[EFW]∎ [PDF] Free Strike Witches Maidens in the Sky Vol 1 Humikane Shimada Yuuki Tanaka 9781626920286 Books

Strike Witches Maidens in the Sky Vol 1 Humikane Shimada Yuuki Tanaka 9781626920286 Books

Download As PDF : Strike Witches Maidens in the Sky Vol 1 Humikane Shimada Yuuki Tanaka 9781626920286 Books

Strike Witches Maidens in the Sky Vol 1 Humikane Shimada Yuuki Tanaka 9781626920286 Books

Mad, crazy and fun manga... You'll love it! Cute NON hentia 'Fan Service'... panty shots, in the bath etc... and a ridiculous fun plot. Light hearted reading entertainment! ^_^


Tags : Strike Witches: Maidens in the Sky Vol. 1 [Humikane Shimada, Yuuki Tanaka] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. <b>Humanity's last hope--on wings of steel and magic!</b> What if World War II had not been a battle between Axis and Allies,Humikane Shimada, Yuuki Tanaka,Strike Witches: Maidens in the Sky Vol. 1,Seven Seas,1626920281,Manga - Science Fiction,Air warfare,Comic books, strips, etc - Japan,Fantasy,Fantasy comic books, strips, etc,Fighter pilots,Fighter plane combat,Graphic novels - Japan,Science fiction,Science fiction comic books, strips, etc,Unidentified flying objects,Witches,COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS Manga Fantasy,Comics & Graphic Novels,Comics & Graphic Novels Manga Science Fiction,Graphic Novels-Manga,Graphic novels: Manga,Manga - Fantasy,Manga General

Strike Witches Maidens in the Sky Vol 1 Humikane Shimada Yuuki Tanaka 9781626920286 Books Reviews

I really enjoyed the strike witches anime and move and am very happy a 3rd season is coming out. When I saw they were going to release the mangas in English I knew I had to have them. The story is really good showing the bonds of friendship and dreams. It also is pretty funny. The book came the day of release. The art was well done too. I am very happy I added this to my collection!
First things first. “Strike Witches” is a so-called “multimedia franchise,” a cross-marketing approach involving multiple devices including TV anime series (two seasons so far), a film (one theatrically released), comics (more than ten books already published) and light novels (of which writers include late Noboru Yamaguchi, known for his hugely popular “The Familiar of Zero” series).

So, there is no “original” “Strike Witches” though obviously animation has played the most visible and significant role in making the whole franchise popular. Created by Humikane Shimada and Projekt Kagonish, the “Strike Witches” series centers on the female characters of flying “witches,” or young girls with magical powers, flying and fighting the mysterious enemies known as “Neuroi.” Oh, but don’t take the action comedy series too seriously.

Now, two-part comic “Strike Witches Maidens in the Sky (“Strike Witches Tenkuu-no Otome-tachi”) starts with a young girl Yoshika Miyafuji, who joins the prestigious training academy for Witches after her magical power is found by second lieutenant Takei. The fast-paced manga is basically a comedy about her life in military school, where she meets new friends and one prankster raccoon-like creature.

Those who have seen the animation already know the differences. The story is set in Yokosuka, Fusou (old name of Japan); Miyafuji is a farmer’s daughter (creator’s original idea that was not used in anime); she is recruited by Takei, not by Sakamoto, Takei’s friend. You are not going to meet the members of 501st Joint Fighter Wing. But don’t worry, for most of them will be in the second volume.

So, is it good? It depends. For anyone who has not seen the anime version, the comic is nothing but an ordinary manga with a few interesting ideas and average illustrations (by Yuuki Tanaka). Fans of the animation series will additionally enjoy some aspects of the comic set in the alternate universe if they notice the details that are connected to the characters of the anime version. (You have actually seen the “animal” on the book’s cover in the end credit part of the second season anime. Do you remember that?)

The original Japanese edition of the book was published in July 26, 2008. The first anime series was broadcast in Japan July through September in the same year.

I didn’t find the manga particularly great, though it is readable and reasonably interesting. I am a fan of the series, so I give four stars, but I think non-fans may feel differently.
Okay, let's get the most import thing out of the way first This is NOT an adaptation of season one or season two. In fact, if it didn't star Yoshika Miyafuji, this manga could be an entirely different thing about Strike Witches. But because she is the main character and no explanation is given, I feel the story suffers a bit. The closet I can describe it is how Negima had two manga series, and two anime series same characters, different universes. I'll explain.

All right! Finally, we're getting the official manga version of Strike Witches, which is based off of the anime series of the same name. Or is the anime based off of the manga? I'm so confused, but I'm still very happy. Finally, I'll get to read about these lovely ladies and have all my questions from the anime answered.

Wait...what is this? That's not how Yoshika joined the group. More importantly, that's not who recruited Yoshika! And those girls aren't the 501st. What's going on here?!

As far as I can tell, this is a retelling of Yoshika's Strike Witches story. Everything is different from the anime in terms of story. The basic elements are the same Earth is battling the Neuroi and the Witches are the best line of defense, but that's it. The Neuroi no longer spawn from clouds, but grow out of the ground from (I kid you not) flowers.Oh, and they eat metal. Yoshika doesn't join the 501st, but instead she is recruited by Takei and taken to boot camp where she'll learn how to be a medic. Takei is the other girl on the cover, and sharp-eyed fans my recognize her from her brief appearances in Season 2 of the show. (EDIT Someone has taken the time to explain these differences down in the comments. It's the first one. Go read that for an explanation as to what is happening here)

At basic, Yoshika doesn't meet Lynn and the others, but instead is befriended by two new girls. The quiet, and slightly creepy Nakajima Hayate, and the kind Suwa Goshiki. There are other girls at the school too, but these are the main characters so far. Oh, and there's the dog. Yes, that puppy on the cover is an actual character, and odds are he will be the one that brings the classic 'fan service' feel to this series that the anime has.

