Strike Witches

Where to start.....

I was bored one night and decided to look into what free stuff my On Demand had to offer, The Funimation Channel complimentary Episodes 1 and 2 of Strike Witches.

Eh... Might as well.

First thing I noticed?  None of the females seem to wear pants. Undies Everywhere.  This was a little discouraging at first but it seemed to have a plot.

Alternate  Earth has been attacked by UFOs called Neuroi.

The only people with the power to fight these Neuroi are young female "Witches", With the aid of Striker Units they fly around pantless, use magic and guns to destroy the Enemy.

Well, Maybe that's a bad description but... it gets the point across.  There are A LOT of characters in these 12 episodes, Most of them quite likable.

The Mains...

Mio Sakamoto; 19/20 Years Old, The most mature Witch in the 501st.  She knew Dr. Miyafuji and was the first witch to use a Striker Unit.  Sub Commander of the 501st, She trains the others in the squadron and seems to have a soft spot for Yoshika.

Yoshika Miyafuji; 14/15 Years Old. Her father Dr. Miyafuji designed the Striker Units before he died in the war... Having received a very late mail from him she is recruited by Sakamoto... At first she was dead set against violence but that changed {rather quickly} after an attack by the Neuroi.
      She joins the 501st and quite excels as a Strike Witch.

Brief Summary...

The 501st fight the Neuroi.  Well, Maybe there's more to it. The episodes are a nice of mix of silly, character building and battles.  Episode 7 is a bit.... unusual.  There's a Panty Thief on base, One girl {Hartmann} misplaces her panties and "borrows" another girls who then takes someone elses.... It makes for some awkward and strangely amusing situations.
      Things get rolling in Episode 9 when Yoshika out "dueling" Perrine goes ahead of the other Witches on a Neuroi call, This Neuroi however is different. It's shaped itself as a human and plays childishly with Yoshika.. Until the others get there.  Sakamoto not realizing what was really going on attacks the Neuroi who then shoots thru her shields and escapes when the girls go to catch her.
      A Friendly Neuroi?  Everyone trys to convince Yoshika that it was just trying to trick her but... she can't believe it. Even after being put on a 10 day confinement she sneaks off base and goes to find the Humanoid Neuroi.
     This doesn't go unnoticed, Minna is given orders by the higher ups to shoot Yoshika down. Of course the Witches couldn't just shoot her, going out looking for Yoshika they finally find her...and the Humannoid Neuroi. It's being friendly once again so they just stay back and watch... as it leads Yoshika into the Neuroi Hive.
      Inside the Hive the Neuroi shows Yoshika many video type screens of things that had and were happening, One shows a Core in a room with a large Mech.  Outside the Hive a giant Mech has shown up, The friendly Neuroi coming outside to investigate{?} is killed then the entire hive is.... Nice weapon.
     Yoshika is uninjured in the incident but once all the Witches get back to base they find General Maloney there, The Military turns on the girls and due to Yoshika's actions and the Witches not following orders to shoot her down... the 501st is disbanded.
    The Giant Mech is there as well, It's revealed to be "Warlock" ...  Long story short.  Maloney has been using a Neuroi Core to make a new weapon... Robot...Mech... to fight the Neuroi. That way they wouldn't have the need for the Witches...
     As all the girls are going "home" the Warlock is sent out to fight more Neuroi, Bad stuff happens and yes.. it kills a bunch of Neuroi but the Warlock itself turns against the Humans. Warlock attacking the ship Yoshika, Perrine and Mio are on the other girls all just happen to see what's going on and rush back to base to get their striker units..
    Everyone, One way or another get their Strike Units back and go out and defeat the Warlock {Which actually melds with the entire battleship during endgame.}.  That Hive is Destroyed, The Country it was over is saved and all the 501st is sent off to other places.
    Yoshika is sent back to her home in Fuso.

At the end it shows Yoshika healing a bird that her best friend Micchan brings to her, suddenly something falls from the sky and crashes in a nearby bush. It's a Witch!  The girl is there to deliver yet another letter... from Yoshika's father.

