Tuesday, June 6, 2017

First AXZ info leaked from anime magazine, new characters and story revealed EDIT Offical site also updates

This Friday the July issue of Newtype was set to be released and was going to give our first look at Symphogear AXZ, but photos of an early copy have begun circulating online and revealed numerous details.

EDIT: The official site also updated with new characters and information in response to the leak. There was also a new announcement by the game twitter, details follow:







Symphogear Season 3.5 OVA: "Connect heart beyond the time"
An original animation will be made available through the Symphogear XD Unlimited app. It will tell a story that takes place between Symphogear GX and Symphogear AXZ. The name of the story is "the Alexandria Incident." Further details will be released soon.


Symphogear AXZ Website update


Series tagline: The one that is all, shall bring light upon death. 

Story

Only weeks after the end of the "Magical Girl Incident" that was brought about by the alchemist Carol in her attempt to dissect the world, Hibiki Tachibana was fighting hand-to-hand with the most supreme enemy known to man, and barely managing to hold it back. That enemy was none other than - Summer vacation homework. 

Her duty as a student was an unavoidable and cruel fate, it mercilessly attacked with no means of resistance. How did it come to this? She asked herself as her soul was slowly crushed under the pressure, reflecting back on happier times. She went to the beach. She went to the mountains. She even promised to show her new friend around and under that pretense enjoyed numerous summer festivals, staring up with her mouth agape at the beautiful fireworks.

During the Obon festival period she left the student dorms and returned to her parents' home in Chiba. Their first happy family gathering in a long time. "With everyone together, of course we have to have a hot pot dinner!" said her father, even though it was the middle of summer. Although he had been separated from the family for years her father was his usual self, shallow and foolish. However Hibiki was in good spirits right along with him, leaving her mother and grandmother with their eyebrows arched in absolute bewilderment.

Prior to all this, there were numerous supernatural events that broke out and forced Hibiki to don her Symphogear. But as a result of it all, she felt she had become at least a little bit more knowledgeable about the world. Her homeroom teacher had always told her that her writing was illegible to the point of being like "hieroglyphics," but now that she knew what that actually meant she knew it was simply an exaggeration.

She was living days of pure bliss that were previously unthinkable. One of her classmates even told her "your daily life has finally become just like a late-night anime." She didn't really understand what that meant, but from the way it was said she could tell it wasn't a bad thing and that made her happy.

If only these days could continue forever...so she wished.

But of course the longer those fabulous and wonderful days continued, the bigger the debt she would eventually be forced to pay back became. The later half of summer vacation, and the eventual restart of her school days. This is where the curtain will fall on the new battle that Hibiki faces.

New Characters



Saint-Germain
An alchemist who is among the top brass of the Bavarian Illuminati. A stunning female beauty who often dresses like a man. There are multiple paths to achieving mastery of alchemy, but each of them shares a common goal of reaching the state of "perfection." Having discovered the deepest secrets of alchemy, Saint-Germain succeeded in recreating her body into a perfect being, which allows her to live for eternity. In order to realize the ideal she holds in her heart, she now strives to create the "power of god."



Cagliostro 
An alchemist who is among the top brass of the Bavarian Illuminati. Both Cagliostro and Prelati used to be men, but after they met Saint-Germain their bodies were biologically altered via alchemy into the perfect form of a "woman." This granted them an extended lifespan and permanent youth. Originally, Cagliostro was a swindler know for his endless lies, however since obtaining a perfect body she has determined to never lie about her feelings.




Prelati
An alchemist who is among the top brass of the Bavarian Illuminati. In the past, he was soundly defeated by the true power of alchemy wielded by Saint-Germain. Afterwards, Prelati agreed to help Saint-Germain achieve the ideal she strives to make a reality. Prelati used to indulge in luxury and pleasure, but ever since being granted a perfect body by Saint-Germain, she has quit being lazy and become an earnest researcher. However, on some rare occasions her old personality shows through and she lets a preference for having fun get in the way of work.




