Senki Zesshou Symphogear (widely translated as Swansong of the Valkyries - Symphogear and streamed by Niconico Douga and FUNimation as simply Symphogear) is a music-themed sci-fi Magical Girl Warrior series about killing Eldritch Abominations with Power Armors fuelled by song. If the last sentence doesn't make sense, read it again, more slowly.

Developed by Noriyasu Agematsu (composer of music for games and anime including Wild ARMs and Girls Bravo), published by Kadokawa Shoten, and animated by Studio Satelight.

Part of the Winter 2012 Anime season.

Currently setting up a Characters page. Help is greatly appreciated!

Available the week after they air on NicoNico Beta (in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, and South Africa) and on the FUNimation website (US and Canada only).

For a similar premise with musical play, see Ar tonelico. Compare and contrast Puella Magi Madoka Magica and Lyrical Nanoha. See also Wild ARMs and Suite Pretty Cure.

  • The Ace: Kanade. She's not always better than Tsubasa, mind you; but she's upbeat, popular with everyone, cheerful and fun-loving. Parallels to Zack Fair are noted.
  • Action Dress Rip: Gungnir's Combat Stilettos are on the way of Hibiki's new kung-fu moves, so she gets rid of the heels.
  • All Myths Are True: Norse myths (Kanade's relic, Gungnir), Japanese myths (Tsubasa's relic, Ama-no-Habakiri) Hebrew/Sumerian tales (Kadingir, the gateway of the gods, looks like the Tower of Babel, the healing artifact Nehushtan and the demon-binding Staff of Solomon), Roland's sword Durandal, all together.
  • And the Adventure Continues...: At the end of the series there's still Noise in the world to be fought and heroines willing to do it.
  • Anyone Can Die
    • in the very first episode.
    • Of diplomatic importance, .
  • Armed Legs: Tsubasa's Symphogear comes with large blades attached to her boots. She has several spinning moves that use them.
  • As Long as It Sounds Foreign: Besides the ... American, the beginning phrase of each girl's activation songs is gibberish. Or Norse. Or Ar tonelico's Con Lang
  • Bait and Switch Credits: Subverted.
  • Bastard Girlfriend: Phine punishes subordinates' mistakes stark naked save for black stockings.
  • Batman Can Breathe in Space: Symphogears, without any visible means of life support, are space-worthy. The part about talking in the vacuum is explained by being telepathy, at least.
  • Beethoven Was an Alien Spy:
  • The Berserker: Hibiki becomes visibly bestial (her fangs grow slightly and her figure darkens) when angry .
  • BFS
    • Tsubasa. Her Armed Gear is a no-dachi which can transform that into a giant claymore. Her "Heaven's Wrath" Finishing Move causes it to grow many times her size and combine with a flying kick from her Symphogear For Massive Damage.
    • Durandal. Hibiki activates it in episode 5, which she promptly uses to demolish an entire chemical plant in a single attack.
  • Blade on a Stick: Kanade uses the mythical spear of Odin, Gungnir.
  • Blood From the Mouth: Kanade, in a flashback during episode four, lets fly a massive geyser of this, when she injects herself so Gungir will sync with her. This is a set standard when invoking the "Ultimate Song", too.
  • Bloodier and Gorier: While there's plenty of High-Pressure Blood instances, Tsubasa is even shedding Tears of Blood at the end of Episode 4.
  • Boobs of Steel: The bustiest girl is the Big Bad , who can easily take on several other Symphogears at once. On the heroic side, it's played with. The one who's a brawler (Hibiki) doesn't have the biggest bust.
  • Book Ends: Just as Hibiki did in the first episode, in the last episode Miku rescues a girl under Noise attack, they run, she falls, a heartbeat is heard...
  • Body Horror: Noises' mere touch turns people into ashes quickly, but not quick enough for the victims not to feel it.
  • Break the Cutie
  • Breather Episode: A well-deserved one, at that. Episode 9 is a "girl's day out", and Nana Mizuki performs karaoke on an Enka song.
  • Broken Bird: Tsubasa and Chris. Tsubasa by experiencing the death of a partner and Chris after undergoing made one to become a cold and obssessive death-seeker and the other a violent, mistrusting terrorist.
  • Calling Your Attacks: All Symphogear users showcase their special attacks and defenses with cuts to a Pastel-Chalked Freeze-Frame with a title card.
  • Catapult Nightmare: Chris comes around in episode eight with the typical "bolt upright" move.
  • Catch Phrase: Hibiki's "I think I'm cursed..."
