hontou ni sou omou? » nanoha a’s

Looking back on your love

Zyl — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 16:49:18 +0000

The news that, in StrikerS, the main characters would no longer be loli was *the* deciding factor in why I finally gave in and watched the first and second seasons of Nanoha in preparation for its airing this April.

While I cheered at the ‘magical girls beating the shit out of each other and blowing things up‘ aspect of A’s, the nekkid transformation scenes were absolutely mortifying. Nekkid transformation scenes have been a staple of magical girl shows like Sailor Moon but how the ‘growing’ part of the ‘DFC’ was emphasized made for me feel micro stress seriously disturbing. So glad that I can now comfortably enjoy the Nanoha Future World of StrikerS now that AWESOME yes! Lolicon no!

Indeed if lolicon is the disease, MILFate is the cure. Unlike some other people, I actually like Fate’s new barrier jacket – the double-breasted jacket is very smart and the predominance of black is a link to the colour scheme of her old barrier jacket. It would be quite interesting to learn why and when she changed it – in contrast, Nanoha’s barrier jacket is a recognizable evolution from her original one while Hayate’s is still the same.

As regular readers of this blog might expect, one of the things that I’m looking forward to is Nanoha x Fate Yuri 4 Life (二人で時代を変えてみたい). There were hints of it in the first two seasons but the status of their relationship was always kept ambiguous. Even if the A’s comics (daily cuddle), first Sound Stage (Love Love bathing) and Visual Fanbook (nekkid DFC symmetrical docking) were more daring, it could be still be rationalized as Dear My Friend with accentuated touchy-feeliness or I’ll get over you i.e. the former ‘just best friends’ or the latter ‘just a phase’. Given how I read the OPs and EDs as Fate and Nanoha Double Moon serenading each other respectively, the first line of Spiritual Garden ‘Even when I become an adult, I won’t forget you, my love’ seems to support the latter case.

My only sliver of hope is in page 13 of the A’s to StrikerS comic Vol.3 where Signum needles Fate about failing her officer exam twice because she was worried sick about Nanoha’s serious injuries – in stark contrast, at that time, Hayate passed her command exam in her first attempt.

Overall, I’m not asking for much actually (たとえ遠く離れてても．．．). Hawt Nanoha x Fate action would always be welcome but as it’s even more unlikely than the hawt Rin x Saber action that Fate/Stay Night cheated us of, I would be content with Otome-style ShizNats crumbs.

Nanoha x Fate non-H doujins have tended towards two extrapolations; the first is the White Devil narrative where it is Nanoha who is the predator terrorising Fate (e.g. 4001prototype? to check when Sagubooru comes back online) and the second is Fate who is the enthusiastic amorous Feel My Heart one in contrast to a clueless Nanoha (e.g. mikage?) Entropy Max! is more much balanced but still tends towards the latter. It would just be nice to see a yuri couple where neither partner is psycho, both are having a nice normal romantic relationship (think Shizuru and Natsuki smiling at each other while the former played the piano and the latter looked up from reading her book) and no one else bats an eyelid – except maybe with envy (StoPani’s achievement of dropping the ‘forbidden’ in yuri as pointed out by Mentar). Oh, while I’m at it, TSAB bridge bunnies here and everywhere squealing after Signum-oneesama would be nice too. Fate x Nanoha Never Stop!

Schlangeform ältere Schwester!

Zyl — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 15:14:29 +0000

Have been tied up in knots offline. It’s nice to be able to blog about anime again. This post was initially about serpentine-type weapon users (not kris-types which are non-extendable though). There’s Shizuru Fujino/Viola of course. I haven’t played Soul Calibur so I don’t know anything about Isabella Valentine. But, in the end, I just wanted to put up some Signum fanart that I trawled off danbooru. LOL

Signum’s character design is excellent. I particularly love the balance between masculine and feminine. Her manner, poise and speech is of the stoic leader. Her voice is deliciously deep. Plenty of fighting power. But she’s also got pink hair and a pink outfit to match. Her figure is also very womanly – and when Hayate even expresses her envy of Signum’s mmm… assets in the first A’s Sound Stage drama CD, she’s so cutely embarrassed.

It looks like there’ll be no change to her StrikerS battle outfit so no bellyaching from lolicon tanukis who shares White Devil Nanoha’s views on the new barrier jacket. [Someone please please translate the untranslated parts of the first comic. My own very rough and definitely inaccurate reading of the untranslated Nanoha dialogue runs: 1. 'Here's this seaon's barrier jacket.' 2. 'You shouldn't wear the new barrier jacket after all.' 3. Something about Fate's butt cheeks and growing body. 4. 'You'll disappoint the viewers.' ]

Such a fine and handsome lady Signum is. She’s definitely got the Oneesama factor. Translation for non-Chinese-reading readers:

Title: Oneesama

[Training time]
TSAB Pigtail Girl: You’ve been working hard. Please have a towel, Signum-neesan.
Signum: *sheathing sword* Ja, sorry to trouble you.

[Rest time]
TSAB Meganekko: May I join you for lunch, Signum-neesan?
Signum: I don’t mind…

[Sometimes]
TSAB Hairdrill Girl: *shy* Those… These are my handmade cookies… if you don’t mind… please have them, Signum-neesan. *shy*
Signum: Ah… Thank you.

Signum: … The situation is like that. Very strange, isn’t it? No matter how you look at it, something doesn’t seem right…
Shamal: This… How should I say this…?

Of course, Elder Sister is a perfectly good term in English for Oneesama. But there’s just something about how ‘Oneesama’ sounds, especially when younger girls filled with akogare, my bad, admiration say it so winsomely. Which is probably the main reason why I love MariMite-style yuri.

the hontou ni alter fate war :: phase 0 (hnKd 1/2007)

Zyl — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 15:59:41 +0000

There are things that can rend friendships asunder. Turn brother against brother. Men are plunged into conflict for years. A thousand ships have been launched for her sake. Yeah, well, maybe it’s over a woman. But among otaku, it is more likely to be a prized figurine. Oh cruel angel Fate, how were your fans to know that Alter would do a re-release so soon, robbing the rabid fanboy battle even of its few shreds of love and dignity? Our story starts, gentle reader, with a cause, a casus bellus:

Yes, Stripey really did say that. And he does sincerely believe this ‘pure and honourable‘ BS.