#youjo senki federation

[pink-key]

What does Kat think of the animal experiments that were done during the cold war? Ex-bringing a dog head to life, the animals sent to space etc

ayeee poster girl time

[tanjaded]

to be honest, i found youjo senki kind of disappointing? the premise is fun, but it proceeds to not do anything truly interesting with it, and it ends up kind of wehraboo-baity?

to be clear, i liked it, but idk. it'd be fun if she defected to the russy federation, or tried to leverage her military career to gain political influence, or engaged with the broader setting through some means other than the battlefield. i guess that would be a different show, in that case.

To be fair it's kinda a main point that she can't escape the battlefield despite her best (read: constantly misunderstood by other characters) efforts, the only reason she joined was to be in a better position knowing she'd be drafted as a frontline mage no matter what.

There's not much she can really do in the way of other options. Defection is unlikely, given all her resources (money specifically) is from the Imperial military and presumably in a Berun bank or something. And she's physically a child, so no one (outside of specific military personnel) would realistically take her seriously. Though, hopping on a boat to the US after withdrawing funds might be a possibility (one which *minor spoilers* the original webcomic actually contemplated at one point).

Politically, she runs into many of the same issues (youth, funds). And as a frontline mage who's ideas and elite battalion changed the direction of the war, in a military that prioritizes meritocracy, they'd never really let her be anywhere else but the frontline. However in a post-war or late-war setting it's absolutely possible, especially if she gets her story out to the masses and effectively spins it to frame her in the right lighting. Maybe she reconnects with the Veterans' club in Norden that the LN and manga show her interacting with.

Then again, that's why we have fanfic and fanart, to explore all the wider possibilities of the Youjo Senki universe that Carlo Zen never dived into or detailed. I will also add that after reading the LN's I'm less a fan of the anime too (Tanya is way too bloodthirsty/crazy compared to the source material), though I'm still fond of it since it introduced me to the series as a whole.

[anime-of-the-day]

Anime of the Day: Saga of Tanya the Evil: The Movie

Alt title: Youjo Senki Movie

Released: 2019

“The Empire’s victories will only foretell future problems.” This is the prophecy Tanya fears. Her tactical brain foresees the impending world war coming. And if measures aren’t taken, then the Empire might be lost. And while there are victories on the southern front, the Federation is stocking troops on the western border.

[kiritonarukami]

Youjo Senki Movie [Review]

Happy Saturday! We're back on review and first up is the Youjo Senki Movie! I watched it a while back but haven't had a chance to write about it! Check out my thoughts!

Studios: Nut

Source: Light novel

Genres: Action, Military, Magic

Synopsis: “With its armies sweeping across the continent, the Empire seems unstoppable. After securing victory over the remnants of the Republic’s army, the Empire’s ultimate victory is finally within reach. However, dark clouds are gathering in the East. The communist-led Russy Federation is mustering troops on its western…

[animehajime]

Anime Eiga Review: Youjo Senki Movie

Check out the latest film review from Anime Hajime, 2017's Youjo Senki Movie. Be sure to follow and don't miss when we upload next. #anime #animereview #AnimeHajime #YoujoSenki

Youjo Senki Movie With the defeat of its enemies, the mighty Empire looks poised to complete its domination. However, word comes of troubling movement along its border with the Federation. The Empire sends in its best force, led by the young but devious Major Tanya Degurechaff, to discover the truth. While Tanya and her team are doing reconnaissance, the Federation begins a massive invasion…

[ryuboyzz]

Youjo Senki Movie Geokun

Youjo Senki Movie Geokun

Synopsis:

English:

In 1926, Tanya and her battalion return home from defeating remnants of the Republic’s army. However, when they arrive they receive word of a massive mobilization near the border with the Russy Federation, so the Empire’s army must prepare. At the same time, a multinational army under the leadership of the Allied Kingdom moves into the Russy Federation. The enemy of an enemy…

[meddyowo]

So some people think Youjo Senki has to deal with Nazis or Nazi Germany, let me clear that up.

