Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS Episode 04
魔法少女リリカルなのはStrikerS（ストライカーズ）Ep. 04

SPOILER Summary: Subaru writes a letter to her father and sister, where she discusses the training. At the end of one training day, Nanoha tells the four trainees (five counting the mini-dragon Fried) that for the next five minutes, she’ll be attacking them. They have to either avoid her attacks or try to score a clean hit on her. As tired as they are, they don’t think they can avoid Nanoha’s attacks for five minutes, so they decide to go on the offensive after Nanoha’s initial volley. Using teamwork, the trainees do well but Nanoha is still more than a match for them. However, with a magical boost from Caro, Elio is able to launch himself with enough speed to make a mark on Nanoha’s battle uniform, meaning they pass. However, Subaru has damaged her magical roller blades.

Fate and Hayate show up in Fate’s car to check on the training. Fate apologizes to Elio and Caro, because they will be on her team and she hasn’t had time to work with them yet. Nanoha reports the progress of the trainees has been good and that they are actually ready to deploy. Fate and Hayate are off with Fate dropping off Hayate at the Northern Midchilda, Belka Governed Cathedral of the St. Monarch Church for a meeting with Carim Gracia, a powerful Knight of St. Church and a supporter of Hayate’s 6th Mobile Division. Hayate and Fate talk about Carim on the drive, where Hayate reveals she thinks of Carim as an older sister.

Back at the 6th Mobile Division, the trainees are getting cleaned up. The girls end up taking time as they talk while Elio and Fried, having cleaned up much faster, are bored as they wait for the girls. Meanwhile, Hayate meets with Carim, who reveals that they may have a lead on Relic. There are also new Gadget models that have been put into use, which can do more than the previous models, meaning overcoming them could prove difficult. However, Hayate isn’t too concerned.

The trainees meet with Nanoha, who has a “gift” for them all. They’ve all been given new Devices to be used in the field rather than the ones they’d been using in training. These will be much more powerful and allow them to use them in the field. Shari explains the bureaucratic limiter system installed in the devices. Such limiters are also in Nanoha’s Raising Heart Device, so even though Nanoha is an S+ rating (the 3rd-highest magic rank), she’s limited to an AA-rank. Fate also has the same ranking and limitation as Nanoha. Hayate, with an SS-rank (2nd highest), is restricted to an A-rank, a 4-rank reduction. The limiters are only lifted when someone with authority authorizes it, such as Admiral Chrono or Carim.

With the limiter system and its bureaucratic reasons for being established, Shari explains how the new Devices will differ from their original ones. Meanwhile, Fate is returning home from her appointment when the unit alert goes off in her car and at Nanoha’s location. Hayate reports that the Church has discovered a Relic-like object on a train. It has been assaulted by Gadgets and Hayate needs Fate and Nanoha for sure to help. She asks the trainees if they are up to this challenge, which they say they are, so they are included in the mission as well. Fate races to the rendezvous location in her car while Nanoha and the rookies take a military transport helicopter. She assures the rookies that even though their Devices are new and untested, they should work like the old ones they were used to. She gives them some last minute advice and tries to be reassuring since this is their first mission. Elio sees Fried looking concerned at Caro. Elio looks at her and sees her looking very nervous, so he makes sure she’s OK as the helicopter takes them to their destination.

Thoughts: Hmmm. The power limiter is explained in this episode. What a crock the explanation is. “Oh, we don’t want jealousy because some people are more powerful than others, so we’ve put limiters on the more powerful member to keep them in check.” Ugh. What pap. I don’t mind having limiters as a plot device as such per se, but this loser “everyone’s the same” crap sucks. Everyone isn’t the same. Some people kick arse at some things and suck at others. There’s no such thing as “completely fair.” But, we must feed the kids a pipe dream I suppose, to shield them form the reality that is life.

But I digress…

Otherwise an OK episode, I guess. Besides the simplistic dialog, there’s something missing from the series thus far, but I can’t put my finger on what that is. It hasn’t stopped me from liking the series, but it has prevented me from really, deeply enjoying the series.