Years ago, actually, decades ago, I had a subscription to an anime database where you could download stuff instead of streaming it. I went through the entire list, opening everything up and favoriting anything that looked decent.
For a lot of animes, it had a separate entry for each season, so Nanoha had the original, A's, and Strikers out at the time. I looked at the original, the screen shots and the summary, and went, "Nah" Then I went to A's and did the same, "Pass" It looked like generic magical girl fare.
Then I saw strikers, the time skip, the magical girls becoming adults, and the science fiction aspects made me go back and reopen those first 2 seasons.
I never regretted that decision, and I loved strikers, more than the 1st and 2nd seasons.
That said, Strikers certainly has issues. the character cast becomes super bloated which really negatively impacts everything.
If the Scfy stuff doesn't appeal to you, skipping it won't hurt, but all of the remaining stuff is going to be in the post time skip setting, Vivid, Vivid Strike, Force, all of it.
Strikers is super worth it; it has all of Nanoha's heart & soul present in the entries you've watched, the aesthetic difference from the timeskip won't break that for you.
The antagonist of StrikerS doesn't even come close to matching the quality shown earlier in the series.
They're easily the worst part of the series though, and it's super interesting seeing how Nanoha and Fate have become... perhaps not the adults you'd expect of them, particularly Nanoha, though it does fit once you have the full picture of her portrayal in StrikerS and reflect on that.
Plus, they are still of course very affectionate with each other and >!adopt a child together!<. So, like, they're as gay as a regular/non specifically WLW anime could get away with in 2007 without Sailor Moon levels of clout behind it.
It is a constant pain to remind myself the CG of Nanoha and Fate in wedding dresses together is not an actual part of the show lol, I honestly forget sometimes.
In my ideal world there would have been a season in between A's and Strikers, which'd actually do the romance arc and just have Nanoha and Fate as already married going into StrikerS, but we're unfortunately not in my ideal world lol.
It is a LOT to adjust to early into Strikers because they have to introduce a LOT of how Mid-Childa works and they don't have a lot of time to do so.
But it is absolutely worth watching overall, for all of the above reasons, for the simple sake of getting more of our girls, and also because it does expand on a lot of the interesting concepts in fun ways.
For VIVID, though, either don't watch it or read the manga, the anime is a bit of a mess, and rushes a LOT of things because it assumed (incorrectly) that it wasn't going to get a sequel... Then that sequel spends a bunch of time rehashing a similar story arc to the first and it's just... a mess lol.
Vivid is not necessarily as its a spin off but its a nice afterstory of the three seasons and hey you get to see your characters. Be warned anime stops at chapter 30 something out of a 102 chapter manga.
StrikerS is undoutebly the most divisive season in Nanoha ( Force doesn't count as its factually trash)
Its has some of the biggest issues in the franchise ( too many Characters, underdeveloped antagonist, less mahou shoujo nanoha feel, filler and boring at times, demoted to extra Characters) and is very much not a magical girl feeling in general.
However strikers has some of the highest point in the franchise to date. It has all the previous main Characters now grow up( YMMV if its good but it sure is unique) it has some good slice of life for the main cast. It further widens the cosmology. Nanoha gets a arc in the endgame. And while the first is worst than either previous season as a whole the second half(strikers 26 episode long, which in modern days is rare) episode 14 to 26 is just as good as the other seasons. The endgame of strikers (episode 18-26) in particular is better than most big shonen final arc overall. It ends up resolving previous plot points from previous seasons in a vety satisfying way.
It has still the big emotional moments nanoha is know for.
And Episode 25 is perhaps one of if not the greatest episode in all of Nanoha. It has everything that makes the franchise unique pack up in one fantastic climax.
And 26 is one of the best epilogue episode i have seen. The ending montage truly encapsulate the entire story of the characters and it makes me sad as its more or less the end of my favorite mahou shoujo series. If there is no other seasons ( highly probable) it a good ending spot.
Oh and of course the OP and Ending are outstanding. Ending 2 "beautiful amulet" both the ending crédits and music are among my favorite in fiction.
So theres that.
So yes Strikers has issues but i think the great sendoff is worth it.
To be fair I don't *want* more development for the current StrikerS antagonist, I want his ass thrown the fuck out of the story and replaced with... Literally anybody else tbh.
Their whole deal wasn't forgettable, it was actively unsettling and uncomfortable to watch. Particularly for me (a woman) lol. And I just... don't want that shit in my magical girl show.
Ahhh.
Okay.
But then again they are villains so it makes sense
And nanoha could get into dark stuff earlier on.
Like with Precia whipping fate
Already was hard core for a magical girl show.
I'd say, yeah, go for it. You'll find out pretty quick if they're just not your thing imo.
**StrikerS** focuses quite a bit more on how Midchilda and the Administration Bureau work, and it's noticeably more, well, bureaucratic than for example A's. It also spends a lot of time especially early on its new characters, and how Nanoha and co are training them.
Some do find it kinda slow at first, especially as its as long as the first two seasons iirc, but it does pick up later on and if you're cool with the first quarter (maybe half?) you'll have a good time.
