Appeal and Review of "Starship Operators": Enjoy the tactics and drama of space battleships

Starship Operators - A Tale of Space Warriors

"Starship Operators" is a 13-episode TV anime series that aired on TV Tokyo in 2005. The original work is a Dengeki Bunko novel by Ryo Mizuno, and the animation was produced by JCSTAFF. This work is a grand space war drama that depicts the young soldiers of the planetary nation of Kibi who continue to fight even after losing their homeland. They make a contract with the Galaxy Network and fight against the Kingdom while broadcasting the battle live.

story

The story begins when the planetary nation of Kibi is unilaterally declared war on by the Kingdom and is forced to surrender due to the overwhelming difference in power. At that time, the cadets of Kibi's National Defense Academy decide to fight the Kingdom on behalf of the surrendered government. They purchase the space battleship "Amaterasu" that they were riding on, and take on the Kingdom on the condition that they contract with the Galaxy Network to broadcast the battle live. However, this means that they have to abandon the government and people of their home planet and fight even though they are accused of being space pirates.

This story depicts how young soldiers face difficult situations, and the struggles and growth they experience. In particular, the struggles of the captain's aide, Kazuki Sinon, and her comrades are at the center of the story, and their strategies and relationships add excitement to the story.

character

Each character in Starship Operators has their own unique personality and plays an important role in deepening the story. Below are the main characters.

First Bridge

Sinon Kazuki (voiced by Shizuka Ito)
Affiliation: First bridge (integrated control)
Position: Captain's Assistant (First Operator)
Sinon, a cadet at the Planet Kibi Defense Academy, learns that the kingdom has surrendered during the test voyage and decides to fight alongside her comrades. She is a well-behaved, honor student who lacks waste and fun, but she uses witty strategies to fight against the kingdom. She is also insensitive to the opposite sex and has no immunity to them.

Miyuri Akisato (voiced by Masumi Asano)
Affiliation: First bridge (integrated control)
Position: Chief Observer (Third Operator)
Miyuri is a good friend and sympathizer of Sinon. She has a cheerful and innocent personality and enrolled in Kibi Defense Academy to study astronomy, which she loves. Her friendly personality lightens the atmosphere on the ship.

Alley Hoshizaka (voiced by Akino Watanabe)
Affiliation: First bridge (integrated control)
Position: Chief Operator (Second Operator)
Although Alley is usually quiet and cool-headed, he has a passionate heart. He agrees to this plan in order to get revenge for the sinking of the Millet battleship on which his father-in-law was aboard by the Kingdom.

Kanzaki Kiska (voiced by Oobi Motomasa)
Position: Captain Kiska is the captain of the Amaterasu and the top graduate of the 73rd class of the National Defense Academy's Space Department. Although he has excellent administrative skills, his ability to make quick decisions is somewhat questionable.

Second Bridge

Sanri Wakana (voiced by Mamiko Noto)
Affiliation: Second Bridge (Fire Control)
Position: Fire control officer (force operator)
Sanri is the daughter of the large company Wakana Rare Metals, and has a modest and reserved personality. She has a different atmosphere from the other crew members of the second bridge.

Imari Kamiya (voiced by Yuko Kaida)
Affiliation: Second Bridge (Fire Control)
Position: Long-range Defense Control (Fifth Operator)
Imari has a big sister-like, easy-going personality and a typical athletic attitude. She looks after Sanri, who secretly has feelings for the first mate, Takai.

Yukino Nanase (voiced by Satomi Arai)
Affiliation: Second Bridge (Fire Control)
Position: Close-range defense control (sixth operator)
Yukino is a positive and energetic mood maker who always gives off a positive vibe. She and Imari form an odd couple and support the second bridge team.

Third Bridge

Rio Mamiya (voiced by Ayako Kawasumi)
Affiliation: Third bridge (space control)
Position: Interstellar Weather Observer (Ninth Operator)
Rio was raised in a family of politicians, and his personality and behavior are flawless. His uncle is Mamiya Tatsuma, who was ousted from his position as Prime Minister Kibi, and he plans to legitimize Amaterasu as an independent nation by welcoming him. On the ship, he works not only as a space traffic control operator, but also as a spokesman for Amaterasu.

