Set in an alternate Earth in the mid twentieth century, Strike Witches
tells the story of a fight to protect that world using a combination of
magic and technology in a fictional recreation of events occurring in World War II with the national armies joining forces to confront an overwhelming alien threat together instead of fighting among themselves.
The titular Strike Witches are young women with high magical
potential who are recruited into military organizations around the world
to fight against the enigmatic Neuroi, which began an invasion of
unprecedented scale on human territory in the year 1939. This puzzling
enemy force has appeared frequently and without warning in many areas
across the world throughout history. The weapons of the Neuroi mostly
take on forms similar to aircraft, but their most troubling tactic is
the spreading of a corrosive miasma. Not only do normal humans have no
defense against this miasma, but the remnants of the land affected by it
are processed by the Neuroi into new weapons, crumbling huge sections
of former nations into the sea. As the miasma seems to be unable to
spread across large bodies of water, humanity has designated such areas
as their main lines of defense.
In order to bring out their potential for use in battle, each Witch
equips a unique machine onto their legs: the Striker Unit. With the
Striker Unit equipped, they gain the ability to fly and their tapped
magical potential provides the strength to utilize weapons far too heavy
and powerful for a normal person. A defensive field is also created
that can protect the Witches from the Neuroi's miasma, as well as other
physical weaponry, making them humanity's trump card in the war. The
franchise's main media focuses on the 501st Joint Fighter Wing,
defending the Britannian home islands, in the first season, as a
parallel to the Battle of Britain, and struggling to retake an occupied Italian peninsula in the second season as a parallel to the late stages of the Adriatic Campaign.
CHARACTERS
Yoshika Miyafuji (宮藤芳佳 Miyafuji Yoshika)
Voiced by: Misato Fukuen (Japanese), Cherami Leigh (English)
The main character of the series, age fourteen (later fifteen) and
hailing from the Fusō Empire. A typical young girl who comes from a
family of clinicians who use their magic powers to heal people. Yoshika
gains the features of a mame-shiba
when using said power. Her father designed the Striker Units the Strike
Witches use to fight. However, because her father died in the war she
is vehemently against fighting when Mio Sakamoto appears to recruit her.
Only after entering combat for the first time, helping to defend the
Fusō fleet heading to Britannia from a Neuroi attack, does she decide to
join the 501st. Now she holds the rank of Sergeant.
Yoshika has a talent for cooking, but tends to care more about her
food's health benefits than its taste, such as when she introduced the
other Witches to nattō. Carries a type 99 aircraft cannon along with a M712 in battle. She has a small gray dog as a familiar which does not appear in the anime series. Her Striker Unit is modeled after the Mitsubishi A6M Zero, later a Kyushu J7W "Shinden" in Season 2 and she is based on the ace Kaneyoshi Mutō. At the end of Season 2, Yoshika loses all of her magical powers meaning she can't be a witch anymore
Mio Sakamoto (坂本美緒 Sakamoto Mio)
Voiced by: Saeko Chiba (first season), Saori Seto (second season) (Japanese), Kira Vincent-Davis (English)
The first Strike Witch and sub-commander of the unit, with the commissioned rank of Squadron Leader.
Mio is also the oldest witch in the 501st at nineteen (later, twenty)
years old and, like Yoshika, comes from Fusō. She is seemingly the
toughest and most mature of the Witches, being an experienced veteran of
the early fighting against the Neuroi. She knew Yoshika's father while
he was first designing the Striker Unit and was the first person to
pilot one. Her usual task is to train new recruits, and in this role she
becomes a very strict disciplinarian, appropriately gaining the ears
and tail of a Doberman
when equipped with her Striker. Otherwise she is quite friendly, if a
little too forward at times, with a very distinct laugh. Under Mio's
eyepatch is a magic eye that grants her increased visual prowess and the
ability to spot Neuroi cores when used. Being 19/20 years old, Mio's
magical power has declined too far for her to erect effective shields in
combat, however she can still fly and use her magical eye. She carries a
type 99 aircraft cannon into a battle along with a magical katana
strapped to her back capable of cutting apart giant Neuroi. In the
second season, she builds herself an enhanced katana called the
Reppumaru that can cut through Neuroi beams to compensate for the lack
of shields. However, the sword drains a substantial amount of magic,
shortening her lifespan as a Witch. Her Striker Unit is based on the
Mitsubishi A6M Zero, later a Kawanishi N1K "Shiden-kai" in Season 2 and she herself is based on Saburō Sakai.