Returning Characters

 Hibiki Tachibana
A girl who suffered a cruel fate, but never lost her bright and optimistic personality. When she fights she dons the Symphogear armor created from fragments of the "Gungnir" sacrist. Her hands hold no weapon and so she uses them instead to join with others. She offers an open hand in the hopes of finding a mutual understanding, even when facing an enemy. Age: 16







Tsubasa Kazanari
A famous pop star, who also serves as a sentinel, that got her start in Japan before she spread her wings on the world stage. In battle she dons the Symphogear armor created from fragments of the "Ame no Habakiri" sacrist. From a young age she went through intense training to become a warrior that can stand against any enemy. She also displays superb control of motorbikes, the modern day version of a warrior on horseback. Age: 19




Chris Yukine
A girl with no living relatives, after her parents were lost in a civil war that ravaged an unstable country. In battle she dons the Symphogear armor created from fragments of the "Ichaival" sacrist. She specializes in sniping and bombardment and can easily handle firing a handgun or missile if she pleases. Although her manner of speech is often rude, her personality is quite the opposite. She's a kind girl with deep feelings for those around her. Age: 17



Maria Cadenzavna Eve
A former criminal who covered her heart in lies and stood against the world. When she fights she dons the Symphogear armor created from fragments of the "Airget-lamh"sacrist. Whether in battle against a single enemy or multiple she displays natural fighting prowess, however her use of the Symphogear requires a dose from the LiNKER drug. Age: 22





Kirika Akatsuki
A young girl who is the very definition of naivete. When faced with a problem she has a tendency to tackle it in a straightforward, single-minded way. In battle she dons the Symphogear armor created from fragments of the "Igalima" sacrist. Along with Maria and Shirabe, her use of the Symphogear requires a dose of the LiNKER drug however her link coefficient has shown a slight raise as a result of her daily training. Age: 16





Shirabe Tsukuyomi
On one hand she has an introverted personality, but when the situation calls for it she displays genuine integrity and virtue. When she fights she dons the Symphogear armor created from fragments of the "Shul-shagana"sacrist. As a result of an accident when she was very young, she was abducted by the American Government's FIS research agency. As a result of experiments performed there, she became able to use the Symphogear through the LiNKER drug. Age: 15


Miku Kohinata
As a result of past disagreements and fights, she has developed deep bonds with Hibiki who has been her best friend since childhood. She is the ideal example of a peaceful daily life. She knows that Hibiki only lets herself cry in secret, which is why she is strongly determined to support her no matter what. Age: 16






Elfnein
On the verge of death she was given an extension to her life through a "miracle" of fusion with her other self, who hated miracles. Since then, she has worked on backup support for the Symphogear users and in her spare time does research and analysis in the field of human memory. She believes that it will someday allow her to reunite with her other self.





Genjuro Kazanari
He is the commander of the U.N. Supernatural Disaster Anti-riot Squad, S.O.N.G. which is tasked with solving incidents that difficult to resolve by normal measures. Within S.O.N.G. he is much relied upon by the many younger members and matches his conduct as such, but deep down he wants to run amuck on the battlefield. His hobby is watching movies.





Shinji Ogawa
An agent of S.O.N.G.'s investigatory division. Born with an altruistic personality, he is a key member of the team who supports the Symphogear users from the shadows. His demeanor is gentle and kind, but within his heart he keeps a blade that is always sharpened and ready for use.






Sakuya Fujitaka
A member of S.O.N.G. headquarters, an operator tasked mainly with data processing. He has a bad habit of being quick to complain about his worries and complaints, but that is a natural part of his skill in accurately determining the severity of any given situation.








Aoi Tomosato
A member of S.O.N.G. headquarters, an operator tasked mainly with data processing. Her personality is a combination of bold courage that allows her to pull the trigger in any bad situations without hesitation, and a warm motherly concern for the Symphogear users. The coffee she makes is incredibly fragrant.








Original post follows below:

 

Story: 
Weeks after the end of the "Magical Girl Incident" brought about by the alchemist Carol, the appearance of Alca-Noise have not ceased. While chasing their origin, the Symphogear girls come across 3 new alchemists who stand in their way. 

New cast: 
Cagliostro - Shouta Aoi
Saint-Germain - Minako Kotobuki
Prelati - Rina Hidaka

Character descriptions:
Saint-Germain - A Bavarian Illuminati alchemist. Born as the daughter of a slave, she believes that "no person should be controlled by anyone else." 
Cagliostro - An alchemist who is a member of the Bavarian Illuminati group that has caused chaos throughout the world. Together with the others, they control a sacrist known as "Youaltepuztli."

