Episode 1 – Moonlit Guns for Hire
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Meet the Kotobuki Squadron and don't underestimate the Hayabusa!
Questions of the Day:
1. How much do you already know about:
- Air combat maneuvering
- Japanese military aircraft of World War II
- Dirigibles
2. What do you think of the setting? Is it important to you in a scenario such as this one, or does the core premise of girls do dogfighting carry itself?
Bonus: Have you ever heard of Crimson Skies?
Rewatchers, please be mindful of first-time viewers and spoilers. Use spoiler tags if you must discuss events after the episode being discussed.
Background notes:
On the ninth of September 2018, Tsutomu Mizushima Tweeted to confirm the announcement of 「荒野のコトブキ飛行隊」, an anime project which he revealed that he had been working on, intermittently, for some three years already. The anime's official website launched with what could be considered an above-average amount of first-day information, including character art and short comments with the voice talent. (The official website by now contains prolific spoilers, so I will not link it here until the rewatch is over.) The anime's release would be in advance of a related mobile game.
Several of Mizushima's collaborators from Girls und Panzer and Shirobako were on Kotobuki's staff, including Michiko Yokote for the script and Shigeyuki Ninomiya for military (technical) supervision. Animation and direction included people who had experience with aerial combat anime, such as Hiroyuki Kanbe and Shou Sugai. (Okay, so those credits involved witches without trousers, but everyone stuck to their professional responsibilities and presumably Mizushima's general avoidance of gratuitous fanservice, considering what Tokihama Jiro illustrates in his off-time.) Shirou Hamaguchi composed the soundtrack.
A combination of 2D and 3D animation was confirmed. At least the 3D had been apparent from the first PV, which caused some minor consternation given that GEMBA appeared in the credits and they were most (in)famous for 2016's BERSERK: Unlimited Clang Works.
Mizushima wanted the characters to be 3D from the beginning of the production.
According to Ninomiya, Mizushima's initial concept for the series was for one in which only piston-engine aircraft flew, but the series concept did not solidify until Seiichi Shirato (credited with setting assistance) provided a more "dynamic concept", and it evolved from there.
Mizushima wanted the aircraft animation to be more technically accurate than past anime tended to make them, which the CG artists could handle, but tactical accuracy was compromised if needed to suit drama and cinematography.
As Ninomiya described it, "We talk about realism a lot, but honestly what we are doing is focusing on hiding some big lies with a stock of small truths." So attention is paid to making things appear to work as the real parts might, but dramatization covers things like thrust-to-weight ratios and having aircraft fighting in situations that would be improbably difficult in the real world.
Mizushima had considered including forty different aircraft designs for the series, which was cut down to a more manageable two dozen, though various customizations would push the depicted total toward that forty in the end.
Notably, he didn't want the Navy Type 0 Carrier Fighter (the A6M Zero) to be the featured aircraft. Instead, the Army Type 1 Fighter (the Ki-43) would be chosen, which Ninomiya speculated was due to Mizushima's personal affection for the type, much like the Panzer IV in GuP. That did give the new series a unique hook; while the Ki-43 was produced in significant quantity during World War II, its usage by the Imperial Japanese Army and largely in the China-Burma-India theaters meant that it was much less famous than its Navy counterpart.
Researching the Ki-43's details was made somewhat more difficult by that lack of fame, though. Fewer surviving examples (most of them outside Japan) meant that researching physical details for the 3D modeling was more difficult, and documentation less common. An unrelated discussion about determining the shape of the Ki-43 for the purposes of designing a model kit illustrates how tricky that could be. Another example described is how the staff found documents for the startup sequence Ki-43-II model Hayabusa but not the -I model which the anime featured. They weren't too different, but it does speak to the loss of knowledge to time.
And sometimes one collects odd notions.
Considerable effort went into establishing the technical accuracy of the flying animation. Among the real-world aircraft operators the staff consulted with was the Whiskey Papa Competition Aerobatic Team, which was shouted out to in the anime with two of the Nazarin Squadron characters getting named after team members and their insignia being adapted from the real one.
Jiro Tokihama provided the animators with a cartoon version of the startup sequence to use for reference.
Aeronautical notes:
This series makes a point of presenting a variety of historical aircraft, though it never overwhelms the viewer with technical details, and as one might assume from the mere existence of the night combat action in the first episode, values its story over rigid adherence to the limits of real-world accuracy.
So I don't think that numbing my fellow (re)watchers with minutiae is particularly beneficial, and it's entirely possible that some of you are coming prepared with your own presentations of background material. Even so, I want to cover some details up front for the benefit of those who are coming into the rewatch without as much knowledge of the series's emphasized subject material and who might occasionally get lost in the commentary.
