Symphogear’s sixth episode shifts the series around full circle – Nehushtan armor shoujo now despises her master, Tsubasa becomes bashful and blushes constantly, and the heroine’s secret is compromised.
In this single episode, much has changed – the main aspiration of our heroine, whose name can hardly be remembered as her character is so poorly developed, remains the same, although she’s grown surprisingly stronger physically and mentally as well. Yet the turns extend much farther than that – the anime starts by showing us the cute antagonist with a sailor’s mouth, Nehushtan armor-chan, who is seen complaining as usual.
She’s incredibly irritating to watch as she simply whines with no reason specific – she’s merely lonely, as she has been her entire life as exhibited by a flashback, and this is what leaves her in a constant bad mood which she’s always in. How will fighting against other humans in mech suits help her condition, we don’t know – likely because it won’t. However regardless, Nehushtan shoujo is doing nothing more than take orders from her sadistic female master – and the purpose of that being she might believe she has no one else in the world.
Elsewhere, Tsubasa is still talking to herself hysterically in a hospital room – making an obscure revelation about the obvious, realizing that her friend now deceased did not expend her life to the end for the sake of killing madly with no further intent.
Then are we brought to the actual leading female of the series who is enjoying an intimate bath with her partner in yuri. The two speak of going places and doing things – all of which our heroine, Hibiki, agrees to, however we’re quite certain she will be quick to go back on her word once a government agency calls her, a highschool girl, to come dispose of strange creatures who ravage the city seemingly solely for the fact that they can. And without keeping us waiting, Hibiki is called – prompting her to abandon her friend yet again.
Whilst we thought Hibiki would emerge within the usual underground militia control center – instead she’s at the hospital, apparently she was asked to take care of Tsubasa. And shocking to the point that this series feels to lose credibility, not that it had much to begin with, Tsubasa is no longer aggressive, rude, or anything of the likes – rather, she’s become one of those anime girls whose face is a near perpetual red. She tilts her head down often as our heroine has suddenly become the one who is outspoken and loud.
It may seem as if their roles reversed, although Tsubasa basically regressed to her personality seen prior to the death of her friend – whereas Hibiki just blossomed like a flower, however this is not necessarily a positive aspect for our heroine, it’s more like she’s flourished into a trap.
She doesn’t understand what she’s doing – she only has the idea of “helping people” in mind, meanwhile, she dejects her friend day in and day out.
For an episode with a lot of transitions, there’s little to no plot progression – Nehushtan is complaining as usual, Tsubasa is ultimately still in the hospital, and our heroine is still a regular schoolgirl with freak powers that she doesn’t even know anything about. If there are any items worth mentioning, it would first be that Tsubasa’s bra size is quite impressive – secondly, Hibiki’s friend finally saw the truth herself. The latter of those two is a starting point for more to unfold, though in itself, it doesn’t amount to anything.
Feb 12, 2012 @ 9:22 CDT
I feel that while there was not much story progression, the focus was more about overcoming personal barriers, Tsubasa’s character did change a bit too dramatically, while viewers can see why she had a change of heart in the first place, having had a near death experience (or rather, an expected death). Symphogear delivers, I greatly enjoy it, yet my heart does go out to Miku whenever Hibiki had to predictably break a promise.
Hopefully now, with the secret being out and Hibiki learning more about her capabilities, we’ll see more story development. Miku, having found out what Hibiki does, will obviously become a figure more prone to danger, will she live her day to day life? Will she shelter in the facility underground? Who knows, though I can confirm Symphogear has left me wanting more, and can’t wait for next week, though it does have it’s holes, like many an anime, however having been victim to being suckered into the Macross Frontier story, I’ll probably continue to enjoy Symphogear no matter the twist and turns.
Feb 12, 2012 @ 11:51 CDT
blue haired chick has crazy hair….that is all.