Nōto Sorano

**Nōto Sorano** (空の ノート, *Sorano Nōto*?) is a young girl who first appeared in Symphogear's 4th Season, DX.

## Etymology

**Nōto** (ノート) — Means "Note(s)".

**Sorano** (空の) — Means "Of the Sky".

## Appearance

Nōto has red eyes and long black hair, usually tied into pigtails with brown bands or red ribbons with blue roses on them. She is most often seen wearing her school uniform.

### Symphogear

Nōto has a black, white, and purple under suit with purple crystals on her hips, white bands over her torso, and a red see-through skirt and heels. Her headphones are rather spiky and designed to resemble antlers, and also has a piece of armor on her upper right arm.

## Personality

Nōto is quite protective and observing, due to past experiences with escaping bullies. She hates anybody who picks on somebody on a lower level than them and has dedicated her life to helping those in need by taking the hits for them. She is willing to sacrifice her life for somebody she barely knows.

Whenever she argues against somebody's actions, it's often in a formal tone. When she gets emotional, she gets *very* emotional. She will often treat the problem worse then it is and think up of the strangest and most unneeded consequences.

## History

When Nōto was very young, her parents died, and she felt that nobody in the world really saw worth in her life, and she found quiet solace in the Church. One night, she was being chased by Noise. Running her hardest, she fell to the ground anyway. But two girls, one with red hair and the other blue, came in and saved her life. Amazed, Nōto asks how she can protect others too. The red-haired one told her words she would never forget:

"Sing, and you can protect."

Noto believed that the reason she existed was so she could sacrifice herself when the time came to let others live. About a year after the incident of Carol Malus Dienhiem, Nōto was transferred to Lydian Academy. There, she felt left out due to her personal beliefs, but tried her best to stop any bullying there. It was on her first day she met Hibiki and her friends.

But when she attended to the grand re-opening of the popular pancake place, Flower, she was attacked by a new monster. But this was different. It was an unearthly being, being made out of the cosmos itself. They were called Atranachs. Striking at her, she was suddenly saved by two young woman, one with the same hair as the one who saved her many years ago. Could it be? She called out to her.

But something fell on her head and she fainted.

Waking up in a facility, she noticed the blue-haired girl was there. So were other girls. Immediately the brown-haired one come up and asked if she was alright. After a small discussion, she was told about the Symphogear, and was asked to stay with S.O.N.G. until they could sort this all out. She accepted, remembering the words that girl told her many years ago.

But something happened that wold change her life forever.

When S.O.N.G. was attacked by a Water Atranach, she she had been watching the reconstruction of the relic Svalinn. While the girls battled, Chris was struck down and vulnerable. When she was about to be killed, something amazing happened.

Noto rushed towards Chris to take the blow for her, and Svalinn's pendant started to glow. And she sang. Transforming into a warrior, she ran and wouldn't stop. Summoning a shield, she protected her senpai. After the monster was defeated, she was bewildered. "What's happening to me?!" She said. "Is this some sort of costume!?" She was a Symphogear user, and she didn't need LiNKER to sing, which was an extremely rare case.

She vowed to fight alongside the girls and protect those who couldn't protect themselves.

Nōto quickly became friends with Chris, her senpai, and often depended on her. Shirabe and Kirika also became close friends, as they knew what it was like to be new on the team. She often rushed headfirst into battle to provide cover for the others, and was constantly chided on this.

It was only when Chris let herself get a life-threatening injury in place of Noto that she realized the team-and the world-really did care about her living, and she managed to fight the enemy head on and care about her wellbeing in the process.

But much later, when the world was about to be destroyed, Nōto did the impossible: She sang her Suberb Song.

### Abilities

Being an attuned, she can summon a Symphogear with the right chant. She is the only one (besides Hibiki, Tsubasa, and Chris) to not have to use LiNKER.

But like any good character, she has her drawbacks too. Nōto is often to worried about others to look out for herself, which can lead her into troublesome situations.

Her armed gear is a large shield that can be launched like a magnetic yo-yo. Her gear is also linked to Shen Shou Jing, so she can protect herself and others from relic-based powers at will.

