(L) Strike Witches TV (Mecha Musume)

[Asrialys]

Originally Posted by Random Wanderer

Anyway. My comments on the episode, as copy-pasted from a different forum.

Spoiler for Episode 10:

Guesses on what Sakomoto was having Perrine do? IGNORING the obvious innuendo their comments implied?

I think she was helping dress Mio. Then again, the "deeper" line either doesn't make sense or wasn't translated properly. Also...would Mio have been wearing her swimsuit while in the infirmary...?

[Newprimus]

I've been wondering about Mio's magic eye. Is it her actual eye or an implant of some kind? Cause with the whole "will it fit" innuendo dialogue, perhaps Mio was getting Perrine to help get the magic eye into Mio's eye socket, if that's how it works. Plus getting into her clothes.

[Asrialys]

Originally Posted by Shinova

I've been wondering about Mio's magic eye. Is it her actual eye or an implant of some kind? Cause with the whole "will it fit" innuendo dialogue, perhaps Mio was getting Perrine to help get the magic eye into Mio's eye socket, if that's how it works. Plus getting into her clothes.

The whole time, Perrine was leaning over Mio's mid-area. And I don't want to think that the eye can be removed whenever. lol Kinda gross. When I first saw it, I thought it was some Neuroi-like implant. But it could just be her unique ability, like Sanya's antennae and Perrine's electric attack.

[kaosmos]

Spoiler for ep10:

wasn't her "magic eyes" always active?(hence the eyepatch)
but since she lost her power it was "desactivated"?

maybe she's just wearing her eyepatch to hide that fact to those military guys who came in the end?

as to what was perrine doing....well....i had my share of dirty thought about it but seriously,maybe she was "hiding something"...? like a weapon or something or...whatever...a key or something important,cause from what mio said it seems she was expecting the "bad guys" to come.

[Asrialys]

Originally Posted by kaosmos

Spoiler for ep10:

wasn't her "magic eyes" always active?(hence the eyepatch)
but since she lost her power it was "desactivated"?

maybe she's just wearing her eyepatch to hide that fact to those military guys who came in the end?

as to what was perrine doing....well....i had my share of dirty thought about it but seriously,maybe she was "hiding something"...? like a weapon or something or...whatever...a key or something important,cause from what mio said it seems she was expecting the "bad guys" to come.

Spoiler:

The preview shows her using her eye, so that may not be it. By the way, I don't recall anyone saying that she completely lost her powers yet.

[kaosmos]

Originally Posted by Asrialys

Spoiler:

The preview shows her using her eye, so that may not be it. By the way, I don't recall anyone saying that she completely lost her powers yet.

Spoiler:

that was just a supposition,since her eye was "normal" when she was in bed,watched too much geass i think

[Asrialys]

Originally Posted by kaosmos

Spoiler:

that was just a supposition,since her eye was "normal" when she was in bed,watched too much geass i think

Spoiler:

Ah, I just noticed that she wasn't wearing her eye patch in the infirmary. Now I see what you were talking about.

But now I wonder if Witches completely lose their powers after so long, or if they just weaken dramatically to the point where they can no longer fly as a Witch. She seemed to be using her special eye in the preview, so I guess she was just too weak to have it "on" in episode 10?

[felix]

Originally Posted by Asrialys

Spoiler:

But now I wonder if Witches completely lose their powers after so long, or if they just weaken dramatically to the point where they can no longer fly as a Witch. She seemed to be using her special eye in the preview, so I guess she was just too weak to have it "on" in episode 10?

Spoiler:

They don't loose their powers; but it may be they loose their combat effectiveness.
As you know Mifugi's grany and her mother were pretty good at healing her friend.

[Asrialys]

Originally Posted by Cats

Spoiler:

They don't loose their powers; but it may be they loose their combat effectiveness.
As you know Mifugi's grany and her mother were pretty good at healing her friend.

But I don't think they were ever in the military, let alone Strike Witches. To me, I think there's a difference between being a witch and a Strike Witch (besides the capital W).

[FlareKnight]

Originally Posted by kaosmos

Spoiler for ep10:

wasn't her "magic eyes" always active?(hence the eyepatch)
but since she lost her power it was "desactivated"?

maybe she's just wearing her eyepatch to hide that fact to those military guys who came in the end?

as to what was perrine doing....well....i had my share of dirty thought about it but seriously,maybe she was "hiding something"...? like a weapon or something or...whatever...a key or something important,cause from what mio said it seems she was expecting the "bad guys" to come.

