How Japan’s ‘BBC’ is rewriting its role in the Second World War

[Duque de Bragança]

That's why I mentioned a retarded provincial bourgeoise as well. As for T&A in North America this is the way it is (strange nobody mentioned it)

"If you suck on a tit the movie gets an R rating. If you hack the tit off with an axe it will be PG."

This is not me at all dude.

I know, it's Nicholson.  
The former reference being Ségolène, I thought it was clear.

[Admiral Yi]

Indeed, but Joan Jett's audience is not exactly middle-aged guys in raincoats since she was not underage when she did the cover who brought her fame, so I don't see your point.

Well, now imagine a band in which Joan Jett is about 5 years younger, and in which she was the oldest member.  And the lead singer performs in her underwear.

[Agelastus]

I wonder if the making airplane girls, nation girls, battleship girls etc stems from Japan's more animist leaning traditional religion.

I know next to nothing about Japanese religion.  But I think they make airplane girls based on "our target audience likes military hardware, and cute magical girls.  Let's somehow combine the two."

I must admit that the detailed and accurate depictions of WWII vessels is one of the major attractions of Strike Witches for me.

Season 2's depiction of the Yamato being escorted by a combined battleline including Bismarck along with several King George V's and Littorios was probably the show's high point for me.

[Duque de Bragança]

Indeed, but Joan Jett's audience is not exactly middle-aged guys in raincoats since she was not underage when she did the cover who brought her fame, so I don't see your point.

Well, now imagine a band in which Joan Jett is about 5 years younger, and in which she was the oldest member.  And the lead singer performs in her underwear.

I still don't see the link with Captain Harlock, Grendizer or even Candy, Candy.

[Ed Anger]

I wonder if the making airplane girls, nation girls, battleship girls etc stems from Japan's more animist leaning traditional religion.

I know next to nothing about Japanese religion.  But I think they make airplane girls based on "our target audience likes military hardware, and cute magical girls.  Let's somehow combine the two."

I must admit that the detailed and accurate depictions of WWII vessels is one of the major attractions of Strike Witches for me.

Season 2's depiction of the Yamato being escorted by a combined battleline including Bismarck along with several King George V's and Littorios was probably the show's high point for me.

[celedhring]

I wonder if the making airplane girls, nation girls, battleship girls etc stems from Japan's more animist leaning traditional religion.

From genius loci to Uncle Sam, we do have quite a tradition of antropomorphication in the West.

[MadImmortalMan]

John Bull and Uncle Sam aren't hott though. 

[Monoriu]

I must admit that the detailed and accurate depictions of WWII vessels is one of the major attractions of Strike Witches for me.

Season 2's depiction of the Yamato being escorted by a combined battleline including Bismarck along with several King George V's and Littorios was probably the show's high point for me.

I think there is also the merchandise angle of why these shows are made.  Anime themselves don't make money.  They rely on merchandise sales for profit.  There are cute moe girl figures on sale everywhere.  Combining them with military hardware is far less common.  Also, powerful heroines with military hardware appeals to a larger demographic, as both males and females find something in them.  Strike Witches is surprisingly popular among females from what I've read. 

For me, the best moments in Strike Witches are the comraderie.  Scenes that I won't forget include (minor spoilers ahead) Erica tidying up her room as a consolation prize for Gertrud after failing to get the autograph for her friend's little sister.  Gertrud complaining loudly to her superior officer about the necessity of going on a patrol.  Erica then reminded her that Yoshika would be passing by the area.  Cut to Gertrud fully loaded and screaming to launch. 

[celedhring]

John Bull and Uncle Sam aren't hott though. 

Wasn't Britannia quite hot?

And we got femenine anthropomorfications battling evil in our media too 

[Malthus]

The Runaways might be a better example than Britney Spears.  Their European concert audiences in particular were all middle aged guys in raincoats.

Who?

[Valmy]

Wasn't Britannia quite hot?

And we got ladies battling evil in our media too.

Lady liberty is very unhot.  Which is weird since the French designed her.  But she is not really a character.  She is like a mascot.

Anyway yes we do personify things, that is a tradition from Greece and Rome and all that.  However that is mostly official and symbolic and all that and often involves animals as well (from standards and chivalry and all that).  We do this with everything, especially US sports teams.  But that is not quite the same thing as what Raz is referring to, though similar.

[Admiral Yi]

The French modeled her after a French mom.  She does in fact look like a battleaxe.

[Sheilbh]

John Bull and Uncle Sam aren't hott though. 

Britannia and Columbia weren't bad. None are as hot as Marianne, who over the years has been modelled by Brigitte Bardot, Catherine Deneuve and Laetitia Casta

[Admiral Yi]

Marianne is totally hott.

[garbon]

That's not even close to true.  Britney Spears became a huge star by exploiting the North American hunger for underage T&A.

Her audience was mostly young and skewed female. I know there are members of many age groups that like underage T&A, but at her concerts I would think that most males were young themselves.

And gay.