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OK, based on all the advertising and editorial copy I sort of thoughtlessly put Strike Witches on backorder with Amazon and forgot about it for a month or so. It arrived last week and I ended up watching it -- the first disk at least so far.

I have nothing against looking at the butts and crotches of girls aged 11-20 (although I am surprised they let this into the rightwing puritanical state that the U.S. has become) but I got too old somehow to mistake that for a plot. The one useful dramatic effect it actually has is that it highlights how the nudity in the periodic communal bath scenes is actually more tasteful and less salacious in comparison.

It is never explained why the girls dress this way. At first I thought it there was some sort of cockamamie excuse based on some contrived reason that it was necessary for their flying machines (like Sky Girls) but they didn't even bother. The girls dress that way before they become Strike Witches. Nobody remarks on it its just that girls are normally mostly nude from the hips down. Who knew 1944 was like that.

The flying machines make utterly no sense whatever. If they were truly mechanical, they would tear the pilot's legs apart right from their bodies. If they are magical, what's with the airscrews, oil, and internal-combustion engine noises?

Does anyone know what exceeding Mach 1 with no protection other than a pair of goggles would do to you? Thought not.

This fearsome enemy can't seem to hit the broadside of a barn. They have these beam weapons that rarely hit the slow moving sea-based battle ships, even though the latter can't hurt them at all.

On top of that, the acting (I'm watching the English dub) was horrifically stilted and uneven in the first few episodes. Sakamoto is always laughing inappropriately and I almost quit watching over that. Who knew that such seasoned voice actressess such as Cherami Leigh, Caitlin Glass, Jamie March, Luci Christian, and Kira Vincent-Davis could be so badly handled as to put out such tripe?

Fortunately it seems to get better after the fourth episode. I guess I'll watch the rest of it but I can't believe I was tricked into buying it.

what hype? I thought it was well known that Strike Witches was a show aimed at Lolicons.

One thing that bothers me, if one is wearing a sukumizu (school swimsuit) while she transforms is the tail attached to her body or her swimsuit? Or is there a hole already in the swimsuit conveniently placed through which the tail pops out (assuming the tail becomes part of her body)?

I have no problem with the mechanical/magical legs. If they weren't distinctly mechanical they wouldn't be mecha musume (that's how this fad all started). It's kind of like steampunk - not really future, not really past just real cool looking is all that matters Smile

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Does anyone know what exceeding Mach 1 with no protection other than a pair of goggles would do to you? Thought not.

That's nothing. There are those surpassing Light Speed in Saint Seiya, yet they're completely uninjured.

I've never had that much problem with hypes. Except for those anime that I really liked but couldn't stand most of its fans(Haruhi s1 and Spice and Wolf), and ended up disliking it for a good while.
I don't think that a hype would trick me that easily, all the more if Strike Witches is the cause. I'd say that anime like this is one of the few which is okay to judge by its cover, just like I did with a hyped yuri show from 1 or 2 seasons ago.

Past wrote:

One thing that bothers me, if one is wearing a sukumizu (school swimsuit) while she transforms is the tail attached to her body or her swimsuit? Or is there a hole already in the swimsuit conveniently placed through which the tail pops out (assuming the tail becomes part of her body)?

Well, I suppose the tail is attached to her swimsuit; not her body. If that's really her body, then I bet the designer adapted her swimsuit based on that sort of pyjama with a hole in the back, so you can go in the toilet without feeling the chilly night, but instead the hole is a few centimeters above the original position. Pretty much like a pet door.

I think we all have experiences where we get sucked into hype. I know it has happened several times to me, off hand Moribito was a show I bought into and just enjoy it enough to justify the crazy hype that surrounds it. I mean, i liked it well enough... but it was more of a casual "yeah, that was good" than an outright "that was great!" reaction. I don't regret watching but, but I do wish I had waited to purchase the economy pack, rather than springing out to get the singles. (At least the artbox looks super-sexy on my shelves...)

