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[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/SoRaNoWoToHD_3357.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300: From the top-left, clockwise: Rio, Filicia, Noël, Kanata and Kureha]]
->''"This [[AmazingFreakingGrace sound]] strikes a chord. Whether in Rome or Helvetia, it is the same."''
-->--'''Kanata Sorami'''
''So Ra No Wo To'' is an anime that aired in the winter of 2010 and was directed by Mamoru Kanbe. Produced by Aniplex as a part of TV Tokyo's ''Anime no Chikara'' project, it is an AnimeFirst, and centres around a young girl named Kanata Sorami, who joins the 1121st platoon of the Helvetican Army in the town of Seize. ''So Ra No Wo To'' was streamed on [[http://www.crunchyroll.com/soranowoto Crunchyroll]](except episode 7.5). In 2011, Creator/NozomiEntertainment [[http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-07-02/right-stuf-nozomi-adds-so-ra-no-wo-to-utena-tv released it on DVD]] as ''Sound of the Sky'', the English translation of the series title.
At a young age, Kanata was inspired by a trumpeter's rendition of "[[AmazingFreakingGrace Amazing Grace]]", and thereafter, decided to become a bugler. While on her way to the Clocktower Fortress, Kanata loses her way and stumbles into a festival dedicated to the Fire Maidens, who saved the town from a fire-breathing demon in a legend from a forgotten age. As the other platoon members train her to be a bugler, Kanata's own cheerfulness and innocence drives the other members to find their own happiness in a world devastated by conflicts.
Over the next year, Kanata adjusts to life at the Clocktower Fortress, learning more about music and the events that shaped the world around her, all the while brightening up her brigade's day. Even as the calm in Seize gives way to the threat of war, Kanata's optimism brings the legend of the Fire Maidens to life once more...
----
!!''So Ra No Wo To'' provides examples of:
* AfterTheEnd: A major war that occurred roughly three hundred years earlier reduced the world's population and regressed technology to early twentieth-century standards.
* AlternativeCalendar: The war with "Them" [[HitSoHardTheCalendarFeltIt had far reaching consequences on society]]: the date was changed to AP to denote the number of years after the war ended. To give a sense of scale, the series begins during 271 AP.
* AmazingFreakingGrace: The central musical theme, which drives Kanata's desire to play the trumpet and ultimately embodies forgiveness when [[spoiler: Kanata plays the song during the confrontation between the Helvetian and Roman forces]].
* AmbiguouslyBrown
** Aisha is a Roman soldier introduced in the anime.
** Kyrie Kuon is a character exclusive to the PSP VisualNovel.
* AndManGrewProud: The degree to which Helvetian and Roman mythologies are true is unclear [[EpilepticTrees and contested]], but share similarities in that both accounts are embellished recollections of [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt the great war they fought]] and involve supernatural punishment of some kind.
* ApocalypseHow: The world is initially presented as having undergone a Class I. Relics from the past civilization remain, but much of the world is uninhabitable save small regions. However, the consequences of the war might lead to a [[spoiler: Class IV; with the ocean receding and the surface succumbing to desertification, despite said war having ended centuries ago]].
* ArsonMurderAndLifesaving: By the end of the series, the fact that the 1121st know [[EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses people in high places]] prevent them from being court-martialed for disobeying orders and doing what is right.
* ArtImitatesArt: The opening sequence recreates paintings by Gustav Klimt in great detail.
* ATruceWhileWeGawk: Both the Helvetican and Roman armies temporarily halt their advances when Kanata [[spoiler: plays Amazing Grace in the midst of the battlefield]].
* BatmanInMyBasement: The crew decides to hide [[spoiler: Aisha]] to avoid wrecking the peace talks.
* BigCreepyCrawlies: The Takemikazuchi has an unusual gait, moving with a far higher degree of mobility compared to the slow strides of other spider tanks in the era.
* BigDamnHeroes: [[spoiler:Rio's timely arrival allows her to enforce the peace treaty between the Helvetian and Roman at the end of episode twelve, preventing an all-out war from breaking out]].
* BilingualBonus: Aisha's lines are in German, and the lyrics of ''Servante de Feu'' are in French.
* BittersweetEnding: At the end of the series finale, it is made clear that a vast majority of Earth's surface is undergoing [[spoiler: irreversible desertification]]. While small regions are recovering, the biosphere itself was damaged beyond repair. Despite this, Rio [[spoiler:[[SequelHook plans to go find the legendary land that escaped the desolation]]]].
* BlackBox: The technology that remains from the previous age has become inoperable by humanity, including a [[RagnarokProofing Ragnarok-proofed system]] located near Helvetia's border with No-Man's Land that serves an unknown purpose.
* BlatantLies: When Kureha points out that Yumina shouldn't be in a mock battle with them.
-->'''Kureha''': "This is not a game!"
-->'''Yumina''': "I swear to the eight million spirits I'm not doing this just to try on the uniform." *giggles*
* {{Bokukko}}: Noël
* BookEnds: Episode 1 took place during the Maiden of Fire festival (with Rio as the maiden) with the girls standing at the fort entrance waiting for Kanata to report for duty. The last scene in the TV broadcast ends with them at the same spot waiting for [[spoiler:Rio's replacement]]. The bonus [[BonusEpisode thirteenth episode]], which marks the final episode of the entire series, take place exactly one year later during another Maidens of Flame festival, this time with Kanata as the maiden.
* BottleEpisode: The events of episode eight occur within the confines of the Clocktower's dining room and a few nearby corridors.
* BreakTheCutie: Virtually all of the female soldiers except Kanata. Noël in particular suffers greatly near the end of the series [[spoiler: due to having helped create a weapon system that wiped out several towns and killed lots of people, which [[GeneralRipper Colonel Hopkins]] is only more than happy to point out repeatedly to her.]]
* BreatherEpisode: The first DVD exclusive episode is a whimsical, lighthearted story, occurring between [[WhamEpisode episode seven]] and eight. Similarly, episode eight acts as a breather episode built around [[OverlyLongGag waiting for a phone to ring]].
* CallToAgriculture: Klaus has expressed interest towards moving into an agricultural occupation.
* ChildSoldiers: Most of the main cast are in their teens yet are enlisted servicewomen. Kanata and Kureha in particular are 15 and 14, respectively, while Noël is 15 [[spoiler: but has been participating in military activities ever since she was deceived into developing biological weapons as a little girl]]. Rio is 17, and Filicia is 18, being only slightly older than the other members of the 1121st.
* ComingOfAgeStory: Entering the army thinking she'll get to play music as a bugler, Kanata's experiences with the 1121st give her greater perspective on music and the true significance of being a bugler.
* CommandRoster: The 1121st [[AmazonBrigade Squad]] is at the minimum size for a tank platoon in the Helvetian army.
** [[TheCaptain The Lieutenant]]: Filicia.
** NumberTwo: [[TheLancer Rio]].
** MrFixit: [[OmnidisciplinaryScientist Noël]].
** Communications Officer: Kanata, the NewMeat, who doubles as TheHeart. Rio holds this position [[spoiler: until episode ten]].
** The Marine: [[OnlySaneEmployee Kureha]], gunner.
* CosyCatastrophe: While the rest of the world has fallen into disrepair, small regions (like Seize) remain habitable, with its residents going about their everyday lives as usual.
* CrapsaccharineWorld: On the first glance, this is ''Manga/KOn'' [[RecycledInSpace set on the battlefield]]: [[SceneryPorn the landscapes are beautiful]], girls bond and have memorable adventures… [[FridgeHorror at least until one realizes]] that the characters are essentially [[ChildSoldier teenaged soldiers]] having gone through [[WarIsHell trying events]] in their lives and have [[DarkAndTroubledPast issues]] (with Kanata as the exception). Furthermore, humanity's [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt losing war against "Them"]] led to the deterioration of the Earth's biosphere. However, it is a WorldHalfFull, as the PV (and the [[BilingualBonus lyrics of ''Servante de Feu'']]) reminds us:
-->''Beauty, Grimness, Pain, Happiness... It is up to you how to deal with them.''
* CrazyEnoughToWork: Even after the EpicHail fails, [[spoiler: AmazingFreakingGrace]] proved to be successful.
* CreatorProvincialism: A rather unusual subversion is present; initially, the setting is an {{Expy}} of Switzerland, with European architecture and minor elements derived from Japanese culture present to give the impression that Japanese customs are more universal. Similarly, some Japanese nuances make their way into the anime, such as the Kübelwagen's steering columns being on the left side (they are on the right side in reality).
* CreatorThumbprint: Similar to the opening of ''Manga/ElfenLied'' (also directed by Mamoru Kanbe), Sora no Woto's opening is a recreation of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustav_Klimt Gustav Klimt's]] paintings, featuring their respective shows' characters.
* CreditsRunningSequence: The sequence features Kanata running around Seize or against a blue sky backdrop.
* CrypticBackgroundReference: A large number of references are made to background details about the setting; while there's no attempt to explain them, this arises because no one alive knows what happened anymore.
* CrystalDragonJesus: The Helvetian Orthodox Church integrates elements from Liturgical Christianity and Shinto. Elements of this fusion is seen when the church hands out Shinto/Buddhist-style charms written in kanji.
* CueTheSun: The sun appears at the right moment every time Kanata needs a striking background for her trumpet performances.
* CultureChopSuey
** Helvetia is French-speaking, celebrates Chinese and Japanese festivals, its military dresses like WWII Germany, and its rulers hold Eastern European titles.
** The country named Rome is populated by Middle Eastern people who speak German.
* CurbStompBattle: The Takemikazuchi [[spoiler:disables several tanks from the 9th division]] and applies the "stomping" element in a literal sense during the finale. When humanity squared off against "Them", {{Spider Tank}}s were on the receiving end.
* DangerRoomColdOpen: Episode five opens with the 1121st platoon engaging in combat with an unseen enemy. When their rounds hit, Rio leaves the cabin of the Takemikazuchi to signal for an advance, but it turns out that they are inside the hangar and participating in a combat exercise.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: All the girls minus Kanata, ranging from being a HeroicBastard to MyGodWhatHaveIDone.
* DeadPersonConversation: [[spoiler: Filicia]] had one during the battle of Binnenland.
* DrawingStraws: This is how they decided the Maiden of Fire is chosen; Felicia rigs it so Rio is chosen.
* DreamMelody: AmazingFreakingGrace is immediately recognizable by Rio, Kanata, and even Aisha. It is part of the Takemikazuchi's OS and carries symbolic importance for all of them.
* DrivesLikeCrazy:
** Klaus's reckless driving leaves Kanata in tears in the first episode.
** Kanata herself causes Yumina to thank the gods for being alive despite the former's driving.
* DueToTheDead: The Obon Festival and the trip to the outpost are to pay respects for the dead and [[PassingTheTorch moving humanity in a better direction]] for their sake.
* DysfunctionJunction: The girls are afflicted with anything from minor confidence issues [[spoiler:(Kanata)]] to more significant issues, such as [[spoiler:Filicia's post-traumatic stress disorder and Noël's guilt over her part in the Invisible Reaper plague]].
* EarthAllAlong: In episode thirteen, Rio receives a map of the world and points out to Kanata that Helvetia is [[spoiler: not in Europe but in Japan all along.]]
* EarnYourHappyEnding: It may take [[spoiler:fighting your own army]], but things can work out in the end.
* EatTheDog: Rio's immediate reaction to Shuko's appearance is to try to [[CrowningMomentOfFunny make dinner out of the owl]], before Filicia instead adopts her as the TeamPet.
* EmotionlessGirl: Noël for the most part.
* EverybodysDeadDave: In the episode seven flashback, [[spoiler: the entirity of Filica's squadmates are killed after their tank is hit. Being the sole survivor, she considers suicide out of grief]].
* {{Expy}}: The crew is often compared to ''Manga/KOn'''s cast, despite the lack of similarities in some of the characters (such as Ritsu and Noël). In episode two, Kanata [[ImagineSpot imagines]] the 1121st in a normal high school music club.
* {{Eyecatch}}: A short one Consisting of [[{{Chibi}} simplified drawings of the main cast]], along with a happy little tune. The music is absent in [[WhamEpisode Episode 7]] though, and the eyecatches are dropped altogether in episode twelve.