1: The double headed eagle coat of arms is one set by the German Federation back in 1848, and had been used previously in history by others such as Albania and the Byzantine Empire. The one used by the Nazi’s is entirely different and consisted of a loosely drawn single headed eagle in its initial version, and a very sternly drawn eagle in the second and more famous version. The coat of arms in the show is a double headed dragon that sorta looks like an eagle.

2: There has been no talk or showing of Hitler, the Nazi party, the Jewish star, or concentration camps.

3: The flag shown is a simple black bar with a white outline going across a red background. The thing is that red, black, and white have been German colors since 1867. The general layout of the flag - with the single black bar stretching across, nothing occupying the corners, and any symbols being centered, is also much closer to the Urburschenschaft’s flag which was set in 1816. In other words, it’s as different as it can be whilst still being German and appropriate for WWI.

4: It’s an alternate WWI. This means that the Germans haven’t lost yet, and more importantly, they haven’t signed the Treaty of Versailles. Why is this important? Well the reason that Hitler was able to rise to power was because he festered on people’s depression and need to direct their hatred towards something. Being that they haven’t lost the war and signed the Treaty yet, they aren’t living in the terrible post WWI conditions that the real Germans lived in, meaning that there isn’t the same negativity for Hitler to fester and use to rise into power.

5: Continuing from the fact that the Treaty wasn’t signed, but on a different note: The Weimar Republic doesn’t exist. Yes, I know the Weimar Republic didn’t originate because of the Treaty, but it was a sign of the loss to come and following that, point #4. The Weimar republic originated from a rebellion in late 1918 for those that don’t know, but it’s important to note that this rebellion started due to the people’s lack of faith and support in their government for losing the war - what I mean is that by time the rebellion occurred, WWI was pretty much lost, this much was implicitly decided when the Spring Offensive of 1918 failed. Being that in the show they aren’t losing, then this all would have never happened. Now as for why the Weimar Republic is important, well it’s what Hitler used as his stepping stone into power. The Republic gave him something to target and show that democracy and their government as it is will not save their people, and after he was thrown in jail by the Republic for his outcry's, he was able to write Mein Kampf - his ideologies and policies. TLDR: No Republic = no stepping stone for Hitler and his Nazi party + people in the show still support their current non-Nazi government.

6: What is their current government? Well pretty much all signs point to the German Empire. It’s even referred to that in the show, “The Empire”. In real life the Empire lasted from 1871 to 1919, and from the way it was structured it would not have allowed Hitler to rise up as he did and control the country. The German Empire was also unaffiliated with the Nazi party.

The only question isn’t whether or not it’s okay for there to be Nazi’s in the show, because there are none. The question is whether or not it’s okay to show imperialization as being this glorified, which is an entirely different conversation and not one I hold an opinion on.

[degurechaff-tanya]

“Shields Down” A Youjo Senki Fanfic

Okay, so I wrote a fanfic! The first chapter is under the read more cut. I was inspired to write the story after this drawing by @kawacy​ took my breath away. I got so excited that I immediately started writing.

So, the summary: Ten years into the future, the 203rd Air Mage battalion has kept World War 1 going, and the Empire just won’t fall. Things get complicated, however, when the Entente Alliance decides that they must get rid of the Central Powers’ ace, Major Tanya von Degurechaff. Conflict leads to conflict, leads to conflict, leads to conflict. And what’s going on between Degurechaff and Serebryakov, anyway...? They’re getting closer, it seems...

Misc. notes: - This is based off of what the anime has so far explained. I haven’t read much of the manga yet. - If you liked this fic, feel free to drop a like, or reblog it and share with others!

Chapter 1: Preordained

“I must say, Major Degurechaff, that you’ve substantially turned the tides of the war over the course of your career.” Colonel Hans von Zettour paced behind his office desk as Tanya stood by.

“Thank you, sir,” she nodded. “I couldn’t have done it without the men and women of my battalion.”

