First Impressions / Kouya no Kotobuki Hikoutai

「情け用無の爆撃機」 (Nasake-you mu no bakugeki-ki)
“The Aggressive Bombers”

What is happening? Last week, Councilor Julia was disparaging Isao’s tactics, this week there’s an attempt on her life. At least the Kotobuki Squadron are as confused by this as I am, and by this, I don’t mean the assassination attempt, but rather that Isao was apparently behind it. As Reona pointed out, he doesn’t seem like a bad guy. He’s young, handsome, and always smiling brightly. Even the way he pouted like a little kid at not getting to shoot down a surrendering airplane was kind of-

Oh. I think I see what the problem is.

Allen mentioned that he doesn’t know if the curtain call will be for a tragedy or a comedy, most likely because he doesn’t have a clear grasp of Isao’s character yet. Some say he’s a good man who looks out for the little guy, while others say he’s incapable of understanding emotion, that his smiles are as fake as knock-off jewelry, and just going off the way he’s been animated, I’m inclined to agree. There’s not a single smile of his I can recall that ever came from his heart, which must have been some clever foreshadowing, because as it turns out, he’s the Joker card of this story. In most games, the Joker card is useless, a pretty decoration you toss aside to play solitaire, but in certain games, it can be used as a trump or wild card. After the revelation that Isao has been buying up land to prevent anyone else from having access to the holes, it’s safe to assume he’s decided what the game is, and the Joker’s playing for keeps.

Trying to find Ol’ Sab in this series has been like the weirdest game of Where’s Waldo. Personally, I thought it was the robber in the mask and goggles, but his voice was a little too young for him to be a guy who has to be at least in his seventies. I thought for sure Kirie had him made this episode, though, only for the mystery pilot to end up being the fierce motormouth and ex-air pirate, Naomi (Itou Shizuka). It seemed like another dead end for Kirie, until it she let it slip that Ol’ Sab mentored her, too. And in response to Kirie asking her why she flies, she raised a very good point. Do we really need a reason for doing the things we love?

Next time one of the holes appears, Isao will try to fly through himself, that much is certain. When I saw Chika nearly get sucked into the hole – I actually thought she was sucked in for about a minute – it made me think that there’s a real chance this series could dive straight into multidimensional travel with the Kotobuki Squadron winding up in another world. For now, though, Isao better prepare himself for the storm that’s coming his way, because these ladies have learned what kind of man he is, and they’re ready to take action.

 

Preview

26 Comments

  1. https://randomc.net/image/Kouya%20no%20Kotobuki%20Hikoutai/Kouya%20no%20Kotobuki%20Hikoutai%20-%2010%20-%20Large%2035.jpg
    One thing I like about Kotobuki Kokutai is that the girls go into motormouth mode when they enter into a banter and argument. The pace and the tempo is just continious and there’s no letting up until one surrenders or backs down. That’s what make the girls cute in more ways than one.

    https://randomc.net/image/Kouya%20no%20Kotobuki%20Hikoutai/Kouya%20no%20Kotobuki%20Hikoutai%20-%2010%20-%20Large%2024.jpg
    Nakajima G10N Fugaku. The planned ultra long range bomber. Basically the Luftwaffle Amerika Bomber being hit by the Japanising beam. I was pretty much wondering why is there a B29 in this show but it does not look like the B29 that we all know.

    https://randomc.net/image/Kouya%20no%20Kotobuki%20Hikoutai/Kouya%20no%20Kotobuki%20Hikoutai%20-%2010%20-%20Large%2010.jpg
    Ara ara intensifies….

    Henrietta Brix
    Reply

    1. good lord of all things airborne, at first I was mistaking them for B-36s, but then noticed the obvious differences (pulling instead pushing propellers, for startes)
      never thought Japanese were even making plkans for such bombers, well, their industry was not up to scale obviously (considering how costly and complicated were B-29 for the USA)

      ewok40k
      Reply

    2. That’s true. There’s a ton of energy in those verbal exchanges that does a great job of displaying how lively these characters are. Plus, it’s not everyday Kirie meets her match when it comes to rapid-fire exchanges

      Stars
      Reply

  2. “Next time one of the holes appears, Isao will try to fly through himself, that much is certain. When I saw Chika nearly get sucked into the hole – I actually thought she was sucked in for about a minute – it made me think that there’s a real chance this series could dive straight into multidimensional travel with the Kotobuki Squadron winding up in another world. For now, though, Isao better prepare himself for the storm that’s coming his way, because these ladies have learned what kind of man he is, and they’re ready to take action. ”

    Would this make Kotobuki Kokutai fall under the isekai genre?

    Henrietta Brix
    Reply

    1. Under current conventions, no.

      Most isekai works have the main characters come from the “real world”. None of the main characters fall under that category. If the Kotobuki girls manage to cross over, then it’s a “reverse isekai” story.

      https://randomc.net/image/Kouya%20no%20Kotobuki%20Hikoutai/Kouya%20no%20Kotobuki%20Hikoutai%20-%2010%20-%20Large%2034.jpg

      Didn’t catch Shizuka Itou’s voice there. Been a long time since I heard her motormouth like that.

      Reona’s worried expression while her plane was being rearmed and refueled was quite cute. >_<

      Magnus Tancred
      Reply

    1. I would pity the bastards that forced her out since she’s going to just absolutely wreck them when she makes her come-back, but Isao is so fake that anyone who falls for him honestly deserves it.

      Aex
      Reply

      1. Isao is a very shrewd politician himself, hell he would give chancellor Palpatine run for his money when constructing an empire
        1.he does lots of beneficial stuff, girls admit it themselves
        2,he does great publicity works, from the fish exhibition, to (almost worked) plan to get the credit for saving town about to be hit by hijacked zeppelin
        3,he is both charming and ace pilot to boot

        ewok40k
        Reply

  4. https://randomc.net/image/Kouya%20no%20Kotobuki%20Hikoutai/Kouya%20no%20Kotobuki%20Hikoutai%20-%2010%20-%20Large%2031.jpg
    When this happend, i was wondering why the Big Bomber Plane was still flying or at one place

    – No Stall under their Wings? The wind flow reverse instantly would he not drop like a Stone or
    – not sucked inside the Hole or did the Pilot switched instant into reverse Trust?..

    – The little Fighter Planes here was lucky to be in the right direction so that the Wind still flow from the front under their wings.. i bet because of her “Horsepower” Engine they countered the wind force

    But.. the big Bomber Plane.. Oh well, it was even noiseless inside the cockpit… Well, it was build for high altitudes, but it never was build not even an Prototype

    But anyway, they know now the other side of this Guy

    Worldwidedepp
    Reply

    1. If I’m remembering this right, Chika didn’t so much escape the hole’s pull as keep herself out of range long enough for it to close without trapping her inside. A couple more seconds and she probably would have gone through, since pouring on the thrust can only do so much when you’re flying against the air flow.

      Stars
      Reply

    2. Probably best to put it on the “artistic license” category.
      – As long as there’s another force that counteracts gravity, the plane won’t fall. Checked the wing shape of the plane and I think there is little chance getting lift with the air flow in reverse.
      – Whatever kept the bomber from getting sucked in quickly is a mystery. There was hardly any drag, and deploying brakes would actually got it pushed in faster. After checking the engine type, reverse thrust wouldn’t work since the propellers would’ve stalled. Not even sure there is a reverse thrust option.

      Completely agree on how the fighter got through.

      theirs
      Reply

    1. or to keep them from coming trough, so that he stay the “King of this World” because the others would “dethrone” him from his Chair. So he is doing this to stay on the Top

      Worldwidedepp
      Reply

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