The Analysis of Chris Yukine Image Songs

In Senki Zesshou Symphogear, each major characters (the ones who got image songs on their own) has storyline embedded into each image songs. In this issue, I shall focus on my personal favorite: Chris Yukine. This article shall be organized based on the seasons. Recall that Symphogear has four seasons as of Summer 2017 with fourth season in the Summer 2017 and fifth season is on the works. Typically, Chris' songs are rock hard for her battle songs (the ones that power her Ichii-bal/Ichaival) while her non-battle songs are MUCH softer

References: http://symphogear.wikia.com/wiki/Chris_Yukine#Songs that contains all her current 8 solo image songs.

Season 1: Symphogear

In the original anime, Chris is introduced as one of the antagonist who later defected from the bad side. As she come to terms with reality that she has been betrayed by her master-slash-sadist Fine, she turns to the good side, ditching her previous weapons: Nehushtan and Cane of Solomon.

Battle Song: Makyuu Ichaival

The song itself is the ones that initiates Chris' nickname: Zenbu. This song is primarily about blasting things to pieces. It also marks her anger over "idiocy". What I could comprehend is that Chris, in this song, is considerably angry about the situation of the world she (and we) live in. What Chris actually want is peace, but she wants peace by beating anyone showing hostility which actually breeds more hostility

Dere Song: Tsunaida Te Dake ga Tsumugu Mono

Initially, Chris is halfheartedly joins the good side. This song is about the mess in her heart because of all those lies she was told by Fine. She, while still is reluctant to join others, doesn't want to be let go once she's in (the title itself means 'What Only Connected Hands Can Create') and atonement as she was guilt-ridden after killing people for Fine. Chris, given her horrible past, is kind of good girl that actually doesn't want to hurt innocent people.

Season 2: Symphogear G

This season marks her adjustment to normal teenager life. As a result, her dere songs begin to soften up while maintaining aggressiveness and anger typical to her battle song

Battle Song: BYE-BYE LULLABY

Need to say anything with "Don't waste greetings on Gatling gun" in the beginning of the song?? Her battle song remains angry. No, seriously, she brags about her shooting skills and basically tell anyone who wants to mess with her to eat shit and die. She told us that repent while we still have the chance. Given her firepower, you may want to do her suggestion. I said that Chris don't want to hurt innocent people, but I didn't say about the consequence when you dare to mess with her. She may hurt you, if she has the reason to.

Dere song: Kyoushitsu Monochrome

She sings it during school festival. In the anime, the backdrop becomes pink all over. She is cute, indeed. At this point, she already vaguely knows what she wants to do in the future. She's yet to know whether it is fine for her to live as a normal high-school girl. This is where her character development finally takes place. We all know that she is cutely shy among strangers. This song says that her future is kind of monochromatic (between good and bad? Buddha Knows) and influenced by her life with classmates, particularly those three girls that wants to get close to her.

Season 3: Symphogear GX

GX marks her hallmark in any academic setting: she becomes senpai to two newly-turned gear user: Shirabe and Kirika (Hibiki isn't a proper kouhai, she still refer to Chris as Chris-chan; Miku ain't either).

Battle Song: TRUST HEART

Bullet at a discount and lead cures stupidity? By killing stupid people, apparently. Chris being Chris, this song is still about bullets and killing bad guys. The chorus is kind of interesting as she said she had moved on from her past. She kind of moved on, but only so far. Watch AXZ for more details.

Dere Song: Houkago Keyholder

If you think Kyoushitsu Monochrome is already sweet, this will rot your teeth. With violin (yes, it is written in the credit), this song is VERY soft. This song basically tells us about the mess in her heart as she heads back from school. In the end, she know that she isn't alone (thanks to everyone around her). Even she cried along the way, thanks to all those mess about her real life when not blasting Noise to smithereens or outside schools.
We know her social skill still...kind of sucks, with considerably poor manners and being quietly shy. This song, while not showing the former, still tells us about the latter.

Season 4: Symphogear AXZ

This season is where her past is unveiled and she moved on to her future after she spent basically bulk of her screentime contemplating about her past and what she could have done better.

Battle Song: GUN BULLET XXX

This is quite angry battle song, but kind of toned down when compared to all other songs and has symphonic rock dashed in. Who has symphonic rock battle song? Kirika and she is exactly who influenced Chris to become reliable senpai.

Dere Song: Todoke Happy♡Uta Zukin!

This song is basically what passes for magical girl songs sung by Chris in karaoke. This song is relatively happier compared to all her dere songs. Why? Because this is basically anime within anime songs. And the anime-within-anime itself is about magical girl. Implicitly, our twintail half-American loli began socializing more with her friends (who? if we don't know, Buddha Knows). In case you wonder, what the blyat is Uta Zukin, it is a pun (her seiyuu loves pun) of Akazukin (red riding hood); which colloquially Uta Zukin means Red Singing Hood. It's exactly what Chris said to Elfnein when they first met in GX
Speaking about the song itself, it's all about saving people and delivering happiness. This singing hood is still oblivious to love

Tentang Eksistensi dan Kontinuitas Senki Zesshou Symphogear

Senki Zesshou Symphogear, pembaca yang sudah lama di blog ini akan tahu ini anime macam apa (penulis keracunan dari 2012). Terdapat pertanyaan tentang mengapa anime ini ada dan mengapa dilanjutkan

Kenapa Anime ini Ada? Apa Filosofi di Balik Keberadaannya?

