Strike Witches Japanese DVD volume 1 cover
Strike Witches is an anime series released as part of a mixed media project by Fumikane Shimada, which also includes light novels and manga. Taking place in an alternate Earth in the 1940s, the series focuses on the 501st Joint Fighter Wing of Strike Witches, magically powered girls who fight against an alien race known as the Neuroi. An original video animation was produced by Gonzo and directed by Kunihisa Sugishima and released in Japan in January 2007. The first season of the anime television series was directed by Kazuhiro Takamura and also produced by Gonzo aired from July to September 2008. The series was also streamed with English subtitles on YouTube, BOST TV and Crunchyroll. The uncensored DVDs were released in September 2008 and January 2009. The series was licensed by Funimation and was released in a complete box set in North America in March 2010. The second season, titled Strike Witches 2, was produced by AIC and again directed by Takamura. It was broadcast in Japan from July to September 2010. It was also simulcast on Crunchyroll and Funimation's anime portal. This series was also licensed by Funimation and released on Blu-ray Disc and DVD in North America in October 2012. A film adaptation was released in March 2012. An original video animation series produced by Silver Link, Operation Victory Arrow, began release in September 2014. A third season of the Strike Witches series, titled Strike Witches: Road to Berlin, aired from October to December 2020.
Four pieces of theme music were used for the series. The opening theme for the first series is titled "Strike Witches: To Do What I Can" (ストライクウィッチーズ ～わたしにできること～, Sutoraiku Witchīzu ~Watashi ni Dekiru Koto~) and performed by Yoko Ishida, while the ending theme is "Bookmark Ahead" (ブックマーク ア・ヘッド, Bukkumāku A Heddo), performed by members of the vocal cast. The second series' opening theme is "STRIKE WITCHES 2 - The Magic of Smile (STRIKE WITCHES 2 ～笑顔の魔法～, Sutoraiku Witchīzu Tsū ~Egao no Mahou~) performed by Ishida, while the ending theme is "Over Sky" which is performed by the vocal cast. For the OVA series, the opening theme is "Connect Link" performed once again by Ishida, while the ending theme is "Fly away" performed by the vocal cast. For the third season, the opening theme is "Wings of Courage" (勇気の翼, Yuuki no Tsubasa) by Ishida while the ending theme is "Yearning For Your Wings" (君の翼に憧れて, Kimi no Tsubasa ni Akogarete) performed by the vocal cast.
Television series
Strike Witches (2008)
| No. | Title | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Magical Girl" Transcription: "Mahō Shōjo" (Japanese: 魔法少女) | July 3, 2008 | |
| Yoshika Miyafuji is first seen rescuing a cat from a tree, which her friend Michiko Yamakawa admires her for doing so. Later during the day, while Yoshika hitches a ride with Michiko's grandfather, a dog suddenly appears and crashes the wagon, and Michiko ends up injured. Once it is shown that Yoshika has magic healing abilities, she is approached by Mio Sakamoto to become a member of the special aerial infantry that is fighting against the mysterious Neuroi. Yoshika initially refuses her offer, until she receives a letter that supposedly came from her dead father, Ichiro Miyafuji. Yoshika accompanies Mio on the aircraft carrier Akagi, which soon comes under a surprise attack by the Neuroi. | |||
| 2 | "That Which I Can Do" Transcription: "Watashi ni Dekiru Koto" (Japanese: 私にできること) | July 10, 2008 | |
| With reinforcements a long way away, Mio along with the ship's air forces fight against the Neuroi ship. Frustrated that she cannot do more to help, Yoshika decides to don a Striker Unit, a device used to make witches fly, to assist Mio. Although she is hesitant in using a gun, she manages to do enough to allow the reinforcements to obliterate the Neuroi. After finding that her father is still dead, Yoshika decides to join the Strike Witches so she can help people. | |||
| 3 | "You're Not Alone" Transcription: "Hitori Ja Nai kara" (Japanese: 一人じゃないから) | July 17, 2008 | |
| In Brittania, Yoshika is introduced to the other members of the 501st Joint Fighter Wing. The former newest Witch, Lynette Bishop, is distressed that Yoshika's apparent talent surpasses her own, since she has no confidence during battle. When a decoy leaves Yoshika and Lynette as the only defense against a Neuroi attack, Yoshika helps to stabilize Lynette so she can destroy the Neuroi herself. | |||
| 4 | "Thanks" Transcription: "Arigatō" (Japanese: ありがとう) | July 24, 2008 | |
| Luftwaffe ace Gertrud Barkhorn is distracted by the state of her seriously injured younger sister, Christiane Barkhorn, and becomes indifferent towards Yoshika, who bears a resemblance to her. Yoshika is also lectured by Perrine H. Clostermann, out of jealousy of her familiarity with Mio. When a Neuroi threatens Barkhorn's home country, she attacks it alone and is saved from certain death by Yoshika. Yoshika explains to Barkhorn that she must protect as many people as she can. After destroying the Neuroi, Barkhorn is lambasted by Minna for her recklessness. She eventually decides to go visit Chris. | |||
| 5 | "Fast, Big, Soft" Transcription: "Hayai, Okkii, Yawarakai" (Japanese: はやい, おっきい, やわらかい) | July 31, 2008 | |
| The Witches head to the Britannian coast for a mix of training and relaxation while Charlotte E. Yeager tunes up her Striker Unit, chasing her dream to break the sound barrier with it. While messing around, Charlotte's friend Francesca Lucchini accidentally damages Charlotte's Striker Unit and hastily puts it back together. When Charlotte uses this unit during a surprise Neuroi attack, she is able to break past Mach 1 and destroy the enemy. | |||
| 6 | "We're the Same" Transcription: "Issho da yo" (Japanese: いっしょだよ) | August 7, 2008 | |
| When a suspicious new Neuroi is spotted in the clouds, Yoshika is assigned on night patrol with Sanya V. Litvyak and Eila Ilmatar Juutilainen to investigate. During one of their missions, the Neuroi appears again, targeting Sanya, but the three work together to destroy it. As Yoshika and Sanya share the same birthday, they hear Sanya's father play a song for her over the radio. | |||
| 7 | "Nice and Breezy" Transcription: "Sūsū suru no" (Japanese: スースーするの) | August 14, 2008 | |
