For a story about aviation, I was fully prepared to be cast into a world where aircrafts is much more than just what they are. The first few episodes immediately dives into a world where we witness the technology and importance of aviation. Technology related to aeronautical practices is a common sight. This came to me as no surprise considering the anime advertised itself with many of its promotional material in such ways. What did catch me off guard and I regret to say is that the show could have been so much more.
Anime that takes on aviation as a major theme is also becoming a more popular trend in recent years. It hasn’t taken off quite yet like isekai but from this Winter season alone, we had at least two titles: Kouya no Kotobuki Hikoutai and Girly Air Force. However, let’s not jump ahead of ourselves. Kouya no Kotobuki Hikoutai has confidence to be its own show. As an original anime, it doesn’t have to rely on manga material to be faithful or as a continuation from some prequel series. Anime like this isn’t afraid to take risks although it didn’t capitalize on its concepts. Let me just say that the first episodes themselves accomplished little more than becoming a flight simulator. Indeed, I can’t say this enough but when you have a full squad of badass girls as pilots, you know this is going to take off as a sky fueled action show. It doesn’t take long to realize how skilled the main characters are when the first episode shows their abilities to take down hordes of enemy aircrafts. War veteran Zara is the most prominent to notice for her battle experience. However, don’t count out the rest of her squad. Characters like Chika, Kate, Kylie, and Emma are not to be underestimated when they are in their cockpits. Even a little girl like Chika can be described as “dynamite come in little packages”. Throughout the series, they participate in many dogfights that first came as exciting but soon became very predictable. Let’s face it, this anime sells the Kotobuki squad as the aces in the sky. Their feats are easily noticeable for their complex aerial maneuvers. Some episodes even consists of its squad members chasing down their foes in what seems like near impossible scenarios. But if you guessed it, they make it look easy. Now I don’t want to designate the characters as “overpowered” as they certainly do find themselves struggling on occasions. Still, it’s not very fun when the whole show make others look bad after each episode. I’m not going to lie, after watching a good portion of this series convinced me that the Kotobuki squadron is like an end boss video game; only that the they are badass girls.
Overlooking the characters, I think perhaps the show holds some value when it comes to its mysterious world and technology. In fact, the aircrafts themselves makes me wonder how much potential it really has. A weapon is only powerful as its user is what I would think. While the aircrafts aren’t very high standard, they are capable of making dogfights look realistic. The pilots ride the sky and gives a feel of being right there with them in their cockpit. When an aircraft is shot and melts down, it gives the impression of life or death. Being able to depict a war-like feeling almost every episode actually makes the show exciting at times. The downside is that the whole idea can get repetitive fast. Trust me, once you’ve seen one dogfight, it feels like you’ve seen them all.
One of the more interesing aspects of the show is its economic system. This includes how mercenaries are hired such as the Kotobuki squad. Furthermore, there’s monopoly that can’t be overlooked in such an unstable world. I think for what’s worth, the anime manages to makes its world a breeding ground for conflicts. The Kotobuki squad not only have to deal with enemies in the sky but also corruption among corporations. It adds fuel to the already desolate world that makes surviving all the more difficult. Luckily for the Kotobuki members, they don’t have much trouble living their lives but you can just imagine for some of the poorer folks. The World War like atmosphere often puts less fortunate people in jeopardy when they don’t have the resources to fend for themselves. It’s a sad and grim reality.
Making an anime featuring aviation isn’t easy nor is animating aerial dogfights on a consistent basis. The strange combination of 2D and 3D art style can take a bit of time to get used to. In fact, the character models looks like something from a video game in its alpha stage. It reminds me a bit of Apreggio of Blue Steel at times only without the high level technology. When in its 2D form, character designs are pretty normal on most terms although fan service is evident on occasions. Madame Lulu, Zara, and Naomi are a few examples as the show try to make them busty. But on most occasions, the show sells its animation in the sky where the real action takes place. The dynamic quality of the framework and fluid movements (when ignoring the 3D models) makes the action look convincing. It’s just that when you see it so many times, it loses its relevance.
Honestly, this show feels like a flight simulator. The story isn’t very well written despite the immense amount of potential. Characters lack development as the show focuses way too much into the action. It almost feels like playing a video game at times like Battlefield or something when every episode just bites into the action and consumes it without stopping. My impression of the whole show didn’t change at all from the first episode to the end. There’s just so much potential in this anime that eventually became a showcase of mediocrity.
