Strike Witches 2 -- ep 5

And in this episode, for the first time in the series, they tell a story which isn't an echo or rhyme with the first series. And it's a good one, too.

It's Lucchini's turn in the spotlight. And it's really fun. I think this is the best ep so far in the series.

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Oh Noes, we're out of rice! Food deliveries are late, and a disaster is in the making. Wilcke decides to send some people into Rome on a shopping expedition.

Shirley knows how to drive a deuce-and-a-half, and Lucchini is from Rome, so they both go. Lynne and Miyafuji are also sent, but Lynne begs off. And on the trip there, we find out why. Turns out that Shirley is a crazy driver. Miyafuji almost looses her lunch.

But they survive the trip, andd reach Rome unscathed. Lucchini takes them to a shop which has most of what they want to buy. But while Shirley and Miyafuji are shopping, Lucchini sits bored.

And out the window, across the street, she sees a girl being hassled by two men. So she decides to help the girl.

Two flying drop-kicks later, the men are down and Lucchini and the girl, whose name is Maria, are away and hiding by a fountain. Maria says that she's never been out in the city, even though she's lived there her whole life, and so Lucchini, ever bubbling with energy, decides to give her a tour of the hotspots.

Elsewhere, Shirley and Miyafuji are searching for her. They haven't yet bought food, and Lucchini's got their money.

As with the last three episodes, this one ends with a Neuroi attack. Turns out that the truck has all their strikers in it, and they fly up and take the thing down.

Lucchini actually makes the kill, using the same attack she used to take the prow off of Akagi in the last ep of the first series. I wonder if that force cone she creates is her special power?

And then there's a surprise, as we learn who "Maria" actually is. I guessed wrong; I thought she was a witch who was struggling with the idea of enlisting, but she turned out to be someone else entirely.

Perrine wasn't a big factor in this ep,  but the few moments we spent with her were illuminating. She still shows no sign of the kind of antipathy she used to have towards Miyafuji. And she's got a surprising noble streak to her. Bishop's whispered revelation to Miyafuji was an eye-opener. I like it.

This was a really fun ep, and it was a background artist's dream, since much of it was in historic Rome.

I just wish I knew what was in all the boxes at the end.

UPDATE: Given how rare witches are, and how famous the 501st is, I wonder if Maria recognized Lucchini or her name? Maybe not initially, but once she knew Lucchini was a witch and knew how to fly a striker, seems like she must have known the rest of the story.

Witches are really rare, and Romagna can only have contributed one or two to the war, I would think. And it being the nature of things, I assume there's been news reporting about "our witch" and likely photos too. So especially given who Maria turned out to be, it's not too surprising she eventually figured out the whole story about her.

When Maria asked Lucchini if she was afraid while fighting against the Neuroi, Lucchini's answer was exactly right: If we don't defeat the Neuroi, Romagna will be gone forever. It's up to us witches to protect everyone's friends and families.

In other words, it doesn't matter whether Lucchini is afraid. She has to fight.

By the way, I wouldn't be surprised if we see Maria again. Maybe she'll make a visit to the 501st.

Posted by: Steven Den Beste in General Anime at 06:53 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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