Battle girl high school treads a genre that is very commonly seen in animes which is that of a magical girl/ school/action anime that has elements of comedy in it. Based off a popular mobile action role playing game to which im also a fan off the series is set in the year 2045 in the aftermath of an invasion of the planet by an alien race called the Irousou that devastated large parts of the planet and forcing humanity to withdraw to the cities. However, while the situation is grave the appearance of a special tree that appeared on the planet proved to be their salvation as this granted the people the power to face these aliens. Standing against these beings are the Hoshimori girls who through the power of this mysterious sacred tree are able to wield impressive powers that allow them to wield impressive power against the invaders. As the Irous begin their renewed push on the city new allies and new enemies also start to appear complicating things for the girls.
The anime itself as its main setting is largely set within a fictional school that exists within the universe the Shinjugamine Girls academy that exist to train the Hoshimori girls. However rather than just be used to train them the school also functions as a normal school and educates other normal students as well. Rather than having the girls as something like a superhero team the Hoshimori girls are organised into one large class with each of them being present within the class and dividing into sub teams when called into combat. The bulk of the setting for the anime takes place in both the school and the city that surrounds it which features a number of interesting terrain types.
The overall story for Battle Girl High school influenced by its source material follows the activities of a number of the Hoshimori girls as they go about their school life while at the same time also defending the city and its people from the attacks of the alien race the Irous. Although the anime has a large cast of main characters I feel that these are all featured equally within the series. The character that can be considered to be the main focus character in this show is perhaps going to be Miki Hoshitsuki a young teenage girl that lives within the city and a high school freshman that has been granted by the power of the sacred tree to become a member of the elite Hoshimori girls that defend the city. While trying to learn everything that there is about how to become a good one Miki and the other Hoshimori girls suddenly notice a change in the Irous as they slowly begin to change their attack patterns as if working to some devious plans of theirs. As Miki and her teammates fight tirelessly to protect the city and its people they must fight even harder to defeat the new plans of the enemy as well as contend with the newer and more powerful irous that attack the city. In the midst of this Miki finds her fate and destiny drawn and connected with a mysterious new Hoshimori girl that suddenly appears in the midst of these attacks Misaki. As the Irous begin their final assault on the city Miki, Misaki and their fellow Hoshimori girls must marshal their combined strength and use the power of the sacred tree, their bonds of friendship and the combined wishes of everyone in the city to stand firm in the face of darkness and triumph for if they fail only darkness will remain.
Miki
Miki Hoshitsuki voiced by veteran seiyuu Aya Suzaki of Trinity seven fame is one of the main characters of the series and can be considered to be one of the main protagonist of the show. A newly elevated Hoshimori girl and a high school freshman in the Shinjugamine Girls academy Miki can be considered the best representation of what the ideal Hoshimori girl should be like to the people of the city in that she’s brave, dutiful and fights hard to protect its people from the attacks of the Irous. Personality wise Miki in the beginning was a relatively carefree girl that though new to the role of a member of the elite Hoshimori girls was shown to be very dutiful and dedicated to becoming one of their famed number. In the beginning Miki was shown to be actually quite clumsy but as the series went on this trait of hers eventually vanishes. Though new to the role of a member of the Hoshimori girls Miki has shown to take this role seriously and is very diligent and hard working in trying to improve not just herself but also her team as well. While Miki may appear to others to be a simple-minded girl Miki is shown to be able to think fast on her feet and react to new situations whether on the field or in school relatively well which really surprised me. While Miki may appear to be carefree when she becomes serious it is noted that Miki can be surprisingly intelligent and focused and when working with her teammates can come up with some effective tactics that can surprise even their seniors.
Miki’s most prominent trait is naturally her trademarked kindness and her view on what the Hoshimori girls represent to the people of the city. In the beginning of the series as a result of being new to the role it can be seen that Miki can get flustered rather easily but as the series goes on she becomes more self-confidant in herself largely as a result of seeing what her friends both her fellow Hoshimori girls and her normal friends think of her. A key part of this was due to her kindness as true to her personality Miki is kind to a fault and always willing to help others even when they try to push her away. The best example of this is in her interactions with the new character of Misaki. In fact, it can be seen that both Miki and Misaki despite having opposite personalities actually rub off each other as the series goes on with Miki finding strength from her. One aspect of Miki’s personality that I like is her determination to fight for the wishes of the people and finding the strength from that to fight against overwhelming odds even when their powers is spent. This is something that I feel that every hero should aspire to be fighting for. Overall I felt that the character of Miki was a character that was well designed and that her seiyuu Aya Suzaki really did a great job in voicing her.
