Strike Witches: Difference between revisions

[[File:rsz strike witches 2-ki - ncop 2713.jpg|frame|''Minna wo Mamoru Tame ni'': For the sake of protecting everyone]]

 

 

 

The events of '''''Strike Witches''''' are set in an [[Alternate History]]; in 1939, the extraterrestrial Neuroi began their conquest of Earth. Despite lacking understanding about the Neuroi's background or motives, it was clear to humanity that the Neuori presented a grave threat to their civilization; this prompted the world's armed forces to mount a counteroffensive, enlisting the help of female magic users known as "Witches" and a newly developed weapon christened the "Striker Unit" (devices which bolster the Witches' magical abilities). Wielding spells and specialized firearms, they take to the skies and strive to repel the Neuroi invaders. The anime tells of Yoshika Miyafuji's story, a Fuso witch whose desire to learn about her missing father's fate eventually lead her to join the battle against the Neuroi and understand what being a "Strike Witch" means.

On first glance, ''Strike Witches'' appears as little more than a [[Fan Service]]-focused series. However, it ultimately presents what is, at heart, a war story about the camaraderie between the [[Ace Pilot|pilots of the 501st Joint Fighter Wing]] (aka Strike Witches) and their battles against the unknown enemy. ''Strike Witches'' shares a superficially similar concept with ''[[Sky Girls]]'': both series saw Humikane Shimada's contribution as a character designer. Naturally, a character sheet is included and may be accessed [[Strike Witches/Characters|here]].

 

{{tropelist}}

* [[Absurdly Sharp Blade]]: Mio's Katana in the first season is used to cut the wing of a Neuroi the size of a battlecruiser. She makes an [[Sword Beam|upgraded sword]] that can bisect a Neuroi in addition to its strongest beam attack in one slice.

* [[Boss Rush]]: {{spoiler|the final battle against the Warlock-Akagi combined mech.}}

* [[Bowdlerization]]: Inverted by [[Fan Sub]] Group Strike Subs. Because the removal of [[Censor Steam]] in the DVD version just revealed [[Barbie Doll Anatomy]] below the waistline they took the liberty to release an alternative version of episode 7 with some digital video editing to make the characters more ''anatomically correct'' in the groin area. This "uncensored" version got five times as many downloads as the unaltered one.

* [[Call Back]]: The structure of the second season's first episodes seems to follow that of the first season. For both seasons, the first episode ends in a cliffhanger with a Neuroi attack just as Mio and Yoshika arrive in Europe, the second episode focuses primarily on fighting the Neuroi and meeting everyone else, the third episode focuses on training, with the trainees having to save the day at the end, and the fourth episode has Barkhorn almost getting herself killed. And now, the sixth episode looks to be Eila/Sanya centric. The seventh episode is base hijinks with panties stripping and lots and lots of [[Fan Service]].

* [[Calling Your Attacks]]: Used liberally by Mio and her ''Death Strike Reppuzan!''. Perrine's ''[[Shock and Awe|Tonnerre]]'' and Erica's ''[[Everything's Better with Spinning|Sturm]]'' are less offensive examples than most anime as they're short and actually said in real time, and are dispensed with later on.

* [[Conspicuous CG]]: England's pastures never looked as plastic as in episode 09. Most conventional ships and airplanes in the show are very conspicuously CG as well. CG is also heavily used with the girls several times in the air to create more elaborate but fluid movements.

* [[Cool but Inefficient]]: Weapons tend to differ wildly in size and caliber between Witches, some more efficient than others against the Neuroi, ranging from heavy machine guns to anti-tank rifles. However, this trope is averted in the sense that weapons with an increased rate of fire corresponds with the speed the aircraft are moving: it is easier to aim at high speeds using such weapons. Since some forms of Neuroi are [[Zerg Rush]] drones, the increased rate of fire is also useful. Finally, Charlotte lampshades the fact that they can only carry so much without being grounded or encumbered. Of course, the [[All There in the Manual|supplemental material]] points out that with so many different weapons, logistics are become challenging.

* [[Crash Into Hello]]: Happens to Yoshika in episode 3.

* [[Cute Little Fangs]]: Francesca

** Ostmark was the official designation for Austria (Österreich) after the 1938 Anschluss.

** A lot of the names are based on historical terms for the countries. The Nazis stole "Ostmark" from the historical name for Austria before it became its own realm in the Middle Ages, for example, and most of the European nations are based on Roman Provincial names. For (further) example, Spain is Hispania, Bulgaria is Moesia, and the many mentioned above. It seems that the convention carries over to Asia, where Fuso is based on a Chinese term for Japan: Fusang. Suomus is based on Suomi, the Finnish name for their country. Orussia just added an O to it's name, Karl was probably meant to be Charlemagne or another "Karl" who was Holy Roman Emperor (there were a few), The Italies use the Roman naming convention while not progressing in their unification past getting the North and South solidified, and Liberion is pretty self-explanatory. As for "Canada", it is mentioned as being a "Britannian Commonwealth" in the ''Strike Witches'' Wiki, which leaves the actual status of the country vague... Okay, it's still lame (Especially considering the many other cringe-worthy proposed names for Canada that the creators' could have jsut borrowed from English Wikipedia). Interestingly enough, a couple of Britannian Witches are based on Canadian archetypes, which fits in nicely with Commonwealth Air Training program IRL and Canada's contributions to the Empire's two War efforts.

* [[Katanas Are Just Better]]: Mio's sword, of course. In her hands, it ''is'' "just better." (read: puts heavy machine guns and rockets to shame.)

* [[Kissing Under the Influence]]: Mio, plastered on an oversized jug of wine, boldly kisses Minna. She faints from the shock of it and, at the end of the episode, wistfully recollects it.

* [[Last-Episode New Character]]: Meet Amaki Suwa! Of course, since there's less than a minute left of the final episode, don't expect a lot of character development. The implications of this was, of course, a second season.

* [[Lens Flare Censor]]: This series makes [[Fan Service|liberal use of this Trope.]] It is most prevalent in episode seven of the second season. It has the glare moving around, disappearing, and reappearing as necessary. Somehow, the moon can also produce massive beams of light in all the right places.

* [[Loads and Loads of Characters]]: The fiction's universe (including [[Light Novel]], Manga, [[Anime|Animation]] and [[Doujinshi|Doujin]] works) consists of approximately [http://strikewitches.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Strike_Witch 101 Witches].

* [[Lolicon]]: Only in the legal and partially moral sense, since all of the characters are teenaged. However, there is a degree of subversion in that, with the exception of one petty officer and one {{spoiler|dead fiancé}}, none of the male cast show the slightest romantic interest in the 501st. Despite the best efforts of Flying Officer Erica Hartmann. One of the mechanics says that they're not allowed to even talk to the Witches, to avoid emotionally bonding.

* [[Meaningful Name]]: Except for Sanya, the names of the characters are gender-swapped versions of those of their real-world counterparts. In a neat little bit of attention to detail, the "Ilmatar" in Eila's name refers to an ancient Finnish sky goddess, an appropriate name for a flying magic user.

* [[Meganekko]]: Perrine.

* [[Moe Anthropomorphism]]

* [[Mood Whiplash]]: The first season's tone becomes much more serious from episode 9 onward.

* [[More Dakka]]: Most of the girls carry heavy machine guns into battle.

 

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