OP Sequence
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OP: STRIKE WITCHES 2 (STRIKE WITCHES 2 ~Egao no Mahou~) by (Ishida Youko)Watch the OP!: Download,
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(Futatabi Sora he)
“To The Skies Again”
Six months after the liberation of Gallia from the Neuroi, Miyafuji Yoshika (Fukuen Misato) is back in Fuso and receives a mysterious letter from her deceased father containing blueprints of some sort. The time lapse actually happened at the end of the first season, but the story is quickly rebooted when a new type of Neuroi threat appears after the 504th Joint Fighter Wing attempts to communicate with the humanoid-like Neuroi. It looks like someone from above doesn’t want their alien kind making peace with human beings, throwing our heroines of the 501st Joint Fighter Wing back into action. Action indeed, as the opening battle against the new threat was pure eye candy now that the series is produced in high definition with AIC Spirits at the helm. They really spared no expense in the pantsu fan-service for an opening episode either, with the way the camera started with a close up of the girls’ lower regions before zooming out to show more of their aerial assault. Some of the girls like Francesca Lucchini (Saitou Chiwa) and Minna-Dietlinde Wilcke (Tanaka Rie) looked like they switched to a low-rise variety too.
To be quite honest, I think they overdid the ass shots a bit even if it was intended to be pure fan-service, but the constantly changing camera angles and fast-paced action did make the whole scene quite the spectacle to watch. I’m quite impressed by how nice it all looked too, because even if these girls weren’t showing so much skin down below, they’re still a cute bunch to watch as they light up alien invaders in the skies. Opening with that action-packed sequence and the music to go along with it really helped me get right back into this series, but AIC continued to impress with their sakura tree backdrops in Fuso. I don’t ever recall STRIKE WITCHES’ artwork looking this good, regardless of whether the first season was high definition or not. This is by no means meant to say it rivals really high profile productions, but it looks pretty damn nice in my eyes. As such, I’m really excited to see more of this series now that Yoshika’s decided to head back to Gallia with Sakamoto Mio (Seto Saori) to rejoin the 501st Joint Fighter Wing, following the Romagna-based 504th squadron’s inability to stop the new Neuroi threat from taking over Venezia airspace.
There was a little bit of drama from Mio leading up to their departure together, who didn’t want to get Yoshika involved in any further battles after she had already helped with the previous one, though it wasn’t all that different from when Yoshika’s help was first enlisted. The only difference is she’s the one who wanted to go this time around, since she knows Lynette Bishop (Nazuka Kaori) and her other friends need all the help they can get. As for the characters themselves, it looks like her friend Yamakawa Michiko (Satou Arise) will forever be a first episode-only type a character in this series, and likely Suwa Amaki from the 47th Air Squadron as well (Hanazawa Kana in another typecast glasses girl role). However, the big surprise with this premiere episode is Seto Saori taking over Mio’s role from Chiba Saeko. While she clearly doesn’t have the trademark Saeko laugh, Mio still sounded somewhat similar to before in her more serious tone. I was impressed to say the least, and that’s coming from someone who has an ear for seiyuu voices. Saori is clearly no Saeko, but she does a really good job trying to imitate the voice Saeko played Mio with.
Anyway, I’m looking forward to seeing the other girls voiced by the all-star cast again, many of who were devoid of lines in this first episode. Story-wise, it looks like the girls are going to get upgraded Striker Units based on the blueprints left behind by Yoshika’s father, which should help them battle the new strain of Neuroi. The next episode looks like it’ll delve into Mio’s inability to put up a magical shield anymore (as seen at the end of the first season), making me wonder how she’s going to overcome that huge weakness in her defense. Her eye‘s ability to locate Neuroi cores is still invaluable to the group, so perhaps the experimental Striker Unit she has with her will help offset her diminished magical powers.
* This series is one of Crunchyroll‘s new simulcasts for the summer season.
ED Sequence
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ED: Over Sky by (Fukuen Misato & Seto Saori)Watch the ED!: Download,
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I was really happy with how well the first episode was. Looking forward to more.
http://images.randomc.net/STRIKE%20WITCHES/STRIKE%20WITCHES%202%20-%2001%20-%20Preview%2002.jpgAnother geass character…
you are a little late on that…
yeah but thats no where near as badass as lulu’s geass…..