I guess it all evens out with shows that I buy cheep, but really enjoy much more that I expected to, like The Ping Pong Club.

Well, I never really bought into this series at all, myself. I watched the first episode when the series first came out and found it to be a laughably shameless show for people of the pedo-persuasion in addition to being dreadfully boring. The result was me dropping it right there without regret.

Strike Witches, mention the name, and watch all the blue noses come out. "Well, I managed to sit through almost an entire episode...."
"the physics of this just don't work......"
"....it's only enjoyable for lolicons...."
Hey, there was a Kodomo No Jikan thread going a few days ago, you people might want to dig that up, and drop some more "i'm better than that" attitude there.
Okay, maybe it's me that just doesn't get it. How could i possible enjoy an anime that has action, comedy, drama, and animalolifighters?
Easily. It's not difficult to enjoy. If anyone has a problem with the premise....what the heck are you doing watching it in the first place? No, seriously, why? Possibly to give people with 1) no sense of humor another axe to grind, 2) those who thi-no, those who know all the laws of physics and dynamics, a way to show how something wouldn't work, 3) picky people who have beaten a dead horse into individual atoms (the "how can something shoot and miss" question has been around since the advent of motion pictures), 4) the ever wonderful to be around moralistic types, who detest anything and everything fanservice, especially females who look to be underage (hint, they're not real people, they're 2D).
Personally, as you might be able to tell, i liked this series. I plan on getting the dvds-even though i've already watched it. It's amusing, and frankly, i think it's just what Gonzo needed in the US market. Did Burst Angel or even Chrono Crusade (both series i've enjoyed) make a killing on the US dvd scene? Frankly my dears, i doubt they'll even care when the Strike Witches receipts roll in. Of course, the big box stores probably won't have many copies on the shelf, so the majority will be sold online/mail order, because the high ground bluenoses would be picketing the stores who carry "such trash", while on the way home from the demonstration, be sure to pick up a copy of "People" magazine, and TV Guide, to find out what time the "Housewives of whatever city" comes on.

PaniPoni61 wrote:

Strike Witches, mention the name, and watch all the blue noses come out. "Well, I managed to sit through almost an entire episode...."
"the physics of this just don't work......"
"....it's only enjoyable for lolicons...."
Hey, there was a Kodomo No Jikan thread going a few days ago, you people might want to dig that up, and drop some more "i'm better than that" attitude there.
Okay, maybe it's me that just doesn't get it. How could i possible enjoy an anime that has action, comedy, drama, and animalolifighters?
Easily. It's not difficult to enjoy. If anyone has a problem with the premise....what the heck are you doing watching it in the first place? No, seriously, why? Possibly to give people with 1) no sense of humor another axe to grind, 2) those who thi-no, those who know all the laws of physics and dynamics, a way to show how something wouldn't work, 3) picky people who have beaten a dead horse into individual atoms (the "how can something shoot and miss" question has been around since the advent of motion pictures), 4) the ever wonderful to be around moralistic types, who detest anything and everything fanservice, especially females who look to be underage (hint, they're not real people, they're 2D).
Personally, as you might be able to tell, i liked this series. I plan on getting the dvds-even though i've already watched it. It's amusing, and frankly, i think it's just what Gonzo needed in the US market. Did Burst Angel or even Chrono Crusade (both series i've enjoyed) make a killing on the US dvd scene? Frankly my dears, i doubt they'll even care when the Strike Witches receipts roll in. Of course, the big box stores probably won't have many copies on the shelf, so the majority will be sold online/mail order, because the high ground bluenoses would be picketing the stores who carry "such trash", while on the way home from the demonstration, be sure to pick up a copy of "People" magazine, and TV Guide, to find out what time the "Housewives of whatever city" comes on.

Though I must say, you sound quite frustrated. I completely agree with your post.