* FakeUltimateHero: [[spoiler: Klaus]] is not really [[spoiler:the Desert Wolf]], just a really good lookalike. However, this doesn't stop him from becoming a real hero and saving Kureha in the middle of a typhoon.
* FantasyCounterpartCulture: Seize is an animated replica of Cuenca, Spain, and is set in the country of Helvetia, a Switzerland stand-in where Helvetian (French) is the main language. Elements of several other cultures are present, especially those of Japan. Furthermore, in Rome, people are AmbiguouslyBrown and speak German.
* FestivalEpisode: The festival in the first episode has many distinctly Asian traits despite being set in an Ersatz Switzerland. Episode seven also features Toro Nagashi/Fiesta des Lumiéres.
* FirstNameBasis: Filicia, the leader of the 1121st, prefers that everyone call each other by name instead of rank to promote friendship.
* {{Foreshadowing}}
** In the third episode Filicia comments on Rio's lack of manners with: ''"What would your father say if he could see you?"''
** A more subtle example is seen in episode four, when Noël asks Kanata if she is frightened by a machine that’s killed many people. After the revelation that [[spoiler: Noël is the [[RedBaron Witch of Helvetia]]]], she was asking the question with respect to herself as well, rather than the Takemikazuchi alone.
* {{Forgiveness}}: Seen in [[spoiler: Aisha]] and [[FridgeBrilliance less obviously]] in Filicia.
* FreakOut
** Noël has one near the end of Episode eleven and throughout episode twelve, the latter being induced by a HannibalLecture delivered by Hopkins
** [[spoiler: Filicia]] in the Episode 7 flashbacks. She loses her faith in a fair world after her ordeal and recovers by following the example of the person who rescued her, [[spoiler: Iliya]].
* GeneralRipper: Colonel Hopkins will do whatever he can to have a war with Rome.
* GilliganCut: In the second episode Kanata and Noël think that they saw a ghost in the barracks of their base. Kureha disagrees, suggesting that they're seeing things. Rio agrees with Kureha, but the scene cuts to Kureha and Kanata standing at the entrance to the barracks, with Rio ordering them to investigate before turning around and leaving (all the while shouting those orders from a safe distance, no less).
* TheGunslinger: Rio has a high degree of proficiency with small arms.
* TheGlomp: Kanata and Kureha are particularly fond of this maneuver, doing it to Rio in the finale. Kanata also glomps Kureha in Episodes two and five, and Kureha does it to Rio in the ED.
* GoalInLife: In the second OVA, Kanata discusses with various characters what their life-long dreams are.
* GratuitousEnglish: The ending theme throws in English lines, and the Takemikazuchi's OS uses rather weird English in its displays, such as "NOMARL".
* GratuitousFrench[=/=]GratuitousJapanese: Helvetians write and [[TranslationConvention presumably]] speak French but many names are in Japanese, despite no-one other than priests being able to read and write the language in any fashion (children are named by the priests and their parents are presented with their name in kanji, or "ideomoji", in order to create their PersonalSeals, in Seize at least). Any ancient text they discover is in Kanji, and thus illegible to them.
* GratuitousGerman: The Roman soldier, Aisha, can speak German reasonably well (albeit with a heavy accent) and has a Middle Eastern name.
* GreatOffScreenWar: The War with "Them" is only mentioned in the passing, but otherwise not discussed in any detail.
* GroupHug: All the girls but Rio in episode seven.
* HeartwarmingOrphan: Sister Yumina cares for several orphans, including Seiya and Mishio, both of whom become closer to Kanata.
* HollywoodTactics: While the infantry and armour columns were organized in a seemingly poor manner in the modern era during episode twelve, this is averted because technology has regressed; just as the technology has reached the levels humans had at the start 20th century, the [[GeniusBonus deployment tactics of ground forces]] is similar to early tank tactics used in WorldWarOne.
* {{Homage}}: The opening sequence puts the main characters within the works of painter Gustav Klimt.
* HowWeGotHere: Episode eight begins with Kanata in a tacky dress sitting, looking quite distressed, and then flashes back to a few hours before.
* HumansAreFlawed: The series comes close to upholding RousseauWasRight, but not quite. Colonel Hopkins finds war the motor of civilization, and someone in Seize ratted out on Aisha's being sheltered in the castle.
* ImageSong: There are five so far, each featuring various combinations of the cast.
* ImagineSpot: In the second episode, Kanata imagines what the world might've looked like if not for the war, with the girls all practicing music while wearing [[{{Joshikousei}} school uniforms]].
* ImprobablyFemaleCast: The 1121st Platoon and [[spoiler:Filicia's old squad]] consist entirely of females, but the rest of the army appears to be entirely male.
* ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy: In episode 7.5, the "bullets" from Noël's gatling water gun can be seen practically bending around Filicia.
* InSeriesNickname:
** The Fire Maidens.
** The Desert Wolf, although it does not refer to [[spoiler: Klaus]]
** The Witch of Helvetia: Noël
** The Demon of Vingt: Colonel Hopkins
* IntertwinedFingers: Rio/Filicia and Kanata/Noël
* {{Kuudere}}: Noël can come across as [[EmotionlessGirl emotionless]] at first glance, but it just takes a lot to get her to express them. Like being confronted with her past in episode eleven, or [[CrowningMomentOfFunny having enough of Kureha's whining in episode five]].
* LastFertileRegion: While much of the world does not have arable land, a handful of regions, such as [[spoiler: Helvetia, Rome and some of their neighbouring countries]], remain fertile.
* LockedOutOfTheLoop: ''Something'' is being kept from Kanata by the rest of the platoon, and Naomi is in on it too; episode six reveals it to be the fact that the 1121st [[MilitaryMoonshiner illegally distills and sells calvados]] to the mob to make up for lack of payment from HQ and has been since before our girls were stationed there. Following an epic drunken mock battle (with a low tech version of paint ball as discipline), Kanata finds out about it in the first OVA.
* TheMafia: The 1121st deal in bootleg liquor, alongside various other goods.
* MauveShirt: [[spoiler: Filicia's old crew seen in episode seven]].
* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane:
** The ghost that Kanata and Noël saw is ultimately revealed to be [[spoiler: a girl who died many years before "They" attacked ]] in the [[AudioAdaptation drama CD]]. Rio helps her with her UnfinishedBusiness and she disappears.
** Whether [[spoiler: Filicia's]] DeadPersonConversation was an hallucination or real
** The origins of the winged skeleton is never elaborated upon, leaving the viewer to wonder whether or not it arise from supernatural or evolutionary means.
* MeaningfulBackgroundEvent: The ghost from episode two is implied to have been observing Kanata and Kureha [[http://infinitemirai.wordpress.com/2012/12/08/the-ghost-of-soro-no-woto/ the entire time they were on their recon mission]].
* MildlyMilitary: The 1121st do not strictly observe military discipline.
* MoodWhiplash: The entire story alternates between slice-of-life elements and exploring the harsh realities of war.
** Episode seven is in essence a WhamEpisode about the [[WarIsHell darker side of warfare]] and ends on a contemplative note. Then… '''[[MemeticMutation AIJOU YUUJOU]]'''!!
** Episode eleven ends with the cliffhanger with [[spoiler:a gunshot being fired and it's unknown if it's the Roman soldier Aisha or Noël who's been hit]]. The scene fades to black, and the viewer is treated to more '''AIJOU YUUJOU''!!
* MundaneMadeAwesome: The battle with water guns is regarded as a military exercise, but everyone except Kureha behaved quite over the top, with [[HeroicSacrifice Heroic Sacrifices]] and dramatic last words, a consequence of being drunk at the time.
* MundaneUtility:
** Spider tanks possess rappelling gear that proves to be highly useful for rescuing people.
** Rio used the tank as an MP3 player to play [[AmazingFreakingGrace Amazing Grace]] to Kanata, who had heard the song as a child.
* MusicForCourage: From the very first scene of the series.
* NeverGetsDrunk: Kureha gets sick from drinking without experiencing drunkness: this leads to her sorrow in the OVA, where everyone else gets plastered.
* NeverTrustATrailer: The preview for [[WhamEpisode Episode seven]] was the girls making cicada noises over a visual of Noël and Kureha doing laundry.
* NoSenseOfDirection: Kanata does have a tendency to get lost easily, although she enjoys it. This is averted in Noël's case, who manages to find the observation stations despite having lost their compass, although it does take them a little longer than they would otherwise have.
* NotSoStoic: This is humorously done with Noël in the first OVA, where the garrison (plus Sister Yumina) plays a war game and she goes on a rampage with her modified water Gatling gun. While this might have been a consequence of Filicia spiking everyone's tea with Calvados, it further reinforces the fact that Noël isn't a [[ReiAyanamiExpy Rei]] [[EmotionlessGirl clone]].
* NunsAreMikos: Sister Yumina's outfit was based on [[http://infinitemirai.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/sw03-chart1.jpg a combination of Shinto Miko and Roman Catholic designs]].
* PaintballEpisode: The first of the DVD-exclusive episodes centers around the 1121st and Yumina partaking in a mock battle with dye guns.
* PersonalSeals: Kanata uses her stamp to sign the transfer order in the first episode. It's implied that everyone gets these soon after they are born, with the "ideograms" (Japanese kanji) for their names carved into them.
* PosthumousCharacter: Princess Iliya is only seen in a few flashbacks, the first one opening the series. She died two years prior to the time the series takes place, having drowned trying to save a child in a river.
* PottyEmergency: Kanata suffers through this throughout most of Episode eight, except it elevates to PottyFailure.
* ThePowerOfRock: Subverted in that while AmazingFreakingGrace does stall the two armies from fighting for a short time, it takes [[spoiler: Rio and her peace treaty]] to actually stop them.
* PuttingOnTheReich: While the Clocktower Maidens have uniforms similar to those of the German Wehrmacht, they're [[SubvertedTrope certainly not the bad guys]].
* RealPlaceBackground: [[http://infinitemirai.wordpress.com/2012/02/25/cuenca-spain-home-of-sora-no-woto/ Seize is Cuenca, Spain]], with some structures and outdoor locations from the close-by village of Alarcón.
* RecklessGunUsage: In the finale, the soldiers toss helmets into the air upon learning that they didn’t have to fight. The celebration seems well, or at least until loaded rifles begin appearing up in the air with those helmets.
* RetroUniverse: Helvetia models their military uniforms and gear after WorldWarII Wermacht, and everything looks like early 20th Century.
* RoyalMess: the ''Republic'' of Helvetia is apparently ruled by a ''Duke'' whose daughter is a ''Princess''.
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: Princess Iliya was evidently an extremely competent tank commander and even went on a tour of the country to raise morale. [[spoiler: She even died trying to save a child from drowning]].[[spoiler: Rio becomes one at the end, averting a war by riding on top of a tank between the two armies and announcing the peace treaty]].
* RuinsOfTheModernAge: This is apparent in No Man's Land and in the flashbacks to Binnenland.
* SacredLanguage: Japanese has apparently become this in French-speaking Helvetia.
* SceneryGorn: No Man's Land, a vast desert from which ruined skyscrappers jut out..
* SceneryPorn: The regions untouched by the war are beautiful landscapes with lush vegetation and blue skies.
* ScavengerWorld: Some of the ancient technologies can be operated, while others (such as the facilities in episode five) serve unknown functions.
* SchizoTech: The 1121st are equipped with World War II era equipment but happen to have an inoperational computerized high-tech SpiderTank in the garage. This is clear in episode four: glass-blowers replicating a machine-made laser-sensor lens using traditional manual techniques find that the task is challenging.
* ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight: Filicia does this when they bring a wounded Aisha, a Roman soldier, to their fortress. Kureha suggests they report having captured a spy, but Filicia won't allow it, at least not right away, since it would mean Aisha taken to the capital and likely tortured for information. She even goes so far as to hold a superior officer hostage to prevent them from taking Aisha away later.
* SempaiKohai: Filicia and Rio are seniors to the other three, but it's most notable in how Kanata and Kureha look up to Rio.
* ShoutOut: Kanata mentions swearing the Oath of Parador when joining the army in Episode four - the series 'creator' is named as "Paradores". In Spain, a ''parador'' is one of a chain of luxury resorts located in a picturesque location, often a historical building. The Clocktower Fortress just happens to be modeled mostly upon Cuenca's ''parador'', which was originally a convent.
