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REVIEW: Strike Witches BD+DVD


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Chagen46



Joined: 27 Jun 2010
Posts: 4377
PostPosted: Sun Sep 30, 2012 11:12 pm Reply with quote
The gratuitous lesbian overtones in some of the relationships in this show were quite bizarre to me, given that this is is the 1940'as where even the most liberal of countries would have viewed, say, Sanya and Eila VERY negatively.
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Fencedude5609



Joined: 09 Nov 2006
Posts: 5088
PostPosted: Sun Sep 30, 2012 11:14 pm Reply with quote
Chagen46 wrote:
The gratuitous lesbian overtones in some of the relationships in this show were quite bizarre to me, given that this is is the 1940'as where even the most liberal of countries would have viewed, say, Sanya and Eila VERY negatively.


World history is significantly more female dominated in the Strike Witches universe, for reasons that I would say should be quite obvious.

And you should read the light novels, a couple of the other squadrons are veritable orgies.
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notazaku



Joined: 21 Apr 2012
Posts: 135
PostPosted: Mon Oct 01, 2012 1:03 am Reply with quote
Chagen46 wrote:
The gratuitous lesbian overtones in some of the relationships in this show were quite bizarre to me, given that this is is the 1940'as where even the most liberal of countries would have viewed, say, Sanya and Eila VERY negatively.

It's also a world where pants equal what would be considered underwear in the real world and no one in the show thinks it's odd. Compared to that lesbian overtones are one of the least bizarre things in the show.

That said, Sanya and Eila are an adorable couple. Their best scenes come from season 2 though. It expands on the first season and there's some very touching stuff there actually.
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jymmy



Joined: 11 Nov 2011
Posts: 1244
PostPosted: Mon Oct 01, 2012 3:40 am Reply with quote
My favourite part of this review, which was well-written and considered overall - and impressively researched - was the section about music. While I can't quite say it trumps cute girls in aerial laser-versus-ballistics battles with aliens in terms of enjoyability, I definitely think the music is the best-done aspect of the series. As Martin said, the score is great, stirring, fun and sets the historical and military mood excellently. I don't even like Watashi ni Dekiru Koto, but the opening with the animation is excellent.
Fencedude5609 wrote:
the Eila/Sanya relationship is quite explicit, even if they never come right out and say it.

Explicit is exactly the wrong word there. I think what you mean to say is that it's definitely present or obvious, if never explicitly stated. To be fair, it is less obvious only looking at season one. The same is true for Minna and Mio, probably more so.
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Vaisaga



Joined: 07 Oct 2011
Posts: 13224
PostPosted: Mon Oct 01, 2012 3:41 am Reply with quote
Fencedude5609 wrote:
World history is significantly more female dominated in the Strike Witches universe, for reasons that I would say should be quite obvious.


I dunno, in Minna's efforts to prevent what happened to her from happening to others she only prevented interaction between the witches and men. Never seemed to cross her mind that the same thing could happen between two women.
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Fencedude5609



Joined: 09 Nov 2006
Posts: 5088
PostPosted: Mon Oct 01, 2012 3:50 am Reply with quote
Vaisaga wrote:

I dunno, in Minna's efforts to prevent what happened to her from happening to others she only prevented interaction between the witches and men. Never seemed to cross her mind that the same thing could happen between two women.


Minna's not rational on the subject.

(seriously, she may be in charge, but she's got some serious unresolved issues)
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Ryu Shoji



Joined: 15 Jul 2009
Posts: 671
Location: Cambridge, United Kingdom
PostPosted: Mon Oct 01, 2012 5:04 am Reply with quote
In my books, Yoshika is at least bisexual (she seemed interested in that one guy who tried to give her a love letter, but she also dreams of Lynette's boobs), Minna is lesbian (her banning the witches from talking to the other, predominantly male staff, due to spoiler[the death of her boyfriend] might have turned her attention to women as a way of trying to block that out, or she's bi. (Seriously, she so wants Mio). With Perrine, it could be misguided adoration (which could be confused by Mio having a fair few masculine traits).
Those are the only ones I'd say are 100% not straight though. With Eila and Sanya, where is it outright said that they are a couple? The feeling I got from both seasons of the anime is that Eila seems more like a surrogate older sister who is protective, yet encouraging, towards the timid Sanya. I haven't looked into the supplementary materials though, so I could be missing something (although in season 2, Sanya spoiler[hitting Eila so hard on the head that she had a giant bump for trying to take her panties off while she was asleep to try and get rid of the pervy neuroi bug suggests that she might not be okay with Eila taking her panties off]).