| On the day of her commendation, Erica Hartmann misplaces her panties, so she steals Lucchini's. After taking a bath with the other Witches, Lucchini in turn takes Perrine's panties, but soon gets spotted by the others and runs away, taking Yoshika's underwear with her. As Lucchini continues her escape, she also takes Eila's tights, which causes Eila to borrow Sanya's. While hiding, Lucchini inadvertently switches the Neuroi alert on which causes confusion among the troops until Erica busts her. As Lucchini is forced to stand and watch without wearing panties during Erica's ceremony, a breezy wind reveals to everyone's shock to who the true culprit. | |||
| 8 | "I Won't Forget You" Transcription: "Kimi o Wasurenai" (Japanese: 君を忘れない) | August 21, 2008 | |
| Yoshika finds it odd that Commander Minna-Dietlinde Wilcke has forbidden the men from the hangar from talking to Strike Witches. The Akagi comes to visit to thank Yoshika for her help during the Neuroi attack. One of the crew tries to give Yoshika a thank you letter but is stopped by Minna. The next day, the witches go up against a dividing Neuroi, and Minna notices a weakness in Mio's shield. Following the battle, Minna checks the site, where she finds a memento from her old friend who died in the war. As the Akagi leave on their next mission, Yoshika sends them off and Minna sings them a farewell song. However, later that night, Minna points a gun at Mio. | |||
| 9 | "What I Want to Protect" Transcription: "Mamoritai Mono" (Japanese: 守りたいもの) | August 26, 2008 | |
| Worried about Mio's strength, Minna is unable to convince her to stop going into battles. After Barkhorn visits Chris, she finds a letter addressed to Minna, warning her not to delve in any further. Meanwhile, Perrine's jealousy over Yoshika reaches its peak and she challenges her to an aerial duel, which is soon interrupted by work of a Neuroi. When Yoshika confronts the Neuroi, it turns into a human shape and appears to communicate with her. When Mio arrives Yoshika tries to defend it, but Mio attacks regardless and the Neuroi's retaliation pierces through her shield, dealing critical damage. | |||
| 10 | "I Want You To Believe" Transcription: "Shinjite Hoshii" (Japanese: 信じてほしい) | September 4, 2008 | |
| Despite using up all her energy and passing out, Yoshika continues to use her healing abilities on Mio, eventually getting her into a stable condition. Oblivious to Yoshika's statements about the Neuroi, Minna confines her to her quarters. Determined to discover the truth, Yoshika sneaks out and follows the Neuroi to its hive. There, Yoshika is shown the history of the Neuroi, as well as some scientists utilizing one of the Neuroi cores. Before Yoshika can learn more, a strange mech utilizing similar technology appears and destroys the Neuroi. Upon returning to base, the Witches find themselves surrounded by a group of military soldiers. | |||
| 11 | "Into the Sky..." Transcription: "Sora e..." (Japanese: 空へ...) | September 11, 2008 | |
| The military, led by General Trevor Maloney, stage a mutiny and orders the dissolution of the Strike Witches. They decide to use their mech, the Warlock, which Yoshika recognizes from the visions the Neuroi showed her. The Witches decide to go their separate ways and return to their home countries. However, Minna, Barkhorn, and Erica decide to stay behind to learn about Maloney's plans. When the Warlock attacks a Neuroi nest, it turns black and turns on Maloney, attacking everything in sight. With Yoshika, Mio, and Perrine aboard the Akagi as it is attacked, Mio reveals a hidden Striker Unit which Yoshika offers to fly. | |||
| 12 | "Strike Witches" Transcription: "Sutoraiku Wicchīzu" (Japanese: ストライクウィッチーズ) | September 18, 2008 | |
| Yoshika, refusing to lose, flies off to fight the Warlock. After Minna's group captures Maloney, they use Barkhorn's strength to retrieve everyone's Striker Units so they can assist Yoshika in taking down the Warlock. However, it assimilates with the Akagi, transforming it into a giant airship. While everyone else provides cover, Yoshika, Lynne, and Perrine infiltrate the ship, and use Yoshika's Striker Units to destroy the core. With the Warlock defeated, the Neuroi nest over Gallia disappears, and the 501st Joint Fighter Wing goes their separate ways for the next six months. | |||
Strike Witches 2 (2010)
| No. | Title | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Into the Sky Once More" Transcription: "Futatabi Sora e" (Japanese: 再び空へ) | July 8, 2010 | |
| Six months after the battle over Brittania, the 504th Joint Fighter Wing, while on a mission to make contact with the Neuroi, encounter an even larger Neuroi nest hovering over Venezia which obliterates the previous Neuroi and attacks relentlessly. Meanwhile, Yoshika, who had just graduated from middle school, receives a letter from Amaki Suwa, containing blueprints supposedly sent by her father. When Yoshika goes to deliver these to Mio, she gets word that the stronger Neuroi had overpowered the Strike Witches, aware that they are in danger. Yoshika is ordered by Mio to go home, but when she notices Mio heading into battle again, Yoshika takes her old Striker Unit and follows after her. Admiring her spirit, Mio allows Yoshika to accompany her. However, a week into their flight, their plane comes into contact with a Neuroi ship. | |||
| 2 | "The Legendary Witches" Transcription: "Densetsu no Majotachi" (Japanese: 伝説の魔女達) | July 15, 2010 | |
| As the Neuroi continues to attack the plane, a fleet of battleships provide support, but are easily defeated by the Neuroi. With Mio still unable to use her shield, Yoshika flies into battle to protect the ships with her enhanced magic. Mio then uses her enhanced katana to slice through the Neuroi's beam and destroy it. However, it soon reforms itself, its core continuously shifting places to avoid being destroyed. Yoshika has a tough time facing it until the Witches arrive to assist, giving Mio the opportunity to destroy it with her katana. Setting up base in Romagna, Minna officially reforms the 501st Joint Fighter Wing. | |||
| 3 | "That Which We Can Do" Transcription: "Issho ni Dekiru Koto" (Japanese: 一緒にできること) | July 22, 2010 | |