TidBit:  I forgot the most important things! When the Witches powers are activated they grow
              Bunny/Kitty/Puppy ears/tails.  I'm sure there's some correlation of who has what sort of ears/tail but
              it wasn't really discussed.


Favorite Episode:   Episode 6- It focuses on Sanya.  Enough said.

Weakest Episode:  Other then six, Most were hovering about the same level.

Favorite Character{s}: 
       Sanya; 13/14 Years Old. Black Kitty Years! She's the night witch, Doing the night watch she likes to sing when she flys about. The quiet one of the 501st, Her special powers are radar like which help her during her night missions.

       Francesca; The youngest, 12 years old. She's childish and likes to skip out on training to go play around base, often seen sleeping in unusual places {trees,rafters}. Seems to like grabbing peoples breasts as well... When "active" she has Black Leopard Ears and Tail.

Least Favorite Character{s} At first it was Perrine but she has even grown on me, Her hang up on Sakamoto is still a bit annoying though....


Want More?  Yes and there is.

Berry Ranking:  3 out of 5. 

Mushi-Uta

Well... That was a most unsatisfying ending....

The show is a basic Good Organisation Vs Bad Organisation with a couple little twists thrown in.

 The SEPB Vs The Mushibane.

Which one is the good one?  It really depends on how you look at it.
     You have the SEPB which is made up heavily of Hosts, going around and killing the insects of other Hosts. On the death of their insects the Hosts become zombie slaves {Fallen}.... they have no emotions, free will or memories of any kind.
     However, If left be the Insects will slowly eat the dreams of their host and then "Mature"... Maturity kills the host and pretty much turns them into a monstrous creature.
     The Mushibane really seem to just not fully understand what the Insects are doing... Having strange pipe dreams that Hosts and Normal people could live together in harmony. Wishful thinking of the uninformed...

Who we have...

Daisuke Kusuriya; Codename Kakkou.  The "good guy".... Sorta. He works for the SEPB in rounding up other "Hosts" and taking them to the "GARDEN" {a prison of sorts.}. Taking the guise of a student he enters a High School in search of the leader of the Mushibane.

Rina Tachibana; Codename Lady. She's the leader of the Mushibane. Seemingly a normal High School Student, She has friends...She paints... She gets crushes... On Daisuke.  >_>

Shiika Anmoto; Codename Winter Firefly. The only Fallen to have their insect brought back and only person to have ever escaped from the GARDEN.  Four years before the story begins Kakkou kills her insect... She's a very powerful Host, Possibly the most.
       Happening by Daisuke one day who instantly falls for her, not remembering her from years earlier. She also saves the Mushibane from the SEPB {it's not shown though} and ends up living with Rina/Lady.
       Love Triangle.

Keigo Haji; Leader of the Local SEPB Branch. Pretty much an ass the entire show but... has a soft side it seems.  He has a younger sister that lives by eating his dreams....

The Original Three; Not really touched on a lot but, It seems they are the reason the Mushi exist. As shown at least one of the three can blend in well with Humans, It's Rina and Daisuke's Homeroom Teacher.

The Devourer; One of the original three and Daisuke's Homeroom Teacher. She's the one who brought Shiika's Insect back and helped her escape from GARDEN. Wanting to allow the insect to mature so that she could eat her dream....





The End;  Shiika looking for Rina runs first into the Devourer who plays the reveal game, Then saved by Cicada {I forgot her name} who also plays the reveal game {She loves Haji}and attacks Shiika. Cicada's Mushi ends up dead but Shiika is also gravely injured.
      Rina goes to the GARDEN to try to free all of the Fallen, This goes horribly wrong when her Mushi starts to Mature and the Devourer ends up..well...Devouring her.
      Daisuke....Uhg.
      Lets just cut the torture and say.... Rina ends up dead, Shiika in the hospital and still free, Daisuka/Kakkou back to work with the SEPB.   Shiika still doesn't seem to know that Kakkou is Daisuke but... She's supposed to meet Daisuke a year later on Christmas at the Planetarium so not all is bleak.





