History Anime / SkyGirls

* BoobsOfSteel: Eika, befitting her "best pilot" status, has the largest bust of all the Sky Girls team, [[ACupAngst much to Otoha's displeasure]]. Eika herself doesn't actually like it since "it gets in the way". Subverted when taken outside the team, as Nanae has the ''largest'' bust of all female characters, and she's part MissionControl, part TeamMom.

* ButNotTooForeign: Elise. Also later Aisha, [[spoiler:although this troper does not know any Indian girl named ''Aisha'' who wears a ''Cheongsam''...]]
** She's probably Indian Muslim (not all Indian Muslims migrated to Pakistan), and it's traditional Punjabi clothing she's wearing, not a cheongsam.

* KansaiRegionalAccent: The resident mechanics Haruko and Ranko have it. While Ranko is a stereotypical GenkiGirl, Haruko is much more calm, and in a true RedOniBlueOni fashion, they also are red and blue themed.

* OverprotectiveDad: Eika's father opposed her becoming a pilot.
** Justified in that, were it not for the PlotArmor, she could very easily have been killed.

%%* ACupAngst: Otoha. [[BerserkButton Don't point it out]].

** For Togo, whose introduction is him meeting Eika near her plane, snarking at her age with a fishing rod over his shoulder before informing her of his rank (Eika is not amused). In episode 26, he does ''[[StaticCharacter exactly the same]]''. ([[CharacterDevelopment This time, Eika just snarks back]]).

* CharacterDevelopment: Plenty of it for most characters. {{Inverted}} with [[StaticCharacter Togo]]: he already [[HiddenDepths had his own development off-screen]], he's ''exactly'' as he wants to be, and is instead working to change everyone else (including the ''whole world'') to develop the same way.

* StaticCharacter: [[spoiler: A positive take on it.]] Togo remains from first to last episode as ''waaaay'' too carefree for a senior commaner officer of his range. [[spoiler: He had all his CharacterDevelopment off-screen before the series started, is already as he wants to be, and is actively trying to get everyone else (''whole world'' included) to be as he wants them to be).]]

* CharacterizationMarchesOn: Due to the obvious fact that on OVA has only 30 minutes, the PowerTrio is depicted in a very stereotypical way, sometimes at odds with how the series portrayed them. While Otoha's character largely stays the same, Karen's trait as a Teen Genius is more accentuated by her spouting off [[SesquipedalianLoquaciousness exact minutes and percentages]], while Eika comes off as a little narcissist by taking sunbathing {{serious|Business}}ly. Other subtler traits however, are used as basis to build their characters in the series, such as Karen's shyness with boys, Eika's seriousness as the only military girl, Otoha's chemistry with Ryohei, Ryohei's love of motorbikes (alluded in the ending theme), Takumi as the TeamChef, etc.

* AccidentalPervert: The entire cast, [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments at the same time]].
* AchillesInHisTent: Elise, after she joins the team and angsts a bunch.
* ACupAngst: Otoha. [[BerserkButton Don't point it out]].

* AwesomenessByAnalysis: Karen. In and out of combat; her cockpit display is set to provide her a wealth of information so huge that a normal person would only perceive "noise", and she's able to both memorize the enemy's weapons firing patterns so accurately that can intercept them firing over the shoulder ''without looking'', and [[spoiler: calculate Nanae's [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments breast size]] (that she's hiding behind documents)]] just upon visible measurements, human averages, angles and proportions.

* HairAntennae: Elise, though she has three rather than the more common two.

* CharacterDevelopment: Plenty of it

* OlderThanTheyLook: Official ages of the pilots: Elise is 15, Karen and Otoha are 16, and Eika is 17. [[http://www.jcstaff.co.jp/sho-sai/skytv-shokai/skytv-index.htm You decide.]]

* HairDecorations: Somehow, the Motion Slit technology requires the pilots to wear some sort of a hair dec. Most of them look vaguely resembling a mechanical version of droopy dog ears, while Elise's stand upright like a German Shepherd's.

* HairDecorations: Somehow, the Motion Slit technology requires the pilots to wear some sort of a hair dec. Most of them look vaguely resembling a mechanical version of droopy dog ears, while Elise's stand upright like a German Shepherd's. See PettingZooPeople below.

* PettingZooPeople: Strangely enough, the Motion Slits include hair decorations that vaguely resemble animal ears and has a cable extension connecting their spine to the Sonic Divers resembling tails. This become even more pronounced at the second generation Rescue Sky Girls, whose hair decs are even more varied. Seems Fumikane decided to cut the middleman and made everyone in ''Anime/StrikeWitches'' magically sprout animal ears and tails without any other explanation other than [[AWizardDidIt their magic powers did it...]]

* RetiredBadass: Several. [[spoiler:Soya Togo is one; he was an AcePilot retiring due to a nasty injury and instead becomes CoolTeacher to the girls.]] Also, the Koryu's captain and first offficer (Admiral Kadowaki and Rear Admiral Shima), ''very'' high-ranking and ''very'' experienced Fleet officers coming out of retirement for the task.

* RetiredBadass: [[spoiler:Soya Togo is one; he was an AcePilot retiring due to a nasty injury and instead becomes CoolTeacher to the girls.]]

* DudeWheresMyRespect: Played with; the whole series is the tale of how the trope is first played painfully straight (as the HQ treats the Sky Girls and the Sonic Divers with derision as "toys"); then downplayed when they become FamedInStory, with HQ deciding to treat them as a mere [[PropagandaHero decoy]] of their favored project (the [[Game/{{Gradius}} Vic Viper]]); and ''finally'' averted when [[EarnYourHappyEnding their own actions]] earn them [[HundredPercentHeroismRating the respect of their peers, the recognition of the HQ, and the admiration of the public]].

