First Impressions / Snapshots

OP Sequence

OP: 「Break the Blue!!」by Run Girls, Run!

“Crimson Wings”


「紅い翼」 (Akai Tsubasa)

I didn’t even realise I’d been assigned to write for Girly Air Force until earlier today, so apologies for the delay. It doesn’t help that I don’t care about GAF, a conclusion I quickly arrived at after watching the first episode. In fact, it feels like I lost the preview lottery this time round. But no matter – I’m here to inform you about what I saw and evaluate it with glorious helpings of my own subjectivity. Without further ado, let’s get started!

First Impressions

Last Exile is the GOAT aviation anime. Where overlaps exist, expectations heighten and subconscious comparisons become unavoidable. But I definitely hoped that GAF could have been something special, since the visual assets in the promotional material seemed on the mark.

Narutani Kei (Osaka Ryota) and Song Minghua (Lynn) are Chinese refugees, fleeing to Japan after the Xi (pronounced Zai) overran their home country. These mysterious Zai beings pilot superior air technology and can withstand higher G-Forces, allowing them to overwhelm humanity by dominating the skies. Their significant firepower is made immediately evident, when a single plane effortlessly blows up three gigantic cruiser ships. There’s no mistaking it – these Zai people are the bad guys in our set piece.

Zaidentity Crisis

Incidentally, my nickname between the other writers is actually Zai-chan. Every auditory mention of these villainous entities put me on alert and captured my attention. Second things second, it’s difficult to disconnect from all the justifiable anger that people were directing towards the ‘Zai’, when the name feels associated with me. So I felt like a villain for the entire episode which was a pretty new experience for me. Perhaps my resulintg sympathies towards the Zai became excessive, because I simply wasn’t feeling any groove for Team Humanity. Our characters left much to be desired, since motivations felt erratic and they were difficult to empathise with; Kei is heroic yet one-dimensionally uninspiring, Minghua is still a naggy mother even after her insecurities are explained, and we’ve seen too little of Gripen (Morishima Yuuka) to make any kind of face value judgement (Ermagerd, why did she randomly snog Kei?). Fair enough, the vibrant visuals were fairly pleasing and aircraft/character designs were delightful. Some of the OST was pretty decent. But even these positives fail to prevent the negatives from dragging this show down. And story-wise, our plot was all over the place, where most events happened on the fly without proper build-up. It just so happens that the protagonist lives near the military base where Gripen is located AND that Gripen’s location is practically available to the public. As a Zai myself, these hoomans are making it way too easy. *le sigh*

JASDF Qualms

The fact that this show is endorsed by the JASDF (Japanese Air Self-Defense Force) suggests to me that this is some form of indirect advertisement for them. Maybe it’s their intended modus operandi to be so upfront about promoting the Japanese military at every opportunity. And you know what? I bloody hate it. Alongside GATE, it could be said that I have an aversion to shows about the Japanese military, specifically due to their fervent nationalistic vibes which verge on propaganda. Given the history between these two countries, the Xi feels like a veiled jab at China’s president, Xi Jingping. Also, China have five times the military budget of Japan and even innovated a real life railgun that doesn’t warp on first use, a military achievement even the USA haven’t quite grasped. Yet China get utterly crushed by the Zai, and Japan are the ones who’ve invented the means of taking them down by harnessing cute girl powers. I know this is anime, a place where logic is frequently flouted for creative liberties. But that’s way too much of a stretch for me.

Concluding Thoughts

That’s not to say these things are impossible. Simply put, GAF simply requires better forms of substantiation. Perhaps an introductory episode dedicated to fleshing out what the Zai were doing in China could do the trick, and it would help map out the geopolitical situation with regards to the Zai and why it seems like only China is being afflicted. Some live reactions from Kei and Minghua to losing loved ones would have gone a long way in terms of generating characterisation and winning our sympathies. These answers will probably be given at a later stage, but providing them from the get go would have solidified the premise and made the Zai seem like true other-worldly terrors who pose a genuine threat to humanity’s existence.