So, what's an airplane (or an aeroplane, in most Commonwealth nations)? (I can hear you all groaning already.) It is a fixed-wing flying machine propelled by engine thrust. (Thus further distinguishing them from gliders, helicopters, ornithopters, or lighter-than-air aircraft.)
"Thrust?" Let's go to the diagram.
In short, if an airplane's thrust and lift both exceed its drag and weight, it will fly. Thrust varies on the engine's overall power output and throttle setting; lift varies on the wing's shape and the aircraft's airspeed and altitude.
There's a lot more there, but this discussion will move on to controls.
Directing an airplane means making it travel along a specific direction in the sphere defined by the three axes of rotation. Directional control is achieved through the use of movable surfaces mounted on the aircraft's wings and tail. Ailerons on the wings control roll. The aircraft's tail surfaces control pitch and yaw.
A term which will appear often is "angle of attack", which (very simplified) describes the angle between the direction of the oncoming airflow and the orientation of the aircraft's body. Extreme angles of attack can cause the airflow to separate from the wings and control surfaces, resulting in a stall or loss of control.
The more common way to stall an aircraft is by dropping below the stall speed, which is the speed at which the wing/aircraft can no longer maintain a laminar airflow to generate lift, again usually accompanied by a loss of control.
To mitigate this effect, movable control surfaces called flaps are employed at low speeds such as during takeoff and landing, extending from the wings to change its overall shape and allowing a greater angle of attack at a given airspeed. They are also used in combat to increase turning rate.
That covers a basic introduction to aeronautics. The unavoidable discussion of air combat maneuvering will come soon enough.
Aircraft appearing today:
First, a couple of notes regarding what these aircraft are called.
Being a Japanese production, there is no specific need for the show to use the Allied code name system for them, but I have included the available names when applicable, given that Reddit's audience is overwhelmingly English-speaking and is still more likely to have heard of these aircraft with their WWII reporting name at the least.
Japan's own aircraft designation system was convoluted for several reasons, not least of which because a particular type could have multiple different designations applied to it simultaneously. Again, I have included what designations are available in the descriptions.
Kawanishi N1K1-J Shiden ("Violet Lighting") (Navy Intercept Fighter, Allied reporting name "George"):
The land-based variant of the Imperial Japanese Navy N1K1 floatplane fighter. It combined four 20mm cannons with good speed, maneuverability, and durability, but the quirks of its floatplane conversion hobbled its use. The significantly-redesigned N1K2-J Shiden Kai would become the best Japanese fighter of the late-war period.
Mitsubishi A6M2b "Zero" (Navy Type 0 Carrier Fighter, official Allied reporting name "Zeke"):
One of the most famous fighter aircraft of World War II, it combined unprecedented range with high maneuverability to establish itself as the top aircraft carrier-based fighter of the early war years.
Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa ("Peregrine Falcon") (Army Type 1 Fighter, Allied reporting name "Oscar", a.k.a. "Army Zero"):
The Imperial Japanese Army's most-used aircraft of World War II, featuring the same engine as the Zero, having similar range, and excellent maneuverability. It would see three major upgrades as the war progressed which would give it more durability and higher performance.
It was a Japanese Army Air Force public relations officer in Burma who would give the Army Type 1 its "Hayabusa" nickname.
Old movie footage from the era and a 1996 video of one flying with an original airframe and engine. That aircraft would go to an American collection but is currently not flying.
Mitsubishi A6M3 Zero:
A 1941 variant of the A6M which gave it a more powerful engine and introduced other revisions which made it slightly faster, easier to roll, and better-diving, but cut its range by half.
Tachikawa Ki-9 ("Red Dragonfly") (Army Type 95-1 Intermediate Trainer, Allied reporting name "Spruce"):
Biplane intermediate trainer from 1935.
The Hagoromo:
A dirigible (rigid-hull airship) of a design which was not attempted in reality, since building an enclosed through-deck aircraft hangar inside a dirigible would have been complicated at best and conducting flight operations as shown would be impractically excitingdangerous. Basic statistics are a length of 440 meters and a diameter of 72 meters, which is substantially larger than any of the dirigibles ever constructed in reality (Hindenburg, 245 m) and also modern aircraft carriers (Gerald Ford, 333 m). (The only seagoing vessels in this size class are the largest supertankers.)
Given that they're operating land-based aircraft from a deck without catapults or arresting wires, they do need the length.
Bouyancy is provided by helium enclosed within twenty partitions. As with the original dirigibles, the gas bags are made from cattle intestines. Sixteen engines in eight external nacelles provide enough thrust that the ship can exceed 100 kph.