* SickEpisode: Kanata goes down with malaria in episode three, and Rio is the only one home to take care of her.
* SimultaneousArcs: Episode six, with the same events seen from the team's and Kanata's perspective respectively.
* SnowMeansDeath: The coming of the winter to the series (episode 10) means things get serious, starting with [[spoiler: Madam Jacquotte's death]].
* SoundtrackDissonance: An intense tank battle is set to to the slow, melancholic ''Servante de Feu''.
* SomethingAboutARose: A prop used by Filicia during a fake Calvados deal gone bad put on to scare off the more violent central Mafia edging into Seize.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS:
** Filicia, rather than Felicia or Phylicia
** Noël, rather than Noel, Noelle or Noeru
** Takemikazuchi, rather than Takemicaduchi, Take-Mikazuchi, Takemikaduchi or any other variant
** Iliya, rather than Iria.
** Olga, rather than Origa.
* SpiderTank: The design allows them to scale buildings, wreckage and sheer cliff walls, which is highly useful given the geography of Helvetia
* SquareCubeLaw: Subverted, since the Takemikazuchi has a system that allows gravity exerted on it to be reduced fivefold, allowing it to become insanely agile for its size. This is played straight for the modern knock-offs: lacking this device, they can only move in slow, lumbering strides.
* StagedShooting: Noël and Kureha unload their machine guns at two men, causing two members of the mafia to flee in terror. It turns out the guns were loaded with blank rounds, and the two men fired at regularly do business with the Clocktower Maidens.
* StandardHollywoodStrafingProcedure: Seen in the Binnenland flashback.
* StandingBetweenTheEnemies: [[spoiler: After Kanata manages to stall two armies from charging each other with AmazingFreakingGrace, Rio steps betwen the armies astride her red SpiderTank and commands them to stand down.]]
* [[SurprisinglyGoodEnglish Surprisingly Good Roman]]: Aisha's VA, Creator/NamiMiyahara, grew up in Austria. German viewers claim Aisha speaks somewhat informal, but otherwise fine, German.
* SuspiciouslySpecificDenial:
** Kanata on phone duty: “I haven't been sleeping! A-Absolutely have not been sleeping!”
** Seiya's description of Kanata reads as follows: "She's easily amused, she forgets everything, she's just like a little kid, and she's not sexy at all!"
** On the first drama CD, Kureha explains how she's never heard strange noises, felt like someone's watching her, or generally felt the presence of a ghost in any way. Ever!
* SyntheticPlague: The Invisible Reaper (In "Roman", it's called "Unsichtbarer Teufel", which means "Invisible Devil").
* TakeAThirdOption: Peace talks between Helvetia and Rome seems to be breaking down, and war likely to break out again. So the girls do something rather drastic which halts the fighting long enough for an actual peace treaty to be worked out, [[spoiler: by going between both armies and playing Amazing Grace, which both sides are familiar with.]]
* ThanksForTheMammaries: Noël does this to the female Roman soldier Aisha in episode eleven after the latter wakes up and attempts to overpower her. Aisha's scream is enough to cause Kanata and Kureha to come to the medical room.
* TeamPet: Shuko, the owl from the first episode was also the mascot of Iliya's platoon.
* {{Technical Pacifist}}s: If it wasn't for a their usage of a SpiderTank, they might be closer to {{Reluctant Warrior}}s:
-->'''Kureha:''' Do you think you could shoot a gun at someone?
-->'''Kanata:''' If I thought it was the right thing to do, I might.
* ThemeNaming
** The {{Spider Tank}}s are named after mythological figures, including the Greek Arachne and the Japanese Takemikazuchi and Torifune.
** Helvetia's neigbouring countries are named after old European countries, mostly francophone: Gaul, Franconie, Geneve...
* ThemeTuneCameo: Rio [[HollywoodToneDeaf "sings"]] the opening theme while drunk.
* TitleDrop: In the first episode, and several times later, usually referring to Amazing Grace.
* TitleOnlyOpening: The final episode begins with the resolution of the previous episode's cliffhanger ending, without the opening theme. There's also no closing theme, with an epilogue taking place as the end credits roll, and the [[{{Eyecatch}} eyecatches]] are gone.
* ToBeLawfulOrGood: Duty vs. morality. [[spoiler: Morality triumphs.]]
* TranslationConvention: Based on the written texts that appear, Helvetian is French. Some text appears to be Japanese kanji, which only the priesthood seem able to read. Strangely, one of the lanterns in episode seven has English writing on it and some signs in Seize are written in Spanish.
* TwelveEpisodeAnime: With [[BonusEpisode two more exclusive to the DVDs]].
* UnsuspectinglySoused: Everyone in the first OVA, find themselves drunk, and even Filicia, who planned the sousing, overestimates her own tolerance.
* WarIsHell: Episode seven exemplifies just how much of a hell it is.
* WelcomeEpisode
* WhamEpisode: Episode seven reflects on [[spoiler: Filicia's post-traumatic stress disorder from wartime]]. There's very little death in the rest of the show, so it hits pretty hard.
* WhereTheHellIsSpringfield: The second bonus episode shows an approximate world map that seems to put Helvetia somewhere in eastern China. But Helvetians [[TranslationConvention speak and write in French]], and cannot read the "ideograms" left behind by the apparently Japanese [[{{Precursors}} former residents]]. The "Romans," who have dark skin and speak German, live right next door. Adding confusion to the mix, Seize is a near-replica of a real town in Spain (see RealPlaceBackground above).
* WhileRomeBurns:
** Sweets and a cup of something hot are the ideal thing to have after [[spoiler: committing treason and before a war]].
** For a less literal example, Rio laments in episode thirteen that [[spoiler: the nations of the world are wasting their time with wars while the Earth slowly dies, and mentions Holy Rome turning into a desert as an example]].
* WomenDrivers: While most of the females are competent drivers, Kanata's tendency to take her eyes off the road when driving [[HilarityEnsues results in chaos]].
* XMeetsY: Viewers feel that So Ra No Wo To can be described as a combination of several shows, not limited to:
** ''Manga/KOn'' meets ''StrikeWitches''
** ''Manga/KOn'' meets ''Literature/AllQuietOnTheWesternFront''
** ''{{Manga/ARIA}}'' meets ''Anime/HaibaneRenmei''.
** ''{{Manga/ARIA}}'' meets ''{{Macross}}''.
* YodelLand: The entire series take place here, complete with snowy mountains. [[spoiler: Despite the location being Japan]], the town, buildings and countryside are actually based on the Spanish town of Cuenca, right down to [[AluminumChristmasTrees the odd rock pillars and the house on the edge of a cliff]].
----
[[caption-width-right:300: From the top-left, clockwise: Rio, Filicia, Noël, Kanata and Kureha]]
->''"This [[AmazingFreakingGrace sound]] strikes a chord. Whether in Rome or Helvetia, it is the same."''
-->--'''Kanata Sorami'''
''So Ra No Wo To'' is an anime that aired in the winter of 2010 and was directed by Mamoru Kanbe. Produced by Aniplex as a part of TV Tokyo's ''Anime no Chikara'' project, it is an AnimeFirst, and centres around a young girl named Kanata Sorami, who joins the 1121st platoon of the Helvetican Army in the town of Seize. ''So Ra No Wo To'' was streamed on [[http://www.crunchyroll.com/soranowoto Crunchyroll]](except episode 7.5). In 2011, Creator/NozomiEntertainment [[http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-07-02/right-stuf-nozomi-adds-so-ra-no-wo-to-utena-tv released it on DVD]] as ''Sound of the Sky'', the English translation of the series title.
At a young age, Kanata was inspired by a trumpeter's rendition of "[[AmazingFreakingGrace Amazing Grace]]", and thereafter, decided to become a bugler. While on her way to the Clocktower Fortress, Kanata loses her way and stumbles into a festival dedicated to the Fire Maidens, who saved the town from a fire-breathing demon in a legend from a forgotten age. As the other platoon members train her to be a bugler, Kanata's own cheerfulness and innocence drives the other members to find their own happiness in a world devastated by conflicts.
Over the next year, Kanata adjusts to life at the Clocktower Fortress, learning more about music and the events that shaped the world around her, all the while brightening up her brigade's day. Even as the calm in Seize gives way to the threat of war, Kanata's optimism brings the legend of the Fire Maidens to life once more...
----
!!''So Ra No Wo To'' provides examples of:
* AfterTheEnd: A major war that occurred roughly three hundred years earlier reduced the world's population and regressed technology to early twentieth-century standards.
* AlternativeCalendar: The war with "Them" [[HitSoHardTheCalendarFeltIt had far reaching consequences on society]]: the date was changed to AP to denote the number of years after the war ended. To give a sense of scale, the series begins during 271 AP.
* AmazingFreakingGrace: The central musical theme, which drives Kanata's desire to play the trumpet and ultimately embodies forgiveness when [[spoiler: Kanata plays the song during the confrontation between the Helvetian and Roman forces]].
* AmbiguouslyBrown
** Aisha is a Roman soldier introduced in the anime.
** Kyrie Kuon is a character exclusive to the PSP VisualNovel.
* AndManGrewProud: The degree to which Helvetian and Roman mythologies are true is unclear [[EpilepticTrees and contested]], but share similarities in that both accounts are embellished recollections of [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt the great war they fought]] and involve supernatural punishment of some kind.
* ApocalypseHow: The world is initially presented as having undergone a Class I. Relics from the past civilization remain, but much of the world is uninhabitable save small regions. However, the consequences of the war might lead to a [[spoiler: Class IV; with the ocean receding and the surface succumbing to desertification, despite said war having ended centuries ago]].
* ArsonMurderAndLifesaving: By the end of the series, the fact that the 1121st know [[EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses people in high places]] prevent them from being court-martialed for disobeying orders and doing what is right.
* ArtImitatesArt: The opening sequence recreates paintings by Gustav Klimt in great detail.
* ATruceWhileWeGawk: Both the Helvetican and Roman armies temporarily halt their advances when Kanata [[spoiler: plays Amazing Grace in the midst of the battlefield]].
* BatmanInMyBasement: The crew decides to hide [[spoiler: Aisha]] to avoid wrecking the peace talks.
* BigCreepyCrawlies: The Takemikazuchi has an unusual gait, moving with a far higher degree of mobility compared to the slow strides of other spider tanks in the era.
* BigDamnHeroes: [[spoiler:Rio's timely arrival allows her to enforce the peace treaty between the Helvetian and Roman at the end of episode twelve, preventing an all-out war from breaking out]].
* BilingualBonus: Aisha's lines are in German, and the lyrics of ''Servante de Feu'' are in French.
* BittersweetEnding: At the end of the series finale, it is made clear that a vast majority of Earth's surface is undergoing [[spoiler: irreversible desertification]]. While small regions are recovering, the biosphere itself was damaged beyond repair. Despite this, Rio [[spoiler:[[SequelHook plans to go find the legendary land that escaped the desolation]]]].
* BlackBox: The technology that remains from the previous age has become inoperable by humanity, including a [[RagnarokProofing Ragnarok-proofed system]] located near Helvetia's border with No-Man's Land that serves an unknown purpose.
* BlatantLies: When Kureha points out that Yumina shouldn't be in a mock battle with them.
-->'''Kureha''': "This is not a game!"
-->'''Yumina''': "I swear to the eight million spirits I'm not doing this just to try on the uniform." *giggles*
* {{Bokukko}}: Noël
* BookEnds: Episode 1 took place during the Maiden of Fire festival (with Rio as the maiden) with the girls standing at the fort entrance waiting for Kanata to report for duty. The last scene in the TV broadcast ends with them at the same spot waiting for [[spoiler:Rio's replacement]]. The bonus [[BonusEpisode thirteenth episode]], which marks the final episode of the entire series, take place exactly one year later during another Maidens of Flame festival, this time with Kanata as the maiden.
* BottleEpisode: The events of episode eight occur within the confines of the Clocktower's dining room and a few nearby corridors.
* BreakTheCutie: Virtually all of the female soldiers except Kanata. Noël in particular suffers greatly near the end of the series [[spoiler: due to having helped create a weapon system that wiped out several towns and killed lots of people, which [[GeneralRipper Colonel Hopkins]] is only more than happy to point out repeatedly to her.]]