“Of course not. But we certainly couldn’t have gotten this far without your astounding military prowess. If you hadn’t earned that Silver Wings Assault badge so long ago, we wouldn’t have recognized your ability. And without you being deployed to the Rhine, and then later forming your mage battalion, we would’ve had a quick defeat. Strategists were predicting that we’d have to surrender after four or five years. But alas! We’re coming up on ten, and it has no sign of stopping.”

“Have you called me here to discuss an end to the war, sir?”

He shook his head. “No. I believe the it will eventually diffuse on its own, but we have to give the Entente Alliance enough time for their motivation to die out. You’re unstoppable, major. Your battalion will disintegrate any hope they have of winning. As long as we keep the confidence of our citizens strong and our allies hopeful, there will be treaties coming through every mailbox, telegraph, and radio transmission of the Empire… in due time.”

Tanya smirked. “Well then, if you don’t mind me asking, why have I been summoned?”

“We’d like to award medals to several of your soldiers for the bravery and patriotism they’ve represented. I’d certainly give you one as well, but you’ve already earned the highest honor that the Empire has to give.”

Her assault badge gleamed cheerily by the light of the oil lamps.

“The only thing we need is for you to approve of the nominations.”

Tanya gave a nod and waited for him to continue.

Zettour paused in his pacing and set a hand down on the back of his desk chair. “But first, I’m interested to see if our opinions line up. Who would you say deserves recognition the most?”

“Lieutenant Victoriya Serebryakov. Easily.”

“Oh, is that so? I didn’t have her on my list at all. I was thinking of Schwarzkopf, or K--”

“Serebryakov is the most deserving soldier I’ve ever known,” Tanya replied quickly. “I don’t only say it because I know her well. In fact, I would never nominate a soldier subjectively. She’s simply the most improved, most patriotic, most determined and most passionate soldier that I’ve met.”

“Really? Despite her original homeland being the Russy Federation?”

“If anything, that’s more reason to be recognized. Her spirit is greater than most soldiers I’ve known who were born in the fatherland. She’s accepted it as her one and true identity, and I believe that’s admirable.”

Zettour was silent for a moment. His lips tugged upward at a small smile. “Very well then. I’ll allow the committee to consider it.”

-XXX-

It was a bleak June morning when Tanya led her battalion back out to the sky. There were no current orders to ambush, capture, or burn anything. Today was a routine border defense tactic that they’d all done a thousand times.

“Commander, we have an incoming mage company from the west,” Victoriya reported, lowering a pair of binoculars.

Tanya scoffed. “That’s fine. Usual routine, everyone. We’ll--”

“Oh, wait, another is incoming from the east!” Victoriya turned herself slowly, surveying all directions. “I see another in the northwest, about 900 meters away. This doesn’t feel like a usual invasion…”

The major cocked her gun. “No, it appears to be a direct assault against the battalion.”

“You know why this is happening, right?” One of the soldiers turned to Tanya. The look of panic on his face sent an uneasy feeling down her spine. “You’ve been the greatest threat to the Entente Alliance’s victory ever since this war began. They must have decided--”

“--That if I’m dead, they have a shot at victory again.” A laugh escaped her throat on the last word. “That’s the most obvious thing I’ve heard all year. But it’s another obvious fact that the 203rd Air Mage Battalion doesn’t fall to Republicans.”

Victoria smiled a bit when she heard that, bringing a fresh air of determination to her face.

All of a sudden, there was a horizontal rain of gunfire. The battalion seemed to be stuck right in the middle of a deadly crossroads of mage companies. Everyone took off into a dance of evasive acrobatics, jumping and flipping through the air. Tanya could faintly hear a man’s scream over the gunfire and looked over to see him holding onto his arm. He was singled out quickly, and two men on equipment that resembled metal skis swooped in on him. As they dispersed, his body fell down through the air.

“Dammit, soldiers! Focus or you’ll be prey to the war!” She took a few enemies out quickly, beginning to notice a rather concerning aspect of this fight. Some of them were on skis, some rode metallic horses, and others were using equipment she’d never even encountered before. This was definitely a team-up mission to decapitate the Empire’s ace mage battalion.