The tricolor visible on the tail is similar to that of hishimochi and represents the town of Rahama.
Characters appearing today:
Kotobuki Squadron:
- Reona (Seto Asami) Character art and tail emblem, said to be a highly-stylized version of the 寿 ("kotobuki", "long life") kanji.
- Zara (Yamamura Hibiku) Character art and tail emblem, said to be smoke rising from a pipe.
- Kyrie (Suzushiro Sayumi) Character art and tail emblem.
- Emma (Yukimura Eri)Character art and tail emblem.
- Kate (Nakaya Sayaka) Character art and tail emblem.
Nazarin Squadron:
- Adolfo Yamada (Matsumoto Shinobu)
- Fernando Uchiumi (Yamamoto Itaru)
- Ismael (Tezuka Hiromichi)
- Miguel (Hasegawa Yoshiaki)
- Rodriguez (Sasaki Yoshihito)
- Johnny (Ueda Youji)
- Ririko (Touyama Nao)
Hagoromo crew:
- Saneatsu (Fujiwara Keiji)
- Anna (Yoshioka Misaki)
- Maria (Okasaki Miho)
- Addy (Shimabukuro Miyuri)
- Betty (Koga Aoi)
- Cindy (Kawaida Natsumi)
(Just a touch of M*A*S*H there.) - Natsuo (Okubo Rumi)
- The Captain
Lulu (Yajima Akiko)
2019-era items:
Some other redhead, by me.
Kotobuki Communication: The post-first-episode web chat featuring Suzushiro Sayumi and Yukimura Eri. Sayumi commented that Kylie's personality is like hers. She also accidentally spoils something from Episode 2, but it's also something which you would notice from Episode 1's ED which is the series's actual OP. Impressions of the episode in crayon: One Two Three Four
Useful trivia:
Conversion of units of measurement:
- Length: Khrill. One khrill equals 2 meters.
- Volume: Bottle. One bottle equals 2 liters.
- Weight: Pound. One pound equals one kilogram. (AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA)
- Currency: Pound, sen. One pound is approximately 100 yen.
by chilidirigible
14 Comments
**The Magnificent First-Timer, subbed**
– [This girl really, *really* likes her pancakes, then.](https://i.imgur.com/qc762eH.png)
– [The shade, heh.](https://i.imgur.com/6DL0NDO.png) [](#kukuku)
– [Dang…](https://i.imgur.com/IPrzkB6.png)
– [Keiji Fujiwara…](#kurisudisappointed)
– [Plane POV.](https://i.imgur.com/qaGR7lf.png) [](#awe)
– [Dogfighting!](https://i.imgur.com/ABTceKF.png) [](#rengehype) Not much to comment on since it was just one long fight without a lot of dialogue, but that was fun.
– [Ooh nice, lovely detail that her goggles left behind marks from wearing them during battle.](https://i.imgur.com/wNzDCP2.png) [](#neat)
– [I am a genius!](https://i.imgur.com/pEtJQli.png) – [Oh no!](https://i.imgur.com/eFRH0GL.png) [](#crazedlaugh)
– [I wonder who was in that plane.](https://i.imgur.com/wK73Zoe.png) [](#csikon)
– This was a pretty interesting first episode!
### The Magnificent Rewatcher
Man, it’s been a while since I’ve done a rewatch. But this show is fun, so here we go! I watched this show as it aired, and I had a good time! Let’s see if it holds up.
– Ah, the 3D animation. I will say it looks a lot better when they’re alone in their planes versus when interacting with 2D-drawn characters.
– I forgot which of the girls I ended up liking the best, but [I like her already again.](https://i.imgur.com/zlQ9ZEy.png)
– But we ain’t here for the girls. [We want planes!](https://i.imgur.com/D6DppMW.png) Tons of them!
[](#megadeathparty)
What is a khril, anyway? They use kilometers, too!
– God, the sounds in this show.
[](#listen)
This is directed by the guy behind Girls und Panzer. It shows. Apparently all these plane things from the pre-flight routine to the gauges are super accurate? That’s what I remember floating around when this show was airing.
– [The triumphant soundtrack during this!](https://i.imgur.com/SmSxVs1.png) It’s so good!
– [And there’s something about tracer rounds streaming past a camera that just makes me happy.](https://i.imgur.com/CXrR3Gm.png)
[](#delighted)
– [She’s not as good as she thinks she is.](https://i.imgur.com/Skyn4r8.png)
[](#pointandlaugh)
– [God, I wish that were me.](https://i.imgur.com/BCk3FUf.png) All hail aggressive mechanics!