* BreatherEpisode: The first DVD exclusive episode is a whimsical, lighthearted story, occurring between [[WhamEpisode episode seven]] and eight. Similarly, episode eight acts as a breather episode built around [[OverlyLongGag waiting for a phone to ring]].
* CallToAgriculture: Klaus has expressed interest towards moving into an agricultural occupation.
* ChildSoldiers: Most of the main cast are in their teens yet are enlisted servicewomen. Kanata and Kureha in particular are 15 and 14, respectively, while Noël is 15 [[spoiler: but has been participating in military activities ever since she was deceived into developing biological weapons as a little girl]]. Rio is 17, and Filicia is 18, being only slightly older than the other members of the 1121st.
* ComingOfAgeStory: Entering the army thinking she'll get to play music as a bugler, Kanata's experiences with the 1121st give her greater perspective on music and the true significance of being a bugler.
* CommandRoster: The 1121st [[AmazonBrigade Squad]] is at the minimum size for a tank platoon in the Helvetian army.
** [[TheCaptain The Lieutenant]]: Filicia.
** NumberTwo: [[TheLancer Rio]].
** MrFixit: [[OmnidisciplinaryScientist Noël]].
** Communications Officer: Kanata, the NewMeat, who doubles as TheHeart. Rio holds this position [[spoiler: until episode ten]].
** The Marine: [[OnlySaneEmployee Kureha]], gunner.
* CosyCatastrophe: While the rest of the world has fallen into disrepair, small regions (like Seize) remain habitable, with its residents going about their everyday lives as usual.
* CrapsaccharineWorld: On the first glance, this is ''Manga/KOn'' [[RecycledInSpace set on the battlefield]]: [[SceneryPorn the landscapes are beautiful]], girls bond and have memorable adventures… [[FridgeHorror at least until one realizes]] that the characters are essentially [[ChildSoldier teenaged soldiers]] having gone through [[WarIsHell trying events]] in their lives and have [[DarkAndTroubledPast issues]] (with Kanata as the exception). Furthermore, humanity's [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt losing war against "Them"]] led to the deterioration of the Earth's biosphere. However, it is a WorldHalfFull, as the PV (and the [[BilingualBonus lyrics of ''Servante de Feu'']]) reminds us:
-->''Beauty, Grimness, Pain, Happiness... It is up to you how to deal with them.''
* CrazyEnoughToWork: Even after the EpicHail fails, [[spoiler: AmazingFreakingGrace]] proved to be successful.
* CreatorProvincialism: A rather unusual subversion is present; initially, the setting is an {{Expy}} of Switzerland, with European architecture and minor elements derived from Japanese culture present to give the impression that Japanese customs are more universal. Similarly, some Japanese nuances make their way into the anime, such as the Kübelwagen's steering columns being on the left side (they are on the right side in reality).
* CreatorThumbprint: Similar to the opening of ''Manga/ElfenLied'' (also directed by Mamoru Kanbe), Sora no Woto's opening is a recreation of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustav_Klimt Gustav Klimt's]] paintings, featuring their respective shows' characters.
* CreditsRunningSequence: The sequence features Kanata running around Seize or against a blue sky backdrop.
* CrypticBackgroundReference: A large number of references are made to background details about the setting; while there's no attempt to explain them, this arises because no one alive knows what happened anymore.
* CrystalDragonJesus: The Helvetian Orthodox Church integrates elements from Liturgical Christianity and Shinto. Elements of this fusion is seen when the church hands out Shinto/Buddhist-style charms written in kanji.
* CueTheSun: The sun appears at the right moment every time Kanata needs a striking background for her trumpet performances.
* CultureChopSuey
** Helvetia is French-speaking, celebrates Chinese and Japanese festivals, its military dresses like WWII Germany, and its rulers hold Eastern European titles.
** The country named Rome is populated by Middle Eastern people who speak German.
* CurbStompBattle: The Takemikazuchi [[spoiler:disables several tanks from the 9th division]] and applies the "stomping" element in a literal sense during the finale. When humanity squared off against "Them", {{Spider Tank}}s were on the receiving end.
* DangerRoomColdOpen: Episode five opens with the 1121st platoon engaging in combat with an unseen enemy. When their rounds hit, Rio leaves the cabin of the Takemikazuchi to signal for an advance, but it turns out that they are inside the hangar and participating in a combat exercise.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: All the girls minus Kanata, ranging from being a HeroicBastard to MyGodWhatHaveIDone.
* DeadPersonConversation: [[spoiler: Filicia]] had one during the battle of Binnenland.
* DrawingStraws: This is how they decided the Maiden of Fire is chosen; Felicia rigs it so Rio is chosen.
* DreamMelody: AmazingFreakingGrace is immediately recognizable by Rio, Kanata, and even Aisha. It is part of the Takemikazuchi's OS and carries symbolic importance for all of them.
* DrivesLikeCrazy:
** Klaus's reckless driving leaves Kanata in tears in the first episode.
** Kanata herself causes Yumina to thank the gods for being alive despite the former's driving.
* DueToTheDead: The Obon Festival and the trip to the outpost are to pay respects for the dead and [[PassingTheTorch moving humanity in a better direction]] for their sake.
* DysfunctionJunction: The girls are afflicted with anything from minor confidence issues [[spoiler:(Kanata)]] to more significant issues, such as [[spoiler:Filicia's post-traumatic stress disorder and Noël's guilt over her part in the Invisible Reaper plague]].
* EarthAllAlong: In episode thirteen, Rio receives a map of the world and points out to Kanata that Helvetia is [[spoiler: not in Europe but in Japan all along.]]
* EarnYourHappyEnding: It may take [[spoiler:fighting your own army]], but things can work out in the end.
* EatTheDog: Rio's immediate reaction to Shuko's appearance is to try to [[CrowningMomentOfFunny make dinner out of the owl]], before Filicia instead adopts her as the TeamPet.
* EmotionlessGirl: Noël for the most part.
* EverybodysDeadDave: In the episode seven flashback, [[spoiler: the entirity of Filica's squadmates are killed after their tank is hit. Being the sole survivor, she considers suicide out of grief]].
* {{Expy}}: The crew is often compared to ''Manga/KOn'''s cast, despite the lack of similarities in some of the characters (such as Ritsu and Noël). In episode two, Kanata [[ImagineSpot imagines]] the 1121st in a normal high school music club.
* {{Eyecatch}}: A short one Consisting of [[{{Chibi}} simplified drawings of the main cast]], along with a happy little tune. The music is absent in [[WhamEpisode Episode 7]] though, and the eyecatches are dropped altogether in episode twelve.
* FakeUltimateHero: [[spoiler: Klaus]] is not really [[spoiler:the Desert Wolf]], just a really good lookalike. However, this doesn't stop him from becoming a real hero and saving Kureha in the middle of a typhoon.
* FantasyCounterpartCulture: Seize is an animated replica of Cuenca, Spain, and is set in the country of Helvetia, a Switzerland stand-in where Helvetian (French) is the main language. Elements of several other cultures are present, especially those of Japan. Furthermore, in Rome, people are AmbiguouslyBrown and speak German.
* FestivalEpisode: The festival in the first episode has many distinctly Asian traits despite being set in an Ersatz Switzerland. Episode seven also features Toro Nagashi/Fiesta des Lumiéres.
* FirstNameBasis: Filicia, the leader of the 1121st, prefers that everyone call each other by name instead of rank to promote friendship.
* {{Foreshadowing}}
** In the third episode Filicia comments on Rio's lack of manners with: ''"What would your father say if he could see you?"''
** A more subtle example is seen in episode four, when Noël asks Kanata if she is frightened by a machine that’s killed many people. After the revelation that [[spoiler: Noël is the [[RedBaron Witch of Helvetia]]]], she was asking the question with respect to herself as well, rather than the Takemikazuchi alone.
* {{Forgiveness}}: Seen in [[spoiler: Aisha]] and [[FridgeBrilliance less obviously]] in Filicia.
* FreakOut
** Noël has one near the end of Episode eleven and throughout episode twelve, the latter being induced by a HannibalLecture delivered by Hopkins
** [[spoiler: Filicia]] in the Episode 7 flashbacks. She loses her faith in a fair world after her ordeal and recovers by following the example of the person who rescued her, [[spoiler: Iliya]].
* GeneralRipper: Colonel Hopkins will do whatever he can to have a war with Rome.
* GilliganCut: In the second episode Kanata and Noël think that they saw a ghost in the barracks of their base. Kureha disagrees, suggesting that they're seeing things. Rio agrees with Kureha, but the scene cuts to Kureha and Kanata standing at the entrance to the barracks, with Rio ordering them to investigate before turning around and leaving (all the while shouting those orders from a safe distance, no less).
* TheGunslinger: Rio has a high degree of proficiency with small arms.
* TheGlomp: Kanata and Kureha are particularly fond of this maneuver, doing it to Rio in the finale. Kanata also glomps Kureha in Episodes two and five, and Kureha does it to Rio in the ED.
* GoalInLife: In the second OVA, Kanata discusses with various characters what their life-long dreams are.
* GratuitousEnglish: The ending theme throws in English lines, and the Takemikazuchi's OS uses rather weird English in its displays, such as "NOMARL".
* GratuitousFrench[=/=]GratuitousJapanese: Helvetians write and [[TranslationConvention presumably]] speak French but many names are in Japanese, despite no-one other than priests being able to read and write the language in any fashion (children are named by the priests and their parents are presented with their name in kanji, or "ideomoji", in order to create their PersonalSeals, in Seize at least). Any ancient text they discover is in Kanji, and thus illegible to them.
* GratuitousGerman: The Roman soldier, Aisha, can speak German reasonably well (albeit with a heavy accent) and has a Middle Eastern name.
* GreatOffScreenWar: The War with "Them" is only mentioned in the passing, but otherwise not discussed in any detail.
* GroupHug: All the girls but Rio in episode seven.
* HeartwarmingOrphan: Sister Yumina cares for several orphans, including Seiya and Mishio, both of whom become closer to Kanata.
* HollywoodTactics: While the infantry and armour columns were organized in a seemingly poor manner in the modern era during episode twelve, this is averted because technology has regressed; just as the technology has reached the levels humans had at the start 20th century, the [[GeniusBonus deployment tactics of ground forces]] is similar to early tank tactics used in WorldWarOne.
* {{Homage}}: The opening sequence puts the main characters within the works of painter Gustav Klimt.
* HowWeGotHere: Episode eight begins with Kanata in a tacky dress sitting, looking quite distressed, and then flashes back to a few hours before.
* HumansAreFlawed: The series comes close to upholding RousseauWasRight, but not quite. Colonel Hopkins finds war the motor of civilization, and someone in Seize ratted out on Aisha's being sheltered in the castle.
* ImageSong: There are five so far, each featuring various combinations of the cast.
* ImagineSpot: In the second episode, Kanata imagines what the world might've looked like if not for the war, with the girls all practicing music while wearing [[{{Joshikousei}} school uniforms]].
* ImprobablyFemaleCast: The 1121st Platoon and [[spoiler:Filicia's old squad]] consist entirely of females, but the rest of the army appears to be entirely male.
* ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy: In episode 7.5, the "bullets" from Noël's gatling water gun can be seen practically bending around Filicia.
* InSeriesNickname:
** The Fire Maidens.
** The Desert Wolf, although it does not refer to [[spoiler: Klaus]]
** The Witch of Helvetia: Noël
** The Demon of Vingt: Colonel Hopkins
* IntertwinedFingers: Rio/Filicia and Kanata/Noël
* {{Kuudere}}: Noël can come across as [[EmotionlessGirl emotionless]] at first glance, but it just takes a lot to get her to express them. Like being confronted with her past in episode eleven, or [[CrowningMomentOfFunny having enough of Kureha's whining in episode five]].
* LastFertileRegion: While much of the world does not have arable land, a handful of regions, such as [[spoiler: Helvetia, Rome and some of their neighbouring countries]], remain fertile.
* LockedOutOfTheLoop: ''Something'' is being kept from Kanata by the rest of the platoon, and Naomi is in on it too; episode six reveals it to be the fact that the 1121st [[MilitaryMoonshiner illegally distills and sells calvados]] to the mob to make up for lack of payment from HQ and has been since before our girls were stationed there. Following an epic drunken mock battle (with a low tech version of paint ball as discipline), Kanata finds out about it in the first OVA.