Spoiler for Ep10:

Did think for a minute they were hiding a weapon or something . No doubt she expected this to happen sooner or later. So probably was having Perrine help her hide something important. Though I dare not speculate further on this .

[fict_ticious]

Originally Posted by Random Wanderer

I think the general won't care, since he's going to be trying to force them all to retire anyway. Which means when his little toy there turns on him/breaks down/gets devoured by space termites he'll be in big trouble and the girls will have to save the base and (sadly) him along with it.

Really, something ALWAYS goes wrong in situations like this, in this kind of show. It's just a matter of knowing what specifically is going to happen.

Ditto. That and in some bizarre twist of fate, Miyafuji manages to reconcile all the wrongs of mankind done to these poor (lol) aliens.

That aside, anyone else hoping that a videogame finally appear? I'd rather not keep buying downloadable content for AC6 - it's reached the $120 mark.

[kaosmos]

Originally Posted by Asrialys

Spoiler:

Ah, I just noticed that she wasn't wearing her eye patch in the infirmary. Now I see what you were talking about.

But now I wonder if Witches completely lose their powers after so long, or if they just weaken dramatically to the point where they can no longer fly as a Witch. She seemed to be using her special eye in the preview, so I guess she was just too weak to have it "on" in episode 10?

Spoiler:

maybe it's some side effect of the strikers unit? since they always need to be in "nekomimi mode" (lol) to use them.

@fict_ticious:
gunslinger girls had games (3 i think?) so i'm hoping they'll make one for strike witches too.

[technomo12]

they will defenitly

and we can create our own character based on them hahaha lols

and we can get the bounty mode to unlock clothes costumization of weapons clothes, underwear , magic , ROOMS!!!! and did i say more and less clothes to buy ehhehehehe and changable ears from dog to bunny to cats hheheheh

lols sure is free to wish and hope and dream hehehehe

[einhorn303]

New extended preview is up on the main site.

Yeager & Francesca: "Do you want to touch it? That's okay, it's a natural reaction to a hat this sexy."

[Onizuka-GTO]

hmmm....it's a shame the anime hasn't the level of detail that the novel does, plus i'm beginning to regret that they removed the animal familiars.

It just further removes the anime version as a "side story" , it's hard to count the anime as part of the same universe as the novels when they miss that vital component of witch magic.

It's a shame because i would really like to see this as part of the universe, so that it would give that nice global war feeling.

oh well, i hope the manga doesn't veer too far off course, as it picture the African desert campaign with land infantry armoured witches.

you gotta have your familiars!

[Guppy]

The familiars have pretty much faded into the background in the novels too, to be honest. I guess the books just aren't really long enough to give them airtime while still developing the characters and the plot.

Although the manga (I mean the current serialised manga, not the official Africa doujinshi) has started very slowly, I'll be interested to see how it goes - although it tells basically the same story, it seems much closer to the novels in many ways (e.g. Yoshika attends a real flight academy, and we see much more of the Fuso military and the other witches in it).

[Chrono Helix]

Touhou + Strikers 1945 = Strike Witches game. It's a perfect fit!

[selkirk]

Originally Posted by Guppy

The familiars have pretty much faded into the background in the novels too, to be honest. I guess the books just aren't really long enough to give them airtime while still developing the characters and the plot.

Although the manga (I mean the current serialised manga, not the official Africa doujinshi) has started very slowly, I'll be interested to see how it goes - although it tells basically the same story, it seems much closer to the novels in many ways (e.g. Yoshika attends a real flight academy, and we see much more of the Fuso military and the other witches in it).

I don't know if you've read the recent chapters, but Yoshika meets up with the 501st starting from chapter 7 so it's back to the anime characters. Goshiki and Hayate just stowed away on a transport to Britannia to see her before leaving for their own deployment to Romagna though. Chapters 7 and 8 are remarkably light on content . Kuji Kanesada, Yoshika's familiar, is still around and causing trouble, but everyone else's familiars are nowhere to be seen, though a number of them popped up for a while in chapter 5.

Book 2 of the novel was also light on illustrations. There were four color images, and about 4 B&W images, but not a single one of Rudel or her Stuka squadron . Still waiting for book 3 to arrive.

