Some translation notes on the last two SS01 parodies (I skipped 5-7 because the Loli x Shota jokes were actually pretty tiresome, translation notes on 2-4 here) and, prompted by Tamago no Oheya’s 310th comic, an exploration of the idea of two sharply contrasting models of childhoods (REALLY SCREWED UP versus PLEASANT BUT RONERY) that most of the Nanoha cast can be divided into with implications for the dynamics of their interactions.
I linked to the second and eighth StrikerS Nano! parody of the first sound stage some time back and learnt a new word (æ‰ã‚€ momu - to rub; ‘momi’ in the active tense) in the process.
No.8 Bust Check Maniac (12/3)
S: Hayate is being a bust check maniac as usual, right?
Sig: No, that is…
V: Indeed at the workplace she doesn’t do it…Sig: Occasionally with those she has known and worked with for a long time…
Sha: Us, Shari, Alto and co.
(Lucino: Co…Commander, please let go!
Hayate: Response to check present!
Hayate: They’re huge!
Shari: That’s because I have confidence!
Alto: It’s embarrassing.
Hayate: Being able to be embarrassed is important.)
Sha: Communication members have all been checked.Sha: Shari and others have bust checked Hayate in return, it can get quite troublesome though…
(Shari: Counter attack!
Hayate: Ahahaha, I’ve been caught!)
S: Where is this girl’s high school?V: Well, the feeling that Hayate enjoys the most, in the end it has to be Signum’s as number one.
Sha: Heh~
Sig: !!! *surprised*Arisa’s aren’t disliked either.
LOL at how Signum instinctively tries to cover her bust with her hands, which was first observed by Vita during track 10 the first A’s Sound Stage.
Right from the title, I already had difficulty between literal and figurative translation. In the former style, it comes out as ‘Rubbing demon’ but I eventually decided on making it clearly what the ‘rubbing’ was about. Could have used ‘demon’ rather than ‘maniac’ but I just don’t like to think of Hayate as a demon… That’s more a Nanoha thing. ;)
No.9 Deploy! (12/4)
H: From now, Stars and Lightning will deploy!
Newbies: Roger!
TASK COMPLETED.
T: Waitaminute! There must be some omission somewhere!
S: What’s the matter, Tia?That’s because work isn’t the main point (of this drama CD/excursion to Earth).
I suppose lots of Nanoha fans who were converted by A’s were similarly disappointed because it wasn’t filled with ‘work’ (i.e. fighting) but personally I was very pleased to see the three A’s female leads grown up, I also have a weakness for inter-service rivalry and intra-military politicking… a result of reading too much Graham Allison in my distant undergrad youth. And, of course, I was jumping with glee and rolling around the floor with happiness at the Fate x Nanoha scenes, lovers’ quarrels and all - especially their joint motherhood. Vivio, GG!
Although the art style did not initially impress me, Tamago no Oheya (Egg’s Room) charmed me with their brand of rather sweet humour. And the detailing of their art is not immediately apparent but it’s this subtlety and non-obtrusiveness that was an integral part of this charm.
310th comic ‘Please take care of me nano’
A: I’m Agito. From now on, please take care of me.
H: There’s no need to stand on ceremony, I’d be really happy if you could think of us as your family.
Sig: That’s right, Agito.
V: Yeap.
A: Family…R: If this is our family, then Agito is like Rein’s elder sister desu ne.
R: It’ll be good to address Agito as Oneesama desu yo.A: Who the hell are you addressing like that!
R: That’s so mean desuu! When we’ve finally started to get along…
Hmmm.. would ãŠä¸–話ã«ãªã‚‹ be better rendered as ‘I am in your care’?
