(L) Strike Witches TV (Mecha Musume)

[selkirk]

That relationship chart is for the novel, whose main character is Sakomizu Haruka. She even calls herself useless, and gets deployed to Suomus, where the rest of her squadron is also without much motivation. The only capable one in the squadron is Anabuki Tomoko, who was sent with Haruka.

Anyway, bigger translated version:

[Guppy]

Originally Posted by selkirk

That relationship chart is for the novel, whose main character is Sakomizu Haruka. She even calls herself useless, and gets deployed to Suomus, where the rest of her squadron is also without much motivation. The only capable one in the squadron is Anabuki Tomoko, who was sent with Haruka.

Ah, that makes sense - thanks for the bigger version.

Fuso certainly seems to have personnel to spare, though, if they can afford to be so heavily represented in the "joint" units...

Originally Posted by kct

It's interesting to see O'Hare in there, whose real-life alter ego comes from what would be the second oldest active USN squadron, the current VFA-31 Tomcatters (which got the distinction for being the last F-14 operator).

Well, O'Hare was the first USN ace, after all.

I think it's more interesting that Yeager got the nod - her namesake's exploits as a WWII ace are certainly noteworthy, but they aren't really what he's most famous for.

[selkirk]

Originally Posted by Guppy

Ah, that makes sense - thanks for the bigger version.

Fuso certainly seems to have personnel to spare, though, if they can afford to be so heavily represented in the "joint" units...

Most of the Neuroi invasion seems to be in Europe after all, with the most heavily hit places supposedly in Central Europe. Karlsland is supposed to have been rebuilt as Neue Karlsland in South America. Maybe the rest of the world hasn't been hit as hard, so they have more personnel to send overseas.

[Guppy]

Originally Posted by selkirk

Maybe the rest of the world hasn't been hit as hard, so they have more personnel to send overseas.

I can understand that, but it's still interesting that Fuso has been more heavily represented than Liberion in two different joint units.

By the way, did the novels mention what Striker each character uses?

[selkirk]

Originally Posted by Guppy

By the way, did the novels mention what Striker each character uses?

Katharine O'Hare - Brewstar Buffalo (US) - Modified with extra insulation, since Suomus is too cold for her.
Elma Leivonen - G50 (Romania) - I guess they mean the FIAT G.50, but that's Italian...
Ursula Hartmann - Heinkel He 112 (Germany) - Doesn't use a Messerscharf Me109 because there weren't enough.
Elizabeth Beurling - Hawker Hurricane (UK)
Sakomizu Haruka - New model, similar to the Ki-43, with 20mm cannon (Japan)
Anabuki Tomoko - Ki-27 (Japan)

[Guppy]

Wow. Is the novel set that far back in the timeline? If not, that's a severe shafting they got in terms of equipment. No wonder morale is so low.

The real O'Hare didn't even fly the Buffalo in combat, as far as I'm aware - all his kills were in Wildcats and Hellcats. And Beurling and Anabuki were primarily Spitfire and Ki-43 aces respectively, weren't they? (I gather Anabuki started out in Ki-27s, but his unit reequipped and most of his kills were scored in Hayabusas.)

Originally Posted by selkirk

Sakomizu Haruka - New model, similar to the Ki-43, with 20mm cannon (Japan)

Sounds a bit like the late-war Ki-43-IIIb prototypes. Of course, by then the Ki-43 was so obsolete you wonder why they bothered...

[selkirk]

Originally Posted by Guppy

Wow. Is the novel set that far back in the timeline? If not, that's a severe shafting they got in terms of equipment. No wonder morale is so low.

The real O'Hare didn't even fly the Buffalo in combat, as far as I'm aware - all his kills were in Wildcats and Hellcats. And Beurling and Anabuki were primarily Spitfire and Ki-43 aces respectively, weren't they? (I gather Anabuki started out in Ki-27s, but his unit reequipped and most of his kills were scored in Hayabusas.)

Yep, they mention that in the novel as well. Their squadron consists of a big bunch of ill-equipped misfits, sent to the middle of nowhere. It's mentioned that frontline Strike Witches from Britannia and Karsland use Spitfires and Me109s. Sakomizu's Striker is the only one that's top of the line, but she only just got it, and can't use it well yet.

[Guppy]

Originally Posted by selkirk

Sakomizu's Striker is the only one that's top of the line, but she only just got it, and can't use it well yet.

When a Ki-43 is your squadron's best aircraft, you know you're in trouble.

Actually, from what you've said Fuso seems to be lagging pretty badly in terms of their Striker models. I would've expected Sakomizu's "top-of-the-line" model to be a Ki-61/84/100 rather than a -43, unless we're talking about a 1940/41 scenario where its contemporaries are Spitfire Mk. Is and Me 109Es.

[selkirk]

Originally Posted by Guppy

When a Ki-43 is your squadron's best aircraft, you know you're in trouble.

Actually, from what you've said Fuso seems to be lagging pretty badly in terms of their Striker models. I would've expected Sakomizu's "top-of-the-line" model to be a Ki-61/84/100 rather than a -43, unless we're talking about a 1940/41 scenario where its contemporaries are Spitfire Mk. Is and Me 109Es.

Well, looks like your dates are nearly exactly right, as in the novel prologue they mention the Neuroi's sudden invasion as "two months ago", in September 1939, which is the novel's time period. The anime (and likely the 2nd manga as well) is set in 1944. The first manga should be around the same time frame as the novel, or a bit after.