| Mio meets up with Junko Takei of the 504th Joint Fighter Wing to learn about the new breed of Neuroi. Having gotten out of shape following inactivity during the past six months, Yoshika, Lynette, and Perrine are all sent to an elderly lady named Anna Ferrara, who teaches them the basics, namely how to ride brooms. They struggle at first, but they soon start to get the hang of it. During their training, a Neuroi ship threatens to come into contact with Anna's home, but the girls team up to defeat it. | |||
| 4 | "Hard, Fast, Amazing!" Transcription: "Katai, Hayai, Monosugōi" (Japanese: かたい、はやい、ものすご～い) | July 29, 2010 | |
| The Witches obtain a prototype Jet Striker model from Karlsland. After an argument between Charlotte and Barkhorn, the latter gets to test it out, while the former is convinced by Lucchini not to use it after trying it out herself. Barkhorn relishes the Jet Striker's power and outperforms Charlotte in a series of performance tests, but it ends up draining too much of her magic, causing her to faint mid-flight. Forbidding anyone from using the Striker as a result, Minna confines Barkhorn to her quarters. She breaks the ban anyway when a fast Neuroi appears. Although she defeats the Neuroi, Barkhorn faints as, this time, the Jet Striker goes out of control, forcing Charlotte to push her Striker Unit to its limits to save her, destroying the prototype in the process. Later, Ursula Hartmann, Erica's twin sister and a Striker engineer, sends a shipment of potatoes as a token of apology for the flawed prototype. | |||
| 5 | "My Romagna" Transcription: "Watashi no Romānya" (Japanese: 私のロマーニャ) | August 5, 2010 | |
| While Yoshika, Charlotte, and Lucchini are in Roma, which is Romagna's capital, buying supplies and gifts, Lucchini spots a girl named Maria being accosted by some suited men and rescues her. The two quickly become friends and spend the day exploring the city, although Lucchini ends up spending all the food money Charlotte gave her. When a Neuroi ship appears, Lucchini rejoins Yoshika and Charlotte to defeat it. Afterward, Lucchini treats Maria to a bird's eye view of Roma, telling her the importance of protecting it. After they return home, it is revealed that Maria is actually the Duchess of the Principality of Romagna, who gives her thanks to Lucchini during her inauguration by airdropping food supplies to the Witches. This episode is a parody to the film Roman Holiday. | |||
| 6 | "Higher than the Sky" Transcription: "Sora yori Takaku" (Japanese: 空より高く) | August 12, 2010 | |
| The Witches discover a huge Neuroi spire whose core is in a location far beyond the altitude that their Striker Units can reach. Formulating a plan using rocket boosters in stages to reach the required altitude, Sanya is chosen to attack the core. Having never needed to use a shield in combat, Eila becomes furious when Yoshika is chosen to protect Sanya instead of her. As Eila unsuccessfully tries to get Perrine to train her to use shields, Sanya becomes annoyed with Eila's willingness to give up and gets into a fight with her. The next day, as the Witches launch Sanya and Yoshika to the stratosphere, Eila apologizes and expresses her desire to protect Sanya. Seeing this, Yoshika decides to switch places with Eila, who finally uses her shield to protect Sanya as she destroys the core. | |||
| 7 | "It's All Creepy Crawly" Transcription: "Mozomozo Suru no" (Japanese: モゾモゾするの) | August 19, 2010 | |
| After enjoying the newly-installed bath, a strange bug that Lucchini found earlier in the morning is embarrassing the Witches by literally getting into their pants, as well as causing electrical outages around the base. They soon realize that the bug is the core of a Neuroi ship that is sapping electricity from the base, disabling the alarm system, as it feeds a larger unit lurking near the base. After the Witches ensue a lengthy chase for the bug around the base, Minna inadvertently destroys the Neuroi bug when it crawls inside her pants, destroying the larger unit as well. As it is technically Minna's 200th Neuroi kill, she is awarded a medal by the Luftwaffe for the milestone. | |||
| 8 | "Please Grant Me Wings" Transcription: "Tsubasa wo Kudasai" (Japanese: 翼をください) | August 26, 2010 | |
| Mio trains to obtain the True Reppuzan, refusing to teach it to Yoshika despite her requests. Later, during a practice session with Perrine, Yoshika starts to have some trouble flying. However, Yoshika is given a clean bill of health, and her Striker Unit is in perfect running condition. The next day, Yoshika and Lynnette are sent to the battleship Yamato to heal crew members injured in a lab explosion. When the Yamato and its battle group is attacked by a blimp-shaped Neuroi ship, Yoshika is unable to fly, leaving Lynette alone to defend the battle fleet while they retreat. As Yoshika laments her inability to help, she hears her father's voice and is presented with a new Striker Unit, which was developed based on his research findings. Now able to use her powers to the maximum with a Striker Unit built just for her, Yoshika flies off to save Lynette and destroy the Neuroi unassisted. Later, it is discovered that Yoshika's flight troubles are traced to her old Striker Unit's inability to withstand Yoshika's increasing power. | |||
| 9 | "The Bridge to Tomorrow" Transcription: "Asu ni Kakeru Hashi" (Japanese: 明日に架ける橋) | September 2, 2010 | |
| While visiting Gallia, Perrine learns that children cannot get to school because the bridge is broken. This preoccupies her, as she even thinking of selling the last family heirloom to fund the bridge's repairs. On a training trip at the beach, Lucchini finds a treasure chest, which Perrine salvages in the hope of finding treasure. After going through an endless number of chests, they find a puzzle chest containing a map, which Perrine, Yoshika, Lynnette, and Lucchini follow to an underwater cave filled with booby traps. Meanwhile, while looking for them, Mio and the others encounter a trap which causes Mio to become drunk, kissing Minna and running off. Perrine's group soon comes across a room with a statue, which Perrine defeats when it attacks them. They eventually find the treasure, which is nothing more than a herb and spice garden. However, a slightly hungover Mio reassures Perrine that it is the feelings that people truly treasure. After returning to base, Perrine receives a letter from Gallia informing her that the children worked together to build a new bridge. | |||