– [I love the bridge trio’s designs, by the way.](https://i.imgur.com/j9lODXa.png)
And the OP (playing here as the ED) is *fantastic*. Oh yeah, we’re back.
___
QOTD:
1. I watched my brother play War Thunder over his shoulder sometimes. I know it’s slow and methodical. Oh, I also remember Crimson Skies when I was *very* young (I forgot its title, but the bonus question reminded me). AA guns are fun!
2. I’m fine with “girls doing dogfights,” personally, but some of the western asthetic isn’t unwelcome!
Edit: holy episode notes! So many details! Well done.
> One pound equals one kilogram. (AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA)
Whyyyyyyyyyyyyy
> since building an enclosed through-deck aircraft hangar inside a dirigible would have been complicated at best and conducting flight operations as shown would be impractically excitingdangerous.
[](#finethen)
First Timer
It was inevitable I’d watch this show eventually. This is the third hard entry in the “girls operate realistic(ish) war machines” genre I know about. The first two being Girls und Panzer and High School Fleet. There are also softer entries like Strike Witches and Arpeggio of Blue Steel. Throw in A Place Further than the Universe too but only the episode with the icebreaker.
I also used to play Warthunder, so a lot of the dog fighting was pretty relatable. Strangely though, the relatable bits were usually the parts where people got shot down or damaged rather than the parts where someone shot someone else down or damaged them. I could never figure out how they kept getting behind me…
Speaking of the fight, they really nailed it. The feeling of floatiness at the peaks and the weight when pulling up from dive, the difficulty in getting the shot *just right* when you have it almost lined up, even that fucking plane wiggle. Loved the plane wiggle. For a pilot their plane is an extension of their body and that plane wiggle is flipping the bird. The only thing keeping it from being exactly like the average Warthunder match is the fact that the planes didn’t have colored smoke trailing from their wings as they made their approaches to each other.
The characters are fun, but the character animation is not Girls Band Cry. Then again very few shows are Girls Band Cry. I only know of the one myself. I’m currently not really too interested in the plot since the main focus of the show seems to be the plane fights and its not like the first episode seemed to care to try to get me interested in it. Nice and simple; a good way to get from one fight to another. That’s how a show like this should be and a plot that’s too involved is the weakest aspect of Haifuri (though it still acts as a good vehicle to get from one fight to the next).
1.
-Somewhat. Like I said, I have vague familiarty through Warthunder, but obviously that’s gonna be limited.
-See above
-Not much, just some basics
2. The setting seems interesting but at the end of the day it’s a vehicle for girls doing dogfights. I hope it gets fleshed out but it’s not why I’m here
**First timer, subs**
I only know about this show thru other rewatches subtly advertising for it. My only real expectations are jank, and what’s on the box art
* …I have no idea what card game they are playing.
* [Is That **Fried Chicken?**](#drool)
* So the dudes are still 2D? Should I be reading into the thematic meaning of this?
* [I Like My Pancakes With Jam **How About You?**](#ama)
* Wow, 5/7th. This really is not!America.
* Huh. I just watched another anime with a Shiden in it yesterday. What are the odds?
* OK, the bartender is CGI too, that would imply it’s a production decision for regular characters.
* [Damn, **They Talk Fast**](#attentivenote)
* [Airships?](#concealedexcitement)
* I’m sorry, you can’t just lay a dodo on me and move along.
* [Pedantic **Mechanical Details**](#hnng)
* [Airships Confirmed! **The Dream Lives!**](#grandhype)
* [So Crisp **So Full**](#listen)
* Man, this is a metric tonne of aeropirates.
* [Flack!](#funky)
* This dude bought a skin, that’s how you know he’s a no-lifer.
* [Heh **Land: Zero**](#kukuku)
* This better not turn out like the last rival pilot, where I didn’t figure out what the deal was until the end.
* What, do they not get the bonus at a later date?
[OK **We Jamming**](#pigeonbeats)
1)
a) “Speed is life, height is insurance.”
b) I doubled my knowledge about two days ago, but still not much.
c) I’m not sure how much there is to know, honestly.
2) The sky pirates setting is a rare treat whenever it comes up.
3) I watched an LP of it.
Do I still gotta tag everybody?
**First-Timer**
It’s been too long since I’ve had pancakes.
This is probably mostly a case of me not having watched a ton of aerial combat media, but I get a strong vibe of Last Exile from this so far. They aren’t actually that similar beyond the general vibe of “flying machine without jet engines Do Stuff”, although the Last Exile also spent a solid amount of time emphasizing the pre-launch prep sequences.
