Brave Witches is a Japanese television anime in the World Witches franchise, centered on the 502nd Joint Fighter Wing and their battles against the mysterious Neuroi on the eastern front of Europe.
Brave Witches is a sister series to Strike Witches, but it tells its own story with a new main cast and a different front line.
While the 501st unit fights in western Europe, this series follows the 502nd in the cold and brutal skies of Orussia.
The anime aired from October 2016 to December 2016, with a special episode released later in May 2017.
It was the first anime in the franchise to use the broader series label World Witches in an official way.
The show keeps the franchise’s familiar mix of military fantasy, aerial action, and character-driven teamwork.
At the same time, it puts extra focus on perseverance, training, and earning one’s place in a unit of elite witches.
The story is set in 1944, after the destruction of the Neuroi nest over Gallia by the 501st unit.
With the tide beginning to turn, the Allied forces prepare major operations in central and eastern Europe.
At the center of the story is Hikari Karibuchi, a determined young witch who deeply admires her older sister, Takami Karibuchi.
Hikari does not possess overwhelming magical power, but she makes up for it with sheer effort, stubborn courage, and a refusal to give up.
When Takami is injured during transport, Hikari takes her place and joins the 502nd Joint Fighter Wing, known as the Brave Witches.
Thrown into fierce combat in the freezing north, she must prove herself among seasoned fighters while confronting her own limits.
Like other entries in the franchise, the series takes place in an alternate 20th century where magic exists.
Humanity is under attack from alien-like enemies called the Neuroi, and only young female magic users called Witches can fight them effectively.
These witches use flying machines called Striker Units, magical devices worn on the legs that allow high-speed aerial combat.
The 502nd unit is stationed in Petersburg in the Orussia Empire, guarding a critical route between Orussia and Suomus.
The eastern front has a distinct identity in the franchise.
It is colder, harsher, and more desperate, giving Brave Witches a tougher battlefield atmosphere than many earlier entries.
Hikari Karibuchi
Hikari Karibuchi is the protagonist.
She begins as an earnest trainee with limited magical strength, but her heart and determination are the emotional core of the series.
She is not the usual effortless ace.
That makes her journey especially engaging, because every step forward feels earned.
Takami Karibuchi
Takami Karibuchi is Hikari’s older sister and a highly respected witch.
Her injury becomes the event that pushes Hikari into the front lines.
She also represents the standard Hikari feels she must live up to.
That sisterly bond gives the series much of its emotional weight.
Naoe Kanno
Naoe Kanno is aggressive, fiery, and often rough around the edges.
She initially clashes with Hikari, but her intensity also makes her one of the most memorable members of the squad.
Nikka Edvardine Katajainen
Nikka Edvardine Katajainen brings energy and warmth to the group.
She helps balance the series’ harsher war setting with charm and personality.
Waltrud Krupinski
Waltrud Krupinski is laid-back, teasing, and hard to pin down.
Her easygoing surface hides the skill and instincts of a veteran.
Aleksandra I. Pokryshkin
Aleksandra I. Pokryshkin is cool, capable, and one of the more dependable senior members of the team.
She contributes to the disciplined military side of the unit.
Georgette Lemare
Georgette Lemare is one of the witches stationed with the 502nd.
She adds another national and personal flavor to the multinational group dynamic.
Sadako Shimohara
Sadako Shimohara is a member of the 502nd known for her distinct personality within the squad.
Like the rest of the cast, she helps shape the unit’s lively everyday chemistry.
Edytha Rossmann
Edytha Rossmann is among the experienced witches of the team.
She contributes to the sense that Hikari has entered a group of professionals who have already seen hard fighting.
Gundula Rall
Gundula Rall is a commanding presence in the 502nd.
She reinforces the eastern front’s serious and high-stakes military atmosphere.
The anime was directed by Takahiro Takamura.
Character design was also handled by Takamura, helping the series retain a strong visual continuity with earlier Strike Witches works.
The original concept came from Fumikane Shimada and Projekt World Witches.
Animation production was handled by SILVER LINK.
Music was composed by Seikou Nagaoka.
The series was produced by 502nd Joint Fighter Wing 2016.
The television series aired from October 6, 2016 to December 29, 2016.
It was broadcast on stations including TOKYO MX and later distributed on multiple platforms.
Because of production schedule issues, the broadcast was delayed after episode 3.
As a substitute during that interruption, a television-edited version of Strike Witches Operation Victory Arrow Vol. 1 was aired.
A special concluding episode, “Petersburg Grand Strategy,” was later screened on May 13, 2017.
This episode functioned as episode 13 and completed the anime’s story in OVA and event-screening form.
Core Staff
Original work: Fumikane Shimada and Projekt World Witches
Director and character designer: Takahiro Takamura
Series composition: Striker Unit
World setting and military research: Takaaki Suzuki
Neuroi design: Izumo Heavy Industries
Mechanical and weapon design: Tsuneki Shinobu
Music: Seikou Nagaoka
Animation studio: SILVER LINK.
The opening theme is “Ashita no Tsubasa” performed by Yoko Ishida.
Its bright, forward-driving sound fits the show’s theme of pushing ahead despite fear and weakness.
The ending theme is “LITTLE WING ~Spirit of LINDBERG~” sung by the members of the 502nd Joint Fighter Wing.
Different episodes feature different vocal arrangements, giving each part of the cast a moment to shine.
Like its sister series, Brave Witches mixes aerial combat with slice-of-life interactions at base.
Training, meals, teasing, and small personal worries sit right beside life-or-death battles.
What makes this series stand out is how strongly it leans into growth through hardship.
Hikari is often outclassed, but the story makes that struggle the point rather than a flaw.
The result is a more underdog-shaped narrative than the original Strike Witches.
It is still fun and warm, but it often feels more grounded in discipline and effort.
Brave Witches is part of the larger World Witches project, which includes anime, manga, novels, games, and music releases.
Within the timeline, it runs parallel to major events involving the 501st unit.
It expands the world by showing another important theater of war and another multinational witch squadron.
For many viewers, that broader perspective is one of the series’ biggest appeals.
The series later also connected to spin-off comedy works such as World Witches Take Off!
Those lighter entries reused the cast in a more playful setting while keeping their personalities recognizable.
Petersburg Grand Strategy
Brave Witches: Petersburg Grand Strategy is the special episode released after the television run.
It serves as an additional conclusion for the 502nd and was presented as an event screening before home video release.
It shares the same core creative staff and cast as the main series.
Some scenes in the early screening version were reportedly modified later for release.
Brave Witches is often noted for bringing a new emotional angle to the franchise.
Instead of focusing only on already legendary aces, it follows a heroine who must claw her way upward.
That shift gave the story a different kind of tension.
Fans who enjoy effort-based growth, military teamwork, and sibling drama often find it especially rewarding.
It also helped establish World Witches as a broader franchise rather than only a single famous unit.
In that sense, Brave Witches is both a side story and an important expansion of the entire setting.
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