Haruka
Haruka voiced by veteran seiyuu singer Sora Amamiya of Aldnoah Zero and Plastic memories fame is one of the main characters of the series and is a fellow Hoshimori girl of Miki’s. Along with Subaru and Miki they form the High school first year sub team within the Hoshimori girl’s unit. An elegant, calm and composed person Haruka is an integral part of both the Hoshimori girl’s unit and Miki’s team and acts as the team’s voice of caution and logic. Despite appearing to be both intelligent and mature for her age Haruka displays none of the ego and arrogance that such characters usually show and is actually quite the kind person and able to understand the feelings and opinions of other people relatively easily. She’s also shown to be very considerate towards others as well. Though not as dedicated towards the role of a Hoshimori as Miki is Haruka is someone that can be said to be always on the ball and always tries to rein Miki in when she either gets too excited or too rash with her actions. In battle Haruka’s analytical skills and her calm and composed personality as well as her good grasp of tactics means that she is able to direct her team mates effectively on the field while still keeping appraised of new developments. In battle Haruka is shown to be serious and completely focused in dealing with the enemies that lie in front of her. As can be expected of Haruka’s logical personality Haruka is someone that prefers to get things done sooner rather than later which clashes somewhat with Miki’s carefree nature a contrast that I found to be pretty amusing. Haruka I felt was an interesting character that acted as a good balance between the more carefree Miki and the rasher Subaru and proves that calmness and correct application of tactics combined with teamwork can surprise anyone. I felt that Sora Amamiya did a pretty good job in voicing the character of Haruka.
Subaru
Subaru voiced by veteran seiyuu Ayane Sakura of Charlotte and Trinity seven fame is one of the main characters of the series and is a fellow Hoshimori girl and teammate to Haruka and Miki. A somewhat free thinking and hot-blooded tomboy that serves as the heavy hitter of Miki’s sub team Subaru is someone that cares little about rules and procedure and is the type of person that will rush into a crossfire if it means that she can get into close combat with her enemies. Despite that Miki has shown to be very loyal to her friends and team mates and pays all due respect for her fellow hoshimori’s as well as her seniors in the class. Despite her rather serious personality Subaru surprisingly can be quite the joker at times which I felt was a nice contrast to her personality. As one of the close combat specialists of the team alongside Miki Subaru’s hot-blooded nature puts her in good stead as it allows her to close with the enemy without fear and smite them with her hammer though she does has a tendency of going overboard with her attacks something that I find quite amusing. A prominent trait of Subaru that I find quite funny is that she wants to be seen as looking cool rather than looking cute a trait that I think suits her personality rather well. As a result of her tomboy nature a surprising thing about Subaru is that she actually looks almost like a man when she’s dressed in outfits that are traditionally worn by men such as those worn by butlers as shown in the school festival that was featured in one of the episodes. Subaru, I felt was an interesting character that brought a lot of balance to the team and seeing her try so hard to break free of being called cute was pretty funny. Ayane Sakura I felt did a great job portraying the character of Subaru.
Asuha
Asuha Kusunoki voiced by veteran seiyuu Mutsumi Tamura of Anohana and Digimon tri fame is one of the main characters of the series and is a fellow Hoshimori of Miki. A third-year student and also the student council president of the school itself Asuha is a mature, honest and logical person that has the difficult job of reining in the fellow third years and her kohai’s. As expected of the school’s student council president Asuha is very responsible and by the book though in this she isn’t as inflexible as some student council presidents in other anime are. Outside of battle Asuha is often seen by the other girls as aloof and strict but in reality Asuha is someone that is readily accessible to any of the girls and is easily approachable. As both the student council president and also a third-year student Asuha tries very hard to impose discipline and order on to the student body but has a funny tendency to always get derailed by her fellow third year and team mate Renge. Despite her aloof nature Asuha is shown to care a great deal about her fellow teammates and will fight ever harder to protect them from all threats. In combat as a senior student and as student council president Asuha often acts as the battle leader of the teams that are engaged in battle and in this we can see the more serious side of her personality.