* TheMafia: The 1121st deal in bootleg liquor, alongside various other goods.
* MauveShirt: [[spoiler: Filicia's old crew seen in episode seven]].
* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane:
** The ghost that Kanata and Noël saw is ultimately revealed to be [[spoiler: a girl who died many years before "They" attacked ]] in the [[AudioAdaptation drama CD]]. Rio helps her with her UnfinishedBusiness and she disappears.
** Whether [[spoiler: Filicia's]] DeadPersonConversation was an hallucination or real
** The origins of the winged skeleton is never elaborated upon, leaving the viewer to wonder whether or not it arise from supernatural or evolutionary means.
* MeaningfulBackgroundEvent: The ghost from episode two is implied to have been observing Kanata and Kureha [[http://infinitemirai.wordpress.com/2012/12/08/the-ghost-of-soro-no-woto/ the entire time they were on their recon mission]].
* MildlyMilitary: The 1121st do not strictly observe military discipline.
* MoodWhiplash: The entire story alternates between slice-of-life elements and exploring the harsh realities of war.
** Episode seven is in essence a WhamEpisode about the [[WarIsHell darker side of warfare]] and ends on a contemplative note. Then… '''[[MemeticMutation AIJOU YUUJOU]]'''!!
** Episode eleven ends with the cliffhanger with [[spoiler:a gunshot being fired and it's unknown if it's the Roman soldier Aisha or Noël who's been hit]]. The scene fades to black, and the viewer is treated to more '''AIJOU YUUJOU''!!
* MundaneMadeAwesome: The battle with water guns is regarded as a military exercise, but everyone except Kureha behaved quite over the top, with [[HeroicSacrifice Heroic Sacrifices]] and dramatic last words, a consequence of being drunk at the time.
* MundaneUtility:
** Spider tanks possess rappelling gear that proves to be highly useful for rescuing people.
** Rio used the tank as an MP3 player to play [[AmazingFreakingGrace Amazing Grace]] to Kanata, who had heard the song as a child.
* MusicForCourage: From the very first scene of the series.
* NeverGetsDrunk: Kureha gets sick from drinking without experiencing drunkness: this leads to her sorrow in the OVA, where everyone else gets plastered.
* NeverTrustATrailer: The preview for [[WhamEpisode Episode seven]] was the girls making cicada noises over a visual of Noël and Kureha doing laundry.
* NoSenseOfDirection: Kanata does have a tendency to get lost easily, although she enjoys it. This is averted in Noël's case, who manages to find the observation stations despite having lost their compass, although it does take them a little longer than they would otherwise have.
* NotSoStoic: This is humorously done with Noël in the first OVA, where the garrison (plus Sister Yumina) plays a war game and she goes on a rampage with her modified water Gatling gun. While this might have been a consequence of Filicia spiking everyone's tea with Calvados, it further reinforces the fact that Noël isn't a [[ReiAyanamiExpy Rei]] [[EmotionlessGirl clone]].
* NunsAreMikos: Sister Yumina's outfit was based on [[http://infinitemirai.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/sw03-chart1.jpg a combination of Shinto Miko and Roman Catholic designs]].
* PaintballEpisode: The first of the DVD-exclusive episodes centers around the 1121st and Yumina partaking in a mock battle with dye guns.
* PersonalSeals: Kanata uses her stamp to sign the transfer order in the first episode. It's implied that everyone gets these soon after they are born, with the "ideograms" (Japanese kanji) for their names carved into them.
* PosthumousCharacter: Princess Iliya is only seen in a few flashbacks, the first one opening the series. She died two years prior to the time the series takes place, having drowned trying to save a child in a river.
* PottyEmergency: Kanata suffers through this throughout most of Episode eight, except it elevates to PottyFailure.
* ThePowerOfRock: Subverted in that while AmazingFreakingGrace does stall the two armies from fighting for a short time, it takes [[spoiler: Rio and her peace treaty]] to actually stop them.
* PuttingOnTheReich: While the Clocktower Maidens have uniforms similar to those of the German Wehrmacht, they're [[SubvertedTrope certainly not the bad guys]].
* RealPlaceBackground: [[http://infinitemirai.wordpress.com/2012/02/25/cuenca-spain-home-of-sora-no-woto/ Seize is Cuenca, Spain]], with some structures and outdoor locations from the close-by village of Alarcón.
* RecklessGunUsage: In the finale, the soldiers toss helmets into the air upon learning that they didn’t have to fight. The celebration seems well, or at least until loaded rifles begin appearing up in the air with those helmets.
* RetroUniverse: Helvetia models their military uniforms and gear after WorldWarII Wermacht, and everything looks like early 20th Century.
* RoyalMess: the ''Republic'' of Helvetia is apparently ruled by a ''Duke'' whose daughter is a ''Princess''.
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: Princess Iliya was evidently an extremely competent tank commander and even went on a tour of the country to raise morale. [[spoiler: She even died trying to save a child from drowning]].[[spoiler: Rio becomes one at the end, averting a war by riding on top of a tank between the two armies and announcing the peace treaty]].
* RuinsOfTheModernAge: This is apparent in No Man's Land and in the flashbacks to Binnenland.
* SacredLanguage: Japanese has apparently become this in French-speaking Helvetia.
* SceneryGorn: No Man's Land, a vast desert from which ruined skyscrappers jut out..
* SceneryPorn: The regions untouched by the war are beautiful landscapes with lush vegetation and blue skies.
* ScavengerWorld: Some of the ancient technologies can be operated, while others (such as the facilities in episode five) serve unknown functions.
* SchizoTech: The 1121st are equipped with World War II era equipment but happen to have an inoperational computerized high-tech SpiderTank in the garage. This is clear in episode four: glass-blowers replicating a machine-made laser-sensor lens using traditional manual techniques find that the task is challenging.
* ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight: Filicia does this when they bring a wounded Aisha, a Roman soldier, to their fortress. Kureha suggests they report having captured a spy, but Filicia won't allow it, at least not right away, since it would mean Aisha taken to the capital and likely tortured for information. She even goes so far as to hold a superior officer hostage to prevent them from taking Aisha away later.
* SempaiKohai: Filicia and Rio are seniors to the other three, but it's most notable in how Kanata and Kureha look up to Rio.
* ShoutOut: Kanata mentions swearing the Oath of Parador when joining the army in Episode four - the series 'creator' is named as "Paradores". In Spain, a ''parador'' is one of a chain of luxury resorts located in a picturesque location, often a historical building. The Clocktower Fortress just happens to be modeled mostly upon Cuenca's ''parador'', which was originally a convent.
* SickEpisode: Kanata goes down with malaria in episode three, and Rio is the only one home to take care of her.
* SimultaneousArcs: Episode six, with the same events seen from the team's and Kanata's perspective respectively.
* SnowMeansDeath: The coming of the winter to the series (episode 10) means things get serious, starting with [[spoiler: Madam Jacquotte's death]].
* SoundtrackDissonance: An intense tank battle is set to to the slow, melancholic ''Servante de Feu''.
* SomethingAboutARose: A prop used by Filicia during a fake Calvados deal gone bad put on to scare off the more violent central Mafia edging into Seize.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS:
** Filicia, rather than Felicia or Phylicia
** Noël, rather than Noel, Noelle or Noeru
** Takemikazuchi, rather than Takemicaduchi, Take-Mikazuchi, Takemikaduchi or any other variant
** Iliya, rather than Iria.
** Olga, rather than Origa.
* SpiderTank: The design allows them to scale buildings, wreckage and sheer cliff walls, which is highly useful given the geography of Helvetia
* SquareCubeLaw: Subverted, since the Takemikazuchi has a system that allows gravity exerted on it to be reduced fivefold, allowing it to become insanely agile for its size. This is played straight for the modern knock-offs: lacking this device, they can only move in slow, lumbering strides.
* StagedShooting: Noël and Kureha unload their machine guns at two men, causing two members of the mafia to flee in terror. It turns out the guns were loaded with blank rounds, and the two men fired at regularly do business with the Clocktower Maidens.
* StandardHollywoodStrafingProcedure: Seen in the Binnenland flashback.
* StandingBetweenTheEnemies: [[spoiler: After Kanata manages to stall two armies from charging each other with AmazingFreakingGrace, Rio steps betwen the armies astride her red SpiderTank and commands them to stand down.]]
* [[SurprisinglyGoodEnglish Surprisingly Good Roman]]: Aisha's VA, Creator/NamiMiyahara, grew up in Austria. German viewers claim Aisha speaks somewhat informal, but otherwise fine, German.
* SuspiciouslySpecificDenial:
** Kanata on phone duty: “I haven't been sleeping! A-Absolutely have not been sleeping!”
** Seiya's description of Kanata reads as follows: "She's easily amused, she forgets everything, she's just like a little kid, and she's not sexy at all!"
** On the first drama CD, Kureha explains how she's never heard strange noises, felt like someone's watching her, or generally felt the presence of a ghost in any way. Ever!
* SyntheticPlague: The Invisible Reaper (In "Roman", it's called "Unsichtbarer Teufel", which means "Invisible Devil").
* TakeAThirdOption: Peace talks between Helvetia and Rome seems to be breaking down, and war likely to break out again. So the girls do something rather drastic which halts the fighting long enough for an actual peace treaty to be worked out, [[spoiler: by going between both armies and playing Amazing Grace, which both sides are familiar with.]]
* ThanksForTheMammaries: Noël does this to the female Roman soldier Aisha in episode eleven after the latter wakes up and attempts to overpower her. Aisha's scream is enough to cause Kanata and Kureha to come to the medical room.
* TeamPet: Shuko, the owl from the first episode was also the mascot of Iliya's platoon.
* {{Technical Pacifist}}s: If it wasn't for a their usage of a SpiderTank, they might be closer to {{Reluctant Warrior}}s:
-->'''Kureha:''' Do you think you could shoot a gun at someone?
-->'''Kanata:''' If I thought it was the right thing to do, I might.
* ThemeNaming
** The {{Spider Tank}}s are named after mythological figures, including the Greek Arachne and the Japanese Takemikazuchi and Torifune.
** Helvetia's neigbouring countries are named after old European countries, mostly francophone: Gaul, Franconie, Geneve...
* ThemeTuneCameo: Rio [[HollywoodToneDeaf "sings"]] the opening theme while drunk.
* TitleDrop: In the first episode, and several times later, usually referring to Amazing Grace.
* TitleOnlyOpening: The final episode begins with the resolution of the previous episode's cliffhanger ending, without the opening theme. There's also no closing theme, with an epilogue taking place as the end credits roll, and the [[{{Eyecatch}} eyecatches]] are gone.
* ToBeLawfulOrGood: Duty vs. morality. [[spoiler: Morality triumphs.]]
* TranslationConvention: Based on the written texts that appear, Helvetian is French. Some text appears to be Japanese kanji, which only the priesthood seem able to read. Strangely, one of the lanterns in episode seven has English writing on it and some signs in Seize are written in Spanish.
* TwelveEpisodeAnime: With [[BonusEpisode two more exclusive to the DVDs]].
* UnsuspectinglySoused: Everyone in the first OVA, find themselves drunk, and even Filicia, who planned the sousing, overestimates her own tolerance.
* WarIsHell: Episode seven exemplifies just how much of a hell it is.
* WelcomeEpisode
* WhamEpisode: Episode seven reflects on [[spoiler: Filicia's post-traumatic stress disorder from wartime]]. There's very little death in the rest of the show, so it hits pretty hard.
* WhereTheHellIsSpringfield: The second bonus episode shows an approximate world map that seems to put Helvetia somewhere in eastern China. But Helvetians [[TranslationConvention speak and write in French]], and cannot read the "ideograms" left behind by the apparently Japanese [[{{Precursors}} former residents]]. The "Romans," who have dark skin and speak German, live right next door. Adding confusion to the mix, Seize is a near-replica of a real town in Spain (see RealPlaceBackground above).
* WhileRomeBurns:
** Sweets and a cup of something hot are the ideal thing to have after [[spoiler: committing treason and before a war]].
** For a less literal example, Rio laments in episode thirteen that [[spoiler: the nations of the world are wasting their time with wars while the Earth slowly dies, and mentions Holy Rome turning into a desert as an example]].
