Symphogear Episode 08: No Shadows in the Sunlight

Episode Summary:

In the aftermath of Miku’s big reveal that she could no longer stand being friends with Hibiki, she and Hibiki are now sleeping in separate beds. And neither is happy about it. Miku gets up early and heads out without Hibiki in a further sign of the cracks in their friendship. Chris, too, is still feeling the effects of her own sort of falling out. She is still on the run from Finè and still being chased by a handful of Noise. She defeats a final bunch of them, but then collapses in an alleyway where she is found by Miku.

Somehow Miku gets the unconscious Chris to safety and takes care of her all morning along with the lady from the Flower restaurant. Together, the two nurse her wounds and clean her clothes. Chris is pretty beaten and bruised despite being a Symphogear user.

Here, we get twin talks between Miku and Chris, and Hibiki and Tsubasa. On the roof of their school, Hibiki laments to Tsubasa how she is upset because despite now being a superhero, she still has the most trouble solving the small important things like friendship. When Tsubasa begins talking about how lucky she is to have survived singing her superb song, Hibiki ends up comforting her. She reminds Tsubasa that she was there at her and Kanade’s final concert, so she knows Tsubasa’s songs are useful for more than just destruction.

Meanwhile, we learn Chris’ full backstory. Her parents were killed and she was kidnapped and probably had all manner of abuses and terrible things done to her. Then, after she was rescued from that, Finè stole her away and misled and abused her further. “All adults are trash!” Chris concludes. She then gives Miku a tip on how to deal with her split from Hibiki. Just beat her up and make it clear who is stronger. Then you can make up. Miku doesn’t want to do that, and can’t anyway, but she still thanks Chris for worrying about her. Miku tells Chris she wants them to become friends.

About this time, a Noise alert sounds and people go running for shelters. Chris doesn’t recognize the warnings at first, but once she’s told what they are, she goes running towards the danger! Chris laments that a lot of the Noise problem is her fault and that her attempts to bring peace only caused more harm, but she still stands up and takes on the Noise, demanding they focus on her and leaves others out of it. But, when Chris has trouble transforming into her Symphogear, Genjuro is there to save her. Chris completes her transformation and goes to town on the Noise telling Genjuro to go save others.

Meanwhile, Hibiki finds Miku and the restaurant owner trapped in a damaged building. A strange octopus Noise that responds to sound is overhead, so Miku communicates with Hibiki by writing messages on her phone. Miku silently shares her plan to lure the Noise away and tells Hibiki she trust her to save her before yelling out to attract the Noise and sprinting off to give Hibiki time to transform. Miku runs and runs and is almost caught by the Noise, but manages to dodge just in time which allows Hibiki to save her.

Hibiki, for her part, finally understands why she fights so hard to save others. It’s not because she is guilty at having survived the Noise attack at the concert. It’s because she was inspired by Kanade and wants to carry her acts of saving people forward into the future in Kanade’s place. Hibiki rescues Miku and the two are finally able to make up.

Chris is still out there alone. She’s had quite the day, but it included making a friend and being helped by an adult. She walks off in silence contemplating everything that happened.

Episode Impressions: 

This episode feels like it follows up on, advances, and concludes a few minor plot threads in preparation of more to come. Hibiki and Miku’s trouble are finally solved. And although Chris is still on her own, it feels like she is beginning to learn that maybe there are people she can trust. We still have Tsubasa not yet cleared to fight, but even she was encouraged that her songs can be for more than destruction.

All in all, while there are moments I enjoyed in this episode, it does feel like it’s caught in between. Things do happen. Problems are solved. But it really feels like bigger things are yet to come. It’s not a bad episode by any means. But, it’s also not really a key episode…

Specific Scenes I Loved: 

Chris running to stop the dangers that she would have played a role in causing only a few days before. The part a little later where she stands up and demands the Noise attack her is pretty awesome. She’s mad as hell at her own failures but also at the Noise going after those who can’t fight.

I also really enjoyed the fact that Chris trusted Genjuro to go save others. It’s a tiny thing, but the girl who just a few minutes ago said “all adults are trash” told an adult she trusted him. It’s not the most direct admission in the world, but Chris is slowly opening up.

Hibiki realizing why she truly fights. It was never about guilt for her. It was about being inspired by Kanade and helping continue her actions echoing out into the future.

It’s short and the combat animation isn’t really all that great, but I still loved Chris’ little war against the Noise.

Songs In This Episode: 

Makyuu Ichaival – Chris’ song returns, but now it is focused on the Noise. That part where she sings that she’s gonna blow you and you and you and you to pieces is pretty awesome.

Watashi to Iu Oto Hibiki Sono Saki ni (The Sound Called Me Resonates Beyond) – The messages of this song resonate in an awesome way here. Right as Hibiki is having her revelation that she helps people to continue Kanade’s goals, she is also singing: “But now at least I understand one thing. For someone else’s sake people can get stronger.” It’s a nice sync up of thoughts and lyrics in that moment.

Themes In This Episode: 

Along with realizing why she truly helps people, Hibiki now also understands that you can’t save anyone on your own. That people need to want to be saved and need to help save themselves. Kanade telling her “Don’t give up living!” now fully registers with Hibiki.

Chris is in a troubled place where a lot of her preconceived notions are being challenged by better, more pure ideals… but at least for now she is still clinging to her idea of using strength and violence as a way to conquer others’ bad actions. She’s applying her philosophy to arguments between friends rather than world peace, this time, but it’s the same core concept.

We get a sorta inversion of Hibiki’s thought that people can understand each other if they talk and work out their problems. Miku goes through most of this episode, and the last, not talking to Hibiki. This leaves the two of them at odds. Then, at the end, Miku reveals what really drove her away from Hibiki. It wasn’t so much the secrets that Hibiki was keeping. It was that Hibiki was shouldering a dangerous burden alone. It hurt Miku that Hibiki wasn’t sharing the burden and it scared Miku to think that Hibiki might be hurt or killed by the heroics she was undertaking. But, once the two started talking about it again, things got much better between them!

On the roof with Tsubasa, Hibiki is sad that even as a Symphogear wearing superhero, she can’t just solve the little (huge) issue of her estranged friendship with Miku.

Special Attacks In This Episode: