Much like the volume to arrive prior, Symphogear’s third BD features many visual edits based on logic versus aesthetics exclusively – making the series more coherent in its presentation and execution of animation.
The above pair of frames set side-by-side along their respective alter medium counterparts are ideal in showcasing the modifications made – a purely visual improvement would be color correction, rather, Symphogear has fixes made with consideration of elements on the screen, and how they collectively correspond. An easily noticed example, Hibiki’s assault on a motor vehicle was initially bland on the televised release – there wasn’t much of a physics reaction on part of the vehicle, and it appeared more as if the car already had a fender-bender before Hibiki boxed it.
On the Blu-ray however, her punch has impact – one can see the metal distorting around her hand. The vehicle has been made wider, with shadows enhanced all around – the lighting improvements can be seen as the various darker spots of the vehicle, as well with the headlights, which have been made to appear more reminiscent to glass through translucence. The updated value gives the car increased depth – and this further makes it appear she’s pounding her arm into something with weight.
Likewise, the light reacts to how the vehicle has been damaged – refracting alongside the twists in the steel, and providing the sense of radical carnage being dished out by a little girl. The car itself is also more inclined around her – with the size adjustment, it now planes inward towards her from the ends more, giving a greater feel of kinetic force. Also, take note of the many components of vehicle being scattered – breaking off from the brutality of a frail female highschooler.
In the second scene, doused in green, this is a splendid showing of reformation – the positioning was redone between the characters in relation to one another in order to make Hibiki seem she’s actually affixed on her enemy. In fact, the entire scene was redrawn to achieve the desired outlook – the stage was reset to be one more horizontally expansive, and the two characters were placed to be properly in line of sight.
By an increment of a grand canyon, Symhogear is worth rewatching on Blu-ray for the polished output.