In combat Asuha is utterly focused on the battle situation and on the enemies, that lie in front of them trusting her allies and friends to do their utmost in fighting alongside her. Like Haruka Asuha is capable of calmly analyzing the enemy’s tactics and react accordingly but goes a step further by using her motivational skills to inspire her friends and allies a skill that is especially useful in the later stages of the series when the battles get harder. Despite Asuha’s self-confidence Asuha has shown to get flustered easily especially when confronted with situations that she is unused too such as when told to perform a comedy skit for the class. This aspect I felt was quite funny and actually made it more like a normal schoolgirl than anything. Asuha I felt was a well-designed character that did a great job of emphasizing the role that a student council president should fulfil in a school that has a combat team on a permanent war footing. While certainly strict and by the book Asuha’s discipline and self-confidence I felt allowed her to direct her fellow students in repelling the enemy in the most effective way possible. I felt that her seiyuu Mutsumi Tamura really did a great job portraying her.
Misaki
Misaki voiced by veteran seiyuu Rie Takahashi of Re Zero fame is one of the main characters of the series is one of the main characters of the series and a fellow Hoshimori of Miki. A new member of the team that came into the story under the mysterious sponsorship of the school’s president Botan Kamine Misaki like the rest of the team is a Hoshimori but is shown to have a much higher degree of skill than any of the girls within the team even the third years. Initially Misaki’s personality was rather hostile to the girls being rather blunt and direct with her words and not hiding the fact that she completely disapproves of both their individual abilities and teamwork. She also seemed to display a certain sense of disapproval at bonds and friendships that the girls displayed in her first personality. As a result of this in the beginning her relationship with not just the Hoshimori girls but also with the teachers that oversee and manage them was rather frosty. As the series goes on however Misaki’s personality noticeably begins to change as she fights alongside the girls more. it soon become obvious that Misaki’s tough girl attitude that she displayed towards the girls was an act that was meant to push the girls to learn how to fight more effectively as a team. Something that I thought was interesting to her character.
Misaki’s icy and unapproachable nature that she made use of in the beginning also started to crack as a result of fighting alongside the girls and getting to know them on a personal level. While still trying to maintain a distance with the rest of the girls Misaki gradually starts to warm up to the girls and I felt that it was nice in seeing her start to bond with the girls that she hated in the beginning. The many sweet moments that transpire between Misaki and the girls I felt were heartwarming to see. Misaki’s own personal quest as well as her own origin story was part of the overall quest and is tied in rather well with the development of her own character and I felt that this combination was done pretty well. Seeing each of the girls come to her defense when she needed it was nice as it showed that the bonds that they had forged was not easily forgotten and dismissed. As a character, I really liked the character of Misaki and I felt that she actually had some really good development of her character. Her reason and origin story I feel was also well done and seeing her being able to forge lasting friendships was something that I thought that the writers really did well in. Her seiyuu Rie Takahashi I felt really did a great job in portraying her.
Nozomi
Nozomi Amano voiced by veteran seiyuu singer Nao Touyama of Asterisk wars and in the world god only knows fame is one of the main characters of the show and one of Miki’s main allies and a fellow Hoshimori. A second-year high school student and a member of Yuri’s team Nozomi is a cheerful, positive and go lucky girl that always has a smile on her face. However, beneath this cheerful exterior Nozomi in the beginning was a very fragile girl. While she understands the importance and duty of being a member of the Hoshimori and their role in stopping the Irous Nozomi secretly felt fear and was starting to feel the strain of responsibility that stems from the high hopes that everyone has in her. As the series progresses this starts creating a rift between she and her teammates Yuri and Kurumi. Though scared in the beginning Kurumi as a result of seeing how hard the others fight and how they shoulder the high hopes that the others have on them and use this as their source of strength gradually starts to change as she starts to realise that shouldering one’s burdens by yourself was the wrong way to go and talking to you friends about it was the correct method. Post crisis Nozomi I felt was a much better character as she was now much braver and dependable and her positive and cheerful attitude is no longer a mask that she wears to disguise her weakness and felt more heartwarming than anything else. A prominent trait of Nozomi is a joker like personality in that she loves to play jokes on people. However, this facet of her personality also reveals the fact that Nozomi is very perceptive and understanding of other people’s moods which have the effect of making her jokes that much more effective. I felt that Nozomi herself was a rather interesting character and I felt that Nao Touyama really did a great job portraying her.
