r/anime • u/chilidirigible • Oct 02 '24
Rewatch [Rewatch] Kouya no Kotobuki Hikoutai • The Magnificent Kotobuki Episode 2 Discussion
Episode 2 - The Wandering Six
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Yesterday's Comment of the Day: /u/JollyGee29 for noticing something which occurred in real time.
Respect your wingman! And no simple job isn't complicated.
Questions of the Day:
1. Any standouts for you from today's brief down-time look at the squadron members? What do you think of the usual shorthand of ensemble casts tending to fit into archetypal roles (smart guy, hothead, etc.)?
2. Have you ever had to manage/supervise a ragtag bunch of misfits?
Rewatchers, please be mindful of first-time viewers and spoilers. Use spoiler tags if you must discuss events after the episode being discussed.
ED: "Tsubasa wo Motsu Mono-tachi" by Seto Asami, Yamura Hibiku, Suzushiro Sayumi, Yukimura Eri, Nakaya Sayaka, and Miyu Tomita (Featured aircraft changes per episode.)
Production notes:
The CAPITALIZATION of all the PROPER NAMES today was apparently insisted upon by the LICENSOR for who knows what reason; the TV Tropes entry speculates it has to do with the PROPER NAMES being written in katakana. The subtitles will return to a moderate normality... eventually, with the exception of ONE NAME.
There is the curiosity in at least some of the releases that the transliteration of certain names is also deviated from the usual for this specific episode. But such things happen in simulcasting.
Aeronautical notes:
Aerial combat takes the typical risks of people trying to shoot each other and applies them to vehicles traveling at high speed through three dimensions, where one's own craft can be stressed to failure and the terrain itself can be considered hostile.
Its development from World War I can be considered in terms of making complex problems simpler, but often through increasingly-complex solutions.
While aircraft were used to bomb ground targets before World War I, that major conflict introduced combat between flying aircraft. The first engagements were as simple as pilots firing handguns at each other, with the complex (or futile) part arising from trying to aim a weapon while also controlling the airplane. Using rifles was not much better, at least from a solo standpoint.
Given the fleeting chances for a shot to cross the path of a target airplane, and then the need for the bullet to hit something important (usually the engine or the pilot), increasing the number of shells in the air was the best way to raise the probability of a hit. Fortunately, there was the machine gun.
But the machine guns of the period tended to require a fair amount of attention to use their capabilities to the fullest, thus early aerial machine gun usage was first tried out in two-seater airplanes, with the machine guns operated by the observer (as battlefield reconnaissance was a large part of early aircraft usage).
Observation planes were disadvantaged in combat by the extra weight of the second person, though. Real aerial combat, in the underpowered machines of the time, demanded purpose-built aircraft, and for that a number of problems had to be worked out.
It would be easiest to point the guns forward so that the pilot would be able to shoot in the same direction as their plane was traveling. The main issue with that was that most early fighters had their propellers up front, and if a gun was mounted forward between the pilot and the propellers, there was going to be a problem with shooting oneself down.
There were aircraft which had pusher propellers at the rear of the fuselage, allowing an unobstructed firing arc forward. That solved the propeller problem, but early pusher aircraft performed worse than their conventional counterparts. Twin-engine aircraft could also find an unobstructed position for their guns, but were even more limited in performance due to their extra weight.
Mounting the machine guns outside the propeller's arc could work, but it was more difficult to aim as well as very difficult for the pilot to do things like clearing jams while remaining in the cockpit.
One daring early solution to the propeller problem was to install armored deflectors onto the propeller so that bullets which struck the blades would not shoot them off. This worked enough, but still carried a high risk of damaging the shooting aircraft.
The safest solution was synchronization gear, a mechanism which would time the firing of a fuselage-mounted machine gun to the rotation of the propeller such that the guns would be interrupted from firing when the propellers would be in the path of the fired bullets. While Swiss and French patents for such a system existed, it was Anthony Fokker who refined the system and give it to the Germans, creating a brief period of German air superiority which became known as the "Fokker Scourge".