Instead, the Zai only got a brief moment to shine as proper villains near the start, before being shut down by an effortless counter-attack by glorious Nippon. Three Zai ships easily lost to a single kawaii girl. The established power levels were exceeded far too quickly, and while it’s shown that humanity can and will fight back, there’s no longer any sensation that anything important is at stake. When push comes to shove, these special girls have already proven themselves superior AND the Japanese military will show up to save the day. While it would be a legitimate direction for the series to go in (focusing on the pilot waifu harem and how awesome the JSDAF are), because military otakus would be jumping for joy, I think it would be a complete waste of untapped potential inherent to its premise.

Anyway, these are merely conjectures on my part and I’d be happy to give the second episode a watch. But if there are no signs of improvement with regards to the points I’ve raised, I’ll be dropping GAF faster than Floyd Mayweather dropped Tenshin Nasukawa.

Quick Impression of the OP/ED Themes

OP: 5.5/10 – Decent beat and nice SFX but the melody itself feels fairly generic. Colourful and well-animated combat visuals are the saving grace.

ED: 7.5/10 – Three kawaii plane girls enjoying themselves makes for a relaxing backdrop. Absolutely adored the art style and colour palette. Melody and vocalists on point, but were fairly forgettable.

ED Sequence

ED: 「Colorful☆Wing」by Gripen (Morishima Yuuka), Eagle (Ohwada Hitomi), Phantom (Izawa Shiori)

Preview

68 Comments

    2. Watched the first episode and I personally like it. Seeing a lot griping over the 2D male to 3D female models, how a group of younger girls are so much more skilled than the male group and whatnot, but I’m really just watching it for the planes which looked and sounded amazing, especially hearing the wires of Kyrie’s Hayabusa straining as she was maneuvering at the end of the episode.

      HalfDemonInuyasha
      Reply

  2. Anime about air force are few and far between, so I will gladly gobble up what’s available. That said, MC is a Japanese nationals so I don’t see the problem with him joining JSDF (Chinese girl does protest about it, although for a different reason).

    Nice to see some J-7 in anime action, although all they do are getting blown up.

    SMinstrel
    Reply

    1. I did a fact check on the MC’s nationality. You are correct, though I have reason to believe he was raised in Shanghai, given that he escaped from there. As a result, I’ve substituted the segment for an alternative idea.

      Zaiden
      Reply

    1. Zai’s similarities to JAM in Yukikaze (not just superficially or only limited to appearance, they are actually pretty similar in “alienness” as well) is one of the reasons I dive into this.

      SMinstrel
      Reply

    2. Perhaps it’s got to do with some japanese military fans’ liking for the JAS-39. The Gripen seem exotic for them, considering the SDF forces had been using american equipment for decades. Perhaps that’s the reason why writer chose the Swedish jet instead as MC.

      There is an F-2 Daughter in the story. She’s already shown in the Opening Song Video if you look closely. Her anima just wasn’t showed yet.

      AbnormalGAFanBoi
      Reply

    3. Completely agree with you. Would’ve also been fine if they went with the complete Euro-canard group. Having Typhoon and Rafale would probably make a fun combination, even if the decided to go by stereotyping route. The current combination seem like a mishmash of planes. Can’t see a theme to them. No country actually own all three types of planes in their inventory.

      theirs
      Reply

  6. I’m a Girly Air Force poser fan since it’s novels got published, unable to read them though since no translations..

    Ironic it seems but i suggest you just go drop this series..

    I think this anime seems more like an acquired taste that most people won’t like.. Now with Kouya no Kotobuki Hikotai, Girl Air Force would suck even more.

    If you are interested in girls with planes then Kouya no Kotobuki Hikotai is much better. 🙂

    AbnormalGAFanBoi
    Reply

  8. https://randomc.net/image/Girly%20Air%20Force/Girly%20Air%20Force%20-%2001%20-%20Large%2006.jpg

    JAS Gripen
    F4E Phantom
    F15J Eagle
    Type 054A FFG
    MiG 21

    Wait…. Seriously? MiG 21? Why not J10 or J11?