Looks fun and glad to have Yoshika back in service.
the return of the FLYING LOLI’s, too bad Random Curiousity didn’t blog the 1st season
um…http://randomc.net/category/strike-witches/
I’m really excited now, it seems the animation and color get a bit of upgrade, the detail of their “pantsu” too, and witches’ asses also look bigger… I don’t mind though =)
“bit of upgrade, the detail of their pantsu too, and witches asses also look bigger I dont mind though =)”….DUDE….hahahahaha!! u made my day with that comment!
http://images.randomc.net/STRIKE%20WITCHES/STRIKE%20WITCHES%202%20-%2001%20-%2005.jpgFrancesca: “Watch my back, I’m going in!” :PI like it already…
Looking forward to seeing some of the other witches. And Im expecting the Yamato to wind up doing some suicide mission.
Yea Strike Witches! Pants are so overrated.
Wait, aren’t those just more Neuroi? What’s this about a new threat?
Can anyone explain the obsession with Rabbit/Cat ears? I just don’t get the point!
i dont understand why you dont get the point =P, nekomimi/unimimi and the others have been always been good… its more like a fetish thing LOL, its like if you like people with long hair or short hair.
It part of their magic. One gets ears and tails of the animal they’re affiliated with when they perform magic. And apparently only women can perform magic there. What I don’t understand is how no wearing pants helps in the plot other than “That’s just how they do things” OR “No-Pants fetish” at-tractor beam for them perverts.
Wow, as you mentioned I was pretty impressed with the animation quality this time around. The upgrade to HD is definitely a nice touch as well, and I suppose we can expect even better results when it gets released to BluRay. :)Only thing to really gripe about is that even though the sakura blossoms look nice, I think they overdid it a bit in this episode. They’re… everywhere. Hopefully it doesn’t get too excessive.
I like how they picked up where they left off from last season where Yoshika recieves a letter from her father.
The Akagi in season 1, the Yamato (I’m assuming unless its the Musashi) in season 2…very interesting to see the Kaigun as the good guys haha.
Hmm. They had the Akagi last season, yeah. New Strikers? Maybe they’ll represent late-war/early-Jet era planes. It’d be ncie if the girls got weapons upgrades, although their current weapons are fine as well. Now the Neuroi last season seemed to be weird-ass shaped like fishes. But did anyone else catch the design of the Neuroi being fought in the OP? The design is very reminiscent of the Boeing X-45 UCAV demonstrator. Maybe it shows a leap towards that direction. Also, the Fuso battleship as the Allied Battleship? Makes sense I guess. Largest battleship in the world. With majority of Europe under Neuroi coverage, the German H-class, French Alsace, and similar next-gen battleships were unavailable. I doubt the US will devote much to building Montana-class battleships, with the Iowas being pretty damn good and if not better than most of the other ships. Bleh, an Aircraft Carrier would’ve made more sense. The Good old Enterprise, with Striker launch bays and support. *shrug* it be an anime from Japan.
Jet strikers are mentioned in one of the strike witch manga’s. There should be some charts floating around from the first season that show the ww2 references and another on how the neuori designs were based on experimental aircraft.
wait… isn’t that a yamato class docked to the warf….
Looks like it. I hope we see more of it. And not fighting the witches. The Akagi had like…3 episodes, and a good majority of its screen time was it turning into a Neuroi? Yamato might be important, cos the OP depicted it being a heavy fire support unit for the main cast.We can only wait and see.
Jeez, this seriously SO.SUCKS. Panties and loli everywhere.Not even sure what’s worse – Highschool Of the Dead or this, or whatever series started this season that have loli and panties.So much cheap anime this summer, it makes me really disappointed in Japanese anime industry.Series for retards, for real.Amd saying that it’s got a great seiyuu cast you’re looking forward to is just an excuse to cover up your desire to watch a panties anime ;D
GET OUT! GET OUT OR I’LL SHOOT YOU!
Customer satisfaction at 100% Yay Yoshika need some food to get some meat on those thighs :Pthey look too thin at times. Sakamoto Mio did escape dead last season, if you recall the older the witch the weaker her power… I have a bad feeling about this. Let’s hope the new unit compensates and she makes it with her pantsu on. Can’t wait for the team antics once they all reunited. All the eye candy is going to give me diabetes !!!!