Maya Akiho (voiced by Atsuko Enomoto)
Affiliation: Third bridge (space control)
Position: Third Bridge Vice Navigator (Seventh Operator)
Akiho is a carefree, airheaded character with a carefree personality and way of speaking, and she doesn't feel much of a sense of crisis about the situation surrounding Amaterasu.

Renna Satomi (voiced by Yu Asakawa)
Affiliation: Third bridge (space control)
Position: Floating Object Monitor (Ace Operator)
Renna is a taciturn person who rarely talks more than necessary. She is friends with Sinon through e-mail, but she is actually a spy officer for Kibi, and her contact with Sinon was due to surveillance.

Starship Channel

Peter Spikes (voiced by Tomoyuki Shimura)
Producer and director of "Starship Channel," he is a hit maker who has made his name on the network channel and will do anything for his show.

staff

Many talented staff members were involved in the production of "Starship Operators." Below are the main staff members:

Original author : Ryo Mizuno
Illustration : Takashi Naito
Planning : Tatsuo Sato
Producers : Yoshikazu Beniya (TV Tokyo), Shinichi Ikeda
General Producers : Kohei Kawase, Masahito Arinaga
Production producer : Yuji Matsukura
Director : Takashi Watanabe
Series Composition : Yoshihiko Tomizawa
SF Coordinator : Shingo Takano
Character design : Fumio Matsumoto
Mechanical design : Kimitoshi Yamane
Chief animation director : Takashi Wada, Motoki Tanaka
Art director : Shinichi Tanimura
Director of photography : Jun Shiota, Shingo Fukuyo
Color design : Yukiko Ito
Edited by : Shigeru Nishiyama
Sound Director : Toru Nakano
Sound production : HALF H・P ​​STUDIO
Music : Kenji Kawai
Music Production : Geneon Entertainment
Produced by : Takashi Sato, Nobuhiro Nakayama
Chief Production Officer : Tadashi Imai
Animation production : JCSTAFF
Produced by : TV Tokyo, Yomiuri Advertising Agency

Broadcast information

"Starship Operators" was broadcast on TV Tokyo from January 5 to March 30, 2005, every Wednesday from 6:00 to 6:30 p.m. It consists of 13 episodes, with the subtitles for each episode as follows:

• Episode 1: Countdown (2005/01/05)
• Episode 2: Trafalgar Crisis (2005/01/12)
• Episode 3: Call from Home (2005/01/19)
• Episode 4: Final Answer (2005/01/26)
• Episode 5: The Great Escape (2005/02/02)
• Episode 6: The Great Escape (2005/02/09)
• Episode 7: Stardust Memory Part 1 (2005/02/16)
• Episode 8: Stardust Memory Part 2 (2005/02/23)
• Episode 9: Turning Point (2005/03/02)
• Episode 10: Sudden Death (2005/03/09)
• Episode 11: Return Match (2005/03/16)
• Episode 12: War Cry (2005/03/23)
• Episode 13: Moment of Truth (2005/03/30)

Theme songs and music

The opening and ending themes also add to the appeal of the work. Details of the theme songs are listed below.

Opening theme "radiance"
Lyrics: KOTOKO, Mami Kawada Composition: Tomoyuki Nakazawa Arrangement: Tomoyuki Nakazawa Vocals: Mami Kawada

Ending theme "Return to Earth"
Lyricist: KOTOKO
Composer: KOTOKO
Arrangement: Yoichi Shimada Vocals: KOTOKO

Ratings and Recommendations

"Starship Operators" is an appealing work with a grand story set in a space war and the growth of unique characters. In particular, it has been praised for how young soldiers face difficult situations, and for the way they portray their struggles and growth. In addition, the setting of a contract with a galactic network to broadcast the battle live is also fresh and draws viewers in.

This work is especially recommended for those who like space wars and science fiction anime. It will also be enjoyed by those who like stories that focus on the relationships and growth of characters. In addition, the music is provided by popular artists such as Mami Kawada and KOTOKO, which further enriches the viewing experience.

We highly recommend Starship Operators to anyone who enjoys epic space battles and stories of unique characters. Be sure to experience the battles and growth of young soldiers through this work.