She saw, with rising horror, that her men were being wiped out right from under her command. “Oh lord, please bestow me with-- agh!” A bullet flew straight past her face. How close had it been to…? Her cheek was starting to feel warm with blood, and she cursed herself, realizing the bullet must’ve grazed her skin. “Dammit! For wanting me to pray to you, Being X, you’re making it difficult!”

“Commander!” She heard Victoriya’s scream, and all of a sudden there was a massive force at her back. A man grabbed Tanya from behind and pulled her right into his arms.

“Little fucker...” She could feel his breath on her ear. “I got you good!”

BOOM! His grip loosened, and he fell as Victoriya rushed forward out of seemingly nowhere. The barrel of her gun was smoking.

Tanya gave her a nod of approval and they kept on fighting. She thought her group could handle this, but they seemed to be completely blindsided. It’d been so long since the battalion had seen a true threat like this, and Tanya knew she’d be cursing herself over and over again for letting everyone get so cocky… herself included. But right now, it was time to focus and fight--

Three more of her mages fell. A glance down at the ground revealed that the land was speckled with what could only be body parts: the entrails of the empire. The 203rd Air Mage Battalion was truly becoming prey.

“Serebryakov! Notify HQ that we need backup right now! We’ve been trapped in a wide range assault!”

“Yes ma’am!” Victoriya began yelling into her headset, so Tanya decided that the only thing she could do was find a safe point to say her prayer and charge up with energy. She flew up high, higher, higher still, trying to make sure there would be no interference.

Her body parted the clouds and shot forth into ice air. It was harder to breathe here, so it wasn’t likely she’d be followed. It was even less likely that the enemy’s equipment could handle this altitude anyway.

The distant echoes of gunfire still rang through the air, but everything was still up here. There was usually a great deal of wind when she flew this high, but not today. It was eerily quiet -- as if the wind was waiting for something, holding its breath.

“Oh lord, deliver us from our time of need, and use your gracious power to bring meaning to the lives lost while protecting the fatherland today.” She swiped her hand across the air to reveal a translucent screen of iridescent mechanics, splayed out like a dashboard. She zeroed in on each enemy soldier, locking on for the coming attack. Precision and thoroughness were key here, so as not to hit any of her own mages…

Tanya began to take notice of something rather alarming. Where were all the enemy soldiers?! Only about half of the ones from before were still visible. There plenty more bodies on the ground below than when she’d last checked, but it was too far away to tell which uniforms the bulk of them were wearing.

She sensed something. There were several magical signatures nearby - closer than she would comfortably allow. They were increasing rapidly, and she had a feeling there wouldn’t be time to lock them into her assault. Tanya would have to fire this shot and then turn in time to apprehend whoever was coming at her from behind.

The commander’s decision was officially set when she saw a man aim his gun in Victoriya’s direction. The soldier didn’t seem to have noticed yet, and without fast action it would be too late to save her. Tanya hoisted up her rifle and allowed that burning, familiar sensation to return to her eyes. It didn’t hurt; it felt like a mixture of pure adrenaline and absolute devotion. The strange power brought to her by the one and only damned Being X.

Her rigid fingers pulled the trigger over and over again. The first one took Victoriya out of harm’s way, ripping her attacker into pieces as it exploded on impact. He didn’t even have time to scream. A number of similar, more panicked deaths began to follow suit.

As soon as that was settled, the commander turned, beginning to mutter another prayer. It would be a lot of power to draw at once, but if she truly focused, she might be able to regain her golden-eyed state --

“GOTCHA!”

“Damned girl!”

“Devil of the Rhine, eh? This is the one? I thought she’d be a little more feisty in person--”

With a flash of her bayonet, the man’s arm stiffened around her body. His head rolled right off his shoulders and fell to the ground below, his body following soon after. The other Republican soldiers recoiled in shock, but that wasn’t enough to make Tanya’s escape a whole lot easier. Glancing downward, she noticed that even more mage companies had arrived, and not in uniforms of the Empire. They never seemed to stop coming. All directions -- all countries -- seemed to have their eye on one spoil of war: Major Tanya von Degurechaff herself.

