STRIKE WITCHES - 05 July 31
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「はやい・おっきい・やわらかい」 (Hayai, Okkii, Yawarakai)
“Swift, Gigantic, and Soft”
Episode at a Glance:
Waking up from a dream about Lynne having her way with her, Yoshika is embarassed yet intrigued by Lynne’s breasts. After inadvertently getting fondled instead, Mio tells everyone that they’re heading to the beach tomorrow morning for training. With Shirley and Francesca not around, Minna asks Yoshika to pass on the word, so her and Lynne head to the hanger and find both of them there. Shortly after they arrive, Shirley shows them her newly tuned Striker Unit before taking it out for a speed test. Based on Francesca’s readings, Shirley manages to reach a maximum speed of 800 km/h, setting a new record, but Mio and Minna notice that it’s still far from her goal—the speed of sound. Back in the hanger, Shirley explains that she used to race bikes at Bonneville Flats, but joined the military after hearing about witches who fly through the sky with magical engines. Finally remembering the message they were supposed to pass on, Yoshika and Lynne are embarassed that Shirley is looking forward to seeing them in swimsuits. Meanwhile, Francesca accidently knocks over Shirley’s Striker Unit and hastily puts it back together in a panic.
At the beach next day, Yoshika and Lynne get tossed into the water with their Striker Units for some emergency swimming lessons, while the other girls who have already completed this training enjoy their time there. After the two new recruits nearly drown, a recess is called, during which Yoshika notices something in the sky. Seeing this, Shirley declares it’s the enemy and everyone goes into a state of alert. With a Neuroi slipping through the radar net somehow, Shirley quickly heads back to the base and scrambles, while Yoshika and Lynne try to keep up. Minna and Mio deduce that the Neuroi is heading towards London, so Shirley accelerates all out in an attempt to catch up to the enemy. Worried whether Shirley’s Striker Unit will hold up, Francesca reveals to Minna and Mio what happened the day before and gets punished for it. Mio then frantically tries to tell Shirley to return, but she continues to accelerate with the radio communication breaking up. Sensing that this is like before, Shirley uses her magic to accelerate more, reaching Mach 1 and breaking the sound barrier. Unable to stop though, she ends up running through the enemy and destroying it, before falling in shambles towards the water. Yoshika and Lynne manage to catch her though, but can’t quite tell Mio exactly what’s going on.
Next Episode:
「いっしょだよ」 (Issho da yo)
“Solidarity”
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Impressions:
Lately, I’ve been finding the imaginative fan-service in anime a lot more amusing than outright perversions for some reason. Maybe it’s the fact that it’s a lot more suggestive than having breasts shoved in your face, meaning it can be funny without showing you anything at all. At least, that’s how I felt when Yoshika was fantasizing about Lynne doing all sorts of stuff to her. If you’re watching the subs, note that a joke was lost in the translation, as Lynne’s remark about doing hentai hikou, “formation flying” 「編隊飛行」, was supposed to make you think “perverted misconduct” 「変態非行」, just like Yoshika did.
This episode in particular reminded me of the small details and nuances this series has which aren’t overly important, but nice homages to national roots. While the obvious case is how the girls’ Striker Units and weapons resemble their World War II counterparts, Shirley’s interest in bikes and tuning her Striker Unit was reminiscent of an American biker enthusiast, where louder is better. (I’m thinking Harleys here.) Her pursuit to reach Mach 1 speed was undoubtedly a tribute to Chuck Yeager as well, who was the first “officially recognized” person in the world to break the sound barrier, flying a Bell X-1. It was also nice to see them make reference to Bonneville Salt Flats, home of the Bonneville Speedway, a race strip in America known for setting speed records.
As for the expected fan-service this week, I would say it wasn’t too out of line with the norm, except for Yoshika groping just about everyone. The girls were in swimsuits this time though, making the whole pantless thing not an issue anymore. Fans of Shirley should be pleased though (or simply fans of Koshimizu Ami), as she’s Ms. Swift, Gigantic, and Soft. The preview for next week says it’s all about Sanya, Sanya, Sanya, so I guess we’re in store for some back story on that sleepyhead.
Finally, I went out of my way to make a few quick full-length shots, so enjoy!
- Lynne and Yoshika
- Mio and Minna
- Gertrud and Erica
Cast:
- Miyafuji Yoshika (宮藤 芳佳) / Fukuen Misato (福圓 美里)
- Sakamoto Mio (坂本 美緒) / Chiba Saeko (千葉 紗子)
- Minna-Dietlinde Wilke (ミーナ・ディートリンデ・ヴィルケ) / Tanaka Rie (田中 理恵)
- Perrine-H. Clostermann (ぺリーヌ・クロステルマン) / Sawashiro Miyuki (沢城 みゆき)
- Lynette Bishop (リネット・ビショップ) / Nadzuka Kaori (名塚 佳織)
- Erica Hartmann (エーリカ・ハルトマン) / Nogawa Sakura (野川 さくら)
- Gertrud Barkhorn (ゲルトルート・バルクホルン) / Sonozaki Mie (園崎 未恵)
- Francesca Lucchini (フランチェスカ・ルッキーニ) / Saitou Chiwa (斎藤 千和)
- Charlotte E Yeager (シャーロット・E・イェーガー) / Koshimizu Ami (小清水 亜美)
- Sanya V. Litvyak (サーニャ・V・リトヴャク) / Kadowaki Mai (門脇 舞以)
- Eila Ilmatar Juutilainen (エイラ・イルマタル・ユーティライネン) / Nakai Erika (仲井 絵里香)
- Narration (ナレーション) / Gouda Hodzumi (郷田 ほづみ)
AznCoffee at 12:03 am on August 1st, 2008
First! xD yay no pants
APsycho at 12:16 am on August 1st, 2008
Wait, it seems one of the girls have worn pants in the past… well, VERY short shorts at the very least (Which brings up the question of why she doesn’t continue to do so?)
