Strike Witches
A spin-off of the original series titled "Brave Witches" aired from October to December 2016 and a second spin-off titled "Luminous Witches" is scheduled to air in July 2022. Plot. On an alternate Earth during the World War II era, the world has been invaded by a mysterious alien force known as the Neuroi who take on forms similar to aircraft and spread a corrosive miasma. As a result, the armed forces of the world have allied together to combat the Neuroi threat instead of fighting among themselves. As the regular weaponry have no effect against  the Neuroi's technology, the military instead calls upon Witches, young girls who possess magical abilities capable of fighting against the Neuroi. The Witches, who are inspired by famous real-life pilots, grow animal ears and tails when using their magic, and can use special machines known as Striker Units, which feature designs based on real-life aircraft, to fly through the sky and increase the strength of their magical ability in combat. The light novel series follows the Suomus Independent Volunteer Aerial Squadron, focusing on a dogfighter named Tomoko Anabuki. The main anime franchise follows Yoshika Miyafuji, a girl  from the Fusō Empire who joins the titular Strike Witches to investigate the death of her father and help fight off the Neuroi. The spin-off anime series, "Brave Witches", follows a Fusō girl named Hikari Karibuchi, who joins the titular Brave Witches to fight in the place of her injured sister Takami. Production. In a postscript column in "Comp Ace", Fumikane Shimada had mentioned his desire to use his Mecha Musume concepts across a variety of media, leading to the production of the "Strike Witches" OVA by Gonzo. However, at about the same time Fumikane was also contracted to  create the character designs for "Sky Girls", which had its televised run in late 2007. During this time there was no word on the further development of a "Strike Witches" animated series, although promotional items such as plastic figures of the OVA's characters were released. Not until December 2007 was the anime officially announced, after which details were slowly released, such as the casting of the remaining main characters that had no lines in the OVA. Media. Light novels. Two separate light novel series have been published. The first, , was written by Noboru Yamaguchi and illustrated by Hashigo Ueda . The first volume was published in Japan in October 2006, and as of June 11, 2009, three volumes have been published. A fourth volume, originally scheduled for Spring 2009, is in production. The Suomus Misfits Squadron series is set in a different time period and location from the anime, and uses a different cast of characters. The second light novel series, titled , was written by Hidehisa Nanbō and illustrated by Hashigo Ueda. As of June 11, 2009, two volumes have been published, with a third scheduled for July 1, 2009. The publication of this series coincided with the anime television  series, and uses the same cast of characters; however, while some of the chapters are adaptations of the anime episodes, several are original. The third light novel series is the stories about the 506th Joint Fighter Wing. The timeline of the story happens in between from the beginning of the Season 2 anime to the before of the Movie. It is authored by Hidehisa Nanbō. The first volume was published in Japan on 1 January 2015. Volume 2 was published on 1 May 2015 and Volume 3 is published on 1 October 2015. Volume 4 was published on 1 March  2016 and volume 5 was published on 1 November 2016. The latest volume 6 was published on 1 May 2017. There are versions with the original CD dramas from volume 4 to 6. Manga. There are currently ten manga series of "Strike Witches". The first manga, , was serialized in "Comp Ace" between September 25, 2005 and January 26, 2006. It was canceled after three chapters. A second series, , was serialized in Comp Ace between July 26, 2008 and December 26, 2008 and compiled into two manga volumes. Seven Seas Entertainment released the series in North America in April 2014. A  third manga, , also referred to as "Strike Witches 1.5", which takes place between the two anime series, began serialization in Nyantype magazine from September 26, 2009 to 2010 and was released in one manga volume in September 2010. A fourth manga titled which focuses on Mio Sakamoto during the Fuso Sea Incident in 1937, began serializing in Nyantype magazine in 2011 and currently has two manga volumes. A fifth manga titled which focuses on the Isle of Wight Detachment Group, began serializing in Comp Ace and currently has two manga volumes. A sixth manga titled which was previously a semi -official doujin which focuses on the African Front, began serializing on November 10, 2011 in "Comptiq" magazine. A seventh manga titled "Strike Witches: Aurora no Majo" (ストライクウィッチーズ オーロラの魔女) was serialized in Nyantype magazine from September 2013 to October 