Pada dasarnya, Symphogear (anime) dapat dianggap "genre buster" yang terdiri dari fantasi ilmiah yang berbasis musik untuk menghasilkan tenaga bagi power armor yang dikenakan oleh gadis-gadis remaja. Kalau kita analisa anime ini seperti apa, ada beberapa subpokok bahasan:

1. Musik
2. Magical Girls
3. Mecha (terbatas pada power armor)
4. Fantasi Ilmiah

Kita periksa satu per satu.

Musik

Ini akan sekaligus menjawab pertanyaan tentang kelanjutan Symphogear. Lazimnya anime akan mendorong penjualan lagu, tapi Symphogear ini berbeda, lagunya yang mendorong penjualan anime-nya sehingga serialnya dilanjut. Ini dikarenakan Symphogear mengepak lagu bersama anime-nya. Berbeda dengan anime idol yang koleksi lagunya secara signifikan melebihi jumlah lagu yang berada di anime, Symphogear menjual lagu yang pada dasarnya diharapkan beredar di anime.
Awalnya, Symphogear dikritik habis-habisan karena kualitasnya secara umum layak dipertanyakan. Namun, mempertimbangkan penjualan Character Song season pertama (diperkuat oleh line-up seiyuu yang sudah teruji soal kualitas nyanyi: Nana Mizuki, Minami Takayama, dan Ayahi Takagaki), season kedua diberikan sinyal hijau untuk dijalankan. Season dua, mendapat bujet lebih baik dan seiyuu tambahan yang sama-sama "Wembley" alias bikin keder (Yoko Hikasa, Yoshino Nanjo). Aku bukannya berniat merendahkan Ai Kayano, Yuka Iguchi, sama Aoi Yuuki. Jangan salah, kualitas nyanyi mereka baru teruji di Symphogear dan aku menyebut seiyuu yang sudah teruji sebelumnya

Magical Girls

Dengan keberadaan Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha sebagai "friendly fandom", anime ini memanfaatkan ceruk pasar magical girls ini dengan musik sebagai sumber tenaga armor. Selama ini, (entah akunya yang nggak tekun atau memang) sedikit anime magical girls yang jualan lagu juga. Ibarat kata, Symphogear ini paket komplit magical girls plus musik yang bisa disinkronisasi dengan sangat rapi.

Mecha (Power Armor)

Secara terbatas, anime ini juga mendorong minat penggemar mecha musume dan tokusatsu (terimakasih pada adegan HENSHIN yang diinisiasi oleh lagu). Kalau kamu mendengar frase dalam bahasa aneh, they're getting equipped with that power armor, HENSHIN!! Sebetulnya mecha disini terintegrasi ke magical girls.

Fantasi Ilmiah

Symphogear sendiri berbasis pada sihir, legenda, mitologi, dan alkimia dijelaskan seilmiah mungkin. Mirip-mirip The Irregular at Magic High School. Bahkan senjatanya (relik) berdasarkan pada legenda yang memang ada dan kita cukup khatam beberapa diantaranya. Titik jualnya mungkin ada di bagaimana mereka bisa menyajikan legenda dan terintegrasi dalam magical girls.

Keberlangsungan Symphogear

Pertanyaan sederhananya, kenapa dilanjut? Karena mereka sukses menguasai ceruk pasar sekaligus membajak penggemar seiyuu sekaliber Nana Mizuki (yang notabene salah satu jawaranya seiyuu). Kombinasi dua faktor ini menyebabkan penjualan DVD/Blu-ray serial pertama Symphogear tidak terlalu buruk (rerata 5000 sekian). Ini dianggap cukup oleh pihak Satelight selaku studio untuk melanjutkan ke season kedua, G. G sendiri lebih laku, rerata 8000 sekian dan menilik penjualan ini, di konser live (perks dari anime bernafas musik adalah ajang live concert selalu bisa direncanakan dengan mudah) season 3 diumumkan secara resmi. GX sebagai season 3 laris ibarat kacang rebus, hampir 14000. Ini menunjukkan Symphogear sebagai satu franchise mulai dikenal publik Jepang. Ini juga yang menyebabkan AXZ (season 4) dan season 5 diumumkan bersamaan awal 2016 di ajang live concert.
Juli 2017, mendompleng AXZ, pihak Pokelabo dan Bushiroad kolaborasi bersama Satelight meluncurkan mobage Symphogear untuk iOS dan Android eksklusif di Jepang, XD Unlimited. Japan-only? idi nahui. Di game ini dieksplorasi kemungkinan-kemungkinan jalan cerita alternatif yang tidak dapat dialokasikan ke anime.

Bagaimana ke depannya?

Kupikir Symphogear perlu memikirkan ekspansi pasar ke luar negeri secara langsung, misalnya dengan "berjudi" membuat versi global dari XDU. Selama ini, orang luar Jepang mau nggak mau harus mengangkat jari tengah terhadap sisi legal karena sulitnya mencari merchandise di luar Jepang. Sekarang kita dapat pertanyaan, bagaimana menulis plot cerita agar Symphogear dapat diterima di luar negeri. Barangkali bisa dilepas begitu saja, kalaupun di luar negeri rugi, toh review-nya masih relatif memberi ampun dibandingkan kalau kalah di Jepang (kalah hancur, review-nya nggak ada ampun)