    What are the odds that X2 Shinshin would make an appearance as another experimental weapon or experimental weapon gone wrong?

    I find it hilarious that 35B and 35A aren’t making their anime appearance.

    Anyway Zai-chan, we already got JASDF and JGSDF endorsed shows… I would not be surprised if Kubo Ibuki gets an anime adaptation and bets endorsement by JMSDF. Since they already openly admitted about Izumo sisters being CV capable.

    Can’t wait for the shit storm if Kubo Ibuki gets anime adaptation. So far I’ve not seen any shit storm from China media about GAF and how their PLAN and PLAAF gets whacked so easily.

    Henrietta Brix
    Reply

    2. Zai is a world wide problem in the story. It just so happen that China was attacked in Volume 1 and episode 1.

      They have bases scattered around the world and, could be one of the reasons why the evacuation fleet headed to Japan instead.

      There is a Su-57 based anima already so writer “might” be forced to make an F-35 based anima, or at least the F-22.. who knows, perhaps even a J-20, assuming the China Military R&D wasn’t obliterated by a Zai attack.

      AbnormalGAFanBoi
      Reply

    3. Maybe this whole Xi and JSDF endorsement is just an unpleasant coincidence.

      If it were offensive, the relevant peoples would’ve been offended long ago. Like what happened with that proposed Nidome no Jinsei anime, because the MC’s backstory as a WW2 veteran in China was being glorified by its author (who also posted ethnic slurs aimed at China and Korea).

      zztop
      Reply

    4. I guess because those planes might be more well-known to a wider audience?

      I mean, for me personally, the only one on the list of ones being used that I don’t really recognize is the Type 054A FFG, but all the others I’ve heard about for much of my life in one way or another (F-22 and 35 later).

      HalfDemonInuyasha
      Reply

  9. I’ll admit I got a kick out of seeing the Zai* take out PLAN warships and PLAAF fighters (Type 54A frigates and J-7s). Though I’d still prefer the sight of Fleet of Fog warships sending an entire PLAN battlegroup to Davy Jones’ Locker.

    Zaiden, while you do raise a valid point on Japanese right-wing nationalism (and by extension, their tendency for revisionist history), China can be just as bad when it comes to revisionist history (*cough*Nine-DashLine*cough*) and nationalist propaganda (hello CGTN, Xinhua,Global Times, and the Confucius Institutes). Also, my hunch tells me it’s China that wants to be the next Imperial Japan.

    On a lighter note, I wonder if Saab AB (the company that produces the Gripen) also sponsored this show? They could use this for their Gripen sales pitch! XD

    That being said, there were some moments in Girly Air Force that I did find…illogical:
    – A civilian encountering a top-secret weapon and its pilot, you’d think that Japanese intelligence would keep him under close surveillance so he won’t do stupid stuff like going to a JASDF airbase.
    – A military airbase and it doesn’t have an electrified fence system and/or patrolling guards (and guard dogs)? With the exception of “Open Days”/airshows and the occasional planespotters, an airbase is generally a restricted area. Kei should have had a nasty shock once he grabbed that chainlink fence.
    – How in the blazes was Minghua able to follow Kei to the airbase? Did she have her own bike?

    Also, some folks have been comparing this to DARLING in the FRANXX (with Gripen being compared to Zero Two looks-wise). I haven’t watched that anime (and opted for SSSS.Gridman instead), so for those that did watch DARLING in the FRANXX and are watching this, you have my sympathies. I sense Minghua becoming the Ichigo of this show…

    It would be nice to see more “Anima” (or should I say, “Jet Musume“) based on Japan’s own F-2, the American F-16 and F/A-18, the Eurofighter Typhoon, Dassault Rafale, or any of the fifth-gen fighters similar to the Flight Highschool manhwa. But considering that I’m having a hard time being sympathetic towards the characters so far–much less being convinced by their motivations–having more characters might hurt the show. So I’ll probably watch GAF just to experience the “lite version” of what the FRANXX watchers experienced. Cool air combat though.

