Infinite Stratos

Posted by : vin Minggu, 02 Juni 2013

IS <Infinite Stratos> ( Japanese: IS〈インフィニット・ストラトス〉 Hepburn: IS <Infinitto Sutoratosu>) is a Japanese light novel series by Izuru Yumizuru with illustrations provided by Okiura and CHOCO. As of April 2011, 7 volumes have been published by Media Factory under their MF Bunko J label. From volume 8 onwards, the novels will be published by Overlap under their Overlap Bunko label. A manga adaptation by Kenji Akahoshi was serialized in the seinen manga magazine Monthly Comic Alive from May 2010 to July 2012 with five volumes published under their Alive Comics imprint. A 13-episode anime adaptation aired in Japan between January and March, 2011, and an OVA was released on December 7, 2011. The anime is licensed by Sentai Filmworks in North America, and they released the series on April 10, 2012. A second series has been announced and scheduled to start airing on Fall 2013.

Plot

In the near future, a Japanese scientist engineers a powered exoskeleton called "Infinite Stratos" (IS). Possessing technology and combat capabilities far more advanced than any other weapon system, the IS threatens to destabilize the world. Faced with such an overpowering weapon, the nations of the world enact the "Alaska Treaty", which states that IS will never be used for military combat and that existing IS technology must be equally distributed to all nations, to prevent any one nation from dominating the others. The introduction of the IS does, however, have a major effect on society. As IS can only be operated by women, there is a shift in the power balance between men and women, where women now dominate society over men.

Ten years after IS was initially introduced, the world has entered a new age of peace. The peace is shattered, however, by Ichika Orimura, a 15-year-old Japanese boy able to operate an IS. Realizing the potential, the Japanese government forces the bewildered young man to attend the prestigious Infinite Stratos Academy, an international academy where IS pilots from all over the world are trained. Thus, he starts a busy high school life surrounded by nothing but girls who can use IS.

Characters

Main characters

Ichika Orimura (織斑一夏 Orimura Ichika): Voiced by: Kōki Uchiyama (Japanese), Josh Grelle (English); The protagonist of Infinite Stratos. He is a first year student at the IS Academy. His older sister, Chifuyu, is a legendary IS pilot who raised him when the siblings' parents abandoned them at a young age. Despite how harshly she treats him, he loves his sister dearly. As the first male IS pilot, his new reputation has made him somewhat famous as many scientists and engineers would like to study him. He is oblivious to the fact that some of his female friends have feelings for him. He pilots the Byakushiki (白式, lit. White Expressions) IS,^[1] a prototype, one of only two developed 4^th-generation IS focused on short-range melee attacks. He also possesses Chifuyu's Yukihira Type 2 (雪片弐型 Yukihira Nigata), upgraded from the version used by his sister; and Core Number 001, the very first IS core.

Later on, Byakushiki undergoes Second Shift shortly after Houki Shinonono acquires her personal unit, Akatsubaki. In the resulting Second Shift form, named Byakushiki Setsura (白式雪羅), it is equipped with a multi-function unit Setsura (雪羅), which has: a high-caliber charged particle cannon, an energy claw for close-quarters combat, and an energy shield with the One-Off ability. In its Second Shift, Byakushiki also gains an increase in mobility through the addition of 4 large wing thrusters, enabling it to execute Double Ignition Boost.^{[ volume & issue needed]} In this Second Shift form, it is the best IS ever made along with Houki's Akatsubaki.

Houki Shinonono (篠ノ之箒 Shinonono Hōki): Voiced by: Yōko Hikasa (Japanese), Monica Rial (English); Houki is a first-year student at the IS Academy and Ichika Orimura's childhood friend, though they have not seen each other for six years.^[2] She has a very long ponytail.^[3] Her place of residence is home to a kendo dojo, which led to her early interest in kendo. Houki even competes in kendo competitions at a national level, and was the winner of the national tournament that was hosted one year before the story of Infinite Stratosbegan.^[4] She is part of the kendo club at the IS academy. Her older sister, Tabane Shinonono, is the creator of the IS, though their relationship is strained. Six years ago, Ichika agrees to become her boyfriend if she could win the national kendo tournament of their grade. However, the day of the tournament is also the day the IS was introduced to the world. Due to the familal links to Tabane, Houki's family is placed under government protection and Houki is forced to withdraw from the kendo tournament. Since that incident, Houki resents her sister for moving her away from Ichika and abandoning their family.

