Sky Girls – Heart over art
"Sky girls is a loli show"
The only other anime-related comment that makes me cringe harder is, "Mahoromatic is an ecchi show". Note that both statements by themselves have some degree of truth. The problem comes when they are taken for the whole truth. Yes, the sky girls have lolicious character art but the stretch of loli tag stops there. Like Mahoromatic, Sky girls is a great series with a great deal of heart which many have missed because of its misleading loli classification or mecha-esque premise.
Sky girls is a classic example of what J.C. Staff does best - an endearing cast with strong characterisation fused into a well-paced plot. It's interesting that I got into Sky Girls after reading some complain about how the TV series didn't measure up to its excellent OVA. So I caught the OVA and found it thoroughly enjoyable only to move onto the TV series to find it even better.
The main gripe for Sky girls (as gleaned from the aniblogsphere) is its filler epsiodes which frankly I have yet to discover in all 12 eps. Yes, there are many training episodes but unlike Nanoha StrikerS (where the expectations were frantic action), Sky Girls is a coming-of-age show where its charm lies in character growth and their deepening liaisons which shines through every training ep or for that matter every installment of Sky girls. A bigger bonus to know that the meaningful character development is also brilliantly woven into the overarching plot, resulting in a symbiotic relationship between plot movement and character growth. Indeed, instead of being fillerish, I'd say Sky Girls is exceptionally efficient in its storytelling though I foresee disappointment only if you are looking for action which was never the main thrust of the series anyway.
Just to highlight a couple of the series' other strengths - consistent animation, solid voice acting (especially Kawasumi Ayako's Otoha) and oh, the music. Boy do I NEED to get my paws in the Sky Girls OST! Kudos to Shinkichi Mitsumune for producing such melancholic pieces with that touch of epic. And finally, not forgetting my favourite imouto of the season - Sonomiya Karen. Gahhhh! I'd love to be her ani-sama!
Looking forward to the continual growth of the girls and also the unraveling of mysteries that surround the Sonic diver technology, especially Otoha's amazing synchro with Zero. Can't wait for ep 13.
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October 10th, 2007 - 01:40
Well written, Stripey. You managed to capture my thoughts exactly on the series better than I could have said them.
October 10th, 2007 - 02:53
mmmmmm, the rip you posted makes me wanna try a sky girl tooo.
Stripey, have u eaten a dose of tengen toppa yet?
October 10th, 2007 - 08:31
SZ: Thanks. Am glad to have shared these thoughts with another Sky Girls fan
crimson: Heh, do give it a try. For this kind of show, it’s a most excellent production.
Haven’t got my paws on Lagann but plan to in future 
October 10th, 2007 - 09:07
If Skygirls is great, and Potemayo was made of win and moeblobs, and Shana II started off strong, and Kimikiss first episode overloads all love-love measuring devices(*), then J.C.Staff appears to be on a roll right now. But where on earth were they when The Familiar of Zero 2.0 was going on?
I also recommend Gurren Lagann. I don’t even like giant robots, but Simon and Nia drilled their way into my personal favorites list nonetheless.
*(more than Clannad or Da Capo II’s first episode in my opinion, but my “contract” with J.C.Staff may be swaying my judgment here)
October 10th, 2007 - 09:36
Well…my love for Sky Girls is more simple than yours. I really like their mechas and the characters. ’nuff said ^^’ The loli-bit might help but it’s not necessary (might have been just as good with older characters…but well, it’s more cute than ecchi anyway).
But yes, I really like the soundtrack too.
……and I prefer Otoha over Karen anyday
October 10th, 2007 - 11:13
Stripey! We need to share our OST knowledge or something because we both seem to like not only the same kind of music, but the same tracks for the show.
October 10th, 2007 - 11:30
There is a civil war in Sky Girl Fandom over which girl they support: the main character Otoha ( who seems to be best paired with her mechanic ) or the moe-inspiring Karen ( one of these days the cook/communicator is going to receive a surprise confession )
October 11th, 2007 - 01:51
Sky Girls is the eternal “war movie about test pilot recruits” just set in a cool visual motif with some science fiction flair. Its entertaining, has some nice flying animation, and I may slap anyone that calls the bonding and coming-of-age sequences “filler”.
I don’t see any “loli” connection… these are teenage girls of draft age.
At this point, I’m pretty confident most people using the term (particularly in a derogatory manner) don’t have any idea what they’re talking about.
October 11th, 2007 - 02:12
sixten: I’ve been wanting to get my paws on Gurren-Lagann for the longest time.
Will surely catch it soon. As for ZnT2… sigh… maybe J.C. Staff have their resources spread real thin with Sky Girls and Potemayo. Still that’s no excuse seeing how well the others turned out. XD
And thanks for highlighting KimiKiss. Hope to have a good report on it soon
TehShaw: Indeed! You nailed it by saying it’s more cute than ecchi. I really like Otoha too. I believe it’s the Ayako doctrine. But bro-loving Karen is just too sweet not to adore XD
Beowulf Lee: Great to find another anime bgm fan! If you liked Shinkichi’s work in Sky Girls, I suggest Rozen Maiden traumend and Zero no Tsukaima OSTs too.
maglor: I’m looking fwd to that confession! Cook/communicator dude seems nice enough to be kawaii Karen’s bf
As for the civil war, frankly I’m rather torn since it’s Ayako doctrine vs siscon for me… but I guess the bro-loving aspect seems to be winning out a little here… XD
Vexx: Ah nice summary of Sky Girls.