    (* Note: I downright hate using the other romanization since…”Winnie the Pooh”…is an insidious, power-hungry and avaricious dictator who’s worse than Bobby Kotick and Andrew Wilson combined.)

    Incognito
    Reply

    1. F-2 is already confirmed (in the opening video), and so are the F/A-18(E variant), Rafale(M variant) and a 5th Gen. Su-57(see Girly Air Force Volume 10.. latest release) Eurofighter Typhoon (i wont spoil but I hope she “appears”)

      AbnormalGAFanBoi
      Reply

    2. Nah, Eleven/Nine-dash-line is a whole other ugly can of worm, but at least some things are certain: It predates UNCLOS itself, it was not disputed/challenged by anyone when China made the claim, and it predates all competing claims from all other involved nations.

      Whether they support China’s (claimed) right of nine-dash line is still up for debate, but China certainly does not “revision” its history on these points.

      SMinstrel
      Reply

      1. IIRC, it was the ROC (the Nationalists who eventually fled to Taiwan) that had the damn “Nine-Dash Line” idea; the PRC claimed that for themselves when they finally won the Chinese Civil War on the mainland.

        Incognito
        Reply

      2. @Incognito
        To the extend of my knowledge, yes that’s true, and Taiwan still maintain the original 11-dash line claim. There might be earlier claims of some portions or whole of the region by Qing though.

        SMinstrel
        Reply

    3. Incognito: It would be nice to see more “Anima” (or should I say, “Jet Musume“) based on Japan’s own F-2, the American F-16 and F/A-18, the Eurofighter Typhoon”

      It’s been said a thousand times in the Engineering community, of course, but might as well rattle off the lecture:

      The F-2 is just a reworked F-16.

      Claiming any originality between the two is like an anime fanboy claiming “Hellsing” is original to/from “Hellsing Ultimate”; the claim is ignorant, at best. Dishonest, at worst.

      The key to understanding this are the “Engineering trees”. What does that mean? It means the infrastructure, knowledge-base, institutions, businesses, mentorship, the culture, the PEOPLE who originate and develop the technology – not just from the cradle, but through its life-cycle unto the grave – and beyond to the next generation.

      NONE of the core technologies in the F-2 originate from Japanese companies, at inception, nor are upgrades currently being independently developed by the Japanese in the present day, decades later.

      The Engine/Powerplant around which any machine is built around? Lockheed Martin.

      The Radar/Fire-control Systems? Raytheon.

      The Navigation/Control/Stabilization/etc? Allied Signal/Honeywell.

      The manufactured tooling and design software for the “new” airframe sillouette? General Dynamics.

      Etc, etc, etc.

      While “contemporary” technology will continue to be transferred to Japanese companies, and the Japanese will eventually “build” them, that is NOT quite the same as transferring FUTURE DEVELOPMENT, let alone transferring infrastructure and shutting down US companies in favor of “cheaper manufacturing costs” in Japan (which has been Japan’s MO since the Meiji Restoration).

      No design alteration to the F-2 can be made without the cooperation of the American developers.

      Well, technically, I guess it CAN…

      But doing so would result in another Obey’s Amendment. And American developers will exist as long as they retain the US domestic market. The practical reasons are obvious; the Japanese are not known for being great innovators, and never have been – not that there aren’t some diamonds in the rough, but the Japanese culture IS mostly “Rough” in terms of entrepreneurs and true pioneers; they’re business models comparably risk-averse.

      Put more bluntly, most Japanese are technological “cowards” (even those Japanese engineers who’ve escaped that culture openly lament it), terrified of “loss of face”, content to “be patient” and let others take the risks, so they can reap “safe” rewards.

      That’s it; that’s the “secret sauce” of the Japanese Industry (“Culture”, really).

      The only way Japan has historically been able to “beat/wipe out” American business is with price-manipulation.

      “You invented a color TV? I’ll copy it without paying the developmental costs, then sell it back to you for half the price.”