  • Cerebus Rollercoaster: The first episode is very dark. The second episode is far brighter, focusing on Hibiki's induction as a Symphogear candidate; then episodes three and four go back to being serious... until the very last minutes of episode four suddenly turn into a goofy Shonen Training Montage. Overall the tone of the series gets Lighter and Softer as the series progresses (Episode 8 even relies on The Power of Love and The Power of Friendship as a plot point) with the international conspiracy subplot and Chris' Dark and Troubled Past being the only "edgy" elements left by the finale.
  • Chainmail Bikini: The Nehushtan armour doesn't do much to cover her user below the shoulders. But it makes the exposed skin as bullet-proof as the rest of the armour, as seen in episode 11.
  • Character Focus: After introduction, the show takes some time off from its heroines and devotes it to her. Half of Episode 7 was dedicated to her Character Development, alongside Episode 5. Being one of the antagonists, this foreshadows her .
  • Chekhov's Gunman: The little girl Hibiki saved during episode 1 plays a role in the finale.
  • Chilly Reception: Averted when Hibiki gets a welcome party that a new employee/recruit/etc in Japan can expect from the old-timers... but played straight by Tsubasa, who gives her the cold shoulder.
  • Cliffhanger Copout: .
  • Cooldown Hug: Tsubasa gives one to an out-of-control in episode 12.
  • Creepy Doll: The ending features a lot of "gutted" mannequins, for no discernible reason. It somehow got past the radar with it's explicit pictures.
  • Cruel and Unusual Death: The fate of those attacked by Noise: they get reduced to Carbon compounds over the span of a few seconds.
  • Cute Bruiser: Hibiki's inability to summon Gungnir's armed gear forces her to fight empty-handed, clumsily brutal at first and later with flashy kung-fu moves..
  • Dangerous Forbidden Technique: The Ultimate Song releases energy beyond what the Symphogear can safely handle.
  • Dangerously Genre Savvy: wasn't even on-screen for five minutes before talking about Hibiki being the "lead protagonist."
  • The Dark Arts: That's exactly what the Big Bad calls her forbidden powers.
  • Dead Partner:
  • Dead Star Walking:
  • Death by Origin Story: Tsubasa wasn't always the hostile cold fish; death turned her so.
  • Decon Recon Switch: At first it seems the series is going to play the Magical Girl Warrior as strategical weapons, villains being honestly deadly, heroines never getting a break and lacking Plot Immunity. By the final three episodes, the Power of Friendship and the Power of Rock trumps all. It's quite epic.
  • Decoy Protagonist: The promotional videos show the four girls have a prominent role in the series. At the end of the first episode however, it shows that Kanade died halfway through the episode.
  • Description Cut
  • Hot Chick with a Sword: Tsubasa
  • Hot Scientist: Ryoko Sakurai.
  • Ice Queen: Tsubasa. Defrosting Ice Queen after she wakes up from her coma.
  • I Know Mortal Kombat: Genjuro's idea of training includes watching action movies and playing fighting games, and trying to copy main characters' moves...while being dressed like them. It includes trying to teach Hibiki Hadouken, by having them both dressed as Makoto and Gouki/Akuma. All of this set to a Badass Rocky-like theme.
  • In-Series Nickname: Friends call Hibiki "Bikki".
  • I Surrender, Suckers: Being outmatched, to recover the momentum.
  • I Thought It Was Forbidden: By the end of the series has been used so often that it doesn't look that dangerous.
  • Invincible Minor Minion: The Noise are truly dangerous Mooks. They can actively adapt, morph, mutate, and combine to form some of the strangest kinds of Eldritch Abominations. The concert scene destruction in the first episode, for example, was comprised fully of Mooks and several Boss in Mook Clothings. Episode 4 is the first episode to actually show a Mook Maker and a Boss, if you would call it that.
  • It's All My Fault: In episode four Hibiki blames her lack of skills for forcing
  • It's Not You, It's My Enemies: Hibiki's relationship with Miku become strained after Hibiki become a superheroine. However, Miku will always support Hibiki. Aww... until
  • Jumped At the Call: Hibiki takes to her new powers and working with her heroine earnestly.
  • Leitmotif and Mood Motif: All of the Valkyries sing their song as a way to debilitate the Noise. The songs also actively change throughout the series as a way to show their current personality/Character Development. For example, Hibiki's songs earlier in the series are Lighter and Softer, but gets progressively more Hot-Blooded as the show goes on.
  • Let's Get Dangerous: The guy with the Anime Hair and pink necktie in charge of Mission Control? He can beat a Symphogear barehanded, as seen in episode 3.
  • Magic From Technology: The relics are explained as ancient supertechnology by Ryoko.
  • Magical Girl Warrior: Sure their power depends on their singing activating mysterious relics, but it manifests as humongous swords, gatling guns and piston punches.