Agito, as Rein’s oneesama; a fiery ancient Belkan unison device who’s been paired with the old fashioned Signum-neesan. What a great combi. And why would she object to the title which verily is the greatest term of honour in this blog? :P
But Agito’s induction into the Yagami Family (oh what I’d give to see a spinoff with Hayate as The God Father) also made me think of how different her life has been from Rein, the latter being born into a warm and loving environment. All the Guardian Knights, in contrast, has had pretty terrible lives since the Tome of the Night Sky turned into the Book of Darkness. But due to her relative youth and limited experiences, Rein might feel a certain distance from the others. And, if I understood things correctly, Signum, Vita, Shamal and Zafira are linked to Hayate in a way that Rein is not; namely when Hayate - the Last Mistress of the Night Sky (最後ã®å¤œå¤©ã®ä¸») - passes on, so will they - something to do with how the first Reinforce transferred their connections from the Book of Darkness to Hayate herself so that they could survive her voluntary destruction. Rein, it seems, is able to go on independently of Hayate, much like how Agito has survived all this time without a master. It’s a tad disturbing to think that Rein-chan could suffer either Agito’s long Ronin loneliness or the corruption of the first Tome of the Night Sky.
The ‘opposites attract’ dynamic seems to underlie a lot of Nanoha x Fate’s interaction. Nanoha grew up in a loving and secure family but was constantly left on her own. This ennui is particularly stark in the opening moments of the first season (what’s a good shorthand that clearly distinguishes it from the franchise as a whole? It’s like how the first decade of a century doesn’t have a convenient short hand?). On the other hand, Fate was created and condemned as an inadequate copy of someone else and then ruthlessly used and abused.
And StrikerS did do a fine job of showing how this fed through into their adult behaviour. Nanoha believing in tough love and fostering independence in children early on while Fate wants to shower love and affection she never had from her own mother. While the fighting in A’s was indeed AWESOME, it’s ultimately the core chara-interactions of the Nanoha franchise which has the greatest enduring appeal for me.
The character interaction is the main reason why I like StrikerS more than the first two seasons. The action gets me to the table, but there has to be more than that to really keep me there. It just made the impact much more palpable with episode 17 of StrikerS, for example, because of how I’ve gotten to know the characters. And I don’t mind if endless training helped me get to know them. :P
I like the character development in S but i thought the training eps were too long and the series either need another 12 eps to flesh out the villans and give some background on the others characters or cut back on the number of new characters.
If that wasn’t possible they should have realize more pre-Striker S manga and have the bulk of the character development and training there.
I knew that if Striker S didn’t come out with a bang like A’s there would be a lot of grumblings form the fanbase. As they see A’s as the best of the Nanoha series and forgot that the character development for the central already happen in Season1.
As for Rein, i can Hayate passing her on to Vivio, who someday would Unison with Rein and Duel wield Raging Heart and Bardiche using the Takamachi Duel wield sword style.
TheBigN, I do think that StrikerS suffered terribly from character bloat and pacing problems but, overall, I still enjoyed it a lot. Mainly because of different emphasis/expectations. The training was a good way to delve into the charas within a relatively safe environment. If the kinds of problems that did emerge in combat (e.g. Teana) too often, it’d be too much of a stretch for the estb cast to save the day yet again. Lots of training was also probably a bit of military realism that reflects grind rather than glamour… I’m sure all former SAF National Slaves will remember ‘Wait to rush, rush to wait’ orz
Great point, Xellos-_^, about A’s stands on the shoulders of the first season. And a fascinating speculation on Vivio - certainly it’s believable given that she’s made from the genetic material of the Belkan Messiah. Would be very nice to have a series of Lieutenant Vivio of the TSAB with occasional cameos from the old cast.
Oh, so do I.
But StrikerS still works for me more than the first two seasons. :P
I still have mixed feelings about Nanoha StrikerS. I really didn’t like it much while I watched it, but my opinion seems better in retrospect. It wasn’t even very long ago, but it’s kind of like ‘nostalgia.’
The low points for me were definitely the bloated character cast and training episodes. I also found the setting a alienating (heh); I thought StrikerS lost a lot of the ‘charm’ of the first 2 seasons. I guess being on earth - with school, friends and family to juggle between fights - was a little easier to relate to than a story of full-time military personnel in some remote part of space, at least for me.
Also, the androids and main antagonist, who’s name I can’t spell (Scagliette?), were painfully generic and unlikable. My favorite villains are the ones you can somewhat agree and sympathize with.
In the end, I agree that the main characters were what made the show. Despite all of the above, Nanoha and Fate are still among my favorite characters of recent times.