2014, and follows the story of the Suomus LLV24, including telling the stories of Eila Juutilainen and Nikka Katajainen's past, characters who feature in the Strike Witches and Brave Witches anime respectively. An eighth manga, "Strike Witches: Kurenai no Majo-tachi" (ストライクウィッチーズ　紅の魔女たち) was serialized in Compton magazine between September 2014 and October 2015. It follows the story of the 504th  Joint Fighter Wing, taking place before and during the second season of the Strike Witches anime, and covers events from their perspective that correspond to the events of the anime. A ninth manga titled "Strike Witches: Erica Hartmann 1941" (ストライクウィッチーズ エーリカ・ハルトマン１９４１) was serialized in Comp Ace between March and September 2016. The manga is a prequel story for Erica Hartmann, following her early days in the Karlsland JG52, three years before the start of the Strike Witches anime. A tenth manga, "Noble Witches: 506th Joint Fighter Wing" (ノーブルウィッチーズ 第５０６統合戦闘航空団, "Noble Witches: Dai 506 Tōgō Sentō Kōkūdan"), a manga adaptation of  the first few volumes of the Noble Witches light novel series, was serialized in Comp Ace from May 2017 to November 2018. Self published works. Strike Witches: Witch in Africa Published in August 2008, and jointly authored by Fumikane Shimada, Takaaki Suzuki, and Takeshi Nogami. It is considered semi-canonical. The B5-size publication contains a manga and novel section, both dealing primarily with the "Star of Africa" Hanna-Justina Marseille during the North African Campaign. Details on the Strike Witches world setting that could not be added into the anime were also added into the publication. Strike Witches: Witch  in Africa was originally meant to be included in the anime DVD booklets, but because of a reduction in the booklet size, it was instead published as a dojin. The manga began serialization in "Comptiq" beginning November 10, 2011. Strike Witches: Tiger in Desert Published in December 2008. Similar to the first volume, and set in the same general time frame and location (North Africa, circa 1942). Consisting of two volumes it follows an experimental Karlsland tank witch unit based on the Tiger I. World Witches: Witches of the Sphinx Published from 2010 to 2012, the series takes place in  North Africa, 1943 and concerns the joint effort of the Storm Witches and three tank witch units under the command of General Patton, General Montgomery and General Rommel in retaking the Suez Canal. Five volumes were released. Sengoku Witches: The Witch of Honnoji Published in 2009. Takes place during Japan's Sengoku period. Oda Nobunaga is rescued from Honnoji by his page, in this version the witch Mori Ranmaru, instead of committing suicide in the incident at Honnoji. Anime. An original video animation directed by Kunihisa Sugishima and produced by Gonzo was released on January 1, 2007. The first anime  season was produced by Gonzo and broadcast in Japan from July 3 to September 18, 2008. Aside from the traditional televised broadcast, the series was also made available with English subtitles and an English dub through YouTube, BOST TV and Crunchyroll, using a simultaneous release schedule similar to that of "The Tower of Druaga: the Aegis of Uruk", also produced by Gonzo. The YouTube and Crunchyroll broadcasts operate under a streaming window, allowing users to freely watch each new episode of the series on the day of their release for a set amount of time. Crunchyroll also offers individual episodes  to be purchased and downloaded during and after this streaming window has ended. An uncensored version of the series was later released on Region 2 DVD, containing nudity that was obscured for the TV broadcast. The first volume was made available on September 26, 2008, the second on October 24, the third volume on November 28, the fourth volume on December 26, and the fifth volume on January 30, 2009. The anime has been licensed by Funimation and was released on March 30, 2010. A second series entitled "Strike Witches 2" was produced by AIC and aired between July 7 , 2010 and September 23, 2010. This season has also been acquired by Funimation Entertainment and was simulcast on their video portal, with an intended home video release in September 2011. The release was held back until October 2, 2012. Manga Entertainment released the series in the United Kingdom on September 24, 2012. A three part OVA series produced by Silver Link titled "Strike Witches: Operation Victory Arrow", which features three short stories taking place between the second anime season and the film, was released between September 20, 2014 and May 2, 2015. A spin-off series by Silver Link, titled  Brave Witches, began airing on October 5, 2016. The series is not a continuation of the previous seasons and instead focuses on the 502nd Joint Fighter Wing. Crunchyroll simulcasted the series worldwide. Funimation has released an English dub of the series. The series is scheduled to be released on Blu-ray