  • Magic Idol Singer: Kanade and Tsubasa, aka Zweiwing.
  • The Masquerade Will Kill Your Dating Life: Hibiki starts missing appointments with Miku after she joins The Organization. Keeping Secrets Sucks.
  • Meaningful Echo:
  • Meaningful Name: "Hibiki" means "to resound/echo", "Kanade" means "to play (an instrument)". "Tsubasa" means "wings", which fits with "Zwei Wing", valkyrie theme, and her Broken Bird status. "Miku" means "future".
  • Megaton Punch: Hibiki decides to go this route, since she can't properly manifest her Armed Gear, and simply funnels all the power into ass-whooping punches from episode 5 and onwards.
  • The Men in Black: The government agency handling the Symphogears actively keep their existance from the public eye, as they are considered a strategic resource. But their tactics are pretty nice and polite, like making witnesses sign Nondisclosure agreements.
  • Meta Girl: Yumi, one of Those Two Guys, keeps pointing out how things play out like in an Anime, beginning by calling Hibiki out for behaving like a cartoon character in the second episode.
  • Rule of Cool: Singing while fighting energy creatures in your mystical power armour.
  • Scenery Porn and Scenery Gorn: On both sides of the spectrum, and can change at any moment. Transitioning from a vibrant laser-show concert that ended with a sunset to a battle-stricken concert under that same sun is animated very beautifully.
  • Secret Identity: The Symphogear are kept out of the public eye, and thus Kanade, Tsubasa and Hibiki have to keep their side job secret, even from best friends.
  • Sexy Backless Outfit: Tsubasa and Chris' Symphogear armor has this.
  • She Fu: Tsubasa is keen on flying kicks and cartwheels.
  • Ship Tease: Miku and Hibiki are roommates and classmates, but they are also close friends, often share the same bed, have at least one moment together, and they comfort each other. Not only that, but they also want to go out and see shooting stars. Everyone can see it, until .
  • Shout-Out
  • Shower of Angst: In the second episode, Tsubasa has one to show how distressed she is by Gungnir's reappearance.
  • Shut Up, Kirk: Chris cuts off Hibiki when the latter is trying to talk her around during the battle.
  • Shy Blue-Haired Girl: Little Tsubasa was initially this.
  • Slasher Smile: Phine is prone to this humourless grin.
  • Small Girl, Big Gun: Chris' Iron Maiden attack summons a pair of Guns Akimbo twin-linked Gatling guns.
  • Starts with Their Funeral: The first few minutes of the first episode reveals under Grave Clouds that Hibiki is already dead and buried. The series then flashbacks to two years ago and then forward two years again (though some time before the initial scene, since Hibiki's still alive) to show it got to that point. Also doubles as a Foregone Conclusion.
  • Start X to Stop X: Chris wants to stop all wars and fighting... by viciously beating anyone with a weapon using her Symphogear.
  • Stripperiffic: The Nehushtan armour makes its user sport Underboobs, Bare Your Midriff and comes with absurdly tall platform boots.
  • Super-Powered Evil Side: Hibiki shows one first in episode 3. She really wanted to go see the stars with Miku.
  • Taking You with Me
    • How Kanade died.
  • Talking in Your Dreams:
  • Tall, Dark and Bishoujo: Tsubasa, after death.
  • Tears of Blood: after her Ultimate Song.
  • Theme Music Power-Up: How the titular "Symphogear" activates. Having Orchestral Bombing and dramatic music in the background is entirely optional, but it makes fights that much more awesome.
  • There Are No Therapists: Especially for poor Tsubasa.
  • Those Three Girls: Besides Miku, Hibiki has another three friends, one of which oddly enough plays the role of a Meta Guy.
  • Tempting Fate: Pretty much all of the first half of episode 10. "Boy do I like my school! I sure hope nothing happens to it!" Well guess what?
  • Throwing Down the Gauntlet: Genjurou doesn't usually fight women, but he'll do an exception if said woman wants to hurt someone under his protection.
  • Title Drop: The collective name of the anti-Noise armor is the name of the show. Also,
  • Tokyo Is the Center of the Universe: Japan as a whole consists of the Research Facility underneath the school, at least Valkyries in , and (potentially) two weapons, one of them being BFS Durandal. Doesn't look like Japan will hand over Durandal to the EU, what with Episode 5's revelation that .
  • Took a Level in Badass: She may activate her Symphogear fine, but Hibiki has the fighting skills of the average middle schooler until she gets training from Genjurou.

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  1. ↑ One of them is part of it, the other one...
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