* AwesomenessByAnalysis: Karen. In and out of combat; her cockpit display is set to provide her a wealth of information so huge that a normal person would only perceive "noise", and she's able to both memorize the enemy's weapons firing patterns so accurately that can intercept them firing over the shoulder ''without looking'', and [[spoiler: calculate Nanae's [[FunnyMoments breast size]] (that she's hiding behind documents)]] just upon visible measurements, human averages, angles and proportions.

To fight them, a special unit of MiniMecha has been devised: the Sonic Divers. Curiously, these can only be piloted by young females. The first unit consists of three teenaged girls, one of which is Otoha Sakurano, an avid kendo practicioner. The story focuses primarily on her plight, although the other girls get plenty of attention as well. In the TV series, the team gets expanded by one more [[ButNotTooForeign girl of German origin]].

* AwesomenessByAnalysis: Karen. In and out of combat; her cockpit display is set to provide her a wealth of information so huge that a normal person would only perceive "noise", and she's able to both memorize the enemy's weapons firing patterns so accurately that can intercept them firing over the shoulder ''without looking'', and [[spoiler: calculate Nanae's [[FunnyMoments breast size]] (that she's hidding behind documents)]] just upon visible measuraments, human averages, angles and proportions.
* BigDamnHeroes: Try telling to the mother, daughter and kitten they rescue from a landslide in the nick of time in their first sortie that they aren't that. Half-lampshaded, half-discused, as TV broadcasts the whole rescue aftermath and they get to be FamedInStory as BigDamnHeroes.

** For Eika, who is introducted being defeated by a surprise move from another test pilot in a vastly superior machine. In episode 26, she puts that same move in an ''inferior'' plane against ''two'' other ''superior'' planes and teaches their pilots not to depend too much of the machine's performance.

** For the Sonic Divers team, whose first mission was meant to be an airshow which a natural disaster turns into a rescue operation, and whose very last sortie is to put a ''kickass'' airshow for [[PassingTheTorch their replacements]], a dedicated ''rescue unit'' of brand new Sonic Divers. Slightly PlayedWith, as the first book end happens several episodes into the series, wel after the Divers are introducted.

* ButNotTooForeign: Elise. Also later Aisha, [[spoiler: although this troper does not know any Indian girl named ''Aisha'' who wears a ''Cheongsam''...]]

* ContinuityNod: [=OVA=] and series are slightly alternate continuities. Both start, however, with a shot (the [=OVA=]'s, ''considerably'' more [[FanService Fan Service-y]]) of Otoha swiming under a boat - even with the same music playing on the radio.
** The one episode delay betwen Kouryuu sailing forth and Elize's Diver being operational is another nod to the [=OVA=], depicting a three-girls team onboard.

* {{Deconstruction}}: In a series like this, it ''should'' be unlikely. From the girls being OlderThanTheyLook (low ressources society means stunted growth) to Otoha's reaction of finding out about the fate of her brother to Karen's reaction to the clothes they wear on duty, this story has some fairly realistic and dark tones.

* HairDecorations: Somehow, the Motion Slit technology requires the pilots to wear some sort of a hair dec. Most of them look vaguely resembling a mechanical version of a droopy dog ears, while Elise's stand upright like a German Shepherd's. See PettingZooPeople below.

* HypocriticalHumour: Otoha notices Elise's blonde hair, immediatly asking if she is a foreigner. This despite the fact that Otoha's own hair is ''bright orange''.

* MoodWhiplash: As a general rule, expect a dark reveal of some sort to any "light" episodes. For example, the same episode that has Otoha running around the base to find the owner of a large bra is also the episode where Elise is introduced [[spoiler: by having her hastily evacuated from the destroyed West Europe base]]. Also, the real reason why Sky Girls are formed, during a HotSpringsEpisode.

* PettingZooPeople: Strangely enough, the Motion Slits include hair decorations that vaguely resemble animal ears and has a cable extension connecting their spine to the Sonic Divers resembling tails. This become even more pronounced at the second generation Rescue Sky Girls, whose hair decs are even more varying. Seems Fumikane decided to cut the middleman and made everyone in ''Anime/StrikeWitches'' magically sprout animal ears and tails without any other explanation other than [[AWizardDidIt their magic powers did it...]]

* SpoilerOpening: The opening spoils the appearance of Elise quite a while before she even shows up and only several episodes after that she actually joins the cast proper; and it basicly spoils the entire rest of the cast too. It also shows a girl whose face is obscured by a helmet; it's actually Aisha who joins very late and otherwise only showed up once to fight against Eika in a test battle.

In the latter half of the 21st century earth is threatened by creatures called [=WORMS=], which are huge artificial life forms resembling the first thing they see--usually sea organisms. After a devastating war they seem to have been defeated, only to suddenly appear again.

* HairDecorations: Somehow, the Motion Slit technology requires the pilots to wear some sort of a hair dec. Most of them look vaguely resembling a mechanical version of a droopy dog ears, while Elise's stand upright like a German Shepherd's. See petting zoo people below.

* XMeetsY: Sky Girls is a future version of ''Anime/StrikeWitches'' meets ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' meets [[Anime/SuperDimensionFortressMacross Variable Fighters]] (minus the GERWALK Mode).

* HairDecorations: Somehow, the Motion Slit technology requires the pilots to wear some sort of a hair dec. Most of them look vaguely resembling a mechanical version of a droopy dog ears, while Elise's stand upright like rabbit ears. See petting zoo people below.

** The (otherwise unexplaiable) one episode delay betwen Kouryuu sailing forth and Elize's Diver being operational is another nod to the [=OVA=], depicting a three-girls team onboard.