Indeed, I just realised they ARE of draft-ages even in my country XD Of course they needed an excuse to put teenage girls in the cockpit of multi-million dollar military investments which they did 
October 11th, 2007 - 08:18
I apparently haven’t been paying too much attention to the background music as I should have been, you have me sold after listening to your rip. Going to have to keep my eyes out for the OST. The ZnT soundtrack was another must-buy for me…good recommendation!
October 11th, 2007 - 09:08
Stripey,
off topic but i like how one of your ad reads.
Anime Girl
Browse a huge selection now
find what you want today
I didn’t know you run that kind of site ;p
October 11th, 2007 - 20:26
hmm this anime looks interesting, might pick it up once it finishes airing.
As of now the only thing that would interest me in this anime is this entry of your blog and the art….
Like i said might pick it up when it finishes airing that way I can get an assessment of it as a whole.
October 12th, 2007 - 18:50
sorry to do this, but does anyone knows the name or group doing this song?
October 13th, 2007 - 23:43
Ashram: Glad you like the rip.
Another OST I’m currently fawning over is Seirei no moribito. Will try to put up some pieces soon to share the love 
Xellos-_^: LOL! Where can I get a Shirakawa Kotori? XD
holyman282: Great! I’ll try to have a final impressions entry too when it’s ok
crimson: The song’s by Asakura Ryoko (SHnY)’s character CD. I believe it’s the 2nd track.
November 10th, 2007 - 00:59
Well said, Stripey.
I was somewhat surprised to know the composer is Mitsumune Shinkichi, but with the masterpieces he made, especially for both seasons of ZnT, I can make the connection.
And all of you can take Otoha or Karen; Elise shines through by both very determined/stubborn, and being childlike at the same time; very plausible for a parentless child raised in a lab.
Also the ever-so-strict cum tsundere Eika creates a classical clash of personal vs. professional attitude, though she is more stereotypized than any other girl.
November 15th, 2007 - 01:49
FotonTheFerretBoy: Glad to meet a fellow fan of Sky Girls and Shinkichi’s works
Do check out his Rozen maiden works if you haven’t. I absolutely love Traumend’s soundtracks.
Elise is very well crafted for a stereotypical archetype as you have described her background to be indeed. Maybe it’s because I’m getting a little weary of the tsundere archetype so I’m not quite taking to her as I ought to. Or it could be the lack of pink hair XD
November 21st, 2007 - 02:55
I love Sky Girls, and this is a great entry that talks about the classier parts of it (although I do like the loli as a wonderful bonus, too). But yeah, the music, decent artwork, and especially characterization.
I am anticipating that OST as well. What I found funny recently is how different the real lyrics to Virgin’s High are to Ayako Fansubs’s educated guess about them (but I don’t blame them for trying! I would have believed it and did).
I do think the bra episode and the ghost episode were filler, though, but they were still very enjoyable to watch. And you can always argue that every filler thing does build on the characters a little bit more, even if we simply learn one phobia or a miniscule personality quirk.
November 21st, 2007 - 06:48
Crisu: heh, as long as it helps us love/understand the character more, I wouldn’t deem an episode fillerish.
Of course it may not be very efficient use of limited airtime but character love surely lend strength and adds texture to any series. 
I can’t quite rem the bra ep but I think the ghost ep is important in establishing the dynamics between Otoha and her mechanic with the mystery of Zero thrown into the mix. It was this ep that strengthened my belief that her bro (or part of him) resides in Zero. Can’t wait to be proven wrong XD
December 30th, 2007 - 04:57
Well, Stripey, I just downloaded my copy, courtesy of Nipponsei.
Get yours now, lol.
December 30th, 2007 - 04:58
Well, Stripey, I just downloaded my copy, courtesy of Nipponsei.
Get yours now, lol.
By the way, that sample song you posted is “Deep Orange” by Mitsumune Shinkichi
December 30th, 2007 - 08:26
Heh, thanks for the heads up. Got it already and yes, love “Deep Orange”
April 6th, 2008 - 12:04
i would love to get hold of the combat theme.
its a modern take on the classic turnaround theme. shit hits the fan, and then the heros of the story turn the whole thing around, backed by one hell of a upbeat theme all the way.
around the 80′s this kind of theme was part of the package. but these days, most non-anime is either so sugar sweet one risk diabetes on the spot, or its so realistic and brooding that one need to be 18+ to watch them and hopefully not get nightmares…
sky girl are a throwback to a different age, for me at least that grew up with the original transformers, thundercats and similar.
April 8th, 2008 - 07:54
woah transformers, thundercats… we must be from the same generation
Well said about Sky girls. It’s a pity many take the sometimes more subtle character development for granted, pandering only for either loli-fanservice (which the show does not promote) or action (which is really is not the main thrust of the series either).