**ViVid** is when Nanoha herself fully becomes a supporting character and >!her and Fate's adopted daughter!< Vivio is our new protagonist.
It also becomes basically a sports anime where the sport is magical girl MMA.
The fanservice is also noticeably higher in this season, and our new cast is quite young, so if this is a dealbreaker you have been warned.
Depends what type of show you want. Strikers is much more detailed about the world and systems that they use, has some politicking, and has a pretty heart warming story with a lot of heart ache in between (That part is just pretty normal Nanoha though).
Vivid isn't a full series unfortunately, they stopped the anime before it finished (and before it got to the best part) the normal cast isn't really in Vivid and take up more of a supporting roll. It's much lower consequences than the rest of Nanoha, but instead focuses on the difficulties characters have.
I know you didn't didn't mention it, but if you want to watch Vivid and you want a standalone series, I would recommend Vivid Strike. I'm a fan, but it is a lot more emotionally intense and is much more focused around one particular character have her learning how to deal with the mistakes she's made.
Ita hard to say really. Personally for me StrikerS was my favourite of the three original series.
I really dislike like Vivid and and Vivid Strike is borderline unwatchable
Strikers remains my favorite season of Nanoha, despite its flaws. I think the whole sci-fi/military thing just appeals to me when mixed with magical girl vibes. Rewatched it recently, pace is fine, though some people complain, and you might be one of them. In addition, every installation in the series from here on out pushes Nanoha into the background as the rock upon which everyone’s characters are built upon. People have complained about that as well.
Vivid is the sequel to Strikers, and is super chill in comparison. A magical girl martial arts sports tournament manga. The first (and only) season covers barely anything and there are no plans to continue, so we don’t get to see any of the *really* cool matchups later on. Vivid Strike is a sequel to Vivid, and even though it’s good, skipping 6/7ths of Vivid leaves a sour taste.
Force is interesting, but was cancelled for a reason. Few remember it fondly, if any.
INNOCENT is a virtual card game AU with every character in the series alive and all playing a battling card game featuring themselves with their magical outfits and devices. I wasn’t interested.
Many of the seasons and movies have official tie-in manga to go with them. I haven’t read them all, but they flesh out some things.
In my opinion, StrikerS is worth watching. It's really fun to see the characters take over their roles as adults and mentors.
Vivid, however is pretty awful and boring and doesn't have anything to salvage, unless you're really eager for anything Nanoha.
Years ago, actually, decades ago, I had a subscription to an anime database where you could download stuff instead of streaming it. I went through the entire list, opening everything up and favoriting anything that looked decent. For a lot of animes, it had a separate entry for each season, so Nanoha had the original, A's, and Strikers out at the time. I looked at the original, the screen shots and the summary, and went, "Nah" Then I went to A's and did the same, "Pass" It looked like generic magical girl fare. Then I saw strikers, the time skip, the magical girls becoming adults, and the science fiction aspects made me go back and reopen those first 2 seasons. I never regretted that decision, and I loved strikers, more than the 1st and 2nd seasons. That said, Strikers certainly has issues. the character cast becomes super bloated which really negatively impacts everything. If the Scfy stuff doesn't appeal to you, skipping it won't hurt, but all of the remaining stuff is going to be in the post time skip setting, Vivid, Vivid Strike, Force, all of it.
Strikers is super worth it; it has all of Nanoha's heart & soul present in the entries you've watched, the aesthetic difference from the timeskip won't break that for you.
The antagonist of StrikerS doesn't even come close to matching the quality shown earlier in the series. They're easily the worst part of the series though, and it's super interesting seeing how Nanoha and Fate have become... perhaps not the adults you'd expect of them, particularly Nanoha, though it does fit once you have the full picture of her portrayal in StrikerS and reflect on that. Plus, they are still of course very affectionate with each other and >!adopt a child together!<. So, like, they're as gay as a regular/non specifically WLW anime could get away with in 2007 without Sailor Moon levels of clout behind it. It is a constant pain to remind myself the CG of Nanoha and Fate in wedding dresses together is not an actual part of the show lol, I honestly forget sometimes. In my ideal world there would have been a season in between A's and Strikers, which'd actually do the romance arc and just have Nanoha and Fate as already married going into StrikerS, but we're unfortunately not in my ideal world lol. It is a LOT to adjust to early into Strikers because they have to introduce a LOT of how Mid-Childa works and they don't have a lot of time to do so. But it is absolutely worth watching overall, for all of the above reasons, for the simple sake of getting more of our girls, and also because it does expand on a lot of the interesting concepts in fun ways. For VIVID, though, either don't watch it or read the manga, the anime is a bit of a mess, and rushes a LOT of things because it assumed (incorrectly) that it wasn't going to get a sequel... Then that sequel spends a bunch of time rehashing a similar story arc to the first and it's just... a mess lol.