At the end of Season 2, it is implied that Mio, just like Yoshika, has
lost all of her magical powers thus ending her career as a witch
Minna-Dietlinde Wilcke (ミーナ・ディートリンデ・ヴィルケ Mīna Dītorinde Viruke)
Voiced by: Rie Tanaka (Japanese), Anastasia Munoz (English)
The ranking officer of the 501st Joint Fighter Wing at eighteen years
old, Minna has a sisterly air that shows her concern for those under
her command. Whether in or out of battle, her first priority is the
safety of her subordinates. Her more gentle demeanor means that she
often acts as the "good cop" to Mio's "bad cop" when it comes to
discipline. She also has a talent for singing, wanting to become a
professional before she joined the war effort. However, she gave up that
dream when her lover was killed in battle. Because of this, she is
afraid of losing anybody else, which leads her to eventually give an
order that prohibits the male workers on the base from having
unauthorized contact with the witches. She is also rather protective of
Mio, usually standing in her way whenever she tries something reckless.
Alluding to her namesake, Minna gains wolf
features when equipped for combat. Her power grants her enhanced
spatial awareness, allowing her to pinpoint the precise location and
number of objects in a wide area of space. Holds the commissioned rank
of Wing commander, and her affiliation is the Karlsland JG 3 Luftwaffe. During combat she arms herself with an MG 42. Her Striker Unit model is the Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-2, later a Messershmitt Bf 109 K-4 in Season 2, and her ace pilot archetype is Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke
Gertrud Barkhorn (ゲルトルート・バルクホルン Gerutorūto Barukuhorun)
Eighteen year old Witch from Karlsland; a Flight Lieutenant formerly of the Luftwaffe JG 52. Quiet, efficient, and private, Gertrud (known as "Trude" to her friends) tends to support her comrades from the shadows. Her naturally calm attitude grants her great battlefield stamina, allowing her to rack up an impressive shot-down tally. A long-time acquaintance of Minna and Erica, she is often seen supporting the former in her leadership tasks and chastising the latter for her sloppiness. She has a younger sister named Chris who was badly injured during the invasion of her country and vaguely resembles Yoshika, and she often has a complete change in personality whenever she is brought up. Her magical power grants her the most physical strength of all the Witches to the extent where she can lift a steel girder many times her size. In flight she gains the features of a German Wirehaired Pointer. For battle her armament consists of an MG 42, MG 131, or MG 151 which she dual wields. Her Striker Unit is based on the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 D-6 Prototype, later a Focke-Wulf Fw 190 D-9 in Season 2, and her pilot archetype is Gerhard Barkhorn. She briefly flew a jet striker based on the Messerschmitt Me 262 armed with two twin-linked MK 108 30mm autocannon and a single BK 5 50mm anti-armor cannon. It was much faster and heavily armed but drained magic at a dangerous rate
Erica Hartmann (エーリカ・ハルトマン Ērika Harutoman)
Voiced by: Sakura Nogawa (Japanese), Luci Christian (English)
Karlsland's sixteen year old "ultra ace" of the Luftwaffe JG 52 with more than 200 confirmed victories and the rank of Flying Officer. While extremely efficient and strategic in battle, Erica is surprisingly sloppy with her belongings and often neglects cleaning tasks. The type of person who is only serious when the situation calls for it. Her special technique is an offensive barrel roll named Sturm which manipulates gusts of ether to attack enemies. With her Striker Unit equipped, Erica gains Dachshund features. Her armaments are the MG 42 and a MP 40. Her Striker Unit is based on the Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6, later a Messerschmitt Bf 109 K-4 in Season 2, and her ace archetype is Erich Hartmann.
