Ask John: Why Is Strike Witches So Popular in Japan?

Question:
What makes Strike Witches so popular in Japan?

Answer:
I haven’t read any analysis or explanations from within Japan’s otaku community that address the popularity of the Strike Witches TV anime. Furthermore, I’m neither Japanese nor part of Japan’s otaku community. So all that I can do to address this question is attempt to emulate a Japanese fan psychology and theorize at the root reason why Japanese viewers have been so enthralled with Strike Witches. The strike Witches TV anime is a combination of a number of respectable and appealing elements – any of which could singularly or conjunctively explain the show’s popularity. There’s the show’s cast of cute girls with animal ears and exposed panties; the series’ especially good animation quality and fluid action sequences; plenty of slapstick and sexually suggestive humor; and an intriguing story that provides answers, but doesn’t need to be obvious and didactic about doing so. While all of these elements contribute to the show’s success, there is one other, fundamental component of Strike Witches that I believe makes the show especially appealing to Japanese viewers. That component is the show’s characters – not singular characters nor individual personalities, but rather a singular characteristic that typifies all of the show’s cast.

The Strike Witches are literally adorable warrior witches. They exhibit a Yamato Nadesico-esque duality of vulnerability and cuteness along side formidable strength, assertiveness, and power. Soldier girls have long been popular among Japanese viewers. Consider Cutie Honey, the Dirty Pair, Lemnear, Sailor Moon, Pretty Cure, Saber and Rin Tohsaka of Fate/stay night. The appeal of the warrior girl may be considered the foundation of the more modern “tsundere” fascination because it’s a combination of softness and strength. The Japanese otaku can adore the Strike Witches characters because they’re “moe.” Each of them is adorably attractive. Each of them has a distinctive personality trait that appeals to different tastes. And each of the prominent cast members has a secret vulnerability that makes her sympathetic – causing an otaku to want to hold and protect his favorite girl as if she was a fragile, beautiful doll.

At the same time, each of the strike witches has the emotional and psychological fortitude to protect and serve. A male otaku can allow his favorite strike witch to be the assertive foundation in an interpersonal relationship that he can rely upon. The adorable strike witch satisfies the otaku’s fetish for a pretty, feminine doll to treasure and also the otaku’s need for psychological stability, firmness, and guidance.

Furthermore, as I previously mentioned briefly, the distinctiveness of the personalities of the prominent strike witches establishes a pleasant familiarity. Sakamoto, the most obvious example, is the descendant of the “Coach” character from Aim For the Ace and Gunbuster. Lucchini is capricious and catlike. Perrine represents the European gentry of Lady Lady and Honoo no Alpenrose. Charlotte Yeager represents the outgoing American individualist. Lynette Bishop is the sniper lacking self-confidence, which virtually invites feelings of protective sympathy. Sanya is the introverted Rei Ayanami or Ruri Hoshino character. And Miyafuji is the traditional shonen and sports anime protagonist – the humble everyman with an inner potential to empathize with others and a propensity to self-sacrifice. All of these archetypes are familiar to anime fans, so seeing them expressed subtly and believably in Strike Witches makes the show feel engaging and comfortable without feeling manipulative or over obvious.

Anime franchises like Battle Athletes and .hack//SIGN have attempted to manufacture success through blitzkrieg style overexposure. Uniformed soldier girl anime including Raimuiro Senkitan and Virgin Fleet have failed to achieve permanent success because they feel shallow and artificial. Stike Witches has managed to achieve success by affecting the hearts of Japanese otaku by fulfilling a psychological fascination naturally. Strike Witches feels like it meets the familiar and comfortable affectations of Japanese otaku by coincidence rather than designed effort. And that honesty makes the show much more charming and heartfelt than, for instances, the similar Skygirls anime that feels sterile and distant by comparison.

Article revised March 20, 2009. Changed “Candy Candy” to “Lady Lady”