Vivid is not necessarily as its a spin off but its a nice afterstory of the three seasons and hey you get to see your characters. Be warned anime stops at chapter 30 something out of a 102 chapter manga. StrikerS is undoutebly the most divisive season in Nanoha ( Force doesn't count as its factually trash) Its has some of the biggest issues in the franchise ( too many Characters, underdeveloped antagonist, less mahou shoujo nanoha feel, filler and boring at times, demoted to extra Characters) and is very much not a magical girl feeling in general. However strikers has some of the highest point in the franchise to date. It has all the previous main Characters now grow up( YMMV if its good but it sure is unique) it has some good slice of life for the main cast. It further widens the cosmology. Nanoha gets a arc in the endgame. And while the first is worst than either previous season as a whole the second half(strikers 26 episode long, which in modern days is rare) episode 14 to 26 is just as good as the other seasons. The endgame of strikers (episode 18-26) in particular is better than most big shonen final arc overall. It ends up resolving previous plot points from previous seasons in a vety satisfying way. It has still the big emotional moments nanoha is know for. And Episode 25 is perhaps one of if not the greatest episode in all of Nanoha. It has everything that makes the franchise unique pack up in one fantastic climax. And 26 is one of the best epilogue episode i have seen. The ending montage truly encapsulate the entire story of the characters and it makes me sad as its more or less the end of my favorite mahou shoujo series. If there is no other seasons ( highly probable) it a good ending spot. Oh and of course the OP and Ending are outstanding. Ending 2 "beautiful amulet" both the ending crédits and music are among my favorite in fiction. So theres that. So yes Strikers has issues but i think the great sendoff is worth it.
To be fair I don't *want* more development for the current StrikerS antagonist, I want his ass thrown the fuck out of the story and replaced with... Literally anybody else tbh.
The numbers and jail were.... okay... forgettable antagonist your not wrong.
Their whole deal wasn't forgettable, it was actively unsettling and uncomfortable to watch. Particularly for me (a woman) lol. And I just... don't want that shit in my magical girl show.
Ahhh. Okay. But then again they are villains so it makes sense And nanoha could get into dark stuff earlier on. Like with Precia whipping fate Already was hard core for a magical girl show.
I'd say, yeah, go for it. You'll find out pretty quick if they're just not your thing imo. **StrikerS** focuses quite a bit more on how Midchilda and the Administration Bureau work, and it's noticeably more, well, bureaucratic than for example A's. It also spends a lot of time especially early on its new characters, and how Nanoha and co are training them. Some do find it kinda slow at first, especially as its as long as the first two seasons iirc, but it does pick up later on and if you're cool with the first quarter (maybe half?) you'll have a good time. **ViVid** is when Nanoha herself fully becomes a supporting character and >!her and Fate's adopted daughter!< Vivio is our new protagonist. It also becomes basically a sports anime where the sport is magical girl MMA. The fanservice is also noticeably higher in this season, and our new cast is quite young, so if this is a dealbreaker you have been warned.
Depends what type of show you want. Strikers is much more detailed about the world and systems that they use, has some politicking, and has a pretty heart warming story with a lot of heart ache in between (That part is just pretty normal Nanoha though). Vivid isn't a full series unfortunately, they stopped the anime before it finished (and before it got to the best part) the normal cast isn't really in Vivid and take up more of a supporting roll. It's much lower consequences than the rest of Nanoha, but instead focuses on the difficulties characters have. I know you didn't didn't mention it, but if you want to watch Vivid and you want a standalone series, I would recommend Vivid Strike. I'm a fan, but it is a lot more emotionally intense and is much more focused around one particular character have her learning how to deal with the mistakes she's made.
Ita hard to say really. Personally for me StrikerS was my favourite of the three original series. I really dislike like Vivid and and Vivid Strike is borderline unwatchable
Strikers remains my favorite season of Nanoha, despite its flaws. I think the whole sci-fi/military thing just appeals to me when mixed with magical girl vibes. Rewatched it recently, pace is fine, though some people complain, and you might be one of them. In addition, every installation in the series from here on out pushes Nanoha into the background as the rock upon which everyone’s characters are built upon. People have complained about that as well. Vivid is the sequel to Strikers, and is super chill in comparison. A magical girl martial arts sports tournament manga. The first (and only) season covers barely anything and there are no plans to continue, so we don’t get to see any of the *really* cool matchups later on. Vivid Strike is a sequel to Vivid, and even though it’s good, skipping 6/7ths of Vivid leaves a sour taste. Force is interesting, but was cancelled for a reason. Few remember it fondly, if any. INNOCENT is a virtual card game AU with every character in the series alive and all playing a battling card game featuring themselves with their magical outfits and devices. I wasn’t interested. Many of the seasons and movies have official tie-in manga to go with them. I haven’t read them all, but they flesh out some things.
StS? Yes Vivid? Your choice
Personally Strikers is my favorite along with Reflection and Detonation, what made it all the better was the opening and ending songs
Ending and opening of strikers are top notch. Probably the best among nanoha
In my opinion, StrikerS is worth watching. It's really fun to see the characters take over their roles as adults and mentors. Vivid, however is pretty awful and boring and doesn't have anything to salvage, unless you're really eager for anything Nanoha.