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Six months after the Jewel Seeds incident, Nanoha is still using her magical powers to help the Time-Space Administration Bureau maintain dimensional stability. However, new adversaries involved with the dreaded "Book of Darkness" Lost Logia have appeared, wielding weapon systems that far outclass Nanoha's Raising Heart and Fate's Bardiche. Nanoha, Fate and friends must now find a way to match the strength of their new opponents and once again use their powers to prevent a large time-space disaster from happening – an event which threatens not only their world, but multiple dimensions!
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Following the events of the first television series, Jiyu Nanohana was happy; her days as Jubei Yagyu the 2nd were over, and she finally felt she could live a normal life again. However, when a clan of samurai calling themselves the Siberian Yagyu want revenge on Yagyu Jubei for their banishment to Siberia 300 years ago, once again young Jiyu is forced to take up the sword as the re-incarnation of the legendary swordsman.
Jubei-chan and Lyrical Nanoha are recognized for their magical girl stylings: an unwilling female protagonist, the wise sidekick who guides her as she takes her first steps into a larger world, and a mystical artifact that's the source of the heroine's power.
J2 and Nanoha A's are the epitome of sequels: the animation is slicker and the action sequences are much more elaborate. But be forewarned - while it is possible to enjoy the series on a purely superficial level, watching their respective predecessors will allow you to fully grasp the plot and see how these sequels improve on the original.
Jubei-chan 2 and Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's are both magical girl series. Moreover, they are both unusual in that they aren't necessarily aimed at a female audience, as are most magical girl series. In addition, they both have superb action sequences and a protagonist who manages to reach out to many of her foes and show them the error of their ways. Both are also sequel series that have more elaborate action sequences than the originals, and feature far more badass protagonists.
In an era when ordering on the internet has become the norm, online vendors have a new favorite customer: Sakurada Jun! From voodoo dolls to x-ray specs, there's nothing this middle schooler can't get enough of -- until a strange package arrives one day. Inside is a sentient doll named Shinku, who is one of a special hand crafted set of dolls called Rozen Maiden. Luckily for Jun, not only does he get to keep her, but she's decided he'll be... her new servant?! Join Jun as he struggles to keep his sanity in a house full of dolls who all want his servant skills for themselves!
It's actually sort of difficult to explain why you would like both shows, but the fan bases for these two overlap quite heavily. Both the Nanoha and Rozen Maiden franchises definitely fall within the "magical girl" genre, but in many ways innovate past the genre's conventions and provide a similarly entertaining experience despite a lack of directly shared traits.
Lyrical Nanoha A's and Rozen Maiden appear on the surface as "girly" anime, but I personally think that they can be liked by any type of audience. There are enticing fight scenes, and the personalities in the characters are very likeable. There's an underlying plot that runs deeper than what they first present, and that's what I love about the direction in these two titles.
One night, Madoka has a terrible nightmare – against the backdrop of a desolate landscape, she watches a magical girl battle a terrifying creature, and lose. The next day, the teen's dream becomes reality when the girl – Homura – arrives at Mitakihara High School as a transfer student, mysteriously warning Madoka to stay just the way she is. But when she and her best friend Miki are pulled into a twisted illusion world and meet a magical creature named Kyubey, the pair discovers that magical girls are real, and what's more, they can choose to become one. All they must do is sign a contract with Kyubey and agree to fight witches that spread despair to the human world, and in return they will be granted a single wish. However, as Homura's omen suggests, there's far more to becoming a magical girl than Madoka and Miki realize...
Both of these series can be called subversions of the 'classic' Magical Girl story, each with a different focus; Nanoha amps up the action, while Madoka amps up the darkness.
Sakai Yuuji thought he was a normal high school student, until one fateful day when time stopped. Watching in horror, he witnesses a monster devouring the "frozen" people around him; but luckily for Yuuji, he is saved by a sword-wielding red-headed girl that calls herself a "Flame Haze". The girl informs him that he has been dead for some time now and that his current self is merely a replacement for the human that he used be while alive. He is, she says, merely a torch whose life will come to an end when the blue flame in his chest ceases to burn. After this rude awakening, Yuuji realizes that he is able to see the flames of life in other "torches"; and after discovering that a friend of his is also a torch -- and her life is burning out faster than his – he gains the courage to live out the rest of his life with meaning. Will Yuuji be able to find his place in the world before he ceases to exist?
Shakugan no Shana is an obvious choice if you enjoyed Nanoha A's. While the story in Shana is quite different the use of magic and the interaction between characters is similar and just as enjoyable.
The contrast is that Shana knows how to use magic and must learn how to relate to people as friends while Nanoha has to adjust to the reality of facing enemies in combat.
In the technologically-advanced Academy City, millions of students study superhuman and psychic powers. Judgment, a group made up of specially-trained students and adults, helps combat threats to the city and its people by helping apprehend power-wielding criminals. Mikoto, Kazari and Kuroko are three friends who juggle school and Judgment, all the while learning how to best use their skills. Together, they will help keep Academy City safe from the bad guys and have plenty of fun in the process.
If you enjoyed Nanoha A's you might want to check out Railgun because it also features girls who live in a world where magic and technology co-exist. Railgun starts more slowly than Nanoha A's but the story is just as good in the end. Both shows feature friendship and concern for others as a prominent theme.