| 10 | "500 Overs" | September 9, 2010 | |
| Mio progresses in perfecting the True Reppuzan, but it drains much power from her. After Minna proposes an operation to attack a Neuroi base, the top brass send in Captain Hanna-Justina Marseille of the 31st Karlsland Luftwaffe Storm Witches to join the mission. Since Barkhorn and Hanna do not get along, Erica volunteers to accompany her on the mission. After fooling around in a training session, Erica and Hanna are ordered to stay in a room together to learn to cooperate. Obsessed with winning, Hanna has always wanted to settle things with Erica, whom she views as her equal, but as of late she is annoyed with Erica's lack of competitive spirit. When Hanna badmouths Barkhorn, who wants an autograph for her sister, Erica agrees to compete with her during the mission. When they reached a draw after destroying the Neuroi, they have a tiebreaker dogfight, also ending in a draw. Before she leaves, Hanna decides to give the autograph. | |||
| 11 | "To Be Myself" Transcription: "Watashi de Aru Tame Ni" (Japanese: 私であるために) | September 16, 2010 | |
| Mio still experiences power drains from her use of the True Reppuzan. Later, Yoshika discovers that Mio's sword reacts to her powers and nearly causes her to faint. Later, Mio and Minna receive orders from their superiors for a final attack on the Neuroi nest. They plan to defeat it by powering the Yamato with Neuroi technology. The mission's failure would mean the surrender of Romagna and the dissolution of the 501st Strike Witches. Mio becomes determined to complete the True Reppuzan, but Minna, aware that her sword has drained nearly all of her magical power, stops her, all of which Yoshika overhears. The next day, they begin the charge and Mio, to her dismay, is unable to execute the True Reppuzan. Meanwhile, the Yamato activates its Neuroi Dynamo, allowing it to fly and repair itself. But when the Yamato hits the hive bow first, its Neuroi Dynamo stopped working, paralyzing its firing controls. With the mission deemed a failure, Mio, refusing to lose, charges towards the Yamato to attempt to restart the Neuroi Dynamo with her remaining magic power. | |||
| 12 | "Beyond the Eternal Skies" Transcription: "Sora Yori Towa Ni" (Japanese: 天空より永遠に) | September 23, 2010 | |
| Over Minna's objection, Mio heads inside the Yamato and gives the Neuroi Dynamo her remaining magic power which kick-starts the engine. Mio is then able to fire the main cannon, destroying the Neuroi nest. It is revealed, however, that the dome was merely a shield concealing the hive's massive core, which Mio becomes absorbed into. Refusing to surrender, Yoshika, with backup from the other Witches, retrieves the Reppumaru and is able to perform the True Reppuzan which only Fuso Witches are capable of performing. This destroys the giant Neuroi core at the cost of Yoshika's remaining magical power, releasing Mio in the process. With Venezia finally free from the Neuroi, the 501st Strike Witches once again go their separate ways, and Yoshika begins her medical career. In the final scene, a stranger appears to discover Yoshika's special Striker Unit, having washed up on a beach alongside the Reppumaru. | |||
Strike Witches: 501st Joint Fighter Wing Take Off! (2019)
| No. | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "501st, Take Off!" Transcription: "501 Hasshin Shimasu?" (Japanese: 501発進します？) | April 9, 2019[1] |
| 2 | "501st, Clean Your Dirty Rooms?" Transcription: "501 Obeya Souji Shimasu?" (Japanese: 501汚部屋掃除します？) | April 16, 2019[2] |
| 3 | "501st, Head Out To Shop?" Transcription: "501 Kaidashi ni Dekakemasu?" (Japanese: 501買い出しに出かけます？) | April 23, 2019[3] |
| 4 | "501st, It's Time For Halloween?" Transcription: "501 Harō~in Shimasu?" (Japanese: 501ハロウィンします？) | April 30, 2019[4] |
| 5 | "501st, Time For A Haircut?" Transcription: "501 Sanpatsu Shimasu?" (Japanese: 501散髪します？) | May 7, 2019[5] |
| 6 | "501st, Are You Feeling Stressed?" Transcription: "501 Sutoresu o Kanjimasu?" (Japanese: 501ストレスを感じます？) | May 14, 2019[6] |
| 7 | "501st, Get Ready for Setsubun?" Transcription: "501 Setsubun Shimasu?" (Japanese: 501節分します？) | May 21, 2019[7] |
| 8 | "501st, Get Ready for Night Work?" Transcription: "501 Yakankinmu Shimasu?" (Japanese: 501夜間勤務します？) | May 28, 2019[8] |
| 9 | "501st, You Can't Fly Anymore?" Transcription: "501 Tobenaku Narimasu?" (Japanese: 501飛べなくなります？) | June 4, 2019[9] |
| 10 | "501st, Are You Feeling the Heat?" Transcription: "501 Natsu, Kanjichaimasu?" (Japanese: 501夏, 感じちゃいます？) | June 11, 2019[10] |
| 11 | "501st, Time to Save Lives?" Transcription: "501 Jinmeikyuujo Shimasu?" (Japanese: 501人命救助します？) | June 18, 2019[11] |
| 12 | "501st, You're Splitting Up?" Transcription: "501 Kaisan Shimasu?" (Japanese: 501解散します？) | June 25, 2019[12] |
Strike Witches: Road to Berlin (2020)
| No. | Title | Original air date [13] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Magical Girl of the Alps" Transcription: "Arupusu no Mahō Shōjo" (Japanese: アルプスの魔法少女) | October 7, 2020 | |
| Mio pays a visit to Yoshika, who is studying in a medical school in Helvetia during her break from the 501st Unit. In the occasion, Yoshika uses her magic to rescue her friend Althea from an angry polar bear, revealing herself as a witch. Upon learning that both Mio and Yoshika are from the army, Althea asks for their help to make contact with her father, who is the captain of the Venzian battleship Doge, but when she manages to reach him, the communication is cut short as the ship is threatened by a massive iceberg. Fearing for the worse, Yoshika borrows a Striker Unit and departs to assist them. When Yoshika arrives to provide help, the iceberg reveals itself as a Neuroi and starts attacking her. | |||
| 2 | "The Strike Witches Come Together" Transcription: "Kessei Sutoraiku Witchīzu" (Japanese: 結成ストライクウィッチーズ) | October 14, 2020 | |