Anyway, I can already understand why the compilation film apparently cut out the OST in favor of accentuating the sound design. The engines, the gun shots, the various levers; it’s practically decadent (if occasionally drowned out by the also rather nice OST). Makes me tingle in all the right pla- uh, ways. All the right ways.
Between that and the incredible PoV sequence as Kirie launched, I could’ve guessed this was Mizushima if I didn’t know it going in.
So our situation is that airships transport stuff around the world and the cast are the protection squad? Sure. Are we transporting illegal goods? Maybe, or maybe they’re saving that one for later.
What’re we thinking Kirie’s deal is? Blue Snake shot down whoever is in that grave she visited? Might be too easy. Blue Snake might have just continually showed up Kirie in sick plane manuevers and she’s jealous, that’s a fun idea.
Interesting little tidbit – the aerial battle happened in close to real-time: at [5:43](https://i.imgur.com/WakcD4S.jpeg) one of the Zeroes sets a 16(ish) minute timer that then goes off at [19:35](https://i.imgur.com/rO69uLn.jpeg).
Doubt I’ll spot them every day, but [sidebar](https://i.redd.it/mdot6c1y0dqd1.png) [spotted.](https://i.imgur.com/Whvs5Or.jpeg)
Questions
1. Very little; next to nothing; next to nothing. I know enough about manuevers to know that we won’t be seeing any cobra maneuvers unless they suddenly invent jet aircraft.
2. I don’t have a great grasp on the setting yet, but it has the potential to accentuate the girls doing dogfights.
3. The name rings a bell, at least.
Today, on
[“I’m a genius!”](https://i.redd.it/xvj8zfbughnd1.png)
[“Oh no!”](https://i.redd.it/jp340hbughnd1.png):
*****
[Thus begin the pancakes.](https://i.redd.it/crad7o8de5fd1.png)
[*According to Mizushima, she’s twenty-five years old.*](https://i.redd.it/qosteibughnd1.png) More on that later.
[Everyone: “You’ve got what now?”](https://i.redd.it/1qvxpo8de5fd1.png)
[This has been an experiment in how long one can just have uninterrupted character banter.](https://i.redd.it/9bllqp8de5fd1.png)
[Bridge bunnies!](https://i.redd.it/t85bgf8de5fd1.png)
[The subtitles do some odd things, because the spoken dialogue never deviates from saying “(kilo)khrill” instead of “(kilo)meters”.](https://i.redd.it/gnpzbgbughnd1.png)
[This is a sign that things are a little *different* around here.](https://i.redd.it/5i3r6g8de5fd1.png)
[The weaving here is accurate to the lack of visibility forward when tail-dragger aircraft are taxiing.](https://i.redd.it/2j2y8i8de5fd1.png)
[Ki-43-Is, even.](https://i.redd.it/jqdygibughnd1.png)
[Your second sign that things are a little different around here.](https://i.redd.it/8vg2ji8de5fd1.png)
[The staff would reveal later that the cargo](https://i.redd.it/upsmustbeeqd1.png) [consisted of]>!milk from GyuGyu Land!<.
A couple of bits of trivia which merit mention are the [crank starting](https://i.redd.it/965u4j606bmd1.jpg) and the [cowl flaps](https://i.redd.it/fuhahj606bmd1.jpg), if one is less familiar with old piston engines.
[The Ki-43 Hayabusa’s distinctive maneuvering flaps.](https://i.redd.it/bcxncq8de5fd1.png)
[Another tail-dragger detail, pushing the elevators as it reaches takeoff speed, to drop the nose and therefore raise the tail off the ground.](https://i.redd.it/yldzwi8de5fd1.png)
[And to thoroughly confirm that things are a little different around here, they just took off from a flight deck *inside a dirigible*.](https://i.redd.it/7jz5aj8de5fd1.png)
[Black](https://i.redd.it/zvb2rj8de5fd1.png) or [white](https://i.redd.it/oe8fvk8de5fd1.png) smoke depending on what is supposed to have been damaged.
[Emma trades altitude for airspeed, or potential energy for kinetic energy.](https://i.redd.it/23gltl8de5fd1.png)
[The pressure line from the googles is a nice touch.](https://i.redd.it/zkaayl8de5fd1.png) Given that they’re not exactly shown wearing suitable clothing for this sort of thing.
[This moon has a tanuki on it.](https://i.redd.it/2aww0c9ajhgd1.png)
[The *Top Gun*-style fixed camera here, over the purple snake, is a nice touch.](https://i.redd.it/q4a03hbughnd1.png)
[Saved by the bell.](https://i.redd.it/gwm36m8de5fd1.png) While the gauge is not labelled, its [position and number sequence](https://i.redd.it/i9k72z2jxhmd1.png) matches that of the A6M’s fuel indicators, so it’s probably “joker fuel” time.