* WomenDrivers: While most of the females are competent drivers, Kanata's tendency to take her eyes off the road when driving [[HilarityEnsues results in chaos]].
* XMeetsY: Viewers feel that So Ra No Wo To can be described as a combination of several shows, not limited to:
** ''Manga/KOn'' meets ''StrikeWitches''
** ''Manga/KOn'' meets ''Literature/AllQuietOnTheWesternFront''
** ''{{Manga/ARIA}}'' meets ''Anime/HaibaneRenmei''.
** ''{{Manga/ARIA}}'' meets ''{{Macross}}''.
* YodelLand: The entire series take place here, complete with snowy mountains. [[spoiler: Despite the location being Japan]], the town, buildings and countryside are actually based on the Spanish town of Cuenca, right down to [[AluminumChristmasTrees the odd rock pillars and the house on the edge of a cliff]].
----
to:
[[caption-width-right:300: From the top-left, clockwise: Rio, Filicia, Noël, Kanata and Kureha]]
->''"This [[AmazingFreakingGrace sound]] strikes a chord. Whether in Rome or Helvetia, it is the same."''
-->--'''Kanata Sorami'''
''So Ra No Wo To'' is an anime that aired in the winter of 2010 and was directed by Mamoru Kanbe. Produced by Aniplex as a part of TV Tokyo's ''Anime no Chikara'' project, it is an AnimeFirst, and centres around a young girl named Kanata Sorami, who joins the 1121st platoon of the Helvetican Army in the town of Seize. ''So Ra No Wo To'' was streamed on [[http://www.crunchyroll.com/soranowoto Crunchyroll]](except episode 7.5). In 2011, Creator/NozomiEntertainment [[http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-07-02/right-stuf-nozomi-adds-so-ra-no-wo-to-utena-tv released it on DVD]] as ''Sound of the Sky'', the English translation of the series title.
At a young age, Kanata was inspired by a trumpeter's rendition of "[[AmazingFreakingGrace Amazing Grace]]", and thereafter, decided to become a bugler. While on her way to the Clocktower Fortress, Kanata loses her way and stumbles into a festival dedicated to the Fire Maidens, who saved the town from a fire-breathing demon in a legend from a forgotten age. As the other platoon members train her to be a bugler, Kanata's own cheerfulness and innocence drives the other members to find their own happiness in a world devastated by conflicts.
Over the next year, Kanata adjusts to life at the Clocktower Fortress, learning more about music and the events that shaped the world around her, all the while brightening up her brigade's day. Even as the calm in Seize gives way to the threat of war, Kanata's optimism brings the legend of the Fire Maidens to life once more...
----
!!''So Ra No Wo To'' provides examples of:
* AfterTheEnd: A major war that occurred roughly three hundred years earlier reduced the world's population and regressed technology to early twentieth-century standards.
* AlternativeCalendar: The war with "Them" [[HitSoHardTheCalendarFeltIt had far reaching consequences on society]]: the date was changed to AP to denote the number of years after the war ended. To give a sense of scale, the series begins during 271 AP.
* AmazingFreakingGrace: The central musical theme, which drives Kanata's desire to play the trumpet and ultimately embodies forgiveness when [[spoiler: Kanata plays the song during the confrontation between the Helvetian and Roman forces]].
* AmbiguouslyBrown
** Aisha is a Roman soldier introduced in the anime.
** Kyrie Kuon is a character exclusive to the PSP VisualNovel.
* AndManGrewProud: The degree to which Helvetian and Roman mythologies are true is unclear [[EpilepticTrees and contested]], but share similarities in that both accounts are embellished recollections of [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt the great war they fought]] and involve supernatural punishment of some kind.
* ApocalypseHow: The world is initially presented as having undergone a Class I. Relics from the past civilization remain, but much of the world is uninhabitable save small regions. However, the consequences of the war might lead to a [[spoiler: Class IV; with the ocean receding and the surface succumbing to desertification, despite said war having ended centuries ago]].
* ArsonMurderAndLifesaving: By the end of the series, the fact that the 1121st know [[EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses people in high places]] prevent them from being court-martialed for disobeying orders and doing what is right.
* ArtImitatesArt: The opening sequence recreates paintings by Gustav Klimt in great detail.
* ATruceWhileWeGawk: Both the Helvetican and Roman armies temporarily halt their advances when Kanata [[spoiler: plays Amazing Grace in the midst of the battlefield]].
* BatmanInMyBasement: The crew decides to hide [[spoiler: Aisha]] to avoid wrecking the peace talks.
* BigCreepyCrawlies: The Takemikazuchi has an unusual gait, moving with a far higher degree of mobility compared to the slow strides of other spider tanks in the era.
* BigDamnHeroes: [[spoiler:Rio's timely arrival allows her to enforce the peace treaty between the Helvetian and Roman at the end of episode twelve, preventing an all-out war from breaking out]].
* BilingualBonus: Aisha's lines are in German, and the lyrics of ''Servante de Feu'' are in French.
* BittersweetEnding: At the end of the series finale, it is made clear that a vast majority of Earth's surface is undergoing [[spoiler: irreversible desertification]]. While small regions are recovering, the biosphere itself was damaged beyond repair. Despite this, Rio [[spoiler:[[SequelHook plans to go find the legendary land that escaped the desolation]]]].
* BlackBox: The technology that remains from the previous age has become inoperable by humanity, including a [[RagnarokProofing Ragnarok-proofed system]] located near Helvetia's border with No-Man's Land that serves an unknown purpose.
* BlatantLies: When Kureha points out that Yumina shouldn't be in a mock battle with them.
-->'''Kureha''': "This is not a game!"
-->'''Yumina''': "I swear to the eight million spirits I'm not doing this just to try on the uniform." *giggles*
* {{Bokukko}}: Noël
* BookEnds: Episode 1 took place during the Maiden of Fire festival (with Rio as the maiden) with the girls standing at the fort entrance waiting for Kanata to report for duty. The last scene in the TV broadcast ends with them at the same spot waiting for [[spoiler:Rio's replacement]]. The bonus [[BonusEpisode thirteenth episode]], which marks the final episode of the entire series, take place exactly one year later during another Maidens of Flame festival, this time with Kanata as the maiden.
* BottleEpisode: The events of episode eight occur within the confines of the Clocktower's dining room and a few nearby corridors.
* BreakTheCutie: Virtually all of the female soldiers except Kanata. Noël in particular suffers greatly near the end of the series [[spoiler: due to having helped create a weapon system that wiped out several towns and killed lots of people, which [[GeneralRipper Colonel Hopkins]] is only more than happy to point out repeatedly to her.]]
* BreatherEpisode: The first DVD exclusive episode is a whimsical, lighthearted story, occurring between [[WhamEpisode episode seven]] and eight. Similarly, episode eight acts as a breather episode built around [[OverlyLongGag waiting for a phone to ring]].
* CallToAgriculture: Klaus has expressed interest towards moving into an agricultural occupation.
* ChildSoldiers: Most of the main cast are in their teens yet are enlisted servicewomen. Kanata and Kureha in particular are 15 and 14, respectively, while Noël is 15 [[spoiler: but has been participating in military activities ever since she was deceived into developing biological weapons as a little girl]]. Rio is 17, and Filicia is 18, being only slightly older than the other members of the 1121st.
* ComingOfAgeStory: Entering the army thinking she'll get to play music as a bugler, Kanata's experiences with the 1121st give her greater perspective on music and the true significance of being a bugler.
* CommandRoster: The 1121st [[AmazonBrigade Squad]] is at the minimum size for a tank platoon in the Helvetian army.
** [[TheCaptain The Lieutenant]]: Filicia.
** NumberTwo: [[TheLancer Rio]].
** MrFixit: [[OmnidisciplinaryScientist Noël]].
** Communications Officer: Kanata, the NewMeat, who doubles as TheHeart. Rio holds this position [[spoiler: until episode ten]].
** The Marine: [[OnlySaneEmployee Kureha]], gunner.
* CosyCatastrophe: While the rest of the world has fallen into disrepair, small regions (like Seize) remain habitable, with its residents going about their everyday lives as usual.
* CrapsaccharineWorld: On the first glance, this is ''Manga/KOn'' [[RecycledInSpace set on the battlefield]]: [[SceneryPorn the landscapes are beautiful]], girls bond and have memorable adventures… [[FridgeHorror at least until one realizes]] that the characters are essentially [[ChildSoldier teenaged soldiers]] having gone through [[WarIsHell trying events]] in their lives and have [[DarkAndTroubledPast issues]] (with Kanata as the exception). Furthermore, humanity's [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt losing war against "Them"]] led to the deterioration of the Earth's biosphere. However, it is a WorldHalfFull, as the PV (and the [[BilingualBonus lyrics of ''Servante de Feu'']]) reminds us:
-->''Beauty, Grimness, Pain, Happiness... It is up to you how to deal with them.''
* CrazyEnoughToWork: Even after the EpicHail fails, [[spoiler: AmazingFreakingGrace]] proved to be successful.
* CreatorProvincialism: A rather unusual subversion is present; initially, the setting is an {{Expy}} of Switzerland, with European architecture and minor elements derived from Japanese culture present to give the impression that Japanese customs are more universal. Similarly, some Japanese nuances make their way into the anime, such as the Kübelwagen's steering columns being on the left side (they are on the right side in reality).
* CreatorThumbprint: Similar to the opening of ''Manga/ElfenLied'' (also directed by Mamoru Kanbe), Sora no Woto's opening is a recreation of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustav_Klimt Gustav Klimt's]] paintings, featuring their respective shows' characters.
* CreditsRunningSequence: The sequence features Kanata running around Seize or against a blue sky backdrop.
* CrypticBackgroundReference: A large number of references are made to background details about the setting; while there's no attempt to explain them, this arises because no one alive knows what happened anymore.
* CrystalDragonJesus: The Helvetian Orthodox Church integrates elements from Liturgical Christianity and Shinto. Elements of this fusion is seen when the church hands out Shinto/Buddhist-style charms written in kanji.
* CueTheSun: The sun appears at the right moment every time Kanata needs a striking background for her trumpet performances.
* CultureChopSuey
** Helvetia is French-speaking, celebrates Chinese and Japanese festivals, its military dresses like WWII Germany, and its rulers hold Eastern European titles.
** The country named Rome is populated by Middle Eastern people who speak German.
* CurbStompBattle: The Takemikazuchi [[spoiler:disables several tanks from the 9th division]] and applies the "stomping" element in a literal sense during the finale. When humanity squared off against "Them", {{Spider Tank}}s were on the receiving end.
* DangerRoomColdOpen: Episode five opens with the 1121st platoon engaging in combat with an unseen enemy. When their rounds hit, Rio leaves the cabin of the Takemikazuchi to signal for an advance, but it turns out that they are inside the hangar and participating in a combat exercise.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: All the girls minus Kanata, ranging from being a HeroicBastard to MyGodWhatHaveIDone.
* DeadPersonConversation: [[spoiler: Filicia]] had one during the battle of Binnenland.
* DrawingStraws: This is how they decided the Maiden of Fire is chosen; Felicia rigs it so Rio is chosen.
* DreamMelody: AmazingFreakingGrace is immediately recognizable by Rio, Kanata, and even Aisha. It is part of the Takemikazuchi's OS and carries symbolic importance for all of them.
* DrivesLikeCrazy:
** Klaus's reckless driving leaves Kanata in tears in the first episode.
** Kanata herself causes Yumina to thank the gods for being alive despite the former's driving.
* DueToTheDead: The Obon Festival and the trip to the outpost are to pay respects for the dead and [[PassingTheTorch moving humanity in a better direction]] for their sake.
* DysfunctionJunction: The girls are afflicted with anything from minor confidence issues [[spoiler:(Kanata)]] to more significant issues, such as [[spoiler:Filicia's post-traumatic stress disorder and Noël's guilt over her part in the Invisible Reaper plague]].
* EarthAllAlong: In episode thirteen, Rio receives a map of the world and points out to Kanata that Helvetia is [[spoiler: not in Europe but in Japan all along.]]
* EarnYourHappyEnding: It may take [[spoiler:fighting your own army]], but things can work out in the end.
* EatTheDog: Rio's immediate reaction to Shuko's appearance is to try to [[CrowningMomentOfFunny make dinner out of the owl]], before Filicia instead adopts her as the TeamPet.