Despite not seeing him for a long time, Houki still harbors strong feelings for Ichika, as her continuing practice of kendo was her only link to him. She was his initial roommate before the arrivals of Charlotte Dunois and Sarashiki Tatenashi, and tends to get jealous when other girls are around him. Originally not possessing a personal IS, in Volume 3 she receives and pilots the Akatsubaki (紅椿, lit. Red Camellia) IS, one of only two developed 4th generation IS and a short-range melee-class IS, armed with twin katana named Amatsuki (雨月, "Rainy Moon") and Karaware (空裂, "Cracked Sky"). The Akatsubaki has a One-Off ability called Kenran Butō (絢爛舞踏, "Magnificent Dance"), which allows Houki to replenish both her own and other IS's energy when she comes in contact with them. However, because she is still unskilled as a pilot and her compatibility with the IS is only at grade C, she is still considered to be on the same level of the other girls. As of Volume 7, her compatibility has risen to grade S.

Cecilia Alcott (セシリア・オルコット Seshiria Orukotto): Voiced by: Yukana (Japanese), Brittney Karbowski (English); Cecilia is a first year student at the IS Academy and is an IS Cadet Representative of the United Kingdom, as part of the British Aristocracy. Her father, a spoiled and timid man who had little influence both inside and outside the Alcott family, makes her swear to never marry a weak man (a difficulty due to the shift in social status). Upon losing her parents in a deadly train accident when she is 12 years old, Cecilia is forced to protect her family fortune from those who wish to claim a stake of it. After showing high IS aptitude, she makes a deal with the British government, who, in exchange for protecting her family's assets, wants her to go to the IS Academy as a Cadet Representative to gather data for their latest 3^rd-generation model. She was almost defeated by Ichika for the position of class representative but won due to a technicality, but later cedes her position to Ichika. She soon starts to see him as a true man and falls in love with him. She pilots the Blue Tears (ブルー・ティアーズ Burū Tiāzu) IS, a long-range sniper-class IS, which can deploy four remotely controlled "drones" (aka "Blue Tears", for which the IS is named) for engaging enemies at short and medium range. The Blue Tears IS is also equipped with the Starlight Mark III (スターライトmkIII Sutāraito Māku Surī), a large laser rifle, and Interceptor (インターセプター Intāseputā), a short blade used for close-range combat. In the anime, Blue Tears is shown to also have a pair of rocket launchers attached to the hips, in place of two other Blue Tears shown in the light novels, used at close to long-range on different occasions.

Huang Lingyin (凰鈴音 Fan Rin'in): Voiced by: Asami Shimoda (Japanese), Hilary Haag (English); Lingyin is a first year student at the IS Academy, the class representative of her class and is an IS Cadet Representative of China. As with Houki Shinonono, Lingyin has been friends with Ichika Orimura since their early childhood. She has been in love with Ichika ever since he protected her against four school bullies. Lingyin at first becomes extremely hostile to Ichika after he forgets the details of a promise they made as kids (which was if she became an excellent cook, he would be her boyfriend). She is also called "Ling" (鈴 Rin) as a nickname by others. Her family ran a Chinese restaurant that Ichika would often eat at before Ling's parents divorced and she moved back to China. She pilots the Shenlong (甲龍 Shenron/Kōryū) IS, a short-to-medium-range melee-type IS with powerful "Impact Cannons" hidden in the shoulder armor. It is also armed with the Sōten Gagetsu (双天牙月), a pair of liuyedao that can be connected to form a naginata-like weapon.