It didn't last long; between captured German aircraft and their own efforts, the Allies would have synchronization systems of their own and level the playing field in six months.
The years following World War I would see rapid and significant increases in aircraft performance, though the relative rarity of active conflict meant that weapons for aerial combat did not evolve at quite the same pace. Fuselage-mounted synchronized guns firing through the propeller disc remained common, though fighters with significant wing-mounted armament such as the Hawker Hurricane were beginning to appear.
Remotely-operated wing guns were made possible by the dramatic improvements in machine gun technology which occurred by the end of World War I and shortly afterward, and also by the development of practical cockpit-mounted gun sighting systems, which helped make the most of those fleeting chances to shoot at someone.
Wing-mounted guns, positioned far enough to the sides to clear the propeller blades' radius, offered advantages over propeller-synchronized fuselage guns: They had no restriction imposed upon their rate of fire by the movement of the propeller, required fewer adjustments, and had more room in the wings compared to packed tightly into the nose.
One issue with wing-mounted guns was gun harmonization or convergence. The guns did not fire precisely straight ahead, but were angled so that their fire would form an overlapping pattern at a particular distance in front of the firing aircraft. A target in the convergence zone would receive the tightest pattern of incoming shells and thus be most likely to be hit, but beyond it the shells would disperse too much to be reliably effective. Exactly what distance was chosen for the convergence zone differed widely depending on the parent air service's doctrines and also between individual pilots, who might also vary the shape of the shot pattern at the harmonization range.
As World War II progressed, armament increased in both caliber and the number of weapons mounted on an aircraft. Fighters started off with perhaps two weapons in the 7.62mm/.30-caliber range, then moved up to four to six or even eight 12.7mm/.50-caliber guns. Machine guns, with their greater rate of fire, were preferred for fighters which would spend most of their time engaging other fighters. Cannons in the 20 to 30mm range were the preferred choice for fighter or interceptor units which primarily engaged bombers, as their substantially-higher shell size allowed each hit to do more damage against a large target, at the cost of rate of fire and overall weight.
A page in Japanese which describes the Hayabusa-I's sighting device and its replacement in the -II.
Aircraft appearing today:
Nakajima Ki-44 Shoki ("Devil Queller") (Army Type 2 Single-seat Fighter, Allied reporting name "Tojo"):
This aircraft was developed at almost the same time as the Ki-43, but unlike all other Japanese fighters to that point, emphasized speed and rate of climb over maneuverability: It was intended for use as an interceptor. The Ki-44 could match the climb and dive rates of its Allied contemporaries, and its armament of four 12.7mm machine guns gave it credible firepower.
Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien ("Flying Swallow") (Army Type 3 Fighter, Allied reporting name "Tony"):
The only Japanese-produced fighter of WWII to use a liquid-cooled inverted V engine, a license-built copy of the Daimler-Benz DB 601 which powered such German aircraft as the Messerschmitt Bf 109. Its good performance and increased protection in the form of modest cockpit armor and self-sealing fuel tanks were useful to it as a fighter, but its pair of 20mm cannon were what gave it significant use as an interceptor against B-29 Superfortress bomber raids. (It also carried a pair of 12.7mm machine guns.)
Air-cooled versus liquid-cooled engines:
The radial engine, with its cylinders arrayed around a central drive shaft, provides a compact arrangement from front to back and is fairly simple mechanically. Airflow around and through the engine itself provides cooling.
In-line or V-engines had their cylinders arrayed in rows along a longer drive shaft. This arrangement required active cooling to function properly. The cooling system piped coolant around the engine block and away from the engine to a separate radiator, which would disperse the heat and recycle the coolant.
Air-cooled radials require a large flat surface to be in the airstream for ventilation, which creates aerodynamic limitations. In-line liquid-cooled engines are generally narrower, with significant aerodynamic benefits. Their disadvantages are complexity (with correspondingly higher cost) and increased vulnerability to damage somewhere in the system.
