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「静夏応答せよ」 (Shizuka Outou Seyo)
“Shizuka, Come In!”
How do you know when you’re in the endgame? Why when the fire and explosions become plentiful of course! We still have two weeks of half clothed magical girl action left for Strike Witches’ latest entry, and while you can foresee the conclusion from a mile away, the path there is one of significant mystery.
Per the rule of all end bosses, if you think you’ve won after the music stops, best work on recalibrating your thought patterns. No matter how much Witchy Patton may wish it (and oh I’m getting a kick out of how they’re using his character here), the first strike at Berlin was never going to succeed, not when you’re dealing with an enemy which has proven repeatedly this past season that it knows all about the art of feints. Core in plain sight? You should damn well know that’s a trap. Major enemy has its core location found and abused? Best think that such a weakness will be fixed for next time (*chuckles in Death Star II*). For all the fun of Neuroi walls and artistic Ju-390 cameos, this was all about preparing for the real battle to come – and making sure it’s not further preparation for a round three.
Naturally though, no true defeat would be complete without a second wrench in the works, and Yoshika helps keep the tradition alive. Honestly I didn’t think we’d get this angle again; Yoshika stalling out mid-battle maybe given previous episodes, but full on loss of magic at the most inopportune time? That makes things interesting. While I doubt Yoshika’s situation is permanent (she’s too young and too central to the 501st right now to be written off so easily), I do expect Shizuka to wrongly beat herself up over it and try to atone for it with excessive effort, no matter what the rest of the group says or does in support. The girl is going to want to ensure that Yoshika doesn’t have to worry that she didn’t pull her weight and likely go all out – enough so to set up the inevitable miracle in the sky which comes from one witch or another doing the impossible. Anyone’s guess what exactly that will be and who will do the honours, but don’t think for a second there isn’t one last twist left in the cards for Road to Berlin.
One way or another, this season will be going out with a bang.
Preview
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R.I.P. Chuck Yeager.
I like how the Berlin core is shaped like the alleged Nazi UFO/free energy/time machine known as “Die Glocke”.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Die_Glocke_(hoax)
I’m sad that it decided to hold out in front of Brandenburg Gate and not in or on top of the Reichstag
Nice catch, didn’t even think it might be a reference to that!
Perhaps this was an very early stage of air-cushion vehicle like we know of Hovercraft. It is fact that even the US Army tried out some Vehicle with an Jet or Propeller faced to the Ground, to have an similar effect as we know of Helicopters. Well at this time this was all Prototypes
Perhaps they hoped with an Jet Engine to have something similar to their Me-262
If as much as a single Neuroi bombs Kiel, my name is Meier!
Damn… I got that reference right off the bat.
I was split between the Ta 400 Amerika Bomber and the Ju 390. Though looking at it again, I’m more inclined to still think it’s based on the Ta 400 with a B29 tail section spliced in.
Anyway, I was laughing out loud when the Berlin Wall fell from the sky. It’s either a direct call back to the Berlin Wall or the fact that Zhukov surrounded and cut off Berlin. Seems that Fuhrerneuori Hitler decided to make a last stand outside of his bunker.
Damn it was a missed opportunity when Wolfschanze didn’t hold up on top of the Reichstag building.
And do I schmell a P.1000 Ratte?
Yupp more likely the Ta 400, I was honestly drawing a blank when trying to place it and settled on the Ju 390 just because that was the model I remembered 😛 In actuality it probably is a fusion of several six engine designs like the G10N as ViolinStar suggests.
Also definitely a reference to Zhukov’s encirclement of Berlin, it would’ve been too easy catching any Berlin Wall reference as the wall would’ve fallen smack dab across the middle of the city.
Your opposite number suggests that Yoshika’s actions were necessary this time around, and well-justified by the writing.
Also, that does not appear to be the Ju-390 or Ta 400. The tail’s not correct – more than likely, it was modelled after the Nakajima G10N.
Oh yeah what Yoshika did was necessary, although something of this nature was coming given where we are in the season and how the plot has been unfolding. I don’t think anyone can predict what’ll happen next, however; Yoshika is guaranteed still in the fight, but it’s wholly unclear if she can recover in time to help the other girls out.
Also the Neuroi could be, though I think it’s more a combination of several designs than any one in particular. I’m leaning on the German designs considering this season takes place in Germany and has been having a field day with Western Front weaponry references.
I never even thought of considering any of the Japanese wunderwaffen seeing that this is over in Berlin and so far a lot of the neuroi has mad references to wunderwaffen.
Keen eye you have
Just gotta love the witch vending machine (aka bomb bay).
https://randomc.net/image/STRIKE%20WITCHES/Strike%20Witches%20Road%20to%20Berlin%20-%2010%20-%20Large%2018.jpg
https://randomc.net/image/STRIKE%20WITCHES/Strike%20Witches%20Road%20to%20Berlin%20-%2010%20-%20Large%2011.jpg