged attack training for Tiia and apologizes for her ‘plain’ (ra~ra~ruuu~~~) training thus far. Tiia is overcome by Nanoha’s faith in her as well as her instructor’s humility and cries into her chest, apologizing repeatedly. Subaru makes another conflicted face but no close-up this time. LOL
While Tiia really needed some sense knocked into her, I felt pretty uneasy about Signum decking her. I’m all for tough love but a direct physical attack is just taboo. Though I suppose it was more honest and direct compared to how our own instructors used to torment us during BMT and the trade courses. orz
Nanoha’s still got it. Can totally see why Fate, Vita, Subaru are all so starry-eyed about her… if she’s not careful, she’ll unintentionally add Tiia to her harem too. I’m still enjoying this series, particularly after the OMG White Devil moment in the last episode - but then again, I’m probably part of the tiny minority who preferred the first season to A’s.
Needs MOAR Nanoha x Fate love-love.
In the next battle, the newbies will all have to wear bright orange vests so they don’t accidentally teamkill each other.
LOL @ Signum punch. No doubt it was discussed in the teacher’s lounge that the only way to get through to the rookies was to beat them. Raising Heart… PADDLE FORM… SET UP!!!!!!
Signum isn’t really one of the instructors though, is she ? I got the impression she’s pretty specifically tagged as pure shock-trooper in the unit organisation, and readily admits she’s not really suited for much else.
In one episode, Signum actually said the reason she’s not instructing is that her role is pretty much unique and her fighting style doesn’t suit any of the newbies, so that’s why she’s not teaching any of them.
I suspect she’s waiting for the next Fate to appear so she can personally coach that person. Then maybe we get to see a Signum spinoff, hahahaha.
Wow, I’m not making much sense.
This totally makes sense to me. Signum is holding out. So when she says her fighting style doesn’t suit the newbs, she really means that none of them are her type… Clever!
I was under the impression that the punch was not for Tia saying that she’d get stronger no matter what, but for the comments beforehand about how all the others have reliationships with Nanoha and Fate. Her following comment about becoming stronger implied that she didn’t need them or their priveleged relationships.
That was why Signum punched her - and IMHO, rightfully so. The implication of favoritism and entitlement was nasty and uncalled for.
Cheers,
Erica
Hungry for Yuri? Have some Okazu!
http://okazu.blogpsot.com
I must admit, I’m still a bit boggled about Nanoha’s “White Devil” explosion from episode 8. For the reasons, it seems a bit over the top for someone as slow-tempered as Nanoha. I mean, in A’s, even when the Wolkenritter gang pretty much attacked her without cause or provocation, she never exploded on them. She had her awesome walking through the fire all rawr~ moment, but that seemed more a grim, reluctant anger rather than pissed off, shoot you in the face mad.
I mean, it’s one thing to use tough love to teach the kids… and quite another to blast them in the face a couple times and render one unconscious and mentally scar the other who worships you (well maybe I wouldn’t go that far, but it was still pretty shocking to poor Subaru). It was an awesome, badass scene, but it’s still driving me crazy. >_<
Btw, Nanoha going from scary White Devil form and then later to fidgety, cutesy, embarrassed girly mode in front of Fate was kinda creepy. XD Cute and very Nanoha~ish, but still kinda creepy. It’s like… if a cute kitten suddenly hissed and attacked a rampaging bear, mauled and shredded it to pieces, then instantly reverted into cute, fuzzy kitten mode pawing sweetly at a piece of string… that would creep me out while being both awesome and adorable. And yes, that was a very random observation that came out of nowhere. My bad.
Kabitzin, paddle form 4TW! I bet Fate loves it too. :P
Watchman, so do you agree with the StrikerS Nano parodies which characterise Signum as a submissive uke who is in denial? LOL
Kurogane and Kabitzin, that’s Signum tsundere for you!
Erica, thanks - I’ve gone back for a re-listen and what you said makes much more sense.
Mandy, as one Megatokyo saying goes: Ph34r the Cut3 On3s.
Personally, I just suspect Signum to be too much of a no-nonsense hard-bitten veteran to have the patience to deal with dumb rookies being emo and irrational. She always struck me as the straightforward “cut the crap” type - goes straight to the point (or for the throat, as it were) and doesn’t have much time or understanding for any tomfoolery.
Not really instructor material.
Conversely Vita, who seems to be vaguely pissed off as her default mood, rather reminds me of a certain Gunnery Sergeant Hartmann for some reason… ^_^;
BMT SecCom: FUCKING KNOCK IT DOWN! GENTLEMEN! I TREAT YOU ALL TOO GOOD ISSIT! I GIVE YOU ALL RESPECT AND YOU ALL WALK OVER ME! DOWN AND HOLD!
Good times…
Speaking of the ‘unseen Signum’ I have a notion that she’s gonna be some kind of ‘final test’ for the newbies- an opponent they’ve never seen in action before.
As for The Punch- I’d be shocked if it was anyone else, but the Wolkenritter are oldschool. I’m not surprised to see one of them getting literally medieval on an offender’s ass. Wasn’t Vita just complaining about how soft Midchilda is on its trainees a few episodes ago?
PS: lolz at ‘wasn’t using my full power.’ So Signum has super-strength now, huh? I guess it fits with how she could knock Fate around in S2 but she was always in her armor then so I guess I figured it was a powered assist.
You’re not the only one that preferred the first season to A’s. I thought the first season was great and StrikerS is going to be awesome as well.