Strike Witches

[pyat]

Should I thank commanderteddog for pointing me to Strike Witches, a manga series of novels, or possibly just action figures, turned into an anime series?

Let's review:

1. Aliens invade Earth in the late 30s.
2. Humanity unites against them, and WWII doesn't happen.
3. A blend of magic and technology is needed to fight them.
4. Only teenage girls between the ages of 14 and 19 have the right combination of athleticism and magic potential.
5. Using the magic makes them grow ears and a tail.
6. The girls are named for real-world fighter aces, except with feminized names. (As Teddog put it, "Poor, poor Billy Bishop.")
7. They wear "boots" that turn them into living fighter planes.
8. The special technology of the "boots" requires a direct contact with skin.
9. So, they can't wear pants. You never know when an emergency might arise!

Teenage Pantless Robot Furry Witches.

And one several of them is are a Nazi!

Comments

[waiwode.livejournal.com]

Well, you can't fault the creators on coming up with a strange yet unique premise.

On the other hand, the young girls in panties thing ... I could have seen that left in the 20th c and not shed a tear.

Doug.

[pyat.livejournal.com]

And, apparently, the "Strike Witches" are so looked up to and admired by the women of the world, that it is no longer fashionable for any of them to wear pants!

[foomf.livejournal.com]

So why do at least two of them (from the opening lineup) seem to be wearing pants?

[pyat.livejournal.com]

Leotards.

Yes, I know what you're thinking. If they can wear leotards, why aren't they all wearing leotards? (Heck, why can't they wear long skirts, and put the flyboots on underneath.)

But, really, none of them are allowed to wear pants.

[foomf.livejournal.com]

Meh, it's just lolipron. They have no justification for any of it.

[relee.livejournal.com]

Neat.

[dronon.livejournal.com]

...

Umm... score 9/10 for insane premise but 0/10 for fanboy pandering...

I can't help but wonder if the Japanese use focus groups to come up with some of this stuff, what they determine is a show's target demographic, and how to appeal to them.

[relee.livejournal.com]

Near as I can tell most Anime are based on Manga, and most Manga are produced by amatuers with very specific fetishes.

[dagoski.livejournal.com]

0 out of 10 for fan boy pandering? I disagree.

14-19 girls: check
no pants: check
gratuitous 360 camera pans: check
big guns: check
extended drum magazines: check
Girl in British military uniforms: check
Girl in Nazi uniform: check
pointy cat ears on girls: check
tails on firmly rounded buttocks of girls:check
girl with eyepatch: check

That's a perfect 10 out of 10 on the fanboy pandering. This series is awesome! It couldn't be any cooler unless they had a chick in the top, just the top, of a Winter War Finnish Army uniform just like the one my wife wears when I'm good.

[commanderteddog.livejournal.com]

I shouldn't be tempting stupidity, but how close is this to the proper uniform?

http://myucon.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/juutilainen2.jpg

(Yes, I've been reading up enough on this fest of insanity to discover that one character is Finnish)

[dagoski.livejournal.com]

Uhh... Wow. I just saying something outlandish. I know which Osprey publications book I'm gonna buy next. Oh, wait, there's actually, seriously, a series of picture books featuring women dressed in various historical military uniforms from the Napoleanic Era on up through... Probably Vietnam era by this point. Naturally the uniforms are totally accurate, two sizes two small and missing important pieces.

[lee-in-limbo.livejournal.com]

Oh dear. You just know there's slashfic for that somewhere. And no, I have no intention of looking.

Lee.

[velvetpage.livejournal.com]

Rule #34.

[pyat.livejournal.com]

You probably wouldn't have to look far!

[warphammer.livejournal.com]

...so it's even more like if Turtledove was a crazy anime fanfic writer, then?

[pyat.livejournal.com]

He's not???

[commanderteddog.livejournal.com]

I'm actually not sure if it's based on a manga. I've been trying to figure out what the heck the thing is based on and as far as I can tell, it's based on a novel series or a line of figures.

[pyat.livejournal.com]

Fixed!

[nottheterritory.livejournal.com]

Usually, when you watch a video that comes attached to such a loopy premise, the video makes it all make more sense somehow. Full points though, for the fact that the video is just as crazy looking, if not moreso, than the premise... I did not realize, for instance, that the girls sprouted long ears and a tail when they donned the boots... *shakes head * d0000d

[pyat.livejournal.com]

The closing credits are even more obviously "fan service", starting with "Faceshot! Groincloseup!" and then going to loving portraits of each character and their respective not-pants bottom garment.

[nottheterritory.livejournal.com]

Yeah - the long butt shot is... um...

You know what it reminds me of:



Except that, honestly, the Spice Girls TV show would make more sense...

[nottheterritory.livejournal.com]

Although having said that, "Strike Witches" is actually a pretty cool name for a show...

[foomf.livejournal.com]

That's kind of creepy. They look like rubber diaper covers.

[doctordark.livejournal.com]

Wow. Just... wow.

[mrs-dm.livejournal.com]

There's a comic store on Brant St. in Burlington. They have a bin of anime/manga posters. That's where we found a "Totoro" poster for Girl-O. I'll have to look out for a "Strike Witches" poster.

[the-vulture.livejournal.com]

Words... fail me... O.O

[taluagel.livejournal.com]

So many questions, so little willpower to investigate.

[taluagel.livejournal.com]

So wait... they have the technology in 1939 to manufacture boots to turn girls into aircraft but lack the technology of skirts?

[foomf.livejournal.com]

Maybe they block the intake fans of the turbojets. Yeah. That MUST be the answer, otherwise they're just perverts.

[taluagel.livejournal.com]

The jets seem to come from the feet and the plain portion seems to come up to mid thigh, ample skirt room is infact available.

[taluagel.livejournal.com]

Did I honestly just spell Plane Plain... I clearly need caffine.

[hossblacksilver.livejournal.com]

6. The girls are named for real-world fighter aces, except with feminized names. (As Teddog put it, "Poor, poor Billy Bishop.")

I don't know whether or not I'd want to see an analog for 'Pappy' Boyington or not.