Strike Witches: One-Winged Witches (Volume 1) – Not All Witches Are Aces

Wilma Bishop has just been transferred to the Isle of Wight detachment and finds a unit that is struggling to gel. Can she bring these girls together and help them become the best they can be?
Strike Witches: One-Winged Witches (Volume 1) – Not All Witches Are Aces
What happened?
Wilma Bishop arrived at the Isle of Wight base to find no one there. She knew it was going to be quieter than what she was used to, but this was ridiculous. Then, she picked up a radio signal and realised the entire team were in the air, engaged with the enemy. Great! She jumped into her striker unit and took to the skies. When she found her new team, there were some obvious strengths and weaknesses. Nothing she wouldn’t be able to address in the coming weeks, especially as the base had a hot pool!
Wilma assisted the young witches, most without any combat experience. She helped them learn how to fire their weapons in a way that suited their flying styles, she gave them the confidence to believe in what they were capable of, pulled them together as a team, and even inspired the captain to want to be better for them all, despite her injuries and the fact she was positioned there to recover from them. Of course, the battle with the Neuroi continued, even in this sleepy sector of the world.

What did you think?
This is literally my first interaction with the Strike Witches universe and I honestly had a lot of fun. I don’t know how much this reflects the main story, but I don’t think that matters. The girls are cute and sexy, the action is exciting and fast-paced, and the story is probably still developing. I say that because there wasn’t an actual goal for this volume. It seemed to be purely focused on introducing Wilma and the team through their individual issues.
There’s not a great deal of explanation as to what is going on beyond the Witches using these devices that attach to their legs that look like propeller engines from World War II fighter planes to fight the mysterious Neuroi which seems to be an alien species that resembles a mix of old and modern fighter planes. If you want more on the story, I think you’ll need to watch the anime or pick up the main series of manga.
If you just want to hang out with a bunch of sexy badass chicks who pretty much don’t wear anything below the waist but panties, then this is the series for you. And before you get too upset, there is obviously a reason for the panties. The striker units fit on the legs and there’s probably some reason for them not being able to wear pants… Anyhow, it’s fun and ridiculous, and I enjoyed it enough to want to discover more of the Strike Witches universe.

Volume highlights





Other posts in the series
- One-Winged Witches
- The Sky That Connects Us