Aim for the Top
Summary:
Shirley, Francesca and Yoshika go to Rome on a supply trip but the proudly Roman native quickly gets side-tracked, rescuing Maria from a pair of mafia-types. Once she hears that Maria has never really been outside her house much and doesn’t know Rome at all, Francesca takes her on a grand tour. As Shirley and Yoshika search for Francesca and the 501st Joint Fighter Wing funds meant for food supplies in her purse, those very funds are tapped as an expense account for Maria’s expensive tastes which a band of little kids leech also off of.
Just as Francesca is showing Maria her penultimate view of Rome from the top of the basilica, air raid sirens warn of an approaching Neuroi. Shirley and Yoshika find Francesca in a knicker of time and they fly off in their Striker units to show Maria the meaning of duty and courage. After the battle, Francesca takes Maria up to the mile high club and the latter now realizes noblesse oblige gotta do what noblesse oblige gotta do. Back at base, Francesca is punished for her carelessness but all’s well that ends well when Duchess Maria of Romagna formally takes up her officials duties and air-drops a gift of supplies on the 501st.
Reaction:
YES WE CAN HAZ HAREM
Francesca has quickly become my firm second favourite among the Witches this season so it was great to see an episode centred on her and her hometown. Nonetheless I did have a gripe: I’ve visited Rome twice and while the touristy historical sites were impressive, it’s the people and cuisine that I’d toss a coin into the Trevi fountain for. It was a pity that there was hardly any screentime devoted to Romans doing like Romans do, such as visiting family and friends to show what’s cookin’ under those kitchen fires they saw from the basilica. But, in the course of the episode, I still easily gave this a free pass, being utterly convinced of Francesca’s love for her city by the voice work of the excellent and inimitable Chiwa Saitou.
As such, some of the funniest parts of the episode arose prior to arriving in Rome – understanding dawning on why Lynette backed out from the shopping trip once she realized that Shirley would be driving, in Yukari-sensei-style, the truck. And from the shopping requests of the various Witches. Such as Trudie’s tsundere discomfort while requesting Yoshika to choose a cute dress for her little sister, Chris. And then Shirley’s initial misunderstanding that said cute dress was for Trudie herself getting stuck in the former’s head. And it was really cruel (in a funny yet fitting sort of way) how they really bought Erica an alarm clock (at Trudie’s suggestion) without the consolation of sweets.
And I was also LOL when I eventually realized that Eila’s extremely detailed pillow request was really a representation of a Sanya dakimakura (confirmed beyond a doubt by her raging yuri narration during the preview) – in the first season, I didn’t really pay much attention to the Finnish x Russian pairing but I did enjoy Sanya’s waifu-ey reprimand of Eila’s fussiness and Eila’s guilty grimace; thus I’m looking forward to their antics in the next episode.
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Zyl – who has written 204 posts on Sea Slugs! Anime Blog.
I have a penchant for Bishoujo, Oneesama and Yuri character dynamics. Genre-wise I enjoy drama and satire; tilt-wise I am terribly weak against self-consciously arty farty styles and reference humour. Sieg Lunamaria!
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
When going on a trip don’t let Shirley drive.
Or develop Francesca-level resistance to actually enjoy her driving.
That was quite some driving it has to be said. Not many people can jump a deuce-and-a-half over a cliff. The thing can only go about 55mph.
Actually I was thinking that truck must have some God-level suspension to be able to take a leap like that and still carry on. And it seems that Shirley has done this before!
Suggestion: Read Fujieda Miyabi-sensei’s Strike Witches doujins. He loves Eila x Sanya (as well as Mio-san x Minna
)
I have to agree with you about their portrayal of Rome there. I visited the city myself a couple of times and would love it if they paid more attention to the social culture every now and then rather than the all too conventional tourist spots. It feels more “wholesome” that way. Then again, perhaps a genre like Strike Witches’ will always have their own method of doing things. Maybe blowing up Neuroi over famous landmarks is more fitting than telling Romagna’s story à la ARIA’s Neo Venezia?
Oh I was totally a Mio x Minna shipper at the end of the first season when Minna screamed at Trude ‘THAT’S AN ORDER!!!’ to go after the Neuroi who had shot Mio down and then broke down into a sobbing mess. They’re just perfect for each other in so many ways.
Yeah, doujin artists seem to love Eila x Sanya – Chanomi also has a thing for that pairing.
And now I just have this image of the ARIA girls flying around in Striker units and their various companies being military companies (the unit between platoon and battalion) LOL.