Stratos 4:Blast Off Flight 1 L.E.

Rating:
Summary: 4 GIRLS DEFEND THE EARTH
Review: In the future, the survival of mankind is threatened by a swarm of travelling meteorites which could destroy civilization as we know it. Knowing about this 50 years ahead of time, the nations of the Earth make plans to stop the meteorites from reaching the surface of the planet. The first line of defense in orbit is an elite corps of pilots known as the Comet Blasters. Their job is to shatter the meteorites into pieces small enough to burn up harmlessly in the atmosphere. Just in case some pieces make it through, another line of protection is called upon. Jets are lauched to the edge of space piloted by the Meteor Sweepers to take out any fragments. There also have to be backups of the main pilots just in case of emergency. That's where our four heroines step into the picture. They are back up Meteor Sweepers.

Shizuha, Ayamo, Karin, and Mikaze's characters aren't really formed a whole lot in this first volume. Mikaze seems to have the most angst and most screentime. She comes from a family of pilots and has been held up to a higher standard than the other girls. It's like she always pushed into being a pilot so now she's wondering what SHE wants to do with her life. The problem is that while she's distracted and inattentive during training, her lack of enthusiasm might cause someone to lose their life. Ayamo is the titular wanna-be leader of the group and is dedicated to getting into space and being a Comet Blaster. Needless to say, she has a lot of frustration about Mikaze's failure to live up to her potential. Shizuha, for now just seems like a Yes-woman for Ayamo who doesn't have a very strong will. Lastly, Karin spends most of her time sending text messages on her cell-phone. She seems intelligent, but a little lackadaisical in normal life. Good thing that she's all business in the cockpit.

The first volume is mainly just the setup for the rest of the series. It follows the girl's daily lives as they step up from being observers of others risking their lives to the girls in full participation defending the Earth from a deadly threat. There's lots of humor and shades of fan service and some great adventure here. The question is whether or not the girls can mature enough mentally to handle the danger of their duty. Nevermind why only young boys and girls could fill these roles. This is an anime.

Highly recommended. I didn't think it was going to be a good series at first, but as I got to know the characters, I became more involved and now I think it's great.
Great music here too, from pop songs to orchestral, and the art is first-rate.

There's a couple of nice extras on the dvd, including a video segment as two of the Japanese voice actresses, the director, and character designer spend a day sightseeing the real Shimoji Island, the location of the Stratos 4 base. There is also an amusing segment where a slightly toothless "military commentator" explains the real basis for the vehicles in the series. Especially enlightening is his explanation as to why the girls have to straddle their seats in the jets like a motorcycle, causing their butts to stick in the camera's lens. Also includes clean open/closes and brief bios of the English actors.

Can't wait for Flight 2.