| Yoshika defends the battleship until her Striker Unit malfunctions and she is rescued by the crew. While her Unit is repaired, the Neuroi changes course, threatening the city of Antwerp. The Doge attacks the Neuroi and manages to draw its attention from the city time enough for Yoshika's Unit to be fixed and she returns to the battle, but just as she is about to destroy the enemy core, the unit stalls again and the Neuroi resumes its attack on the city, until the rest of 501st arrive to help by Mio's request. Once reunited, the Strike Witches destroy the Neuroi's core, but fail to stop the iceberg from ramming at Antwerp's port. After the battle, Minna informs Yoshika that the military is about to start Operation Southwind, a large scale counterattack against the Neuroi hive in Berlin, and declares the official reestablishment of the 501st Joint Fighter Wing with Shizuka joining the team as a pilot in Mio's place. | |||
| 3 | "What the Two of Us Can Do" Transcription: "Futari Nara Dekiru Koto" (Japanese: 二人ならできること) | October 21, 2020 | |
| With the port of Antwerp destroyed, Operation Southwind is postponed and the 501st transfer to their new base with Shizuka officially introduced as their newest member. During a training session, Yoshika's Striker Unit fails and upon examination, it is discovered that her magic output is unstable since she regained her powers. Shizuka becomes uneasy with Yoshika's situation and wants to help her, despite not knowing how. Soon after, Minna dispatches the 501th Unit intercept two Neuroi, except for Yoshika and Shizuka. However, they learn that a third Neuroi passed by them undetected and to compensate for Yoshika's unstable magic and Shizuka's lack of experience, they fly together with the former carried by the latter. With Minna's help, the two destroy the third Neuroi, which also erases the two other enemies because they shared a single core. After the battle, Yoshika vows to restabilize her magic power as soon as possible so she can fight properly with the others again. | |||
| 4 | "Beyond Two Hundred Miles Per Hour" Transcription: "Nihyaku Mairu no Mukō" (Japanese: 200マイルの向こう) | October 28, 2020 | |
| After learning that her speedbike record was broken, Charlotte begins working on her speedbike, the Rapid in order to get her record back. Despite having surpassed the current record after some tries, Charlotte decides to push further and aim to reach 200 mph with her bike. Suddenly, a Neuroi launches an attack on the base and flees after bombing the hangar too fast for the other witches to pursue, and to keep up with its speed once it returns, the Liberion air force sends a new P-51H unit for Charlotte. Unbecknowist to her, Luccini attaches some propellers on the Rapid to make a surprise to her, but it makes her angry instead and the two have a fight. Some time later, the two make up and start working on the Rapid together. When the Neuroi returns for another bombing run, Luccini takes off using Charlotte's new unit, but it proves too difficult for her to control. Piloting the Rapid, Charlotte rushes to rescue Lucchini, but the bike is destroyed. Using her new unit, Charlotte chases after the Neuroi and destroys it. After the battle, Charlotte realizes that her bond with Lucchini is more important than breaking her record, while the remains of the Rapid are seen underwater, with the last speed recorded by its speedometer surpassing 200 mph. | |||
| 5 | "Queen of Nederland" Transcription: "Kwīn obu Nēderuranto" (Japanese: クィーン・オブ・ネーデルラント) | November 4, 2020 | |
| Yoshika still has not managed to stabilize her magic pressure and when Perrine is assigned to a diplomatic mission in Nederland, she takes Yoshika and Shizuka with her. Upon meeting the queen, they are tasked to help the blue tulips, which are the country symbol to bloom to bolster the country's morale, given that the last time they bloomed was 20 years ago by a witch's intervention. The three help the local farmers on their efforts but to no avail. When the greenhouse's boiler breaks, a spare boliler is installed which is powered by a Striker Unit fueled by Yoshika's magic in order to keep the greenhouse's temperature stabilized. Their efforts are threatened when a Neuroi appears and attacks the greenhouse, destroying all remaining tulips except for one. Perrine defeats the Neuroi with her lightning magic which also makes the tulip bloom much to their surprise, with Perrine learning that the witch who helped the flowers bloom in the past was no other than her grandmother. With the mission successfully completed and Yoshika's magic properly stabilized thanks to her efforts at the greenhouse, the three witches return to base. | |||
| 6 | "Hounds of Vengeance" Transcription: "Fukushū no Ryōken" (Japanese: 復讐の猟犬) | November 11, 2020 | |
| With the port of Antwerp destroyed, the 501st is assigned to a reconnaissance mission to scout another port to serve as the bridgehead for Operation Southwind. During the mission Barkhorn and Erika are attacked by a Neuroi with high maneuver capabilities and Erika is shot down. Unable to keep fighting, Barkhorn is forced to retreat without knowing of Erika's fate. Unaware that Erika survived, Barkhorn divides her time between staying at the sauna and exercising herself without eating at all. Charlotte joins a rescue mission with Yoshika and Shizuka but despite her extra speed, she is defeated and forced to retreat as well. With her radio broken, Erika creates a dummy body to deceive the Neuroi into believing she is dead and waits for rescue. With Charlotte's help, Barkhorn tunes up her Striker Unit and reveals that she was conditioning her body to keep up with the enemy's acceleration. Accompanined by Yoshika and Shizuka, Barkhorn confronts the Neuroi and defeats it single-handedly, but upon seeing the dummy body, she believes that Erika is dead and loses all will to fight, until Erika contacts her using a signal light, just when a second Neuroi appears. With Erika's help, Barkhorn defeats the second Neuroi and returns to base while carrying her in the back. | |||
| 7 | "They Go Boing-Boing" Transcription: "Poyon Poyon Suru no" (Japanese: ポヨンポヨンするの) | November 18, 2020 | |
