Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha EXCEEDS: Gun Blaze Vengeance premiered in Japan tonight with an extended 60-minute first episode — the franchise’s first new TV anime since ViVid in 2015 and the first fully original TV series since the original trilogy. Original creator Maki Tsuzuki wrote the story. Studio Seven Arcs — which built the franchise from the ground up — is back. And Nana Mizuki is both reprising her iconic role and singing the opening theme. This is the real thing.
A Ruined World, A New Fighter
EXCEEDS is set thirty years after an alien invasion almost wiped out civilisation. Humanity and the “invasive species” share a fragile, contested world — and the United Nations agency EXCEEDS exists to counter the worst of it. The new protagonist is Kuze Shiina, a teenage hunter eliminating invasive creatures on a remote island, fiercely protective of her younger sister Setsuna. When a mysterious man attacks them both and Shiina is drawn into EXCEEDS’ operations, she’s no longer fighting just for her sister — she’s fighting for what’s left of the world.
It’s a darker, more grounded premise than the original series’ warmly-lit magical academies. But the DNA is unmistakeable: fierce girls, enormous power, and the weight of protecting the people you love. The episode 1 synopsis (Japanese) sets up Shiina’s origin and her first collision with a world much larger than island life.
Original Creator, Original Studio — and a Familiar Cast
This is not a reboot assembled by outside hands. Famitsu confirms (Japanese) that Maki Tsuzuki — who has written every Nanoha entry since the 2004 original — authored the story and scripts. Seven Arcs returns as the producing studio, with Takayuki Hamana directing and Issei Arigaki on character design. Veteran cast members including Yukari Tamura and Nana Mizuki are back, reprising the roles that defined the franchise, alongside a new set of voices for the new generation of characters.
Nana Mizuki Sings “CRIMSON BULLET”
Nana Mizuki voices Fate Testarossa and sang tracks like “Innocent Starter” and “ETERNAL BLAZE” across the original trilogy — songs that defined what Nanoha sounded like for a generation of fans. She’s providing the EXCEEDS opening theme too: “CRIMSON BULLET”. The title alone should tell you the register this show is going for.
How to Watch from Singapore
EXCEEDS is currently airing in Japan on TOKYO MX and BS11 (Saturday late-nights at 25:00 JST) with simultaneous streaming on dAnime Store, U-NEXT, and Anime Houdai within Japan. No international streaming platform has been announced as of writing — availability for Singapore and the rest of Southeast Asia is to be confirmed. Keep an eye on the official Lyrical Nanoha YouTube channel for the latest PVs and announcements, and check back here for streaming news as it breaks. For more anime premiering this season, we’ve got you covered.