Perrine-H. Clostermann (ペリーヌ・クロステルマン Perīnu Kurosuteruman)
Voiced by: Miyuki Sawashiro (Japanese), Jad Saxton (English)
A wealthy and proper fifteen year old Gallian girl who looks down on
some of the less-refined habits of her peers. The emotional scars left
by the Neuroi's conquest of her homeland cause her numerous problems.
She often refuses to work as part of a team, and develops a dislike for
the upstart newcomer Yoshika due to her attachment to Mio, which
eventually develops into full-blown jealousy, even leading her to
challenge Yoshika to a duel (as seen in episode 9). When wearing her
Striker Unit, she gains the dark ears and tail of a Chartreux. Perrine holds the rank of Flying Officer and her original unit was the Forces Aériennes Galliaises Libres 602nd Flying Corps. Depicted carrying a rapier in artwork,which briefly appeared on the 9th episode of the second season as an heirloom from her family. She also uses a Bren light machine gun. She has a lightning based spell called Tonnerre which can strike down multiple targets. Her Striker Unit is based on the Arsenal VG-39 and she is named after Pierre Clostermann
Lynette Bishop (リネット・ビショップ Rinetto Bishoppu)
Voiced by: Kaori Nazuka (Japanese), Kate Bristol (English)
Fifteen years old, Lynette (called "Lynne" for short) is the only Witch in the 501st who is native to the Britannian Commonwealth. The middle child of eight siblings, Lynette developed very domestic and practical habits from helping to take care of them. Similarly domestic is the Scottish Fold, from which her Striker-equipped animal features are based. Plagued by occasional clumsiness and sometimes overlooked, she nevertheless strives to do her best. After she meets Yoshika, the two eventually become best friends. Holds the rank of Sergeant and her affiliation is the Britannian Air Force 610th Fighter Squadron. Her armaments are a Mk. I Boys anti-tank rifle and a Bren light machine gun. She serves as the squadron's sharpshooter and possesses an ability to supercharge magic power into shots she fires. Her Striker Unit is based on the Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX, later a Supermarine Spitfire Mk 22 in Season 2, and her pilot archetype is unclear, but is likely one of the children of Billy Bishop, who is the pilot archetype for Minnie Bishop, Lynette's mother. Lynette also has an older sister, Wilma, who is also a Strike Witch, and likely based on Billy Bishop's son, Arthur
Charlotte E. Yeager (シャーロット・E・イエーガー Shārotto E Iēgā)
Voiced by: Ami Koshimizu (Japanese), Jamie Marchi (English)
A sixteen year old girl hailing from the United States of Liberion
with the rank of Flight Lieutenant. Magnanimous in character, tall and
buxom in appearance, Charlotte, nicknamed Shirley, is a thrill-seeker
who is fascinated by speed. Like a speedy hare, she gains the ears and
tail of a rabbit when equipped with her Striker (possibly alluding to model and photographer Bunny Yeager).