http://randomc.maximum7.net/image/STRIKE%20WITCHES/STRIKE%20WITCHES%20-%2005%20-%20Large%2013.jpg
exia at 12:21 am on August 1st, 2008
droolz
Anonymous at 12:27 am on August 1st, 2008
I think nearly all mainstream anime watchers would be able to pick up on the “hentai” pun.
Also, Yeager in hot pants is…hot.
Animation was really good in this episode. It seemed almost like a different style, reminded me of Kamichu, that really dynamic sort of stuff.
bakaneko at 12:30 am on August 1st, 2008
Oh very nice job on the full length pics. And I’m impressed with your knowledge of history, or maybe I just need to read more.
EvilDevil at 12:40 am on August 1st, 2008
Yoshika is slowly starting to become a pervert… yes!!!
Anonymous at 12:43 am on August 1st, 2008
We could use composite pics of the girl’s (especially Perrine) frolicking in the water too, if that’s not too much to ask ^_^
Julius at 1:06 am on August 1st, 2008
パンツいない
longhaul at 2:31 am on August 1st, 2008
That had alot more plot than I was expecting for a beach episode.
Animation quality was pretty high in some scenes as well.
miles at 3:04 am on August 1st, 2008
good lord…
Danny at 3:59 am on August 1st, 2008
http://randomc.maximum7.net/image/STRIKE%20WITCHES/STRIKE%20WITCHES%20-%2005%20-%20Large%2035.jpg
looks like shirley from code geass
Obaba-sama at 4:02 am on August 1st, 2008
Art of animation in this episide is awesome, it seems an oav. *_*
TheOtaku at 11:15 am on August 1st, 2008
Well, Danny. Then it would explain a lot why she died so suddenly in Code Geass! - They needed her in STRIKE WITCHES XD
divine at 1:18 pm on August 1st, 2008
TheOtaku:
I would be a bit more inclined to go with that idea if Shirley in STRIKE WITCHES wasn’t played by Koshimizu Ami (i.e. Kallen Stadtfeld). =)
Lord Octane at 2:02 pm on August 1st, 2008
My (African-) American opinion is that I like the Russian more than I like the American. Sleep > Noise.
And my hope is that the ass-kick-ery of Iron Linebarrels would counter the blatant loli lesbianism that’s infecting this fanservicy show about “WWII Vs. Monsters From Space.”
Duran at 2:14 pm on August 1st, 2008
Though I seen somewhere about Oppai hunter Yoshika. and that makes sense both Charolotte and Kallen are busty readheads.
Syaoran Li at 2:58 pm on August 1st, 2008
I really liked this episode. Sadly the series is only a 12-episode run, because this is the type of fanservice and storytelling that I like in a series of its genre. Yoshika stole the show with her “wet dream” with Lynne; then groping her captain and Shirley later. I liked Sky Girls, and Strike Witches being almost the same think, with big breasts, is on my weekly list of must see.
Hopefully we’ll have a few more shoujo ai hints.
Kozta-boom at 7:00 pm on August 1st, 2008
@Danny Well, I agree with you man. She does looks like Shirley.
Solaris at 7:05 pm on August 1st, 2008
Strike Witches… is it a good show or not? Well, i don’t know it yet.
I mean, the idea behind this show and Sky Girls is awesome. We have these mechanical girls doing great dogfight in the sky. So we could expect great action and war plots before stalling into panty shots and mune mune thingies…
Well there is some dogfight and war too, but it looks like the real interest in this serie is all another… http://randomc.maximum7.net/image/STRIKE%20WITCHES/STRIKE%20WITCHES%20-%2005%20-%20Large%2002.jpg
I guess the entire screenplay is wrong and they’re just telling us the wrong story.
This anime is about these bunch of kids playing the war, and befriending each other while enjoyng some kind of quiet school life. Military isn’t so nice and all, someone should tell that to the script writers…
More over, shouldn’t be Strike Witches WWII airplane girls? So, if they were in a WWII scenario, what better occasion to let Allied Strike Witches fight vs Axis Strike Witches? We could have got much more better fight than thos vs generic aliens, don’t you think so?
divine at 7:15 pm on August 1st, 2008
Solaris:
The thing to keep in mind is that this series is meant to be a bit out there (animal ears/tails, mages, etc.) and not meant to tie in specifically to real life. I agree that making it a war against aliens involving young girls doesn’t depict the severeness of war, but I really don’t think that’s the kind of message they want to convey anyway. To me, this series is meant to be lighthearted and humorous, and doesn’t want to succumb its viewers to the real anguishes of war. If it did, the show would be pretty dark and gloomy and it just doesn’t fit in well with the animal ears/tails, mages, and pantless dress code.