Having watched the first two series, it is a bit hard to explain why I suddenly watched this one after not seeing the two after A. But having done so, I'm rather happy to have had fun with it.
I always wondered about the shift from lasers to martial arts, and it does surprisingly work. The cast, having diverged and expanded tons since the original and A's, is pretty solid and enjoyable despite not having seen Vivid, and fall well into the role of supporting Fuka and Rinne in a take on the old Nanoha style that is both familiar to the old series and distinct. While Fuka and Rinne do fill the roles of Nanoha and Fate, for example, they are themselves very distinct characters, with Fuka's growth and Rinne's exploration interesting and enjoyable.
That being said, you can tell this was not the anime season's animation peak when it aired, but still a solid showcase of magical girls punching each other, and certainly a nice change of pace from the Madoka following shows of its genre since. Madoka is a good series, but sometimes friendship should more solidly win in its genre again.
Anime Punching like the originals in its own way
Having watched the first two series, it is a bit hard to explain why I suddenly watched this one after not seeing the two after A. But having done so, I'm rather happy to have had fun with it.
I always wondered about the shift from lasers to martial arts, and it does surprisingly work. The cast, having diverged and expanded tons since the original and A's, is pretty solid and enjoyable despite not having seen Vivid, and fall well into the role of supporting Fuka and Rinne in a take on the old Nanoha style that is both familiar to the old series and distinct. While Fuka and Rinne do fill the roles of Nanoha and Fate, for example, they are themselves very distinct characters, with Fuka's growth and Rinne's exploration interesting and enjoyable.
That being said, you can tell this was not the anime season's animation peak when it aired, but still a solid showcase of magical girls punching each other, and certainly a nice change of pace from the Madoka following shows of its genre since. Madoka is a good series, but sometimes friendship should more solidly win in its genre again.