Charlotte Dunois (シャルロット・デュノア Sharurotto Dunoa): Voiced by: Kana Hanazawa (Japanese), Shannon Emerick (English); Charlotte is a first year student at the IS Academy and is an IS Cadet Representative of France. Charlotte initially calls herself Charles Dunois (シャルル・デュノア Sharuru Dunoa), posing as the second "male" IS pilot student that was transferred into Ichika's class. However, her plan is to spy on Ichika, discover how he is able to pilot an IS and acquire data from his IS (which at the time was considered the most advanced 3rd-generation unit). Because she enrolls as a male IS pilot, she is paired with Ichika as roommates since they are "both" guys. As a result of this arrangement, Ichika later discovers her true gender when he inadvertently walks in on her showering. Upon learning that Charlotte's father and his corporation used her to spy on him, Ichika decides to help protect her. She later falls in love with Ichika due to his bravery. She pilots the Rafale Revive Custom II (ラファール・リヴァイヴ・カスタムII Rafāru Revaivu Kasutamu Tsū) IS, a 2nd-generation custom multi-range IS possessing a wide array of interchangeable weapons allowing for fast battlefield adaptation and capable of performing the Ignition Boost. Her weapons, once called upon, can be used by another IS pilot as long as she grants permission. Due to her training to make her a convincing male prior to her entry to the IS Academy, Charlotte uses " boku" (an informal male equivalent of "I") when referring to herself. Following the Silver Gospel Incident in later novels, Charlotte becomes Laura's roommate.

Laura Bodewig (ラウラ・ボーデヴィッヒ Raura Bōdevihhi): Voiced by: Marina Inoue (Japanese), Tiffany Grant (English); Laura is a first-year student at the IS Academy and an IS Cadet Representative of Germany. A genetically-engineered super-soldier, Laura is the commander of the German IS special forces,Schwarzer Hase (シュヴァルツェア・ハーゼ Shuvarutsea Hāze, German for "Black Rabbit"). She has red eyes and long silver hair; but her most distinct feature being a black eyepatch covering her glowing-yellow left eye, the result of a failed nano-machine experiment meant to help her pilot an IS better. Laura was under Chifuyu's tutelage when the latter was an instructor for the German army following the 2^nd Mondo Grosso, and holds Chifuyu in high regard for helping her and was her role model when she suffered a depression for not being the strongest. Her current name is actually a code name given to her by the German military, as she was artificially created from human DNA.

Laura's original purpose for coming to the IS Academy is to punish Ichika, who she blames for his sister withdrawing from the 2nd IS International Fighting Tournament. She is unaware that Ichika is kidnapped at the time and that Chifuyu withdraws in order to save him. She initially defeats Ling and Cecilia but struggles in the tournament against the pair of Ichika and Charlotte, as they had planned their attacks beforehand (unlike Laura, who does not excel with allies). After Charlotte beats her during the class tournament, the dormant VT-System within Laura's IS activates, causing her to go berserk, defeating both Charlotte and Ichika. She is then stopped by Ichika, who also calms and console her in the Inter-IS subspace. After consoling her in the subspace, she realizes what Chifuyu sees in him and falls in love with him. Upon learning Ichika's strength is his freedom to choose and helping those around him and Chifuyu's advice, Laura decides to become Ichika's bodyguard to protect him against the other girls by kissing him in front of his class and professes that he is her wife, a misunderstanding of her knowledge of Japanese culture, and she will not accept any objections. She later becomes Charlotte's roommate in later novels following the Silver Gospel incident.

Laura pilots the Schwarzer Regen (「シュヴァルツェア・レーゲン Shuvarutsea Rēgen, German for "Black Rain") IS, a medium-to-long-range artillery-type IS. The Schwarzer Regen possess several remotely guided tethers, which Laura uses to capture and restrain her opponents while she attacks them with her slow, but extremely powerful rail gun. The Schwarzer Regen also possesses an "Active Inertial Canceller", which can be used to stop the movements of any object within its range. While a very powerful defense, the canceller can only be used against one target at a time.