Strike witches probably isn't up my alley, but the point stands that if you don't enjoy something...don't watch it. No one is pointing a gun at your head and forcing you. Watch what you like, don't watch what you don't. It's that simple. There is definitely a growing trend amongst anime related forums lately of flat out declarations of hatred towards certain shows to somehow try not to catch the pedo-disease. Perhaps I am just imagining it, but it wasn't until just within the last year or so that I have seen multitudes of individuals, see an anime with a girl in it that looks even remotely less than 18 and start shouting "PEDOPHILE!!!".

yes... strike witches was a strange show alright. When i saw the advert here on ANN i had to buy it to find out just what the hell it was.

I actually like the whole thing about the lack of pants and the animal ears and whatever simply because its a quirky detail that didn't mean anything at all and allowed you to, i geuss, fill in the blanks on your own (less crotch detail though please).

I've always liked it when shows do that (As another example, why Asuna from Negima has different coloured eyes. Dont tell me if thats actually important though, m not done yet).

Also, if your just focusing on the loli/yuri aspects your missing out on alot. Some of the action scenes and flight choreography is really nice. Personallt i likedt he show overall, with a few exceptions, because there was a balance of everything.

HaruhiToy wrote:

Nobody remarks on it its just that girls are normally mostly nude from the hips down. Who knew 1944 was like that.

Anybody that actually took an interest in history, or did the Great Depression escape your mind? My goodness! There were people who didn't even have running water, electricity, shoes, cars, DVD players, or shit... even anime! Google for yourself if you need proof of this.

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The flying machines make utterly no sense whatever.

Neither does this observation over a cartoon, yet here it exists just the same.

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Does anyone know what exceeding Mach 1 with no protection other than a pair of goggles would do to you?

Probably the same result as expecting a form of entertainment to be real as possible.

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They have these beam weapons that rarely hit the slow moving sea-based battle ships, even though the latter can't hurt them at all.

Wait. You're bitching about the lack of realism then ranting about beam weapons. Oh, I can't wait to read what else you have to say.

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Who knew that such seasoned voice actresses such as Cherami Leigh, Caitlin Glass, Jamie March, Luci Christian, and Kira Vincent-Davis could be so badly handled as to put out such tripe?

Yet, not a single mention of the Japanese dialogue. Interesting.

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Fortunately it seems to get better after the fourth episode.

WTF?! ARE YOU ADDING TO THE HYPE??!!

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I guess I'll watch the rest of it but I can't believe I was tricked into buying it.

Nicely played, HaruhiToy. Turning your pointless and hypocritical rant into comedic gold at the very end.

*stands and applauds.

You sold me. I'm going to order this series if I can have just as much fun as you had with it.
Cool

JBFire wrote:

PaniPoni61 wrote:

Hey, there was a Kodomo No Jikan thread going a few days ago, you people might want to dig that up, and drop some more "i'm better than that" attitude there.

Though I must say, you sound quite frustrated. I completely agree with your post.

Well I don't agree. There is a difference between Plan 9 from Outer Space and 2001 A Space Odyssey. They're both science fiction, right? They both require considerable suspension of disbelief, don't they? They should be equally enjoyable, right? If you believe that I don't know how you ever graduated from your pacifier. (And Ed Wood was actually there -- never graduated -- right up until his death.)

The only real problem with Strike Witches is the lazy writing. Not down to the Ed Wood level but not very good. What they ended up with is leaving too much to the imagination with regard to the character development and the plot progression, while at the same time (you have to suspect because of) a pursuit of leaving too little to the imagination on the subject of female plumbing. Yes I know its a joke but we have all known someone that keeps telling the same joke over and over again to the point you can't even remember if it was ever funny. Lazy writing. Think of a new joke dude.

I finished it last night, and on the shelf it goes probably never to be taken down again. As it turns out it ends up better than it starts, which isn't saying much. It seemed to end pretty abruptly which leads me to believe someone finally realized what they were doing and stopped funding it.