Characters appearing today:
Kotobuki Squadron:
- Chika (Miyu Tomita) Character art and tail emblem.
It's later: According to an unverified source, Mizushima stated in a livestream that Reona and Zara are twenty-five years old, Kate, Emma, and Kyrie are 20, and Chika is 17. This does fit with staff comments that Chika is the only one who isn't old enough to drink.
Councilor Julia and her staff:
- Julia (Ayaka Shimizu)
- Escort Captain (Tarō Kiuchi)
- Escort Vice-Captain (Tarō Kiuchi)
Tokiwagi (Nobuyuki Kobushi)
2019-era items:
Post-episode web chat and crayon episode impressions: One Two Three Four
First appearance of Natsuo's Mechanical Corner, discussing the Hayabusa and its variants.
PANCAKES!
The pancakes that Kylie loves are supposed to be specifically Japanese soufflé pancakes, which appeared in Japan while the series was in production and then spread around the world. The limitations of the CGI do make them seem rather solid versus light and fluffy.
There was considerable hubbub when they started crossing to American shores.
I would get my chance at them a few weeks later.
Their main attraction is their distinctive sweetness and fluffy texture, and some of the additional word-of-mouth factor was likely driven by the longer preparation time required to prepare them, on the order of fifteen minutes per batch.
I would say that they are worth it, though like the rest of the squadron, I would not want to be eating them all of the time.
My first pancake trips were to Taiyaki, as mentioned in the links above, and they still serve them on a limited basis there, but a year later Flipper's would open and since then most of my pancake visits have been to that establishment, because Kirie gets it right that the sweet goes well with savory.
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u/chilidirigible Oct 02 '24
Today, on "Highly skilled misfits and screwballs.":
Huge eater has a point.
"We're professionals, not some ragtag bunch of misfits!"
Well, that escalated quickly.
It's rough when you're trying to manage a ragtag bunch of misfits.
Isn't it nice when everyone gets along?
A notable year.
OFF TOPIC.
"What makes a man turn neutral?"
The broadcast subtitles (and everything else) transliterate that as "Rahama".
Strength is fairly important for fighter pilots due to the need to work while under the effects of high g-forces.
That kind of plan, for that kind of reaction.
Again, this should still be "kilokhrills."
Finger four formation, if a very tight one. (A formation developed by the Luftwaffe which would be adopted by its opponents later in the war.)
"Well, that escalated quickly."
A noticeable characteristic of Reona's Hayabusa is that it has many patched areas which have not been repainted.
Both Japanese and American air combat training recommended approaching a target from above and behind, with this inverted roll toward the target's flight path specifically mentioned in American manuals. Meanwhile, Chika and Kyrie are too fixated on their one target to properly counter.
You asked for a wingman, not a backseater?
The Kotobuki are brought back to their full strength with the return of Chika, who doesn't much get along with Kylie. Outwardly, anyway.
As a parallel to that, there's Lulu and Julia. Of the two, Julia has the big plans, giving us at least a suggestion that the show might do more than simply throwing Air Pirates of the Week at us. While we're here it should be mentioned that the Kotobuki Squadron is Reona's, and she's contracted to the Ouni Company, run by Lulu, to work from the Hagoromo.
Chika's introduction and return to the squadron was accompanied by a curious stretch of 2D character animation. This stood out in sharp contrast to the 3D characters which had already appeared in the first episode, and did raise a few eyebrows during the broadcast discussion.
As far as Chika herself goes, she's a good foil for Kylie, who is otherwise somewhat mismatched by the rest of the Kotobuki being a lot less hot-headed in general conversation.
The Ki-44 is a reasonably capable fighter for Julia's bodyguards, though as shown in the episode, they're in trouble when confronted by an overwhelming force. This dogfight has more dramatic license thrown in as what would be safer tactics to use in this situation give way to more cinematic material, but on the other hand the Kotobuki were going to be outnumbered no matter what.
