STRIKE WITCHES - 06 August 7
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
「いっしょだよ」 (Issho da yo)
“Solidarity”
Episode at a Glance:
While Mio, Minna, and Yoshika are on route back to Britannia, Sanya comes out to greet them during her night patrol and detects an invisible Neuroi in the clouds. Being able to track it with her radio-like magical abilities, Sanya successfully chases it away, and the Strike Witches later wonder why it didn’t attack back. For the time being though, Minna assigns Sanya and Yoshika to a night patrol, which Eila volunteers to help out with. For the next couple of days, the three of them switch to a graveyard sleep schedule, and eat/drink various foods from the others that are said to improve eyesight. With them all sleeping in Sanya’s room due to the blinds, Yoshika finds out that Sanya’s family was chased out of their home in Orussia by the Neuroi and that she doesn’t know exactly where they are anymore. Hearing this, Yoshika is envious because they’re still alive, unlike her father.
On one evening before their patrol, Eila and Sanya take Yoshika to the sauna for the first time and later an outdoor bath, where Sanya explains that her father was a musician and wrote the song she was singing earlier. While Yoshika is impressed by Sanya’s musical background with her father, Eila adds that Yoshika’s father is impressive too, having created the Striker Unit. During the subsequent patrol, Sanya tunes into a distant radio for everyone, after hearing how it’s Yoshika’s birthday today. The Neuroi from before suddenly shows up though and appears to be mimicking Sanya’s song, making Mio and Minna realize that it’s after her. In an attempt to draw the Neuroi away from the others, Sanya’s Strike Unit gets damaged, but Eila steps in and fights back with the help of her guidance. In a combined effort, the three of them manage to destroy the Neuroi, after which Sanya hears the sound of her father’s piano over the radio and Eila reveals that yesterday was Sanya’s birthday.
During a grave visit for Yoshika’s father (whose death coincided with her birthday), Mio discusses with Minna how there’s probably more to the Neuroi than the higher-ups are letting them know about.
Next Episode:
「スースーするの」 (Suusuu Suru no)
“Nice ‘n Breezy”
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Impressions:
Unless I’m mistaken, this is the first time they’ve explicitly revealed that this series takes place in 1944, which would make the Strike Witches world an alternate universe of our own, set during World War II. I like how Mio alluded to the fact that a World War have taken place if they weren’t attacked by the Neuroi, because it made me wonder how mankind would actually have reacted then if a new common enemy appeared. Aside from the witches and magic, I suspect that Strike Witches is basically Shimada Fumikane’s adaptation of that scenario, which makes things interesting in its own right.
So it was Sanya, Sanya, Sanya in a rather peaceful episode for the most part. The night scenery, piano soundtrack, and Sanya’s soft-spoken nature (courtesy of Kadowaki Mai) really helped set the mood as well. In short, it was a really tranquil, “my pace” kind of episode, which was easy to sit back and watch, but entertaining enough so that you won’t fall asleep. In part, I attribute the latter to Eila, who was the louder, more direct voice around Yoshika this week in lieu of Mio and Perrine.
Looking back on six episodes, Strike Witches has been fairly episodic, but I haven’t minded one bit because each week’s showing is pretty self-contained from start to finish. Also, the series does seem to have an underlying theme tied together by Yoshika’s endeavors. Seeing as the series is only slated for twelve episodes, I suspect that that last few will string together more, but for now, learning more about a new character every week works for me. On a general note, I’m pleasantly surprised by how nice the animation production for this series has been so far, so it looks like Gonzo’s getting something right this time around.
Addendum:
Turns out it was mentioned in the first episode when this series takes place. The premiere was so long that it completely slipped my mind. Thanks for the reminder!
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)
wingz at 10:31 pm on August 7th, 2008
sanya this and sanya that, sanya sanya sanya
miles at 10:57 pm on August 7th, 2008
gonzo is dead to me
darkredeyes13 at 11:01 pm on August 7th, 2008
i saw the ep and it was pretty good…….question is this anime consider yuri
Nodoka at 11:04 pm on August 7th, 2008
The more I watch this the more I like it
syu at 11:04 pm on August 7th, 2008
I <3 THIS SERIES
APsycho at 11:14 pm on August 7th, 2008
@darkresdeyes13
If there isnt a male character its considered Yuri. Same can be said vise versa
Anonymous at 11:27 pm on August 7th, 2008
Am I the only one who thought “COVER YOURSELF LYNETTE, YOU’LL DRIVE YOSHIKA INTO A FRENZY!!!” during the post-rain debriefing scene?
zaeris at 11:38 pm on August 7th, 2008
Actually Divine at the start of episode two it was mention by the narrator it’s 1944. Episode 6 certainly felt quite different compare to the rest of the series rather poetic in some cases.