[Dodos can(not) fly.](https://i.redd.it/75ah2m8de5fd1.png)
[“Don’t break my plane!”](https://i.redd.it/d8460n8de5fd1.png)
[*We’ll explain later.*](https://i.redd.it/dcxlnn8de5fd1.png)
*****
Rewatching this (repeatedly and frequently for this rewatch) now, the first episode feels like it is foreshadowing Mizushima’s more recent work in *Shuumatsu Train Doku e Iku?* in how it rolls with the dialogue for several solid minutes right at the beginning, while various *curiosities* of the setting are introduced. The Nazarene Squadron’s dress and the style of Johnny’s bar look like they’re out of a Western, but the Nazarene’s jargon subtly features some peculiarities.
Then we are introduced to the bridge crew, Saneatsu, and Lulu, jumping to a World War II-era style which fits more with what the anime’s promotional materials implied, while continuing the snappy back-and-forths in the conversation and the unusual terminology.
And then after the commercial break, the part of the episode that draws from its ancestor *Girls und Panzer*: The glory of animated technical details combined with immersive sound design, in a situation that isn’t *that* realistic if one knows enough about aviation, but gets enough of the specifics correct to look good. Depicting moving control surfaces is *enormously* appreciated.
Reona and Zara’s aerial combat skills are featured quietly and competently, contrasting with Emma and Kirie (especially Kyrie) being more hotheaded about things.
I consider the *Hagoromo* reveal as significant as a similar moment as one from *Girls und Panzer*’s first episode, and it seems that the staff did as well, given that the use of the airship as an aircraft carrier was not mentioned in any of the pre-airing promotional materials. It wasn’t as *completely insane* as *GuP*’s setting reveal was, but still makes a point about the anime’s specific world versus reality. It’s pulp science fiction and dieselpunk and a strong suggestion to not get too worked up about where else the series might play with expectations.
Oh, and the Captain. The living, flying example of the extinct, flightless Dodo.
**First Timer**
15 minutes straight of dogfight action?
[Sign me up](#rengehype)
I’ll admit knowing it was full CG gave me some doubts before starting, although I was optimistic knowing how GuP handles it’s CG, needless to say my expectations were exceeded.
[](#awe)
This is exactly the kind of show CG animation is made for, sweeping and shifting camera angles, big complex mechanical models and most noticeably those incredibly cool and immersive first person shots, it’s always awesome seeing dogfight sequences and it’s easy to tell that this episode was made by someone who *really* gets them, from the cockpit shots to the spins it’s just so fun and engaging, makes me want to get on a game of Battlefield or War Thunder.
Even outside of the action though, thanks to the animation and sound design you get a feel for how hefty, unwieldy and yet maneuverable these planes are, that pre-flight check sequence was a great way to start it all and to get you to feel “in the cockpit”, the sound of the engine starting…
[So good](#scrumptiouslymoe)
The music was also a fantastic fit for the action, it’s got this classic adventurous, dramatic and triumphant “war movie” style and it works to great effect here setting the atmosphere.
[](#seasonallisten)
Hard to say much about the characters right now but from the little we got of them they look like a fun, likable bunch, [I also think pancake disrespect should not be tolerated](https://imgur.com/a/KSHpgQW), I also think we get a big glimpse into their personalities (especially Kirie’s) by the way they act and pilot their fighters during the action, which is a fun way to do characterization.
Assuming the show continues to have even a fraction of the fantastic action it showed this episode and the characters stay enjoyable, than much like GuP I think I’ll end up loving it.
**First Timer**, subbed
Going into this pretty much blind other than know there’s planes. Not sure I’m feeling the 2D and 3D mix here though. That aside I really enjoyed the first episode.
Most notable to be was the air battle having very little dialogue. I really liked that choice.
Also shoutout to the sound direction. Hearing fast steps getting closer right before Kirire got punched made that scene so much funnier.
The setting with the old-timey airplanes, airships and air pirates kinda reminded me of Crimson Skies which is also a plus.
Looking forward to what the show will bring to the table for the remainder of the season. I for one am definitely onboard with it.
___
**QotD:**
**Questions of the Day:**
>1. How much do you already know about:
> * Air combat maneuvering
Very little
> * Japanese military aircraft of World War II
I have watched The Wind Rises.
> * Dirigibles
I think this is the first time I hear this word for airships.
>2. What do you think of the setting? Is it important to you in a scenario such as this one, or does the core premise of girls do dogfighting carry itself?