| During a sortie, Yoshika's Striker Unit fails again and they learn that despite her magic pressure is stabilized, her magic power diminished, thus it takes longer to recharge. Lynette searches the forest for a medicine to heal her condition when she finds a clay pot and takes it back to base. Inside the pot, the witches discover a clay doll that takes control of Luccini while increasing her breast size. She then passes on the curse to the others with the intention of gathering enough witches for a fertility ritual. With all witches possessed except for Yoshika and Lynette, the cursed girls kidnap Yoshika intending to use her for the ritual and Lynette uses her anti-materiel rifle to destroy the doll, dispelling the curse and making all witches and their bodies return to normal. | |||
| 8 | "The Fog" Transcription: "Za・Foggu" (Japanese: ザ・フォッグ) | November 25, 2020 | |
| During a scouting mission, Eila and Sanya are attacked by a Neuroi amidst a deep fog and forced to retreat. Later at the base, Minna informs the team that the fog is surrounding the port of Kiel, which the allied forces need to capture as part of Operation Southwind and because of that, the air force will launch a saturation attack to destroy the enemy forces, which will severely damage the port and delay their plans to liberate Berlin, designating most of the 501st to escort the bombers. Barkhorn disapproves of the idea, as she and Minna will soon turn 20 years old and be forced to retire before realizing their ambition of liberating Berlin together. Hearing their conversation, Sanya comes with her own plan to destroy the Neuroi creating the fog so that the port can be captured unscatched. Accompanied by Eila, Yoshika and Shizuka, Sanya locates the Neuroi but Eila, sensing that she is in danger, shoots without warning, which forces them to fall back. With no time left, Sanya decides to leave Eila out of the operation and departs with the others for another attempt, until Eila realizes that there is a second Neuroi amidst the mist that Sanya can not detect and rushes to warn them. Just as Eila predicted, Sanya's team is attacked by two Neuroi until Eila arrives and helps Sanya to locate and destroy the Neuroi's core, dissipating the fog just in time for the rest of the 501st and their allies to suspend the saturation attack and capture the port without collateral damage. | |||
| 9 | "Mina's Sky" Transcription: "Mīna no Sora" (Japanese: ミーナの空) | December 2, 2020 | |
| Minna, Barkhorn and Erica arrive at Kiel for a meeting with General Patton, who is about to launch an attack of Wolf, the Neuroi Hive in Berlin. On the occasion, they meet Ursula and learn that the Hive attacked the Allied forces from a distance. Once learning that the Neuroi Hive is using rockets to attack from a distance with increasing precision, threatening the Allied base at Kiel, the 501st devise a countermeasure to intercept the rockets in mid air using the ME-163 Komet, a rocket-powered Striker Unit created by Ursula. Minna decides to pilot the unit herself, but after its first flight, she feels a little exhausted, and Barkhorn correctly deduces that her magic power started to diminish. Despite that, Minna makes an infiltration with Barkhorn, Ursula and Erica deep inside enemy territory to make preparations to intercept the Rocket Neuroi. Having predicted their movement, the Neuroi Hive prepares another launch earlier than expected and sends an Interceptor-Type Neuroi against the Karsland witches. While Barkhorn and Erica fight and defeat the Interceptor, Ursula completes preparations for launch and Minna successfully shoots down the Rocket Neuroi. The Neuroi Hive in response prepares additional rockets and Minna uses her remaining fuel to destroy them, determined to sacrifice herself to protect the base. However, she is rescued in the nick of time by Erica and Barkhorn, who extract her to safety. | |||
| 10 | "Shizuka, Come In!" Transcription: "Shizuka Ōtō Seyo" (Japanese: 静夏応答せよ) | December 9, 2020 | |
| The Allied Forces begin Operation Southwind to liberate Berlin from the Neuroi, which begins with a saturation bombing to disperse the Neuroi Hive's smoke, followed by a direct attack on the core by the 501st, protected by Yoshika's massive shield. When the core is exposed however, multiple wall-like Neuroi appear and defend it, forcing the allies to retreat. Shizuka is tasked to escort Yoshika back to base to conserve her magic power and when the two are ambushed by a bomber-type Neuroi, Shizuka stays behind, eventually locating its core and destroying it. Back at Kiel, the military prepare their next move, which also involves making use of Yoshika's magic power, but when a bomber Neuroi attacks the port, she is left behind to recover while the others fight back. Shizuka attempts to defeat the Neuroi the same way she did to the previous one, just to find that the core is not where she expected. The Neuroi prepares to crash at the port when Yoshika uses her shield to keep it in air, while the other witches find its core's real location and destroy it. After the battle, Yoshika loses consciousness and is rescued by the others, with Minna revealing that all her magic power was depleted. | |||
| 11 | "Road to Berlin" Transcription: "Rōdo tu Berurin" (Japanese: ロード・トゥ・ベルリン) | December 16, 2020 | |
| According to the doctors, Yoshika needs 10 days to recover her magic power, but the military refuses to delay their plans and launches another offensive using the Landkreuzer P. 1000 Ratte escorted by the 501st, who do not know that Yoshika joined the crew of the Ratte as a medic by her request. Covered by special armor to deflect Neuroi attacks, the Ratte destroys the wall-type Neuroi, but not without damage, with Yoshika tending to the wounded soldiers. However, the Neuroi core deploys a huge barrier surrounding it, covering the Ratte's retreat. By Yoshika's suggestion, the Ratte and its allies take refuge behind the Zoo Tower and after learning that Yoshika is also aboard the Ratte, the 501st makes a plan to bypass the barrier using some underground tunnels to rescue her. | |||
| 12 | "I Still Want to Protect" Transcription: "Sore de mo Watashi wa Mamoritai" (Japanese: それでも私は守りたい) | December 23, 2020 | |