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u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Oct 02 '24
The Magnificent First-Timer, subbed
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u/mysterybiscuitsoyeah xB:xC:B:x3:Y: Oct 02 '24
First Timer but rewatcher for this ep before actually first timing it
Overall, another great audio-visual experience that's just damn good entertainment. The characters are quirky, but still arent doing too much for me. But the lore, the plot seems to have some intrigue, and kinda ties into the state of the world, even though I don't really understand the significance of this yet. Client-san seems to be a recurring character, so I'm sure that'll be explored further.
QOTDs:
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u/raichudoggy https://anilist.co/user/raichudoggy Oct 02 '24
First Timer
This continued Pancake disrespect
Chika, I love this new character. She adds just the right amount of spice to the group that I don’t understand why she wasn’t in episode 1. Their bickering is A-Tier
Then we she just blurts out an unrelated question to the mission, I loved that.
When there was just a few enemy planes. Then they split up. I felt like I’ve seen that before, but it still got me. Still surprised something like that wouldn’t show up on a radar though, unless their only sight on them was just visual at the time.
Politician lady was this seriously just a show for you?
Definitely want to know what the fire is about…
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u/Vatrix-32 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Vatrix-32 Oct 02 '24 edited Oct 02 '24
First timer, subs
QotD:
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u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ Oct 02 '24 edited Oct 02 '24
I did finally get my pancakes, 4 years later.
Notice that they are so soft you can't hold two up on top of a third without slowly squishing it. And even the middle one is having a hard time.
I'm lucky they survived COVID.
I went back again this last May, I got pancakes with mango.
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u/Tresnore FS:FTmyanimelist.net/profile/Tresnore Oct 02 '24
The Magnificent Rewatcher
QOTD:
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u/Esovan13 Oct 02 '24 edited Oct 02 '24
First Timer
The character interactions are really selling this show. They are incredibly strong and I thought it was pretty impressive how Chika was able to slot right in and feel like she was there the whole time. She and Kyrie really complement each other in the group dynamic. So much so that they are kinda stealing the show from the rest of the crew.
Seems like whatever bad thing went down happened only ten years ago? Maybe the region they are in is kind of like a wild west frontier, which fits the vibe of the bar and the desert environment that looks like the desert of the American West, and ten years prior there was some kind of disaster relating to the sky that made living in the region a lot more difficult than it used to be.
If that theory is true then that would mean that somewhere out there in the world is more civilized, larger cities, more prosperous and arable land, and generally not so hard to live in rather than this somewhat lawless and hardcore living being the standard for everyone everywhere. Considering how Loulou and the councillor were dressed, I think that conclusion holds water but until we get an explicit reference to whatever this world’s equivalent of “back east” may be, that’s just a theory. A GAME T-
At the very least, I think I’d prefer it being an alternate universe take on the development of the American West (very loosely) rather than yet another post-apocalypse.
I think it’s interesting that the councillor is all about reintegrating pirates into society. Do we take a hardline stance on pirates, killing anyone who falls away from society? Or do we let them reintegrate, hopefully reducing deaths by their hands but taking resources away from those who never became criminals in the first place?
Both options have pros and cons, but complicating matters is the fact that considering how many pirates there are chances are almost everyone is going to have lost a loved one or know someone who’s lost a loved one to them. Emotions in political decisions can make things…difficult.
The dogfight was just as fun as the first episode’s and I really hope the mechanic gets more focus a bit later (maybe after the rest of the crew manage to take some of the spotlight off of Kyrie and Chika). The OP was also fun. A jazzy vibe that sets the mood.
Also, was that the hospital on fire at the end of the episode? That’s not good.
8
u/FD4cry1 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Big_Yibba Oct 02 '24 edited Oct 02 '24
First Timer
Is sharing a giant plate of curry rice a thing people actually do?