Let's talk about the good

1) The girls' appearance is finally explained. As you may know, a Witch grows ears and a tail whenever they use their magic. The anime never explains this, and the viewer is left to just think it's a cute plot device. It turns out that each girl has a familiar, and when they merge their magic with the familiar, that is where the ears and tail come from. They need to form a contract with the animal, and then they can use their magic abilities even better. Yes, that puppy is Yoshika's. Hopefully more explanations like this are forthcoming, like why the girls don't wear pants (yes, I know the reason, but I would still like it to be actually explained in-universe).
2) Explanation This series takes a bit more time establishing the world of Strike Witches. Yoshika isn't suddenly thrown into a Striker and is an ace pilot. She is spends the first five of the six chapters learning about how to be a medic, and then slowly learns about how Strikers work. Things are slower paced, filling in information gradually instead of leaving it out like the anime did.
3) Lack of fan service (maybe?). Okay, depending on what you expect from Strike Witches, this one is either good, or very, very bad. There's a bit of it when Yoshika's familiar shows up, but that's about it. Nakajima also make's a cheap shot, but if you're expecting things like Hartman stealing underwear and the girls run around naked for the whole chapter, it's not here. The closest we get to that is when Yoshika pops open Takei's shirt and we get a shot of her cleavage, but no actual nudity.
4) Funny. There are parts that actually made me chuckle, and not because they're dirty. I think Nakajima is going to be my favorite character out of this series, because her deadpan humor is spot on when it's needed.
5) The Neuroi are actually a threat. I know in the anime it is said they are a threat, and we get to see that a bit in the opening episode, but to me they never seemed all that dangerous. The Witches just always demolished them when they showed up and never took any casualties. Not so here. Now, I'm not sure if this is the case, but it's very possible that two Witches just got wasted at the end of this book. It shows them getting hit, and then you don't see them again, nor are they mentioned again. Of course, it's possible that the next book will have them both being healed by Yoshika, but as it stands right now, it certainly looks like they're dead. And even if they're not, it was nice to see that the Witches aren't invincible and that the Neuroi are in fact a danger to them instead of just being told that they're dangerous

Now, let's talk about that missing star...
This really comes down to one thing, and one thing only Yoshika. Despite the fact that I had fun reading this, and it was nice getting to know the background of the Strike Witches more, the entire time I had trouble squaring this with the anime. I thought that maybe this came before the anime, but there's a note at the end of the book that makes it clear that the anime came first. So why is everything about Yoshika's origin story so different?
We are teased with cameos from nearly ALL the girls from the series, as if to say, "Yeah, we know you're a fan of them and here they are, but no, we're not going to talk about them so ha." The only one I didn't see was Francesca. Mio even shows up in a speaking role, trying to be mysterious like we shouldn't know who she is exactly, but we DO. And that whole time part of me was going, "You're the one who's supposed to be training her!" This switch is very jarring for a fan such as myself. What's worse is that you can tell that some of these new characters are just combination of the original characters in hopes to endear them to us because we liked the old cast. Takei is a combination of Mina, caring and kind, and Mio, stern and a famous warrior. Nakajima has Eila's teasing about breast size, Sanya's cuteness and her quietness. Suwa is clearly supposed to be Lynn, but with smaller breast, and an admiration/crush on Takei just like Perrine has on Mio. I'm hoping these girls become more than just combinations of old characters because if they don't, it's only going to make me miss Sanya and the others more.

And all this could have been solved with a simple change. If Yoshika was not the main character, none of this would have mattered. If it was a different girl training in the 504th (yes, that's their unit here, despite the back of the book saying 501st), then it would have been perfect. We would have gotten the world building, a new cast of characters, and the cameos would have been nice little nods to fans. But since it is Yoshika's story, she's going to serve as a constant reminder that this isn't how things are supposed to happen.

Bottom line If you're a fan of Strike Witches, I would suggest picking this up. It's nice to get a bit more lore from the series, and it finally explains why the anime acts as if we should know who Takei is. Also, as a bonus, we finally find out the name of that Fuso Witch doll, and the original poster girl for this series, which is something I always wanted to know. Just be ready to shut off the part of your brain that will constantly say, "This isn't how it happened! Where's Eila? Sanya? Lynn?"
However, if you're a fan of Strike Witches purely for the over-the-top fan service and are expecting the same going into this manga, then the manga is not for you. There's barely any in it and you'd be better off watching the anime again.

On a side note, if anyone is familiar with this series and can explain why the manga is so different from the anime, please enlighten me with a comment (someone already did. Yay!). I tried to find a reason online, but I couldn't. They summary for volume 2 however sounds much more like the anime version, so I'm guessing that she transfers there after boot camp.
Mad, crazy and fun manga... You'll love it! Cute NON hentia 'Fan Service'... panty shots, in the bath etc... and a ridiculous fun plot. Light hearted reading entertainment! ^_^