I like the setting but based on episode 1 if it stayed consistent even just the dogfights might have been enough.
>Bonus: Have you ever heard of *Crimson Skies*?
Have I?
[](#smugasuna)
___
Gonna dig through your notes now to be more informed for future episodes. Well the ones for the aircraft anyway since I know my aeronautics.
**Partial Firsttimer**
I initially picked this up more than a year ago when someone, I think it was Buiscuit, linked me a video of the [Startup sequenz](https://imgur.com/EknEsml), especially the sound design. According to MAL, I watched 5 episodes in 2 days and then stopped because I got busy with seasonals [](#fingertwirl)
Anyway, I remember a few strokes of the plot up until that point, but have forgotten the finer details, so I’ll comment on those.
* Girl [really](https://imgur.com/GZrDiSJ) [loves](https://imgur.com/8gwJii7) [Pancakes](https://imgur.com/EgMZORF)
* [That Guy](https://imgur.com/3DJkMHS) could’t be more [sleazy](https://imgur.com/zh8wPES) if he tried, but nice that at least his friends reign him in
* Love the (not so) [subtle](https://imgur.com/SHdBvIh) burn
* Is [that](https://imgur.com/3kxYlPJ) an Dodu?`
* [Love](https://imgur.com/R8Zt93s) her
* Boss Lady is clearly having [favourites](https://imgur.com/iqHNtDX)
* As I said, love the startup, both from sound and a technical perspective
* Was that a [barrel](https://imgur.com/cf8mxrk) [role](https://imgur.com/gxRoPGv) [](#rengehype)
* The air fight was nice as well, though easy to get lost in the action tbh
* Loved the shift from [smug](https://imgur.com/B9FmoR6) to [panic](https://imgur.com/mwbspfh)… though I really wonder why the snake let her go
* Wait, did those other mercenaries die [](#watashiworried)
* [Like](https://imgur.com/H6ZxPpP) [them](https://imgur.com/FukJ8da) as well
QotD
* 1. How much do you already know about:
> Air combat maneuvering
[Nothing](#happydera)
> Japanese military aircraft of World War II
[Nothing](#chinosmirk)
> Dirigibles
[Noth-](#saesmile) No wait, I hear they go good with [Chili](#drool)
* 2. What do you think of the setting? Is it important to you in a peculiar scenario such as this one, or is the core premise of girls do dogfighting enough?
CGD Dogfights is enough for me for now
Bonus: Have you ever heard of Crimson Skies?
Only ever heard of the [Crimson Comet](#mug3)
**Overall First Timer** but rewatcher for the first 2 eps
i had started on this before chili announced his rewatch. pretty much only knew the MAL summary + Tsutomi Mizushima on the reins, so i was definitely expecting sth GuP-esque.
i will be honest, the starting uncanny CGI of the characters didnt inspired much confidence, but then, well, the startup sequence hit and I kinda knew that the show was putting in the work where it counted (the planes)…. and i was super impressed by the dogfight sequence. so i was pretty much instantly sold. the cast is quirky but dont know too too much about em yet.
Random points.
– It is fun to see how the starting random gang really suck from the banter when they deal cards. Are our main girls really just that OP? Seemingly not, as the pirate gang today put up some manner of fight before going down.
– pancakes good. but missing a bit of that fuwa fuwa……
– CGI does allow the use of [fun shots like these. ](https://imgur.com/t5B0PgO)
– I hope there is an explanation of the whole startup process out there. That’s fascinating to me. Tbh even how airplanes start up today is cool, even tho its a bit more button pressing vs hand cranking. ditto with [le jargon](https://imgur.com/LYohIFm)
QOTD:
1. I know what a dogfight is! I also know what a kamikaze attack is, if that even is an air combat maneuver. I’ve also seen fighter jets doing loops at air shows and them low-flying during training runs in rural areas, but thats about it. Dirigibles? our host’s username? (i half-kid. its the blimp-esque thing right? just more substantial)
2. The post-apocalytic esque setting is cool and very reminiscent of the director’s other works ([Shirobako franchise]>!Shirobako is i guess an exception but he didnt resist tapping into those vibes a bit for shows-within lol.!<), and im intrigued to what he brings to the table, shuumatsu train and gup were both quirky fun worlds. i know i answered sth differently to chili yesterday, but now that i think of it, as i do put some weight on being a fan of the director, the setting *is* important to me in this context as i have expectations. the peculiar setting also helps give the overall story a bit more lighthearted vibe i think? These are, iirc, real WW2 planes after all, similar with GuP; and being set in the “real world” i think wouldve made things feel a lot more heavy and serious. here, we can just have fun.