As for HD or not. In the UK, the series was only released on DVD. Season 1's sales were enough to warrant season 2 on DVD, but not bluray (in fact, I think that is why we got season 2 just before America). However, they look pretty good upscaled on my bluray player and HD TV. Knowing that they aren't HD native made the decision of whether to pay double to import the BD or not a lot easier.

Season 1 is way better than season 2 to be perfectly honest, with the Sanya episodes probably being my favourites.
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Fencedude5609



Joined: 09 Nov 2006
Posts: 5088
PostPosted: Mon Oct 01, 2012 5:18 am Reply with quote
Eilanya is firmly established in supplementary materials, which don't shy away from the lesbianism nearly as much as the anime does. The confirmed straight witches are vastly outnumbered by the confirmed lesbians.
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Ryu Shoji



Joined: 15 Jul 2009
Posts: 671
Location: Cambridge, United Kingdom
PostPosted: Mon Oct 01, 2012 5:41 am Reply with quote
Fencedude5609 wrote:
Eilanya is firmly established in supplementary materials, which don't shy away from the lesbianism nearly as much as the anime does. The confirmed straight witches are vastly outnumbered by the confirmed lesbians.

Fair enough. So I take it Eila definitely er...wears the pants (figuratively speaking in this case xD) in the relationship?
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Vaisaga



Joined: 07 Oct 2011
Posts: 13224
PostPosted: Mon Oct 01, 2012 6:37 am Reply with quote
Fencedude5609 wrote:
The confirmed straight witches are vastly outnumbered by the confirmed lesbians.


Which, honestly, is more unrealistic than the magic powers and alien invaders Laughing

Ryu Shoji wrote:
Fair enough. So I take it Eila definitely er...wears the pants (figuratively speaking in this case xD) in the relationship?


Nah, Eila's the one that gets all bashful and stuff way too easily. She'd definitely be the uke.
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Fencedude5609



Joined: 09 Nov 2006
Posts: 5088
PostPosted: Mon Oct 01, 2012 6:53 am Reply with quote
Vaisaga wrote:

Which, honestly, is more unrealistic than the magic powers and alien invaders Laughing


Strike Witches basically exists to allow Shimada Fumikane to indulge in his three great loves:

World War II aircraft
Girls with mechanical bits stuck all over them
Lesbians
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enurtsol



Joined: 01 May 2007
Posts: 14746
PostPosted: Mon Oct 01, 2012 6:55 am Reply with quote
Hey, if Disney can get away with the war on pants for decades.........! Laughing

(Or current tween dance reality tv shows............)
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TarsTarkas



Joined: 20 Dec 2007
Posts: 5821
Location: Virginia, United States
PostPosted: Mon Oct 01, 2012 9:45 am Reply with quote
In wars, many rules of society are ignored or relaxed.
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Sadikusama



Joined: 12 Jun 2010
Posts: 11
PostPosted: Mon Oct 01, 2012 7:00 pm Reply with quote
After the initial WTF moments I had when I started watching the series (mainly, why they never wear any pants...), I actually started enjoying it more than I thought I would.

I like two aspects the most about SW: the characters and the music. And individual episodes have pretty enjoyable storylines. Haven't watched the second season, but I think I would really enjoy more than that.
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Stark700



Joined: 30 Jan 2012
Posts: 11762
Location: Earth
PostPosted: Mon Oct 01, 2012 7:15 pm Reply with quote
It was a fun series and I enjoyed watching both seasons of it. I liked the concept and the music score as well as some of the action scenes.

Will be watching the movie and likely Vividred Operation next year.
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