“You touch me one more time with your filthy hands, and I’ll break each and every one of your necks. All of you,” she glared. Even as an adult, twenty-one years of age, she was small compared to these militarymen. It really infuriated her when things came down to brute strength instead of magic. Of course, that only meant she had to show even more confidence in that regard.

“You’re tough, sure, but you’re on your own now. We’ve got you surrounded,” one of them grinned. “The men under your command are dropping like flies, so you really don’t get to be so cocky anymore.”

One of them gave a particularly nasty smirk. “With that pretty young figure of yours, you’re really more suited for other purposes than fighting, anyway. Maybe when we bring you to HQ, that can be put to the test.”

Those were the last words to blow the fuse in Tanya’s head. Her left eyelid twitched.

“Oh Lord, allow me to cleanse this battlefield of its sins and protect the fatherland. I offer you my utmost strength and gratitude.”

“She’s praying for her life!” one laughed.

“Let’s get this over with,” another added. Meanwhile, more and more enemy mage companies were ascending through the sky toward their current location.

Tanya began to plan. If timed right, she could take a considerable amount of them out. Blowing a hole in the enemy’s forces might give the remainder of her battalion a chance to escape.

“Lord, grant my wish and offer me a chance to experience your gracious--” she flew up higher, narrowly avoiding another attempt to grab her-- “blessings.” She could feel the power drawing from her physical energy as it came, but that strange, supernatural heat began to return nonetheless. It was building in her computation jewel and resonating deep within the core of her torso, etching itself miles into her soul and intertwining with every fiber of her being.

Tanya raised her gun just as someone grabbed onto her foot. There was only a fraction of a second to do this, and do it needed to be done right. She was no longer sure if it would save her, but it might still be able to save--

BOOM!

The soldier fell from Tanya’s ankle as Victoriya flew up next to her. This was the second time she’d pulled through and saved her superior. “W-we can still do this,” she panted, “But please hurry, commander!”

Tanya pulled her trigger. A huge explosion, bigger than before, ripped through the sky. Like a downward tsunami, a horrific mass of fire began to wipe out entire mage companies. Nothing in its vertical path survived.

Just as planned, a hole opened up in the enemy’s mass of soldiers as they either fled or fell victim to the flames. “Go go go!!” Tanya yelled, making sure Victoriya was at her flank as they flew on the scorched turbulence of the fire spell. Everyone was a little disoriented, but their fellow empirical mages seemed to understand the plan. They all kicked into top speed and began to retreat.

Despite the stench of charred flesh that burned their nostrils, Tanya could see that plenty of enemies survived. One in particular -- the one who’d made the sick remark about her body -- hadn’t died either. He was hot on her tail, in fact. And the worst part of it all wasn’t that she hadn’t been able to eliminate him in any of her two all-out attacks; it was that she still wasn’t sure if she’d make it out of this whole ambush without becoming his country’s prisoner.

Men everywhere were trying to round her up like a farm animal, but it was just a little bit farther to go… the ground was so close…

So close…

A gasp to her right. Victoriya’s rifle fell from her hand and disappeared into the air below them. Tanya felt specks of fresh blood simultaneously hit the side of her cheek, and she turned her head anxiously to assess the damage.

It had just been her left hand, but now Victoriya was defenseless.

Then, like the snap of a Republican’s fingers, the lieutenant was gone. They were moving through the air so fast that it looked as if Victoriya had disappeared from thin air, and it took a Tanya a moment to understand that someone had grabbed her.

The commander had a fast decision to make. She knew that at this point, she would most likely escape, successfully retreat, and head back to HQ alive and well. Or… she could return a favor that she’d been given twice already today. The salaryman inside of her was absolutely against that idea, but in this very moment, she was feeling more like Tanya Degurechaff. If that was the case, though… was Being X winning? She decided to address that issue after saving Victoriya.

