For most of the first half of the show it has been nothing less then a soup of character movement. The answers and motion was only vaguely resembling momentum and at it’s apex it was yet to shine with anything but characterization. But that has come to pass and the last few episodes see my modest hopes at my door.

Quick Briefing

The story thus far has advanced slowly but steadily in a continuous loop. Episode after episode we would get answers and the stage for the next question. There was little to be seen, but the character development was steady, and their story acting solid.

The fist half ends as 12 where one of the last biscuits in the training—soup draws to a close. ~

12. “Goodbye, Obama”

It’s the second in the War–Elize mini-series. From the start we get the latest on the Elize Eika front, current score is in Eika’s favor, as Elize, baring the weight of her promise from last episode is bound to respect and follow Eika’s orders.
Well, “respect”, is perhaps saying too much.

The peace of war in the EE conflict is followed by bread crumbs of information on current world status and military readiness. And now Karen finally steps forth in the spotlight. This is still a big old soup episode, and not yet the last. Events are still as predictable as possibly can be, almost like a mathematically correct sometimes. Like something like this: Nullify yesterday’s events, which in our case would be war: EE; shortly after pick character not previously picked -Karen’s a good choice- and start conversation with it’s co-character (you can tell who’s the co-character as they’re always polar opposites), follow next step bellow…

e.g. co-character pairs:

• Eika & Elize
• Otoha & Karen
• Hazuki & Togo
• Haruko & Ranko

First, group a unused character (Karen’s up this episode) and face her with the co-character.
Karen’s always had this brother complex and this episode focuses on that. The accomplice to the plot is Otoha. A conversation in the hallway starts and one thing leads to another until Karen ends up inviting her brother for a visit.
That concludes step one.

In the second half Karen is called back by the military, as with the rest of the girls. The briefing states that a new WORM cluster is probable, but not confirmed. A series of accidents is cause for concern and while a WORM is suspected, priority is to scout and rescue, unfortunately only two of the SDs are operational at this time, and Karens Fujin is on the list. Not surprisingly the timing of all this coincides with Karens special guest visit. But she willingly accepts the mission.

Karen in Fujin, along with the second and last operation ready SD, Bachstelz proceed on the scouting mission. Elize burdened by her family complex tries to corrupt her in leaving the mission, but she refuses as seeing her brother is not more important then her responsibilities which he respects. And so the second step concludes: group with similar character and self heal plot.
In the end, only the good doctor, Aki, met with Karens brother.

The episode ends as the girls leave the base and head towards the dry dock where their home at sea (the Kouryu) is undergoing final preparation…

Sky Girls Mk. II

So now the first half is over, and the story shifts to the timetable of the OVA, the good stuff. But all is not lost. The style and taste of previous episodes is still present and has as much impact as it always had, all be it they have pushed it aside as a stand in for transitions.

13. “Kouryu, Move Out!”

This episode is the start of the Kouryu arc. Nothing special happens in the first half, the plot merely centering on Ryohei’s little health problem. The second part is on the other hand a little more interesting. With her spirit down, because of Ryoheis absence the MOLP level (whatever that do-thingy term means) reaches unprecedented rock bottom, and she fails to make the launch. Eika’s team is now hopelessly handicapped. A few bullets fly, a few minutes pass and the situation isn’t getting any better. And just then who would show up in the control room, it’s Ryohei with his trusty SD-fix pack and gets to work. Otoha’s spirit goes up and with it the will to fight. The sync levels quickly go up and she launches into the fire, and not a moment too soon. Delta Lock, game over.

The episode ends as Hazuki unveils how headquarters plans to use the Kouryu as a diversion…

14. “Quadra Lock “

The episode deputes with Elise charging up for berserk mode. The outcome could be seen from a mile away, but still proves interesting. Enraged by her past perils and sacrifices, in the mints of battle she breaks formation and takes arms alone against the WORM. Alas, this recklessly endangers her little life and also causes the standard delta lock maneuver to fail, as she would get sucked in the void sphere along with the WORM, or might. She dodges, slashes and breaks her away into the WORMS close perimeter, but eventually gets caught of guard after surrounding herself by the WORMs tentacles and is helplessly trapped in it’s clutches. Lucky for our little worrier Eika was not the one to have to take the shot and rescue her, but good old Viper.

Part two starts with Elize crying while being counseled by Aki. The most memorable moment of the episode has to be her talk with the head mechanic: (with hat off) “Little girl, don’t do things others harts can’t take.”

Shortly after, WORM position is re-confirmed and the realization that the Kouryu is a target finally sinks in. Sonic Diver Squad, are ordered to move out, Quadra Lock is to be used. After the initial attack the WORM has reinforced it’s outer layer, and the attacks of the Kouryu barely scratches it. Elise and Eika group up and attack in on it’s soft side, breaking it’s defenses. Quadra Lock, game over, and it’s back to base for milk and cookies.