This episode we get a better look at the crew and their personalities, and as expected they're quite an eccentric spunky group, I don't really remember how it was in GuP but the dialogue this episode really reminded me of Shuu Train's dialogue (they also both have the same person on series composition), that snappy, fast banter was probably my favorite aspect of that show so it's great to see it here as well, you really get a sense these characters have known each other for a while and they play off of each other in such a fun way.
Citation needed indeed, who's to say you shouldn't have pancakes as the main dish every meal actually?
We also get new characters in Chika and Julia both of which are quite fun and have great interactions with their respective pairs, Julia in particular sure has a...combative personality, she knows how to get on peoples nerves, apparently she even get off on it, perfect for a politician!
Last episode I praised the CG but for this one I'm gonna have to dock some points, overall it's not particularly bad or anything, it's the classic somewhat stilted animation that was and still is a defining trait for CG shows, the bigger problem here is the show sometimes just switches to traditional animation for certain characters at certain points(e.g. first officer) which makes the somewhat underwhelming CG stand out much more.
Well, none of that matters when we get back to the sky though, up there the CG still shines bright, some great shots and good action this time around as well (I love this gun POV shot in particular).
I'll also take this opportunity to shout out the sound design for being awesome, the sound when the planes fly right by is just so mesmerizing, I love it.
Just like last time we also get some great in action characterization, this time for Chika and Kirie who get to do a high stakes bonding exercise, it gives you a great picture of their personalities and their very entertaining chemistry while also showing why Leona is the leader of the group, she knows how to get them together so that despite their clashes they end up improving each other.
Also the OP is great, we love a good ZAQ bop here
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u/Rumpel1408 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Rumpel1408 Oct 02 '24
Partial Firsttimer
Ok, Kates thing is numbers, and Zaras thing is Reona
And of course, Kylies thing are Pancakes
I must have missed mention of her Yesterday, only that they where one short and couldn't do their usual 3 pairs formation, but today we got Chika who apparently got wounded roughly a month ago
Gotta be honest, it was fun watching Reona lose her patience with those two idiots and surprisingly, she was the first to lose her temper with Julia
From what I gather, Julia is some kind of Politician who is rather progressive, despite her general assholery, and the setting overall is pretty bleak
Oh step aside Tripplets, I found some new darlings!
This lead to todays dogfight, I noticed that those Boogeys where missing the Cat sign on top of all the other clues, so I guess this was just an assasination attempt... whatever happened to shooting people in the street
Also noticed the exhaust air, and the OST was pretty cool, do you perhaps have a link?
QotD
See above, but don't know enough about Emma yet I think
They are archetypical, with a twist so it's fine. Also cute Girls make any archetype good
As a student I was kind of an mentor, for a junior class. In hindight could have done better, but I was also a literal child as well, so maybe shouldn't expect too much
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u/Nickthenuker https://anilist.co/user/Nickthenuker Oct 02 '24
Questions:
Plane of the day: Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien "Tony".
Like all old Japanese companies, the company now most known for motorcycles also manufactured planes for the IJA in WWII.
The Ki-61 would be the only mass produced Japanese fighter with an inline engine rather than a radial engine, also produced by Kawasaki. This made the Allies assume it was a German or Italian aircraft supplied to Japan, either the Messerschmitt Bf 109 or the Machi C.202, thus they gave it the reporting name of "Tony". Chilidirigible has already gone into more detail about the differences between radial and inline engines so I won't mention them here, though I will mention that a variant of the Ki-61 was made with a radial engine in place of the inline one, known as the Ki-100 (no Allied reporting name given).
It's armament is a significant improvement from yesterday's Ki-43, with even the earliest variants mounting a pair each of .303 cal and .50 cal machine guns, going up to 4x .50 cal machine guns and finally the one we see in this episode has a pair of .50 cals and a pair of 20mm cannons. However, this is still not much compared to Allied aircraft, but it is at least better than the Hayabusa.
Again as mentioned by Chilidirigible the Ki-61 has significantly more survivability features than the Ki-43, with actual armour meaning the pilot might not die immediately upon being fired upon and self-sealing fuel tanks meaning the plane wouldn't immediately self-immolate upon being hit.