      THAT tactic, however, is perilous in the case of Defense and Technology related industry;

      If Japan “successfully” hollows out American Defense Industry (assuming the Americans allow it) or alienates American Defense, Semiconductor, Aerospace, etc (which is more likely)…

      Does Japan think it can out-innovate China or Russia alone? Japan has crossed the line before, be it with the Soviets, the Iraqis, the Chinese, etc.

      The results have been mixed, in my biased opinion. And while these “dealings” are all within Japan’s sovereign right, it is also within America’s sovereign right to respond: threatening American Defense companies with economic and political intervention might trigger a retaliatory action.

      Not only that, but degrading US industry means degrading Japan’s industry, whose technological development and “leadership” is largely a derivative of America’s [Actual] Leadership.

      Japan has stood some degrees removed from the top, for only so long as America has stood at the summit. It was no mistake that Japan fell decades behind America in the 1920s and 1930s while America innovated the first practical robot which automatically aimed its anti-aircraft weapons and was installed on the USS Sims in 1939.

      In the early 1990s, NEC, Mitsubishi, and Japan INC were buying F-22 technology, from AESA to Jet Engines off the Clintons who are famous for selling things that are not their’s to sell. The US community was incensed at this wholesale sell-out. In truth, it was little different with all the other sales from AEGIS to septa-axial milling machines which the Japanese eventually sold to the Soviets (among others) at the height of the Cold War. That led to a long series of scandals, and eventually to the Obey Amendment, of which the JSF “replacement” to the F-22 was Clinton’s work-around.

      It is no mistake that the JSF was championed again by the Clintons when they returned to power in 2009.

      Bottom line: the question of development for Japan’s Aerospace Industry goes far beyond a single fighter program; it is literally a question of civilizational and cultural development. Fanboys are unaware of this because they lack historical perspective (and engineering/business experience).

      Do the Japanese have enough people among themselves willing to strike out on their own and experience true “Freedom”? Where the cost of Failure is a terrifying abyss, while the Reward is as much a daunting cliff-face as it is a glorious peak? That’s REAL Freedom for ya, after all, you bear the FULL consequences of all your shortcomings as they are exposed for all to see and laugh at.

      I’ve seen a few such Japanese who could handle that. They’ve all gravitated to the American Engineering trees. And they’re pretty practical about the fact that Japanese culture has never had anything close to the nature of a historic Radlab, Bell Labs, Ford Instruments, NWR, etc, the outfits of the 20s and 30s who propelled America into a new technological age.

      For now, Japan is a long way from developing its own ADP, ACL, JPL, etc.

      Jerry
      Reply

      3. Henrietta Brix: “Isn’t theF2 a licence built F-16?”

        Essentially, yes.

        Much as foreign vehicles that are made/assembled in the US are designed slightly differently in the particulars (like being “Left-side Driver”, rather than “Right-side” Driver, or proportional compartment size changes), but are “clones” in the essentials; using the same Engineering tree, core technologies, concept and design philosophies, manufacturing processes, system integration techniques, logistical and support infrastructure, etc, etc, etc.

        Is the F-2 a DIRECT clone of an F-16?

        Saying “No” would fool only the willfully ignorant.

        Though the Japanese politicians (and media, including anime) LOVE to try to muddy the waters and say “No” (ie “Lie”).

        If you’re Lockheed Martin’s sales engineer rep, you shrug your shoulders, smile, and let them talk. But any self-respecting Engineer of any discipline/field in the world, regardless of nationality, would just roll his eyes at it – and we all have.

        (Nobody in the US – not even the DAS media – pretends that the Honda Civic’s design originates in America, no matter how many are “made in the USA”. People just want the manufacturing jobs.)

        Jerry
        Reply

      4. AbnormalGAFanBoi: F-2 is the F-16 Agile Falcon that was rebranded and customized for JASDF, at least for me..

        That would be the Engineering “Conceptual phase” of design, of which many napkins were sacrificed in pitching the Agile Falcon.

        But honestly, you’re giving the Japanese far too much credit in thinking they took an UNPROVEN concept and took it to the next level for their first “True Indigenous” fighter in half a century.