Forsaking what every nerve in her tired body was screaming for her to do, Tanya turned herself around and bolted back into the bloodshed. They had a gun to Victoriya’s head, holding her like a hostage. In hindsight, this had probably been a lure to force Tanya back into the battle, but it wouldn’t have changed her mind about what she had to do.

The commander didn’t really have a plan for this. After expending so much magical energy already, both her body and mind were lethargic. Se knew she wouldn’t be able to draw out any more divine power if she tried, so praying would be of no use. There was only one thing she could do. Tanya held up her gun, aimed, pulled the trigger--

No ammo.

It was two of them this time. One soldier pulled the rifle from her hands, narrowly avoiding another swing from her bayonet, while another pulled her body against his chest and gripped her like a vise. Victoriya called something out, but Tanya didn’t process what it was. She just thrashed against the enemy’s grip. Without her gun, her magic, or her energy… all she had was her power of will. And that alone didn’t suffice.

The man holding her gave a familiar snicker. “Hey again, pretty girl.”

Oh no. The reality of this situation began to dawn on her.

“You set me up for this moment, didn’t you, Being X?”

The military men just laughed and boasted amongst themselves, not hearing her words.

“All of it was for this, wasn’t it? Why else would you really dare to give me access to all of that power…? You didn’t have to drag so many people down with me.”

She could picture him saying something along the lines of, “You’re the one who brought them down with you. If you had just kept faith from the beginning, your precious friend wouldn’t have to die as well.”

“Hey! I have a request,” she called out.

This time, they all turned. Some of the men were still wearing ignorant, triumphant grins, as if they’d just netted a mythological creature.

Tanya pointed to Victoriya. “I know why you want me, but don’t take her. She’s just an average soldier.”

“She’s still our enemy. And none of the enemies get away scot-free,” one replied. “Let’s take ‘em back.”

Everything after that was a blur. The farther they were dragged out of the Empire’s skies, the colder a sensation Tanya began to feel. It was the opposite of the way she felt when her body was charged with magical power. She felt tired, dizzy, and some other things she couldn’t exactly explain. It was enough that her eyes began to roll back into her head as they flew. The last thing she wanted to do was lose consciousness in this man’s arms, but it didn’t happen voluntarily.

Her senses dimmed to a slow blackness as they crossed the border of the Empire.

[deviloftherein-blog]

A FEW QUESTIONS, ACTUALLY: What exactly are the factions at war in Tanya's world? Is the war more similar to WWI or WWII in your opinion? Also, is Tanya from OUR WORLD (like, you get it), and sent into an alternate universe, or is this just the past of their universe? Lastly, WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THIS SERIES?

The current situation in Youjo Senki is basically NOT a world war at all but there’s a strong possibility for one, so in that sense it’s definitely more of ww1 THOUGH the year is 1924 so basically it’s alternate history where WW1 hasn’t happened. It can’t be ours but it can’t be Tanya’s dimension either bc magic exists in neither. So basically Existence X just shoved him into some alternate world. 

I can’t recall if neither anime or manga actually explain this but basically between Empire and Federation there was unofficial dispute over drawing border but no war bc Empire was large - like... that’s the simple way to put it. It was bigger and stronger. 

Then accident at the border happened. Both border garrisons misfired due to unexplained misunderstanding and yeah. The other countries are slowly joining in the war in series. 

I’d recommend it for Tanya dfjkf but yeah the first ep of the anime gives you a big misunderstanding if you don’t know the full setting (I’m conflicted bc this was much more interesting way to set the series instead of just dumping the actual setting right off the bat but it also gives us  tanya from pov of people who don’t know much about tanya’s true nature even if we do get a glimpse of it)

I do think it’s a fun series though so I do def rec it especially manga or anime, light novel is more obv aimed to military otakus so it can get a little .....blathery for my tastes. 

[fanfictionlive]

Concept for a new fanfic

Fandom-Youjo Senki/The Saga Of Tanya The Evil

Plot: When Tanya is reborn she is instead put in the body of a baby in the Russy Federation (The Rus Union's Predecessor), her family are minor nobles. She is educated and raised to be the perfect lady (And hates every part of it). During this time The Great War begins; However the Russy Federation joins in near the end and fights against The Empire until eventually, everyone gets kinda sick of fighting and a peace treaty is resolved where borders stay roughly the same aside from a few land gains in the Ruhr for The Empire.