Now, to finish Der Stern von Afrika (novelette included with the semi-official doujinshi), and Otome no Maki.

One problem with all the different releases in the SW universe, is that while everything is being released as a media mix project, a lot of it still doesn't add up, especially with regards to the Neuroi.

1. Design - In the novels, original manga, new manga, and original Comp Ace images, the Neuroi were mostly metallic white, without the black honeycomb skin. The doujinshi and anime have the honeycomb.
2. Neuroi units - Only the anime has the Neuroi coming up with new one-off units all the time. Everything else has them using a couple of regular units, and organized into a fairly standard army/air force. Or at least the designs stay somewhat consistent across all the other media.
3. Weaponry - Otome no Maki and the anime has them using beam weapons, while the novels and manga has them using much more conventional ballistic small arms and cannons.
4. Healing abilities - Otome no Maki and anime has the Neuroi healing quickly, not so in the other media. They might be tough, but they don't rebuild themselves.
5. Familiars - This is where it gets confusing, and it's something I'd rather not think too hard on. <_<;

On a side note, Suzuki Takaaki (in charge of SW world setting and military issues) made an interesting comment at the end of Otome no Maki. Apparently Lynette isn't based on who we may think it is by the name? (William "Billy" Bishop)

ちなみに「リーネ」だけが、モデルがちょっと他と違います。名前から想像できるウィッチではなく、そこから 一ひねりしてあります。誰がモデルなのか、興味があれば調べてみるのも面白いかもしれません。

The original Comp Ace images do mention a Wilma Bishop, and how she has a younger sister with large breasts and is good at cooking though...

[Guppy]

Originally Posted by selkirk

I don't know if you've read the recent chapters, but Yoshika meets up with the 501st starting from chapter 7 so it's back to the anime characters.

Haven't yet, unfortunately - in the end, YesAsia threw up their hands regarding everything Strike Witches, so I think I'll be trying Kinokuniya next.

Originally Posted by selkirk

Goshiki and Hayate just stowed away on a transport to Britannia to see her before leaving for their own deployment to Romagna though.

Interesting that they're going to Romagna - I'd have expected the place to be overrun already if there had been ground warfare in Africa. Or is this some kind of counteroffensive?

Incidentally, do they mention what Goshiki and Hayate fly? I'd guess Hayate would probably be a Ki-84 and Goshiki a Ki-100, in keeping with their names... poor Yoshika, still stuck with an A6M in 1944.

Originally Posted by selkirk

On a side note, Suzuki Takaaki (in charge of SW world setting and military issues) made an interesting comment at the end of Otome no Maki. Apparently Lynette isn't based on who we may think it is by the name? (William "Billy" Bishop)
The original Comp Ace images do mention a Wilma Bishop, and how she has a younger sister with large breasts and is good at cooking though...

Yeah, I remember seeing an expanded colour version of the novel relationship chart a while back, with "Wilma Bishop" sandwiched in between Beurling and Lynette. Were you the one who posted that?

[4Tran]

Episode 10 has been the most disappointing episode so far. It combines the weakest aspects of the show itself and the worst cliches of the particular genre. I never warmed to Yoshika herself to any degree, and her latest antics serve to make her even less likable.

Lessons the creators of Strike Witches should take to heart:
It's pretty much impossible to create binding drama when most of your main characters are in their panties.
Trying to shoehorn plot elements into the show is probably a bad idea to start off, but to trot out such a tired plot as "sinister superiors pull the plug out from plucky young heros and replace them with new weapons" is especially weak.
The Neuroi don't work as some sort of sympathetic villains, so there's no point in trying to go in that direction.
For certain shows, there's no need to ramp up the action in order to have some kind of conclusive resolution. It often feels out of place, and the show itself would benefit from refraining from this kind of storytelling.
Strike Witches works by being fun and lighthearted, and it doesn't suit the show by making it into something it isn't. Koihime Musou knows this, and it's a good example to follow.

It's a real shame too since the show itself displayed some merit as long as it stuck to brainless entertainment, and it's a fair bit less entertaining when it tries to be more ambitious.


On a slightly different note, anyone interested in discussing the finer points from the novels, etc. should do so in the novel thread: http://forums.animesuki.com/showthread.php?t=69186