@miles
lol, are you even watching the series? if not then why bother posting.
@APsycho
Yuri is consider more complex than just merely defining the world without males, there is pseudo yuri in the series, Miyafuji relationship with the rest of the cast seems more platonic and natural as good friend although I wouldn’t know how to describe Miyafuji recent obsession with the female anatomy.
Wererat42 at 11:40 pm on August 7th, 2008
darkresdeyes13: When your main character has -that- kind of dream about Lynette, wants to grab her breasts, then cops a feel on an unconsious Charlotte in the same episode, then in the next episode peeping on Sanya bathing makes her ‘heart throb’
Yes, I’d have to say Yoshika and about… 100% of the Strike Witches are batting for the other team.
I agree that the animation quality has been maintained well. Since we’re already halfway though the series, I’m hoping there’s a second on the way otherwise we’re in for a very rushed ending. Since the next episode seems to be about Francesca, it doesn’t seem like they’re stoping the character-centered episodes.
Chicle at 11:43 pm on August 7th, 2008
I thought the first episode said something about when it took place.
An alright episode to occupy the I spent looking for the new Nogizaka Haruka episode, lulz.
Chicle at 11:46 pm on August 7th, 2008
I thought the first episode had something about when the series took place.
Anyways, I tought it was an alright episode. At leat it kept me occupied durin the time I spent looking for the new Nogizaka Haruka episode. Lulz
Chicle at 11:48 pm on August 7th, 2008
… and now something has happened to my interrnet connection and has caused me to post twice. My bad.
Anonymous at 12:16 am on August 8th, 2008
About the yuri elements, to quote Guppy from the AnimeSuki forums describing some parts of the Strike Witches light novel (2006 storyline, not the TV anime storyline):
¨Haruka openly invites Tomoko to take her to bed. (Literally: “Tomoko-senpai… please eat me.”)
Tomoko declines because they’re both girls, but Haruka counters by asking if Tomoko has ever been with a man. When the answer comes back no, Haruka suggests that Tomoko should try touching her as a test of whether she would like it.
Unable to help herself, Tomoko promptly takes Haruka up on that. However, she gets worried and backs out halfway through, which unbeknownst to her gives Haruka an insecurity complex which reveals itself later at a critical moment.¨
longhaul at 1:00 am on August 8th, 2008
this episode and the previous were very well done both in animation and plot
puyomon at 1:20 am on August 8th, 2008
The I watch this, the more I want to fap!
kikyokagome at 1:24 am on August 8th, 2008
Good episode!
I love Strike Witches at 3:25 am on August 8th, 2008
Oh, this episode was great, I’m looking forward to the next one, and the one after that, and so on.
Anonymous at 3:28 am on August 8th, 2008
Sad to see cute pantless lolis get nuked in 7 episodes.
GuardMonkey10 at 4:11 am on August 8th, 2008
I feel that its getting stronger with each episode. This was a really good episode. The night flying was awesome. I knew I’d fall in love with Sanya.
Solaris at 5:53 am on August 8th, 2008
>In short, it was a really tranquil, “my pace” kind of episode.
What?? Does even the word “tranquil” even exis in the English vocabulary? O.o” I guess it exists, but it’s hardly used instead of calm and quiet… Divine where are you from? I’m askinig this cause we have and use that word in Italian…
Having 11 Witches and only 12 tiny episodes to flash them all, i guess they’ll have to speed up and introduce more than a Witch per episode, or they’ll miss airtime for the main plot! Infact this “tranquil” (lol) episode featured two Strike Witches. It was nice as a whole but it had some huge plotholes. Why do Neuroi hit on Sanya? How do they knew Sanya’s piano theme? What’s her relation with the other (o)Russian girl? and… on the top of all… wtf are Neurois?? Bah… let’s get entertained by Yoshika’s yuriness and shut up the brain ¬_¬”