Luminous Witches

Alternate Title

連盟空軍航空魔法音楽隊ルミナスウィッチーズ
Renmei Kugun Koku Maho Ongakutai Luminous Witches

Synopsis

The girls of the Music Squadron may not fight on the frontlines against the Neuroi like the 501st Joint Fighter Wing "Strike Witches," but that doesn’t mean they can’t help save people and bring smiles to faces through their singing and dancing! Join the Luminous Witches as they crawl up from the very bottom and use music to inspire hope around the world!

Background

Luminous Witches is a spin-off series to the Strike Witches mixed-media franchise created by Humikane Shimada and Projekt World Witches created to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the World Witches series. The project was first announced in July 2018, and the girls of the music group Luminous Witches released their first single, “Flying Skyhigh,” in August 2020.

A TV anime is currently in the works and is being produced by SHAFT. It features Shouji Saeki as director and Kana Shundo as assistant director, with Kazuya Shiotsuki handling character designs, Mina Otaka handling familiar designs, and Yoshiaki Fujisawa composing the music. The anime’s cast is singing both the opening and ending theme songs "WONDERFUL WORLD" and “Watashi to Minna no Uta.” The anime will premiere in Japan on July 3, 2022 on Tokyo MX and AT-X.

Characters

Virginia Robertson (Voiced by: Mai Narumi)
Nickname: Ginny
Age: 14
Birthplace: Britannia
Familiar: Moffy (?)
Role: Vocals, arrangement
Rank: Sergeant
Birthdate: 4/7
Height: 154 cm
Virginia is a girl from the countryside of Britannia who came to London alone with a certain goal in mind. She has the qualities of a night witch and has the ability to hear magic waves and radio waves. Though a bit naive, she loves everyone in the band. She has a strange familiar.

Inori Shibuya (Voiced by: Minako Hosokawa)
Nickname: Inorin
Age: 14
Birthplace: Fuso
Familiar: Okoge (calico cat)
Role: Vocals, composition
Rank: Sergeant
Birthdate: 8/12
Height: 153 cm
Inori is a member of the Fuso Air Force whose father is a military officer stationed in Britannia. She comes from a genuine military family. She is usually calm but also shows an unyielding side when she makes up her mind about something. Her familiar is a calico cat.

Lyudmila Andreyevna Ruslanova (Voiced by: Ami Aimoto)
Nickname: Milasha
Age: 14
Birthplace: Orussia
Familiar: Olivier (Borzoi)
Role: Vocals, lyrics
Rank: Sergeant
Birthdate: 10/27
Height: 160 cm
Lyudmila is a witch belonging to the Orussian Army. Although not her intention, her energetic nature and caring attitude combine to strangely make it look to those around her like she’s angry. She keeps secret the fact that she writes poems in her flight log.

Aila Päivikki Linnamar (Voiced by: Ryo Mamiya)
Nickname: Aila
Age: 16
Birthplace: Suomus
Familiar: Fin (Arctic wolf)
Role: Vocals, leader
Rank: Lieutenant
Birthdate: 6/29
Height: 171 cm
Aila is the band’s ace witch. She had to leave the frontlines for some reason and came to the Music Squadron‎. Though she looks cool, she is a big sister type with a passionate heart whom everyone adores. She is best friends with Elly.

Éléonore Giovanna Gassion (Voiced by: Sayaka Tsuzuki)
Nickname: Elly
Age: 16
Birthplace: Gallia
Familiar: Rio (house cat)
Role: Vocals, sub-leader
Rank: Sergeant
Birthdate: 12/19
Height: 166 cm
Éléonore is often thought of as a curious person due to her overly frank words and behavior, but she doesn’t seem to mind. She’s the type to intervene when she sees someone in trouble. She can talk to cats.