### Attacks

* **Arc of Death** — Turns her armed gear into a large saw, and slices through her opponent.
* **Takeko Slaughter** — Grabbing her sheild, she throws it into the air as it transforms into an extremely sharp disc, and slices through her enemies. It comes back to her hand afterward. She can control where the shield will go, but is vulnerable in doing so.
* **Steep Gozen** — Extends her shield into a large dome, which covers her and her allies.
* **Die Boudicca Storm** — Summons another shield and attaches them together, into a saw. She can use it to throw at enemies or latch onto a high building.
* **Storm of Artemisia** -
* **Nakano Execution** -
* **Talasilla Wipeout** -
* **Lozen Shunning** — Fires her gear rockets and barrels into the enemy hard enough to knock them down with her shield.
* **Zenobia Slice** — Summons multiple smaller shields that spin around her fast enough to block things from all directions.
* **Wonder Gozen** - She turns her shield over and stands on it. The saws start spinning fast enough to provide flight.
* **Suberb Song** - She is capable is singing a Zesshou. When she sings hers, she is surrounded with a red shield and and can transfer the power to others. In X-Drive, the shield can expand to everyone on Earth.

## Relationships

**Hibiki Tachibana** — She is good friends with Hibiki, since they both share the common interest to help others out. Hibiki pressured Noto into meeting her other friends, which allowed a friendship to bloom.

**Tsubasa Kazanari** — She doesn't really know Tsubasa as well as the others, but helps protect her in battle. She often refers to her as Aoi-senpai.

**Chris Yukine** — At first, they had a stoic relationship, but the two slowly grew close. Chris has saved her life on occasions, and she likes the thought of being her senpai. Being the kohai of Chris but the senpai of everyone else, Nōto often relies on Chris for what she should do. At the end of the season, it is implied they may have feelings for each other.

**Maria Cadenzavna Eve** — She likes Maria, but they can bicker over the best strategy to win a fight. Maria sees her as a younger sister.

**Shirabe Tsukuyomi** and **Kirika Akatsuki** — Both of which are her friends.

**Kanade Amou** - Meeting her only once when she saved her life and taught her the words she would use every day since, Nōto was very fond of her and took a liking to the Zwei Wing due to her resemblance to 'The Orange Girl'. When she met Dark Kanade the first time, she was awestricken.

## Songs

### Insert Songs Featured

* Naishirudo - Svalinn (*シールド* *- Svaruinnu* *'Crying Shield - Svalinn'*)
* Wakarimashita! (*分かりました！'Gotcha!*)
* Apple
* LITTLE Help
* LITTLE Help (Ignited Arrangement)
* Kesshite (*決して* *'Never'*)

## Gallery

### Computer Edits

Her first design in DXHer new design for F(orte)Her IGNITE modeSvalinn's Aufwachen waveform.
#### Outdated

Her school uniform.An old design for her Symphogear.An old design for her X-Drive.An old design for her gear in Symphogear F.An old design for her ignited form.Her old Album.Wall scroll.Noto as seen in the OVAs.Nōto smiling in the title sequence.Nōto looking in despair at the destruction of a Church.Nōto under mind-control.Nōto singing her Zessho.The result of her Zesshou.
## Trivia

* Her name literally means 'Notes of the Sky'.
* Her battle song genre is EDM Violin.
* Her attacks are themed after famous female warriors.
* Nōto's worst fear is not being of worth to anything.
* Her weak point is her lack of self-care.
* She can eat anything spicy and not feel a thing.
* Her appearance is based on Tokisaki Kurumi from Date A Live, but altered to fit the Symphogear universe.
* She initially joined the Christian Church because she felt that nobody else in the world expect for God would ever care about her.
* Her Chant is titled "Unfolding My Shield As My Blood Flows".
* Her Superb Song is titled "I Wish For A Brighter Today, More Than The Stars".

## Quotes

* *"Sing, and I can protect."* - Various Episodes, Mantra
* *"Why don't you keep your hands to yourself...!?"* - Season 4, Episode 1
* *"If we both help others, why don't we see how we can help each other out?"* - Season 4, Episode 13
* *"What? Is, this some sort of costume?!"* - Season 4, Episode 2
* *"If you're gonna fight anybody, fight me!"* - Various Episodes, Catchphrase
* *"Chris-senpai. I put my full trust in you. You inspire me."* - Season 4, Episode 3
* *"If your burden is too big, we can bear it together! Senpai!*" - Season 4, Episode 4
* *(To Tsubasa) "I'll just call you Aoi-chan from now on."* - Season 4, Episode 1
* *"Let's bring justice!"* - Season 4, Episode 12
* *"If you're listening, God. Let everything be ok. Please."* - Season 4, Episode 13
* *"Nobody burns down my church!"* - Season 4, Episode 11