15. “Father and Daughter”

Well the good episode streak temporarily ends here. Fifteen is a transitional episode, relating to the relations between the military and the Sky Girls devision. The episode covers a short drama between Eika and her Father, the admiral in charge of the operation. Long story short, Eika and her father don’t get along, and her father fainted of over work and was hospitalized. There are a lot of flash backs and a lot of dialog and action at most is simple Eika—Elize skirmishes. The episodes ends as Eika’s father still grumpy and strict secretly sends them a few boxes of apples.

16. “Docking”

Better name would have been Nanae’s boyfriend.
Not much to be said about it, her very close childhood friend is a fishermen in her village, hates the big bad worship and likes Nanae, a WORM eventually joins the party and the girls have to fish Nanae’s boyfriend from the sea, beat the WORM and save local the local fishes from extinction.

17. “Sky–Girls of the Southern Islands”

The episode starts, surprise surprise, with the girls kicking WORM but, in the rain and with lightning everywhere.
One thing leads to another and contact, communication, the girls and all action are lost.

Another transitional episode, probably one of the better ones, this here one covers Eika’s inability to do anything but fight and lead. The episode is easily summed up:

The entire sky girls squad is stranded on a deserted Island with all communications jammed by local materials radioactive materials. Eika assumes control, they set up a desires beacon (SOS from rocks and some smoke), forage for food and build a shelter. Eika is in charge of the shelter, Otoha is in charge of the food, Karen keeps watch over the beacon and Elize builds the plot.
From here on it’s Elise Vs. The Island, and island wins.

The search party eventually find their little souls and they return to the ship.

18. “Intruders”

This episode kicks of a new arc in the story. Actually we’ve been given a lot of hints to this arc before but have yet to see and reference to it.

A WORM is a adaptive creature and assumes the form of that which it first seas, generally that would be sea animals, but there are exceptions.
The drama starts with Otoha looking at sea on a clear night. A ball is floating in the ocean. (a WORM cell) It flashes and disappears. Otoha remembers her childhood experience and rushes to warn everybody of the impending disaster. She bumps into Ryohei and as they talk the ships electric systems malfunction, or so it seems. As the run through the halls they hear screams from the lower decks. WORMs in the form of men have invaded the ship! they’re sucking the power supply of the ship while causing minimum damage are disabling all it’s functionality. The mimesis (WORMs in human form) are impossible to stop thought force, and attempting to do so will only cause them to multiply. The only way to stop them is to burn them.

The WORMs are attracted to Otoha for some unknown reason and using herself as bait she leads them into the open in a attempt to strike them down with her SD, but she gets caught at the last moment. Thankfully Aisha, the fifth, or better said first, sky girl comes to the rescue.

The episode ends as Ranko and Haruko overhear Hazuki call Aisha the “origin of the WORMs”.

19. “Aisha’s Chronicles”

This episode follows up on the spark left by the preview’s closing note. Aisha, surprisingly, joins the crew and rumors of her having things to do with the WORMs spread like wildfire. They eventually leak out to Elize’s ears and needless to say she’s not very happy.

Otoha, seeing Yuuki, her lost childhood friend in Aisha, defends her from Elize, all be it with quite the force.
Eika gathers everybody and they go to see Aisha’s special doctor friend, Hazuki’s girlfriend.

As it turns out Aisha is the result of failed nano-biotechnology project. Her body is now partially similar to that of the WORMs. According to the good doctor the technology leaked to the internet and eventually resulted in the creation of the WORMs, a self-perpetuating white cell system seeing humans as a cancer.
But the origin of WORMs is not Aisha’s only secret, she was also Eika’s mysterious opponent from the first half of the series.

The episode ends as Elize apologizes to Aisha for her words.

20. “What came out in that finder”

Starts off with Takumi’s photographer craze. Taking pictures is pretty much all that happens in the first half.

As the girls are getting ready to take a group picture with Aisha a air supremacy worm pops up. It kicks SDs ass. The girls shoot and shoot and score zero on the board, and on top of that get a serious beating from all the sides from the WORM’s missile volleys. Even the mighty Kouryu (who am I kidding) is receiving quite the beating.

The episode ends in a less then exciting or smart way. When all fails, Aisha uses her mind control to deus ex the WORM. Quadra Lock, game over.

21. “Joint Struggle”

This episode follows the events of the previous one, with Aisha, hospitalized, recalling the events of yesterday. Another WORM launches a attack on the Kouryu. This one is almost as strong as the last and this time with history. Shaped like a crab it is from back in Togo’s military days and is responsible for his restriction to fly.

The WORM was initial meant to be destroyed by a Viper squadron, even though they’ve yet to show any significant progress in destroying a WORM completely, such as with the girl’s Delta or Quadra Lock. The initial mission fails with two of the three vipers escaping alive out of the firestorm.

With little other options the attack is resumed with only the one Viper (Hizakis) and the full force of the SD squad. The joint op is almost a bust, but with some last minute support fire from the other two Vipers they live another day, which is more then can be said for the WORM.

Next: “Southern Cross”, the not so seen Christmas episode, but I guess with the focus of the series being what it is, it’s not at all unusual.