| With her unit damaged, Shizuka is ordered to retreat while the other witches use the subway tunnels to infiltrate Berlin and rescue Yoshika and the others. While Shizuka meets Mio and Ursula aboard a B-17 bomber and inform them of the situation, the witches find a large Neuroi citadel underneath the city and attack it, forcing the Neuroi forces to focus on them and weakening the barrier around the city. Mio and Ursula formulate a plan to destroy the barrier by dropping a bomb that Shizuka, piloting Yoshika's Shinden, detonates in mid air to increase the damage, but it only creates a hole in the barrier. Before the hole closes, Shizuka disobeys orders and passes through it to protect Yoshika, but is gravely wounded. At the vision of Shizuka dying, Yoshika regains her magic power and heals her, piloting the Shinden to fight the Neuroi aboveground and dividing the enemy forces. The 501st take advantage of this to destroy the underground Neuroi, which dispels the barrier and rejoins Yoshika on the surface, where they destroy the Hive's core for good, liberating Berlin. After the battle, the members of the 501st help with the city's reconstruction before returning to duty to continue with their mission to liberate the rest of Europe from the Neuroi. | |||
World Witches Take Off! (2021)
| No. | Title [14][lower-alpha 1] | Directed by [lower-alpha 2] | Original air date [16][lower-alpha 3] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Miyafuji, Are You Making a Movie?" Transcription: "Miyafuji, Eiga Satsuei Shichaimasu?" (Japanese: 宮藤、映画撮影しちゃいます？) | Fumio Itō | January 13, 2021 |
| 2 | "Hikari, You're Taking a Test?" Transcription: "Hikari, Senbatsu Shiken Shichaimasu?" (Japanese: ひかり、選抜試験しちゃいます？) | Fumio Itō | January 20, 2021 |
| 3 | "501st, You're Paying Them Back?" Transcription: "Gōmaruichi, Oreimairi Hajime Chaimasu?" (Japanese: 501、お礼参り始めちゃいます？) | Fumio Itō | January 27, 2021 |
| 4 | "Introducing the 502nd?" Transcription: "Gōmaruni, Shōkai Shichaimasu?" (Japanese: 502、紹介しちゃいます？) | Fumio Itō | February 3, 2021 |
| 5 | "501st, You're Seeing Through the Lies?" Transcription: "Gōmaruichi, Uso Abai Chaimasu?" (Japanese: 501、嘘暴いちゃいます？) | Fumio Itō | February 10, 2021 |
| 6 | "502nd, You're Joining the Team?" Transcription: "Gōmaruni, Nyūtai Shichaimasu?" (Japanese: 502、入隊しちゃいます？) | Fumio Itō | February 17, 2021 |
| 7 | "501st, Your Feelings Are Different?" Transcription: "Gōmaruichi, Omoi Surechigatchaimasu?" (Japanese: 501、想いすれ違っちゃいます？) | Fumio Itō | February 24, 2021 |
| 8 | "502nd, You're Going for a Cold Swim?" Transcription: "Gōmaruni, Kanchū Suiei Shichaimasu?" (Japanese: 502、寒中水泳しちゃいます？) | Fumio Itō | March 3, 2021 |
| 9 | "501st, Plots Are in Motion?" Transcription: "Gōmaruichi, Inbō Ugokida Shichaimasu?" (Japanese: 501、陰謀動き出しちゃいます？) | Fumio Itō | March 10, 2021 |
| 10 | "502nd, You're Running Your First Errand?" Transcription: "Gōmaruni, Hajimete no Otsukai Shichaimasu?" (Japanese: 502、はじめてのおつかいしちゃいます？) | Fumio Itō | March 17, 2021 |
| 11 | "501st, You're Going Back to that Sky?"[lower-alpha 4] Transcription: "Gōmaruichi, Mata, Ano Sora Itchaimasu?" (Japanese: 501、また、あの空行っちゃいます？) | Fumio Itō | March 24, 2021 |
| 12 | "502nd, Sister Aces are Taking Off?" Transcription: "Gōmaruni, Shimai Ēsu Hasshin Shichaimasu?" (Japanese: 502、姉妹エース発進しちゃいます？) | Fumio Itō | March 31, 2021 |
Original video animation
Pilot OVA (2007)
| No. | Title | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| OVA | "Strike Witches" Transcription: "Sutoraiku Witchīzu" (Japanese: ストライクウィッチーズ) | January 1, 2007 | |
| Three months after being gathered into a fighting force, the Strike Witches enter into an intense mock battle between each other. After hesitating to fire her weapon at her friends, Yoshika Miyafuji is scolded by Mio Sakamoto, who suggests she should leave. As she prepares to leave, Yoshika runs into Minna-Dietlinde Wilcke, who convinces her to stay and protect her country. | |||
Strike Witches: Operation Victory Arrow (2014)
| No. | Title | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "St. Trond's Thunder" Transcription: "San Toron no Raimei" (Japanese: サン・トロンの雷鳴) | September 20, 2014[18] | |
| Six months following the battle in Venezia, Minna, Barkhorn, and Erica have been stationed at the St. Trond Base in Belgica, alongside fellow Karlsland witch Heidemarie W. Schnaufer. Ursula delivers a giant 50mm cannon, along with a Jet Striker Unit required to carry it, with Barkhorn chosen to test them, despite Erica's concerns following the last time Barkhorn rode a Jet Striker. Erica is soon brought out to test a Twin Striker with Ursula, but Erica's lack of patience causes the test to fail. Erica ends up lashing out at Ursula, calling all of her inventions useless, leading her to become downhearted. Later, Minna and Barkhorn come across an armored Neuroi, with Barkhorn deciding she needs to use the 50mm cannon against it, but they both become surrounded by splitting Neuroi. Erica, hearing Minna in danger, takes the Jet Striker and 50mm cannon herself and has trouble controlling it, but she is helped out by the arrival of Ursula. Working together, the sisters come to Minna's aid and use their combined strength to defeat the Neuroi. | |||
| 2 | "Goddess of the Aegean Sea" Transcription: "Ēga Umi no Megami" (Japanese: エーゲ海の女神) | March 13, 2015[19] | |
| Learning that island of Delos has been taken over by Neuroi, Charlotte and Lucchini are teamed up with Hanna and her partner Raisa Pottgen to draw out the Neuroi hiding within it. Lucchini, who has strong family ties with Delos, objects to their superior's plan to destroy the island, so they work out a new plan to have Hanna and Raisa draw out the Neuroi while Charlotte and Lucchini drop bombs on it. When this plan ends up failing, Lucchini tries to attack on but is inevitably forced to retreat. The next day, before the bombarbment on the island is due to take place, Charlotte, unwilling to let Lucchini down, decides to make use of an abandoned ship's winch to pull the Neuroi out of its hiding place, allowing it to be destroyed without any damage to the island. Afterwards, Lucchiini takes Charlotte and the others on a tour of Delos and its artifacts. | |||
| 3 | "Arnhem Bridge" Transcription: "Arunemu no Hashi" (Japanese: アルンヘムの橋) | May 2, 2015[20] | |