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but it wasn't until just within the last year or so that I have seen multitudes of individuals, see an anime with a girl in it that looks even remotely less than 18 and start shouting "PEDOPHILE!!!".

That's been going on for a long time. Some of the people are genuinely concerned but are unable to keep perspective, but the loudest section are those that are seeking protective camouflage because they are uncomfortable with their own true feelings.

I'm watching it now. Not paying anything for it mind you, just watching the crappy looking sub streams at Funimation. I can appreciate the comedy/action/ cute girls thing so I find it quite easy to watch, although I wouldn't dream of buying it. I'll watch it once through for the naughty funny stuff, and will probably watch the next season for the same reason but won't be rewatching because I've seen much funnier and for that simple fact that it doesn't really make sense. This morning I watched the episode where the girl couldn't find her panties in the morning and hilarity ensues. I mean that- it was funny. ... But the question of that episode does become, not "why do they only wear panties" but, "why do they only apparently own one pair of panties?"

Were the panties in that box they received when they enlisted? "You are issued your pistol and your panties. Do their panties serve as dog tags? In the case of death are their bodies identified by their panties? Do their family receive their panties in the mail as remembrance?

So yeah, sorry if you spent money on these unseen and found it to be lacking. Caveat emptor!
As a diverting show to watch once, I find it quite decent.

Thank you for the comment JBFire, though we may not agree on all points, it is nice to be able to listen to someone take a different viewpoint on a topic so well. oh, and btw....go Baysox! (and O's!)

And to HaruhiToy, sorry, i can't tell if you're upset with me, or JBF. If it's aimed at him, sorry, i cannot fathom the what/why. If aimed at me, not a problem, i'm used to this kind of thing.
First off, the Ed Wood reference. Yes, his films were lacking....a lot. You think he didn't know that? You think his audience didn't know that? Comparing P9 to 2001? Wow, that's taking a risk. Why not take it a step further, and make it a Kurosawa vs Troma film comparison. You can't, not logically anyway. That's dynamiting fish in a barrel. An easy potshot. A better one might have been to point out differences in Ed Wood vs. Herschel Gordon Lewis, but that isn't quite as easy to do is it?
(personal note, as "groundbreaking" as Kubrick was supposed to be, i don't care for his work, nor the person who a lot of people think was "the next Kubrick"-Ken Russell....)
What does all this have to do with Strike Witches? Not much. The writing for this whole series isn't going to be Shakespeare, Chaucer, Vonnegut, or freakin Tom Wolfe. If you went for this series for "depth" of writing.....all i can ask is....really?
OOOhhh.....another "womens' plumbing" joke. for your sake, do NOT ever ever read High School Girls-the manga.
Therein lies a difference in anime vs western cartoons right there. At least in anime, we know that people use the restroom.
Okay, there has to be something i can actually defend this series with, correct? Why else would i post here? For one thing, the graphics are absolutely terrific, and the soundtrack, especially for the in-flight scenes is fantastic. The writing, for what it's worth, is up to the task, and the character design/background (yeah, the characters do have something worth looking up...wikiwikiwiki...no not the Newcleus one....) though it does have a feel of some "Sky Girls" tossed in, from a pseudo-historical pov, it's not bad.

And for that funding issue. Yeah, they must have disliked it.
So much that it's set for another season.

Darn that Gonzo!!! maho!