Favorite Character{s}: 
          Asami Minagawa; Rina's bubbly friend in HS, She ends up becoming a "Host" thanks to their Homeroom teacher. She's quite the Mushi Fanatic, Maintaining a website about them and even searching them out for photos. Sadly, In episode eight one of the SEPB destroy Asami's Mushi which was inside her camera.. A computer bug?
    
Least Favorite Character {s}:
          Daisuke; Yep.  I don't like him.... Can't quite pinpoint why I don't but he just seemed like a bad... "Main Guy".





Want More?  Not really.
Berry Ranking:  2 out of 5.

Otome Yōkai Zakuro

Spirit Affairs will be terminated.

Back at "base", The whole crew is having it's victory munchies and then Kushimatsu comes in to gather them for some bad news.

The Military only agreed to the arrangement because of Omodaka/Lt Hanadate's scheme, With him gone the Military is no longer interested...   This of course upsets everyone.  The girls will continue with helping humans and spirits coexist but... The guys have to go back to their normal military duties.

The goodbyes were sad...and touching at the same time.

Susukihotaru is packing Rikens things... she ends up crying but...a cute moment.

Ganryuu: I promise to come for you.
Bonbori: For me, For Bonbori?
Ganryuu: For both of you.







Zakuro and Agemaki finally kiss but it fades away from that...








At the end credits the men are gone and the girls/kids are walking thru the village, The humans are acting much warmer to the half spirits...

Look who's not dead, Omodaka and Byakuroku survived the fire... DaiDai is nowhere to be seen though.

Then look who didn't leave, Spirit Affairs was reinstated after they appealed to the general.

This series didn't disappoint, Only thing that could have been better is it could have been longer. I'm a real sucker for anything with Youkai in it.....

Weakest Episodes;  None really... The final episodes did seem a bit rushed to me though.

Favorite Episodes; Episode 5 ~  Bonbori and Hoozuki defend Ganryuu from the Black Widow.
                                Episode 6 ~ Bonbori and Hoozuki's past is shown.

Favorite Character;  Susukihotaru ~ Not sure why... she just barely inches out the twins.
Least Favorite Character;  Agemaki ~ Find him a bit annoying yet funny.
                                         DaiDai ~ She just irritated me.

Want More;  Yes.
Berry Ranking;  4 out of 5

Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai

                                                        
This series really surprised me, I went into it thinking it was going to turn out to be some sick incest show and ended up with something entirely different. Sure... You can tell Kirino has a bit of a liking for her brother but it wasn't on the level of Yosuga no Sora, Which was just absolute ick....

The main drawback to the series was, Kirino is not all that likable... I can't say she's spoiled or anything because she really does seem to work hard for what she has {Even though it seems to come so naturally.}.  She models, has great grades, writes novels is athletic... she's practically the whole package.  Though she's also living two lives.....

One the student/athlete/model and another the young girl obsessed with Eroge and little sisters..  Even the novel she wrote has "little sisters" in it.  Always trying to hide her secret her brother saved her numerous times.. With how her best friend {Ayase} reacted and even her fathers blow up... The idea of Kanako or others finding out could get scary... or funny.

The show was quite enjoyable...  Wish they had actually shown Saori's full face without the Cosplayish outfit on... Also wish they had a little more Manami and her family...

Weakest Episode{s}-  Episode 7 - First part was fine, The second half with Kirino researching her novel was part creepy, part boring. Looked like she was on a date with her brother. :(  
            Episode 8 -  Kirino's novel is turned into an Anime.... It just felt out of place somehow.

Favorite Episode{s}-  Episode 6 - When Kyou goes over to Manami's house for Halloween.
             Episode 10 - Ayase needs a present for Kirino's birthday and Kanako cosplays Meruru.

Favorite Character-   Kuroneko - She's cute, she's quiet, she has cat ears.
Least Favorite Character-  Kirino - She's just irritating...

Want More -  Yes.
Berry Ranking -   3 out of 5