Maria Magdalene Dietrich (Voiced by: Kana Konaka)
Nickname: Maria
Age: 15
Birthplace: Karlsland
Familiar: Flocke (flying squirrel)
Role: Vocals, acrobatics
Rank: Master Sergeant
Birthdate: 12/27
Height: 155 cm
Maria is a Karlsland girl with military ambitions and pride who respects order at all times. Though not a night witch, her familiar is a flying squirrel that is nocturnal, so it has excellent night vision. She’s not a morning person.

Manaia Matawhaura Hato (Voiced by: Misaki Yuki)
Nickname: Mana
Age: 13
Birthplace: New Zeiland
Familiar: Kyu-chan (kiwi)
Role: Vocals, choreography
Rank: Sergeant
Birthdate: 12/30
Height: 152 cm
Manaia is a lively New Zeiland girl who eats well, sleeps well, and is growing up well. She loves being active and often dances whenever she can find the time and place. Her familiar Kiwi is said to be unfit to be a witch’s familiar due to her fickle personality, but she loves her anyway and calls her Kyu-chan.

Sylvie Cariello (Voiced by: Rino Yoshikita)
Nickname: Sylvi
Age: 15
Birthplace: Romagna
Familiar: Pekorus-chan (sheep)
Role: Vocals, costumes
Rank: Sergeant
Birthdate: 10/11
Height: 162 cm
Sylvie is a hardworking witch from Romagna who, despite her outstanding performance during training, is ordered to transfer to the Music Squadron. Although she is usually a bit of a downer, when it comes to fashion she has an impeccable side and won’t lose to anyone. She seems to have a secret.

Joanna Elizabeth Stafford (Voiced by: Rio Mamesaki)
Nickname: Jo
Age: 12
Birthplace: Liberion
Familiar: Smile (prairie dog)
Role: Vocals, design
Rank: Master Sergeant
Birthdate: 11/12
Height: 150 cm
Joanna is a witch girl from New York, Liberion. When she awakens as a witch, she joins the army to support her eight younger siblings in place of her ailing parents. She is skilled at drawing and designed the unit emblem and everyone’s personal mark. She is the youngest of the Luminous Witches.

Grace Maitland Steward (Voiced by: Mikako Komatsu)
Nickname: Gracie
Age: 23
Birthplace: Liberion
Role: Liberion Army Air Force Federation Flying Witches commanding officer / producer
Rank: Major
Birthdate: 5/20
Height: 165 cm
Grace is a military girl from Liberion. During her active service as a witch, she participated in many battles as a member of the Liberion Volunteer Army, including the Battle of Dunkirk and the Battle of Britain. After retiring, she took up a desk job she wasn’t accustomed to. She has been struggling to gather a budget and members for the Music Squadron, a group of witches who don’t participate in battle and instead use their singing to save people.

Music

Opening Theme Song: "WONDERFUL WORLD" by the anime’s cast
Ending Theme Song: "Watashi to Minna no Uta" by the anime’s cast

• Website (Japanese)
• Twitter (Japanese)

• Original Creator: Humikane Shimada & Projekt World Witches
• Original Character Design: Humikane Shimada
• Director: Shouji Saeki
• Assistant Director: Kana Shundo
• Character Design: Kazuya Shiotsuki
• Familiar Design: Mina Otaka
• Chief Animation Director: Kazuya Shiotsuki, Sayuri Sakimoto, Akihisa Takano
• Main Animator: Yumi Shimizu, Nagisa Sekiguchi, Ryo Komori, Tsutomu Shibutani
• Art Director: Tomoyasu Hosoi
• Art Setting: Takeyuki Takahashi
• Color Design: Jin Hibino
• CG Director: Kazuki Eigen, Hisato Shima
• Director of Photography: Rei Egami
• Editing: Rie Matsubara
• Sound Director: Yukio Nagasaki
• Sound Effects: Kiyotaka Kawada
• Music: Yoshiaki Fujisawa
• Music Production: Kadokawa
• Animation Production: SHAFT