* EmotionlessGirl: Noël for the most part.
* EverybodysDeadDave: In the episode seven flashback, [[spoiler: the entirity of Filica's squadmates are killed after their tank is hit. Being the sole survivor, she considers suicide out of grief]].
* {{Expy}}: The crew is often compared to ''Manga/KOn'''s cast, despite the lack of similarities in some of the characters (such as Ritsu and Noël). In episode two, Kanata [[ImagineSpot imagines]] the 1121st in a normal high school music club.
* {{Eyecatch}}: A short one Consisting of [[{{Chibi}} simplified drawings of the main cast]], along with a happy little tune. The music is absent in [[WhamEpisode Episode 7]] though, and the eyecatches are dropped altogether in episode twelve.
* FakeUltimateHero: [[spoiler: Klaus]] is not really [[spoiler:the Desert Wolf]], just a really good lookalike. However, this doesn't stop him from becoming a real hero and saving Kureha in the middle of a typhoon.
* FantasyCounterpartCulture: Seize is an animated replica of Cuenca, Spain, and is set in the country of Helvetia, a Switzerland stand-in where Helvetian (French) is the main language. Elements of several other cultures are present, especially those of Japan. Furthermore, in Rome, people are AmbiguouslyBrown and speak German.
* FestivalEpisode: The festival in the first episode has many distinctly Asian traits despite being set in an Ersatz Switzerland. Episode seven also features Toro Nagashi/Fiesta des Lumiéres.
* FirstNameBasis: Filicia, the leader of the 1121st, prefers that everyone call each other by name instead of rank to promote friendship.
* {{Foreshadowing}}
** In the third episode Filicia comments on Rio's lack of manners with: ''"What would your father say if he could see you?"''
** A more subtle example is seen in episode four, when Noël asks Kanata if she is frightened by a machine that’s killed many people. After the revelation that [[spoiler: Noël is the [[RedBaron Witch of Helvetia]]]], she was asking the question with respect to herself as well, rather than the Takemikazuchi alone.
* {{Forgiveness}}: Seen in [[spoiler: Aisha]] and [[FridgeBrilliance less obviously]] in Filicia.
* FreakOut
** Noël has one near the end of Episode eleven and throughout episode twelve, the latter being induced by a HannibalLecture delivered by Hopkins
** [[spoiler: Filicia]] in the Episode 7 flashbacks. She loses her faith in a fair world after her ordeal and recovers by following the example of the person who rescued her, [[spoiler: Iliya]].
* GeneralRipper: Colonel Hopkins will do whatever he can to have a war with Rome.
* GilliganCut: In the second episode Kanata and Noël think that they saw a ghost in the barracks of their base. Kureha disagrees, suggesting that they're seeing things. Rio agrees with Kureha, but the scene cuts to Kureha and Kanata standing at the entrance to the barracks, with Rio ordering them to investigate before turning around and leaving (all the while shouting those orders from a safe distance, no less).
* TheGunslinger: Rio has a high degree of proficiency with small arms.
* TheGlomp: Kanata and Kureha are particularly fond of this maneuver, doing it to Rio in the finale. Kanata also glomps Kureha in Episodes two and five, and Kureha does it to Rio in the ED.
* GoalInLife: In the second OVA, Kanata discusses with various characters what their life-long dreams are.
* GratuitousEnglish: The ending theme throws in English lines, and the Takemikazuchi's OS uses rather weird English in its displays, such as "NOMARL".
* GratuitousFrench[=/=]GratuitousJapanese: Helvetians write and [[TranslationConvention presumably]] speak French but many names are in Japanese, despite no-one other than priests being able to read and write the language in any fashion (children are named by the priests and their parents are presented with their name in kanji, or "ideomoji", in order to create their PersonalSeals, in Seize at least). Any ancient text they discover is in Kanji, and thus illegible to them.
* GratuitousGerman: The Roman soldier, Aisha, can speak German reasonably well (albeit with a heavy accent) and has a Middle Eastern name.
* GreatOffScreenWar: The War with "Them" is only mentioned in the passing, but otherwise not discussed in any detail.
* GroupHug: All the girls but Rio in episode seven.
* HeartwarmingOrphan: Sister Yumina cares for several orphans, including Seiya and Mishio, both of whom become closer to Kanata.
* HollywoodTactics: While the infantry and armour columns were organized in a seemingly poor manner in the modern era during episode twelve, this is averted because technology has regressed; just as the technology has reached the levels humans had at the start 20th century, the [[GeniusBonus deployment tactics of ground forces]] is similar to early tank tactics used in WorldWarOne.
* {{Homage}}: The opening sequence puts the main characters within the works of painter Gustav Klimt.
* HowWeGotHere: Episode eight begins with Kanata in a tacky dress sitting, looking quite distressed, and then flashes back to a few hours before.
* HumansAreFlawed: The series comes close to upholding RousseauWasRight, but not quite. Colonel Hopkins finds war the motor of civilization, and someone in Seize ratted out on Aisha's being sheltered in the castle.
* ImageSong: There are five so far, each featuring various combinations of the cast.
* ImagineSpot: In the second episode, Kanata imagines what the world might've looked like if not for the war, with the girls all practicing music while wearing [[{{Joshikousei}} school uniforms]].
* ImprobablyFemaleCast: The 1121st Platoon and [[spoiler:Filicia's old squad]] consist entirely of females, but the rest of the army appears to be entirely male.
* ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy: In episode 7.5, the "bullets" from Noël's gatling water gun can be seen practically bending around Filicia.
* InSeriesNickname:
** The Fire Maidens.
** The Desert Wolf, although it does not refer to [[spoiler: Klaus]]
** The Witch of Helvetia: Noël
** The Demon of Vingt: Colonel Hopkins
* IntertwinedFingers: Rio/Filicia and Kanata/Noël
* {{Kuudere}}: Noël can come across as [[EmotionlessGirl emotionless]] at first glance, but it just takes a lot to get her to express them. Like being confronted with her past in episode eleven, or [[CrowningMomentOfFunny having enough of Kureha's whining in episode five]].
* LastFertileRegion: While much of the world does not have arable land, a handful of regions, such as [[spoiler: Helvetia, Rome and some of their neighbouring countries]], remain fertile.
* LockedOutOfTheLoop: ''Something'' is being kept from Kanata by the rest of the platoon, and Naomi is in on it too; episode six reveals it to be the fact that the 1121st [[MilitaryMoonshiner illegally distills and sells calvados]] to the mob to make up for lack of payment from HQ and has been since before our girls were stationed there. Following an epic drunken mock battle (with a low tech version of paint ball as discipline), Kanata finds out about it in the first OVA.
* TheMafia: The 1121st deal in bootleg liquor, alongside various other goods.
* MauveShirt: [[spoiler: Filicia's old crew seen in episode seven]].
* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane:
** The ghost that Kanata and Noël saw is ultimately revealed to be [[spoiler: a girl who died many years before "They" attacked ]] in the [[AudioAdaptation drama CD]]. Rio helps her with her UnfinishedBusiness and she disappears.
** Whether [[spoiler: Filicia's]] DeadPersonConversation was an hallucination or real
** The origins of the winged skeleton is never elaborated upon, leaving the viewer to wonder whether or not it arise from supernatural or evolutionary means.
* MeaningfulBackgroundEvent: The ghost from episode two is implied to have been observing Kanata and Kureha [[http://infinitemirai.wordpress.com/2012/12/08/the-ghost-of-soro-no-woto/ the entire time they were on their recon mission]].
* MildlyMilitary: The 1121st do not strictly observe military discipline.
* MoodWhiplash: The entire story alternates between slice-of-life elements and exploring the harsh realities of war.
** Episode seven is in essence a WhamEpisode about the [[WarIsHell darker side of warfare]] and ends on a contemplative note. Then… '''[[MemeticMutation AIJOU YUUJOU]]'''!!
** Episode eleven ends with the cliffhanger with [[spoiler:a gunshot being fired and it's unknown if it's the Roman soldier Aisha or Noël who's been hit]]. The scene fades to black, and the viewer is treated to more '''AIJOU YUUJOU''!!
* MundaneMadeAwesome: The battle with water guns is regarded as a military exercise, but everyone except Kureha behaved quite over the top, with [[HeroicSacrifice Heroic Sacrifices]] and dramatic last words, a consequence of being drunk at the time.
* MundaneUtility:
** Spider tanks possess rappelling gear that proves to be highly useful for rescuing people.
** Rio used the tank as an MP3 player to play [[AmazingFreakingGrace Amazing Grace]] to Kanata, who had heard the song as a child.
* MusicForCourage: From the very first scene of the series.
* NeverGetsDrunk: Kureha gets sick from drinking without experiencing drunkness: this leads to her sorrow in the OVA, where everyone else gets plastered.
* NeverTrustATrailer: The preview for [[WhamEpisode Episode seven]] was the girls making cicada noises over a visual of Noël and Kureha doing laundry.
* NoSenseOfDirection: Kanata does have a tendency to get lost easily, although she enjoys it. This is averted in Noël's case, who manages to find the observation stations despite having lost their compass, although it does take them a little longer than they would otherwise have.
* NotSoStoic: This is humorously done with Noël in the first OVA, where the garrison (plus Sister Yumina) plays a war game and she goes on a rampage with her modified water Gatling gun. While this might have been a consequence of Filicia spiking everyone's tea with Calvados, it further reinforces the fact that Noël isn't a [[ReiAyanamiExpy Rei]] [[EmotionlessGirl clone]].
* NunsAreMikos: Sister Yumina's outfit was based on [[http://infinitemirai.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/sw03-chart1.jpg a combination of Shinto Miko and Roman Catholic designs]].
* PaintballEpisode: The first of the DVD-exclusive episodes centers around the 1121st and Yumina partaking in a mock battle with dye guns.
* PersonalSeals: Kanata uses her stamp to sign the transfer order in the first episode. It's implied that everyone gets these soon after they are born, with the "ideograms" (Japanese kanji) for their names carved into them.
* PosthumousCharacter: Princess Iliya is only seen in a few flashbacks, the first one opening the series. She died two years prior to the time the series takes place, having drowned trying to save a child in a river.
* PottyEmergency: Kanata suffers through this throughout most of Episode eight, except it elevates to PottyFailure.
* ThePowerOfRock: Subverted in that while AmazingFreakingGrace does stall the two armies from fighting for a short time, it takes [[spoiler: Rio and her peace treaty]] to actually stop them.
* PuttingOnTheReich: While the Clocktower Maidens have uniforms similar to those of the German Wehrmacht, they're [[SubvertedTrope certainly not the bad guys]].
* RealPlaceBackground: [[http://infinitemirai.wordpress.com/2012/02/25/cuenca-spain-home-of-sora-no-woto/ Seize is Cuenca, Spain]], with some structures and outdoor locations from the close-by village of Alarcón.
* RecklessGunUsage: In the finale, the soldiers toss helmets into the air upon learning that they didn’t have to fight. The celebration seems well, or at least until loaded rifles begin appearing up in the air with those helmets.
* RetroUniverse: Helvetia models their military uniforms and gear after WorldWarII Wermacht, and everything looks like early 20th Century.
* RoyalMess: the ''Republic'' of Helvetia is apparently ruled by a ''Duke'' whose daughter is a ''Princess''.
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: Princess Iliya was evidently an extremely competent tank commander and even went on a tour of the country to raise morale. [[spoiler: She even died trying to save a child from drowning]].[[spoiler: Rio becomes one at the end, averting a war by riding on top of a tank between the two armies and announcing the peace treaty]].
* RuinsOfTheModernAge: This is apparent in No Man's Land and in the flashbacks to Binnenland.
* SacredLanguage: Japanese has apparently become this in French-speaking Helvetia.
* SceneryGorn: No Man's Land, a vast desert from which ruined skyscrappers jut out..
* SceneryPorn: The regions untouched by the war are beautiful landscapes with lush vegetation and blue skies.
* ScavengerWorld: Some of the ancient technologies can be operated, while others (such as the facilities in episode five) serve unknown functions.
* SchizoTech: The 1121st are equipped with World War II era equipment but happen to have an inoperational computerized high-tech SpiderTank in the garage. This is clear in episode four: glass-blowers replicating a machine-made laser-sensor lens using traditional manual techniques find that the task is challenging.
* ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight: Filicia does this when they bring a wounded Aisha, a Roman soldier, to their fortress. Kureha suggests they report having captured a spy, but Filicia won't allow it, at least not right away, since it would mean Aisha taken to the capital and likely tortured for information. She even goes so far as to hold a superior officer hostage to prevent them from taking Aisha away later.
* SempaiKohai: Filicia and Rio are seniors to the other three, but it's most notable in how Kanata and Kureha look up to Rio.
* ShoutOut: Kanata mentions swearing the Oath of Parador when joining the army in Episode four - the series 'creator' is named as "Paradores". In Spain, a ''parador'' is one of a chain of luxury resorts located in a picturesque location, often a historical building. The Clocktower Fortress just happens to be modeled mostly upon Cuenca's ''parador'', which was originally a convent.
* SickEpisode: Kanata goes down with malaria in episode three, and Rio is the only one home to take care of her.
* SimultaneousArcs: Episode six, with the same events seen from the team's and Kanata's perspective respectively.
* SnowMeansDeath: The coming of the winter to the series (episode 10) means things get serious, starting with [[spoiler: Madam Jacquotte's death]].
* SoundtrackDissonance: An intense tank battle is set to to the slow, melancholic ''Servante de Feu''.
* SomethingAboutARose: A prop used by Filicia during a fake Calvados deal gone bad put on to scare off the more violent central Mafia edging into Seize.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS:
** Filicia, rather than Felicia or Phylicia
** Noël, rather than Noel, Noelle or Noeru
** Takemikazuchi, rather than Takemicaduchi, Take-Mikazuchi, Takemikaduchi or any other variant
** Iliya, rather than Iria.
** Olga, rather than Origa.
* SpiderTank: The design allows them to scale buildings, wreckage and sheer cliff walls, which is highly useful given the geography of Helvetia
* SquareCubeLaw: Subverted, since the Takemikazuchi has a system that allows gravity exerted on it to be reduced fivefold, allowing it to become insanely agile for its size. This is played straight for the modern knock-offs: lacking this device, they can only move in slow, lumbering strides.
* StagedShooting: Noël and Kureha unload their machine guns at two men, causing two members of the mafia to flee in terror. It turns out the guns were loaded with blank rounds, and the two men fired at regularly do business with the Clocktower Maidens.
* StandardHollywoodStrafingProcedure: Seen in the Binnenland flashback.
* StandingBetweenTheEnemies: [[spoiler: After Kanata manages to stall two armies from charging each other with AmazingFreakingGrace, Rio steps betwen the armies astride her red SpiderTank and commands them to stand down.]]
* [[SurprisinglyGoodEnglish Surprisingly Good Roman]]: Aisha's VA, Creator/NamiMiyahara, grew up in Austria. German viewers claim Aisha speaks somewhat informal, but otherwise fine, German.
* SuspiciouslySpecificDenial:
** Kanata on phone duty: “I haven't been sleeping! A-Absolutely have not been sleeping!”
** Seiya's description of Kanata reads as follows: "She's easily amused, she forgets everything, she's just like a little kid, and she's not sexy at all!"
** On the first drama CD, Kureha explains how she's never heard strange noises, felt like someone's watching her, or generally felt the presence of a ghost in any way. Ever!
* SyntheticPlague: The Invisible Reaper (In "Roman", it's called "Unsichtbarer Teufel", which means "Invisible Devil").
* TakeAThirdOption: Peace talks between Helvetia and Rome seems to be breaking down, and war likely to break out again. So the girls do something rather drastic which halts the fighting long enough for an actual peace treaty to be worked out, [[spoiler: by going between both armies and playing Amazing Grace, which both sides are familiar with.]]
* ThanksForTheMammaries: Noël does this to the female Roman soldier Aisha in episode eleven after the latter wakes up and attempts to overpower her. Aisha's scream is enough to cause Kanata and Kureha to come to the medical room.
* TeamPet: Shuko, the owl from the first episode was also the mascot of Iliya's platoon.
* {{Technical Pacifist}}s: If it wasn't for a their usage of a SpiderTank, they might be closer to {{Reluctant Warrior}}s:
-->'''Kureha:''' Do you think you could shoot a gun at someone?
-->'''Kanata:''' If I thought it was the right thing to do, I might.
* ThemeNaming
** The {{Spider Tank}}s are named after mythological figures, including the Greek Arachne and the Japanese Takemikazuchi and Torifune.
** Helvetia's neigbouring countries are named after old European countries, mostly francophone: Gaul, Franconie, Geneve...
* ThemeTuneCameo: Rio [[HollywoodToneDeaf "sings"]] the opening theme while drunk.
* TitleDrop: In the first episode, and several times later, usually referring to Amazing Grace.
* TitleOnlyOpening: The final episode begins with the resolution of the previous episode's cliffhanger ending, without the opening theme. There's also no closing theme, with an epilogue taking place as the end credits roll, and the [[{{Eyecatch}} eyecatches]] are gone.
* ToBeLawfulOrGood: Duty vs. morality. [[spoiler: Morality triumphs.]]
* TranslationConvention: Based on the written texts that appear, Helvetian is French. Some text appears to be Japanese kanji, which only the priesthood seem able to read. Strangely, one of the lanterns in episode seven has English writing on it and some signs in Seize are written in Spanish.
* TwelveEpisodeAnime: With [[BonusEpisode two more exclusive to the DVDs]].
* UnsuspectinglySoused: Everyone in the first OVA, find themselves drunk, and even Filicia, who planned the sousing, overestimates her own tolerance.
* WarIsHell: Episode seven exemplifies just how much of a hell it is.
* WelcomeEpisode
* WhamEpisode: Episode seven reflects on [[spoiler: Filicia's post-traumatic stress disorder from wartime]]. There's very little death in the rest of the show, so it hits pretty hard.
* WhereTheHellIsSpringfield: The second bonus episode shows an approximate world map that seems to put Helvetia somewhere in eastern China. But Helvetians [[TranslationConvention speak and write in French]], and cannot read the "ideograms" left behind by the apparently Japanese [[{{Precursors}} former residents]]. The "Romans," who have dark skin and speak German, live right next door. Adding confusion to the mix, Seize is a near-replica of a real town in Spain (see RealPlaceBackground above).
* WhileRomeBurns:
** Sweets and a cup of something hot are the ideal thing to have after [[spoiler: committing treason and before a war]].
** For a less literal example, Rio laments in episode thirteen that [[spoiler: the nations of the world are wasting their time with wars while the Earth slowly dies, and mentions Holy Rome turning into a desert as an example]].
* WomenDrivers: While most of the females are competent drivers, Kanata's tendency to take her eyes off the road when driving [[HilarityEnsues results in chaos]].
* XMeetsY: Viewers feel that So Ra No Wo To can be described as a combination of several shows, not limited to:
** ''Manga/KOn'' meets ''StrikeWitches''
** ''Manga/KOn'' meets ''Literature/AllQuietOnTheWesternFront''
** ''{{Manga/ARIA}}'' meets ''Anime/HaibaneRenmei''.
** ''{{Manga/ARIA}}'' meets ''{{Macross}}''.
* YodelLand: The entire series take place here, complete with snowy mountains. [[spoiler: Despite the location being Japan]], the town, buildings and countryside are actually based on the Spanish town of Cuenca, right down to [[AluminumChristmasTrees the odd rock pillars and the house on the edge of a cliff]].
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* BonusEpisode: There are two bonus DVD-only episodes: one of them surrounds the misadventures the Clocktower Maidens have after a drinking spree, and the other serves as an epilogue to the series.
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* [[SurprisinglyGoodEnglish Surprisingly Good Roman]]: Aisha's VA, NamiMiyahara, grew up in Austria. German viewers claim Aisha speaks somewhat informal, but otherwise fine, German.
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* [[SurprisinglyGoodEnglish Surprisingly Good Roman]]: Aisha's VA, NamiMiyahara, Creator/NamiMiyahara, grew up in Austria. German viewers claim Aisha speaks somewhat informal, but otherwise fine, German.
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* CreatorThumbprint: The openings of ''Manga/ElfenLied'' and Sora No Woto, both series directed by Mamoru Kanbe, feature recreations of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustav_Klimt Gustav Klimt's]] paintings, featuring the respective shows' characters.
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* CreatorThumbprint: The openings Similar to the opening of ''Manga/ElfenLied'' and Sora No Woto, both series (also directed by Mamoru Kanbe, feature recreations Kanbe), Sora no Woto's opening is a recreation of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustav_Klimt Gustav Klimt's]] paintings, featuring the their respective shows' characters.
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* CreatorThumbprint: The openings of ElfenLied and Sora No Woto, both series directed by Mamoru Kanbe, feature recreations of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustav_Klimt Gustav Klimt's]] paintings, featuring the respective shows' characters.
to:
* CreatorThumbprint: The openings of ElfenLied ''Manga/ElfenLied'' and Sora No Woto, both series directed by Mamoru Kanbe, feature recreations of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustav_Klimt Gustav Klimt's]] paintings, featuring the respective shows' characters.
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* NotSoStoic: This is humorously done with Noël in the first OVA, where the garrison (plus Sister Yumina) plays a war game and she goes on a rampage with her modified water Gatling gun. While this might have been a consequence of Filicia spiking everyone's tea with Calvados, it further reinforces the fact that Noël isn't a [[ReiAyanamiExpy Rei]] [[EmotionlessGirl clone]]. Especially when considering that she had already built the gun, either for fun or just in case such a day finally came.
to:
* NotSoStoic: This is humorously done with Noël in the first OVA, where the garrison (plus Sister Yumina) plays a war game and she goes on a rampage with her modified water Gatling gun. While this might have been a consequence of Filicia spiking everyone's tea with Calvados, it further reinforces the fact that Noël isn't a [[ReiAyanamiExpy Rei]] [[EmotionlessGirl clone]]. Especially when considering that she had already built the gun, either for fun or just in case such a day finally came.
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* CrapsaccharineWorld: On the first glance, this is [[KOn K-ON!]] [[RecycledInSpace set on the battlefield]]: [[SceneryPorn the landscapes are beautiful]], girls bond and have memorable adventures… [[FridgeHorror at least until one realizes]] that the characters are essentially [[ChildSoldier teenaged soldiers]] having gone through [[WarIsHell trying events]] in their lives and have [[DarkAndTroubledPast issues]] (with Kanata as the exception). Furthermore, humanity's [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt losing war against "Them"]] led to the deterioration of the Earth's biosphere. However, it is a WorldHalfFull, as the PV (and the [[BilingualBonus lyrics of ''Servante de Feu'']]) reminds us:
to:
* CrapsaccharineWorld: On the first glance, this is [[KOn K-ON!]] ''Manga/KOn'' [[RecycledInSpace set on the battlefield]]: [[SceneryPorn the landscapes are beautiful]], girls bond and have memorable adventures… [[FridgeHorror at least until one realizes]] that the characters are essentially [[ChildSoldier teenaged soldiers]] having gone through [[WarIsHell trying events]] in their lives and have [[DarkAndTroubledPast issues]] (with Kanata as the exception). Furthermore, humanity's [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt losing war against "Them"]] led to the deterioration of the Earth's biosphere. However, it is a WorldHalfFull, as the PV (and the [[BilingualBonus lyrics of ''Servante de Feu'']]) reminds us:
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* {{Expy}}: The crew is often compared to ''{{K-ON}}'''s cast, despite the lack of similarities in some of the characters (such as Ritsu and Noël). In episode two, Kanata [[ImagineSpot imagines]] the 1121st in a normal high school music club.
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* {{Expy}}: The crew is often compared to ''{{K-ON}}'''s ''Manga/KOn'''s cast, despite the lack of similarities in some of the characters (such as Ritsu and Noël). In episode two, Kanata [[ImagineSpot imagines]] the 1121st in a normal high school music club.
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** ''{{K-ON}}!'' meets ''StrikeWitches''
** ''{{K-ON}}!'' meets ''Literature/AllQuietOnTheWesternFront''
** ''{{K-ON}}!'' meets ''Literature/AllQuietOnTheWesternFront''
to:
** ''{{K-ON}}!'' ''Manga/KOn'' meets ''StrikeWitches''
**''{{K-ON}}!'' ''Manga/KOn'' meets ''Literature/AllQuietOnTheWesternFront''
**
