Ranked #1256

Strike Witches 2

Our favorite flying witches are back to liberate Europe from the Neuroi scourge! Without wearing any pants. For those of us who saw the original Strike Witches (or Pantsu Witches as I like to say) anime you had to know what you were going to be in store for. A lot of fan service, cute girls, and panty shots. But a funny thing happened with this over the top and gratuitous ecchi anime, it’s a hell of a lot of fun to watch!

Much like the original, Strike Witches 2 features a plot you could have written out on a cocktail napkin. The fight against the Neuroi continues, this time moving on to Romagna, which is the real world analog of Italy. The girls of the 501st Fighter wing are reformed to battle the Neuroi presence. Happily, especially early in the series the action is really ramped up. But what is likely to disappoint is the lack of any development of the enemy. None of the important events of the first series were carried over and the Neuroi returned to being a faceless and unthinking enemy. I was also disappointed that nothing new was explained about the disappearance of Miyafugi's father. The series does climax with an epic battle, culminating with the use of a special magical attack that is pretty much the only reoccurring plot element over the course of the show.

Despite the lack of any substantive plot however, the series does shine over each episode. Instead of a story, the episodes focus on building the characters of our various heroines. New witches are brought into the fold, the most interesting being Barkhorn's countryman and rival Mariselle. The episodes range from being the usual comedic silliness to light drama and quite a bit more yuri undertones than in the previous series. As expected the ecchi content is extremely high, so if that annoys you then this really isn’t your show. Much like the first season, the forthcoming DVDs will be featuring a bounty of boobs and booty, unblocked by the TV versions convenient sunbeams and steam clouds. Though as pervy as it is, for me it seemed much less exploitive and in your face as it did previously. So those who might be on the fence might be relieved to know that the series doesn’t revolve around seeing some underage girls panties, you just happened to see them a lot.

As with the original, SW2 features its unique mix of World War 2 history with all of the magic and witchcraft. Fans of military history will be delighted to see the attention to detail paid to the designs of all the various nations’ naval ships and right down to the aviation correlations with the witches Striker Units and the weapons they carry into battle. I am by no means an authority but I can tell the amount of research and attention to detail the production staff went to in order to have each of the girls use nation specific weaponry and unit names.

Because of the weakness of the main story, what really carries the series is its wonderful cast. While the cast is quite large and it’s really impossible to do justice to all of the girls, SW2 does a pretty good job at trying. Obviously you will get far more out of this series if you already have the familiarity with them that comes with seeing the first season. For the most part each girl or pairing gets their own episode to build on their characters. I found some characters that I didn’t particularly care for previously, such as Perrine, were much more fun and likable this time around. Though others like Lucchini remained annoying. As I mentioned earlier, more time was spent developing some yuri relationships between several of the characters. Though it’s nothing particularly significant, fans of that sort of thing are sure to be pleased.

Visually the art and animation is quite stunning. For me other than the pure fun I had watching it this was the best element of series. The girls are extremely cute and appealing and since we see so much of them in their birthday suits they are also realistically proportioned. The series combat scenes are exciting and chalk full of a combination of conventional battle and magical effects. The detail of the various backgrounds which feature many famous Italian landmarks and the countryside. Everything from the naval and military forces down to the ammo clips on the weapons has a very authentic feel to them.

The music really sets the tone for each episode. The upbeat OP performed by Youko Ishida pumped me up for the fun that proceeded after. The ED theme is similarly enthusiastic and changes up week by week as it is performed by different members of the cast. The background music also enhances the series many battle scenes. The seiyuu cast is strong and full of many of the industry’s top talents.

I loved this series enormously and I am going to be very sad to see it go away. Despite all the things about this show that should make every ounce of my feminist being burst into flames, Strike Witches was just really fun. Everything it lacks in substance (and clothing) is more than made up in sheer entertainment value. Turn off your brain and smile a little and I think you will enjoy it as much as I did.
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Currently, we're two episodes in, and already the show has dived straight into the thick of things.

Naturally, this being a sequel to the original Strike Witches, it is pretty much a prerequisite that one has watched the first season before. However, in my opinion, this series may yet turn out to be better than its predecessor.

The story has as of yet not had time to develop, with the series still in the process of re-introducing the characters; however, the manner in which this has been done, including a first episode that parallels somewhat the manner in which the main protagonist was introduced in the first season, runs smooth as silk. Reintroduction episodes are normally rather snooze-worthy - Strike Witches Season 2 throws us into action right from the start with a dogfight within the first ten minutes of the first episode, hitting the ground already up and running. This sets up the rest of the show for more of the flygirl characters we know and love.

The art, no way else to put it, is amazing. AIC took over from Gonzo for this season, but the characters still look exactly the same - if not even better than before. The backgrounds, noticeably stiffer in Gonzo's animation, have been rendered in breathtaking quality. The vista-like skies add to the overall sense of freedom in flight that permeates the show, while the characters themselves appear to move unrestricted throughout the battle scenes. AIC's use of 3DCG characters is almost unnoticeable, with a very smooth transition between CG and frame-by-frame animation when the characters zoom toward and away from the viewer.

Naturally, this being Strike Witches, the pantsu shots fly freely. AIC has taken liberty with this, littering the show with perhaps one too many frames of female crotches. They're beautifully rendered crotches from a great many angles, no doubt, but toning down a little would greatly reduce the discomfiture of many (and greatly increase the chagrin of quite a few, I admit).

The sound is also rather mediocre. The OP and ED are instantly forgettable; the inserts, while nothing much, add greatly to the feel of the show, and in this way redeem themselves. The soundtrack is probably not something you'd listen to over and over again, but it does its job.

Nonetheless, the show is a step up from the previous series so far. The show seems to have gained a grander sense of things, a more "epic" feel, so to speak. Fitting for a show featuring golden-era fighter aces battling to save the world once again. The show has a long way yet to prove itself worthy of the original government-endorsed series of cultural excellence; but so far, it looks set to meet, and possibly even surpass, the original. read more