魔法少女リリカルなのはStrikerS（ストライカーズ）Ep. 15
Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS Episode 15

SPOILER Summary: At the morning training session, Nanoha announces that Master Sergeant Ginga Nakajima from the 108th Battalion is being temporarily reassigned to the 6th Mobile Division. Also, the engineer Mary is joining their team. Then Nanoha tells Ginga and Subaru that she wants them to do a mock battle. Since the sisters have mirror Devices, the contest proves very interesting with everyone on the team stopping to watch. In the end, Ginga’s advanced skill level wins the day, though she reports to Nanoha that Subaru is much improved, something Wolkenritter members Vita and Signum agree on. Now, Nanoha has another “welcome gift” for Ginga — she will team up with the rookies to battle Nanoha, Fate, Signum, and Vita. Ginga and the rookies lose, but get praised for their good work.

Meanwhile, Aina-san gets Vivio ready to meet her mamas and she puts one of Nanoha’s ribbons in Vivio’s hair. She’s escorted by Zafila to the training site, where she first encounters Shari and Mary, who’d been observing the mock battle. Vivio is very Japanese-properly polite in her greeting and bow to her elders before running off to see Nanoha-mama and Fate-mama. She falls on her face and lays there crying. Nanoha stops Fate from going to get the girl, choosing instead to have Vivio pick herself up and come to Nanoha for comfort. Vivio doesn’t do this and so Fate ends up coming to Vivio and picking her up, leading Nanoha to semi-jokingly remark on how “Fate-mama” spoils Vivio. Fate counters that “Nanoha-mama” is too strict.

The team are eating lunch in the cafeteria, with talk being about Vivio and children. This leads Vita to tease Rein about how she was at rebirth — a chibi adult body, but very child-like inside. Vivio finishes her lunch but doesn’t eat her green peppers. Nanoha tells her that she can’t grow up to be strong if she doesn’t eat them, but Vivio is very reluctant to eat them. Hayate chimes in, saying that Vivio can’t become beautiful like her mamas if she doesn’t eat the peppers. Vivio still isn’t convinced, but Caro is and eats hers.

After lunch, Mary has Subaru and Ginga come with her for a physical exam. Tia makes a request of Subaru to pick up some Chocolate Pods, which Subaru is happy to do. After their physical is over, Ginga buys the others some Chocolate Pods. She meets Ginga outside the store and shares one with her sister. As Tia and Ginga wait for their ride, Ginga remarks on how Subaru got to be in the same unit as her best friend (Tia) and her hero (Nanoha). Subaru tells Ginga that she admires Ginga as well, which makes Ginga happy. Subaru promises to get stronger and pass Ginga to which Ginga reminds Subaru that this will not be easy as Ginga will continue to get stronger. Ginga then remarks on how they’ll be battling combat cyborgs, which Subaru is prepared for.

At the ground HQ, General Geis gets a report that the investigation into the 6th Mobile Division has turned up nothing. The general is keen on having something uncovered before his major press conference and he’s told the investigation will continue. However, the main HQ and another unit are investigating the general’s unit. Geis isn’t too worried about this, but his aide Auris reports that the main HQ’s investigator has a rare skill and may be able to uncover dirt on the general. This was not what Geis wanted to hear but will get support of the High Council (which he does later). He inquires as to the status of “Einherjar” and receives good new there. Geis wants “it” to happen before the press conference.

That evening, Hayate meets with Nanoha and Fate. Hayate reveals that the Saint Church believes the upcoming press conference will be targeted. The 6th will protect the members, but only Hayate, Nanoha, and Fate will be allowed into the building where the press conference is being held. Fate believes they can handle it and Nanoha has confidence in the forwards, since they have been training them rigorously. Plus, the rookies will get their Device limiters raised to level 3, making them more powerful. As such, Hayate hopes they can quickly resolve any problems that may occur.

Thoughts: While someone cute like Vivio is a sure-fire scene stealer, I got to say that Vita comes darn close as well. In some ways, she reminds me of the short, female drill instructors I saw in basic training, only without the false sense of bravado and being macho. Vita kicks arse and that’s that. She knows it, the rookies know it, and the audience knows it.

Speaking of Vivio, it is fun watching how Fate and Nanoha approach raising her. Nanoha isn’t harsh or really that strict, but wants Vivio to be someone who can stand on her own two feet. Fate, on the other hand, wishes to be there to help Vivio every step of the way. I think back to the original Nanoha series and I would guess that the way Fate was raised is what drives Fate’s desire to pamper Vivio.

I take it that this Einherjar is some sort of non-magical weapon of (mass?) destruction of the type that Fate had been educating Caro and Elio on. So it appears to me that Geis is planning some kind of attack on his own HQ where he’ll break out this weapon and then have a press conference blaming the 6th Mobile Division for the attacks. The fact that Lutecia, Agito, and Zest are outside the city combined with the Numbers apparently preparing for an attack leads me to believe that Geis is working with our evil Doctor villain.

Another think I liked was a brief throw-away scene showing Vita and Signum training against each other while the rookies watch in awe. The focus of the training stuff has been on the rookies with the others coming in for teaching. This showed that even the powerful need to continue to train, which is a good thing.

Next time, looks like action is a comin’, y’all.