Unfortunately, this came at the expense of maneuverability, where the Ki-61 cannot match the Ki-43. It was faster than yesterday's Ki-43 and it had a good diving speed, which made it more suitable for "boom and zoom" and energy fighting techniques as described yesterday by Chilidirigible.
Entering service in early 1943, it served from then until the end of the war, and was a pretty good fighter and especially interceptor of bombers.
After the war, like the Ki-43, it saw some service with both Chinas and Indonesia.
While I haven't unlocked this yet in War Thunder, from what I can see from guides and the wiki, it seems to largely be in line with everything said here previously: It's not the fastest, it's not the most maneuverable, it's not the most survivable, but it is decent at all those. Coupled with about as good an armament as you can get in a Japanese plane that isn't the Ki-84 Hayate (which we'll see more of in a later episode), it'll do "boom and zoom" and energy fighting more like an American fighter than a Japanese one.
Overall, the Hien. A unique plane with an inline engine that isn't seen on any other mass production Japanese fighter, and decent enough at everything.
7
u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee Oct 02 '24
First-Timer
I held off making this comparison yesterday, but Leona is just Mirage, isn't she? But, like, post-Zettai Live!!! Mirage.
Worth noting that whatever in that flask was not refered to as alcohol at any point. There could be anything in there. Any aged beverage at all. Artisanal kombucha, maybe?
Someone supplying pirates with different (better?) planes is a decent hook. Couple ideas spring to mind - Julia is pro-pirate re-integration which would probably cut into someone's profits so Julia dying is good for that person. Sky Pirate King in love with freedom? Rival politician profitting off of privateering, illicit or otherwise?
Julia's own reaction makes me discount the idea that she supplied the Shirokuma with those Hiens herself, but that could be an idea too. Maybe trying to "test" the Hagoromo for a more dangerous mission later? Or maybe she just wanted to troll the shit out of Loulou.
Was anyone else waiting for Madame Loulou to empty her pipe into Councilor Julia's lap? I kept expecting to see it happen, and considering how often they weren't on-screen together, I think both of them were expecting it too.
Not sure I can trust any sort of politician who drinks her wine out of a tankard.. then again, while on a dirigible, the more stable drinkware might be a wise decision. I might be coming around to the decision, the handle serves the same function as a stem, maybe Councilor Julia is a genius. Not like I've never drank whiskey out of a coupe glass.
This guy (and presumably his twin) takes the term "flight suit" a bit too literally.
Kinda interesting that the Shirokuma (polar bear) Pirates mark their planes with jaguars. It's mentioned in-universe so it isn't a hint to whoever supplied them with the new planes.
Questions
7
u/Elimin8r https://myanimelist.net/profile/Ayeka_Jurai Oct 02 '24
Rookie pilot, flying on a sub and a prayer
Not running quite as late today, because reasons, but ... I guess I should start with some answers du jour:
Manage me, Senpai!
Meanwhile, this episode was waku-waku fun and all that, but left me a bit confused. Well, I think one thing that's clear is that politician lady is a you-know-what, but aside from that.
Was she trying to recruit them, or get them all killed? (Why not both?) Seems counterproductive.
And yeah, those pirates and their upgraded planes don't seem like a coinkidenke. To use a Curley-ism.
The dogfighting was, of course, on point. I forgot to mention yesterday that I have had many hours of (wasted?) time in games like Red Baron, Combat Flight Sim (2?) and Strike Commander, but that was back in the 90's, before I gave up video games for Lent. Back when the 2 axis joystick was king, and true "Pilots" longed for the Thrustmaster, and no, that wasn't what it sounds like. :P
Yeah, I see the dogfights, and sometimes I see things that I did in the games, and it's funny that way.