Shiho and Kanon
Shiho Kunieda and Kanon Kougami who are voiced by veteran seiyuu’s Shino Shimoji and Kaede Hondo of Seiren and girlish number fame respectively are important support characters of the show and are Miki and co’s main allies in their battle against the Irous. Like the rest of the Hoshimori girls Shiho and Kanon are students of the school both of them being second year high school students but they differ with the rest of the Hoshimori in that they also have a professional career of their own where they work as idol singers that form the group Fortissimo a group that seems to be extremely popular within the universe. As can be expected Shiho and Kanon have a very deep bond and friendship with each other which also allows them to function pretty effectively in battle as well. Of the pair Shiho is the one that acts as rear-guard support that benefits from her personality of being calm, composed and logical. Indeed, Shiho most often acts as the calming presence for her more hot-headed friend and partner. Kanon on the other hand is the opposite of Shiho in that she can be more brash and aggressive than needed at times but this is balanced out by the fact that Kanon is more mature and professional for someone her age. As a result of their dual careers of being both popular idols and veteran hoshimori’s the pair are idolized by the rest of the girls a praise that I felt they deserve as they truly are multi talented.
Yuri
Yuri voiced by veteran seiyuu Sumire Uesaka of kancolle and Musaigen no phantom world fame is one of the main support characters of the series and is a fellow Hoshimori of Miki and co. A member of the second-year high school squad alongside Nozomi and Kurumi Yuri also has the role of being the head of the student council’s disciplinary committee a task and role that she enjoys greatly. Personality wise Yuri is a strict, self-confidant and fiery person that values teamwork and unity more than anything else. As a result of this her relationship with Misaki in the beginning was a bit on the strained side. As a result of her self-confidence Yuri has a lot of faith in her skills in combat which unfortunately can also make her somewhat of a loose cannon at times. Despite her rather strict personality Yuri is someone that acts somewhat like a sheltered girl that hides behind the mask of her job as head of the disciplinary committee as she when confronted with situations that she is not used to can get flustered quite easily. This aspect of her I think was quite cute which is interesting since as a character Yuri despises being called cute in the first place. I felt that her seiyuu Sumire Uesaka did a really good job in portraying the character of Yuri.
Arts and animation
The arts and animation for the series I felt was pretty good with the design of the various enemy types that the girls face being pretty varied which kept things interesting. The character designs for each of the girls I felt were pretty strong and was a very accurate portrayal of how they looked in the game that acted as the origin. The battles scenes were the series I felt were done pretty well though I feel that I enjoyed the battles against the new types of enemies more than I did for the more common enemy types.
Music
The music in the series I note were actually strong which surprised me. Both the opening and ending themes, which was Hoshi no Kizuna which was sung by the whole of the Hoshimori class and Melody ring which was sung by Kanon and Shiho’s idol unit through their respective seiyuu’s I felt were excellent. Of particular note with regards to the music was the fact that there were a number of insert songs that were sung by Kanon and Shiho which I felt was really good which is even more surprising when you consider the fact that neither Shiho’s seiyuu Shino Shimoji or Kanon’s seiyuu Kaede Hondo are professionally trained singers.
Voice acting
Voice acting for the series I felt was reasonably strong with Miki’s seiyuu Aya Suzaki and Misaki’s seiyuu Rie Takahashi deserving much praise for their portrayal of their respective characters.
Overall conclusion
In overall, I felt that Battle girl High school’s main strong points was its premise, story, characters and voice acting along with character designs of both the main and support characters and the designs of the monsters. The series also had some pretty good fight scenes with regards to the battles between the girls and the new types that were created by the main villain. While the premise for Battle girl high school was not something that was entirely new to the series the combination of putting high school girls and superpowers into an anime and pitting them against aliens was one that I felt was interesting as it allowed us to see how the girls balance their every day school life with the struggles that they face on the battlefield. Seeing their friendships and bonds of unity develop both inside and outside of battle was something that I particularly liked about this premise. The overall story I felt was interesting as in addition to countering the enemies plans the girls also had to contend with the introduction of a new girl in their ranks and get used to this new person. The overall story featured a number of interesting story arcs that were tied to the overall plot such as Misaki’s mysterious origins, Nozomi’s struggle to banish her fear and Sadone’s quest to be braver on the field and not be a hindrance to others. Each of these story arcs I felt were done pretty well and seeing each of the girls confront their fears and overcome them was something that I liked to see.
Overall as a series I would say that I would give Battle girl high school an 8/10 as I really enjoyed the story and I felt that the premise was really interesting. The characters with some exceptions were on the whole interesting and the voice cast really did a great job in portraying their characters. The battle scenes for the series I felt were a bit of a hit and miss with the latter stage battles being the more interesting ones especially the final battles with the brainwashed. The music for the series was as noted something that surprised me so much that I actually bought the CD’s for all of FF’s songs having enjoyed them so much. The ending of the show I felt was excellently done and im thankful that it managed to both address the last plot threads and end the show on a high note.