        No, in my professional opinion, the F-2 is quite obviously a derivative of the F-16C/D Block 50, which was developed in the late 80s and delivered sometime around the first Gulf War. You could probably write a book to give context as to why and why not, but to me it all comes down to the engine around which the entire engineering process begins – in this case, the F-110-GE129 which the lock 50 was designed for, and which the Japanese commandeered for their FSX program. You can change many things about a plane given enough modularity, but the consistent sticking point – whether it be MSIP or MLU upgrades – is always the Powerplant. If you have to change the engine, there’s only so many tweaks and PFM that LM can conjure from their systems integration toolkit to accomodate GE (or PW) before you have to build an entirely new plane.

        The Japanese delivered their F-2 several years after the Gulf War, about the same amount of time it took the Europeans and Soviets to Prototype their civilian versions of the XB-70.

        /signing off

        Jerry
        Reply

      5. @Jerry
        I think this is not about whether Japan(ese innovators) can/can’t or want/don’t want to design/innovate their own fighter plane by themselves, but whether US allows them – and US is very unlikely to allow that.

        SMinstrel
        Reply

      6. Too long a rant, but to briefly follow it off-topic… Japan made/makes better automobiles. For a while they made better motorcycles. Japan did license transistor technology and did make better better televisions (of which people also appreciated the lower servicing costs). For a couple of decades, they introduced more and better consumer electronics (VHS, Beta, CD, mid-range audio). I’m not suggesting that there is zero truth in your rant but when you position it at 100 to 0, then you lose credibility. And does the US want Japan to actually have a thriving defence technology industry? I’m skeptical.

        Mockman
        Reply

  10. This show felt like it was the result of an unholy union between Strike Witches, Yukikaze and Iriya no Sora, UFO no Natsu, and so far, utterly inferior to each of them. Not sure I can even bear to go three episode rule on it.

    Angelus
    Reply

  11. Copy & Paste from my reddit posting:

    Okay, it is on my curious watch list.

    But the Design of this Red Airplane frame is not fit for this “heavy G” force combat. these Xi Planes are more suitable for that. But perhaps both can somehow manipulate the G Forces or the Human Pilot would just wandering permanently the Red outs, White outs and Black outs frontiers

    But what i am talking about. I left the realism outside of the Door to enjoy Anime…

    Lets see, how the other episodes will make it

    right now it’s really remembering of “Arpeggio of Blue Steel” just with Airplanes and their AI

    But lets see, if its only just Fighters and not Bombers and such

    Worldwidedepp
    Reply

      1. Flying the “old WW2” Airplanes like in the old Days. The AI is their own Brain and own Skills

        remembers a bit about “haifuri” and “Last Exile”

        Also seems like the Girls are all CGI Only.. You need a bit to get used to her “movement” it is not flawless, but hey overlook it in the first.. Budget is not unlimited

        Worldwidedepp
        Reply

      4. Also my idea that jump into my mind, When the Hayabusa take off.. What if from the front strong Vents create more Wind for takeoff? Would they need smaller runway?

        Oh… seems like my excitement takes over me again.. Sorry. I try to stop myself

        Worldwidedepp
        Reply

      5. Yes. 50% watched, but my guts tell me this:

        Kouya no Kotobuki Hikoutai

        is for “old school” Air Planes fans, that want some real skill pilots flying them. Also here they use an flaw that the “old” Zero’s had.. While in High speed and G forced, they lost the advance because the flight controls becomes heavier to use.. they did not had “hydraulics” at that time

        A Bit “Girls und Panzer” fly with them, too. The Camera is taken right of the movie.. So a mix of “Girls und Panzer” (Camera) + “Haifuri” (Team) + “Last Exile” (Airbone) (But in WW1 this are also an invention of the USA.. You will understand when you see it)

        Until know they have some sort of “WW1 Honor” in the Fights.. But lets see, this is still young

        Girly Air Force

        is for “Fans” that want High tech combat fights, and also love more the “modern” Air Planes.. or can you imagine them flying in WW2 Planes?. Right. But where Girly manifestations AI’s are Cute and Slice of Life.. Remember really of the Big Ships Sister.. I wonder if they also have an “Yamato” One-san