EDIT: Looks like the "similar to a Ki-43" is actually a A6M1 Zero prototype.
And well well, the dates match as well

The first A6M1 prototype was completed in March 1939, powered by the 780 hp (580 kW) Mitsubishi Zuisei 13 engine with a two-bladed propeller. It first flew on 1 April, and passed testing in a remarkably short period of time. By September it had already been accepted for Navy testing as the A6M1 Type 0 Carrier Fighter, with the only notable change being a switch to a three-bladed propeller to cure a vibration problem.

[Guppy]

That all does make sense then - the squadron's equipment isn't that obsolete for 1939, and the A6M would indeed have been top-of-the-line at the time. As for Anabuki, it would be completely normal for her to be flying a Ki-27, since the Ki-43 didn't arrive until 1941. Even Beurling wouldn't have too much to complain about; plenty of RAF units were equipped with Hurricanes well into 1940-41.

They've clearly done their homework thoroughly on dates and equipment. Hats off to the writers and staff.

It's interesting, though, that the novel seems to imply that the Strike Witch concept was being developed before the Neuroi arrived - either that, or the breakthrough came quickly enough to have the Strikers manufactured and rushed into hastily-formed squadrons in a mere two months. Or is there a big time gap between the novel's prologue and the rest of the story?

And as far as the current manga is concerned...

Spoiler for manga ch. 2:

I'm guessing that Anabuki did very well for herself in that campaign, since she became famous enough to be the subject of a movie and garner considerable admiration among Yoshika's classmates.

[selkirk]

Originally Posted by Guppy

It's interesting, though, that the novel seems to imply that the Strike Witch concept was being developed before the Neuroi arrived - either that, or the breakthrough came quickly enough to have the Strikers manufactured and rushed into hastily-formed squadrons in a mere two months. Or is there a big time gap between the novel's prologue and the rest of the story?

No, the first novel at least is set mainly in late 1939, maybe early 1940.
The anime site mentions that mankind started working on magic-amplifying steam engines in the 18th century, and the design was put into widespread use. Starting from that time, the Neuroi also started appearing.

[Guppy]

Thanks for the novel info, selkirk.

I'll have to double-check the anime site; I obviously missed that bit of background detail.

[selkirk]

Originally Posted by Guppy

Thanks for the novel info, selkirk.

So according to the novel, the Neuroi were first observed quite some time before they started attacking on a major scale?

No, that was the anime site. I'm still reading the novel, since I've only really skimmed over parts of it so far. But it sure looks that way. Comp Ace should also have had a lot of information on the Strike Witches world, but that's from back in 2006, and kinda hard to find now. <_<

[Guppy]

Originally Posted by selkirk

No, that was the anime site.

I noticed that part just after posting; obviously not quick enough on the editing trigger, though.

I only just found the link to the novel's website, incidentally. Sakomizu's profile quote is... interesting.

[selkirk]

Originally Posted by Guppy

I noticed that part just after posting; obviously not quick enough on the editing trigger, though.

I only just found the link to the novel's website, incidentally. Sakomizu's profile quote is... interesting.

There's a novel site?
Well, that would've made those plane details easier to find, rather than reading half a chapter or so...

Oh wow, what a quote.

[Guppy]

Originally Posted by selkirk

There's a novel site?

I'm not sure when it went up. I don't remember seeing it before, either.

Originally Posted by selkirk

Well, that would've made those plane details easier to find, rather than reading half a chapter or so...

Yeah. Beurling actually has it pretty good, considering; she gets a Hurricane Mk. II, which wasn't that much worse than a Spitfire Mk. I.

You were right on about Leivonen; her profile says that the G50 she flies is manufactured by "FAROT" or some such. (Looks like they're keeping the aircraft names while slightly modifying the manufacturers' names - O'Hare flies something called a "Byaster Buffalo.")

Originally Posted by selkirk

Oh wow, what a quote.

Yeah... if it turns up in the novel, please let us know what the context was?

[M.I.P.]

I found the manga on mangatraders but it's in rar format and I can't download so does anybody know where else I can it and/or the novel

[Guppy]

I did a bit more digging - it looks like the novel website is actually out of date. There are now three volumes in the series, the newest of which only came out this month:

1. ストライクウィッチーズ—スオムスいらん子中隊がんばる
2. ストライクウィッチーズ 弐ノ巻スオムスいらん子中隊恋する
3. ストライクウィッチーズ 参ノ巻 スオムスいらん子中隊はじける

Poor girls. ”いらん子中隊” is just harsh.

After checking the novel titles and blurb text, I think Sakomizu's website profile quote will probably only come into play in volume 2.

Spoiler for vol. 3:

And after reading the blurb text, it sounds to me like Haruka might actually have succeeded in "bagging" her commanding officer by the start of book 3. Too bad that volume seems to be sold out for now...

[selkirk]

There's also a novelization of the anime series coming out on Aug 1st. From the summary, it's going to be about daily life with the 501st. Looks like a different author though (author for the main novel also wrote the Zero no Tsukaima books). The manga tankoubon vol.1 is also coming out on the 26th.

1. ストライクウィッチーズ 乙女ノ巻
2. ストライクウィッチーズ 天空の乙女たち (1)

Limited Edition of DVD1 comes with a 100 page (!) color artbook, and a 秘め声 cd (Some kind of voice CD... <_<), and an Eila Tarot card(s?). To be released on Sept 26. It is also insanely overpriced. <_<

And a special "Those aren't panties, so it's not embarrassing" campaign for anyone in Japan...
http://s-witch.cute.or.jp/pants/index.html

[technomo12]

if this was turn into a game(not a visual sim)

i would really love it if this is like one of those flight simulations

and every missions earns money to buy clothes and accessory hahahaha

(NOSEBLEED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)