Symphogear is a Japanese anime television franchise animated by Satelight. The original season aired on Tokyo MX between January 6, 2012 and March 30, 2012. The second season entitled Symphogear G aired between July 4, 2013 and September 26, 2013, The third season, Symphogear GX, aired between July 4, 2015 and September 25, 2015, and the fourth season, Symphogear AXZ, aired between July 1, 2017 and September 30, 2017. The fifth and final season, Symphogear XV, aired between July 6, 2019 and September 28, 2019. A manga adaptation was serialized in Kadokawa Shoten's Newtype Ace magazine between November 2011 and April 2013. A smartphone game titled Symphogear XD UNLIMITED was released on June 26, 2017.
Plot
Two idols, Tsubasa Kazanari and Kanade Amō, collectively known as Zwei Wing, battle against an alien race known as Noise using armor known as Symphogear, which uses the power of music to counteract the Noise's destructive capability. However, Kanade sacrifices herself to protect a girl named Hibiki Tachibana, who ends up with a piece of Kanade's Symphogear relic, Gungnir, embedded in her chest. Two years later, Hibiki awakens the power of the Gungnir relic inside her body, gaining the same Symphogear armor that Kanade had. Using the power of song, Hibiki and her fellow Symphogear wielders must fight to protect the innocent and defeat those who would use the Noise for evil.
A manga accompaniment to the series, illustrated by Dan Yoshii, was serialized in Kadokawa Shoten's NewType Ace magazine between November 2011 and April 2013.
Anime
The anime, produced by Satelight and Encourage Films, began airing in Japan on Tokyo MX between January 6, 2012 and March 30, 2012. Funimation licensed the series for North America and simulcast the series on Nico Nico. The opening theme was "Synchrogazer" performed by Nana Mizuki, and the ending theme was "Meteor Light" performed by Ayahi Takagaki, with multiple character and insert songs performed by Aoi Yūki, Nana Mizuki, Ayahi Takagaki, Minami Takayama, and Yuka Iguchi used throughout the season. Discotek Media will release this season on subtitled Blu-ray Disc in North America in 2020. On September 5, 2012, Thomas Romain, an animator on the series, wrote on Twitter "for the ones who liked Symphogear, there will be good news soon!", later revealing on October 6, 2012 that production on a second season has begun. The second season, titled Senki Zesshō Symphogear G, aired between July 4, 2013 and September 26, 2013. The opening theme for the second season was "Vitalization" performed by Nana Mizuki, and the ending theme was "Next Destination" performed by Ayahi Takagaki, with multiple new character and insert songs performed by Aoi Yūki, Nana Mizuki, Ayahi Takagaki, Yōko Hikasa, Yoshino Nanjō, Ai Kayano, and Yuka Iguchi used throughout the season. A third season, titled Senki Zessho Symphogear GX, aired in Japan between July 4, 2015 and September 25, 2015 and was simulcast by Crunchyroll. Crunchyroll also began streaming the first season from September 2, 2015, followed by Symphogear G on September 18, 2015. The opening theme for the third season was "Exterminate" performed by Nana Mizuki, and the ending theme was "Rebirth-day" performed by Ayahi Takagaki, with multiple new character and insert songs performed by Aoi Yūki, Nana Mizuki, Ayahi Takagaki, Yōko Hikasa, Yoshino Nanjō, Ai Kayano, Yuka Iguchi, and Inori Minase used throughout the season. A fourth and fifth season were announced on February 28, 2016, at the Symphogear Live 2016 event in Japan, and are currently in production. The fourth season, titled Symphogear AXZ, began airing between July 1, 2017 and September 30, 2017. The opening theme is "Testament" performed by Nana Mizuki, and the ending theme is "Futurism" performed by Ayahi Takagaki, with multiple new character and insert songs performed by Aoi Yūki, Nana Mizuki, Ayahi Takagaki, Yōko Hikasa, Yoshino Nanjō, Ai Kayano, Minako Kotobuki, Shōta Aoi, and Rina Hidaka. The fifth and final season, titled Symphogear XV, was originally scheduled to premiere in April 2019, but the airdate was pushed back to July 2019 in order to further refine the anime before its release. The fifth season aired between July 6, 2019 and September 28, 2019. The opening theme is "Metanoia" performed by Nana Mizuki, and the ending theme is "Lasting Song" performed by Ayahi Takagaki. The Zwei Wing duo, Tsubasa and Kanade, made a paper cameo in Genshiken episode KOIBANA3, created by Manabu Kuchiki for a cosplayidea.
In the 2019 Anime UK News Readers' Choice Awards, Symphogear XV won the category for "Best TV Anime". Symphogear won the category for "Most Wanted Anime License", and was runner-up for the category of "Most Wanted Manga License". Hibiki and Miku were runner-up for the category of "Best Couple".