Possible References:
Count Alessandro di Cagliostro - A member of the Bavarian Illuminati who studied alchemy and magic.
Count of Saint Germain  A legendary spiritual master who was rumored to be immortal, having been reincarnated as multiple people over a long span of time.
Francois Prelati - An italian priest and alchemist, was rumored he could summon demons.
Youaltepuztli - The "Ax of the night" or the "midnight hatchet" a form taken by the Aztec God Tezcatlipoca

12 comments:

  1. Is it just me or symphogear contains more and more well known VA? Only a few beginners so far

    ReplyDelete
  2. Some interesting bits of information there.

    Also I'm kind of curious about Kirika's bio. Is it just her coefficient that is rising and that will be a point of note for her story? Or will it simply be a thing where all of the Linker Girls start reaching levels that they don't require the drug?

    Regardless, I am simply hyped. We're almost there to Season 4!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Same here, Kind of noteworthy that only Kirika's bio is the only one that states the improvement regarding the use of LiNKER drugs. For that matter, only Shirabe's bio states that she was abducted by FIS, does that mean that Kirika wasn't? Maybe I'm thinking too much, but I hope this is a sign that Kirika and Shirabe will be getting a proper, separate and distinct development this time.

      Delete
    2. I really hope that last part is where they go. While I appreciate they are very close, I do think the show could let them have their own arcs. They don't have to be completely tied together.

      The bios might simply be using each girl to cover similar information. Kirika to talk about their lessening need for Linker, Shirabe how they ended up with FIS, etc. Or it could reflect different stories.

      I'd find it interesting if say with Chris they got back to her feelings about war and countries devastated by them. She moved on from wanting to wipe out the ability for people to fight to stop war, but war itself should still have some impact on her. Some kind of large scale conflict could lead to a unique arc for her.

      It'd be nice in general if it was closer to S2. The overall story is going on and everyone has their own personal journey. That way they can weave them through the story and not just resolve each one in successive episodes.

      Delete
    3. That's one of my gripes about GX TBH (Alongside Hibiki's out-of-nowhere pacifism and episodic nature of GX) and the reason why G remains my favorite of Symphogear. While the plot is kind of sloppy, the characterization and development of the girls are pretty good, not to mention it has the best final act than the other two.

      Looking at Maria's bio, that might be the case, though I hope it really means to foreshadow to their separate development on AXZ.

      That would be nice, though considering she never talked or even hinted about her feeling regarding war and countries on GX, it's going to feel a little bit 'forced'.

      Delete
    4. Yeah, the more I look back the more G becomes my favorite season. It was just more solid in terms of the overall plot and weaving character arcs together.

      Hibiki's pacifism was really random in GX. She didn't like to fight people in any season...but she did it. She fought Chris and Finé in S1, and Miku in S2. That was just weird.

      It would be a bit forced, but I think they could make it work. From what I remember she did have disaster/war-like flashes in GX. Though it was kind of tying more into her fear of losing everything. I think if they actually have the plot connect to a war in some way it could fit without being too forced. I didn't really expect G to focus on her guilt about using Solomon's Cane, but it was believable.

      Fingers crossed they spread out the character development a bit better this time.

      Delete
    5. That's...actually quite plausible. Looking at the poster for AXZ, it would appear that there will be some battle taking place in the city, that coupled with collateral damage and people getting killed can be applied as a trigger for her that would connect with the 'war' and 'fear of losing everything' angle.

      Speaking of character development, I hope Hibiki problem with her father aren't just brushed up on AXZ. It was heavily implied that Hibiki's family (her mother mainly) is pretty hesitant on reconnecting with him, so there's that.

      Anything works for me in regards to Kirika and Shirabe just as long as it's separate, distinct development and not OOC. I have no idea with Maria and Tsubasa however, since it feels like they tied up and finished their problem in GX.

      Then again we also have the OVA 3.5 so maybe some of the development will go there instead of AXZ.

      Delete
  3. Sounds like there's gonna be more power creep this season. That makes me a sad panda.

    ReplyDelete
  4. tbh i cant give high expectation for this plot

    the only thing i can look forward is songs and some fan service ^^;;

    ReplyDelete
  5. Adding to references: "Ichi nishite zen naru mono" or "The one that is all" refers to Yog Sothoth.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh man you were fast...i really don't know if i should watch anime. please review me by replying me.
    i guess 12 episodes has been released!

    ReplyDelete
  7. This looks like anime re:creators but its more cooler than its cover, I'll add this on my list. I wish to read more detailed post like this cause it excites me even more.

    ReplyDelete