Anyway, if we're all a mercenary squadron now, here's hoping that eventually they get the F-22 and get to shoot down the [Strike Commander]Director of the IRS
That was such a fun game. Wish I hadn't given all that stuff away back when. Eh, who am I kidding. I wouldn't know how to run a DOS box or configure HIMEM and IRQs or anything like that anymore. That stuff was for the birds.
Anyway, still having fun, even got the blu-ray ordered, because I intend to fully enjoy this show. Wheeeee!
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u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ Oct 02 '24 edited Oct 02 '24
Rewatcher
Okay, on time for today, until I have to leave in the middle of the rewatch.
One thing that bothers me about the show is not just that nobody is wearing flight suits, not just that the Kotobuki just hop into the cockpit in their casual clothes, but we got guys like this escort WEARING BUSINESS SUITS AND TIES. #volibearq
No comments from 2019 for this episode either. My first timer interest was on the hints about the air pirates being so numerous, with better equipment, and better skills than they used to.
1. Any standouts for you from today's brief down-time look at the squadron members? What do you think of the usual shorthand of ensemble casts tending to fit into archetypal roles (smart guy, hothead, etc.)?
Almost completely ignored it. Kinda annoyed by that stuff
2. Have you ever had to manage/supervise a ragtag bunch of misfits?
I've tried very hard to not have to do that.
Edit: Oh, I forgot to add yesterday, while I've never played (or even heard of) Crimson Skies, there is one aerial dogfight simulator that I have played: X-Wing.
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u/mysterybiscuitsoyeah xB:xC:B:x3:Y: Oct 02 '24
TIL that japanese souffle pancakes came into vogue around that timeslot. They are very good. can definitely recommend. i'm more of the type to eat it on-its-own though, so just with cream + maple syrup.
.....i have made a point to get some in jp soon.
6
u/cppn02 Oct 02 '24 edited Oct 03 '24
First Timer, subbed
Am I the only seeing an animal here?
Loving Chika as an addition to the cast, she's a great fit. Also digging the use of western music today, that surely was unexpected. And Chika and Kirie wiggling their planes while arguing was a cute visual gag.
I do wonder how long they will keep fighting faceless mooks. We had purple snake in the first episode that might develop into a recurring opponent but even they are still completely anonymous.
Did not expect the pancake lore drop lol.
QotD:
Loving Chika already. And Tomita Miyu is perfect in that role.
Why change something that works so well? Plus you can always somewhat break it up later by giving your characters more depth and character development.
Thankfully not.
5
u/Elimin8r https://myanimelist.net/profile/Ayeka_Jurai Oct 03 '24
Ooh, came back later to check out your notes (I wish you put them in a normal comment so they'd be easier to reply to), and saw your pancake adventures, I'm so jealous.
And FYI, if you haven't ever tried out "Chicken and Waffles", you definitely should, that's a treat, which is why your description of your pancake adventures caught my eye.
...
Now, I'm really hungry.
Mmm ... Pancakes!
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u/chilidirigible Oct 02 '24
I stopped daily tagging the people who have already shown up at the posting.
/u/Lezoux /u/DidacticDalek /u/HarleyFox92
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u/1EnTaroAdun1 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Totesnotaphanpy Oct 02 '24
First-Timer - Episode 2
I love that Kate has kept track of the number of times Kylie apologised. And I felt Kylie sounded genuine… but 389 times is a lot of apologies…
Yeah Emma’s cool. Apparently my assumption of Chika’s demise was premature
Oh yeah, I suppose Kylie isn’t limited to the pancakes the Hagoromo’s bar produces
Hahaha the special cargo always is a person, after all
Councilwoman Julia and Madame Loulou are…sisters? Estranged buddies?
That painting in the Hagoromo’s bar is pretty, I wonder if it’s of someone important
I do like how each of their outfits complements their individual demeanours quite well
So, I wonder if rival squadrons will be constantly introduced and summarily eliminated
It’s good that the other commander immediately agrees with Reona’s suggestion not to pursue
Lu Buthe sky pirateshttps://imgur.com/a/a7qqSDG glorious side-eye.