and DVD in 2017. A 13th episode aired in theatres in 2017. Madman Entertainment is importing Funimation's release in Australia and New Zealand. On July 8, 2018, a Strike Witches anime project titled Strike Witches: 501st Joint Fighter Wing Take Off! was announced as part of the World  Witches Series to commemorate the franchise's tenth anniversary. The 12-episode anime adaptation is based on the 2011 comedy spin-off 4-koma manga series by Makoto Fujibayashi. It aired from April 9 to June 25, 2019 on Tokyo MX, TV Aichi, MBS and BS11. The original cast of Strike Witches returned to reprise their roles. Acca effe and Giga Production are animating the series with Fumio Ito as director. Seiko Nagaoka, returned from Brave Witches to produce the music at Nippon Columbia. Production I.G and Anime Beans have been credited for animation production assistance. Funimation has acquired the  licence to stream the series with English subs the same day as Japan, with an English dub set for premiere on April 23. The spin-off also received a 30-minute nation-wide theatrical release planned for October 4 with returning cast and production committee from the spin-off TV show. A new anime series titled "World Witches Take Off!" aired from January 13 to March 31, 2021, with the cast and staff from "Strike Witches: 501st Joint Fighter Wing Take Off!" reprising their roles. The series will run for 12 episodes. Crunchyroll streamed the series with English subtitles. A  third season of "Strike Witches" series titled "Strike Witches: Road to Berlin" has been announced and aired from October 7 to December 23, 2020. David Production is animating the series with Kazuhiro Takamura returning as director, Striker Unit is handling the series composition, and Tatsuhiko Urata ("Strike Witches" and "Strike Witches 2" scriptwriter) is credited as the chief writer. Seikou Nagaoka will produce the music at Nippon Columbia. Funimation is streaming the series with an English dub and Crunchyroll is streaming the series with subtitles. Another new "Strike Witches" anime project titled as "Luminous Witches" has been announced. Initially scheduled  to air in 2021, it was later delayed to 2022 due to "various circumstances." Shaft is animating the series with Shouji Saeki, who served as episode director and scriptwriter for "Strike Witches" and "Strike Witches 2," directing the anime and handling the series composition. Shinya Murakami is credited for the "Witches series literature." Kadokawa is producing the music. The series will premiere in July 2022. Film. On October 28, 2010, a film adaptation of "Strike Witches" was announced to have been greenlit. Produced by AIC, the film was released in Japanese theaters on March 17, 2012 and on DVD and  BD on October 26, 2012. The film was licensed by Funimation; they released it on Blu-ray on October 4, 2016. A new 30-minute film for "Strike Witches: 501st Joint Fighter Wing Take Off!" was released in Japanese theaters on October 4, 2019. The main cast members and staff reprise their roles from the anime. Music. The first season used two pieces of theme music. , performed by Yoko Ishida is used as the opening. is used as the ending. "Bookmark A Head" is performed by the main cast as usually duets and the singers vary from episode to episode . , translated by Takaaki Suzuki, and performed by Minna-Dietlinde Wilcke (Rie Tanaka), is used as an insert song in episode 8. In Funimation's release, , a song also sung by Rie Tanaka from the CD album for the "Strike Witches: What I Can Do Along With You" game, was substituted for Lili Marleen. The single for "Strike Witches: To Do What I Can" was released on August 20, 2008, by Columbia Music Entertainment and also a version of "Bookmark A Head" performed by Misato Fukuen. An album entitled the was released on October 10, 2008, by Columbia Music Entertainment, containing  all versions "Bookmark A Head" as well as the insert "Lili Marleen". The original soundtrack containing 36 tracks was released on September 9, 2008. For the second season, the opening theme is by Yoko Ishida and the ending theme is "Over Sky", which is once again performed by members of the vocal cast. For the third season, the opening theme is by Ishida while the ending theme is performed by the vocal cast. Additionally, five albums of character image songs were released by Columbia Music Entertainment: Video games. There are currently five games based on the "Strike Witches" franchise. While  mainly based on the characters featured in the anime, characters from the two manga series also appear in some of the games. The first three "Strike Witches" games have the same opening, "private wing" by Yoko Ishida Reception. John Oppliger of AnimeNation listed "Strike Witches" as one of the best girls with guns anime series, stating that "its numerous shooting scenes and its stellar action scene animation qualify it for recognition as one of anime’s outstanding girls with guns shows."