A few years later the Arkansas stock markets crash and loans are recalled, sending Europe into a great recession and worsening the situation in Russy, largely because most of their economy revolves around exporting agriculture and they can no longer compete against the postwar Empire in terms of price.

Unemployment skyrockets as the now penniless people are unable to afford manufactured goods and the remaining heavy industries collapse also. The crash causes a resurgence in communism as peasants look upon the far nicer lifestyles of the nobles. The Revolution begins.

Now as Tanya's family flees towards areas controlled by the counter-revolutionary movement known as 'The Whites' they are forced to help out against the red tide. Tanya is accidentally found to have magical powers and she is hurriedly trained up to fight as a mage while her parents work in a munitions plant; assisting their daughter as best as they can.

And the rest is history...

Now then here are my questions for you. Just give your opinions whatever they may be:

Should I work it in so Tanya has her experience from the western front or should this place be where Being X sends her originally?

Should she discover her powers/ demonstrate them early?

How high up should she be in the Nobility?

Should her parents die for extra drama?

For those unfamiliar with the franchise just tell me what you think

I may turn it into a fic soon

submitted by /u/nazarkovn [link] [comments] from FanFiction: Where Magical Ponies battle Imperial Titans http://ift.tt/2fUxted

[tonreihe]

Review of Youjo Senki, Volume 1

(This is the text of a review I wrote on Amazon. This novel is highly unlikely to be licensed in the United States, so if you’re interested in reading it, there’s an unofficial translation available here.)

The protagonist of Youjo Senki (Little Girl’s War) is a salaryman in the Human Resources department of an unnamed Japanese corporation. He has dedicated his life so far to taking advantage of his surroundings and steadily advancing up the social and corporate ladder, and he has succeeded by his own lights. What he did not expect was that he would be pushed in front of an oncoming subway train by someone he had recently fired, or that after his death he would come before “Existence X” for judgment. Perhaps that is why he decides not to take Existence X and his moral appeals particularly seriously.

Existence X decides to teach the protagonist a lesson, and reincarnates him as a girl named Tanya Degurechaff. Tanya lives in a world much like late-nineteenth/early-twentieth century Europe, with the signal exception that magical powers have been technologized and developed for military use. Tanya demonstrates her magical abilities early on, which is why we soon encounter her as a nine-year-old mage and second lieutenant, fighting (when it can’t be avoided) for the Empire (based on the Deutsches Reich) on the recently-opened eastern front.

Fighting simply to avoid getting killed, Tanya ends up earning an medal that is typically awarded posthumously. This sets her on her way up the military hierarchy and around an Empire at war with its neighbors–from a military research laboratory where, as a test pilot, Tanya learns that Existence X is not going to leave her alone; to the western front, where she has her first taste of command and earns promotion to first lieutenant; to the Imperial War College, where she prepares herself for life as a senior officer. By the end of this volume (the first of seven so far), Tanya is a captain and commander of a mage wing.

Youjo Senki is an instance of what is called in Japan a light novel. Light novels lack all literary pretentions, and usually inhabit the realm of genre fiction. This is so with Youjo Senki: it is a kind of hybrid of military science fiction and of fantasy, and if the translation I’ve read is indicative of the original, it is by no means a literary masterpiece. But not only is Youjo Senki solidly readable, it is worth reading as an interesting piece of realistic fiction clothed in the trappings of genre fiction.

Youjo Senki asks the question: How far will calculating social climbing get you? And answers: Pretty far! Tanya the former HR professional is a shrewd judge of her standing and situation, and of what those permit and require. She is brave, but only because her job and her circumstances require it, and because she is unsentimental about them. It also doesn’t hurt that she has magical abilities well beyond the normal, which lets her get into and out of situations that others wouldn’t be capable of. Tanya always does the right thing, but never for what anyone other than Tanya would regard as the right reason.