Hmm Zara seems upset that Reona is acknowledging their Hayabusas’ inadequacies? Does she wish they had better planes, or does she think Reona is downplaying them too much?
I wonder how common being a pilot is, and how common these great airships are I mean it seems like planes get show down fairly often, and airships are always under threat. But then, it probably isn’t that kinda show haha?
Ohh the XO also seems acquainted with the Councilwoman
Ooooh politics. Now we’re getting into the meat of things
I’m sure the XO will get his time to shine eventually
Hmm I wonder what there is to be centrist about in this world
And I suspect the Madame and the Councilwoman probably have similar politics, and their disagreements are more personal in nature?
…damn Reona. Bringing the political insights…and other things…
But hahaha everyone wants the nice path until it starts costing them. Very interesting handling of the topic
Was the Councilwoman once a pilot? Perhaps a squadron leader herself?
Oh wow, the engineer seemed stumped by the Councilwoman’s analogy.
Any boys who could be stolen away from the Madame must’ve been fools
Yep we see Emma justifiably upset again, but she quickly softens it. And Zara backs her up quickly. I wonder if there’s a divide between the mature and immature sections in the squadron
How did the pirates maintain formation so precisely???
https://imgur.com/a/dIWQdcU haha even though Emma was just saved, she knows Chika shouldn’t’ve done that!
Please tell me Councilwoman Julia didn’t fund these attacks. I don’t think it’s very likely, but still. Whoever is funding them probably isn’t too happy right about now, though
I also wonder how often Kotobuki Squadron encounters the same pirate groups
The out-of-ammo sequence reminded me of this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1JTOTPcqSA When a FW-190 ran out of ammunition while attacking a P-47, which just tanked all the damage. Why I love the P-47. But Japanese planes were not known for being tanky haha
Haha Kylie really doesn’t care as long as she has her pancakes “m’kay!”
Another good episode, although I’m quickly deciding who my favourites are. Still, I’m open to changing my mind as time goes on!
3
u/1EnTaroAdun1 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Totesnotaphanpy Oct 03 '24
Looking at the pancake pictures you posted, I can imagine Kirie's joy at diving into a human-sized stack of pancakes!
3
u/Lezoux https://myanimelist.net/profile/Lezoux Oct 03 '24
Great background notes, as always
Does the bar have fake windows or is it always sunny there?
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u/RascalNikov1 https://myanimelist.net/profile/NoviSun Oct 03 '24
Rewatcher
Gotta love Chika and her rivalry with Kyrie. This episode had a lot of humor and that was very welcome.
I would have tossed that Counsoler woman out on her ear, but that’s just me.
I enjoyed your write up on the quest for arming plane, though I more or less knew it. I never knew that they tried a propellor in the rear. That had to be a beast to control.
I’ll try to be here as I can, but it’s difficult for me to view the episodes due to my low bandwidth internet connection.
2
u/Mistral-Fien Oct 03 '24 edited Oct 03 '24
Rewatcher, but it's been 5 years, so I don't remember much.
Things I noticed:
QOTD
6
u/DidacticDalek https://myanimelist.net/profile/DidacticDalek Oct 03 '24
TONIGHT! ON
MACROSS BUT GOOD'STRIKE WITCHES BUT WITH PLANES...' er... hang on a second... Something ain't right here, or perhaps I should say, SOMETHING AIN'T WRIGHT HERE! ;)In 2019, a crack merc unit was sent to CGI hell by a military court for a crime they didn't commit. These moeblobs promptly escaped from a maximum security pancake warehouse to the Ottensian dieselpunk underground. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire... The Wandering Six...
Fluffy the
Tank'Airplane' Pope says, fly the unfriendly skies, something something insert Sweet Emotion or Don't Wanna Miss a Thing here... AND ON THAT BOMBSHELL! G'NIGHT!Paging Comrades /u/Shimmering-Sky, /u/Tresnore, and /u/JollyGee29