PaniPoni61 wrote:

Strike Witches, mention the name, and watch all the blue noses come out. "Well, I managed to sit through almost an entire episode...."
"the physics of this just don't work......"
"....it's only enjoyable for lolicons...."
Hey, there was a Kodomo No Jikan thread going a few days ago, you people might want to dig that up, and drop some more "i'm better than that" attitude there.
Okay, maybe it's me that just doesn't get it. How could i possible enjoy an anime that has action, comedy, drama, and animalolifighters?
Easily. It's not difficult to enjoy. If anyone has a problem with the premise....what the heck are you doing watching it in the first place? No, seriously, why? Possibly to give people with 1) no sense of humor another axe to grind, 2) those who thi-no, those who know all the laws of physics and dynamics, a way to show how something wouldn't work, 3) picky people who have beaten a dead horse into individual atoms (the "how can something shoot and miss" question has been around since the advent of motion pictures), 4) the ever wonderful to be around moralistic types, who detest anything and everything fanservice, especially females who look to be underage (hint, they're not real people, they're 2D).
Personally, as you might be able to tell, i liked this series. I plan on getting the dvds-even though i've already watched it. It's amusing, and frankly, i think it's just what Gonzo needed in the US market. Did Burst Angel or even Chrono Crusade (both series i've enjoyed) make a killing on the US dvd scene? Frankly my dears, i doubt they'll even care when the Strike Witches receipts roll in. Of course, the big box stores probably won't have many copies on the shelf, so the majority will be sold online/mail order, because the high ground bluenoses would be picketing the stores who carry "such trash", while on the way home from the demonstration, be sure to pick up a copy of "People" magazine, and TV Guide, to find out what time the "Housewives of whatever city" comes on.

I suppose the phrase "One Man's trash is another man's treasure" applies here. If you like something good for you, but be aware that other people are also allowed to have opinions just as you are, and some of them may not agree with you. It's pointless to whine and get bent about people who don't agree with you as you yourself pointed out it's just some animated show, right? Don't let what other people say about it get you down if you truly enjoy something. Take it from a guy who been in several similar situations with liking things that are often panned. I've been there.

PaniPoni61 wrote:

And to HaruhiToy, sorry, i can't tell if you're upset with me, or JBF. If it's aimed at him, sorry, i cannot fathom the what/why.

Not upset. Just don't agree with everything. I know that on the Internets thing we aren't supposed to know the difference, but i happen to. I like your posts.

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Comparing P9 to 2001? Wow, that's taking a risk. Why not take it a step further, and make it a Kurosawa vs Troma film comparison. You can't, not logically anyway. That's dynamiting fish in a barrel. An easy potshot.

ha. Fair enough. The point I was trying to make is that one work obsessed over details, the other just glossed them over when they were too inconvenient to fix. Strike Witches, although not the bottom draws the line lower than they should have. Or could have.

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A better one might have been to point out differences in Ed Wood vs. Herschel Gordon Lewis, but that isn't quite as easy to do is it?

I had to google Lewis to see what you were talking about. Sorry I can't remember one single thing of his I ever saw so I guess I can't respond.

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What does all this have to do with Strike Witches? Not much. The writing for this whole series isn't going to be Shakespeare, Chaucer, Vonnegut, or freakin Tom Wolfe. If you went for this series for "depth" of writing.....all i can ask is....really?

You know, you really don't have to go all that deep to not insult the reader's intelligence. Why spend that much money on animation (what is it -- $100K to $300K per episode?) and not spend a little extra on a writer (or team of writers) to come up with ONE creative idea? All I can ask is: why?

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OOOhhh.....another "womens' plumbing" joke. for your sake, do NOT ever ever read High School Girls-the manga.

thanks for the warning.

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Why else would i post here? For one thing, the graphics are absolutely terrific, and the soundtrack, especially for the in-flight scenes is fantastic.

I'm with you there. I liked the 3D background scenes. I'm a hang glider pilot so I can relate to that.

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And for that funding issue. Yeah, they must have disliked it.
So much that it's set for another season.

My take is that about halfway through someone said "oh, boy. Let's tie it off here and see if it sells. We'll promote the hell out of it. If it looks like the sales do OK then let's do another season." Just speculation on my part, but it looks like that's what happened. I don't want to post a spoiler but the evidence is there.

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I got sucked in by all the hype (Strike Witches).