IS Academy staff

Chifuyu Orimura (織斑千冬 Orimura Chifuyu): Voiced by: Megumi Toyoguchi (Japanese), Luci Christian (English); Ichika's 24 year-old older sister, and homeroom of his class at the Academy. She was the Japanese pilot for the first-generation IS machines and was said to be the strongest IS pilot at one point before retiring. During her retirement, she looked after her brother and raised him by herself after their parents abandoned them at a young age. Although she usually treats him coldly, Chifuyu deeply cares for Ichika, as she sees him as her only family. Chifuyu was also the one who enrolled Ichika to the IS Academy to keep him safe from other countries. Chifuyu once wielded Yukihira, a powerful IS energy blade now in Ichika's possession. Chifuyu was a close friend of Tabane Shinonono (see Other characters), which explains how their younger siblings became childhood friends. Tabane also implies (heavily) that Chifuyu piloted the "White Knight" (白騎士 Shirokishi)–the first ever developed IS that protected Japan from a missile attack 10 years prior to the series.

Maya Yamada (山田真耶 Yamada Maya): Voiced by: Noriko Shitaya (Japanese), Cynthia Martinez (English); The substitute instructor of Ichika's class, possessing a noticably large bust. She used to be an IS Representative Cadet of Japan. In the anime, this former status of hers is very apparent, as she was able to defeat both Cecilia and Lingyin single-handedly by using a mass-produced Raphael Revive IS in a training exercise.; Other characters

Tabane Shinonono (篠ノ之束 Shinonono Tabane)

Voiced by: Yukari Tamura (Japanese), Allison Keith (English)
Houki's older sister and the creator of the IS. She mysteriously disappeared after introducing the IS technology, and is currently the most wanted person in the world as many seek her for her knowledge about it. She is a close friend of Chifuyu, Ichika's older sister. Houki resents being related to her, due to what happened to their family and Ichika 6 years ago, and has hated her since. Despite her intelligence and age, she is rather eccentric and acts childishly, much to the chagrin of those who know her. She has a thing for rabbits, hence the metal bunny ears on her head and the carrot pod she arrived in to give Houki her IS.

Dan Gotanda (五反田弾 Gotanda Dan)

Voiced by: Makoto Yasumura (Japanese), Christopher Ayres (English)
A close friend of Ichika's back from middle school. He is often threatened (and sometimes beaten) by his younger sister, Ran.

Ran Gotanda (五反田蘭 Gotanda Ran)

Voiced by: Noriko Obato (Japanese), Luci Christian (English)
Dan's younger sister. She is currently in her third year of middle school and is the student council president. Ran apparently has a crush on Ichika. She plans to enroll at the IS academy, after revealing that she ranked A on an IS aptitude test.

Clarissa Harfouch (クラリッサ・ハルフォーフ Kurarissa Harufōfu)

Voiced by: Kei Mizusawa
Laura's comrade and the deputy commander of Schwarzer Hase. Like Laura, she also wears an eyepatch. An Otaku, Clarissa teaches Laura about Japanese culture through anime and manga (which is, even in reality, not very accurate). She is the pilot of the IS Schwarzer Zweig (シュヴァルツェア・ツヴァイク Shuvarutsea Tsuvaiku^?, German for "Black Branch").

Natasha Fairs (ナターシャ・ファイルス Natāsha Fairusu)

The IS Representative Cadet of the United States. In the novels, she was the test pilot for the Silver Gospel (銀の福音（シルバリオ・ゴスペル） Shirubario Gosuperu), an IS co-built with Israel, before she loses control of it when it goes berserk. It is only when the intervention by Ichika and the rest of his comrades are they able to stop the Silver Gospel. As gratitude for saving her life, Natasha kisses Ichika on the cheek as thanks, much to the anger of the girls. She is absent from the anime, as the Silver Gospel is an unmanned IS.

Tatenashi Sarashiki (更識楯無 Sarashiki Tatenashi)

The Student Council President of the IS Academy, as well as the 17^th leader of the Sarashiki Family and the IS Representative of Russia. She is the Academy's most powerful IS pilot (the position of Student Council President is only given to the strongest IS Academy student). In the novel, she is assigned to protect Ichika after the Silver Gospel incident and used her position of president to become Ichika's roommate (much to Houki's jealousy). Unlike the other girls, Tatenashi likes to tease Ichika with her body, making him uncomfortable most of the time. At the end of Volume 7 of the novel, she realizes she likes to flirt with Ichika, hinting that she may have developed feelings for him. She is the pilot of the Mysterious Lady (ミステリアス・レイディMisuteriasu Redi) IS. She has a younger sister named Kanzashi Sarashiki.