Reflecting on 6.5 Year Legacy of 'Senki Zesshou Symphogear XD UNLIMITED' and Its Memorable Characters!

There is finally about a month left until the miraculous grand finale of the smartphone app “Senki Zesshou Symphogear XD UNLIMITED”. Although it has been decided that the offline version will be released at the same time as the service ends at 2:00 p.m. on January 31st, there are still many compatible users who are feeling lonely.

This time, before the stage closes, I would like to take a look back at the trajectory of those six and a half years.

■What is Symphonic Battle RPG “Senki Zesshou Symphogear XD UNLIMITED”?

“Senki Zesshou Symphogear XD UNLIMITED” (Bushiroad, King Pawn/Pokelabo) is a smartphone game app released on June 26, 2017. It is billed as a symphonic battle RPG based on the popular TV anime “Senki Zesshou Symphogear” series, and allows you to relive the story of the original with the same intensity as the main story.

Basically, a story that reproduces the original progresses, but this work also connects each season of the anime.“3.5”or“4.5”Also includes complementary stories to the main story. moreover,IF story branching from the main storyThere was also an event scenario depicting the series, and it was packed with elements that fans will love.

The battle is a real-time simulation method where the battle progresses automatically except for skill activation. The flashy production, which recreates the special moves familiar from the original work, was also appealing, and I was able to enjoy the battle between the wearers who sing and fight just like in the original work. The songs include not only exclusive songs for each user, but also theme songs for each series and songs written specifically for this work. The game's original music was also made into a CD album separately from the main story, and the special jacket illustrations drawn with each release were also popular.

In addition to the story mode, there was a large amount of content that was added through repeated updates, such as a battle arena where players compete for rankings, a challenge cup, and a tough enemy event.

■IF Story and Gjallarhorn

IF story included in the scenario of this work. It looks complicated at first glance as it is inserted at key points, but the main story basically follows the same history up to the third season of the anime, “GX''. However, the story diverges after this magical girl incident.It is an item that symbolizes this work.“Gjallarhorn”The story will revolve around.

Gjallarhorn is a complete holy relic excavated by Ryoko Sakurai, a key person in the play. When it was discovered, it was already activated, and its characteristics were “Connect the parallel world with this world.”That's what it was. A parallel world is a world of spilled possibilities. This is the perfect item to spin an IF story.

The first thing that Gjallarhorn connected was “a world where Tsubasa Kazanari died, not Kanade Amaba.” What if the character who died at the beginning of episode 1 of season 1 of the anime was still alive? We depicted a story development that could have happened in a parallel world. As a conformist, this was a scenario I couldn't read through without crying. In addition to this, there are countless stories in this work that have different possibilities than the main anime. A variety of costumers were depicted, centering on an original scenario in which a number of parallel worlds were saved from extinction.

These original stories for this work exist in addition to the Gjallarhorn arc. I enjoyed the epic story on a completely different scale from the anime, such as the LOST SONG arc about a “parallel world costumer” whose personality and appearance are completely different from the main story.

By the way, among the many parallel worlds, there was also an IF story called “A world where the Symphogear system was not put into practical use,'' which even reversed the title of the program.This is an event scenario“Dragon Princess Roar Mech Varanus”A surprising story unfolds in which the protagonist's friends Sousei Ando, Shiori Terajima, and Yumi Itaba transform and fight. The newly recorded exclusive song “More than a friend, less than a hero'' is really cool.

■Full of collaboration events

In this way, Gjallarhorn's “connect parallel worlds” property. The hands that connect this world gradually began to turn outside. Yes… it's a collaboration with other works.

As you know, Symphogear XDU has been collaborating with various other titles.In terms of settingsThe world of the collaborative work and the world of Symphogear are connected through Gjallarhorn., is the form. Isn't this a collaboration event with another work that is common in social games? Some of you may think so. But don't underestimate it. The collaboration group in this work is truly unique.

“Senki Zesshou Symphogear XD UNLIMITED” collaboration works list
BanG Dream! Girls Band Party!
Attack on Titan
tales of symphonia
Mashin Sentai Kiramager
Girl☆Kageki Revue Starlight
Saint Seiya
Gamera
Godzilla
ULTRAMAN
Assault Lily BOUQUET
Yuki Yuna is a hero
SSSS.DYNAZENON
SSSS.GRIDMAN
magical girl lyrical nanoha
Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya
stardom
gridman universe
Kamen Rider 555

From the fighting girl anime “Lyrical Nanoha'' and “YuYuYu,'' which have similarities with Symphogear, to special effects works such as “Kamen Rider,'' “Super Sentai,'' and “Godzilla,'' to the classic games of yesteryear, which have real-life elements. Pro wrestling organizations…etc. It's a bit too broad.

It kind of feels like “Super Robot Wars'' without riding robots, anyway.I collaborated on what I like without restraint!Feelingthere is. There is, but combined with the fact that the quality of the collaboration scenario is simply high, it makes a strange sense. Unfortunately, it's hard to tell unless you try it.

In particular, the collaboration with “Gamera” is quite popular.“Why is the final chapter of Heisei Gamera being played in Symphogear?”There was a voice of confusion. I think these high ratings were due in part to the script's high level of understanding of the original work, which impressed the fans of the collaboration partners. After all, “Kamen Rider 555”Toshiki Inoue wrote the script for the collaboration scenario.It's like an obsession that calls out to me… Thank you for your understanding.

■The next stage is

The existence of “Gjallarhorn”, which has developed IF stories as numerous parallel worlds. Thanks to this, “XDU'', which has shown us various aspects of “Symphogear'', from aspects of the characters that were not seen in the original work to collaborations with unprecedented works, is about to come to a close. Even though an offline version will be released in the future, it still makes me sad that new possibilities will no longer be available.

However, the work “Symphogear'' itself is not finished yet. The newly announced theatrical version, and “PROJECT SYMPHOGEAR -next-”. Songs of warrior princesses are still being written. There is no answer other than to move on.