        Girly Air Force is more a bit Sci-Fi

        Your uncertain? Watch both and then choose your favorite setting.. But why not both? They do not air at the same day, right? Get double Air Planes dose

        – My first and “fresh” impression

        Sorry for falling back into my old habit.. Gome-ne

        Worldwidedepp
        Reply

      6. Dogfight action like in “Sky Crawlers”.. What an intense start.. You got me

        Perhaps the Director is an Fan or even the Director of this “Sky Crawlers” Dogfights…

        Very good

        Worldwidedepp
        Reply

    2. But perhaps both can somehow manipulate the G Forces

      That was the trick in Iriya no Sora, UFO no Natsu – Iriya’s Black Manta effectively had very low inertia and so it could change direction in an instant even at high speed.

      Angelus
      Reply

  13. Alongside GATE, it could be said that I have an aversion to shows about the Japanese military, specifically due to their fervent nationalistic vibes which verge on propaganda. Given the history between these two countries, the Xi feels like a veiled jab at China’s president, Xi Jingping. Also, China have five times the military budget of Japan and even innovated a real life railgun that doesn’t warp on first use, a military achievement even the USA haven’t quite grasped. Yet China get utterly crushed by the Zai, and Japan are the ones who’ve invented the means of taking them down by harnessing cute girl powers.

    Ironically, from what I’ve heard, the first reaction among certain sections of the Japanese audience was that the show was “a cynical pandering to the Chinese market”. Why? Because even if the Xi might be a reference to President Xi, even if there’s lavish praise to the JASDF, and even if the plot is basically “Japan saves the world with superior technology” (although, to be honest, the “Japan has the best technology” trope is not even limited to Japan), the fact remains that:

    -The protagonist may be a Japanese national, but grew up in China and wants to go back.

    -His childhood friend (and future haremette) is Chinese.

    -China is portrayed as the unwarranted victim of heinous attacks, while Japan is portrayed as opening its doors to thousands of Chinese refugees.

    Those are things that are NOT expected in your usual “pandering to Japanese militarism” anime. It’s ironic, but this episode alone has more sympathetic screentime for China and Chinese characters than dozens of anime series combined (which tells you how low the bar is set).

    As I said in the other thread, at this point I’m far more worried about the geopolitical message in Mahou Shoujo Tokushusen Asuka, which seems to be going for a “more realistic” take on world affairs… only to start right away with filthy foreigners bringing terrorism to peaceful Japan. At least the Xi appear to be some kind of alien-like faction that everyone in the world can gang up against without feeling guilty and without presenting people from other countries as evil (are they even confirmed to be a reference to President Xi, or is it just that people saw that the name is written the same in Western letters and thought there was a connection?).

    Mistic
    Reply

  19. Can’t say the Chinese are taking the Xi seriously (not The Xi mind you :P). Type 054A and Mig-21/J-7s versus aerial aliens? They’ve got better hardware than that. Probably the right ship to escort convoys, but when the enemy is an advanced aerial foe you expect they’d use proper fleet escorts instead.

    Funny enough, I decided to give this a try after reading this review. Can’t say it ventured of too far from my expectations.

    theirs
    Reply

  21. Geez, jet fighters deserve better anime than the poor copy of Date-A-Live…
    I can already see this series devolving into harem antics, with more fighter-snimas arriving and clashing ofer our hapless male protagonist while the ever jealous childhood friend throws more oil to the flames…
    Also, why Gripen as first such fightergirl? Japan has made enough of advanced fighters like F-16 upgrades, and they are well on their way to license build (and upgrade) F-35s.
    (Not that I dont love Gripen it is wonderful little fighter, cheap to operate and designed to be serviced by recruits on highway patches turned into field airstrips, and I preferred it to F-16 when my country was chosing its fighter to buy, alas, politics of the allainces prevailed)
    I will give the show 3 episodes trial and if it doesnt improve it is eject time! – nad not in that way, perverts!

    ewok40k
    Reply

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