Concerned with cleanliness, Charlotte had her personal bath transported
all the way to the Strike Witches' Britannia base when she was
transferred from the Liberion Army 363rd Fighter Wing. In combat her
armament can consist of a M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle, Thompson M1 A1, or Colt Government M1911 A1; also depicted carrying a Bowie knife. The North American P-51D Mustang serves as the basis for her Striker Unit that she nicknames Merlin, while she herself is based on Chuck Yeager. Like her namesake, Charlotte becomes the first person to break the sound barrier. Before joining the 501st she was also a motorcycle racer who broke the land speed record on Bonneville Salt Flats using a modified Indian motorcycle identical to one used by legendary New Zealand speed bike racer Burt Munro in the 1950s
Francesca Lucchini (フランチェスカ・ルッキーニ Furanchesuka Rukkīni)
Voiced by: Chiwa Saitō (Japanese), Trina Nishimura (English)
Joining the 501st from the Duchy of Romagna, Francesca is the youngest soldier of the unit at a mere twelve years. Her rank is that of a Pilot Officer and her unit affiliation was with Romagna's Sovrana Aeronautica Romagniana 4th Air Unit. Francesca is often childish and self-indulgent, shirking training and other duties in order to have fun around the base or nap. However, in battle she displays a true talent and passion for flying. Also displayed are the ears and tail of a black leopard. She is good friends with the similarly casual Charlotte, often pairing with her in battle where she is thrown at high speed to defeat Neuroi. She has a tendency to occasionally speak in a sing-song tone. During battles she carries a M1919 A6, Breda-SAFAT 12.7 mm machine gun, or Beretta Model 1938A. She has the power to concentrate energy into a point in front of her, and release it in one powerful burst. Working with her best friend Charlotte, who throws her, she can use this ability to greatly damage an enemy. Her Striker Unit is based on the Fiat G.55 Centauro, and her ace archetype is Franco Lucchini
Eila Ilmatar Juutilainen (エイラ・イルマタル・ユーティライネン Eira Irumataru Yūtirainen)The fifteen year old top ace of the Suomus Air Force 24th Unit with the rank of Pilot Officer (although the three roses on her collar would indicate the rank of captain). Eila's hobby is fortune-telling with tarot cards, although the accuracy of her predictions is questionable at best. In battle however, she literally has the magical power of seeing into the future, allowing her to evade incoming attacks with ease. Somewhat mischievous, like the black fox whose features she gains in flight. She is particularly affectionate towards Sanya and will become cold to anyone who comes too close to her, this usually being Yoshika. In combat her weapons of choice are the MG42 and Suomi M1931 submachine gun. Eila's Striker Unit is based on the Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-2, later a Messerschmitt Bf 109 K-4 in Season 2, and she is based on Eino Ilmari Juutilainen
Sanya V. Litvyak (サーニャ・V・リトヴャク Sānya V Ritovyaku)
Voiced by: Mai Kadowaki (Japanese), Jennifer Forrester (English)
The single Witch in the 501st out of the Orussian Empire at thirteen years old, later fourteen. Preferring to stay indoors during the day, Sanya has been described as "nocturnal." At times she is literally asleep on her feet, counting on Eila to move her around. She has a habit of stumbling into Eila's room to fall asleep in after missions. Despite this somewhat limiting her contact with the other members of the 501st, her low profile makes her ideal for night missions. Also helping her in this duty is her magical specialty, the ability to read signals such as radio waves that are invisible to the naked eye, giving her a highly advanced spatial awareness. Sanya gains the ears and tail of a black cat with her Striker Unit equipped. The green brackets that form around Sanya's head are reminiscent of the radar antennae found on night fighters during World War II, further reinforcing her nocturnal nature. Sanya's rank is Flying Officer and her original unit affiliation is the Orussian Imperial Army 586th Fighter Regiment. Her weapon of choice is a modified Fliegerfaust called the "Fliegerhammer." Her Striker Unit design is based on the MiG-60 (a fictional warbird combining features of the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-1 and MiG-3, and Yakovlev Yak-1), later a MiG I-225 (a fictional warbird based mainly on the MiG-3) in Season 2, and her pilot archetype is Lydia Litvyak. Sanya is often key in special missions and is one of the more powerful witches despite her relatively small role played in the fighting in the day. The reason Sanya cannot fight in the day is due to the fact that when the witches fly they use up "Magic power" this power is used to power their "Striker Units" which give them the ability to fly. Sanya uses up all of her magic in the all night patrol and is therefore rarely involved in daylight missions and only is when it is pre-planned or is of utmost importance.
No comments:
Post a Comment