| Lynne and Perrine, along with Amelie Planchard, come across a young boy named Julius, getting treatment for his little sister Rose. As the two children stay at Perrine's house, with Julius proving a lot for Perrine to handle, Julius expresses a hatred towards witches for not coming to his father's aid when he went to battle at Arnhem Bridge. After learning that Perrine and the others are witches, Julius sneaks aboard a shipment bound for Arnhem Bridge to retrieve some personal belongings. With her Strike Unit in repair, Perrine steps in to protects Julius from the Neuroi until Lynne backs her up, with Julius helping Perrine in return when she injures her leg, allowing both her and Lynne to defeat the Neuroi. Afterwards, Perrine takes in both Julius and Rose to give them an education while Lynne receives a letter from Yoshika. | |||
Strike Witches: The Movie (2012)
| No. | Title | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| TBA | "Strike Witches: The Movie" Transcription: "Sutoraiku Witchīzu Gekijōban" (Japanese: ストライクウィッチーズ 劇場版) | March 17, 2012 | |
| Two months after the Neuroi nest's destruction in Venezia, Yoshika is adjusting to life in Fuso without her magic abilities. When Yoshika nearly falls down a waterfall while rescuing a stranded puppy, she is rescued by a Fuso witch named Shizuka Hattori, bringing her a visa to study at a medical school in Helvetia. Meanwhile in Venezia, where Shirley and Lucchini have a friendly boat race against the 504th unit, a strange transforming Neuroi with communication jamming abilities appears. With some assistance from the 504th, Shirley and Francesca manage to beat the Neuroi. As Yoshika and Shizuka travel on the Amagi, it collides with an iceberg, trapping one of the crew in the ammo storage with a fire breaking out. Ignoring Shizuka's warning not to enter the ammo storage, Yoshika rescues him and gets the sprinklers working, dismaying Shizuka. Upon arriving at Gallia, the two are greeted by Lynnette and Perrine and spend some time with some orphaned children Perrine looks after. Later, Shizuka realizes that Yoshika, despite not fitting the ideal image of a soldier, helped the 501st grow stronger. As Yoshika and Shizuka continue their journey, they stop at Rhine to aid people affected by a landslide. Meanwhile, Minna becomes curious about the reports on the new type of Neuroi, which appears too far away from the usual nests, sending Gertrude and Erica to investigate. Their search leads them to find several transforming Neuroi, as well as a tower-shaped one which escapes underground. As more Neuroi appear at a nearby village, Yoshika goes to help evacuate the villagers while Shizuka fights them in her first battle, though she is shot down by a surprise attack. With Shizuka rendered unconscious and a tower-type Neuroi heading towards the shelter, Yoshika is able to lure it away and destroy it, but she gets wounded. Coming across the grim situation as a large carrier-type Neuroi appears, Shizuka regains consciousness and attempts to fly out of the Neuroi's jamming range to call for help, informing the 501st of Yoshika's condition. As Yoshika hears the voices of her comrades, she regains her magical powers and heals her wounds. As the 501st fight against the Neuroi, Yoshika receives her Strike Unit from Mio and rejoins her friends to destroy the Neuroi carrier once and for all. With more Neuroi expected to come, the 501st Joint Fighter Wing is once again reformed. | |||
See also
- Strike Witches
- List of Strike Witches characters
- List of Brave Witches episodes - 2016 anime featuring a different set of characters
Notes
References
- ↑ "On Air". アニメ「501部隊発進しますっ！」公式サイト. 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
- ↑ "On Air". アニメ「501部隊発進しますっ！」公式サイト. 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
- ↑ "On Air". アニメ「501部隊発進しますっ！」公式サイト. 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
- ↑ "On Air". アニメ「501部隊発進しますっ！」公式サイト. 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
- ↑ "On Air". アニメ「501部隊発進しますっ！」公式サイト. 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
- ↑ "On Air". アニメ「501部隊発進しますっ！」公式サイト. 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
- ↑ "On Air". アニメ「501部隊発進しますっ！」公式サイト. 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
- ↑ "On Air". アニメ「501部隊発進しますっ！」公式サイト. 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
- ↑ "On Air". アニメ「501部隊発進しますっ！」公式サイト. 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
- ↑ "On Air". アニメ「501部隊発進しますっ！」公式サイト. 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
- ↑ "On Air". アニメ「501部隊発進しますっ！」公式サイト. 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
- ↑ "On Air". アニメ「501部隊発進しますっ！」公式サイト. 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
- ↑ "On'ea | Anime "Sutoraiku Witchīzu Rōdo tu Berurin" Kōshiki Saito" ON AIR | アニメ「ストライクウィッチーズ ROAD to BERLIN」公式サイト [ON AIR | Anime "Strike Witches: Road to Berlin" Official site]. w-witch.jp (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 30 September 2020. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
- ↑ "Sutōrī | Anime "Wārudo Witchīzu Hasshin Shimasu!" Kōshiki Saito" STORY | アニメ「ワールドウィッチーズ発進しますっ！」公式サイト [Story | Anime "World Witches Take Off!" Official Website]. w-witch.jp (in Japanese). Archived from the original on December 19, 2020. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
- ↑ "Strike Witches: 501st JOINT FIGHTER WING Take Off! - Watch on Crunchyroll". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on January 12, 2021. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
- ↑ "Hōsō Jōhō｜Wārudo Witchīzu Hasshin Shimasu!｜Anime｜Tōkyō Emu Ekkusu" 放送情報｜ワールドウィッチーズ発進しますっ！｜アニメ｜TOKYO MX [Broadcast Information｜World Witches Take Off!｜Anime｜Tokyo MX]. Tokyo MX (in Japanese). Retrieved January 26, 2021.
- ↑ "On'ea | Anime "Wārudo Witchīzu Hasshin Shimasu!" Kōshiki Saito" ON AIR | アニメ「ワールドウィッチーズ発進しますっ！」公式サイト [On Air | Anime "World Witches Take Off!" Official Website]. w-witch.jp (in Japanese). Archived from the original on January 12, 2021. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
- ↑ "Strike Witches: Operation Victory Arrow Promo Video Previews Yoko Ishida's Song". Anime News Network. June 27, 2014. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
- ↑ "Strike Witches: Operation Victory Arrow 2nd OVA's Home Release Previewed in Video". Anime News Network. January 21, 2015. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
- ↑ "Strike Witches: Operation Victory Arrow Final Episode's 2nd Promo Streamed". Anime News Network. March 21, 2015. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
External links
- Strike Witches (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.