Aic did a good job keeping the character designs the same. I was hoping for more high flying action in the first ep though.
I keep forgetting all the girls name which sucks… but the ending song had a cute girl lip sync the lyrics moment.
Now I rmb, Erica Hartman syncing with the ending song! Sonna, Doki Doki XP.
omg Like, did the pantsu get smaller?! Third season: G-STRING WORD!! 8D
NOPE!! just as MD eloquently mentioned it in a earlier post, i do believe their asses got bigger HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!!!! i really gotta check this out now. will it hurt if i never saw the first season???
You never saw the first season why do you know their asses got bigger ?
Now that you mention it… D; *twitch* (… Daaayuuummm.)Oh and watch the first season. It’s mandatory. Plus its pretty good. :]
Now let the ultimate anime guilty pleasure of the decade restart. :)http://images.randomc.net/STRIKE%20WITCHES/STRIKE%20WITCHES%202%20-%2001%20-%20Large%2023.jpgTrue to the setting of this world, even Yoshika’s mom doesn’t bother with any skirts.If I remember correctly, I think Suwa Amaki was voiced by Nakahara Mai in the epilogue scene of the first series, yet Hanazawa Kana fitted into Nakahara’s role quite well, even if it’s only a cameo.I have no problem with Seto taking over from Chiba Saeki, who’s now married and more devoted to her family life now. Though I’ll miss Saeki doing Mio’s nonchalant merry laughter.I see the Battleship Yamato will finally get a chance to kick some ass in this series, unlike its real-life counterpart, which had a more subdue role before getting sunk near the end of the War.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_battleship_Yamato
That explains alot!!! No wonder I was wondering… Where Seto Mio’s normal laugh she did in first season!
This is after the great war, 80% of male in duty age is gone, means there’s only 20% of young and health males left in this world, that’s just a super harem and girls have to adapt with this new environment, they throw away their pants, ready to “produce” new witches at any time for the new and long war, it’s convenience and attract more males, who wouldn’t want to hear their daughter’s name on the “Ace of the day/week/month Radio” ?If you don’t like it, deal with it.I checked again, their asses really got bigger, means easier to give birth, YEEHAAA!!
Wait a min’… Did I mistake it with Sky Witches setting ? I don’t mind with this setting though 🙂
Wait… you posted the reply onto the wrong comment lol. Kinny Riddle and I didn’t have any problems with the show MD… and yeah, you did mistaken it with the Sky Girl setting.
You’re right, really sorry about this, my brain is having malfunction, too many things to do in this weather is killing me.
And here I was wondering, “Huh? What’s that got to do with my post anyway?” LOL
Lmfao, I was like that too. I breeze through it and though, “Huh… wait a second… *re-reads post twice, looks @ MD post* what in gods name, *looks around*. Oh… thats why lol.You must have been mind boggled at his last line lol.
PUT ON SOME GOD DAMN PANTS
*points at Orin*GET THIS PRUDE OUT OF HERE
Lmfao
This show sucks so much dick it’s not even funny.
It is you who likes to suck “so much dick”.
saw all of 2 episodes last season, not my thing. Is there a story explanation for lack of trousers?
STRIKE WITCHES now renamed gratuitous loli panty shots.
OMG! It’s here! All the prudent assh*les GET OUT!When RC blogged the first season I was ranting my hearts out there how good the anime is…. It’s not just girls without pants (Perrine wears super-mini skirt) it’s a show about Alternate Earth getting attacked by aliens… So all who will be criticizing this show get out! NOW!
Yeah! What he said!
People have a reason to crit it, though. I wouldn’t mind the show if it was more tasteful in the way they portray it, and I don’t mean the underwear. The underwear isn’t even tastefully done, and that’s what bothers me. I don’t like watching a series with a panty shot in every frame. Its not my thing. I’m sure the story is fantastic, but the over the top fan-service ruins it.
Yeah!! More Strike Witches for us!!
I’d be happier with girls flying around in their underwear if their underwear was actually covering their asses. Another loli series, I’ll pass.
Just marathoned Season 1 and I still wish they wore proper “pants” or at the very least long, long shirts. At least their producers were sensible enough to put a long dress on Miyafuji’s grandmother
tried to watch the first ep. i just couldn’t take the seriousness that they’re trying to portray.