Bonus: no, unfortunately.
holy shit. /u/chilidirigible you’ve brought the goods in that main post.
[](#awe)
Questions:
1. Well, I have iirc over a thousand hours in War Thunder, most of which is in low rank air battles so I’d say I’m fairly experienced. I’ve dipped my toes into the Japanese tech tree though I’ve never really liked playing them, but I do know a bunch about the planes. As for the thing that forms the second half of your username, I know there’s one fewer of them in the world now than there was just a few weeks ago.
2. I could take or leave the setting, the premise is enough to sell me. The same premise also sold me on the manga Shindenkai no Maki and that takes place in a school setting.
3. No, but I’m interested?
Since I’ve already watched this before, I can’t exactly do what I normally do and do “in the moment” thoughts. So instead I’ll be doing a “plane of the day” post where I go into a bit more detail about a single plane from the episode. Today I’ll start with the **Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa**.
Manufactured by Nakajima, the company that would later become Subaru, the Hayabusa was powered by the same Sakae engine as the Mitsubishi Zero, but this time in an airframe made by the same company that made the engine. Like most Japanese fighters of WWII they were immensely maneuverable, able to turn on a dime to get its guns on target.
Its most glaring problem was it’s atrocious armament, or rather lack thereof. Early models mounted a pair of 7.7mm (.303 cal) machine guns, while later models replaced first one and then both guns with 12.7mm (.50 cal) machine guns. For reference, contemporary Allied fighters with only marginally worse maneuverability (the Spitfire and the P-40) mounted 8 .303 cal and 6 .50 cal guns respectively. Even the heaviest armed prototypes only had a pair of 20mm cannons, but again variants of the Hurricane and Spitfire mounted 4 similar weapons, and those were full production variants. (Actually, all 3 examples of Allied aircraft are older than the Hayabusa, which makes its lack of armament even more glaring).
Hayabusas served with distinction everywhere Japan fought in WWII, from China to Indonesia, and served throughout the war since its introduction in October 1941. A few also saw service with Thailand, because they were ostensibly Japan’s allies during the war.
Post-war, it saw some service with French forces in Indochina, as well as in Indonesia and on both sides of the Chinese Civil War.
As mentioned earlier, I play War Thunder, and my experience with it in-game definitely impacted my opinion of it. While its miserable armament would be acceptable if it were literally the first plane you could use (and even then there are some that would still have it beat), but it isn’t, and for where it is in the tech tree and what opponents it faces at that level, the armament goes from “pathetic” to “wholly inadequate”. Unlike IRL it even regularly faces biplanes which are sometimes equally well armed if not even moreso than itself, and if the Hayabusa can turn on a dime biplanes can turn on a penny, so even that key advantage is lost.
Overall, the Hayabusa. Not exactly one of the finer planes to come out of Japan during that time period.
Oh, wow, it’s that time already! Oh, wait, I’m already 1/2 hour late. Man, not how I wanted to start this, so I’ll try to keep it short.
That was fun. The 3D was a bit jarring at times, but I’m willing to overlook that for some flying fun. I’ll also try to overlook the anime physics and tactics, although it does seem that they put a lot of effort into it. Ground effects, even, sasuga & all that, right?
So, yeah, this was a fun introduction to the girls, and their story. Too bad about the red shirt squadron, it might have been nice to keep one or two of them around as foils. The reverend survived, didn’t he?
That, and now I want pancakes…
Oh, and one more thing, rule of cool says Zeppelin aircraft carriers. I’ve seen enough WWII footage about what happenes to aircraft carriers on the ocean when things go wrong, like botched landings, etc. But hey, it’s anime, let’s have some fun.
And hope that Juanita McCain isn’t one of the pilots.
(Kidding, sort of.)
Edit: Oh, we have questions of the day! Yay!!!
1a) I’ve read the book, I think it was by some Vietnam, or was it Korean War ace on Dogfighting, and it was very educational. There was a lot going on visually, but I think it mostly tracked well. I wasn’t exactly trying to analyze it for historical accuracy, because …
1b) I suspect they put a lot of effort into things. Like the airplanes. I haven’t really cared much about the Japanese aircraft arsenal beyond what I’ve encountered in video games, and even then, it’s almost all Zeros, right?
1c) Gesundheit. I think that hydrogen gas and avgas would go together about as well as USS Lexington and … Or was that Taiho? Yeah. Anyway, rule of cool. I’m just here to enjoy the pretty girls and planes.
2) The setting seems fine, although it’s currently a bit on the Edwards AFB tone of things. Hopefully they’ll move around a bit as the story progresses.
Bonus: Heard of it, seen some cool pictures, that’s about it.