Youjo Senki is also realistic in its characterization of war and the military. The Empire is successful on the eastern front, but in seeking overwhelming victory against the Federation it invited an invasion on the western front by the Republic, something that the Empire’s own standing military strategy warned against. The debates leading up to important decisions, good and bad, are portrayed at length, showing what was taken into consideration. Most importantly, we see the rationalizations and mental habits that lead the Imperial officers to decide that there is nothing deeply weird about the very existence of someone like Tanya Degurechaff. (Ironically, the only officer who thinks there is something dangerously abnormal about Tanya is from the Personnel Department, and he is repeatedly ignored.)

This is a novel that is both good on its own merits and unexpectedly good for being a light novel. I recommend it highly.

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Youjo Senki comics #5

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The Saga of Tanya the Evil: Nil Admirari

By Carlo Zen and Shinobu Shinotsuki. Released in Japan by Enterbrain. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Emily Balistrieri.

Sometimes war can be filled with pitched battles, back and forth action and excitement, and sometimes war can be filled with not a heck of a lot happening except people talking about tactics. The same holds true for Tanya the Evil, especially in this sixth volume, where action scenes are kept to an absolute minimum in favor of dialogue, inner monologue, and a lot of grumbling about the futility of war. Which, it has to be said, makes for a book that’s a bit of a struggle to get through at times. Most of the time Carlo Zen balances his dry military tactics prose with other scenes that pick up the pace, but we don’t have that here, so some of this book is simply boring. But not all of it. There is, once again, the threat of peace on the horizon, and Tanya is all for it, though she’s not the one in charge, and you get the sense that von Zettour is not simply going to agree to anything that isn’t “we win, and then discuss terms”. Winning, of course, is not happening right now.

The title is Latin once more, and means “Nothing Will Surprise Me”. That’s put to the test in this book, which sees the nation of Ildoa getting involved – seemingly to be a neutral broker for peace, but in reality looking to get the best deal for themselves by playing both sides. As the Empire is not-Germany, Ildoa is not-Italy, though their political leader seems to be nothing like Mussolini so far – Carlo Zen is avoiding the main Axis villains in this series. The Empire is understandably rather wary of Ildoa, who put on a show of strength that actually shows off that they don’t have much strength to back it up. Still, an overture for peace is a start. Certainly it’s what Tanya wants, to the surprise of everyone – possibly the funniest scene in the book is when she talks with Visha, Weiss and the others in her unit and realizes how they’re all warmongers, not realizing who trained this into them.

On the other side, we have the Commonwealth and the Federation still making very awkward allies, as they come to the realization that the Empire is far stronger than they had expected. (The Empire, of course, is coming to the same realization about their enemy.) Colonel Drake appears to be the Lergen of the Allied side, and he has his own Tanya analogue in Lieutenant Mary Sue, still bright and idealistic and shiny and driven by sweet, sweet revenge. “The Saga of Tanya the Evil” is a Western title, albeit one approved by the author, I believe – the Japanese title, Youjo Senki, translates as “The Military Chronicles of a Little Girl”. Tanya is evil in the sense that she’s working for the Empire, and she can be morally reprehensible at times, but she knows about war and why things happen. Mary Sue, though, can’t believe everyone doesn’t think the way that she does, and she’s a headache to everyone around her. I really want to see her and Tanya fight again – perhaps I should watch the movie.

So there’s a lot of talking but little forward movement in a book which sees Tanya’s unit going from the Federation to the Empire Homeland and then up towards the Entente Alliance in an effort to win the war. Which Tanya knows isn’t happening, but she can’t convince anyone else. A necessary read for fans of the series, but it’s really dry and dull at times, I admit.

By: Sean Gaffney

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Someone who was from the federation and someone who is from the federation I forgot that my character is on the antagonist’s side, so i wanted to show her as such. I’m poor with dialogues but i hope the idea is clear.

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Federation soldiers

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Excursion across (half-destroyed) Moskva

If not me who will show moskva in a positive light, without gulags around every corner, then who?